Change Pick Ups Help

[TheoryD]

Hi all. Got a question. Say if I have a sucky guitar and I change the pick ups, will my guitar sound good? And is it actually worth it? Thanks all.

 

[hatecrew]

not if you don't upgrade your amp.

your tone is defined by mainly your amplifier.

swapping your pickups to the best boutique set of pickups will do about nothing to your tone if you use the same amp.

 

[dudelove]

what defines ur tone:

the player > amp > guitar > pickups

 

[Likui]

yes I say you should change pickup because when u gig your gonna use a good amp not a lousy amp

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Have you tried your guitar through other amplifiers? If changing pickups makes your home rig sound better, it would probably also improve tone with higher-wattage amplifiers. Personally, I also think the amplifier plays a larger role in tone but if that amplifier's gonna stay at home and you'll be using it only for practise, it would be more worth it to invest in some good pickups.

 

[TheoryD]

Have you tried your guitar through other amplifiers? If changing pickups makes your home rig sound better, it would probably also improve tone with higher-wattage amplifiers. Personally, I also think the amplifier plays a larger role in tone but if that amplifier's gonna stay at home and you'll be using it only for practise, it would be more worth it to invest in some good pickups.

Yup I usually play at jamming studios. I guess those amps are pretty decent. But I didn't really like my tone compared to my friend's high-end Ibanez. Kinda sucks, but I don't have that much cash to get a new guitar, not til CNY.

 

[subversion]

which high end ibanez is this?

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Then its a pickup change for you. I hold to the belief that a good-playing and good-sounding guitar does not need to be expensive or high-end if you know which parts to change .

 

[ShadowchildCOBHC]

well the amp+ YES[+] the cabs,trust me its really important OMG.
and id suggest you could just change the pickups to get s slightly better tone but i mean with a low quality guitar your facing sustain issues and more compared to a higher end one

 

[SmFizz]

is there a shop that replaces pickups for you? just wondering

 

[dudelove]

is there a shop that replaces pickups for you? just wondering

most guitar shops will do it at a reasonable fee.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

Say if I have a sucky guitar

Sucky in what way? playability / poor build / bad wood etc?

 

[RyanZ]

is there a shop that replaces pickups for you? just wondering

Yes there is. Standard Value having a sale now. Get the Tesla pickups. You won't regret getting it www.standardvalue.com.sg

 

[teleplayer]

everything got to do with your sound. u can compare some cheapo yamaha STOCK pickups(cant believe they want to put their sucky pickups on guitars and make a shame of themselves) haha with dimarzio. yamaha pickups are muddy. dimarzio are like damn clear. some amps like the laney got toooo much treble and bass and it's 50watts... I still prefer my yamaha 20watts amp. it sounds good. so everything got to do with ur sound. not like u use some yamaha pups on yamaha amps, it sucks and u change to yamaha pups on some bogner uberschall, it becomes gibson burstbuckers. There's no such thing man!

 

[subversion]

dimarzio are like damn clear. some amps like the laney got toooo much treble and bass and it's 50watts...

it's really circumstancial:

1. DiMarzio pickups has a smooth, polished output which makes your set-up sound nice. majority of the models i tried can sound muddy at high volume settings, the reason i prefer Duncans.

2. Depends on which LANEY amp. the LC/ VH models i ever tried are very much balanced in the EQ response

 

[teleplayer]

1. DiMarzio pickups has a smooth, polished output which makes your set-up sound nice. majority of the models i tried can sound muddy at high volume settings, the reason i prefer Duncans.

1. haha, at least the one in my guitar is quite clear, around the same clarity as the stock fender pups.

 

[subversion]

DiMarzios has its appeal. although i'm Duncan inclined, i still have DiMarzio equipped guitars...

 

[TheoryD]

Subversion : Its an Iceman.

Wolfboy : Wood at the neck cracked/chipped. Its a strat type guitar with tremelo. Some buzzing on 5/6th fret g-string.

 

[subversion]

the iceman isn't high end by virtue of 'ranking'; it's a mid-priced unit...

 

[Hydrofly]

The Iceman is a mid-level guitar and it's a departure from the usual ibanez shred neck build philosophy, doesn't even feel like your run of the mill ibanez shred machine.

I would know, I own one. Comes stock with low output humbuckers (the IC-400) and Dimarzio D-activators (ICT700). If it's an IC-400, it would obviously sound clear.