Tom Anderson love, anybody?

[lesterpaul]

just got this puppy-good time for deals, this time of the year-a slightly used Tom Anderson drop top Hollow T-wild pickup configuration...its a lefty, btw(don't adjust your set...)chambered body..very light-action seems a little high, but when you dig in, its a real player
any TA owners here?

 

[Rocky]

Did someone say Anderson?

I know a thing or two about those.....own a few too. Actually most of my main guitars are Tom Andersons...I have a PRS and one Les Paul that are pretty special but the Andersons are atop the pack. I have been lucky enough to get to a point where I consider Tom and Roy friends.

Drop Top Classic. H2+ bridge pickup. SA1 neck and middle

Hollow Classic. (I sold this guitar recently....making room for a PRS DGT) M1 neck and middle and M2 bridge

Swamp Ash Classic. H3 Bridge, SD1 neck and middle

Last but not least....my baby. a 2003 Anderson Classic. You cant tell from the pic but this thing is well on its way to becoming a natural relic....the neck and middle pickups are the new John Suhr Fletcher Landau standards....nicest strat pickups in the world IMO. Bridge is an H2+

 

[lesterpaul]

yes!!I remember seeing these,Rocky-i knew there was a TA lover here-TA is great, isnt he??he is very involved with his product and and his consumers...you have a lot to be proud of...killer axes!!sweet pickups!!

 

[Duece2]

I've never had the chance to play a Anderson, Tyler or a Suhr. Do all these guitars equal one another quality wise?

 

[lesterpaul]

i haven't either, being a lefty, things like that usually dont happen :x ...they are usually mentioned together(esp. TA and Suhr)...

 

[Rocky]

I've never had the chance to play a Anderson, Tyler or a Suhr. Do all these guitars equal one another quality wise?

They really do. Andersons are maybe a little more modern sounding than their Suhr or Tyler counterparts.....though John is now making some pretty progressive sounding stuff.

Interestingly all 3 of those guys are close buddies.

 

[Casper]

Ahh! I knew I had some comrades! I have played Toms Stuff nearly 20 years and have gone through many looking for my perfect TA. It has been fun experimenting and trading around, but I finally settled on my two babies which are listed in my tag. I hang out regualrly on the TAG forum..(have I chatted with any of you??) I too have a great relationship with this company and thats what is most important to me. I was sold on the service and vibe years ago. Love the guitar pics especially the Nearly natural and is that Classic Sparkle Plum?? If I ever learn how to use the pic thing, I'll post my pics..
So hello fellow TA members!
Shaun

PS. I played one of the new CT Atoms yesterday with the new ringless hums.............WOWWEEE!

 

[lesterpaul]

excellent Casper..!welcome aboard!I am looking forward to hopefully more TA one day...I use photobucket to do pics...free...you can transfer pics there and it will tell you how to transfer from there to message boards,etc...there are many other sites as well
lets see those axes

 

[Rocky]

Ahh! I knew I had some comrades! I have played Toms Stuff nearly 20 years and have gone through many looking for my perfect TA. It has been fun experimenting and trading around, but I finally settled on my two babies which are listed in my tag. I hang out regualrly on the TAG forum..(have I chatted with any of you??) I too have a great relationship with this company and thats what is most important to me. I was sold on the service and vibe years ago. Love the guitar pics especially the Nearly natural and is that Classic Sparkle Plum?? If I ever learn how to use the pic thing, I'll post my pics..
So hello fellow TA members!
Shaun

PS. I played one of the new CT Atoms yesterday with the new ringless hums.............WOWWEEE!

It is Ruby Slippers....Sparkle plum is nice.

I didnt bond with either of the CT Atoms I played.

 

[Elpelotero]

Maybe some of you guys can help me...I recently installed a set of H3 and H1 pickups (the ones Doug West used to use to test Mesa's back in the day). However, they sound like total arse and I have lost a lot of the faith I had in TA. Can anyone out there give me a good wiring diagram or some advice? I put them in an ESP Ltd with a 5-way switch.

 

[lesterpaul]

hmm...that is a classic configuration...maybe wiring is off a little...esp ltd...2 humbuckers?I figure with a 5 way switch, it has the coils tapped in the 2 and 4 position??

 

[Rocky]

Maybe some of you guys can help me...I recently installed a set of H3 and H1 pickups (the ones Doug West used to use to test Mesa's back in the day). However, they sound like total arse and I have lost a lot of the faith I had in TA. Can anyone out there give me a good wiring diagram or some advice? I put them in an ESP Ltd with a 5-way switch.

Those are both great sounding pickups. You did something wrong....not all pickup companies have the same wiring colors.

FIrst: did you verify the color codes against what you are replacing.

Second: is there a middle pickup? Is that pickup a stack of some sort? .... if that is the case then you may have some phase issues in a couple positions.

Third: what are the pot values in that guitar?

 

[Elpelotero]

Maybe some of you guys can help me...I recently installed a set of H3 and H1 pickups (the ones Doug West used to use to test Mesa's back in the day). However, they sound like total arse and I have lost a lot of the faith I had in TA. Can anyone out there give me a good wiring diagram or some advice? I put them in an ESP Ltd with a 5-way switch.

Those are both great sounding pickups. You did something wrong....not all pickup companies have the same wiring colors.

FIrst: did you verify the color codes against what you are replacing.

Second: is there a middle pickup? Is that pickup a stack of some sort? .... if that is the case then you may have some phase issues in a couple positions.

Third: what are the pot values in that guitar?

1. I think I did. I don't remember exactly. I went off this wiring diagram given to me by esp: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/2/Megaswitches/Instructions/I-3530.html#details I'm not a tech guru, so I probably wired something wrong. There are green, red, black, white, and a ground wire for each pickup. If someone can tell me which color is each on that diagram, it would be a step in the right direction.

2. No middle pickup. Just two humbuckers.

3. Tone is 500k. Can't make out the volume, but probably 500k also. I've heard these sound good with 1megs.

The tone on the bridge is very muddy, undefined, and not clear at all. I get no sound at all from the second position. The neck sounds very "flutey" and hollow as I move up the neck, especially on the low strings. I'm pretty positive I did something wrong, but I don't know where to start.

 

[Rocky]

What were the original pickups? Duncans? Most ESP guitars I have come across have been loaded with Duncan/Duncan Design or EMG pickups.

Here is a link to a color code chart...make sure you have transcribed the original pickup colors to the appropriate Anderson colors.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.11pickupcolorcodes/

Here is a little tip....make a diagram of your wiring before making any changes....that makes it easy to go back and correct things if any problems arise.

 

[lesterpaul]

Tom is very helpful as well...you can email him for a wiring diagram-he will send you one if all else fails...sounds like a wire in the wrong place...

 

[Rocky]

Tom is very helpful as well...you can email him for a wiring diagram-he will send you one if all else fails...sounds like a wire in the wrong place...

He is really good at answering e mails...but he may not know the specs on that Megaswitch.

 

[Elpelotero]

I have followed the wiring diagrams others posted here, and the diagram I posted. All the positions work as they should except the bridge pickup.

On the bridge pickup I get a very faint, weak sound. The 1st lug *seems* to be the problem. It is the series link (green and white) of the neck pickup.

Any ideas?? Are there any Andersons out there with a 5-way switch I can model my wiring after?

 

[Rocky]

All I can suggest is going to Seymour duncan and look u p an appropriate wiring diagram.


Just dont forget to refer back to my other link and get the wire colors correct.....it wont be the same as duncan but if you do it right things should be fine.

Personally I'd probably just go with a new blade switch.