Roswell pickups: Let's see how well they are made!

Roswell pickup are featured in most Harley Benton guitars, but are they well made value pickups? Let's open one up and see!

[@Anonymous-si6py]

I'll try and be kind - you don't know what you're talking about. The wax is not there to protect the pole pieces from rusting. The wax is correct in-between the windings to stop them vibrating and being microphonic. There should have also been more wax between the pole pieces and the cover. But you claim that there shouldn't be wax under the cover? Rubbish. Same nonsense comment about the tape. Don't make up stuff, please. Stop spreading misinformation!

[@Leo_ofRedKeep]

The wax is there to dampen vibrations. Its role is like that of a finger mutting a string. It doesn't have to be regular as long as the bobbins are stuck to something stable. Making it "nice" is just wasted effort.

[@valueofnothing2487]

Not sure what the point here is. You could measure them. You could open the back and see if they really are alnicos maybe. Wax potting is not problem or unusual. The pickup angle - or off angle - I suppose could be an issue.

[@dickgitaar2012]

Also my opinion , I mostly wax PU's myself for years, so what's the problem, I've seen PU's more worrse that costs 5 time the price of a Roswell

[@OldBiker]

Poorly waxed? Looks like it was properly waxed to me, let's face it when you pot a pickup you leave it submerged until there are no bubbles and to me that pickup looks like it had all the bubbles removed. As for the cover and tape, it's a cheap guitar what do you expect jeez

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I changed the magnets from Alnico 5 to 2 they sound much better

[@aeproducedbyequiano2216]

this vid is full of misinformation

[@vendysky]

Yes, the main reason for waxing pickup coils is to suppress microphonics (whistling) and not to protect against corrosion or anything. The aesthetic aspect of applying wax has absolutely no effect on the sound, the only thing that can have an effect is the material of the cover and this is not mentioned anywhere with this type. It's safe to assume that it won't be much for the price, but try the sound with and without the cover and you'll see. I'm going to do it myself.

[@robertbartelmes7623]

simple question: what pickup did you replace the Roswell pickups with???

[@USTTRM]

Q pickups here in Europe wound me a set of Alnico 3 pickups. I highly recommend them!

[@USTTRM]

@@crackawood I will take a look! Thanks for the heads up!

[@USTTRM]

Let’s hear your thoughts!

[@LennertBakker]

First wax potting is to prevent unwanted feedback and microphonics. It's not to preserve pickups. The airiness @joehahn8817 speaks of is due to the microphonic effect of unwaxed pickups. Second: Japan and Indonesia (Asia) made killer guitars/pickups that made the big US companies scared, since the seventies of the previous century. My 35-year-old Fernandes will probably crush any currently made, vintage spec USA Fender It's the race to the lowest price that got us here. I remember that even cheap guitars had an acceptable setup. When I tried the first 'made in mexico' Strat I noticed sharp fret ends, for the first time. Back then cheap guitars were at least 3 times the price as they are now.

[@wildatlanticman128]

Do you know how the Roswell pickups compare to the Tesla VR2 which Harley Benton is now using...? Thanks for your time btw, you seem to know what youre talking about.

[@LennertBakker]

@@wildatlanticman128 Sorry, I have no idea. how they compare.

[@wildatlanticman128]

@@LennertBakker Thanks for the reply - I'm probably splitting hairs at this point!

[@LennertBakker]

@@wildatlanticman128 Just buy the guitar you like. You can always invest in really good pickups. I've put a Dimarzio PAF in my HB LP, made the guitar sound better!

[@joehahn8817]

Hey man, that lapel mic really does the trick!!! My thumb thanks you sincerely for investing in one..lol. One point of contention on the issue of wax potted pups though. I find that more often than not, they don't have that open "airiness" to them that non-potted pups have, so having your favorite pups potted my leave you stuck with a pickup you hate that'll last an eternity!!! I have found some exceptions though. I think it was your Q pickups that fooled me a while back. For potted pups they sound infuckingcredible to my old ears!!! Again, thanks for investing in that lapel mic, being able to hear the whole video makes it even more enjoyable!!!

[@USTTRM]

Hey! Yeah it’s how they are waxed that make a world of difference! I think poorly potted pickups are the reason potted pickups in general are slagged off. I’m also getting a rode system for my livestream so all should sound better! Thanks for your thoughts!

[@joehahn8817]

@@USTTRM I would LOVE to hear some unpotted Epiphone ProBuckers. Or some that were properly potted as opposed to being done in a mass production zone. Since I don't gig anymore, I have developed a real love affair with unpotted pickups!!! They're just so responsive...😊😊😊

[@soulagent79]

I see your point, but I am not so sure if the wax really has an effect on the magnetic current inside the pickup.

[@USTTRM]

I found this: “ The bobbin can be magnetized first, wound and wax dipped or wound, wax dipped and then magnetized. When doing the second way it gives me better control when calibrating and measuring the gauss (magnetic strength) in the pickup.” Just something to consider. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and support!

[@LennertBakker]

Here you are the explanation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4DLnISBbJqYmsU

[@SertanYaman]

Thanks for the video, I have a guitar with two of those and 3 years later they got badly microphonic. I was planning to open and wax them but as far as I see the problem is not the lack of wax but the excess of wax. No problem if wax is sandwiched between the cover and pickup if the cover is snug fit (

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

My sg left handed model Harley. Benton has the same pick ups as the Lespaul 400 change the magnets to alnaco twos great in Les Paul horrible sg

[@Anonymous-si6py]

No need to open up to wax it. There are plenty of vids out there how to wax them.

[@wildatlanticman128]

Hi so how do they compare with the Tesla VR2? Great channel btw.

[@PatrickGeneLeBlancHardy]

I'm new to your channel.. Thanks for Sharing 🎸

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I’m a lefty I built a silver sky put Wilkinson p 90 in it there great

[@chad6326]

Great video, great channel too. You deserve so many more subs and views.

[@USTTRM]

I appreciate that Chad! We’ll get there someday! Thanks

[@chosenideahandle]

It’s really difficult to screw up making a pickup, and you have to screw up much more than this to make any difference to sound whatsoever.

[@USTTRM]

@@chosenideahandle I have really learned that the maxim’You get what you pay for.” hold so true with pickups! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742]

0 hey Mike thanks for this video I was looking forward to this video for a while didn't feel well the last couple of days and actually didn't go on the internet which for me is amazing cuz since the TV really is not too exciting when you can't see much of it even a 55-incher LOL but yeah yeah I'm curious probably the wire is probably crap God knows what that's made out of on that thing but also that another reason why they wax pot is to stop the feedback it's you know because it keeps the wires from a vibrating at least that's what I was taught on the internet and of course you can't believe everything on the internet but it made sense to me the only guitar I have That's not wax potted it is my 59 Les Paul tribute the Epiphone the those pickups are supposed to be you know as close to the past that that they made at the time and they were not wax potted back then so they didn't wax spot these I do notice though that if I'm closer to the airport with the you know my gain up a bit yeah I can see how the feedback would could be a problem I guess although I haven't had that problem because I can't turn my amp up loud enough LOL I live in the apartment and yeah can't turn the tube up loud enough I have the I guess it's called the 2:15 I think by in Europe here it's called the stage right 15 watt tube amp butter I like it I've been toying with changing the speaker but it also has a speaker output Jack so I was thinking of buying the Harley Benton vertical 2x12 cabinet with the vintage 30s in it but I really trying to justify that because as it is I can't turn any of my amps up anywhere near as loud as I'd like to or as loud as they can go not even close so I kind of say to myself well what the hell also a space is a issue what the hell am I going to use that for and then I say well I'm planning on moving as soon as I can to a bigger nicer place as soon as I can find one that's affordable here I live in Long Island New York and it's extremely expensive here but yeah that's it of course I've gone off comments off topic as usual but that's the way I am so thanks again Mike and I'll make sure not to buy anything with Roswell pickups in it LOL sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitarist

[@lofcwomen-com]

Nice job but you really don't need to say everything 4 times, we get it the first time.

[@Andreas_Straub]

The pickup covers should have a more significant influence on the tone. This should be nickel silver, if you don't want to loose too much treble/clarity!

[@TheVigiIante]

14 minutes for "wax spilled out in front"

[@Bassman1999]

Wax on the cover...really......does that matter? No !

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

Keith, so right. This guy's opinion as he calls it seems to have no basis in fact or the science of pickups. He thinks you dip the pickup in wax and then put the cover on. Guys like this are dangerous for misinformation and misrepresenting information. One piece of black tape versus another piece of black tape is irrelevant since none of them have any effect on magnetics.

[@USTTRM]

Yeah we should look out for guys like this ..clearly deranged!

[@USTTRM]

m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/anW6nJWtr86df7c Please look at how a pickup is constructed and properly waxed.

[@Thoracius]

Wax dampens the coils and cover to prevent sympathetic vibrations that can cause microphonics/feedback. Wax on the cover is a good thing.

[@2bikemikesguitartopics145]

@@Thoracius ya, cuz they are dipped in the wax cover on, so it fills with wax. Gotta have wax on the covers..

[@KrisisVal]

One of the best pickup reviews I've seen! keep it up! The best cheap pickup I've ever used was an EMG F2A passive, very cheap, very simplistic construction, but sounded very good.

[@crackawood]

Pretty nuanced and in-depth compared to most reviews. Pickups are subjective as hell but some reviews are more informed than others for sure

[@charlesflint9048]

As I am eagerly awaiting a Harley Benton ( a vintage looking one in sea foam green). From what I’ve seen the basic guitar Is really good, but let down by poor pickups. I ordered mine with the idea of immediately upgrading the pickups.

[@rob_ya_boy]

I did the same but ended up liking the Roswells for their own tone.

[@thelolguy007]

Blah blah blah, blah blah

[@robertsteinberger]

Thank you, black Seinfeld! P.S.: great video!

[@crnogor]

For sure , this bed job is a result of hurry !

[@bobtheblindbedroomguitaris8742]

I've also seen pickups that were taken apart I thought I'd add this in anyway where instead of wax the whole pickup was an epoxy literally I don't know if that was an Ibanez or whatever I thought that was a little Overkill though LOL certainly something you're not going to fix too easy that's for sure for why it breaks sincerely Bob the line bedroom guitars

[@USTTRM]

It’s a really poor job Bob. Amazingly bad!

[@dickgitaar2012]

Ibanez/ Gibson....

[@topfloorstudio2684]

I really wanted to see you cut off that black tape & see if the wire they used was cheap/hair-thin wire. Take the baseplate off & see what material the spacers are made of. You said you have no intention of using the thing so dissect it! C'mon man!!

[@OldBiker]

ALL guitars are wound with "hair-thin" wire, 41 to 43 AWG - Enameled, Heavy Formvar or Polyester coated copper wire, Roswell are very likely using Enameled (cheapest) which is used by virtually every other guitar pick up manufacturer

[@russhughes2093]

Zzzzzzzzzz 🥴

[@USTTRM]

Ha! Well no worries!