Edge of Breakup
Video Categories
The Perfect P90 for a Single Pickup Junior! | Ron Ellis in a Grez Mendocino Jr
Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel with a P90 bridge pickup, installed in the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Ron Ellis P90 bridge pickup — installed in the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior with Emerson Custom Prewired Kit, 500K pots, and Treble Bleed on the volume pot — runs into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz and Ge Boost and Effectrode Tube Vibe both feature.
The Ron Ellis P90 brings Ron's molecular-level materials research to the soapbar format — the same engineering approach he applies to his humbuckers, delivering clarity and dynamic touch response rather than the raw, uncontrolled midrange some P90s are known for. Paired with the Mendocino Junior's compact offset body, the result is articulate and expressive across clean, pushed, and cranked amp tones.
The Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz and Ge Boost is a two-circuit pedal from Sof, built in the UK with zero compromise on components. The Fuzz Face-style side is switchable between three transistors — NOS CV7005 germanium, NOS OC202 silicon, and NOS AC188 — giving three distinct fuzz voicings from a single circuit. The Ge Boost side uses an NOS OC45 germanium transistor — the same transistor found in the earliest Dallas Rangemaster units — delivering classic treble booster character.
The Emerson Custom Prewired Kit's Treble Bleed keeps the P90's clarity intact through the full volume knob sweep, and the Effectrode Tube Vibe rounds out the demo with rich, three-dimensional modulation.
🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com 🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior | Ron Ellis P90 (Bridge) | Emerson Custom Prewired Kit | 500K Pots | Treble Bleed 🎛️ Expresso FX Beige Dual Ge/Si Fuzz & Ge Boost | CV7005 + OC202 + AC188 (Fuzz) | OC45 (Boost) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Ron Ellis ‘60s Bette Humbuckers | The Perfect Semi-Hollow Humbucker?
Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel with the '60s Bette Humbuckers — patent-era voicing installed in the 1967 Gibson ES-335. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Ron Ellis Pickups '60s Bette Humbuckers, installed in the 1967 Gibson ES-335 with Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, run into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Benson Tall Bird+, Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature.
In Ron Ellis' own words:
"Bette set is based on the patent era Humbuckers that were used in the early to late '60s ES Gibson guitars. The Bettes are a bit more fundamental sounding when compared to our other sets. The Bettes work best in a ES335 style semi-hollow guitar, but they work well in any guitar looking for a Patent Applied For sound. Bettes have a beautiful musical sound and timber on the notes, where you can hear the acoustic sound of the guitar. They're named after Ron's mother, who was instrumental in Ron's love for guitars."
The Bettes are inspired by the mid-1960s patent-era Gibson humbucker — focused fundamentals, woody mids, and a clear acoustic fingerprint that lets the guitar's natural resonance come through rather than being masked by the pickup's own character. In a fully hollow or semi-hollow platform like the ES-335, that acoustic fingerprint is genuinely audible in the recorded tone, not just a marketing description.
The 1967 ES-335's centerblock semi-hollow construction gives the Bettes exactly the platform Ron designed them for. Explored across the Benson Vincent's dynamic range, with the Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds keeping full high-frequency content present through the entire volume knob sweep. The Benson Tall Bird+ contributes its optical harmonic and amplitude tremolo alongside spring reverb, and the Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz adds a completely different textural dimension — vintage fuzz character against the Bettes' naturally woody, acoustic-forward voice. The Effectrode Tube Vibe rounds out the modulation with rich, three-dimensional swirl.
🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 1967 Gibson ES-335 | Ron Ellis '60s Bette Humbuckers (Patent Era) | Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Benson Tall Bird+ (Reverb + Harmonic/Amplitude Tremolo) | Benson Amps Stonk Box Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Fralin Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster Pickups
A deep dive into the Fralin Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster Pickups — noise-free, full-character JM tone installed in a Black Bobbin Jazzmaster with Mastery hardware and Emerson Custom electronics. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Fralin Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster Pickups — installed in the Black Bobbin Jazzmaster with Mastery Trem and Bridge, Emerson Custom pots, caps, and treble bleeds — pair with the Milkman Sound One Watt Plus into a Jupiter 12-LA 12" Alnico speaker. The Reeves Electro BHS-A Fuzz and Effectrode Tube Vibe both feature.
Fralin's Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster set addresses the one longstanding compromise of the vintage Jazzmaster single coil — its susceptibility to hum — without sacrificing the sparkle, snap, and warmth that makes a great offset so compelling. Explored across clean tones from 00:39 through all three positions, and the Rhythm Circuit's distinct character from 05:38. The amp's Bass and Treble EQ is pushed to extremes from 06:54 (most scooped) through 08:19 (most mid-heavy), showing how the Fralin set responds across a genuinely wide tonal window before any drive enters the chain.
The Milkman Sound One Watt Plus, hand-built by Tim Marcus in San Francisco, pairs two 6V6 tubes running in parallel for 10 watts of clean power and 18 watts of harmonically rich overdriven power, with onboard power scaling that drops it to 1 watt for bedroom-volume grind with no change in tone. True Class A, single-ended design — the parallel 6V6 configuration gives a very dynamic, touch-sensitive playing experience rich in even-order harmonics. Hand-wired on a turret board with Mercury Magnetics transformers and Jupiter capacitors. The Jupiter 12-LA Alnico speaker adds a woody, less transparent upper-midrange character that breaks up progressively as the amp is pushed — explored from clean through cranked from 09:29 through 17:51, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 18:22.
The Reeves Electro BHS-A is the stripped-down, single-knob flagship of the BlackHatSound series — a pair of carefully selected ME4003 silicon transistors from the 1970s, tuned for a balance between saturation and rich harmonic content, based roughly on the Tone Bender MKI circuit. One knob, one fuzz — but capable of amp-buckling volume with a genuinely spectacular guitar volume cleanup response. Explored from 21:11, progressively pushing the amp harder with fuzz volume from 22:55, and with the Tube Vibe stacked in from 26:35.
🎸 Fralin Pickups: https://www.fralinpickups.com 🔊 Milkman Sound: https://milkmansound.com 🎛️ Reeves Electro: https://reeveselectro.co.uk
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🎸 Black Bobbin Jazzmaster | Fralin Hum-Canceling Jazzmaster Pickups | Mastery Trem + Bridge | Emerson Custom Pots + Caps + Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Reeves Electro BHS-A Fuzz | NOS ME4003 Si (1970s) | Tone Bender MKI-Derived | One Knob | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Milkman Sound One Watt Plus | Dual 6V6 Parallel | Class A | 10W (18W OD) | Power Scaling to 1W | Jupiter 12-LA Alnico
The Best Mod for Your Jazzmaster! | Lollar Pickups Regal Wide Range Humbuckers for Jazzmaster
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the Regal Wide Range Humbucker Set for Jazzmaster — a specific format that opens up Fender's original Wide Range voicing to Jazzmaster-style offsets. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Lollar Regal Wide Range Humbucker Set is installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz, Reeves Electro ZO Professional Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature.
The Lollar Regal is Jason Lollar's take on Seth Lover's original Wide Range humbucker — fuller and rounder than a standard PAF while retaining more single-coil-like clarity and articulation than a typical humbucker. Built here in Jazzmaster format for the Black Bobbin Phantone, giving the offset platform a genuinely different tonal option than the P90 or standard humbucker configurations covered in previous Phantone demos on the channel. Explored across clean tones from 01:48, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe adding low-gain modulation from 05:41.
The Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz gets its own section from 06:40 — Joe's heavily modified Fuzz Face circuit built specifically to work as well with humbuckers as single coils, tested directly against the Wide Range set's fuller output. Explored into the Benson Vincent's cranked Clean Channel from 09:45, with the Tube Vibe stacking in from 13:41.
The Reeves Electro ZO Professional Fuzz — Markus Reeves' Zonk Machine MKII homage with NOS TO98 Sprague 2N2926 Green Dot silicon transistors — takes over as the Vinny Dirt Channel gets progressively pushed harder into the already-cranked Clean Channel from 15:58, with the Tube Vibe layered on top from 18:14 and the highest gain settings explored from 19:32 through 20:57.
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups 🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects: https://hellosailoreffects.com 🎛️ Reeves Electro: https://reeveselectro.co.uk 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone | Lollar Regal Wide Range Humbucker Set (Jazzmaster Format) 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz | Reeves Electro ZO Professional (NOS Sprague 2N2926 Green Dot Si) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Sennheiser E906 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12 with Push 3
Fix Your Jazzmaster tone! | Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the '63 Jazzmaster set — a period-correct vintage voicing installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone, now wired with Emerson Custom's brand new 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups are the focus this episode, installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone and wired with Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz and Effectrode Tube Vibe join for the second half.
Check out Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/63-jazzmaster Emerson Premier Pro Pots: https://emersoncustom.com/products/emerson-premier-pro-potentiometers?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Black Bobbin Phantone: https://blackbobbin.com/collections/black-bobbin-phantone
The Lollar '63 Jazzmaster is Jason Lollar's vintage-correct recreation of the original Fender Jazzmaster single coil — wide flat coils, Alnico 5 magnets, and the specific coil geometry that gives Jazzmaster pickups their characteristic warmth and bloom compared to a Stratocaster or Telecaster single coil. Explored across lower gain tones from 01:21, showing off the natural clarity and dynamic response before any drive enters the chain.
The Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots are the correct resistance value for Jazzmaster and Jaguar circuits — 1 Meg keeps the full frequency response of the pickup intact, where the 250K or 500K pots used in most other guitar wiring bleed off high-frequency content. Three years in development, fiberglass substrate, proprietary 20% audio taper designed to feel consistent in both volume and tone positions. Combined with the Emerson Treble Bleed, the volume knob cleanup explored at length from 04:56 is exceptionally responsive — full-range and musical no matter where the volume sits. The Effectrode Tube Vibe adds low-gain modulation textures to that same cleaned-up tone from 06:45.
Also featured: the Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz from 08:22 — Joe's heavily modified Fuzz Face built in Gosport, UK, specifically to work as well with humbuckers as it does with single coils. Fuzz cleanup versus full blast compared directly from 09:49, with the Tube Vibe stacking in from 13:04. The Benson Vincent's Dirt Channel (Vinny Gain) closes the demo from 14:27, with the Tube Vibe's Boost function pushing it further from 15:26.
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/63-jazzmaster 🎛️ Emerson Custom: https://emersoncustom.com 🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects: https://hellosailoreffects.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone | Lollar '63 Jazzmaster Pickups | Emerson Custom 1 Meg Premier Pro Pots + Treble Bleed 🎛️ Hello Sailor Effects Abbey Road Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live
The Best SG Upgrade! | Righteous Sound RAF Humbuckers | Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab SG
Righteous Sound Pickups returns to the channel with the RAF Humbuckers — this A4/A2 set is a specific and deliberate pairing. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Righteous Sound RAF A4 (neck) / A2 (bridge) set is installed in the Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG with an Emerson Custom Prewired Kit and Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz and Greer Amps Lightspeed Overdrive both feature, along with the Effectrode Tube Vibe.
Get the RAF Neck: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/raf-neck
Get the RAF Bridge: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/raf-bridge
Follow Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/righteoussoundpickups/
The RAF (Righteousness Applied For) is a vintage accurate PAF replica — 49.2mm PAF replica butyrate bobbins, USA-made pole screws and slugs, custom fabricated nickel PAF clone covers with no copper undercoat, long-legged vintage accurate threaded baseplates, period correct 42awg plain enamel wire, vintage single braid wire. The A4/A2 combination pairs an Alnico 4 neck (~6.9K) with an Alnico 2 bridge (~7.5K) — the A4 delivering open, airy clarity in the neck, the A2 giving vintage warmth and slightly more output in the bridge without excessive compression.
Explored across the full range: clean tones from 01:12, the Benson Vincent's Clean Channel cranked for amp overdrive from 03:44, boosted with the Gain Channel from 06:02, and extensive volume knob cleanup from 07:42 showing off the double Treble Bleed wiring.
The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz gets its own section from 12:20 — the saggy, compressed Tone Bender MKI character against the RAF set's vintage PAF voicing. The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive from 15:34 offers a completely different flavor — transparent, low-to-medium gain drive that enhances rather than colors, with volume knob cleanup at 17:39 and the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining at 19:00.
🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com
🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
🎛️ Greer Amps: https://www.greeramps.com
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Gibson Custom Murphy Lab SG | Righteous Sound RAF (A4 Neck ~6.9K / A2 Bridge ~7.5K) | Emerson Custom Prewired Kit + 2x Treble Bleed
🎛️ Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz | Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive | Effectrode Tube Vibe
🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
Essential Jazzmaster Upgrade! Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickups
Lollar Pickups and Black Bobbin return to the channel with their collaborative set — the Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
The Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set is installed in the Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature throughout.
Get the Lollar Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set: https://blackbobbin.com/products/lollar-black-bobbin-jazzmaster-pickup-set
This collaborative set is the result of Black Bobbin working directly with Jason Lollar to voice a Jazzmaster-format pickup specifically for the Phantone platform — a genuinely custom collaboration rather than an off-the-shelf part. Explored across lower gain clean tones from 01:29, showing the set's clarity and dynamic response before any drive enters the chain.
The Keeley-modded Ibanez TS9 is Robert Keeley's famous modification to the classic Tubescreamer — one of the most well-known boutique mods in pedal history, opening up the tone-coloring capacitors and op-amp circuit for greater headroom and clarity. Explored cranked from 04:05, with volume knob cleanup from 06:28 and the Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 07:13.
The Phantone's Rhythm Circuit — with its own Emerson Custom Treble Bleed — gets its own dedicated section from 09:39, showing how the secondary circuit's tonal character differs from the main lead circuit with the Lollar Black Bobbin pickups.
🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago: https://blackbobbin.com 🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-pickups 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Black Bobbin Chicago Phantone | Lollar x Black Bobbin Jazzmaster Pickup Set | Rhythm Circuit w/ Emerson Custom Treble Bleed 🎛️ Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer (Keeley Mod) | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live
Essential Humbucker Upgrade! | Curtis Novak Humbuckers
Curtis Novak Pickups returns to the channel — this time with the Frank Brothers Arcade, all-Korina construction, and a guest appearance from the Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
Curtis Novak Humbuckers pair with the Frank Brothers Arcade (all-Korina) with Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz and Benson Preamp feature throughout, with Effectrode Tube Vibe joining from 10:35.
The Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz is a hybrid Germanium/Silicon circuit — four transistors and four diodes, based on legendary octave fuzz circuits from the 1960s and tweaked for modern use. Each unit is tuned by ear with individually selected components. Volume, Tone, and Mids controls give substantial tonal flexibility, and a 3-way Hi-Cut toggle reins in the octave content when it gets too unwieldy — center is the standard voicing, left and right positions give two levels of high treble attenuation to mellow the octave-up content. As with most fuzz circuits, it works best first in the signal chain, letting the pickups and guitar controls interact directly with the unit. Explored from 02:52.
The all-Korina Frank Brothers Arcade — Korina being the same tonewood used in the late-1950s Gibson Flying V and Explorer, chosen for its lighter weight and open, resonant midrange — gives Curtis Novak's humbuckers a particularly clear and articulate foundation. The Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds keep that clarity intact through the volume knob sweep, explored throughout the cranked amp tones from 06:21 onward.
The Benson Preamp slams the already-cranked Benson Vincent Clean Channel from 07:30, and the Vinny Dirt Channel set to low gain with cranked volume delivers a "dirty boost" character explored from 11:49.
🎛️ Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz/effect-pedals 🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com 🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade (All-Korina) | Curtis Novak Humbuckers | Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds 🎛️ Cunningham Amps Octave Fuzz | Hybrid Ge/Si | 4 Transistors + 4 Diodes | Volume / Tone / Mids | 3-Way Hi-Cut Toggle 🎛️ Also: Benson Amps Preamp | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
Humbucker Guitar Too Dark? These Pickups are Magic! | Lollar The Bird Pickups
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with "The Bird" — Firebird voicing finally built to fit standard PAF humbucker routing. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
"The Bird" pairs with the Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline with Bigsby, into the Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers. The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive, Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz, and Effectrode Tube Vibe all feature throughout.
Get "The Bird" pickup set: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/thebird Get Lollar Firebird pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/firebird All Lollar Pickups demos on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLY1KzQHoiH1bv3cF5-4U0VSgQhj7BpNe
Firebird humbuckers have always been a tricky proposition for players who want that specific mid-forward, barky Firebird voicing but don't own a guitar with the Firebird's non-standard mini-humbucker routing. "The Bird" solves that — full Firebird tonal character, built into a standard humbucker-sized housing that drops directly into any PAF-routed guitar. No routing modification required.
The tonal signature is instantly recognizable: mid-forward, barky, with a compressed, vocal quality that cuts through a mix without ever sounding shrill. Clean tones are woody and present; pushed and cranked tones retain that characteristic Firebird bark that separates it from a standard PAF-voiced humbucker. Explored from clean tones at 01:51 through cranked amp overdrive from 04:30.
The Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive is a low-to-medium gain transparent drive built to replicate the natural breakup of a tube amp being pushed — Drive, Loudness, and Frequency controls, with smooth clipping that adds a tube-like compression and sustain rather than harsh distortion. Highly responsive to pick attack and dynamics. Explored slamming the cranked clean channel from 16:36, with the Effectrode Tube Vibe from 18:56.
The Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz — Tim Cunningham's Tone Bender MKI recreation — gets its own dedicated clean-headroom section from 13:54, giving the saggy, compressed, explosive MKI character room to breathe against "The Bird" pickups' already vocal midrange.
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/thebird 🎸 Frank Brothers Guitar Company: https://www.frankbrothersguitars.com 🎛️ Greer Amps Lightspeed: https://www.greeramps.com 🎛️ Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Frank Brothers Arcade Thinline | Lollar "The Bird" Humbuckers (Firebird-Voiced, Standard HB Rout) | Bigsby 🎛️ Greer Amps Lightspeed Organic Overdrive | Cunningham Amps MKI Fuzz | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Vincent 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
Your Search for Mini-Humbuckers is Over | Lollar La Prima Mini-Humbuckers
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the La Prima Mini Humbuckers — and the BilT DK Ultra S.S. Zaftig is the perfect host. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lollar La Prima Mini Humbuckers take center stage — installed in the BilT Guitars DK Ultra S.S. Zaftig, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost features from 05:30 onward.
Buy a set of Lollar La Prima: https://www.lollarguitars.com/laprima
The Lollar La Prima was originally developed as a miniaturized version of the El Rayo humbucker — and while it shares the El Rayo's touch sensitivity and responsiveness, the tonal character is distinctly its own. Sweet chiming highs, scooped mids, tight low end. Neck 3.3K / Bridge 3.8K. No typical humbucker compression — the La Prima responds to subtle changes in picking technique and guitar volume in the way a well-voiced single coil does, while still canceling hum.
The BilT Guitars DK Ultra S.S. Zaftig is a chambered offset built from reclaimed old growth pine from the structural support beams of the BilT Guitars headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa — 300-year-old wood, now chambered and hollowed for acoustic resonance and light weight. The La Prima's open, articulate character has unusual space to develop in a chambered old growth pine body. Built by hand at BilT, no CNC machines.
The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost — Maynard Madsen's point-to-point Dallas Rangemaster-style NOS germanium boost from Camdenton, Missouri — features a three-way input cap selector (explored across its positions from 05:30) and pull-down resistors to eliminate footswitch pop. Originally a numbered limited run of 30 units. Explored with volume knob cleanup from 07:29.
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/laprima 🎸 BilT Guitars: https://biltguitars.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 BilT DK Ultra S.S. Zaftig | 300-Year-Old Reclaimed Pine | Chambered | Lollar La Prima Mini-HB (Neck 3.3K / Bridge 3.8K) 🎛️ Madsen Amplification Ge Boost | NOS Ge | Dallas Rangemaster | 3-Way Cap Selector | Limited Run 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
The Best P90 Pickups?! | TV Jones T-90 Pickups
TV Jones makes its channel debut with the T-90 — a P90-voiced pickup in Filter'Tron format, available in Filter'Tron, humbucker, and P90 soapbar sizes. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the TV Jones T-90 Pickups take center stage — installed in the Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider with Bigsby B5, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo in the loop. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature in the second half.
Check out the TV Jones T-90: https://tvjones.com/shop/guitar-pickups/t90/ Follow TV Jones: https://www.instagram.com/tvjonesinc/
The TV Jones T-90 is Tom Jones' answer to a specific tonal question: what happens when you take the hum-cancelling construction of a Filter'Tron and voice it to sound like a P90? The result is a pickup that has the P90's characteristic midrange aggression, bite, and snarl without the single-coil hum — and that can be ordered in Filter'Tron size, standard humbucker size, or P90 soapbar size, making it a direct drop-in for almost any guitar routing without modification.
The Filter'Tron-sized version is installed here in the Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider — Jeff Mark Leavitt's latest model from his one-man LA shop, built from urban liquidambar body and headcap, urban black acacia neck, urban Indian rosewood fretboard. Bigsby B5 tailpiece, Mastery M1 bridge, CTS 500k audio taper pots. The combination of P90-voiced pickups and the Cunningham Custom 35's Plexi channel — explored from 00:00 — is explored across all three positions, with volume knob cleanup from 01:39 and the Rangemaster + Tube Vibe combination from 06:03.
Also watch: the Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider full demo with TV Jones TV Classic Pickups: [LINK] Also watch: the full 6-model Tone Ranger Guitars showcase: https://youtu.be/p8X-BwI4pdw
🎸 TV Jones T-90: https://tvjones.com/shop/guitar-pickups/t90/ 🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider (#0501424) | Urban Liquidambar Body | TV Jones T-90 Set (Filter'Tron Size) | Bigsby B5 | Mastery M1 | Set Neck | 24.75" | 7.6 lbs 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
TV Jones TV Classic Pickups
TV Jones makes its channel debut — and the Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider is the perfect showcase. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the TV Jones TV Classic Pickups take center stage — installed in the Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider (humbucker-sized rout), into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Effectrode Tube Vibe join for the second half.
Buy this Tone Ranger Sunset Rider at Oakland Guitars: https://reverb.com/item/87631051-tone-ranger-sunset-rider Follow TV Jones: https://www.instagram.com/tvjonesinc/ TV Jones on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TVJones1 Follow Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/tonerangerguitars/ Order a Tone Ranger Guitar: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com
The TV Jones TV Classic is Tom Jones' flagship Filter'Tron-style pickup — the one Brian Setzer chose in a blind sound test against multiple vintage pickups during the development of his Gretsch signature model. This version is built for standard humbucker-sized routing, making it a direct drop-in upgrade for any humbucker-routed guitar that wants brighter, tighter Filter'Tron character without any modification to the body.
The TV Classic in the Sunset Rider's liquidambar and black acacia body with Mastery MV vibrato is explored here in a compact five-chapter format — bridge pickup into the Cunningham Plexi channel, volume knob cleanup with the R2R Rangemaster, neck pickup, Univibe tones, and then Rangemaster fully cranked. The CTS 500k audio taper pots and the Mastery vibrato's tuning stability are highlighted throughout.
Also watch: the full Tone Ranger Sunset Rider demo — all tones, all pickups, full pedalboard: [LINK]
🎸 TV Jones: https://www.tvjones.com 🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars Sunset Rider (#0501524) | Urban Liquidambar | TV Jones TV Classic Set (HB-Size) | Mastery M1 + MV Vibrato | Set Neck | 24.75" 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
Wolfetone Pickups Meaner P90 Bridge — Feat. Grez Mendocino Jr. & Jules Leyhe, Blues Guitarist
Wolfetone Pickups makes its channel debut — and Jules Leyhe is here to show you what the Meaner P90 can do. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Wolfetone Meaner P90 Bridge Pickup takes center stage — Jules Leyhe on the Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC and S75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The R2R Electric Supa MKI Fuzz also features.
Get a Wolfetone Meaner P90: https://www.wolfetone.com/product/meanerp90/
Follow Grez Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/grezguitars/
Follow Cunningham Amps: https://www.instagram.com/cunninghamamps/
Follow R2R Electric: https://www.instagram.com/djlavalamp/
Follow Jules Leyhe: https://www.instagram.com/julesleyhe/
Jules Leyhe guitar courses: https://julien-leyhe-s-school.teachable.com/l/products
Jules Leyhe's LiquiSlide signature slides: https://theliquislide.com
The Wolfetone Meaner P90 is hand-wound by Wolfe Macleod with Alnico 2 magnets, wound to approximately 9K — slightly hotter than vintage output and built specifically for the bridge position. The Alnico 2 magnets give it the warm, aged character of an original P90 whose magnets have settled and de-gaussed over decades, without the harsh upper mids that Alnico 5 bridge P90s can produce. The Meaner's character: midrange raunch and nastiness with brightness and presence that cuts through without ever getting spiky. In Jules' hands and through the Cunningham Custom 35's Tweed and Plexi channels, it covers everything from clean singing tones to full-gain fuzz with the R2R Electric Supa MKI.
Also watch: the full session video featuring the Wolfetone Meaner P90 alongside four guitars and R2R Electric Supa MKI Fuzz: [LINK]
🎸 Wolfetone Pickups: https://www.wolfetone.com/product/meanerp90/
🎸 Grez Guitars: https://www.grezguitars.com
🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Grez Guitars Mendocino Junior | Wolfetone Meaner P90 (A2, ~9K) | Bridge Position
🎛️ R2R Electric Supa MKI Fuzz | NOS Philips OC75 Ge | 12 Units Only
🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC + S75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R121 & R10 | Ableton Live 12
Lollar Pickups Lollartrons (for Humbucker)
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the Lollartron Humbucker — Filter'Tron character in a direct humbucker drop-in. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lollar Lollartron Humbucker Set takes center stage — installed in the Prisma Guitars Mattsonia with Emerson Custom wiring and Treble Bleed, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature throughout.
Buy Lollar Lollartron Humbuckers: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/lollartron-humbucker Follow Lollar Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/lollarpickups/ More Lollar Pickups demos on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDJHwC0qfA&list=PLLY1KzQHoiH1bv3cF5-4U0VSgQhj7BpNe
The Lollartron Humbucker is Jason Lollar's answer to a specific player problem: you want Filter'Tron character — the chimey, clear, tight low-end voice that defines classic Gretsch tone — but you have a guitar routed for standard humbuckers and don't want to re-rout. The Lollartron Humbucker is a direct drop-in for any standard humbucker-sized route, delivering Filter'Tron-style voice without any modification to the guitar.
Jason used a 1960s-era Gretsch Country Gentleman as the tonal benchmark — the guitar Chet Atkins made famous and the instrument that defined the classic rockabilly humbucker sound. Alnico 2 magnets. Neck: warm and buttery, clear and present top end, 4.4K. Bridge: fat, honky, rich low end with great clarity, 5.3K. Combined: the sparkle, spank, and punch synonymous with rockabilly and early rock and roll. Recommended 500K pots, 0.022μF cap — both already installed in the Prisma Mattsonia via the Emerson Custom wiring.
The Prisma Guitars Mattsonia is Nick Pourfard's skateboard maple-topped instrument from his San Francisco shop — each guitar featuring a unique 1/1 original skateboard deck top that makes every build a one-of-a-kind visual object. The Lollartron's Filter'Tron character on a skateboard maple and Spanish Cedar body is a genuinely specific and unusual tonal combination, explored across both Cunningham channels.
The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost is explored from 05:37 in three of its capacitor modes: mid boost (05:37), treble boost (06:32), and full frequency (07:25) — the three-position input cap selector changes the frequency content hitting the Cunningham's input stage, each producing a distinct tonal character from the same pickup set.
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-humbucker-pickups/lollartron-humbucker 🎸 Prisma Guitars: https://www.prismaguitars.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Prisma Guitars Mattsonia | Skateboard Maple Top | Lollar Lollartron Humbuckers (A2 Neck 4.4K / Bridge 5.3K) | Emerson Custom Wiring + Treble Bleed 🎛️ Madsen Amplification Ge Boost | NOS Ge | 3-Way Cap Selector | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
Lollar Gold Foil Pickups
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the Gold Foil set — and the Tone Ranger Guitars Double Barrel is the perfect host. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lollar Gold Foil Pickup Set takes center stage — installed in the Tone Ranger Guitars Double Barrel, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander with the Echo Fix EF-X3 Tape Echo in the loop. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Effectrode Tube Vibe also feature.
Buy this Tone Ranger Guitars Double Barrel: https://reverb.com/item/87629493-tone-ranger-double-barrel Buy Lollar Gold Foils: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-gold-foil-pickups Follow Lollar Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/lollarpickups/ More Lollar Pickups demos on the channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDJHwC0qfA&list=PLLY1KzQHoiH1bv3cF5-4U0VSgQhj7BpNe Available at Oakland Guitars: 423 40th St, Oakland CA — 510-250-9747
The Tone Ranger Guitars Double Barrel is Jeff Mark Leavitt's double-cut two-pickup design — 24 frets, Bigsby B5, built from Los Angeles urban tonewoods one guitar at a time in his one-man LA shop. Full specs (Serial #0103225):
Urban California redwood body with figured urban black walnut top. Urban black walnut neck. Urban Indian rosewood fretboard. Thin D neck profile. 24.75" scale. Set neck. 24 frets, 12" radius. Jescar 55090 medium/highest nickel silver frets. Bone nut. 7.4 lbs. Lollar Gold Foil set. CTS 500k audio taper volume pot with treble bleed. CTS 500k audio taper tone pot with 47nf Illinois Capacitor film cap. Centralab 3-way toggle. PureTone multi-contact jack. Tone Pros T3BP tune-o-matic. Bigsby B5 tailpiece. Grover Sta-tite 18:1 tuners. Nickel hardware. Black top hat knobs. No pickguard. Hand-rubbed Walrus Oil finish. Silkscreened headstock logo. Made in Los Angeles, California.
The Lollar Gold Foil is Jason Lollar's take on the DeArmond Gold Foil pickups from the 1950s and 1960s — the pickups originally found in budget Japanese and American guitars that became sought-after for their unique voice: chimey, articulate, with a complex midrange character that sits between a single coil and a humbucker without sounding exactly like either. In the figured walnut and redwood Double Barrel, the Gold Foils' natural brightness and mid complexity pair beautifully with the Cunningham Custom 35's Plexi channel — explored from the very first chapter, with the R2R Rangemaster OC44 slamming the amp for a particularly expressive volume knob cleanup sweep.
Also watch: the full 6-model Tone Ranger Guitars showcase: https://youtu.be/p8X-BwI4pdw
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-gold-foil-pickups 🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars: https://www.tonerangerguitars.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 Tone Ranger Guitars Double Barrel (#0103225) | CA Redwood / Figured Urban Walnut Top | Urban Black Walnut Neck | Lollar Gold Foil Set | Bigsby B5 | 24 Frets | Thin D | 24.75" | 7.4 lbs | Hand-Built in LA 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
Ron Ellis Pickups '50s LRP Humbuckers
Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel — this time with the '50s LRP Set, the most historically significant pickup in the Ron Ellis lineup. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Ron Ellis Pickups '50s LRP Humbucker Set takes center stage — installed in the 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic, wired with the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.
Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Learn more about the '50s LRP Set: https://www.ronellispickups.com/products/lrp-humbucker Follow Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/ronellispickups/
In Ron Ellis' own words:
"The '50s LRP set was the first humbucker produced for the 2012 Gibson Lee Roy Parnell Signature Les Paul. Ron worked with Lee Roy, vintage collectors and the Gibson Custom Shop to design a replica set of the Patent Applied For pickups that were in Duane Allman's original '57 Goldtop Les Paul. The '50s LRP is a vintage accurate replica of the earliest Patent Applied For humbuckers. All components were selected to faithfully recreate the famous sound heard in early humbuckers. The '50s LRP have the classic, clear, articulate and harmonically rich authentic sound of Duane's original Patent Applied For's. For vintage accuracy, the '50s LRP is top of its class."
The provenance here is significant. Duane Allman's 1957 Goldtop is one of the most storied electric guitars in blues rock history — the instrument on the Allman Brothers' Fillmore East recordings and the Layla sessions. The pickups in that specific guitar are the target. Ron Ellis used high-tech laboratory equipment to identify the exact materials used in the original PAFs and replicate them component by component. The result is the most historically specific set in the Ron Ellis lineup.
The Cunningham Custom 35's Tweed (Bite) and Plexi (Body) channels are both explored extensively — and the dual-channel stacking at 14:02 is the highlight of the second half.
The Madsen Amplification Ge Boost is Maynard Madsen's point-to-point replica of the Dallas Rangemaster, built by hand in Camdenton, Missouri. Originally a numbered limited run of 30 units. NOS germanium transistors, auditioned and tested per build. Three-way input capacitor selector for treble, mid-range, and full-range boost. Pull-down resistors to eliminate footswitch pop. Center positive power (reverse polarity adapter included). Explored slamming the Cunningham Tweed channel from 03:49 and the Plexi channel from 11:30.
🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com 🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
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🎸 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic | Ron Ellis '50s LRP Set (Duane Allman '57 Goldtop Spec) | Emerson Custom EoB LP Kit + 2x Treble Bleed 🎛️ Madsen Amplification Ge Boost | NOS Ge | Dallas Rangemaster | 3-Way Cap Selector | Limited Run 🎛️ Also: Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
#ronellispickups #guitarpickups #gibsonlespaul #gibson #gibsonguitars #gibsonguitar #lespaul #guitartone #bluesguitar #bluesguitarist #bluesguitarlicks #bensonamps #scumbackspeakers #boutiqueguitars #boutiqueguitar
Ron Ellis Pickups Frisell Humbuckers
Ron Ellis Pickups returns to the channel — this time with the Frisell Set, one of Ron's own favorite combinations. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Ron Ellis Pickups Frisell Humbucker Set takes center stage — installed in the 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic, wired with the Emerson Custom x Edge of Breakup Les Paul Prewired Kit and Emerson Custom Treble Bleeds on both volume pots, into the Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" with Scumback H75-PVC speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The R2R Electric x Wood Wire Volts Germanium Boost, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 all feature.
Get the EoB x Emerson Custom Les Paul Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/eob-les-paul-prewired-kit-premier-pro?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
Learn more about the Frisell Set: https://www.ronellispickups.com/collections/humbuckers/products/frisell-humbucker
Follow Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/ronellispickups/
In Ron Ellis' own words:
"Frisell set is a lower output neck pickup combined with a Signature bridge pickup to match the neck. This custom set was originally made for Bill Frisell's two Collings guitars. The Frisell neck has superb clarity, balanced EQ and note separation. Combining the Signature bridge with our custom Frisell neck delivers a blend of tone that is both clear and articulate while retaining hair, bloom, and PAF character on the neck. Between the two, there are many different tonalities to discover either alone or together. This is one of Ron's favorite sets to play due to the balance and range the two pickups provide."
The Frisell Set is an asymmetric pairing — the neck pickup is a custom lower-output winding unique to this set, and the bridge is the same Signature pickup featured in the previous Ron Ellis demo on the channel. The neck pickup's superb clarity and note separation make it particularly well-suited to the Cunningham Custom 35's Tweed (Body) channel, explored from 00:00 — the channel's natural bloom and compression interacting with the Frisell neck's inherent openness. The Plexi (Bite) channel from 04:21 gives the Signature bridge more authority and grit while the Frisell neck retains its vocal, clear character.
The R2R Electric x Wood Wire Volts Germanium Boost is a very special build — a limited collaboration between Chris Vincent (@djlavalamp) and Wood Wire Volts, produced exclusively for the show in a run of just 10 units, available in person only. In Chris's own words: "It's not a treble boost but it's not full range either." The transistors are Philips OC58/OC59 germanium devices from 1962-64 — originally manufactured for hearing aids, about the size of a match head, and by Chris's description they "sound absolutely gigantic." NOS vintage components throughout, hand-wired point-to-point as with all R2R Electric builds. Explored from 07:43 into the Cunningham Plexi channel with the Effectrode Tube Vibe.
Ron Ellis is an engineer by profession, based in Carlsbad, California, using high-tech laboratory equipment to reverse-engineer the materials used in original 1950s and 1960s PAF pickups at the molecular level. Every set is hand-wound in Carlsbad.
The Cunningham Amps Custom 35 — hand-wired by Tim Cunningham in Auckland, New Zealand — provides both the Tweed (Body) and British Plexi (Bite) channels explored throughout. Cathode biased EL34 output stage, tube-driven spring reverb, parallel and cascade channel modes.
🎸 Ron Ellis Pickups: https://www.ronellispickups.com
🔊 Cunningham Amps: https://www.cunninghamamps.co.nz
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 2002 Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul R8 Historic | Ron Ellis Frisell Set (Custom Neck + Signature Bridge) | Emerson Custom EoB LP Kit + 2x Treble Bleed
🎛️ R2R Electric x Wood Wire Volts Germanium Boost | Philips OC58/OC59 | 10 Units Only | Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3
🔊 Cunningham Amps Custom 35 2x12" | Scumback H75-PVC | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
Lollar Jaguar Pickups
Lollar Pickups returns to the channel with the Jaguar set — and it's a night and day upgrade over the Custom Shop pickups in the Journeyman. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lollar Jaguar Pickup Set takes center stage — installed in the 2022 Fender Custom Shop 1963 Jaguar Journeyman Relic in Taos Turquoise, wired with an Emerson Custom Kit and Treble Bleed and fitted with Mastery Bridge and Tremolo, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" with Scumback speakers via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. The Expresso FX Ge Fuzz, Octave Fuzz, and Ge Boost, Effectrode Tube Vibe, and Echo Fix EF-X3 Chorus Echo feature throughout.
Order Lollar Jaguar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-other-single-coil-pickups/jaguar Follow Lollar Pickups: https://www.instagram.com/lollarpickups/
The original Fender Custom Shop '62 Jaguar Flat Magnet pickups in the Journeyman are a faithful recreation of the early '60s originals — inherently scooped, bright, and glassy. For players who love the Jaguar's circuit flexibility and short-scale feel but want more bass fidelity, definition, and body from the pickups themselves, the Lollar set is the answer.
Lollar's Jaguar pickup is wound to sound similar to original early-'60s Jaguar pickups, but with targeted improvements: improved bass fidelity and definition in the neck position, and a fuller, fatter tone in the bridge position. The glassy Jaguar character remains intact — the Lollar set doesn't transform the Jaguar into something it isn't — but the low-end clarity and overall fullness are substantially improved. Neck: Alnico 5 / 5.8K. Bridge: Alnico 2 / 6.3K. Vintage-style cloth covered lead wires. Chrome-plated metal claws. Wax potted. Recommended pots: 250K or 1 meg. Recommended cap: 0.047μF.
The Mastery Bridge and Tremolo replace the stock Jaguar floating bridge and tremolo — the Mastery's superior intonation accuracy and break angle keep the Jaguar in tune through the tremolo far more reliably than the original design, and the bridge saddles eliminate the string buzzing that vintage-style Jaguar bridges are known for.
The Strangle switch explored at 05:15 and 09:33 — the Lollar pickups' improved bass response makes the Strangle switch's treble cap bypass more musically useful, as there's more low-mid content to contrast against when the high-frequency content is fully unleashed.
The Expresso FX Triple Fuzz from 05:43 — all three built by Sof in the UK with NOS components: Ge Fuzz (dual CV7005 Newmarket germanium transistors, Fuzz Face-style), Octave Fuzz (Ge diodes switch up / Si diodes switch down, explored at 13:44), and Ge Boost (AC107, Rangemaster-style, explored from 15:04).
🎸 Lollar Pickups: https://www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-other-single-coil-pickups/jaguar 🎛️ Expresso FX: https://expressofx.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Fender Custom Shop '63 Jaguar Journeyman | Taos Turquoise | Lollar Jaguar Pickups (A5 Neck 5.8K / A2 Bridge 6.3K) | Emerson Custom Kit + Treble Bleed | Mastery Bridge + Trem | 24" Scale 🎛️ Expresso FX Ge Fuzz (CV7005 x2) | Expresso FX Octave Fuzz (Ge/Si Switch) | Expresso FX Ge Boost (AC107) | Effectrode Tube Vibe | Echo Fix EF-X3 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Scumback Speakers | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
Curtis Novak Strat-TB Cojones Bridge & Strat-V High Wind Pickup Set — Fender Stratocaster Upgrade
Curtis Novak Pickups returns — this time with the Strat-TB Cojones in the bridge, paired with Strat-V High Wind neck and middle. The most powerful bridge pickup configuration in the Journeyman Strat series yet. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Curtis Novak Strat-TB Cojones Bridge + Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) take center stage — installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. Effectrode Tube Vibe, R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44, and Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact all feature.
Get the Strat-TB Cojones bridge: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-tb/ Get the Strat-V High Wind neck and middle: https://www.curtisnovak.com/shop/strat-v/
This is the fourth bridge pickup configuration explored on the Journeyman Strat in this pickup series: Strat-V High Wind (all three positions), Strat-TB standard, Strat-V Cojones, and now the Strat-TB Cojones — Curtis's most powerful bridge pickup option in a Strat form factor.
Two variables are in play here simultaneously. The Strat-TB format puts a Telecaster bridge pickup coil geometry into a Strat bridge routing — the Telecaster construction adds midrange body and thickness that a conventional Strat bridge single coil doesn't produce. The Cojones wind then adds output on top of that, making the Strat-TB Cojones the highest-output and thickest-sounding option Curtis offers for the bridge position in a Stratocaster.
The practical result: the bridge position no longer sounds like a Strat bridge pickup. It sounds like a Telecaster bridge pickup with more output — full, present, thick, capable of driving an amp hard without the thin or brittle quality that makes conventional Strat bridge pickups difficult at higher gain settings. The bridge/middle position (02:59, 08:36) with the Strat-V Middle's vintage character next to the Strat-TB Cojones is the combination that makes this configuration most versatile across all five positions.
Get the Emerson Custom Strat Blender Kit: https://emersoncustom.com/products/s5b-blender-5-way-strat-prewired-kit?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG Treble Bleed: https://emersoncustom.com/products/2017-treble-bleed-circuit-volume-mod?sca_ref=6282128.5O9h8BhMpG
🎸 Curtis Novak Pickups: https://www.curtisnovak.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Curtis Novak Strat-V High Wind (Neck + Middle) + Strat-TB Cojones (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Origin Effects Revival Drive Compact | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12
Righteous Sound Pickups Opal Road Stratocaster Pickups — Feat. Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
Righteous Sound Pickups returns to the channel with a new model — the Opal Road Stratocaster Set. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Righteous Sound Pickups Opal Road Set takes center stage — installed in the Fender Custom Shop 1960 Journeyman Relic Stratocaster with Emerson Custom S5B Blender 5-Way Wiring Kit and Treble Bleed, into the Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" via the Boss Waza Tube Amp Expander. R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 and Effectrode Tube Vibe feature in the second half.
Get a set of Opal Road pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/product-page/opal-road-set Other Righteous Sound models: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com/ More Righteous Sound demos on the channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLY1KzQHoiH3u9yublDURkjZf-zGMBtnS&si=NMy7cYv7era2_vMe
The Righteous Sound Opal Road is a hybrid of two existing Righteous Sound Stratocaster families: the Opal and the High Road. The Opal is Righteous Sound's '60s-voiced Strat set — bright, chimey, vintage character. The High Road is their higher-output option — more drive into the amp's front end, more girth in the bridge position. The Opal Road combines the magnet specifications of both into one calibrated three-pickup set.
Neck and middle pickups are wound to Opal specs — the '60s vintage character and bloom in the positions where Strat players spend most of their time. The bridge pickup is available in either High Road spec (more output, more push into the amp for players who want a hotter bridge) or Opal spec (traditional Strat bridge voicing, consistent with the neck and middle character). The magnet combination means the Opal Road spans '50s and '60s Strat tones across the full five-position sweep — a wider tonal range than either the Opal or High Road sets deliver on their own.
🎸 Righteous Sound Pickups: https://www.righteoussoundpickups.com 🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
Subscribe for more boutique tone explorations.
🎸 Fender Custom Shop '60 Journeyman Relic Strat | Righteous Sound Opal Road Set | Opal (Neck + Middle) + High Road or Opal (Bridge) | Emerson Custom S5B Blender + Treble Bleed 🎛️ R2R Electric Rangemaster OC44 | Effectrode Tube Vibe 🔊 Benson Amps Monarch 2x12" | Boss Waza TAE
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Ohma Ribbon | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Ableton Live 12