Gretsch G5260 Baritone High Output Pickup Swap/Install | Keith Merrow Pegasus

[@Butchzillaa]

Great comparison mate. Loved it.

[@thebunn]

YESSSSSS! These Gretsch baris are so dreamy. Also, those slider shots... Tasty. Pickup swap wasn't as big of a dif as I expected but did have more bite. Excellent work Sir!

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Thank you sir. The difference wasn't as large as I thought it would be either but I do like it. The clean tones on the gretsch pickups are beautiful!

[@thebunn]

@@HeavyInHawaii Yeah, the stock neck is so tasty! I took a line of slugs out of mine so that it's a single coil and it's even more dreamy. Hahaaa!

[@darthshaggy9970]

@@HeavyInHawaii because the pegasus its not a high gain pickups, its very low gain (i use to have one in a LTD mh-1000) i swapped for a DiMarzio Titan (best pickup for low tuning in my opinion) and the thing change a lot

[@dreamchasergarage690]

Just bought one, I'll have to keep this swap in mind. Good info, thanx. Cheers :)

[@MrScrofulous]

I've got one on order. I had a 27" 7 string fan fret with Fishman Moderns and I found it really overpowering.....just way too much everything, demolished everything else in the signal chain. It was a neck-through monster. I'm looking forward to having lower output pups. I think they made the choice deliberately, knowing that higher output pups with the long scale and low tuning would be too much. Really cool video, I liked the fast-forward pup swap segment, just enough detail, not at all boring. Very well done.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

The fishman moderns are just a lot. I prefer the Keith Merrow set or the open cores. The stock Gretsch pups do sound beautiful and you can certainly tweak the sound with an eq pedal.

[@MrScrofulous]

@@HeavyInHawaii I agree, the Moderns are a lot, especially in a big neck-through guitar. I sold it, with some regret as it was a NAMM one-off and eventually replaced it with an Abasi Larada 7. The Abasi pups are more subtle. I also have a Jackson MM Juggernaut with the BKP Juggernauts. Passive, but still massive, also a LOT, but better than the FM's. Overall, I'm good with low-output mini hums though. My St Vincent Sterling works just fine.

[@MrScrofulous]

@@HeavyInHawaii Sidebar, I love your country man. I have been privileged to visit a few times and my experiences in Hawaii have been unreasonably good. I wish we could adopt some of your dignity and respectful approach here in Australia.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

@@MrScrofulous Yeah this place is beautiful and I have been fortunate to live here as long as I have. I couldn't agree more, many locals have treated me "unreasonably" well, lol.

[@MrScrofulous]

@@HeavyInHawaii That is cool. Yeah, funny turn of phrase, not sure exactly why I used that term, LOL !! Update, I've had my Gretsch for a week or so and I get where you are coming form with the pow output pups. Playing through my big amp at home, H%K Traimp and a quad, it sounded great. I'm away from home now and my travel rig is a Mesa TA-15, single 1x12 Creamback 65 and pedals, and it's a lot harder to get a good tone. I ended up stacking a Black Ash into a Special Cranker and that works OK. Cleans with reverb are awesome though. It was so funny , played it for a few days then when I picked up my Eclipse it felt like a toy by comparison.

[@jchristensenbiology]

I’v had mine for a couple years now, and I’ve thought about swapping the pups out for some TV Jones Power’Trons. The mini-humbuckers don’t have the sparkle and bite that the more traditional Filter’Tron style pickups do, and the Power’Trons have the sparkle, AND they’re a lot hotter than most Filter’Trons.

[@lauschmusic]

May I ask, what mount is necessary for the PowerTrons?

[@jchristensenbiology]

@ I think TV Jones offers the PowerTrons in multiple shapes (FIlterTron or Humbucker). Either would require some routing on the 5260. Ultimately, I’ve stayed with the stock mini humbuckers.

[@GordiansKnotHere]

I just bought this same model guitar, finish and all... I'm enjoying it, has a great tone and feel. I feel like I could snap the neck of my SG after working on the baritone for awhile though...

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I can believe it. You're going from the longest scale to the shortest scale. What a difference. I still have this one and love it.

[@kissaguitar]

Thanks for the tips. Gonna change pickups aswell

[@HeavyInHawaii]

What are you gonna put in?

[@jimfrancemusic4813]

Just bought one of these with the Bigsby trem system. Not sure yet about a pickup swap, especially since my music isn't as heavy, and I'm happy with it so far. I'm using it for some recording at the moment, so I'll make a judgement from there. Nice video!

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I've been so impressed with mine. They're so much fun for the heavy stuff. The stock pickups do sound beautiful. I don't hate them.

[@Razoron33]

I have the same model and last week swapped out the stock pickups for a pair of Fishman Fluence Classics. The cavities were too small to have them fully recessed, so i had to carve it out…..with zero woodwork knowledge lol. Managed to install the Fluences properly aligned. Worth it! Just kinda wished I saw your video first! Weird how only today KZbin decided to show me your video…when I’ve never searched about this topic.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

The algorithm is listening, lol. How are the Classics? So far my favorite have been the KM's, they're really hot but not as nuts as the Moderns.

[@budverissimo1]

I have the will adler fishmans in mine. Had to custom make some pickup rings too.

[@GearStuffandThings]

Thanks for doing this video I plan to swap mine out soon

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Nice!

[@singtall]

two thoughts: 1) boost with tube screamer just to be able to get the brightness back. 2) swap the pickup for a Kiesel pickup, those things are bright as hell!

[@chrispysaid]

You have a specific Kiesel recommendation for this guitar?

[@singtall]

Lithium pickups are super bright@@chrispysaid

[@adammorris2798]

Just bought a DiMarzio Fortitude pickup for my Gretsch baritone. Thanks for the inspiration, dude

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Let me know when you get it installed and what you think of it. I just went through a big move and my gretsch got damaged, the pickup didn't survive shipping so I just put a d-activator in the bridge. Already I'm not sure I like it's charactor as much as the Keith Merrow pickup.

[@adammorris2798]

I definitely will. I'm anxious. The Fortitude is low output, as well, yet very diverse. I hate to hear that. But, I'll definitely let you know

[@adammorris2798]

Btw, I'm also direct mounting it, if you have any suggestions

[@adammorris2798]

Just finished it! Still has clarity and it handles effects very well. Sounds very warm, yet still chugs🤘

[@jchristensenbiology]

Also, I use a cheap 10-band EQ pedal (Caline) to great effect with this guitar.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

10 band eq is always a good idea.

[@EXSENTRIX]

Sounds killer! 👊🏼💀⚜️

[@roadbull1]

Sweet content man. Watch the video on x2 speed and all rifffs are thrash yo!

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Nice!

[@whalefalls]

Can you tell me where you attached the wires please? I am switching mine out for the Nazgûl and I am not great at guitar wiring. I would really appreciate the help! Love the video

[@HeavyInHawaii]

All the Duncan stuff comes with a little booklet that shows you the wiring for the pickup. I typically just follow that or go to guitarelectronics.com. They have have a diagram for just about every setup.

[@zakiya2002]

Very nice guitar

[@metallover8]

I’m thinking of putting full sized humbuckers in mine. Either BKP or Fishman

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I think any brand pickup can be awesome in there as long as it is voiced how you like. Let us know what you decide and how you like it.

[@tonya4157]

I've been thinking about trying one of these. May have to go for it. Wayward Son caught me off guard. lol \m/

[@HeavyInHawaii]

It's quickly become one of my favorite guitars. It's kind of like a tattoo though, you want to get more baritones. Always loved the groove in that song.

[@tonya4157]

@@HeavyInHawaii I probably shouldn't get one then. If I do, I may try a set of P90s in it. And yeh, it's a great song. \m/

[@kissaguitar]

Maaaan, thanks. Because of this video, i got brave enough to order one. Cheers

[@HeavyInHawaii]

That's awesome. I hope you like it as much as I do. Let me know what you think of it when you get it.

[@kissaguitar]

@@HeavyInHawaii i sure will. Thanks.

[@kissaguitar]

oh, and you are a inspiration. Thanks

[@HeavyInHawaii]

That's really kind of you Sami

[@wesleygalles7998]

Nice playing and guitar, man! What island are you on?

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I was on Maui.

[@Blackout293]

Man, your voice is baritone. :D

[@HeavyInHawaii]

lol. Yeah, I've come to terms with not being able to sing like Myles Kennedy.

[@TVoltG]

Try the hybrid 59 from Seymour Duncan in this. It's heavy sounding without the darkness in a baritone.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Really!? Not familiar with the hybrid 59. I will look into that one. I've been going with lighter strings to try and go brighter.

[@TVoltG]

@@HeavyInHawaii it's really good with lower tunings.. clear and with a good balance of high end

[@benspeeds]

Which one was the high output? Sounds like B to me. I preferred A.

[@horse_dog]

the pickups i’d wanna put in here are EGC singles (p90 shaped). ever since i got my EGC tyranny with their singles i have basically sworn off humbuckers

[@HeavyInHawaii]

That's a bold stance. Sworn off humbuckers eh?

[@horse_dog]

@@HeavyInHawaii i just greatly prefer how they sound in most scenarios, even in heavy contexts. humbuckers are completely valid i just think singles compliment my playing more than humbuckers.

[@ruggerobellini3359]

Question, maybe a dumb one...by installing that humbucker without rerouting the p.u. cavity do the string height/action stays the same?

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I routed out space for the pickup height adjustment screws and it works just like any other guitar with pickup rings.

[@BlueDog72]

Great sounds man. Is that a standard sized pickup? I have the same guitar and want to change the bridge pup. Just wondering how much routing if any ill need to do.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Right around the 5:45 mark there is a still and the parts circled in red are the parts i carved out with a dremel and sanding wheel. The problem with the stock pickup cavities is there is no room for the pickup mounting legs. After you do this mod though, if you decide you don't like it, you can always put the stock pickup back in and no one is the wiser. Thanks for watching SC.

[@rezoshelia4679]

Can you tell me if I’ll be able to swap them for a regular soap bar p90 and what would be your thoughts on that. I want to change bridge but I dont know what type of pickup would go in there without routing ^^

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I don't think you'd be able to swap in a P90 w/o routing. The routes are just big enough to contain humbucker ring mounting screws. I feel like these guitars are affordable enough that if that's what your heart really desires, do it. Yolo.

[@exL1kz]

Why do you think you lost clarity/ brightness with this swap?

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I think the stock Gretsch pickups were filtertron style and were def lower output which sound great but just weren't what I was looking for. Just wanted more omph and I feel like the KM passives give me that.

[@exL1kz]

@@HeavyInHawaii Thanks for the reply. I guess i was confused because it sounded like you said after you installed the new pickup, you lost some brightness. I was thinking about getting one of these guitars and putting either a bare knuckle or a fishmann in it but was just wondering how it would end up sounding with the wood/construction of the guitar which was obviously not designed for this sort of music. Was hoping since you've done a swap to something a little more aggressive, you'd be able to tell me whether it was worth it or not :)

[@Defekcija]

Hi, great video! I have the same guitar and the lows are muddy and not punchy at all. Any tips for a good tone for metal? Without changing the pickups xD Cheers!

[@HeavyInHawaii]

Like Ross Johnson said above, I would start with a boost pedal and I would add to that some lighter gauge strings. You'll have to get a new nut. I replaced mine with a tusq nut and it was the perfect size, you will have to cut the string slots bigger. I really like 62's but 68's hold up easily at A standard and can probably go to G standard. Hope this helps, Satan.

[@Defekcija]

@@HeavyInHawaii yeah, a boost pedal might do the trick, because the pickups are very low output. I use 84s for D1, nice tension, but it's muddy :/

[@mattrayner7810]

Hello Satan. Just get an eq pedal. You should have known that being who you are. Joyo btw.

[@Defekcija]

@@mattrayner7810 Hi Matt, thanks for the advice. I have actually tried an eq pedal and you are absolutely right. Joyo rules btw! That zombie 2 preamp is a beast. cheers!

[@mattrayner7810]

Cool! See you sooner or later ;-)

[@fedrek01]

I wonder why nobody thought of placing Gibson's mini-humbuckers inside to save the authentic look. They look like they have the same size as Gretsch's.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I wouldn't only because I know little to nothing about Gibson pickups. I just like that Gretsch has made an affordable platform on which we can swap pickups and live our best chugs.

[@fedrek01]

@@HeavyInHawaii Yeah, I also thought that it's very good to have a platform for experiments. Kind of building your ultimate guitar.

[@DimKAt21]

So what happened, is she still dark sounding?

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I need to make an update video for this guitar. The KM pickup has been replaced By a D-Activator pickup because the KM was damaged while shipping the guitar. The D-Activator sounds a little sterile to me, lacking low-mids but it has enough output to handle baritone tunings.

[@DimKAt21]

@@HeavyInHawaii Thanks for the reply friend!

[@rudycastillo6369]

it might be the pot thats making it dark

[@BunchyMutt]

Did we ever learn which sample was which pickup? My guess A: Pegasus / B: Stock

[@M.Holland]

When you into humbucker loaded baritone guitars under 1000$, look up the subzero guitars. :)

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I looked at those before buying this one. They look great for the price but they were out of stock last time I was shopping.

[@benspeeds]

B sounds more compressed and doesn't sound better to me. A sounds more balanced. I think Gretsch went with mini humbuckers thinking that the lower output and increased brightness of a mini compared to a standard humbucker would work well with the lower tuned instrument. I think this guitar is pretty fantastic right out of the box. It's all subjective but I definitely prefer lower output pickups in general. To my ears they even sound better when you are shooting for maximum damage. High output pickups were designed in a time before high gain amps were even a thing and they served that purpose during that time. Seems like overkill to me now, with all the great high gain amps and pedals available today.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I agree it's a fantastic guitar out of the box and the mini's do something really cool that I haven't had before. Maybe I should try the mini's again and give the amp all the juice. I was used to getting that umph from a guitar and they mini's just didn't do that for me so I had to store them away.

[@RedGearMusic_Personal]

That guitar looks tiny in your hands. 🤣🤣😂😂

[@HeavyInHawaii]

It's about the biggest damn guitar you can get lmao.

[@paleemperor5379]

I have one and i look like a little kid while playing it lol

[@tpeck111]

I like the original pickup better.

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I can understand that. There was def a trade off swapping the pickup. The clean tone on the original pickup was just beautiful. For heavier stuff that I more often play it just felt a little sluggish.