How much of a difference does changing pickups make in your experience?

[Spike Li]

I know a lot of people here like to say that most of a guitars sound comes from its pickups...

 

Well Ive just had a funny experience - I just recently replaced the stock humbucker in my Kello Kitty strat with a white Invader for maximum br00tality. Also, my problem with the HK strat was that it sounded very bright and trebely, and Ive heard that the Invader is a dark/muddy pickup so I thought it would be the perfect choice...

 

However, now that its in there the guitar really doesnt sound that much different

I mean sure, there is a definite increase in output and the low E is now quite good at the chugga chuggas, but overall it still very much sounds like the same guitar... I guess why wouldnt it as the vibrations the strings make should still be the same and the pickup really just amplifies those vibrations at the end of the day

 

Ive also changed pikcups on other guitars. I swapped out the stock (crap) ones from my first guitar, the Cort m200, with an SD 59/JB set and the neck was noticably better, but tbh the bridge sounded pretty much the same (although I was a massive noob at the time...).

 

I swapped the JB in my Edwards LP out for a Gibson 57 classic +, and it was an improvement but still sounded very similar at the end of the day.

 

I swapped the EMG 85n and 81b around in my Godin LG and the 85 in the bridge sounds a lot darker than the 81, but the neck sounds almost the same

 

I know a lot of people like to spout off their theories about "tone" and whatnot all the time but fewer people actually base this on real experience (instead of just regurgitating something they read on the internet), so what kinds of experiences have you guys had with swapping pickups?

 

Have you ever been able to completely change a guiatrs tone or just simply modify it a bit??

[Help!I'maRock!]

I removed all of the nasally mids and compression from my PRS by changing the Vintage Bass/HFS combo to a set of Dimarzio Virtual PAFs. I truly think you're only going to to notice a difference when making a moderately drastic switch like that. If you're picking between similar pickups, then you'll probably have just as much success raising/lowering them and using your tone and volume knobs. People make too much of what a pickup change can do to a guitar. Especially when changing between similar models.

[DaleH]

EQing the amp can change your sound more than a pickup swap in many cases. Unless your changing the type of pickup. Like a bridge single coil to a humbucker can be a big change.

[Spike Li]

 

I removed all of the nasally mids and compression from my PRS by changing the Vintage Bass/HFS combo to a set of Dimarzio Virtual PAFs. I truly think you're only going to to notice a difference when making a moderately drastic switch like that. If you're picking between similar pickups, then you'll probably have just as much success raising/lowering them and using your tone and volume knobs. People make too much of what a pickup change can do to a guitar. Especially when changing between similar models.

 

 

I totally get what you are saying, but I somehow doubt that the Hello Kitty strat generic squier humbucker is anything like an Invader...

[onelife]

I swapped the pickups between my ES137 Custom (57 Classics) and my Les Paul (490R 498T) and, even though the pickups are quite similar, I noticed enough difference to know that I did not like the change. I gave it a good go but after six months, I had to change them back.

 

About 12 years ago I swapped the PAFs from my '60s 335 with whatever was in my Howard Roberts Fusion. They both became better guitars but when I sold the Howard Roberts I switched them back because I wanted to keep the PAFs.

 

From my limited personal experience, I would say there is a subtle but noticeable difference in changing pickups - even swapping Gibson pickups on Gibson guitars.

[greatmutah]

Depends on what you're replacing and what you're putting in its place. Humbuckers, especially those with the same type of magnet, won't always sound hugely different unless it is one that's wound drastically different or is of a different magnet type (going from Alnico to ceramic for example). My Les Paul Standard came with a BurstBucker 2 which I absolutely hated in the bridge (the previous owner saved me a neck pickup headache by putting in a Duncan Antiquity), so I swapped it for the 498-T which I always thought was a better Gibson bridge pickup. Being that their is a larger construction difference between the two, despite magnet type, I did hear a noticeable difference (and a big improvement to my ears), but it was mainly on little things. The treble was more controlled the mids weren't as boxy and it felt a bit more articulate, but still very much the same guitar. Same with my V. I changed out the stock Gibson pups for a Duncan Distortion set that didn't totally change the way the guitar sounded, but it did lend itself to a better sound than it had before. Better mids, smoother highs and a tighter low end. It still sounded like a Gibson V with ceramic pickups, but it sounded like it had better pickups to do the job. Now when I went from passives in my LP Studio to EMGs, that was a big jump in sound. And I will disagree with you, I think the 85 in the bridge versus 81 is a huge difference and there's less disparity in volume when switching between pickups with the 85 in the bridge and 81 in the neck. Plus there's less bass on the 81 so it feels more buttery in the neck position IMO.

 

I noticed a bigger difference with single coils. My MIM Strat came with stock Fender pickups. One year for christmas my parents got me a full set of Texas specials and that really did change (to my ears) how the instrument sounded. So much so that I still have most of that set in; I decided one day I wanted a good humbucker to match and the PAF Pro was most up to the task. But going from stock Fender single coils in their Mexi models (these weren't even Tex-Mex Pickups) to the SRV set more or less, well that was a big jump.

[StevenJM]

if you're playing high gain stuff, where the distortion over powers any natural tone from the guitar/pickup, then it probably wont make much difference. I had an ampeg vh-150 and every guitar sounded the same through that amp....

 

but you take an amp like my '59 bassman reissue, and you hear the differences in pickups big time. every guitar i own sounds different through that amp.

[chqtarzan]

I almost always judge a pickup by its clean tone, and almost always could hear a difference before and after.

[K3Fallout]

For whatever reason, I got indoctrinated into believing stock pickups were always crap. However, over time I just learned to use what I have and that someone out there will hate or love my tone. Whatever, I like it. Adjusting pickup height made a substantial difference.

[Jkater]

In two cases it changed for the better (in the tele and LAG, both bg pups) and in one case it was for the worse ( in the Yamaha SA2200. The Yamaha stock pups were better than the Gibson pups I put in).

[mistersully]

changing the stock pickups in my jetking 1 for pure 90s was a huge improvement to the guitar

[mistersully]

 

In two cases it changed for the better (in the tele and LAG, both bg pups) and in one case it was for the worse ( in the Yamaha SA2200. The Yamaha stock pups were better than the Gibson pups I put in).

 

 

did you put the yamaha p'ups back in?

[onelife]

Those Yamaha pickups are very good.

 

The Ibanez ones from that era are excellent as well.

[shadesofcraig]

I usually keep the stock pickups as long as they sound decent. But on a couple of my guitars the stock pickups were really cheap and changing them out made a huge difference. Example my 2003 MIJ Blue Floral Strat had what I call fake pickups in it and mini pots. I had never seen a pickup like this before, the magnet is on the bottom with the coil on top of it instead of going around the magnet. Sounded like total crap. I put in a set of Fender 57/62 pickups I had and it made a huge difference and I also changed out the mini pots too. Here is the original fake pickup.

[onelife]

I've seen those "fake" pickups in quite a few guitars.

 

It's really no different than a humbucker where the magnet is under the coils and the field is focused by the pole pieces. In a humbucker it is done that way to have the identical but opposite magnetic polarity applied to each coil in the pickup.

 

In single coil pickups, it's probably done that way simply because it's cheaper.

[shadesofcraig]

 

I've seen those "fake" pickups in quite a few guitars. It's really no different than a humbucker where the magnet is under the coils and the field is focused by the pole pieces. In a humbucker it is done that to do it that way to have the identical but opposite magnetic polarity applied to each coil in the pickup. In single coil pickups, it's probably done that way simply because it's cheaper.

 

 

Wow really? I had never seen that before in a single coil and I figured it was because it was cheaper too... About the worse sounding pickups I have ever had... Guitar sounds awesome now with the other ones in it.

[Spike Li]

 

Wow really? I had never seen that before in a single coil and I figured it was because it was cheaper too... About the worse sounding pickups I have ever had... Guitar sounds awesome now with the other ones in it.

 

 

I could be wrong, but Im pretty sure one time I saw a cheapo humbucker that had a copper band wrapped around the coils instead of actual wire haha, it might have been on my old cort humbuckers... Ill have to check...

[knotty]

I know a lot of people here like to say that most of a guitars sound comes from its pickups... Well Ive just had a funny experience - I just recently replaced the stock humbucker in my Kello Kitty strat with a white Invader for maximum br00tality. Also, my problem with the HK strat was that it sounded very bright and trebely, and Ive heard that the Invader is a dark/muddy pickup so I thought it would be the perfect choice... However, now that its in there the guitar really doesnt sound that much different I mean sure, there is a definite increase in output and the low E is now quite good at the chugga chuggas, but overall it still very much sounds like the same guitar... I guess why wouldnt it as the vibrations the strings make should still be the same and the pickup really just amplifies those vibrations at the end of the day Ive also changed pikcups on other guitars. I swapped out the stock (crap) ones from my first guitar, the Cort m200, with an SD 59/JB set and the neck was noticably better, but tbh the bridge sounded pretty much the same (although I was a massive noob at the time...). I swapped the JB in my Edwards LP out for a Gibson 57 classic +, and it was an improvement but still sounded very similar at the end of the day. I swapped the EMG 85n and 81b around in my Godin LG and the 85 in the bridge sounds a lot darker than the 81, but the neck sounds almost the same I know a lot of people like to spout off their theories about "tone" and whatnot all the time but fewer people actually base this on real experience (instead of just regurgitating something they read on the internet), so what kinds of experiences have you guys had with swapping pickups? Have you ever been able to completely change a guiatrs tone or just simply modify it a bit??

 

You naughty boy. You know EXACTLY what you are starting here. They will be along shortly.

[Spike Li]

You naughty boy. You know EXACTLY what you are starting here. They will be along shortly.

 

Haha well its hard to have any discussion on "tone" here without starting something

But like I said, Im not interested in theories, only peoples personal experiences with pickup swaps

[onelife]

On my '82 MIJ strat I swapped the original pickups (that sounded great but picked up every EM signal anywhere near them) with Lace Sensors to eliminate the buzz. The Lace sensors were good but not as clear as the originals and it was a reasonable tradeoff to eliminate the buzz.

 

I finally got up enough scratch to get a set of Kinmans for it and it was like getting my old pickups back without the noise and without the 'stratitus'.

 

Stratitus is caused by the three high polepieces under the G string actually having enough pull on the string to pull it slightly out of tune.

[kit_strong]

For me the only pickup change I have actually gone through with is ripping out the stock humbuckers in the Malden Karma and replacing them with Alumitones and a completely new wiring harness and in that case the difference was pretty noticeable. There wasn't really anything wrong with the pickups but that guitar was bought with the sole purpose of being a project guitar so the replacements were on order before I even got the guitar in my hands.

 

I thought I might replace the pickups in the Bulldozer but the stock pups in that sound surprisingly nice and I still find the guitar pretty ugly so I'm hesitant to spend any money on it. The only other real candidate for a pickup upgrade would be the wife's Luna Sol but since it never really gets played that just seems kind of frivolous.

[Faber]

It can make quite the difference in the frequencies/timbre you get from an instrument. I've had positive experiences changing pickups for instance going from Seth Lovers to Phat Cat single coils in my Hamer Newport - both sound great, but I feel that the singlecoil sound complement the instrument better for me.

 

One thing to remember though, is that it wont change the basic response of the instument

[BeanoBoy]

I've replaced quite a few pickups in my guitars. It's always made a difference, sometimes for the best , sometimes for the worst. Lots of guys complain about Burstbuckers having an overly trebly or shrill tone. I replaced mine with WCR Crossroads and the shrillness was replaced by a sweeter, more PAF type treble even though the Burstbucker supposedly is a PAF type pup. Some pickups have resulted in a good but not inspiring tone. The Duncan Pearly Gate and JB, both highly regarded pups, were not inspiring to me. Cliche time: Tone is very subjective,we all hear things differently. Do you use a lot of distortion? Loads of gain will mask any pup's identity.

[Spike Li]

I've replaced quite a few pickups in my guitars. It's always made a difference, sometimes for the best , sometimes for the worst. Lots of guys complain about Burstbuckers having an overly trebly or shrill tone. I replaced mine with WCR Crossroads and the shrillness was replaced by a sweeter, more PAF type treble even though the Burstbucker supposedly is a PAF type pup. Some pickups have resulted in a good but not inspiring tone. The Duncan Pearly Gate and JB, both highly regarded pups, were not inspiring to me. Cliche time: Tone is very subjective,we all hear things differently. Do you use a lot of distortion? Loads of gain will mask any pup's identity.

 

I do use bucket loads of gain, but the funny thing is I can still tell the difference between my guitars, so Ive never really understood the argument that "distortion makes everything sound the same"... The reason I replaced the pickup in the first place was because I wasnt getting the sound out of it that I wanted...

 

Im not saying pickups dont make a difference, its just that they dont seem to make as huge a difference in sound as Ive been lead to believe () and wondered if this was anyone elses experience or is it just me?

[Elias Graves]

I've heard it make some big improvements, but swapping pickups doesn't change the fundamental sound of the guitar.

 

EG