Mullen Pickups

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 28 Sep 2022 11:48 am

I love my new Royal Precision SD10. The action is perfect to me, and customizing copedent has been easy, especially getting pull train parts quickly from the source. So, I'm chasing tone a little bit, and I find the mid range a little flat for my liking. I do like a bright strat/Deluxe tone for my guitar if that helps. So, Mullen recommends a Lawrence 705, and I like the tone of that on the pickup shootouts online better. But Mickey Adams played a 710 on his MSA and I liked it better through my computer. They're not available in the size needed for my RP. So I ordered up a 705.

Anyone have experience here to lend?

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 28 Sep 2022 12:06 pm

https://www.wildepickups.com/products/steel-guitar

Unless they're out of stock, a 710 should be available through Bill and Becky's Wilde website....and yes, I think you will find the 710 just a shade on the brighter side. Whether or not you will find it pleasing is up to you.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 28 Sep 2022 4:39 pm

Thanks

I ordered a 705 from Mullen because Mike over there thought I would like it, and because it has a Mullen quick connect and is in stock. I might try a 710 too, just because I'm a tone freak and love to try a few things until I settle in. I'm gigging a fair amount, and the feedback from the bandstand is always so different than at home

Bryce

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 28 Sep 2022 5:05 pm

Here is an older discussion you might find informative:

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... b90de24d14

David Higginbotham · Post by **David Higginbotham** » 28 Sep 2022 5:29 pm

Mullen makes great guitars! But my experience has been that Mullen has a darker tone and their single coils seem to accentuate that trait as well as added hum. I found 710’s to the bright side and lacking in the lows. Re-issue 705’s were a vast improvement for what I was seeking and paired well with the Mullen steels I’ve had. Your mileage may vary!

One surprise I found was the tone from a Pre RP Mullen with E-66 pickups. Still one of the best tones I’ve heard when listening to my friend play a gig with that particular combination.

Dave

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 28 Sep 2022 7:20 pm

I really like the modern black-surround 705 on my Mullen G2. That's the way it came to me. It's an SD10, which is unusual for me, I'm usually on my Zum D10 or U12. But there are gigs where 10-string E9-only is perfect and this guitar really does play and sound good. I do not find it dark at all - very balanced - not shrill but not muddy either.

Up until this guitar, the chrome-surround 705 was absolutely my favorite humbucker. But I have tried the new ones on a couple of guitars and I think they sound good on both of them. I am honestly mystified why Bill & Becky didn't reissue the original chrome 705. I believe there would be a strong market for one - people are still scouring the earth for originals.

Dave Morrison · Post by **Dave Morrison** » 29 Sep 2022 1:46 am

I have a 95 PRP and have tried several pickups over the years. I recently got a couple of Steeltronics single coils wound at 17,000 ohms. Other than a little single coil I’m really liking these pickups. I always had a real high top end I couldn’t get rid of but these have taken care of that.You May have a completely different experience but that’s my story.

Dave Morrison · Post by **Dave Morrison** » 29 Sep 2022 1:46 am

I have a 95 PRP and have tried several pickups over the years. I recently got a couple of Steeltronics single coils wound at 17,000 ohms. Other than a little single coil I’m really liking these pickups. I always had a real high top end I couldn’t get rid of but these have taken care of that.You May have a completely different experience but that’s my story.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 29 Sep 2022 11:31 am

Thanks for all the input. The folks a Mullen recommend the 705 over 710. And, since they have it in stock with the quick connect, I ordered one up. I love the guitar, but agree the sound is a bit dark (plain) with the stock single coil. I'm looking forward to experimenting.

The sustain is ok, but a compressor really helps (with goodrich passive volume pedal). I use that and spring reverb to fill it out. I was told humbuckers like steel strings, but Mullen recommends the nickel in general. I think I'll only change one thing at a time.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 29 Sep 2022 11:36 am

This post from Brad Sarno in 2015 on the topic of 710's sums up my experience on my Carter:
"
"But I am NOT a big fan of the 710. I've heard it in people's hands that make it sound great. Lloyd Green and Paul Franklin for example. But for me, that pickup is TOO sensitive and reactive and unforgiving. Even if it's properly backed down away from the strings. I find that it can bite my head off if I don't pick carefully. And that makes my hand tense up in fear of picking just a bit too hard to where it hurts my ears, and then I don't play as well or as relaxed. But I'm not an advanced picker by any means. Tone-wise, I find the 710 can lean just a bit too bright and aggressive for my tastes."

Especially since the Carter D10 with 710s was my first guitar, and through a Deluxe Reverb, my first gigs were terrifying! Brittle and sensitive... Now, On the Mullen, I can dig in a lot more. I'm hoping the 705 will split the difference and give me some more character. I also switched up to amp modelers, or Peavy 400 on stage so that helps temper things over the bone stock '65 Deluxe that I was using

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 29 Sep 2022 12:18 pm

Good luck with your 705. FWIW, when I got my first Mullen, I thought the sound was a little darker than I wanted. It was a pre rp with the single coils. After some knob twiddling with the eq settings and some time in the seat, I was happy with it.

On a whim, I felt like swapping the E9 pickup out with a GL 10-1. Took about 5 mins. to decide to swap it back. I also received a used Mullen Pre-RP with Gl PF1s. Couldn't wait to order the stock Mullen single coils to replace them.

I have never tried the recent 705s in a Mullen guitar and I would certainly respect Mike's recommendation, but in my experience, unless you are haunted with single coil hum in situations like recording etc., I don't think you can beat Mullen single coil pickups in a Mullen guitar.

I don't know for sure and I defer to him, but I think Tommy White uses the Mullen single coil pickups in his Royal Precision guitar[s] and it sounds wonderful to me. [He can correct me if I'm wrong.]

Good luck though in getting the sound you want to hear from your fine Mullen guitar.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 29 Sep 2022 1:08 pm

Thanks Gerry

I love discovery, and that's why I've picked up the PSG in my late 40s. I have a degree in bass (double and electric) and have done that for too long to remember so I'm moving on. I tend to geek out on dialing in my sound on a new instrument for a while, then really settle in after I've tried several things. I can say that I've put in the hours practicing (2-3 hours a day at least), and I've got the copedent figured out for what works for me. That took a lot of experimenting, transcribing, tweaking, etc... but oh so fun.

But, what can I say? I'm a tone geek. I'm grateful for everyone's input. I'll post with my opinions afterward, FWIW. I would love to hear what Tommy White uses in his RP. If it's good enough for Tommy then who am I to argue right??

Thanks
Bryce

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 29 Sep 2022 1:23 pm

Well, what your educated ear tells you may not be what someone else' hears. I totally agree that you should chase the tone you hear in your head regardless of what others do.

I do that myself. Cheers.

Roger Crawford · Post by **Roger Crawford** » 29 Sep 2022 1:38 pm

I like a warm tone, and my G2 with a stock single coil delivers. My pup is wound to about 20k, so you might check yours. I’m sure the Mullen Crew can wind one lighter if you want to stay with single coils.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 29 Sep 2022 2:32 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiNyZ463tfA

Good video on pickup winding and tone, for interest.

Bill Cunningham · Post by **Bill Cunningham** » 29 Sep 2022 4:39 pm

Roger Crawford wrote:I like a warm tone, and my G2 with a stock single coil delivers. My pup is wound to about 20k, so you might check yours. I’m sure the Mullen Crew can wind one lighter if you want to stay with single coils.

Me too. One of my 2 G2’s (the black and gray one) has been through 705’s and Alumitones and now back to stock single coils. I never bothered to put an ohmmeter on them. They just seem to work for me.

For me, it’s a better use of time working on my hands and head instead of chasing gear and obsessing over tone, not that I enough of that either. If we have the chops, we will deliver an “acceptable tone”, in the words of Mr. Seymour describing Jim Cohen

I’m sure y’all remember.

Conversely, exceptional tone alone doesn’t make music.

YMMV.

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 30 Sep 2022 10:52 am

Hi Bill

Thanks for the input and your experience

my next subject will be on alleviating back and left leg tension as I'm playing 3 hours a day

I'm sure I'll go through a few pickups before I settle in. And I very well may end up back where I started

Tommy Shown · Post by **Tommy Shown** » 30 Sep 2022 12:41 pm

The late Jim Lindsay had a PRP Mullen D10 that belonged to the Gary Hogue. Gary had two 705 pickups and they were warm sounding.Great tone in my humble opinion.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 30 Sep 2022 12:53 pm

Bryce Van Parys wrote:I'm sure I'll go through a few pickups before I settle in. And I very well may end up back where I started

Yes, I think it's something you have to find out for yourself. I believe most of us have been there.

Ron Bryson · Post by **Ron Bryson** » 6 Oct 2022 12:45 pm

I took the factory 710 out of my G2, and installed an Emmons single coil at 18.4
I like it!
Ron

Bryce Van Parys · Post by **Bryce Van Parys** » 10 Nov 2022 12:53 pm

I'm really liking the 705 in my Royal Precision. It's more even, and full in the mid range. A very forgiving tone that I can dig into without being sharp and brittle.

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 10 Nov 2022 7:54 pm

Bryce, I'm glad you like the 705, my favorite pickup. I just installed one in a GFI ULTRA SD10 4X5 that came equipped with their GFI III. The 705 transformed it to a different level. I also have a 705 in a Justice Judge and again it's incredible. Since I also own a Mullen D10 8x4 and was never really happy with the tone I plan on putting a 705 in it too.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 Nov 2022 7:49 am

I had a Mullen Royal Precision SD12 with the stock single coil. Problem was that I gigged regularly in places where it buzzed to the point of being unplayable. Other single coil players in the band, bass and guitar, had similar issues. The stock pickup sounded great in places where buzz wasn't an issue. I ended putting a Bill Lawrence XR16 in it and wiring up the switch to change from humbucker to single coil. Best of both worlds. I put one on the E9 neck of my Carter, and thinking of putting one on C6.