About pickups....... (discussion/opinions please)

[Rusty Chops]

I generally am after clean only, these days.
Of course there are relative measures of clean.
Once quite a while ago I had a blonde Fender Bassman, w the presence control, and a ‘52 RI Tele.
I didn’t even want reverb “distorting” that sound, which of course had its own distortion, whether I was aware of it or not (probably not, back then).

These days I want to hear a guitar’s character. Pickup types range from P-90, through mini-humbuckers, to full size humbuckers.
I like hearing character.

So far my Epi 335 is pretty generically useful (good for general gig duties), but I’m still adjusting, looking for character, for home use.

 

[BGood]

I generally am after clean only, these days.
Of course there are relative measures of clean.
Once quite a while ago I had a blonde Fender Bassman, w the presence control, and a ‘52 RI Tele.
I didn’t even want reverb “distorting” that sound, which of course had its own distortion, whether I was aware of it or not (probably not, back then).

These days I want to hear a guitar’s character. Pickup types range from P-90, through mini-humbuckers, to full size humbuckers.
I like hearing character.

So far my Epi 335 is pretty generically useful (good for general gig duties), but I’m still adjusting, looking for character, for home use.
View attachment 26258

That seem like a nice top. Can we see it closer ?

 

[Rusty Chops]

That seem like a nice top. Can we see it closer ?

“Raspberry Tea Burst”

 

[BGood]

Never seen one before, beautiful !

 

[Rusty Chops]

Never seen one before, beautiful !

2022. Got a blow out deal from GC.
Sweetwater still has them.



Happily, was able to dial in the pickups to where I like the sounds, today. Went from generic to HOT HOT HOT, and chewy.

Generally I like to get everything from jazz to country from each of my guitars, but if they have some character of their own so much the better.
This one now sounds like me (just like my others)!

 

[BGood]

2022. Got a blow out deal from GC.
Sweetwater still has them.
View attachment 26272


Happily, was able to dial in the pickups to where I like the sounds, today. Went from generic to HOT HOT HOT, and chewy.

Generally I like to get everything from jazz to country from each of my guitars, but if they have some character of their own so much the better.
This one now sounds like me (just like my others)!

None looks raspberry like Rusty's.

 

[Rusty Chops]

Yes I haz (and get) the raspberries all the time!

 

[Space1999]

In the end there are just way too many variables in play to judge pickups with a blanket statement. Pickups sound different in different guitars, with a different amp, strings, signal chain, right down to who is playing through them.

Part of the revitalization of Epiphone was their new line of pu’s which have been received really well with the guitar playing community. And for the average price point, Epiphone guitars stand alone in value and quality.

Chasing tone is part of the fun in putting together a personalized guitar rig,
There is so much to learn swapping pu’s, pedals and amps around. Its the thrill of the chase!

At the end of the day as long as you are happy that’s all that really matters. (;

Pat

 

[BlueSquirrel]

2022. Got a blow out deal from GC.
Sweetwater still has them.
View attachment 26272


Happily, was able to dial in the pickups to where I like the sounds, today. Went from generic to HOT HOT HOT, and chewy.

Generally I like to get everything from jazz to country from each of my guitars, but if they have some character of their own so much the better.
This one now sounds like me (just like my others)!

I much prefer the way yours look. It has this gorgeous raspberry hue and it's one of a kind!

 

[Rusty Chops]

I much prefer the way yours look. It has this gorgeous raspberry hue and it's one of a kind!

I’ve never seen another in person so can’t say.
But once adjusted to my preferences it sings good, and no snags.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

The first thing I do to every guitar I get is replace the pickups, usually by the 2nd or 3rd day. Especially in an Epiphone... their stock pickups range from complete garbage to mediocre at best. The Alnico Classic Pro set are the absolute worst pickups I've ever heard in my life. They came in a LP Muse. Replacing them with SD Jazz/JB made a night/day difference. (Then replacing the SD's with EMGs was another night/day difference). Now I just don't waste any time and put EMGs in immediately. Passives just can't compare to the clarity, articulation, and punchy percussive attack of actives. And they're not just for metal. I get the best pristine clean tones I've ever had.

If you use a buffer as the first thing your guitar plugs into, passive will have the clarity of actives.
I've been playing guitar for 45 years; Blues, Classic Rock, 80's Metal, Neo Classical, Speed Metal, Thrash and Progressive Rock.

I like to take out stock pickups and drop in my proven and tried favorite pickups, Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan, Bare Knuckle, Bill Lawrence, Dragonfire, GFS, old Carvin pickups.

I tried EMG the 81/85 combo , great pickups, but too compressed for my tastes. I tried out some Schaller Actives and preferred them over EMG's hyper compressed sound.

Some times, a lesser know brand will blow away a top of the line brand due to versatility and utilization..... but that's just my opinion.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

So much hate of ANY pickup is a very often a result of not knowing or wanting to adjust what would make it sound good. Ignorance is the word.

Funny, with my 2007 Epiphone LPC, I dropped in a Dimarzio Evolution in the bridge , with a Seymour Duncan Screamin Demon in the neck position after I took them out of my 1974 Gibson LPC.

Then I decided to drop back in my Dragonfire Alnico 5 Screamer and drop the stock 8.7k ohm Alnico 5 Epiphone pickup.
To me, that combination was much better.
We sometimes go full circle .

 

[DECEMBER]

If you use a buffer as the first thing your guitar plugs into, passive will have the clarity of actives.
I've been playing guitar for 45 years; Blues, Classic Rock, 80's Metal, Neo Classical, Speed Metal, Thrash and Progressive Rock.

I like to take out stock pickups and drop in my proven and tried favorite pickups, Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan, Bare Knuckle, Bill Lawrence, Dragonfire, GFS, old Carvin pickups.

I tried EMG the 81/85 combo , great pickups, but too compressed for my tastes. I tried out some Schaller Actives and preferred them over EMG's hyper compressed sound.

Some times, a lesser know brand will blow away a top of the line brand due to versatility and utilization..... but that's just my opinion.

I have many buffers, clean boosts, sonic maximizers, parametric EQ... none of it could make my passive SDs sound anywhere near as clear and defined as active ceramic EMGs. I have X-series EMGs on 18V, so they respond like passives, just sound so much better. And the ability to easily add a VMC variable mid control (among many other active EQ pots available) is the game-changer... use it to cut the muddy low-mids ~180-250Hz to clear up the clean tone. Use it to boost ~900-1kHz to give high gain that sharp high-mid boost. As soon as I start playing passives, I immediately reach for the VMC to fix the muddiness... then realize it's not there and switch guitars to one with actives.

 

[DECEMBER]

When I bought my epi modern I played a Gibson Les Paul standard and then the EPI. Very little difference. Of course the Gibson was a nicer build, but pickup wise they were so close it didn't matter. Do you own an EPI Les Paul? Have you done a side by side comparison ? I have no reason to shill for Epiphone. That's just my honest opinion. Truth be know I was trying to find an excuse to buy the Gibson and I couldn't make a case, money or not. I'm not shy about paying for top notch gear. I'm finally coming to the realization that we're paying for American labor vs. forgien.

I support everyone using/buying whatever the hell works for them. Just because I said "ACP pickups are trash" doesn't mean I'm trying to convince others that their ACP are trash. If you like them, cool. I'll still jam with you. Mine were worth nothing more to me than the quick-connect wires I cut off them to put on the SD's I replaced them with.
I had an Epi LP Muse and Gibson LP Special Tribute Raven at the same time. The stock ACP pickups were trash and were already long gone, replaced by SD Jazz/JB, a massive improvement, but I still didn't like them. I had a new Gibson LP Studio I returned, but the 490R/498T set in it was very similar to the Jazz neck and Pegasus bridge. The Raven came with 496R/500T passive ceramic. They were better than the Jazz/JB. They're probably my favorite passives, along with Pegasus. 490R/498T & 496R/500T were both extremely superior to the ACP Epi pickups.
But I still put EMGs in everything. Had 81X/60X in the Epi then moved them to the Raven. The Gibson sounds and feels much better. More resonant, more sustain, and most importantly, much more accurate fret-to-fret intonation. The Epi was flat above the 12th and sharp on the lower frets. Not noticeable while playing, but becomes apparent in recordings with layered guitar parts. Lead on the upper frets would be out of tune with rhythm on the lower frets, enough to cause dissonance and the faux-chorus effect.
With a pickup swap, Epis are great, but don't quite cut it for serious recording.

 

[soulman969]

That's stupid. I can say I don't like something. You don't have to get offended by it. All we're doing is sharing opinions, and there's no rule that only favorable opinions are allowed. F that. If it hurts your ego that much to hear someone say that something you like sucks, that's your problem.

But you didn't just say you didn't like them. You were very graphic in describing your dislike. You called them trash or garbage as I recall and you're continuing to so it here along with tossing in a few other choice words and insults.

I wasn't offended. I just offered my opinion as well and it was the opposite of yours. But more than anything it's your attitude that's annoying and whether you like it or not I have the right to point that out as well.

We all share our opinions here but you seem to enjoy condemning what you don't like. And by the nature of your posts the one with the ego problem is you and when I sense we have a problem here I try to nip it in the bud.

So I will.

 

[SJS]

I'm not a tinkerer. I buy a guitar because I like the tone. I keep them stock. My last 3 guitars have been Epiphones. A 2005 Emperor Swingster (Samick), a 2005 Lucille (Peerless), and a 2009 Casino (Unsung) and whatever is in them is stellar. Each one has a magnificent voice. Could they be better? With which amp? With which pickup? And after the tail chasing is it going to be "better"? Are whatever is in the guitar initially adjusted properly? Height? Magnets? Lots of things to consider before tearing a guitar apart. And I'm just spitballin'.

 

[DECEMBER]

But you didn't just say you didn't like them. You were very graphic in describing your dislike. You called them trash or garbage as I recall and you're continuing to so it here along with tossing in a few other choice words and insults.

I wasn't offended. I just offered my opinion as well and it was the opposite of yours. But more than anything it's your attitude that's annoying and whether you like it or not I have the right to point that out as well.

We all share our opinions here but you seem to enjoy condemning what you don't like. And by the nature of your posts the one with the ego problem is you and when I sense we have a problem here I try to nip it in the bud.

So I will.

You're the one getting pissy about my opinion. Get over it. Get over yourself. Get a life.
So I'm only allowed to dislike something in a certain way that you find appealing?! That's completely asinine! Alnico Classic Pro pickups are muddy trash. That was my experience with them. There's no other way to say it. My Epiphone LP Muse was trash. It was just scrapwood that sat in my corner until I traded it for an old modeling amp.
And I'm not some elitist snob with money. ALL of you have FAR more money than I EVER will. I'm permanently disabled since birth with a degenerative neurological movement disorder. I live in extreme poverty on SSDI ($1000/mo, & rent + bills = $900), so I'm in massive debt just to have a nice tube amp and a beat up $750 used Gibson LP Special Tribute Raven.
There's a reason Gibsons are Gibsons and Epiphones are Epiphones, and the REALLY "annoying" thing is how so many people have to try to justify their Epiphone by saying "It's SO much better than the Gibsons I played"... L-O fking L!!!! Rock your Epiphone, that's fine, don't be ashamed. But don't even try to say it's better than a Gibson! All that says is that you really wish you had a Gibson, but you can't afford it, so you have to convince yourself that your Chinese toy Epi is somehow better than a precision
-made quality instrument.
People like you are the reason Epiphones REALLY suck. Get off it.... (the stick, high-horse, coke, whatever has your nose turned up so high).
Do us all a favor and take me off this forum. I only stuck around so I could share my experience with Epiphone. But apparently, only good experiences are allowed here (which is the definition of fascism, a dictatorship). When there are NO bad reviews, the good ones mean nothing, other than that the reviews are moderated and curated to favor the dictator's views.
But I haven't had an Epiphone for a year now, and you people are so goddamned boring and TYPICAL.
So... enjoy your Epi circle-jerk. Sit on a broken headstock. I'll be playing instruments and recording original music.
Bye-bye, bitchez.
(Seriously, this is ALL YOU. You instigated and inspired this. I'm NEVER like this. That's the most condescending excuse I've ever heard: "you're entitled to your opinion, but it's 'the way you said it'"... OMFG!!!! I was only being honest. I'm so so sorry the Epiphone I bought was total shit. I didn't know it was illegal to let people know that Epis are sometimes shit.)

 

[nethanpaul86]

It’s great that you’re exploring your guitar’s sound. The original Alnico pickups in your LP Standard GT might give you that classic tone you love, similar to Joe Bonamassa’s sound. If you’re happy with this tone, you might not need to change them.

However, if you’re looking for more power or a different sound, pickups like the Probucker 2/3 or Burstbuckers could be worth considering. These pickups offer higher output and different tonal options, which might help you achieve the sound you’re aiming for. It’s all about finding what suits your playing style and sound preferences best.

 

[DECEMBER]

But you didn't just say you didn't like them. You were very graphic in describing your dislike. You called them trash or garbage as I recall and you're continuing to so it here along with tossing in a few other choice words and insults.

I wasn't offended. I just offered my opinion as well and it was the opposite of yours. But more than anything it's your attitude that's annoying and whether you like it or not I have the right to point that out as well.

We all share our opinions here but you seem to enjoy condemning what you don't like. And by the nature of your posts the one with the ego problem is you and when I sense we have a problem here I try to nip it in the bud.

So I will.

Why don't you harass the children that put the 'haha' reaction on posts that aren't even remotely funny? Like syco...
And how the **** do I delete my fucking account?! I went thru the whole menu and can't find any option to leave. So I guess I just have to curse and violate the rules to get kicked off? DELETE my profile and ALL my info from your servers.

 

[Sirdoh]

I've thought a lot about money versus noticeable gain in many aspects of mods. I came to the conclusion that people don't dance to a tone setting. Unless you are actually playing to people and to people who actually DO care about tone, you are better of spending your time on setting for playability, and spending money on lessons.
Yeah, Its boring. I know.