Pick-up for Hallmark Batwing

[Ready Freddie]

Hello everyone!

Wondering if you can give me some advice. Recently I've got that
incredible Batwing guitar from Hallmark, but I can't say I'm very
satisfied with sound. Tried to put it into different amps at home
and on stage, but the sound is really strange, which I didn't expect.
I'm thinking about Seymour Duncans, but wonder if you could
recommend anything else which resembles classic "Ventures" sound.
Vintage ones probably are extremely hard to find so only other
options I'm thinking of are E.F. Elliott or XR-2000. Thanks in advance.

[MWaldorf]

Freddie,

Elliott and M3 California make excellent Mosrite style pickups. I've got both and they're really great - spot on in tone with vintage Mosrite models.

In my experience, and to my tastes, Mosrite style pickups sound best close to strings, and take more treble in the amp EQ settings than a Fender or similar single coil guitar. If your amp has a presence control, turn that all the way up; really brings out the sparkle in the tone.

Best of luck,
Mel

[Ready Freddie]

Thanks! As I can see M3 site currently states that pickups are temporarily unavailable,
any ideas how can I get to Elliott's eBay shop? As far as I understand he sells pickups
there from time to time, but not at the moment.

Maybe I have to plug that Hallmark into some different amp to get the right tone, I never
dealt with pickups of that sort and I ain't used to play with the bridge pickup only
(it's a single pickup guitar) - too "sharp" for me.

From what I can read Hallmark has a very good reputation among Mosrite fans, so
it's probably something wrong with me, not guitar, but it could be interesting to try
some alternative anyway.

[FritzCat]

You should email M-3, as their website is not always up to date. They can probably make up some pickups in short order for you.

[sleeperNY]

M3 on e-bay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Replacement-Pickups ... 20b9f32c16

Jim

[Ready Freddie]

Thanks!

[jtr654]

I watched the videos and I don't know how your going to get a Hallmark to sound like that maybe different EQ setting?
Hallmark pickups are very good at getting the sound like the Venture Mosrite maybe ajusting them closer to the strings will help. Most of the other pickups mention are in the same range of sound as the pickup you have now.

[JimPage]

Hey, Freddie--

This observation may not be valid or applicable because the pickups on the two guitars are not the same. But I recently got one of Bob Shade's Barris Krest guitars because I liked the looks and the simplicity of it. Mine has a different pickup than the standard ones, I believe, and also doesn't have the push/pull tone control to make the pickup somehow have a different sound. I think the single pickup on the Barris Krest looks somewhat like the old Carvin pickups, and it also looks much like the two on my Hallmark Stradette.

Anyway, I was hesitant to take the guitar to my classic rock/rockabilly band's practice because it was a little unusual looking. Oddly enough, the other guys in the band went nuts over it, not because of the looks, but because the guitar sounded so nice to them.

It sounded fine to me, but to my band mates, it sounded much better than nice, and now they are upset when I bring anything else to practice.

One of the band member's teenage sons expressed the same view.

So, you might find it useful to get a musical friend to take a listen to your guitar after you fiddle with the pickup height. Or, and this is what I am going to do at the next practice, have the friend play the guitar while you sit and listen for a while.

Again, this may not be useful, but I felt I should just throw the idea out to you. I have seen and even photographed the Wing Bat Hallmark, but I don't believe i have ever heard one being played.

--Jim

[Ready Freddie]

I watched the videos and I don't know how your going to get a Hallmark to sound like that maybe different EQ setting?
Hallmark pickups are very good at getting the sound like the Venture Mosrite maybe ajusting them closer to the strings will help. Most of the other pickups mention are in the same range of sound as the pickup you have now.

Hmm, I wonder which videos do you mean, I have none with Batwing, the only
one I've found on Youtube at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akY2YatYcWI

sounds pretty close to what I've got from mine. There was another one before
where some band covered Batman Theme and as well sound was not impressive.
I will try to fiddle with pickup height and maybe it's worth adding some EQ

[Ready Freddie]

So, you might find it useful to get a musical friend to take a listen to your guitar after you fiddle with the pickup height. Or, and this is what I am going to do at the next practice, have the friend play the guitar while you sit and listen for a while.

Again, this may not be useful, but I felt I should just throw the idea out to you. I have seen and even photographed the Wing Bat Hallmark, but I don't believe i have ever heard one being played.

--Jim

I guess I will try, thanks!