The Pickups Thread

[Warmart]

Huh? How are they made? Do you have some deep intel into something I don't.

Are we to doubt Dimarzio now?

I know nothing and I doubt no one. Especially not you and your ears!

But still, nanana, not dark for me, lmao.

 

[Jarick]

I’d be interested in hearing folks’ thoughts on the PRS 58/15 LT. I did some trading and ended up with a recent issue McCarty 594. Ergonomically and fit and finish- wise there’s a lot to like, the pickups took quite a bit of fussing with the volume and tone controls as well as the amp settings to get them where I at least like them, especially the bridge pickup. I like the guitar enough to maybe get a different set of pickups to try in it. I remember reading at some point that the originals paf bridge pickups were about as bright as a tele bridge pickup. If that’s true (never played one) then the 58/15’s do fall in that category.

Anyway I was just curious to see what experience with these pickups others have had.

I haven't used the 58/15 LT but I have a 594 S2 with 58/15 "S" and a CE-24 with 85/15 USA models. I loved the 58/15 S bridge as it was very balanced but the neck pickup was too fat and muddy. The 85/15 has more clarity in the neck but still a touch hot and the bridge is a touch bright. I would guess the 58/15 LT would have a killer clear neck pickup but the bridge would be too bright and the 58/15 regular bridge would be much more to my taste.

I put a pair of Wolfetone PAF's in my 594 with the Dr Vintage neck and Marshallhead bridge...that's probably similar to the 58/15 LT neck and a hotter 58/15 bridge. They sound really good.

Other good options for PAF styles, Thornbuckers are solid although they can be polite...I would like to try the Thornbucker 2 at some point. BKP Mules are awesome all around pickups, a little more attitude than Thornbuckers.

 

[Jynx]

I'm getting Bare Knuckles for my KM7 and I want something very modern, djenty, and chunky like the average American.

What do you recommend?

 

[Jarick]

I haven't used them but I'd love to try the BKP Silo. It has a low wind neck pickup and a hot bridge pickup and Rabea's tones are always super clear and aggressive.

 

[RFGGUY]

Jarick nailed what I would consider a spot on description (to my ears) of the 58/15 LT’s. The neck is warm but super clear and the bridge is almost strident for my tastes. I mostly play thru tweed amp circuits (5e3 usually) which are usually considered to be darker sounding circuits vs blackface type amps. To be fair I bet they would be great in a band mix, no problem with cut for sure.

 

[Orvillain]

The secret RAT setting in front of an already cooking amp.

View attachment 36521

Really really weird looking tubescreamer.

 

[Orvillain]

So I used to use Bareknuckle Pickups pretty religiously. I've had Nailbomb's and Rebel Yell's in my Les Paul over the years. But at a certain point, don't remember when, I started disliking the lack of tightness. So I got some Seymour Duncan Distortions, and that was kind of a gamechanger for me. I love that pickup a LOT.

In my newest Orville By Gibson Les Paul, I currently have an Oil City Pickups Blackbird 'Ulfberht' which was overwound a bit to make it hotter. It is cool, but I will probably replace it with another Duncan Distortion at some point.

To me the DD has the perfect palm mute. I've tried the JB before, and didn't like it as much.

I'm also mildly curious about sticking some Rebel Yell's in my Tokai. But Bareknuckle are sooooooooo expensive now. From £376 for a set. That is just fucking ridiculous. I'm sorry, but that is taking the piss prices. When I bought my Rebel Yell's in 2012, they were £240.

The Duncan Distortion set is £222, which is still quite high if you ask me. But a lot easier to swallow.

I'd also like to try some Tom Anderson pickups, purely based on the fact that Billy Howerdel uses them.

 

[Blix]

More informal pickup comparison, the Monty's PAF returns against a DiMarzio HS-3, into a Cameron CCV model.

 

[Jarick]

I really enjoyed the BKP Mule set I tried and I love looking at their website, but the prices in the US are so high that it doesn't make sense.

I went over to Suhr pickups as I found them to be a nice "premium" pickup with good basic options (like the humbuckers have short legs with 4 conductor wires, or Strat pickups have versatile staggers). Suhr prices are going up a fair amount too unfortunately... a pair of Thornbuckers went from under a little over $200 on up to now where it's over $350.

I wonder if we'll see a renaissance or shift back to Duncan and Dimarzio. You can get new humbuckers in the $100-120 range still.

 

[Orvillain]

I really enjoyed the BKP Mule set I tried and I love looking at their website, but the prices in the US are so high that it doesn't make sense.

I went over to Suhr pickups as I found them to be a nice "premium" pickup with good basic options (like the humbuckers have short legs with 4 conductor wires, or Strat pickups have versatile staggers). Suhr prices are going up a fair amount too unfortunately... a pair of Thornbuckers went from under a little over $200 on up to now where it's over $350.

I wonder if we'll see a renaissance or shift back to Duncan and Dimarzio. You can get new humbuckers in the $100-120 range still.

Suhr aren't too bad here in the UK I don't think?

Upgrades and Parts > Guitar Pickups > Humbucker

www.peachguitars.com

But I have no idea what one I would go for to be honest with you!!

 

[Eagle]

Never liked Suhr pickups much, they all have a hifi top end that is not to my taste. I’m not saying they are bad , I have a couple of guitars with them and I’m not looking to replace them. I know the digital heads have a problem with this but the finer nuances don’t translate through any of the digital platforms as much making pickup swaps less important if your core tone is solid. Those artefacts in a pickup that can’t seem to get away from can usually be dialled out on digital or even just missing.

 

[greatmutah]

I just ordered a new set of Riff Raffs from BKP for my SG Special Faded. This is my second BKP set and I’m quite excited for them. My first set was a pair of Mules which have been living in my R7 since I got them. I fucking love those pickups. They replaced a Butstbucker 1 and 2 set and were a major improvement. I know the Riff Raffs are a different animal but I’m looking forward to them.

Other pickups I’ve used and liked:

Motor City:
Black Belt: A4 low output PAF kind wind. Like these in the neck of the guitars I’ve had them in.

2nd Degree Black Belt: had a pair of these briefly in a Charvel and moved them. Wish I hadn’t. They sound like Van Halen. Like no joke they do the slightly overwound VH PAF type tones all day long.

Angel Dusts: I got a calibrated set of these. Scatter wound, A5 mags. They’re awesome. I put these in a Heritage H150 Special. Kinda like a JB but not as mid heavy. Really nice higher gain pickup. Neck pickup is nice and bubbly under the fingers.

Detroiter: 9K-ish output. Hotter PAF with a hint of P90 Snarl. Just a cool pickup. I love this in my H157 (Les Paul Custom equivalent). Not too heavy on the lows and works well in that guitar. Definitely has attitude for days.

I generally like most Motor City Pickups I’ve had. Only downside is there’s not many on the used market these days and Wade’s customer service is less than great. You’ll get your pickup if you order from him. But it’ll be radio silence until it shows up at your door.

I’ve also tried a bunch of different Duncans, DiMarzios, Gibson, Fender, PRS, EMG and other pickups. There’s things I’ve liked and disliked from all of them. Outside of the Mule my other favorite low output HBs are the Tim Shaw designed PAFs in my 85 Standard. There’s still some others I want to try. Brandonwound is one (I was considering their T Top before going with the Riff Raff), ThroBak is another, albeit much more expensive. I’ve played guitars with ThroBak pickups before and they sound outstanding. The price tag is just a bit steep. But the guy knows his stuff, that’s for sure. If I get another historic, I’d probably splurge for a ThroBak set.

 

[2dor]

Oh boy, pickups are somewhat like IRs you end stocking way to many & every once in a while you start second guessing yourself if you have "the best one" in that particular guitar.

I think I started looking at pickups very closely around 2020 or 2021 when I had 2 guitars & more started piling up along with pickups.

I'm still a massive fan of passive pickups but there are 2 exceptions of active sets which I really like and those are the Fishman Fluence Classics and the Fishman Fluence Keith Merrow (much like the Classic but the modern voice is a little lower gain but with more Mid-push).

The pickups I own(ed) & some brief thoughts on each:

• Dimarzio Dominions: pretty good, balanced set. Not compressed, open & with a woody character. Not as high output. Like a more tamed, polite JB if that makes sense. They currently sit in my Jackson Dominion DX2 guitar.

• Duncan mini JB: have one in the "neck" (I know) of my Chapman ML3 & I love it. It's awesome in the neck especially split. Cleans up very well.

• Duncan JB: a late addition to the collection; came in my Charvel San Dimas HH FR, bridge position. It's a classic - can't go wrong with it although it is a little bit on the woolier side - easily adjusted with an EQ / drive pedal

• Duncan 59: same as the JB, came in the neck of the Charvel. It's a "safe" choice in that position but I like the mini-JB more in the neck

• Duncan Black Winter: probably my all-round favorite pickup of all time. Nice mid-range push, open, with a nice aggressive but not uncontrolled / shrill high-end. Behaves very well when used split & with the Tone knob rolled back. It's a stellar pickup - "Home Run" for SD on this one. I've moved this one around in quite a few guitars; it's currently fitted in a Jim Root Telecaster Chinese knock-off

• Duncan Distortion: this one I don't enjoy that much in the bridge although some people rave about it. I feel it's a bit too harsh (?) & I find myself struggling to get the midrange to sit where I like it no matter the guitar I fit them in. In the neck, however, this pairs soooo well with a Black Winter in the bridge. Had these fitted in several guitars (Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, a Squire Jim Root Tele, a Chapman ML3 Rabea Standard & a LP Silverburst knock-off).

• Duncan SH-5: probably my 2nd favorite pickup from the Seymour Duncan lineup. It's a little more cutting than the JB but not as high-output or wooly. This one really works great for a lot of styles I feel. When split, it has a great chime to it. Currently in my Squire Jim Root Telecaster but it's been in my Jackson Dominion, Chibson LP, Chender Tele and the Schecter KM6 MKIII.

• EMG Jim Root Daemonum: a so-so set.. neck pickup is pretty damn good. The bridge feels like it's still a little too compressed for my liking. I like it a little bit more than the EMG 81/60 set though but still can't get the goods I want when I use this set, not from the bridge at least. Had this in the Harley Benton Amarok 6 and the Scheter KM6 MKIII.

• Fishman Fluence Classics: damn good set for pretty much anything especially since it's got 3 voicings. Very balanced combinations. The "single coil" voice isn't 100% there but it's darn good for what it does. I find myself liking the PAF voicing a lot even for the brootz. These definitely feel like passive pickups. Tried this in the Harley Benton Amarok 6 and the Schecter KM6 MKIII. Currently resides in the Amarok.

• Fishman Fluence "Keith Merrow": I've seem some folks frown upon this set due to the music Keith's known for but this set fells surprisingly lower gain / output than the Fishman Classics. The single coil & PAF voicings carry over from the Classic set but the third voicing is something Keith & Fishman dialed in and is a slightly lower output but clear / cutting midrangey tone which works great when you put a boost in front or just want some crunchy stuff. Tried this in the Harley Benton Amarok 6 and the Schecter KM6 MKIII. Currently resides in the Schecter KM6 MKIII.

• Fishman Fluence "Keith Merrow" Hybrid 7: I have this set in my Schecter KM-7 Hybrid 7-string guitar. This is an OEM set and wasn't available "off the shelf"; they only got sold in Schecter guitars. They only have 1 voice instead of 3 like in the other sets I own but they're pretty damn spot-on. The bridge is moderate output with a good midrange push & a nice high-end chime; just perfect for a 7 string where things tend to get muddy. The neck is similar to the bridge but with a little more meat to it - works really well for leads since it's a bit more fat & sweet.

• Suhr Aldrich: a Duncan JB on steroids lol. Great pickup, not as hairy as the JB but maybe a little bloated in the 500 Hz range. Works really well in the bridge and it cleans up a lot better than the JB. Pretty good split tones too. A tad on the noisier side but that's like every Alnico pickup ever. Currently fitted in my Chapman ML3 Rabea Standard guitar but it's been around the block (Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, a Squire Jim Root Tele, my Chender Tele & a LP Silverburst knock-off)

• Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell: I have a set of these and they're a pretty good all-rounder. Very nice balance between bridge and neck pickups - much like a JB and 59 set. The bridge is reminiscent of the JB but more refined - probably similar to the Duncan SH-5 Custom but with more output / authority - feels really good under the fingers & cleans up pretty damn good. Currently fitted in my Chibson LP Silverburst. It's been in my Jackson Dominion, Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, Squire Jim Root Tele, Chender Jim Root Tele.

• Bare Knuckle Miracle Man: I don't really like this one that much. Just feels too muddy for my taste no matter in which guitar I've tried it. It's more on the compressed side of things. Tried it in several guitars - it's currently in the box, not fitted into anything.

• Bare Knuckle Brute Force: surprisingly good pickup, very similar to the Rebel Yell bridge pickup but with a little bit more output / bloat to it, not too much though. The name doesn't fit the pickup too well imho. It's more on the classic voice than modern. I've had this fitted in the Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, Squire Jim Root Tele, Chender Jim Root Tele & the Chapman ML3 Rabea Standard. It's currently not mounted into anything.

• Bare Knuckle Nailbomb: this one was recommended to me by a buddy of mine. I have the Alnico version but I'm not really digging it too much. Feels very reminiscent of the SD Distortion but doesn't have that midrange push I like from a pickup; a bit more on the leaner side. It's what folks probably call "modern" voiced - works good for downtuned stuff but not my cup of tea. Tried it in the Jackson Dominion, Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, Squire Jim Root Tele, Chender Jim Root Tele & the Chapman ML3 Rabea Standard. Currently in the box.

• Bare Knuckle True Grit: this one feels to me like it's Bare Knuckle's take on the Duncan SH5. Moderate output pickup, cleans up well. It's a pretty "safe" pickup to throw into any guitar; can do the "brootz" with a boost pedal in front. Tried it in the Jackson Dominion, Charvel Joe Duplantier Pro-Mod SD, Squire Jim Root Tele, Chender Jim Root Tele, Chibson LP replicat & the Chapman ML3 Rabea Standard. Currently in the box.

• Lundgren M6: I had a set of these. If there was one pickup which can hold the crown of "Razor sharp" it'll be the bridge pickup in this set. It's absolutely the sharpest, tightest pickup I've played ever. Works pretty well for low tuned / extended range guitars but too shrill for even Drop C. Neck is similar but just a little fatter. Definitely THE modern pickup avatar if I'd have to stick a label to it. Tried it my Squire Jim Root Tele & my Chender Jim Root Tele knock-off. Sold them off.

• OEM Strandberg pickups in Boden Essential: these things are freakin' great pickups. The bridge is very reminiscent of the Aldrich but without that 500Hz bloat. They clean up very well & aren't noisy. The neck feels like somewhere in between the 59 and the JB mini. It has a bit more bite than the 59 which I like a little bit more. Currently fitted in the Boden Essential

I listen to & play mostly rock/punk stuff all the way to down-tuned chuggy chug-chug metal with some pop stuff here & there where cleans come into the picture; depends on the mood I'm in and who I'm playing with / for.

As far as what I'm plugging into, currently I have a few tube amps (3 Ceriatone heads & a Mesa Badlander 100W) and a Quad Cortex. I also owned 2 FM3s in the past 4 years and I use Neural Amp Modeler and NDSP plugins a lot in the evenings.

Pfew..

 

[Eagle]

It would be useful to know what you put them in and what you play through because these findings are quite different to most people’s experiences of playing them.

 

[2dor]

It would be useful to know what you put them in and what you play through because these findings are quite different to most people’s experiences of playing them.

I'll edit the post to include that stuff though I've swapped them around quite a bit. These are just my first-hand experience with these pickups & I agree - it'll vary a lot from setup to setup. In the end, you need to try sh!t out until you land on what's best for your style of playing & music.

 

[Jarick]

Decided to grab a cheap used JB to put in my PRS S2 Standard 24 along with a Jazz neck. Classic combo. Planning to keep this guitar either D standard or drop C.

 

[Jarick]

I should add, I have basically PAF style pickups or overwound single coils in basically all my guitars, and thinking I need a little variety. I have the Suhr SSV set in there which is nice. Already have the Jazz so the JB could be fun. Or I could hate it like I almost always do because it's hot and mid forward. But they're super cheap used so why not.

Kind of want to start trying more overwound pickups in bridges to go with PAF style necks so there's a little more balance, as normally the bridge can be a bit bright once the neck pickup is dialed in well.

 

[greatmutah]

Decided to grab a cheap used JB to put in my PRS S2 Standard 24 along with a Jazz neck. Classic combo. Planning to keep this guitar either D standard or drop C.

That should be a good combo. I love the Custom and 59 combo in my S2 Custom 24. Different pickups and more PAF voiced but I feel that a PRS should work well with the JB and Jazz.

 

[laxu]

Pickup, bridge position unless indicated	Guitar	Thoughts
Duncan JB	Kramer Stagemaster Custom 1 (original from the 1980s/1990s)	No longer own the guitar, but the JB sounded terrible in it. It was just bright and thin, and no matter what I did it could not sound better. I've tried LP style guitars with the JB that sounded way better.
Duncan Custom	Kramer Stagemaster Custom 1	Custom worked much better in this one. It was fuller, maybe with a bit of a perceived mid scoop.
Duncan Custom 5	Flaxwood Rautia	This is one of my favorite pickups. It's more balanced than what I remember the SD Custom being. The Custom 5 is a great all around pickup.
Duncan '59 Model (Neck)	Kramer Stagemaster Custom 1	It's just a solid all rounder for a neck pickup. No complaints
Duncan Jazz (Neck)	Flaxwood Rautia	Another great option, I think this is a bit clearer than the 59 Model.
Duncan Parallel Axis Trembucker (B & N)	Ibanez RG550 (1989 original)	Another guitar I've sold after owning it for 15 years. Replacing the stock Ibanez V1/V2 humbuckers was a major improvement. These pickups are nice if you like a bit smoother sounding pickups.
DiMarzio Pre-B1	KDC "Barncaster" Tele	It's a nice sounding Tele bridge pickup but too dark for my tastes, left little room for use of the guitar tone knob.
Cavalier Nocaster Holy Grail Lion	KDC "Barncaster" Tele	Replaced the DiMarzio Pre-B1. The Cavalier is perfection for a Tele pickup. It's fat, bright but not harsh. Couldn't ask for more.
Cavalier Lion King (Neck)	KDC "Barncaster" Tele	It's brighter than a typical Tele neck pickup. No complaints.
Suhr Doug Aldrich	Carvin Contour 66	This is the guitar that replaced the RG550. Love these pickups in it, perfect for hard rock/metal stuff.
Bare Knuckle Mule (Neck)	Skervesen Shoggie 8-string	Another great all rounder, no complaints.
Bare Knuckle Juggernaut	Skervesen Shoggie 8	I'm always on the fence about this one. It's very thick and midrangy sounding, but can easily also be a bit congested. It's somewhat darker than I'd like. Replacing it would be expensive tho.
Vintage Vibe HS-90 custom wound (B & N)	Yamaha SA-1200S (think ES-335)	The stock Yamaha pickups were good, but a bit poorly balanced where the bridge was quite midrangy compared to the neck. The Vintage Vibes with Alnico 2 magnets were a perfect replacement, Pete Biltoft knew exactly what to recommend. He seems to have retired recently tho.
Kiesel Lithium (Bridge & Neck)	Kiesel Aries AM7 7-string	These are the opposite of the BKP Juggernaut. Extremely bright, with a scoop in the low mids. They have incredibly good clarity, but using the tone knob is a must.
Tesla TV-ML1 Filtertron (Bridge & Neck)	Schecter Coupe (think Gretsch hollowbody)	I believe these are pickups made in South Korea. I haven't tried a ton of Filtertrons, but I like these ones. They do the Filtertron thing where they sound full but have this unique high end to them. Just lovely with clean tones and lighter overdrive.
Wolfetone Dr Vintage (Bridge & Neck)	Heatley Tradition (think Les Paul)	People say that "a good Les Paul sounds like a Tele, and a good Tele sounds like a LP" and I think these pickups match that LP description. They are bright, but the just the right amount of full. Perfect for using guitar tone knobs.
Mastertone VHO (B) and SFA (N)	Fenix Les Paul Custom copy	These are unique active pickups from over 20 years ago, made in Australia. They sound a lot like passive pickups, except high gain and low noise. Great for anything from rock to metal.
Fender Pure Vintage 65 Jazzmaster (B & N)	Fender American Original 60s Jazzmaster	Stock pickups. I haven't tried a ton of JM pickups, but I like how these sound. The bridge could be higher output as the neck tends to be much beefier sounding.
G&L Legacy Strat singlecoils	G&L Legacy (1996)	Not sure if these have a model name, but they are just solid Strat pickups. No complaints.

I play anything from funk to blues to hard rock and metal. My go-to sounds are in those Gary Moore style '80s hard rock, '90s heavy blues type tones.

 

[bikescene]

Looks like I already listed my preferences earlier in the thread for conventional pickups: classic/hot humbuckers, Strat, Tele, and P90 pickups.

But I wanted to mention some interesting pickup types that I’ve enjoyed outside of those staples, especially for cleans and quirky low gain tones. All are from commercial failures of guitars, but I dig the occasional palette cleanse that these provide.

• Vox SSC-33 - CoAxe Pickups - looks like a soap bar P90 combined with a blade humbucker. I love how these pickups sound clean and distorted. Very clear sounding and unique pickup design.
• Supro Hampton - Stock Gold Foils. They are jangly and the guitar is SSS configured. In between sounds are like a muscular Strat. Sounds cool for indie rock sounds.
• Silvertone 1478 RI - Toaster-y looking pickups. Big clean tones for a single coils.
• Silvertone 1303 RI - Stock Lipsticks - probably very cheap things, but I like how different they are to the typical Strat/Tele sound.
• Vox Bobcat - V90 Pickups - maybe a blend between P90 and Jazzmaster.
• Vox Bobcat - S66 Pickups - these are in a SSS configuration but don’t sound like a Strat.
• Gretsch G5420T - Blacktop Filtertrons - these are my only exposure to Filtertons and are an acquired taste. Once I was able to pair them with 5E3 and Vox circuits, it finally made sense.