Heresy to contemplate replacing pickups in SUHR Modern LE?

[jkdsteve]

Ya know there's just something weird about the Aldrichs in my Suhr Modern LE...weird mids if you will

I think the pickup just sounds too polite .. maybe compressed.... not enough bite/attack or something.

Any suggestions on changing 'em (it's mahogany body/neck with maple top)

 

[Death by Uberschall]

EMG 81/85 works great with mahogany.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Motor City Hell baby, clear and uncompressed with good midrange snarl. aggressive pickup without being way over the top. open top end, not shrill, large and tight bottom.

 

[jkdsteve]

EMG 81/85 works great with mahogany.

You sick puppy you...

 

[Death by Uberschall]

EMG 81/85 works great with mahogany.

You sick puppy you...

Have you tried it???

 

[jkdsteve]

EMG 81/85 works great with mahogany.

You sick puppy you...

Have you tried it???

I'd probably do it to my Explorer before putting EMGs anywhere near the Suhr....well, if the Explorer wasn't for sale I might...LOL

 

[Death by Uberschall]

I've seen Suhr guitars with EMGs, namely Mark Knopfler.

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

 

[guitarslinger]

sell the guitar.

If it doesn't sound "right" with Aldrich pups, it means you can find a piece of wood more to your liking; possibly brighter?. (my aldrich pups are all fairly bitey, and not very compressey)

Better to leave the wiring stock and keep the resale value high.

 

[Mark Day]

I love mine with Blackouts


Mark

 

[jkdsteve]

sell the guitar.

If it doesn't sound "right" with Aldrich pups, it means you can find a piece of wood more to your liking; possibly brighter?. (my aldrich pups are all fairly bitey, and not very compressey)

Better to leave the wiring stock and keep the resale value high.

See that's kind of where my head is at even though I bought the guitar to play it...

I'm not saying it doesn't sound right...but it definately sounds smoothey/compressey rather than openey....maybe my ears are playing tricks on me? Yesterday, for example, I couldn't get a tone I liked with maybe 14 modules on hand....I figure it's the player and/or the ears though

 

[Mark Day]

sell the guitar.

If it doesn't sound "right" with Aldrich pups, it means you can find a piece of wood more to your liking; possibly brighter?. (my aldrich pups are all fairly bitey, and not very compressey)

Better to leave the wiring stock and keep the resale value high.

See that's kind of where my head is at even though I bought the guitar to play it...

I'm not saying it doesn't sound right...but it definately sounds smoothey/compressey rather than openey....maybe my ears are playing tricks on me? Yesterday, for example, I couldn't get a tone I liked with maybe 14 modules on hand....I figure it's the player and/or the ears though

I ordered mine with Blackouts from the factory because that's what I like. I also found the Aldrich pickups too smooth and compressed for me. I would have no issues changing the pickups in that guitar....you'll enjoy playng it more if it's got what you want in it. Shame to have a great guitar like that sitting in a case because it doesn't have the right pickups for you. You can always put them back in. It's not like you have to route out the control cavity

Mark

 

[Mudder]

The Suhr is really nice, but is it considered collectible? At least to the point of a buyer demanding original wiring?

 

[jmgman69]

sell the guitar.

If it doesn't sound "right" with Aldrich pups, it means you can find a piece of wood more to your liking; possibly brighter?. (my aldrich pups are all fairly bitey, and not very compressey)

Better to leave the wiring stock and keep the resale value high.

See that's kind of where my head is at even though I bought the guitar to play it...

I'm not saying it doesn't sound right...but it definately sounds smoothey/compressey rather than openey....maybe my ears are playing tricks on me? Yesterday, for example, I couldn't get a tone I liked with maybe 14 modules on hand....I figure it's the player and/or the ears though

I ordered mine with Blackouts from the factory because that's what I like. I also found the Aldrich pickups too smooth and compressed for me. I would have no issues changing the pickups in that guitar....you'll enjoy playng it more if it's got what you want in it. Shame to have a great guitar like that sitting in a case because it doesn't have the right pickups. You can always put them back in. It's not like you have to route out the control cavity

Mark

Yes,yes and yes!!!Changem Steve!!

 

[MichaelG]

sell the guitar.

If it doesn't sound "right" with Aldrich pups, it means you can find a piece of wood more to your liking; possibly brighter?. (my aldrich pups are all fairly bitey, and not very compressey)

Better to leave the wiring stock and keep the resale value high.

See that's kind of where my head is at even though I bought the guitar to play it...

I'm not saying it doesn't sound right...but it definately sounds smoothey/compressey rather than openey....maybe my ears are playing tricks on me? Yesterday, for example, I couldn't get a tone I liked with maybe 14 modules on hand....I figure it's the player and/or the ears though

I ordered mine with Blackouts from the factory because that's what I like. I also found the Aldrich pickups too smooth and compressed for me. I would have no issues changing the pickups in that guitar....you'll enjoy playng it more if it's got what you want in it. Shame to have a great guitar like that sitting in a case because it doesn't have the right pickups. You can always put them back in. It's not like you have to route out the control cavity

Mark

It might be a bit drastic to sell the guitar without trying a few pickup swaps. If you really like how the guitar feels and plays but can't get what you want from it sound-wise, then a pickup swap could make a night/day difference. My ESP with a Duncan Screamon Demon sounded like poo through most of my modules.. just couldn't get it to sound good (it was harsh and trebly and the distortion character never sounded right) and was on the point of selling it... For a lark I threw a MCP Afwayu in and it changed things completely (and no longer on the chopping block). Now, if you still can't gel with it, then maybe the wood is to blame. Does it resonate fairly well unplugged?

MCP pickups are quite open-sounding. The MCP hellbaby suggestion is a good one (I've got one and LOVE it). A MCP detroiter would be quite open-sounding and will drive an amp pretty hard. An Afwayu would work well too, I think.

 

[guitarslinger]

It might be a bit drastic to sell the guitar without trying a few pickup swaps. If you really like how the guitar feels and plays but can't get what you want from it sound-wise, then a pickup swap could make a night/day difference. My ESP with a Duncan Screamon Demon sounded like poo through most of my modules.. just couldn't get it to sound good (it was harsh and trebly and the distortion character never sounded right) and was on the point of selling it... For a lark I threw a MCP Afwayu in and it changed things completely (and no longer on the chopping block). Now, if you still can't gel with it, then maybe the wood is to blame. Does it resonate fairly well unplugged?

MCP pickups are quite open-sounding. The MCP hellbaby suggestion is a good one (I've got one and LOVE it). A MCP detroiter would be quite open-sounding and will drive an amp pretty hard. An Afwayu would work well too, I think.

1. a pickup CAN make a night and day difference if the pickup in question is the supersuck like the semen demon.

2. if a guitar sounds wrong with Aldriches, a pickup swap won't be a night and day difference. It will be like a decent singer switching from a beta 58 to an audix om5. Still the same singer, still the same piece of wood.

 

[dfrattaroli]

Do it. I've considered putting a Steve's Special and Air Norton in either of my Moderns. I love those pickups. I'm just too lazy because I wouldn't pay anyone to do it which means I have to do it myself and well, I already said I'm too lazy.

 

[guitarslinger]

Don't do it.

the best tech still can't make the wiring look new again.

The guitar is not doing it for you.

 

[glpg80]

It might be a bit drastic to sell the guitar without trying a few pickup swaps. If you really like how the guitar feels and plays but can't get what you want from it sound-wise, then a pickup swap could make a night/day difference. My ESP with a Duncan Screamon Demon sounded like poo through most of my modules.. just couldn't get it to sound good (it was harsh and trebly and the distortion character never sounded right) and was on the point of selling it... For a lark I threw a MCP Afwayu in and it changed things completely (and no longer on the chopping block). Now, if you still can't gel with it, then maybe the wood is to blame. Does it resonate fairly well unplugged?

MCP pickups are quite open-sounding. The MCP hellbaby suggestion is a good one (I've got one and LOVE it). A MCP detroiter would be quite open-sounding and will drive an amp pretty hard. An Afwayu would work well too, I think.

1. a pickup CAN make a night and day difference if the pickup in question is the supersuck like the semen demon.

2. if a guitar sounds wrong with Aldriches, a pickup swap won't be a night and day difference. It will be like a decent singer switching from a beta 58 to an audix om5. Still the same singer, still the same piece of wood.

not everyone's ears are the same. its his guitar, and i'd recommend he change the pickups before getting rid of it.

its just a chunk of wood. why on earth would anyone worry about re-sale value over its intended purpose in the first place?

 

[guitarslinger]

not everyone's ears are the same. its his guitar, and i'd recommend he change the pickups before getting rid of it.

its just a chunk of wood. why on earth would anyone worry about re-sale value over its intended purpose in the first place?

b/c he's not connecting with that particular piece of wood.

The perfect piece of wood that resonates REALLY well with the right frequencies will sound awesome with any above average, high quality pickup.

I've tried HUNDREDS of pickups over the last 15 years or so. Certain guitars will NEVER sound "great" because the structure of the wood is such that it's not pleasing to the refined player's ear. Ever wonder why one Les Paul sounds great, and the next one is a dud.


DON'T MESS WITH IT.


Shutting down the protection grid would be like dropping a bomb on the city. DON'T SHUT IT OFF!

 

[MichaelG]

It might be a bit drastic to sell the guitar without trying a few pickup swaps. If you really like how the guitar feels and plays but can't get what you want from it sound-wise, then a pickup swap could make a night/day difference. My ESP with a Duncan Screamon Demon sounded like poo through most of my modules.. just couldn't get it to sound good (it was harsh and trebly and the distortion character never sounded right) and was on the point of selling it... For a lark I threw a MCP Afwayu in and it changed things completely (and no longer on the chopping block). Now, if you still can't gel with it, then maybe the wood is to blame. Does it resonate fairly well unplugged?

MCP pickups are quite open-sounding. The MCP hellbaby suggestion is a good one (I've got one and LOVE it). A MCP detroiter would be quite open-sounding and will drive an amp pretty hard. An Afwayu would work well too, I think.

1. a pickup CAN make a night and day difference if the pickup in question is the supersuck like the semen demon.

2. if a guitar sounds wrong with Aldriches, a pickup swap won't be a night and day difference. It will be like a decent singer switching from a beta 58 to an audix om5. Still the same singer, still the same piece of wood.

LOL!