Should I get new pickups?

[nitrovo]

I currently have a craftsman LP with stock pickups.

I was thinking, is it worth buying new pickups for it? I was told by my friend that buying EMG's would make it sound worse, but buying seymor duncan would give the sound 'more colour'.

Would I need bridge and neck pickups? I'd probably buy them second hand, dont need anything special coz im looking at buying a new guitar anyway, but this can be my backup/classic rock/blues guitar.

Thoughts? buy new 2nd hand pickups or keep it stock?

Thanks

 

[edder]

get emgs. it'll get you closer to metallica.

 

[nitrovo]

did you read what I said?

I might get them in my next ax anyway. not sure yet.

 

[thor666]

I'm not sure how your friend came to those conclusions. There is a bit of truth in the SD pups though, but not for the full range of pups AFAIK. SD pups imo do sound a bit more compressed than DiMarzios in their main range generally, I can't say the same for Antiquities/Customs etc.

If you like how your Craftsman sounds, then don't change the pups. Your problem is probably better addressed if you know whether you are getting a new guitar, and what new guitar model you are getting. And to begin with, whether you need to change pups to begin with, or you should be changing something else.

 

[Black_Death]

agreed.

dun change aniting if there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[ShredCow]

but if you got $, go get some 2nd pups... after reading their descriptions and if they fit your bill, go for it.

Nothing like 1st hand experience to sharpen your tastes.

 

[nitrovo]

my friend: "EMG are flat response so they take the sound of the wood in the guitar and the neck so... if you have a shit guitar..."

" SD and Dimarzio colour the sound, so they make anything sound good"

 

[leecs]

I currently have a craftsman LP with stock pickups.

I was thinking, is it worth buying new pickups for it? I was told by my friend that buying EMG's would make it sound worse, but buying seymor duncan would give the sound 'more colour'.

Would I need bridge and neck pickups? I'd probably buy them second hand, dont need anything special coz im looking at buying a new guitar anyway, but this can be my backup/classic rock/blues guitar.

Thoughts? buy new 2nd hand pickups or keep it stock?

Thanks

Y do u wana change pickups? What amp & effects are you using? Did you try to tweak them? Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

 

[nitrovo]

Ibanex 25R toneblaster amp and will be getting a digitech RP12 from the friend i just mentioned.

When I use my bros explorer with my gear, it sounds better than my guitar.

 

[noobastank]

my friend: "EMG are flat response so they take the sound of the wood in the guitar and the neck so... if you have a shit guitar..."

" SD and Dimarzio colour the sound, so they make anything sound good"

thats actually the opp i heard. What i heard that, even a plywood guitar with emg sounds about the same with a alder or basswood with emg

 

[markedymark]

Y do u wana change pickups? What amp & effects are you using? Did you try to tweak them? Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

i might have to disagree man, pickups arent that small a percentage of your tone, though there are many other factors affecting the tone like the amps and effects as you said. changing pickups do affect your tone in a huge way. after all, its the signal that the pups pick up that go into the pedals then into the amp. and not any other way

 

[leecs]

Ibanex 25R toneblaster amp and will be getting a digitech RP12 from the friend i just mentioned.

When I use my bros explorer with my gear, it sounds better than my guitar.

Hi mate! Is there a Digitech RP12? I've never hear of it before. I do own a RP100A instead. Pls enlighten me. Thanks

If you say that your frens explorer sound better than your guitar, you could try tweaking you amps EQ to that particular tone.

 

[sepultura]

Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

Absolutely not. Pickups affect your tone to a huge extent. The hot rails on my strat sounded nothing like the little '59 on the same guitar, which sounds nothing like the single coils replacements I got, which sounds nothing like the stock pickups. Of couse if you are going to use a mega hyper fuzz distortion then all pickups are going to sound the same.

 

[leecs]

Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

Of couse if you are going to use a mega hyper fuzz distortion then all pickups are going to sound the same.

Thats what i meant!!!

 

[leecs]

Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

Absolutely not. Pickups affect your tone to a huge extent. The hot rails on my strat sounded nothing like the little '59 on the same guitar, which sounds nothing like the single coils replacements I got, which sounds nothing like the stock pickups. .

No offence mate. I believe that nobody cant get Vai's tone by just getting EVO pickups, or a pair of EMGs to get Zack Wylde's tone. Pedals & amp makes almost 90% of the tone. Let's say you can get a Carvin Legacy, TS9DX & Analogman's DS1 with the right EQ on everything, I believe you can nail at least 70%-80% of Vai's tone, not considering his playing technique.

 

[tany]

Y do u wana change pickups? What amp & effects are you using? Did you try to tweak them? Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

sorry i have to disagree. hehe. pickups do affect most of the sound. u run an A/B test between an epi LP with stock and with SD pups. i'm sure u can hear the significant difference even though passed through good amps and effects.

lousy pups pickup weaker signals, and they make them muddy, or not clear or weak. good pups make the sound u produce clear, thick, etc.

on the other hand, why try to emulate someone else's tone when u can get ur one?

 

[nitrovo]

http://www.digitech.com/discontinued/rp12.htm

 

[leecs]

Y do u wana change pickups? What amp & effects are you using? Did you try to tweak them? Pickups only affect a small % of your tone. The main % affecting your tone is your pedals & amp. Maybe you can try tweaking them b4 you make any decisions.

sorry i have to disagree. hehe. pickups do affect most of the sound. u run an A/B test between an epi LP with stock and with SD pups. i'm sure u can hear the significant difference even though passed through good amps and effects.

lousy pups pickup weaker signals, and they make them muddy, or not clear or weak. good pups make the sound u produce clear, thick, etc.

on the other hand, why try to emulate someone else's tone when u can get ur one?

Hi mate! I've also done a A/B test between my JS1000 & my Petrucci signature using a MArshall & Hot Rod deville. I would say that both guitars playing through Marshall & Hot rod, the tone is minimal. But if both guitars playing thorugh differerent amps, the tone character is completely different.

 

[leecs]

http://www.digitech.com/discontinued/rp12.htm

Thanks

 

[tany]

wow cool. a JP and JS sig! whooh!