Worst pickup you've played

[Anonymous]

Well, let's rule out EMGs and other actives right now, because everybody knows they suck
From the most well known and available brands, say Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan, Suhr, Bareknuckle and Gibson, what is the worst pickup (or the one you least liked) you've ever tried? Why? Do you think it would sound better in another guitar/setup/application? Discuss

 

[rcm78]

I never got along with the Duncan JB...
Another one that lots of people seem to like is the Bill Lawrence L500XL. I find that pickup to lack low end and have a thin feel...

 

[Jofipe]

T500 gibson.

 

[spirit7]

Duncan designed JB in my old Jackson RR3.

-C

 

[Anonymous]

Duncan designed JB in my old Jackson RR3.

-C

Oh let's rule out the "Designed by" or crappy stock pickups, as they're rarely ever good
Let's stick to pickups you can buy as a replacement.

 

[K-mark5]

for me - dimarzio x2n..

 

[sandman]

Dimarzio D-sonic
Years ago I tried one...I tried to like it but just couldn't...I can't even remember specifics as to why I didn't like it

 

[greenmosheen]

DIMEBUCKER!!! Oh my god what an awful rape of my eardrums... Anyone want to buy one? Lol!

 

[Anonymous]

for me - dimarzio x2n..

Knew this was only a matter of time

Dimarzio D-sonic
Years ago I tried one...I tried to like it but just couldn't...I can't even remember specifics as to why I didn't like it

Did you try the Crunch Lab? It's supposedly based on the D-Sonic and tweaked to Petrucci's liking

 

[sandman]

for me - dimarzio x2n..

Knew this was only a matter of time

Dimarzio D-sonic
Years ago I tried one...I tried to like it but just couldn't...I can't even remember specifics as to why I didn't like it

Did you try the Crunch Lab? It's supposedly based on the D-Sonic and tweaked to Petrucci's liking

No, I haven't tried the Crunch Lab.

 

[Enjolras56]

Gibson P-100 (stacked P-90)

 

[rcm78]

DIMEBUCKER!!! Oh my god what an awful rape of my eardrums... Anyone want to buy one? Lol!

hehe, Thats the same as the L500XL...

 

[university81]

one that stood out was SD - full shred , just wasn't what i was expecting, no balls to it, thin and ugh

although the guitar it went in was probably more to blame, an ibanez s-1220 prestige, super comfortable/easy to play but tonally pretty dead, i think the guitar the pickup is placed in will have a deciding factor, a bit like an amp through certain speakers/cabinets

 

[rcm78]

although the guitar it went in was probably more to blame, an ibanez s-1220 prestige, super comfortable/easy to play but tonally pretty dead, i think the guitar the pickup is placed in will have a deciding factor, a bit like an amp through certain speakers/cabinets

Very true and probably something a lot of players dont account for. That's why I know I really dont jive with the JB. I've had so many guitars that came stock with it. I've also had two guitars that had the BL L500XL in them and didnt like it in either one.

Now, one pickup thats really become a standout for me is the DiMarzio 36th Ann PAF's. I have them in two guitars and they sound great in both.

 

[memberzonly]

Anything that comes stock in a Les Paul.

 

[headlessdeadguy]

DIMEBUCKER!!! Oh my god what an awful rape of my eardrums... Anyone want to buy one? Lol!

Haha that was a great purchase on your behalf. lol

 

[racerevlon]

Toss-up between Dimarzio EVO2 (ice-pick boosted high mids that NO amount of EQ would fix) and anything Anderson (Woof, Woof, here boy...). Anyone who can't get on with an X2N should look into bass. The X2N is a high-output pickup with an almost flat EQ curve. Most people who don't like that pickup bought it for the wrong application or reason. I have a couple and dialed in correctly, they slay, but if you add too much (really ANY) gain to them they're all fizz. You gotta know how to use your gear before you go saying, "Oh, that thing's junk." It's like saying, "I want a pickup with more mids," then going and buying a Steve's Special and saying it's a horrible pickup. No, it's not a horrible pickup, you're an idiot and didn't do your homework...

 

[fluff191]

Duncan Full Shred. What a waste of wire.

 

[racerevlon]

Duncan Full Shred. What a waste of wire.

C'mon now.. We're all friends here... Don't sugar-coat it... How do you REALLY feel?

 

[K-mark5]

The X2N is a high-output pickup with an almost flat EQ curve. Most people who don't like that pickup bought it for the wrong application or reason. I have a couple and dialed in correctly, they slay, but if you add too much (really ANY) gain to them they're all fizz.

and that's pretty much what i thought of it.. a flat EQ curve but so much gain I just could not get a decent clean/crunch out of it.. being such high gain pickup it sounded tooo narrow, i rather let the amp do the distortion/gain work rather than the pickup itself to be honest.. the main concer was that i run my gain on moderate settings and even when i droppped it down, the fizz was still there.. so to ME it was the worst pickup for ME..