Has anybody else gotten over pickup swapping?

[guitarslinger]

I just don't need to do it any more. I don't know. I've gotten rid of a lot of dud guitars that didn't sound good with any pickups.

I mean, the Duncan '59's in my campbell don't need to be any different for my sound. The Duncan Jazz pups in my other campbell also sound perfect.


I used to swap pups like every other week. I've literally owned/swapped HUNDREDS of pickups.(I'm pretty sure)


some guitars just sound good with any pickup.

 

[Digital Jams]

Just plain old duncans for me, figure out the guitars core tone and put the pup that works into it.

I do like Walker pups very much though, have an alnico in the 550x that just rips.

 

[Ventura]

Ya man, I did a few swap-a-roos and then realized I was f*ckin' round more than playing. They sound good, fact is, they sound killer, so I just play now and not even think about screwin' around more... I love my stock Burstbuckers and Humbuckers in my LPC's - these won't change, and I love my BKP's in everything else. Time to play

V.

 

[Juggernaut]

yep, give me an EMG85 and I'm a happy camper.

 

[dass101]

I THOUGHT I got over it when I got my Doug Aldrich set a couple of years ago. But a few weeks ago I heard a BK Rebel Yell set and couldn't resist...

 

[Atropos_Project]

Yep. Got Aldrich pups last year, and simply haven't paid any further attention.

If / when I get another axe, if I'm not happy with the stockers, they'll be my first choice for replacements.

 

[TeleBlaster]

Every guitar I own has to have at least one Nailbomb in it. And a BKP91. Or a Mississippi Queen.
No really, I'm good.
I think.

 

[D-Rock]

I'm just sick of having a handful of different guitars with a handful of different pickups.
Then when I play one, I have to adjust my amps eq settings, or plug into a different speaker cab that compliments a certain pickup better.
Then do it all over again when I play another guitar and pickup.

Sometimes I just feel like selling all my guitars, buying one with a pickup a love, and calling it a day.

 

[Mailman1971]

Sometimes I just feel like selling all my guitars, buying one with a pickup a love, and calling it a day.

Thats what I did.

No matter what guitar I was using.....when I swapped guitars....I re-adjusted the amp.......
to sound EXACTLY the same as the other guitar.
Took me years to figure it out.......

 

[Bob Savage]

I tend to like a Duncan Custom in the bridge and a 59 or Jazz in the neck with most guitars.

Pickup swapping is SO last week.

 

[jet66]

I thought I was over it, until I started hearing names like 'Motor City,' and 'Bare Knuckles,' now I'm thinking I should try some more swapping...

There are so many choices, just in one BRAND, that the amount of reportedly great stuff makes you (and by 'you' I mean 'me') wonder 'what could I be missing out on?'

 

[Chubtone]

I went through a long stage where I was trying every boutique pickup under the sun. I even went so far as to buy a set of Tom Holmes humbuckers which make everything else seem cheap by comparison. In the end I went back to Seymour Duncans. I know what they are going to do for my sound before I even install them. I just compared a BKP VHII pickup to my Duncan '78 a couple of weeks ago and well, let's just say I see no reason to order a pickup from someone other than the guy who actually worked with Van Halen and his pickups back in the early days.

So yeah, I really like the Duncan JB, Custom, Custom Custom or '78 in the bridge. It depends on the guitar and what I'm going for sound wise with it. I have each of those in a guitar and every single one of those guitars are capable of world class tones.

 

[Chubtone]

One other question I have is what could each of these boutique builders possibly be doing differently build-wise or materials wise than the others? They all insist that they are using better materials than the next guy or that they and only they have been able to get their hands on the BEST sounding vintage PAF's ever. How many of these guys have dissected multiple PAF pickups or spent time with tons of different vintage guitars and been able to really assess how these pickups were built?

I think there is a BUNCH of nonsense and TONS of hype involved in this boutique pickup market.

 

[Bob Savage]

One other question I have is what could each of these boutique builders possibly be doing differently build-wise or materials wise than the others?

Have you heard of Russian Unobtanium? I didn't think so. You can't handle the truth.

 

[RobotbodiesBFF]

I only feel the need if the ones in a guitar really don't work.

 

[Greazygeo]

I think there is a BUNCH of nonsense and TONS of hype involved in this boutique pickup market.

I agree with this 100%. There are a few new designs here and there, but overall only so many ways you can make a pickup really....and everyone just wants to sound like EVH anyway.

I swapped around my first Anderson till I got it where I wanted it....still messing with the tele, but that's a whole different world.....all my other guitars either get a JB or Custom in the bridge and 59 or Jazz in the neck.

 

[Chubtone]

One other question I have is what could each of these boutique builders possibly be doing differently build-wise or materials wise than the others?

Have you heard of Russian Unobtanium? I didn't think so. You can't handle the truth.

I have heard of it, but was only able to obtain Croatian Unobtanium and therefore my boutique pickup building venture was sunk before I even fired up my winding machine, which by the way is far superior to the other machines that spin around that the other boutique builders use.

 

[Bob Savage]

I have heard of it, but was only able to obtain Croatian Unobtanium and therefore my boutique pickup building venture was sunk before I even fired up my winding machine, which by the way is far superior to the other machines that spin around that the other boutique builders use.

You have a SniffCo winder?

 

[guitarslinger]

I have heard of it, but was only able to obtain Croatian Unobtanium and therefore my boutique pickup building venture was sunk before I even fired up my winding machine, which by the way is far superior to the other machines that spin around that the other boutique builders use.

You have a SniffCo winder?

No, he uses an all-tube, direct drive, audiophile quality turntable as the winder.

 

[Mailman1971]

I have heard of it, but was only able to obtain Croatian Unobtanium and therefore my boutique pickup building venture was sunk before I even fired up my winding machine, which by the way is far superior to the other machines that spin around that the other boutique builders use.

You have a SniffCo winder?

No, he uses an all-tube, direct drive, audiophile quality turntable as the winder.

33rpm or 78?