Schecter USA pickups - how do they stack up with the competition?

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buller

buller

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Not many impressions of these online, but I'm curious about pickups like the Apocalype, Pasadena Plus, and Sunset Strip. For those of you who have tried their pickups, do they have a general character or "house sound" in common? Do you think they surpass Duncan, DiMarzio, and BKP? Can they compete with today's top boutique options like WCR, ToneNerd, and MCP when it comes to high output humbuckers?
 
I personally love them. They are hot tho. The only pickup I’ve found to sound better with the volume rolled back on a high gain amp.
 
Pickups in an exotic black limba supershredder fr sounded great sunset strip and pasadena pickups and certainly didnt need to be swapped
They were same as usa pickups even though guitar was made in korea
How they compared to others idk but at that point its kind of what flavor of ice cream is best
 
I've always likem em, might not be the most sought after stuff around, but IME they are excellent gear. I've played Pasadena (have a Classic in my strat), Monstertone, Apocalypse, Pasadena singles, NJ set.
 
When I had a USA Schecter I felt no need to change them. I think a lot of people compare them to Tom Anderson pickups because he got his start at Schecter. Unfortunately, I already sold the Schecter by the time I got a TA so I couldn't A/B them.
 
I have a Pasadena Plus set in one of my Schecters. They are essentially a refined JB/Jazz set. The bridge is rather articulate for a JB type. Both are splittable with excellent single coil sounds.
 
D-Rock said:
I have a Pasadena Plus set in one of my Schecters. They are essentially a refined JB/Jazz set. The bridge is rather articulate for a JB type. Both are splittable with excellent single coil sounds.
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I've had the Pasadena/Pasadena Plus set in a few Schecters and they are definitely great sounding pickups. I'd take the Plus over a JB any day.
I've also had the Sunset Strip, and it was equally impressive. Their pickups are just as good as any, as an upgrade.

The Pasadena Plus is more of a hot PAF, I don't really get a JB vibe - it's warmer and punchier.
The Sunset Strip has kind of a Duncan Custom-ness to it, just a tad less hot. I might even say it reminded me of a cross between a Custom & a '78.
 
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Findthetone1 said:
When I had a USA Schecter I felt no need to change them. I think a lot of people compare them to Tom Anderson pickups because he got his start at Schecter. Unfortunately, I already sold the Schecter by the time I got a TA so I couldn't A/B them.
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Imho they haven't much in common. Anderson pickups are something you either love or hate, very peculiar sounding. I like them.
Schecter pickups are sorta DiMarzio muscular low end + Duncan presence and high mids with a grain of BKP definition. If it makes any sense.
 
Zado said:
Imho they haven't much in common. Anderson pickups are something you either love or hate, very peculiar sounding. I like them.
Schecter pickups are sorta DiMarzio muscular low end + Duncan presence and high mids with a grain of BKP definition. If it makes any sense.
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I agree with your take on Anderson pickups. I actually like them as well. I didn't have the Schecter long enough for a lasting impression I guess.
 
Findthetone1 said:
I agree with your take on Anderson pickups. I actually like them as well. I didn't have the Schecter long enough for a lasting impression I guess.
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One doesn't necessarily have to love them or care for them, as many high end pickups they don't fit every guitar you put em in. Also, but this is on Schecter, they are not as heavy as the brand fame would suggest... Schecter is mostly known for metal guitars, but their pickups aren't extreme sounding at all. Most of them at least.
I recall 90% of Silver Mountain series owners swapping the Sonic Seducers stock humbs cause they weren't insta-djent pickups.
 
They're very good sounding pickups but they're a completely different thing than the high end options you mentioned (wcr, tonenerd etc)

They are very much in the "super high output" 80s style that works best for goosing a vintage style amp - for modern high gainers, they work best at very low gain levels.
 
I had one with the Apocalype pickups in it. I was expecting to change them when I got it but I never did because I thought they sounded good!
 
Zado said:
Schecter pickups are sorta DiMarzio muscular low end + Duncan presence and high mids with a grain of BKP definition. If it makes any sense.
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This makes sense to me with my experience. Not bad PU's at all!
 
I have a set of Apocalypse'.. They have both Alnico V's with Ceramic 8 Magnets.
They are clear with the A5's but with a little extra hair and compression from the C8's..
Good for metal.
 
MetalThrasher said:
I had one with the Apocalype pickups in it. I was expecting to change them when I got it but I never did because I thought they sounded good!
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The Apo's their most famous pickup I guess, good metal machine. It's not super scooped or an annoying middy mess, just quite balanced, and unlike many modern metal pickups (which the Apo is not, to be honest) it's not a super aggro djenticulate / anemic nails on chalkboard thing, and delivers lots of balls while staying quite clear. It is sorta Dimarzio Super D if designed today.
 
This all sounds promising. Do the Schecter pickups tend to lean more towards the spongy and forgiving side or the dry and articulate side?

I'm on the hunt for a new production high output bridge pickup that has vintage character and feel (forgiving, spongy, chewy, saturated) while retaining just enough tightness to not flub out in drop C like I'm afraid a JB would. Want something that will complement the WCR Ironman I have in my LP, which leans more open, articulate, and tight. Something that combines the positive attributes of a Super D and JB with less flub would be perfect.

Would the Schecter Sunset Strip or Apocalype get me close? Others I'm looking at are the (new) Mighty Mite 1300 or Pariah Destruction 70. Or if anyone were willing to sell their TN 1984 or Whiskey I'd love to try either of those.
 
buller said:
This all sounds promising. Do the Schecter pickups tend to lean more towards the spongy and forgiving side or the dry and articulate side?

I'm on the hunt for a new production high output bridge pickup that has vintage character and feel (forgiving, spongy, chewy, saturated) while retaining just enough tightness to not flub out in drop C like I'm afraid a JB would. Want something that will complement the WCR Ironman I have in my LP, which leans more open, articulate, and tight. Something that combines the positive attributes of a Super D and JB with less flub would be perfect.

Would the Schecter Sunset Strip or Apocalype get me close? Others I'm looking at are the (new) Mighty Mite 1300 or Pariah Destruction 70. Or if anyone were willing to sell their TN 1984 or Whiskey I'd love to try either of those.
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I wouldn't say they are "dry" sounding, but definitely articulate with good note definition (though not as extreme as some pickups often used in modern and detuned genres), while still being saturated enough and very cool when playing licks.
A SuperD/JB thing is not easy task, the Super D has a prominent low end and ball with nice upper definition, while the JB is loads of mids and imho too much smoothness in the pick attack.
The SStrip is supposed to be a tighter, rawer, still compressed but a lil more scooped JB, great for licks and fast rhythm, sorta Schecter take on a hair metal bridge pickup.
The Apo is wider, bigger, more riff machine like.
 
buller said:
This all sounds promising. Do the Schecter pickups tend to lean more towards the spongy and forgiving side or the dry and articulate side?

I'm on the hunt for a new production high output bridge pickup that has vintage character and feel (forgiving, spongy, chewy, saturated) while retaining just enough tightness to not flub out in drop C like I'm afraid a JB would. Want something that will complement the WCR Ironman I have in my LP, which leans more open, articulate, and tight. Something that combines the positive attributes of a Super D and JB with less flub would be perfect.

Would the Schecter Sunset Strip or Apocalype get me close? Others I'm looking at are the (new) Mighty Mite 1300 or Pariah Destruction 70. Or if anyone were willing to sell their TN 1984 or Whiskey I'd love to try either of those.
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The Pasadena Plus would do it.
 
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