Hmm good to know. I actually have 2 Ultrasonic single coil pickups I bought mid-eighties, I will give them another try I guess, cannot remember how they sounded. Hope I still have the wiring diagram somewhere.

https://www.jcfonline.com/forum/equipment/amps-and-effects/70406-ultrasonic-pickups?p=2541870#post2541870

A long shot.
Lindy, are you still out there?

Jan

https://www.jcfonline.com/forum/equipment/amps-and-effects/70406-ultrasonic-pickups?p=2541870#post2541870

While studying guitar at Musicians Institute, [Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT)] in 1985, one of the instrument dealers put on a seminar highlighting various items including Ultrasonic Pickups. I was sold on them.

Here is how they were described: REF 1, REF2, and REF3 were single-coil-sized stacked humbuckers; REF 4, REF5, and REF6 were full-sized Humbuckers.

Think of them as Neck, Middle, and Bridge pickups. Meter readings will be the same for REF1 and REF4 (Neck); REF2 and REF5 (Middle); and finally REF3 and REF6 (Bridge). So, for a typical Strat, a REF1, REF2, and REF3 would be customary; or for an HSS setup, a REF1 (Neck), REF2 (Middle), and REF6 (Bridge) would be typical.

I bought them for my Ibanez (Gibson) L-5 copy (Jazz Box) and for my Ibanez Les Paul copy, replacing the Ibanez Super 70’s in both guitars, which were just lousy butt-rock pickups, imho.

In the L-5 copy, I use the Ultrasonic REF4 in both the neck and bridge positions. (I almost always use only the neck pickup on the L-5, so a low-level pickup is all I ever need in the bridge position on that guitar.)

In the Les Paul copy, I use the Ultrasonic REF 5 in the neck position and the REF 6 in the bridge position. That’s a great Rock and Fusion setup! It SCREAMS! …when I want it to scream!

Now, the thing about Ultrasonic Pickups is that they have a perfectly FLAT frequency response… meaning that all frequencies are reproduced exactly at the same volume level across the full frequency spectrum, making them perfectly adjustable (using your tone controls) to however your ears hear the best sound! This is in contrast to most guitar pickups which have a pronounced hump in the midrange frequencies. What that does is throw off your tone controls to compensate for that hump. So, most people unfamiliar with this fact will think that Ultrasonics are lacking in midrange. That isn’t true, simply since highs and lows are at the same level as the midrange in Ultrasonic Pickups. Therefore, you have to adjust your tone controls on your amp and guitar to allow the Ultrasonics to really, and I mean REALLY shine through!!! Once you figure this out, you will LOVE Ultrasonic Pickups!

I get so many compliments on how good my guitars sound, in spite of my (self-perceived) deficiencies in playing ability!

The trick is NOT to use the same tone settings on your equipment (as used with your other pickups) and to find the tone settings which bring out the fabulous sound of the Ultrasonic Pickups! I would do anything to own the Patent on these discontinued pickups!

As for distance from the strings, I had the neck pickup set about 5/8″ away from the strings on the L-5 copy (to get out of the way of my pick) and they sounded FINE! It sounds stronger now that the distance has been re-adjusted to “normal” distance; but now my pick simply flaps on the pickup sometimes. (That’s just a personal picking-technique problem though, not anything wrong with the pickups!)

Man, I wish Ultrasonic Pickups still were available new!

They came in a Tom anderson guitar, PRO AM with a black and white bowling ball finish. Kirk Hammett Played it, and I want one of those guitars or the pickups

i have a question: can the sound of an ultrasonic humbucker be compared to the sound of seymour duncans? and if you replace a single coil pickup of a strat with an ultrasonic humbucker, do you have to wire it differently then the old one was connected?