Pickup newbies -> what questions do you have?

Alegree

sev112 said:

A user friendly video on how to replace a pickup which actually shows what you solder to what, and how - all the vids I see seem to presume a whole lot of electronics pre knowledge which I haven’t got. For example the last one I tried to watch said something like “if you are worried, just put your multimeter on it” - on what? And what do you do when you’ve done that?  
But show me how easy it can be to replace, as it appears it might be, and I’m likely to start spending £££s on new pickups

I don't think that'll fit into this video, but a highly in depth electronics/soldering guide that explains exactly how everything works individually and together is my next video idea, I'm sure I can squeeze that in there.

clarkefan

I'd like to hear 30 secs on the difference between ring/scratchplate mounted, or body mounted pickups might make for rock playing.

I think your opinion might help viewers appreciate how all the little differences add up.  Like me for instance

sev112

Alegree said:

sev112 said:

A user friendly video on how to replace a pickup which actually shows what you solder to what, and how - all the vids I see seem to presume a whole lot of electronics pre knowledge which I haven’t got. For example the last one I tried to watch said something like “if you are worried, just put your multimeter on it” - on what? And what do you do when you’ve done that?  
But show me how easy it can be to replace, as it appears it might be, and I’m likely to start spending £££s on new pickups

I don't think that'll fit into this video, but a highly in depth electronics/soldering guide that explains exactly how everything works individually and together is my next video idea, I'm sure I can squeeze that in there.

That would be immensely useful

hotpickups

sev112 said:

A user friendly video on how to replace a pickup which actually shows what you solder to what, and how - all the vids I see seem to presume a whole lot of electronics pre knowledge which I haven’t got. For example the last one I tried to watch said something like “if you are worried, just put your multimeter on it” - on what? And what do you do when you’ve done that?  
But show me how easy it can be to replace, as it appears it might be, and I’m likely to start spending £££s on new pickups

Yep So with you on this too 

Roland

Why doesn’t my pickup sound like YouTube examples? The interaction of pickups with other factors: pickup height, volume control, tone circuit, cable length/capacitance, metal base plates, etc. I also like @p90fool’s topic: choosing a pair of pickups. This is not just balancing volumes, but also making parallel wiring combinations work.

Jonathanthomas83

Does high resistance = high output and better for high gain? (I know it doesn't now, but it's what I thought before I talked to someone about it)

Alegree

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Does high resistance = high output and better for high gain? (I know it doesn't now, but it's what I thought before I talked to someone about it)

That one was pretty much top of my list, there's so many misconceptions around resistance and what it really means. Getting my teeth into that one is going to be fun.

I've got a nice little run through sheet that I reckon is about the right length now, so thank you everyone for your contributions. I'm going to try to record some various back to back comparisons of stuff to demonstrate what I'll be waffling on about. This is going to take a while, so if you have any other ideas feel free to put them down in the meantime, I'm sure I can squeeze in a few more bits.

Jonathanthomas83

Alegree said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Does high resistance = high output and better for high gain? (I know it doesn't now, but it's what I thought before I talked to someone about it)

That one was pretty much top of my list, there's so many misconceptions around resistance and what it really means. Getting my teeth into that one is going to be fun.

I've got a nice little run through sheet that I reckon is about the right length now, so thank you everyone for your contributions. I'm going to try to record some various back to back comparisons of stuff to demonstrate what I'll be waffling on about. This is going to take a while, so if you have any other ideas feel free to put them down in the meantime, I'm sure I can squeeze in a few more bits.

Thanks, will wait with anticipation, mate. Good on you! I just started following you on youtewb, so am looking forward to your videos. Get some good lights and mics and good luck!

Bigsby

Nitefly said:

You could start with "Why do people do it?".  Seriously.

I've been playing for over 50 years, and I've never changed a pickup in any guitar I've ever owned.  What is it that makes someone think "I like this guitar, but it needs different pickups"?  What do you hear that I don't? 

I'd be interested in any explanations 

I think it's become the default, go to, first option modification for many people. That's not to say it's not always a wise move - but I think it's over done. Back in the late 70s I had my first 'decent' guitar - a single pickup Guild, I was a bit disappointed with the sound. I swapped the pup for a SD Invader (big change), but was still a bit disappointed with the sound. What I really needed was a better amp! 

I didn't try swapping another pup until recently: I had  MiM Strat and a USA Strat with solderless pups. I saw some solderless  Texas Specials on offer, so I tried them in the USA Strat. It didn't seem to be a noticeable improvement, but I could make a comparison with the MiM - so many people online say the MiM pups are junk, and need to be swapped out immediately, I was really expecting them to end up in the MiM anyway. I made the comparison using Guitar Rig software with a range of stored amp settings, and making some recordings. I numbered the recordings and made a note of which guitar it was, so when I played them back I didn't know which was which, until I'd judged them all. The MiM Strat won - but not on clean tones, if I really wanted the classic clean strat tone, I'd have been happy to keep the Texas Specials. But most of the time I like a bit of gain (or a lot). Blind testing is important - when playing I was leaning toward the TS (even though I was surprised how good the MiM was at times): I'd spent money on the TS, and 'believed' they were better.

The trouble is, we end up making judgments that are both highly subjective and also contextual - there really isn't an objective 'tone' that we hear. So it's easy enough to convince ourselves one way or the other, and to end up in an endless search or, equally, to be satisfied where we are.

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to learning more about pickups. Not least because, 40 years on, I figure it's time to replace that SD Invader with something more appropriate - I'm just not sure what!

Funkfingers

Nitefly said:

You could start with "Why do people do it?"

Some time during the early Seventies, after changes of ownership, the best known American guitar manufacturers became increasingly complacent. Pickup production deviated further and further from the specifications of the classic designs of the Fifties, when they had first come to market.

Falling standards created opportunities for people like Larry DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan to market replacement versions of the classic pickup designs. 

hotpickups

Subscribed to YouTube channel too

Nitefly

Nitefly said:

You could start with "Why do people do it?".  Seriously.

I've been playing for over 50 years, and I've never changed a pickup in any guitar I've ever owned.  What is it that makes someone think "I like this guitar, but it needs different pickups"?  What do you hear that I don't? 

I'd be interested in any explanations 

Lots of interesting replies - thanks, peeps!

Go for it, @Alegree it'll be interesting to see this.

Grangousier

I've been wanting to ask questions about all the pickups that aren't PAF/Strat/Tele - P90, Filtertron, WRHB, Jazzmaster, Rickenbacker, lipstick, etc, etc - how they are different from the ones we know best, and why they have their distinctive sounds. It might be as obvious as single coil / humbucker, but at the same time there's the k-chunk Ricky sound, or the various jangles of the other pickups.