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OX4 Spec - What Did You Get?

Classic

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Dec 6, 2004
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There's been plenty of positive comments and feedback about OX4 pickups but most of it has been about OX4 pickups in general. Very few customers have been specific about the wind or magnets they received.

I'm thinking of getting low or medium wind with A4 mags

Would any of the happy users care to share the specs they went for?
 

LtKojak

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Apr 5, 2015
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There's been plenty of positive comments and feedback about OX4 pickups but most of it has been about OX4 pickups in general. Very few customers have been specific about the wind or magnets they received.

I'm thinking of getting low or medium wind with A4 mags

Would any of the happy users care to share the specs they went for?
You'll be better off asking Mark Stow about what's the best specs for the guitar you have and the music you play.
 

Classic

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You'll be better off asking Mark Stow about what's the best specs for the guitar you have and the music you play.

Thanks and I get where you're coming from. I'm also genuinely interested as I don't think they've always offered the variations.
 

LtKojak

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Thanks and I get where you're coming from. I'm also genuinely interested as I don't think they've always offered the variations.
Now tell me: how will help you knowing what others used, as you don't know who they are and what they play?

Plus, you haven't told what guitar you have and what you play either. How can one even attempt taking a somewhat educated guess?

I just can't get my head around it...
 

kerryboy

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Jun 20, 2002
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Now tell me: how will help you knowing what others used, as you don't know who they are and what they play?

Plus, you haven't told what guitar you have and what you play either. How can one even attempt taking a somewhat educated guess?

I just can't get my head around it...

He just wants to know what specs others have chosen and presumably if they like them. Its not to technical a question.
 

Classic

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He just wants to know what specs others have chosen and presumably if they like them. Its not to technical a question.

kerryboy has pretty much summed it up. It's no different than asking 'what's your favourite colour burst?'

I am interested in getting a set of OX4's and I will contact Mark before purchasing a set. I'm not asking others to guess what best suits my needs BUT I am interested to see what others went with.

P.s. It may surprise you to know that they'd go in a Les Paul. :hank
 

LtKojak

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kerryboy has pretty much summed it up. It's no different than asking 'what's your favourite colour burst?'

I am interested in getting a set of OX4's and I will contact Mark before purchasing a set. I'm not asking others to guess what best suits my needs BUT I am interested to see what others went with.

P.s. It may surprise you to know that they'd go in a Les Paul. :hank
I see.

Looks like my comprehension skills are *not* up to par today... sorry!

Man, I'm oooooooooold!!!!!!! :(
 

Classic

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If anyone who has a set of OX4s would like to chime in, it would be appreciated.
 
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I think Mark makes the best PAF clones out there.

Mine, IIRC, are on the hotter side. I don't think they were marked as the Duane set, and I dont have the box anymore but they are like low 8 for the neck and high 8 for the bridge, double cream, uncovered. I like a pickup on the hotter side but not "high output", as I don't use amp overdrive or cranked, I like a clean amp with pedals for the gain sound and higher output pups drive the pedals better.

I wish I had kept the card with the DCR readings but I remember both are 8-something and they were low and high 8. Got them at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville.
 

sreynolds

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Jan 25, 2003
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I think Mark makes the best PAF clones out there.

Mine, IIRC, are on the hotter side. I don't think they were marked as the Duane set, and I dont have the box anymore but they are like low 8 for the neck and high 8 for the bridge, double cream, uncovered. I like a pickup on the hotter side but not "high output", as I don't use amp overdrive or cranked, I like a clean amp with pedals for the gain sound and higher output pups drive the pedals better.

I wish I had kept the card with the DCR readings but I remember both are 8-something and they were low and high 8. Got them at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville.

I think you have the Duanes, I have the regular OX4 and mine measure 7.9 bridge and 7.3 neck and I'm preety sure Mark used A4 mags on these. Killer pups. I was going to get the Duanes but wasn't sure they would clean up with this superlead. Still thinking about ordering a set. If I can get the nerve up to take these out. They're that good.
 

Classic

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I think you have the Duanes, I have the regular OX4 and mine measure 7.9 bridge and 7.3 neck and I'm preety sure Mark used A4 mags on these. Killer pups. I was going to get the Duanes but wasn't sure they would clean up with this superlead. Still thinking about ordering a set. If I can get the nerve up to take these out. They're that good.

There doesn't appear to be a 'standard' or 'regular' model anymore, which was one of the reasons for my question.

How do you find the 7.9 bridge and 7.3 neck? Does it have enough push and how bright is it?
 

straightblues

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Mar 17, 2004
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954
I have a set of low wind and regular wind. I will be getting a set of Duanes in a couple weeks. Mine have the Alnico 4. These are my favorite PAF type pickups by a large margin. I have tried a ton of different PAF's including Stephens Design and Throbak. Any specific things you are concerned about?
 

latestarter

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Nov 9, 2009
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My invoice from Mark just states "PAF, bridge wind 8.4k, neck to match"...which is exactly what I asked for. I recently installed them into my 76 Explorer. I changed out Marks pole screws and used some crazyparts cheese head (?) screws (in gold). Using 520K Vol pots and a bypass tone pot at 510K. The sound is utterly perfect. The bloom and touch sensitivity is as good as it gets. Love them, along with Thro's and of course the original inspiration.
 

Stow

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Nov 14, 2002
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Hi guys,

When I make a pickup I take the OHM as soon as I have finished assembling them, by the time the customer gets it and instals them, they will have a different OHM to what I have written down, thats all normal due to temperature etc Each pickup is made to order so OHM can vary.

The number of turns in the pickup is what gives it the tone and voice not the OHM. Most Ox4 have A4 mags as standard, A5 works great in a Duane or hotter winds.

Recently I have been using a lot of A2, I like them and have them in my LP at the moment

cheers

Mark
 

Classic

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Dec 6, 2004
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I have a set of low wind and regular wind. I will be getting a set of Duanes in a couple weeks. Mine have the Alnico 4. These are my favorite PAF type pickups by a large margin. I have tried a ton of different PAF's including Stephens Design and Throbak. Any specific things you are concerned about?

Thanks for all the replies. I've tried a number of boutique (and not so boutique) pickups and found some can be quite dark, others very bright and others wins spikey top end.

I'm looking for a pickup that is harmonically rich with some body yet retain clarity without being overly bright.

I've found output above 8.4 tends to be too much, depending on the amp I'm using.
 

TM1

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Jun 27, 2003
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The pickups on Duane's Darkburst read: 8.31K-neck & 9.04K-bridge. Before Kurt sold this guitar to Duane he did a reading on the pickups and the one that is now in the bridge was originally in the neck.
Duane's Cherryburst: 8.21k-Neck & 7.46k-bridge.
I wish I could get some readings of the pickups with my LCR meter and my Gauss meter...These readings were taken by Steve Morse's tech.
 

junior beast

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Feb 6, 2016
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Anyone tried his A2s? Any opinions about his A2s vs his A4s?
The pickups on Duane's Darkburst read: 8.31K-neck & 9.04K-bridge. Before Kurt sold this guitar to Duane he did a reading on the pickups and the one that is now in the bridge was originally in the neck.
Duane's Cherryburst: 8.21k-Neck & 7.46k-bridge.
I wish I could get some readings of the pickups with my LCR meter and my Gauss meter...These readings were taken by Steve Morse's tech.
 

Wyreandwood

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Sep 19, 2014
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Now tell me: how will help you knowing what others used, as you don't know who they are and what they play?

Plus, you haven't told what guitar you have and what you play either. How can one even attempt taking a somewhat educated guess?

I just can't get my head around it...

Now tell me: why bother with the smartarse reply/s. Please save your usual sarcasm wrapped up in helpful wisdom for MLP. OK. Thank you. Good. :rolleyes


Now, to reply to the OP, both my sets vary in readings (we all know by now that their resistance really means nothing) and cannot remember at the moment, but they're the regular winds Mark does with,I'm fairly certain, A3 mags.
I have them in my '11 Standard/Trad and '12 '57 LPC RI. They brought both those guitars alive after trying literally dozens of pups from original DiMarzio Super D's - custom wound sets and swapping in/out different mags as well.
The hype is real ♠️
 

Brian91145

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Jan 6, 2017
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Hey guys,

I'm new to this forum and above all a proud new owner of a 2004 1960 RI Les Paul! It has equipped OX4 PAF humbuckers (which I adore). My question.... does anyone know if these pickups have 4 way wiring? I really want to have the Jimmy Page 21 tones mod done to this guitar with 50's wiring. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Happy to be here,

Brian.
 
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