The Pickups Thread

[la szum]

 

[Humbug]

That's awesome! We all should all be so lucky and feel our own are the most special(est) of all.

I certainly am special. They even told me so in school!

 

[Jarick]

Fwiw, I could do with a set of new pickups for my Epiphone LP in the more or less near future. I think I might be fine with a DiMarzio Bluesbucker for the neck position, already slapped one into the bridge position of my Anderson and with a bit of imagination I could pretty well imagine it to be a decent choice in the neck position as well. I thought about slapping a Duncan mini humbucker in there at first, but not only would it look strange with an adapter frame, I also thing the Bluesbucker would suit my needs better. I may as well consider an SD Jazz, though - in a nutshell, I want something not as thick as most standard humbuckers.

However, I have little ideas about what to slap into the bridge position. I don't want anything with high output and I want a sort of "open", "transparent" sound with at least some sort of chime.
Proper split sound isn't required.
Any recommendations?

If you go Dimarzio BB, you could do a 36th PAF in the bridge as an option. Or for Duncan, Jazz neck with a 59 bridge? That would be a little cleaner in the neck and a little bit more oomph but still pretty open sounding.

Interesting that you find the Suhr SSV dark, they seem pretty bright in my Strandberg. Maybe it’s that swamp ash brightness @la szum was talking about lol

It's definitely the guitar and not the pickups which is dark...the big one is fighting the old "tubby neck" thing with a mahogany set neck. That's where the Duncan Jazz would probably be good.

 

[Jarick]

Forgot to add, I did try a Bluesbucker with a 36th combo a couple times and I didn't like the Bluesbucker. It's supposed to be single coil sounding but it's actually kind of higher output for a neck pickup and still has a solid low end. So it didn't clean things up as expected.

I think the Jazz is a better option here, without getting into things like P90 sized humbuckers and what not.

 

[Sascha Franck]

It's supposed to be single coil sounding but it's actually kind of higher output for a neck pickup and still has a solid low end. So it didn't clean things up as expected.

Yeah, I could actually imagine that. I mean, I'm now running it in bridge position, and it's about the same output as the humbucker (snagged from a Framus Diablo, some Duncan designed thing, no idea which model exactly) sitting in there before, so it'll likely be very loud in neck position.

I think the Jazz is a better option here

Yeah, might very well be. And I could use that in another guitar anyway, shouldn't it do the trick in the Epi.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, exchanged the Cruiser and Mojotone, so the former is now sitting in neck position, latter in the middle. The Cruiser is *way* better in terms of volume balancing along with the stock Schecter in bridge position and the Mojotone, while I had a day or two of honeymoon (in neck position), unfortunately shows its weakness in terms of overall output. In middle position it's just extremely thin and I will rip it out next time I'll change strings and put a Kinman or Fender noiseless in there. Looks as if I wasted some money - sending it back is likely no option as I shortened the cables (just a bit but still). Meh.
The Cruiser is quite some fun, though. Not exactly delivering much of an authentic Strat vibe, but that seems to be the way with pretty much all pseudo-singlecoils.

 

[James Freeman]

Fishman Fluence Modern went out, Fluence Classic went in.
I'm quite excited, the Classics must be the best pickups I have ever played, sounds VERY much like a JB/Jazz set in direct comparison but slightly gainier, tighter, and less noisy, amazing with high gain. The bridge PAF sound is great too for cleans.
It's a home run for me just because I love the versatility of the JB/Jazz set so much but with all the benefits of actives.
If anyone interested in Active pickups and loves the sound of quality hot-rodded passives, the Classics is where I suggest to start.

 

[HomespunEffects]

Fishman Fluence Modern went out, Fluence Classic went in.
I'm quite excited, the Classics must be the best pickups I have ever played, sounds VERY much like a JB/Jazz set in direct comparison but slightly gainier, tighter, and less noisy, amazing with high gain. The bridge PAF sound is great too for cleans.
It's a home run for me just because I love the versatility of the JB/Jazz set so much but with all the benefits of actives.
If anyone interested in Active pickups and loves the sound of quality hot-rodded passives, the Classics is where I suggest to start.

I do want to try them. I want to try the Gristletone p90s, too.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Fwiw, exchanged the Cruiser and Mojotone, so the former is now sitting in neck position, latter in the middle. The Cruiser is *way* better in terms of volume balancing along with the stock Schecter in bridge position and the Mojotone, while I had a day or two of honeymoon (in neck position), unfortunately shows its weakness in terms of overall output. In middle position it's just extremely thin and I will rip it out next time I'll change strings and put a Kinman or Fender noiseless in there. Looks as if I wasted some money - sending it back is likely no option as I shortened the cables (just a bit but still). Meh.
The Cruiser is quite some fun, though. Not exactly delivering much of an authentic Strat vibe, but that seems to be the way with pretty much all pseudo-singlecoils.

Yeah, I've not tried the Mojotone '58, just the '67s which don't have as low output -- they're closer to Cruiser output.
Glad you like the Cruiser.
It's its own thing for sure, which I love. If you want an "authentic" single tone, then use an actual single coil design imo.

 

[Sascha Franck]

If you want an "authentic" single tone, then use an actual single coil design imo.

I defenitely would like more of a single-coil-ish character sometimes, but when it comes to live playing, noiseless operation is paramount for me. Will likely have to have a look at the Ilitch backplate one day (would love a Suhr strat, but they're out of reach for me).

 

[Aleksi]

Fishman Fluence Modern went out, Fluence Classic went in.
I'm quite excited, the Classics must be the best pickups I have ever played, sounds VERY much like a JB/Jazz set in direct comparison but slightly gainier, tighter, and less noisy, amazing with high gain. The bridge PAF sound is great too for cleans.
It's a home run for me just because I love the versatility of the JB/Jazz set so much but with all the benefits of actives.
If anyone interested in Active pickups and loves the sound of quality hot-rodded passives, the Classics is where I suggest to start.

The classics are not talked about enough. I like them far better for any guitar tone than the Modern (which might be better for nasal, zero balls high gain, I guess?). They chug harder and with more clarity (PAF style is best for high gain in general IMO) and sound great clean and with any other level of gain as well. I have a 6 and 7 string set and I would have got 8 as well, if they made them in soap bar.

 

[Iron1]

Fishman Fluence Modern went out, Fluence Classic went in.
I'm quite excited, the Classics must be the best pickups I have ever played, sounds VERY much like a JB/Jazz set in direct comparison but slightly gainier, tighter, and less noisy, amazing with high gain. The bridge PAF sound is great too for cleans.
It's a home run for me just because I love the versatility of the JB/Jazz set so much but with all the benefits of actives.
If anyone interested in Active pickups and loves the sound of quality hot-rodded passives, the Classics is where I suggest to start.

100% agree. I have two guitars with Classics now and they sound soooo good.

My rhythm guitarist got a set of Elysian Trident IIs for his Jackson King V. It had Duncan Distortions in it and was a little thin/fizzy at times. The Trident II bridge is just darker enough to thicken up the guitar nicely.

I have a Trident II in a Solar A2.6 (strat body) and an old Aria Pro beater Explorer. Funny how each does sound slightly different, but not enough that anyone besides a guitar player would notice.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Question regarding the Fishman Classics: When you get the rechargeable battery thing, is it the same as with the Tele sets, so you'd have a little USB-C socket next to the TS socket? Are they offering a proper plate along with the rechargeable battery?
I might in fact be interested in those for my Epiphone...

 

[Eagle]

I defenitely would like more of a single-coil-ish character sometimes, but when it comes to live playing, noiseless operation is paramount for me. Will likely have to have a look at the Ilitch backplate one day (would love a Suhr strat, but they're out of reach for me).

You’re a working musician, get the Suhr if you want it and write it off against your tax.

 

[Sascha Franck]

You’re a working musician, get the Suhr if you want it and write it off against your tax.

I have enough to write against my tax. And I earn too little.

 

[mavrick102000]

I understand what James is saying regarding the JB bridge on an LP vs lower output PAF's like Seth Lovers.
The Seth set I had in my older Heritage H150(Les Paul) were great for everything up to 80's hair metal.

But when you need tighter faster riffs and pushing the front end of an amp, something more is needed and the JB definitely ticks those boxes, especially when playing real Marshall Amps.

I liked the Dragon II's when I had my CU22 and really liked the Seth Lover's set in my old Heritage H150 (LP).

Current:
LP Gold Top - I bought it used and it had custom aged antiquities which were fine but I wanted a bit more output.
SSV Neck (I think close to Jazz/PAF) and SSH Bridge (Notch down from output from a JB 12.7-low 13K) .

I think the SSH+ and Aldridge are in the JB output realm - I have thought about picking up the + or Aldridge to test out in the bridge.

Suhr Custom Standard - ML's and SSV Bridge, great balance for a S-S-H Strat style guitar.

I keep thinking about getting a 7 string or multi-scale 6 at some point, then fight with myself on if I should just hop back over to Fractal land first.

 

[Frankencat]

 

[la szum]

Time for some different PAFs in the SG. I really like playing that guitar,
but it's kind of murky and inarticulate---which is so not what SGs are
known for.

I have a set of Duncan '59s, some Gibson Burstbuckers, and a Fralin Pure
PAF set. No idea what I am going to try first. I want to get it right the first time,
because when I was 16 I wanted to learn to play songs, not how to solder, dammit.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Time for some different PAFs in the SG. I really like playing that guitar,
but it's kind of murky and inarticulate---which is so not what SGs are
known for.

I have a set of Duncan '59s, some Gibson Burstbuckers, and a Fralin Pure
PAF set. No idea what I am going to try first. I want to get it right the first time,
because when I was 16 I wanted to learn to play songs, not how to solder, dammit.

Do you have crocodile clips and wire? If so you can try them without soldering and then solder the ones you like best when you're done.

 

[la szum]

Great idea, SO!

I am such a lazy and inept MOFO.

I kind of know what they all offer, but not in this guitar---and as you know that matters.