changing pickup size (from WRH to standard humbucker size)

[WezV]

Is it possible to "house" a standard humbucker under the wide range cover in some way to keep the same look? Might be impractical as I have never investigated this, but no doubt somebody will have thought of it before and can advise.

that is exactly what the modern ones are - buffered with a lot of wax

[TheGuitarWeasel]

Er ... that's what is almost certainly in the OPs WR reissue casing! A bog standard humbucker ... that's Fenders little cheat .... the empty space is filled with wax and cotton wadding!
Dammit you got there first Wez lol
My own WR is here with sound clips http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/humbucker.html
But there's so much room in that cover you could wind practically anything ....

[A5D5E5]

that is exactly what the modern ones are - buffered with a lot of wax

Er ... that's what is almost certainly in the OPs WR reissue casing! A bog standard humbucker ... that's Fenders little cheat .... the empty space is filled with wax and cotton wadding!
Dammit you got there first Wez lol
My own WR is here with sound clips http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/humbucker.html
But there's so much room in that cover you could wind practically anything ....

I had a little bet with myself that one of you two, ICBM or Sporky would know.

[FX_Munkee]

I'm just about to start a '72 deluxe build, and will be trying out Mr Weasels WR pickups sometime in the near future (probably just after Christmas), you* can't rush these things you know.

*To be fair "you" probably can, it's just "me" that can't...

[ICBM]

I find the stock pickups too mellow and a bit unbalanced frequency-wise.

No idea what to change to though, I want something vintage sounding but not 'classic rock', if you know what I mean.

I would actually suggest getting some *proper* Wide-Range Humbuckers exactly for that reason. Yes, they're bright - but they're also very deep and full-sounding as well, completely different from the midrangy sound of a standard humbucker.

I would keep your guitar looking and sounding the way it should (or more accurately, should have been!) and not try to make it into something else less interesting. Just my opinion!

[mattf77]

The creamery do good wide range pickups

[TheGuitarWeasel]

I would actually suggest getting some *proper* Wide-Range Humbuckers exactly for that reason. Yes, they're bright - but they're also very deep and full-sounding as well, completely different from the midrangy sound of a standard humbucker.

I would keep your guitar looking and sounding the way it should (or more accurately, should have been!) and not try to make it into something else less interesting. Just my opinion!

I actually think there is a whole generation of guitarists who condemn the WR because they've never really heard a real one! They've only heard the pale imitation that the laughingly called 'reissue' pickups give. The bobbins on the real ones are much larger (and a little deeper) than a 'normal' humbucker ... and having magnets within the coil structure and a stonking great 'reflector plate' give a doubled up single coil vibe ... (my own WRs are four conductor so you can have a real single coil too).
The only problem I've found has been in balance between our neck WR and a stock bridge SC pickup. With the same power as the vintage WR (over 11k) it obliterates a standard 6k Fender bridge pickup. Personally, I think WRs pair best with something like BKs Piledriver or my own HardMan (9k bridge).

[boyhowdy]

I would actually suggest getting some *proper* Wide-Range Humbuckers exactly for that reason. Yes, they're bright - but they're also very deep and full-sounding as well, completely different from the midrangy sound of a standard humbucker.

I would keep your guitar looking and sounding the way it should (or more accurately, should have been!) and not try to make it into something else less interesting. Just my opinion!

all depends on your definition of interesting I guess

[ICBM]

all depends on your definition of interesting I guess

OK, I would add "good" to that!

Have you actually played real Wide-Ranges? Not the ones in your guitar...

It sounded from your description -

I find the stock pickups too mellow and a bit unbalanced frequency-wise. I want something vintage sounding but not 'classic rock'

- that proper WRs would be *exactly* what you want. They're both brighter and less 'mellow' than standard humbuckers, with a very even, balanced frequency response. That's exactly what they were made for. They're still a retro/'vintage'-type sound rather than modern though.

Given that your guitar is already made to take them anyway, I'd put them at the top of the list.

[TheGuitarWeasel]

What you can see here is pretty much the junk you will find inside your own WR 'reissue' Creamery_Wide_Range_Thinline_Tele_Humbucker_Upgrade_Japanese_Reissue_3.jpg
A bog standard Fender humbucker and a load of wax.
What others don't mention is that the covers are also thicker than the originals ... so yet more of the sound is lost .... there is no reflector plate ... and the magnet (at least on the one I took from my business partner's Japanese reissue) is a cruddy ceramic! Total con.