Pickup Swaps In 3 Guitars

[Charvel1975]

Hello all, so I have 3 of my guitars right now that I've been thinking of swapping pickups on to better suit the classic/hard rock cover band I'm in. We play 70's/80's classic rock/hard rock in standard E tuning and are a 2 guitarist band. My primary rig right now is EVH 5150 III 50 Watt 6L6 head thru my Marshall 1960A w/2 WGS Retro 30's and stock celestion g12t75's in xpattern with my pedalboard: Korg Pitchblack tuner, ZOOM MS-70CDR and ModTone Clean Boost. As we are doing more shows, the EVH rig will be for live shows and right now my other guitarist is letting me use his Blackstar HT5R 1x12 Combo running through the matching Blackstar 1x12 cab and my aforementioned pedalboard is running through the effects loop.

Guitars:

MIK Epiphone Les Paul Custom has the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded pickup set: JB/Jazz with 50's wiring, 2 CTS push/pull tone pots 500K strung with D'Addairo .010-.046 strings.

1998 Gibson Les Paul Special, factory Gibson saddles swapped out with Graphtec graphite string saver saddles pre-notched a long time ago, factory Gibson 300k pots changed out to Gibson 500k pots, Dimarzio super distortion p90 in the bridge and factory Gibson p100 pickup in the neck.

Charvel Model 5fx with active EMG pickups, 85 in the bridge and slant SA (I believe?) in the neck with original floyd rose and has the Kahler locking nut after the lsr roller nut, strung with with D'Addairo .009-.046 strings.


Anyone have any suggestions or input? Thank you

 

[Billelzebub]

Hello all, so I have 3 of my guitars right now that I've been thinking of swapping pickups on to better suit the classic/hard rock cover band I'm in. We play 70's/80's classic rock/hard rock in standard E tuning and are a 2 guitarist band. My primary rig right now is EVH 5150 III 50 Watt 6L6 head thru my Marshall 1960A w/2 WGS Retro 30's and stock celestion g12t75's in xpattern with my pedalboard: Korg Pitchblack tuner, ZOOM MS-70CDR and ModTone Clean Boost. As we are doing more shows, the EVH rig will be for live shows and right now my other guitarist is letting me use his Blackstar HT5R 1x12 Combo running through the matching Blackstar 1x12 cab and my aforementioned pedalboard is running through the effects loop.

Guitars:

MIK Epiphone Les Paul Custom has the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded pickup set: JB/Jazz with 50's wiring, 2 CTS push/pull tone pots 500K strung with D'Addairo .010-.046 strings.

1998 Gibson Les Paul Special, factory Gibson saddles swapped out with Graphtec graphite string saver saddles pre-notched a long time ago, factory Gibson 300k pots changed out to Gibson 500k pots, Dimarzio super distortion p90 in the bridge and factory Gibson p100 pickup in the neck.

Charvel Model 5fx with active EMG pickups, 85 in the bridge and slant SA (I believe?) in the neck with original floyd rose and has the Kahler locking nut after the lsr roller nut, strung with with D'Addairo .009-.046 strings.


Anyone have any suggestions or input? Thank you

I would leave the Epi and the Gibson alone. Those seem appropriate for the tuning and music style you are playing. As far as the Charvel, ditch the active pickups. I’m not saying this out of dislike for actives as I like EMG’s for what I do, but for what you’re doing they’re not the right tools for the job. If you want to match what you have, put a JB in the bridge with a coil tap and a custom staggered in the neck. If you want something not as hot for the bridge look at a Motor City Pickups Detroiter or 2nd Degree Blackbelt. If you wanna spend more money look at a Bare Knuckle Black Dog or Riff Raff.

 

[Charvel1975]

I was thinking too, the Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid for the bridge position in the Epiphone as well as the Charvel has kinda caught my attention. I'm almost positive I'm going to passive pickups in my Charvel. I also spent some time tonight at practice playing the Gibson les paul special and have come to the conclusion that it most definitely needs new pick ups ... Im just not sure what ones to get?

 

[jsp]

Honestly, all 3 pickup sets you already have should be able to pull off classic rock/hard rock pretty well, even the EMGs. But if you change those out, the Custom 5 or Custom Hybrid are good options.

If anything, on the LP Special, you'll probably get some high end cut back and make it less dull sounding by changing out the graphtec saddles.

 

[skullfxr]

Do you use your volume and tone on the gibson? Swapping caps goes far IMO if you do. You can pick up some great NOS Russian geeen caps for $8 a pop. IMO, well worth it.

As far as the Charvel i would drop in a super distortion in the bridge with a hot dimarzio SC in the neck or a fast track. That could be really cool.

 

[Charvel1975]

Here's some of the covers we're doing now, seems like the EMG's in my Charvel model 5fx are just like WAY overkill:

Grand Funk - We're An American Band
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Kiss - Lick It Up
Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Bryan Adams - Run To You
Shine - Collective Soul
Sin City - AC/DC

 

[K-Roll]

Caps won't impact your sound when you leave the volume on your guitar fully open, they only work as a treble bleed once you roll down the volume. No reason to experiment here.

-> You do not describe what it is that you are missing in your tone, you do however mention 3 guitars so this gets my attention. Are you sure it's the guitars and not the amp/cab that's something that you do not like?

-> passive vs active pickups, you are using different guitars which sometimes also requires adjusting your amp EQ accordingly (volume, bass, etc.). This is why in most cases I opt for just one pickup type

-> Some of the best sounding LPs i tried had volume pots with lower than 500k, somehow it made them sound a bit darker and lush, my friends has 2 customs and 1 standard and the custom with the 300k volume pot sounds the best to my ears.

Also different guitars sound best in different tunings.

 

[skullfxr]

Caps won't impact your sound when you leave the volume on your guitar fully open, they only work as a treble bleed once you roll down the volume. No reason to experiment here.

100%totally agree. When I am playing blues i use them a lot and it's worth the upgrade if you do. But if you are full on, it's a waste of funds.

 

[snowdog]

Bare Knuckles l ve got to do the same thing

 

[skullfxr]

Off topic, but worth it would be getting a bone or tusq nut for the epi and gibson. Just a thought. I put tusq on four gibsons and a strat a few weeks ago. Get a pre notched and touch it up with a file and you are golden. Just a thought.

Take a look at Lace and Railhammer for pickups, they sound great and are far too often overlooked. Especially Lace. They have a lot of really good stuff.

 

[Thunkful]

Just put at least a JB on each guitar

 

[godgrinder]

Here's some of the covers we're doing now, seems like the EMG's in my Charvel model 5fx are just like WAY overkill:

Grand Funk - We're An American Band
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Kiss - Lick It Up
Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Bryan Adams - Run To You
Shine - Collective Soul
Sin City - AC/DC

Which channel of the 5153 are you using? The red channel probably has too much gain for what you play in case that's what you're on.

 

[Charvel1975]

Here's some of the covers we're doing now, seems like the EMG's in my Charvel model 5fx are just like WAY overkill:

Grand Funk - We're An American Band
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Kiss - Lick It Up
Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Bryan Adams - Run To You
Shine - Collective Soul
Sin City - AC/DC

Which channel of the 5153 are you using? The red channel probably has too much gain for what you play in case that's what you're on.

For the most part I use the Blue Channel and every once in a while I'll use the Red channel for some of the other songs in our set lists, like Another Thing Coming - Judas Priest

 

[Charvel1975]

Just put at least a JB on each guitar

I've thought about having the JB trembucker taken out of my parts caster and put in the Charvel model 5fx

 

[Charvel1975]

Off topic, but worth it would be getting a bone or tusq nut for the epi and gibson. Just a thought. I put tusq on four gibsons and a strat a few weeks ago. Get a pre notched and touch it up with a file and you are golden. Just a thought.

Take a look at Lace and Railhammer for pickups, they sound great and are far too often overlooked. Especially Lace. They have a lot of really good stuff.

I forgot to mention that the Epiphone already has a bone nut on it already and the nut on the Gibson les paul special is the stock nut. I know I need to get rid of the Fender LSR roller nut that I had a friend put on my Charvel model 5fx some years ago. I still don't know why I had him do that, it did have the factory ungrooved phenolic nut before he replaced it with the LSR

 

[Charvel1975]

So here is what I was thinking for upgrades, improvements, etc. for my Charvel model 5fx. I want to put the 90's Gold Floyd Rose original back on the guitar and hang on to the black Original Floyd Rose for another project guitar, I attached a pic of the Gold floyd rose that used to be on my Charvel. I don't know if I want to have an EVH D-Tuna professionally installed or not?

Upgrades:

On the Gold floyd rose: Titanium String Lock Insert Blocks, Noiseless Tremolo Springs, Gold Replacement Saddles for the low E and A strings and Original Fat Brass Tremolo Block
Seymour Duncan Cool Rails neck, & 59/Custom Hybrid or JB trembucker pickups.
USA CTS volume pot, 047uf Orange drop, and upgraded wiring.
USA CTS tone/push-pull pot, (to coil-tap or go to single coil on both pickups).
Switchcraft 3-way toggle switch.
Switchcraft input jack
Graph-Tech Tusq Nut.
Strings: D'Addario EXL120 .009-.042 strings.
Complete fret level and setup.

What are your thoughts?

 

[godgrinder]

Maybe try an EMG57 in the Charvel before going passive. Saves you some hassle of swapping all the pots and wiring.

 

[Charvel1975]

Maybe try an EMG57 in the Charvel before going passive. Saves you some hassle of swapping all the pots and wiring.

If I did decide to get try an EMG 57 would it be a good bridge pickup in my Charvel model 5fx to match the neck SA and for the classic rock/hard rock covers we do? I posted a partial list below:

Grand Funk - We're An American Band
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Kiss - Lick It Up
Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Bryan Adams - Run To You
Shine - Collective Soul
Sin City - AC/DC

 

[Charvel1975]

Maybe try an EMG57 in the Charvel before going passive. Saves you some hassle of swapping all the pots and wiring.

If I did decide to get try an EMG 57 would it be a good bridge pickup in my Charvel model 5fx to match the neck SA and for the classic rock/hard rock covers we do? I posted a partial list below:

Grand Funk - We're An American Band
Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
Kiss - Lick It Up
Cinderella - Somebody Save Me
Bryan Adams - Run To You
Shine - Collective Soul
Sin City - AC/DC

I just saw this on EMG's website: EMG-57TW

https://www.emgpickups.com/whats-new/pickups/57tw.html

I'm still thinking of going to passive pickups on the Charvel but there's so many choices out there that it's hard to decide!!

 

[godgrinder]

I just saw this on EMG's website: EMG-57TW

https://www.emgpickups.com/whats-new/pickups/57tw.html

On a second thought, maybe look into the newer models like 55 or 70. Might be closer to what you're looking for.