Pickups. I've never felt 100% satisfied with any I've had in my guitars.

Vibetronic

viz said:

Agree with the majority sentiment here too - the only pickup swap I’ve done is when I swapped the custom pickups on the lovely Jem I got from @Vibetronic back to the stock DiMarzio Evos so I could use it as a like-for-like spare against my other Jem.

I reckon there must be a stock guitar somewhere out there, that has the right combination of features for you, Axisus. That’s what you need to find!

Those were weird - loved them for years, but after a while I just started finding them way too bright and shrill. Only pickup change I've done was sticking an Evo in my Charvel, and the only ones I have I'm undecided about still are the Fishmans in my Strandberg....too artificial sounding, so I'm pretty sure they'll get changed at some point. Otherwise happy with stock ones, and the SD Hyperions (think that's what they're called) in my AZ are brilliant, so versatile and the first SDs I've owned too. 

ICBM

octatonic said:

Certainly.

But when some players swap the pickups in every single guitar they own, multiple times then it is probably not the instrument that is the issue.

I would agree with that, but I think that’s just a symptom of people changing stuff all the time in search of something that isn’t there...

That’s quite different from saying you shouldn’t buy a guitar you love the feel and look of just because you don’t like the stock pickups.

p90fool

Nerine said:

My opinion on this is thus (and I’ll try to keep it brief.)

Dont buy a guitar you don’t like the sound of. I’ve never changed pickups in any guitar I’ve owned. 

Why? I can fix the sound. 

A lot of people think it's crazy to buy a guitar when you don't like a couple of cheap, easy to swap components on it, but I think it's crazier to buy a guitar with the wrong scale length, fretboard radius and ergonomics just because you like the sound from the pickups. 

If I find a motorcycle I like I'm not going to turn it down because it has handlebars I don't like, I'm just going to factor it into my budget and change them, not compromise on a totally different bike which has nicer handlebars. 

I know how to change handlebars and I know how to change pickups, it's just personal preference that's all. 

TTBZ

Agree with @ICBM and @p90fool. I love the feel of my SG, it stays in tune well and balances nicely on a strap. The acoustic sound is really lively and resonant. It was by far the best one I tried in the shop. Neck pickup sounds awesome no matter what, but I've always struggled with the bridge sounding a bit "dead" and weak. It does feel like it's just a case of finding something that works well with it and I think a powerful and bright P90 might do it - in theory the extra dynamics and "complexity" of a singlecoil should open it up a bit compared to a humbucker. If that doesn't work I have to accept that it's not the pickups I guess, but everything else points to it being a decent guitar and stops me from completely giving up on it yet

Lestratcaster

octatonic said:

ICBM said:

Nerine said:

Dont buy a guitar you don’t like the sound of. I’ve never changed pickups in any guitar I’ve owned. 
There’s more at play than just the pickups when it comes to a guitars fundamental tone.

There is, but I’ve turned a guitar I loved to play but hated the sound of into one I love the sound of as well, by changing the pickups.

Sometimes pickups are all the difference.

Certainly.
But when some players swap the pickups in every single guitar they own, multiple times then it is probably not the instrument that is the issue.

This will be me on a couple of my guitars lol. Main band guitar (Les Paul studio) has changed bridge pickup 3 times and twice with my Telecaster. Strat copy twice too all the others once so far. They all play better the way I like them now even if it has taken a few changes. Knowing me they'll probably change again haha.

My trouble I’ll always think there’s something better out there when all along what’s in there works fine!

ICBM

TTBZ said:

Agree with @ICBM and @p90fool. I love the feel of my SG, it stays in tune well and balances nicely on a strap. The acoustic sound is really lively and resonant. It was by far the best one I tried in the shop. Neck pickup sounds awesome no matter what, but I've always struggled with the bridge sounding a bit "dead" and weak. It does feel like it's just a case of finding something that works well with it and I think a powerful and bright P90 might do it - in theory the extra dynamics and "complexity" of a singlecoil should open it up a bit compared to a humbucker. If that doesn't work I have to accept that it's not the pickups I guess, but everything else points to it being a decent guitar and stops me from completely giving up on it yet

If it sounds resonant unplugged and the neck pickup sounds good then it is just a question of finding the right bridge pickup.

Don't be afraid of trying something hotter and thicker-sounding than you would normally like - an SG can be quite honky and almost thin on the bridge pickup even when the neck sounds great with a low-output pickup.

p90fool

ICBM said:

TTBZ said:

Agree with @ICBM and @p90fool. I love the feel of my SG, it stays in tune well and balances nicely on a strap. The acoustic sound is really lively and resonant. It was by far the best one I tried in the shop. Neck pickup sounds awesome no matter what, but I've always struggled with the bridge sounding a bit "dead" and weak. It does feel like it's just a case of finding something that works well with it and I think a powerful and bright P90 might do it - in theory the extra dynamics and "complexity" of a singlecoil should open it up a bit compared to a humbucker. If that doesn't work I have to accept that it's not the pickups I guess, but everything else points to it being a decent guitar and stops me from completely giving up on it yet

If it sounds resonant unplugged and the neck pickup sounds good then it is just a question of finding the right bridge pickup.

Don't be afraid of trying something hotter and thicker-sounding than you would normally like - an SG can be quite honky and almost thin on the bridge pickup even when the neck sounds great with a low-output pickup.

This. You can often be led into thinking that you need more brightness when in fact you just need more complexity with fatness. 

Obviously I'm big P90 fan but that's not always the answer - the last twin humbucker guitar I had with a great neck pickup sound actually benefitted from a 17k pickup in the bridge position, albeit with a magnet change to soften the attack and give a little more scooped richness. 

I'd been fighting it in the opposite direction for months, but with brightness came a progressively harsher attack, as soon as I went for warmth the whole guitar fell into place. 

roberty

I've been through loads of pickups and found the best compromise for me is A4. I have a guitar with A4 PAFs and two guitars with Oil City Nightfighter A4s which is a medium wind. There's always compromise involved so you've got to pick the best one for the job

Seziertisch

ICBM said:

octatonic said:

Certainly.

But when some players swap the pickups in every single guitar they own, multiple times then it is probably not the instrument that is the issue.

I would agree with that, but I think that’s just a symptom of people changing stuff all the time in search of something that isn’t there...

That’s quite different from saying you shouldn’t buy a guitar you love the feel and look of just because you don’t like the stock pickups.

I’ve encountered guitarists looking for something which isn’t missing from the instrument but from their playing but who haven’t realised it, leading to an endless cycle of trading and “upgrading”. 

Guys grumbling in the studio about there being something missing from the guitar sound and then pass the guitar to someone else and it sounds great. 

And however bad guitarists are, the recording forums are worse, awash with nonsense - “this or that piece of gear is sh1t, couldn’t make a record with it”. Then you go listen to the posters work and discover that they don’t have a clue what they are talking about, or encounter the maligned piece of gear in the flesh and discover that it is perfectly capable of capturing/producing good sounds.

Barquentine

I had a thing for Bare Knuckles a few years back and have them in three guitars. I really like them but I don't know if I'd buy any more as they're now around £150 each. If I was in need of new pickups I'd give Iron Gear a try.

TTBZ

p90fool said:

ICBM said:

TTBZ said:

Agree with @ICBM and @p90fool. I love the feel of my SG, it stays in tune well and balances nicely on a strap. The acoustic sound is really lively and resonant. It was by far the best one I tried in the shop. Neck pickup sounds awesome no matter what, but I've always struggled with the bridge sounding a bit "dead" and weak. It does feel like it's just a case of finding something that works well with it and I think a powerful and bright P90 might do it - in theory the extra dynamics and "complexity" of a singlecoil should open it up a bit compared to a humbucker. If that doesn't work I have to accept that it's not the pickups I guess, but everything else points to it being a decent guitar and stops me from completely giving up on it yet

If it sounds resonant unplugged and the neck pickup sounds good then it is just a question of finding the right bridge pickup.

Don't be afraid of trying something hotter and thicker-sounding than you would normally like - an SG can be quite honky and almost thin on the bridge pickup even when the neck sounds great with a low-output pickup.

T Tohis. You can often be led into thinking that you need more brightness when in fact you just need more complexity with fatness. 

Obviously I'm big P90 fan but that's not always the answer - the last twin humbucker guitar I had with a great neck pickup sound actually benefitted from a 17k pickup in the bridge position, albeit with a magnet change to soften the attack and give a little more scooped richness. 

I'd been fighting it in the opposite direction for months, but with brightness came a progressively harsher attack, as soon as I went for warmth the whole guitar fell into place. 

Well I've currently got a Bare Knuckle Warpig in there (well, an Alegree version of it), that's about as fat and hot as it gets without going into more modern metal pickups I think. That helped fatten it up but it still sounds flat and compressed compared to the neck pickup. I've had an SD Custom 8 in there which was pretty good (one of the best) but again a bit dull and lifeless. I'm wondering if I stay with humbuckers that an SD Custom might work better for me with that extra attack of a ceramic magnet? I still have the Custom 5 in my strat, could get a ceramic mag and give it a shot I suppose.

ICBM

TTBZ said:

I'm wondering if I stay with humbuckers that an SD Custom might work better for me with that extra attack of a ceramic magnet? I still have the Custom 5 in my strat, could get a ceramic mag and give it a shot I suppose.

Try the Custom 5 as is, if you haven't already - it's powerful but also quite bright, and not as compressed as the ceramic Custom.

TTBZ

I've had the C5 in it before, I found it too scooped sounding. I've still got an A8 magnet, maybe I'll just give that another go if the ceramic will be more compressed sounding. 

usedtobe

Barquentine said:

I had a thing for Bare Knuckles a few years back and have them in three guitars. I really like them but I don't know if I'd buy any more as they're now around £150 each. If I was in need of new pickups I'd give Iron Gear a try.

You sound a bit like me. I had BKPs in guitars, and as nice as their stuff is, I found it wasn’t always the answer. Case in point. Once had a Mex standard tele. Never liked the stock pickups. Just meh! Tried a set of brown sugars. Still not altogether happy. Tried a set of iron gears, and preferred them, over both previous sets..

Haven’t really followed BKP for a while. Didn’t realise they were that pricey, these days..

Lestratcaster

Barquentine said:

I had a thing for Bare Knuckles a few years back and have them in three guitars. I really like them but I don't know if I'd buy any more as they're now around £150 each. If I was in need of new pickups I'd give Iron Gear a try.

Yeah I like their humbuckers, all my Les Paul style guitars have BKP's. Had a Boss set in a Tele but just didn't like them so maybe for single coils they don't do it for me. With the rise of smaller UK pickup winders you can get some great pickups for less than the cost. Ash at Oil City being one of them, both my Fender style guitars have his single coils and they're fantastic.

May need to look at more smaller companies for any future pickup swaps!

octatonic

ICBM said:

octatonic said:

Certainly.

But when some players swap the pickups in every single guitar they own, multiple times then it is probably not the instrument that is the issue.

I would agree with that, but I think that’s just a symptom of people changing stuff all the time in search of something that isn’t there...

That’s quite different from saying you shouldn’t buy a guitar you love the feel and look of just because you don’t like the stock pickups.

Agree with that, certainly.
My main guitar is an Anderson with Suhr pickups so I guess I reflect that notion.

Moloch

ICBM said:

TTBZ said:

I'm wondering if I stay with humbuckers that an SD Custom might work better for me with that extra attack of a ceramic magnet? I still have the Custom 5 in my strat, could get a ceramic mag and give it a shot I suppose.

Try the Custom 5 as is, if you haven't already - it's powerful but also quite bright, and not as compressed as the ceramic Custom.

Custom 5 is an awesome pickup.

Yamaha77

and the only difference between the custom series is a magnet swap! A2 CC, A5 C5, C Ceramic.

Greatape

I think sometimes, a guitar is supplied with pickups that do not do it justice. My 90's strat sounded crap with the original Vintage Noiseless, but came alive with a secondhand set of Suhrs.

But know when to stop. When you find something that works. Not a lot of point in 'what iffing'. 

rossi

There is so much more than just pickups .How you play the guitar is probably more important .This why ones mans tonal heaven is anothers  hell.back in the day we didnt know you could swap piockups .You certainly couldnt buy them .Most went with  the best guitar they  could afford with the amp they could afford  and A merican jobs were so thin on the ground as to be non existant to the average  wanna be .We survived playing everything thrown at us never moaning about the tone .It hadnt been invented ye along with overdrive or intonation . .So stop moaning and  get playing .