Replacing pups in an Evertune equipped guitar?

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Exeter

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Hey everyone. So I'm at a bit of a crossroads with my main axe. I have an LTD MH-1000FM that's equipped with an Evertune and EMG 81/85 pups. I love the way the guitar plays, the Evertune is amazing but I've never really gelled with how the guitar sounds.

I had an older Hellraiser back in the day, very similar to this one but it had a tune-o-matic bridge. I put the 85 in the bridge position and it absolutely screamed, sounded great for my style (Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, etc...)

My question is would I potentially be wasting my time changing out the pickups? I can definitely tell that the Evertune has killed a lot of the sustain, which isn't a huge issue for me but if it's also killed a lot of the resonance then pickups may not even matter. I remember reading a post a while back from a metal producer (Mark Lewis maybe?) saying that he's never had an Evertune guitar come in that studio that he liked. I also know that Josh from Sylosis used a tune-o-matic guitar on their newest album and it sounds killer while he's got the same model with an Evertune. I played one of the new BC Rich Shredzillas over the weekend with pups I'd be interested in, Fishman Fluences, and even through a crappy little amp it sounded way better than my LTD. I'm playing through an Axe FX III as well if that makes a difference. I would appreciate any insight you all could give!
 
If you don't like the guitar or the feel, get something else. I don't think a pickup is going to be enough to change your opinion of the guitar if it is as you described.

Fortunately, Evertune is in demand to some degree so maybe you will get a good resale value out of it.

IMO Evertune looks good on paper but not good in application.
 
Evertune is a spring-based system, so in a way it’s almost like a floyd guitar except the bridge is fixed. So imagine halfway between a tuneomatic and floyd.
I have a Gibson Explorer that I had an Evertune installed in. Yes it did take away some of the depth of the original tone because of the type of bridge it is. You do also lose a bit of sustain.
However, that guitar, like a lot of Gibson’s, did not stay in tune very well, and it was so frustrating I almost got rid of it.
I love it now and will take that tuning stability over the other characteristics I lost any day. It wasn’t that drastic of a difference, just a drop in the low end. It’s actually more balanced now and not as boomy as it used to be.
Andy Sneap used an Evertune Explorer on the Judas Priest tour and he has EMGs.
I used to have the LTD EC1000FM Evertune model, it did sound somewhat thin to me but I think it was more the guitar than the Evertune. I sold it when I got my Gibson.
Having said all that, you could try just flipping the bridge and neck around if they are quick connect and see what the 85 in the bridge is like. Or try Fishman Moderns which should just be quick connect as well.
 
I'd say changing pickups could potentially change things quite a bit, EMGs have a quite specific tone and compression tone to them so it's possible they just don't fit to the wood / bridge combination of your guitar. Personally, if the guitar sounds a bit dead I'd go for lower output PAF style humbuckers. In my experience, high output pickups don't go that well with less full sounding guitars (ie. with floyds, evertune etc)
 
I absolutely love my evertune equipped guitar. Having said that I would probably go with passive pickups. I have black winters in my Evertune equipped guitar and I love them. EMG and Fishman pickups that I've played have something that I dont like that I cant put my finger on them. I put Fishman Modern into an Epiphone Koa Les Paul and I hated them. They just didnt have any personality to them imho. Some people I know swear by them and have good results but that wasnt the case for me.
 
I have a Les Paul custom with evertune in it and LOVE it. I play in a band that is in C standard and Drop Bb for most everything.
The guitar stays in tune All of the time and the intonation is spot on!
It had passives in it when I got it but I had recently got a Caparison metal FX with a Fishman pickup in it and I love the tone of that guitar.
I swapped out the passives with Fishman Fluence and haven't looked back. You can pull the tone knob and it changes to a Passive sounding pick up or leave it engaged to get the Brootz.
It takes a little time to get the hang of an Evertune guitar, but not having to worry about keeping your guitar in tune at a gig makes it worth it!
 
The EMGs are quick connect, right? Next time you change strings, swap the 85 into the bridge and see if you like it. I only liked to use an 85 in the bridge for years before the James Hetfield set came out. Since you already have the whole guitar wired up EMGs you can pick up any one of them cheap and just stick it right in there. Or try throwing an 18v mod in there too with one of these
 
I'd hardly call less than the price of a sandwich a ripoff, haha.
 
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