Description Sound Clips Videos The Good & The Bad Bode Plots Setups Warrenty & Returns Specifications

The Power to Perform

The Ethereal is a bit of a strange pickup on the face of it - it’s so highly wound at 17K that you’re instantly thinking “this is going to be high output/tons of gain/wont clean up” but its actually a bit “Sheep in Wolves clothing” – and as such, performs much more like what we’d associate with a medium output humbucker.

That’s not to say the Ethereal won’t hold its own when it comes to rock and metal – but in real terms, where something like the Hot Iron will give you a blistering lower mid-range punch in the gut, or the Wraith will tear your face off at 100 paces with its trashy, razor sharp attack, the Ethereal a little more refined, more the virtuosos pickup then the metal heads.

Rather than aiming to give you bucket loads of heat and definition and really play up to that "metal monster" ethos we all have for high output pickups, its actually designed to give you a real warmth, with plenty of responsiveness that makes them perfect for hammer ones, arpeggios, intricate picking.

Sure it'll distort with the best of them, and that power can quickly be harnessed when you need it, but this is more the "every day" high output side of things - when you need a pickup that’s going to really give you plenty of body, plenty of warmth, not a huge amount of top end and will actually behave itself when you're not in full blown Rock God mode.

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Should be just below!

Between you, me and the fence post, I'm more an engineer then i am a salesman, so to scratch that itch - I’m compelled to not only write up the unavoidable "hey, this pickup great! Play Rock or Blues?! This one’s for you!", but for the sake of balance, it’s only fair that i get to write up what they're not great at too (and because this section isn't "up front" - i get to be a bit more technical about it too! Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to explain what all those lovely buzz words actually mean eh?)

Remember too - whilst I’m writing this stuff about Axesrus pickups, its true of every pickup ever made. Even if you’re not buying ours, this stuff is handy! It’s all true! all pickups have characteristics that make them good or bad... there are no perfect pickups!

Medium Output?!

Now, I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder of the term "medium output" - mainly because it’s a term that sounds so underwhelming, that it’s difficult, if not impossible, to get excited about, but, honestly? It’s a pretty fitting description of what this style of pickup is doing.

If we think about humbuckers in 3 main "styles" - where there’s "Vintage" (Low output... an equally catchy name!), “Medium output” (I should have really pushed for something like “modern output” in retrospect) and “high output” (annoyingly accurate, because its true, high output pickups, are, always, producing higher output – no trick there!)

As a general rule – vintage humbuckers are always wound with 42 AWG, and are the brightest/lightest in the bass, high outputs (and it’s a fairly wide ranging collection) are wound with 43 (or 44 AWG would to a very high resistance!), will occasionally use larger poles in an effort to increase their inductance, and they’re the darkest, dirtiest, beefiest offerings.

And then “medium output” – kind of sits in the middle of that.

However – how it gets there, isn’t quite as clear cut as you’d expect. It’s (just) possible (if not exactly sensible) to hugely overwind a vintage humbucker (retaining that 42 AWG) to, say, 10K, which will push that idea into “medium output” as the resonant peak is pushed down into a lower register, the bass increases, and the pickup becomes considerably darker, but also, more capable of being pushed harder under gain – OR – you can under wind a high output pickup – which is actually the more common way of doing it.

So, our Model 24, usings 43 AWG, wound to just over 11K, and the Ethereal looks a monster at 17K using 44 AWG, but, really? Its not! Maybe its better to think of this style of pickup not as medium outputs, but as “underwound high outputs”? Who knows?!

Either way, the one thing that they do give you, is a huge amount of versatility – they’re capable of being kept “cleaner” than a true high output, but, equally, they’re capable of being pushed much further into distortion then a vintage pickup.

Without wanting to sound the salesman in this, I always think, when people go in for “medium” pickups – “There goes a player who’s working for a living” – the “warts and all” vintage stuff is great if you want to meet your hero’s, and the high gain, high output, high octane stuff, kind of has a “folly of youth” thing about it – and they’re great! Honestly! But one day, you’ll find something they just can’t do. Medium humbuckers don’t suffer that problem. They’ll do everything you throw at them, and keep going. And as much as that may seem like an absolutely awful selling point, and I’m pitching them as a “Jack of all trades” pickup… lets be honest! That’s not the worst thing in the world if its going to save you taking 5 very specialist guitars out on the road.

So, yeah, “medium output”? Terrible name, absolutely inspiring frankly, and probably not the best tone you’ll ever hear, but they cover so much ground, and they’ll do it all pretty well, that having a set of them in the locker, isn’t a bad place to be what so ever

Bode Plots

	Swap Graphs?
	Pickup #1 Humbucker Single Coil Telecaster P90 Offets Bass Other Ethereal Classic Bourbon City True 50s HereticBourbon CityDevestatorHot IronModel 24	Pickup #2 Humbucker Single Coil Classic Bourbon CityDevestatorEtherealHereticHot IronModel 24True 50s

500k pots work perfectly (thats what was used on the recordings for reference) and a 0.022 or a 0.047 cap on the tone will see you absolutely fine - you can try a 300k tone pot if you like, but i've never felt it made much of a difference myself.

Covers, as always, mute what top end "snap" there is ever so slightly - i actually prefer the Ethereal without a cover, because, as often with higher output humbuckers, were looking to retain some more of the definition, especially considering that the resonant peak has been pushed considerablly further down into the lower frequencies.

Honesty & Transparency

In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have to write this section. But since pickups are complex, custom-made instruments — it’s only fair to be upfront about how they’re made, your consumer rights, and what you can expect from us.

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How We Build Your Pickup

Every Axesrus pickup is made to order. When you click “Add to Cart,” there’s no pre-made stock waiting on the shelf — your pickup is crafted entirely from scratch using parts we have available.

That means:

• Your pickup is wound, assembled, soldered, tested, polished, wax potted, and retested by hand.

• The process happens in-house, at a small scale — typically around 6 pickups per day.

• Because we build carefully and meticulously, your pickup is made just for you, to the exact specifications you selected.

Realistically, this means a lead time of about 2 weeks, though it can vary depending on order volume. Pickups will never ship same-day.

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Returns Policy

Since your pickup is a one-of-a-kind, custom-made product, it cannot be returned or refunded once production has begun. This aligns with UK distance selling regulations around custom work.

No “try it and see if you like it” or “return if the colour’s not right” — once a pickup is wound for you, it’s yours.

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Warranty Coverage

We stand behind our pickups with a relaxed lifetime warranty — no registration required, and no arbitrary time limits on support.

• Free repairs or replacements may be offered if a manufacturing fault appears within a reasonable timeframe.

• We assess warranty claims on a case-by-case basis, considering the age and condition of the pickup.

• Early, low-cost pickups (like our first £20 ones!) may not be eligible for free repairs after many years of use, but we’ll always offer repair services at a fair price.

• For higher-end pickups, like a £200 humbucker, you can expect us to do our best to get you back up and running.

Important: We are happy to extend warranty coverage to new owners within 24 months of the original purchase, as long as we can verify the initial sale.

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Damage vs Fault

Pickups are delicate. Faults can result from:

• Manufacturing defects

• Damage during shipping or installation

• Wear and tear

We generally approach warranty claims with the benefit of the doubt, assuming a manufacturing fault unless damage is obvious or severe.

• Minor damage or installation mishaps are often repaired just like manufacturing faults.

• Heavily damaged or intentionally broken pickups will not be repaired or replaced under warranty, free or paid.

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Lead Times & Cancellations

Once you place an order and production begins, there’s no cancellation or backing out. Your pickup enters the production queue immediately.

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Modifications After Purchase

Want a different magnet, cover, or wiring after you’ve received your pickup? Usually, we can help — for the cost of parts and postage.

More complex modifications are evaluated case-by-case and aren’t covered by warranty.

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Variations & Specifications

Pickup specs may vary slightly due to:

• Manufacturing tolerances

• Temperature changes

• Material variations (wire gauge, alloys, etc.)

Such normal variations are not grounds for warranty claims.

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Warranty Postage

Shipping costs for repairs or replacements after the initial 14-day period are the customer’s responsibility.

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If you ever have questions, concerns, or just want to talk pickups, we’re here to help — no matter how long it’s been since your purchase.