Grateful Dead Music Forum

Anyone experiment with pickups that have less volume drop with the split coil, or wiring suggestions so there isn’t so much volume loss? I know it’s endemic to most split coils but wondering if folks have found some interesting/modern alternatives to the DiMarzio pickup that still gets in the sweet spot of 80s and 90s Jerry?

While I myself have no issue with how the Dimarzios split, I've also owned this pickup which is designed specifically to address your concern. My advice: call Lindy and speak with him personally. Describe exactly the tones you're seeking and he'll custom wrap your pickup to meet your specific needs.

https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/unbucker/

Can they make a Middle versions of this ? I tend to just use the middle pickups on all my guitars.

From personal experience, Lindy Fralin will build you whatever you can think of and describe.

I have several of his PUPs, including a pair of Unbuckers, but here's my poster child example.

When the bridge pickup in my 1967 made in Sweden Hagstrom Viking 1 died, I asked Lindy to rewind it with the tonality of the stock pickup but the output of a P90. This wasn't an easy ask because the stock bridge and neck pickups' tonality are closer to Dynasonics than to P90s. To say Fralin nailed it would be an understatement.

Sweet. Im gonna message him and see if he can do a middle Umbucker and ill give it a spin

Super interesting! I hadn't thought of a custom build.