The Pickups Thread

[JasonE]

Fat 60s are very good.

I put a set of custom shop Fat 50's in an early American Special that I have. I was quite surprised at how good those sound. I haven't compared those to the Fat 60's.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Because I got a gift card from a guitar shop that will also have a limited duration to be accepted and I have nothing else to spend there.

I don't want an amp and that would be way more than 150... Same for a guitar. Zero interest in pedals. The set up on this guitar is done and I only have 2 guitars and I only using this one.

So, why not?
What else?

I'd rather buy a pedal or two in case you've got no pickup issues that need to be adressed.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I'd rather buy a pedal or two in case you've got no pickup issues that need to be adressed.

Like, what?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Like, what?

I'd recommend some fuzz, an amp-in-a-box pedal or some sort of Zendrive-alike pedal. IMO these are the ones the HX ecosystem is short of.

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

I'd recommend some fuzz, an amp-in-a-box pedal or some sort of Zendrive-alike pedal. IMO these are the ones the HX ecosystem is short of.

It seems like that is not much more of a use case for me than new pick ups.

There is not much wrong with my pick ups, if anything. However, I do need to spend that gift card. And pedals, well, I am really happy with just a Super Reverb on gain 7.8, master at 4.7. I have not found a overdrive that made me go "yes, this is better than just the amp". And that is because i have zero knowledge about effect pedals haha I would have zero clue what to do with a fuzz or a Zendrive-alike pedal.

 

[James Freeman]

Anyone tried the SD Black Winter?

 

[James Freeman]

Modern Fluence Modern Cermaic Voice 2 sounds very similar to Seymour Duncan Distortion.

Quote from Fluence website:

Voice 2 (Modern Passive Attack): Organic, high output, passive ceramic tone.

Seymour Duncan Distortion (Clean)


Fluence Modern Voice 2 (Clean)


Seymour Duncan Distortion (5150)


Fluence Modern Voice 2 (5150)

 

[James Freeman]

EMG 81 for reference.
Sounds quite boxy compared to Fluence Voice 2 (Passive) and SD Distortion which are more similar.

EMG 81 (Clean)


EMG 81 (5150)

 

[jellodog]

https://thegearforum.com/threads/the-thread-thread.1729/

Back on this thread's topic:

I feel bad that I keep buying Lollars, because they aren't the cheapest and obviously there are so many other options out there; but most of the times I've tried other pickup winders wares, I just don't enjoy them as much.

I use single coil neck pickups a good deal and I feel that Lollar always manages to get that right. His bridge pickups are good, but it's really the neck where he shines - I have no idea why that would be.

I have a Lollar 64 strat pickups in my EBMM Cutlass neck position; Lollar Special in the bridge.

I couldn't care less about the middle pickup position (I don't use it), but it's also a 64.

I really enjoyed the Fishman Fluence Signature Series Greg Koch Gristle-Tone pickups when I owned the GristleMaster Tele. I'd totally buy them again and am considering them for a build.

Now I'm back in the UK, I should probably check out some of the British winders again.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Now I'm back in the UK, I should probably check out some of the British winders again.

We've got some great options in the UK. My personal top three are BKP, Mojo and Oil City.

 

[jellodog]

We've got some great options in the UK. My personal top three are BKP, Mojo and Oil City.

Yeah, not owned any BKP yet. Am considering it.

I find it hard to understand their product voicing options - they seem deliberately vague in some of their literature. Not sure if this is to avoid legal action or what

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Yeah, not owned any BKP yet. Am considering it.

I find it hard to understand their product voicing options - they seem deliberately vague in some of their literature. Not sure if this is to avoid legal action or what

My biggest issue with BKP is they don't label their pickups. It makes it an absolute pain to buy them used if the seller doesn't have the box.

I've had quite a few of their pickups and usually emailed them my requirements to get a recommendation. I've never really been disappointed tbh.

 

[aivoryuk]

I'm definitely in the vintage hot camp. Most of my humbucker guitars have a variation on this style.

Suhr modern satin HH - BKP VHII set - sounds great and balanced across the frequency range.

Knaggs Severn HSS - I change out the JB for the 78 and much prefer it. Although I prefer overall frequency response of the BKP VHII - the 78 has really good articulation and dynamics. I also prefer this pickup at a lower height to where I normally set pickups.

Music Man axis HH - this originally had P90's but the previous owner had routed out the bridge pickup so you could put a humbucker. I originally put a Suhr SSH+ but it didn't sound good to me ( I really don't like that pickup)
I changed it for a Dimarzio PAF Pro and I really like that.
The neck pickup is now a BKP True Grit P90 and it pairs well with the Dimarzio.

Schecter SVSS hardtail HH - just the stock Schecter USA pickups (sunset strip and Pasadena) I really like these and are my most highest output.

Music Man Silhouette SSS - BKP Trilogy.
Honestly you wouldn't think these are single coils, have an almost PAF quality in the midrange - great for AC/DC tones.

I also liked the Dimarzio Chopper and Cruiser set I had in a guitar.

Since moving to my Synergy setup I have noticed more that the nuances of pickup types and height compared to when I used just Fractal (if I want a bit more I gain I can increase the input etc.). You have to work a little harder but the reward is beneficial.

Pickups can't always save a guitar though. I had at least 5 different pickups in a Suhr guitar but just couldn't it to sound right - so that got sold.

 

[Tito83]

The one thing I'll say is that the JB is the creepiest mid honkiest piece of shit ever.

 

[Eagle]

The one thing I'll say is that the JB is the creepiest mid honkiest piece of shit ever.

there is so much music recorded with it that doesn’t match that description.

 

[James Freeman]

SD Black Winter is in.
It's similar to the SD Distortion (which is similar to JB) but slightly tighter, not honky and more pleasant when clean, probably the most balanced bridge pickup I've tried yet that also has monstrous chug, the "black metal" marketing doesn't to it justice at all.

 

[Iron1]

The Bill Wilde L90s showed up Friday afternoon. Got em installed just in time for band practice yesterday morning. Immediate upgrade to the stock Dog Fighters the BXB had in it.

They’re clear, articulate, rich and punchy. The only downside is they don’t hide my technique deficiencies the way the muddy DFs did.

Would give these a go in a guitar in a hot heartbeat if the need/opportunity arose.