Guitar pickup insanity

[Sg-ocaster]

So I get it differant pickups sound differant. Balanced bobbins vs non balanced.....magnet strength A2 vs A5 vs Ceramic etc... formvar vs enamel changing how tight the actual conducting wire is wound etc... etc... etc....Number of windings etc... And I understand not liking a Super D and wanting the openness of a PAF of vise verse or an inbetween pup.
But periodically I read online guys with some Gibson VOS fancy pants vintage spec guitar(not knocking Gibson here) and they go on to say "I didnt like the burstbuckers so I tried Dimarzio 36th PAFs, then Fralins, then bareknuckle's , then Duncan Anitquity, then 59s then this then that PAF etc.. etc...) " I dont get it.
Maybe each manufacturer has there take on the PAF recipe, but how many times can you change the same thing. I mean sometimes I find a pickup thats BLAH to me comes allive with a bit of height tweaking and sometimes a tweak of say the neck pickup changes the magnet pull and makes the bridge sound better. Are they just sticking these PUPS in there and basing opinion on that without tweaking the hell out of them?? What are they looking for that you cant find in the first or second round or PAF swapping.
I mean I roll 12ax7s in my amps like MAD but I dont have to take an entire guitar apart and get the soldering iron out to try them.
I mean to each his own....but thats a shit ton of work to do over and over.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I just keep things simple. There are a few pickup models I like that give specific tones, and I just stick with them. Most are standard Seymour Duncan models. Jason Lollar humbuckers, overwound, and Gibson Classic 57 Plus pickups round out my short list of pickups I like to use. I don't have the time or the money or the inclination to try out every kind of pickup that shows up on the market, and I don't claim to have the ear that can discriminate between some of them anyway. Or those little differences between some models just aren't very important to me.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

When I don't like the way a guitar sounds, I just get a new guitar.

.

 

[fitz]

Kwikplug Adaptors & Cable Replacements (guitarfetish.com)

 

[axe4me]

I used to be a pick up tinkerer.

Changed p/u's all the time.

Now, guitars are left stock.

 

[GregM]

At pickup factories around the world " OK people, Saturdays and Sundays are now mandatory for the next month, axe is cycling pickups again!"
Entire workforce "Groan"

 

[axe4me]

 

[RCM 800]

Most of the tonal differences can be made up with EQ but I like my guitars to be close enough from one to another to be able to swap back and forth without having to make major changes at the amp. I also prefer the dynamics of some pickups over others. For me its not really looking for a new tone but looking for a tone/feel that fits what I do. Fortunately I can get by with a lot of stock pickups. On guitars I build I use either SD JB/Jazz or 59's depending on what the guitar needs. Use Fender fat 50's for strats and Tex Mex for teles I build and buy. As far as tube rolling, pickup rolling I really dont have the time or inclination to spend on it.

 

[RCM 800]

I should add that I do fiddle with heights till I get them closer to what I want.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Sg-o , I am guilty of not trying to adjust them. Kind of tired of changing them out.
I am not that super picky but when I play a guitar I know if I like them. I wonder sometimes if it’s not even the pickup as much as amp/speaker.
I have a friend that has lots of cool stuff , 4 or 5 Gibsons and a JCM 800 2203 with a A cab.
Nearly everything plugged in to that amp and speaker combo sounds good at moderate volume with a pedal in front.

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

The original PAF pickups were all over the place. Different magnets, slight differences in the wind, they were all slightly different. A Duncan 59 has slightly scooped mids and a Dimarzio 36th has humped mids. Both are takes on the PAF. Change the magnets and it changes things again. So many subtle differences and what works for that particular guitar, player, and playing style.

As far getting the height tweaked there are two methods I use to get in the ball park. One is to place a nickel on the treble side of the bridge pickup and then with the treble strings fretted at the 21st fret adjust it until the nickel just touches the strings. Then do the same thing on the bass side only with two nickels stacked. I learned this method from the late Bill Lawrence.

The other method is to hold down the e strings at the 21st fret and adjust the bridge pickup until it just touches the strings. Then turn down each adjustment screw exactly 1 1/2 turns. This will be higher than the nickel method but it will give you an idea of how it sounds adjusted high, and the nickel method will give you an idea of how it sounds adjusted a bit lower. Now you have two baselines to make fine adjustments from.

 

[AlvisX]

When I don't like the way a guitar sounds, I just get a new guitar.

.

Yeah man, but you're Ace Frehley.....

 

[axe4me]

Most of the tonal differences can be made up with EQ but I like my guitars to be close enough from one to another to be able to swap back and forth without having to make major changes at the amp. I also prefer the dynamics of some pickups over others. For me its not really looking for a new tone but looking for a tone/feel that fits what I do. Fortunately I can get by with a lot of stock pickups. On guitars I build I use either SD JB/Jazz or 59's depending on what the guitar needs. Use Fender fat 50's for strats and Tex Mex for teles I build and buy. As far as tube rolling, pickup rolling I really dont have the time or inclination to spend on it.

I think the initial response is in the equation.

Subjective ears are also in the soup.

IMO, Gibson Dirty Finger P/U's are loud, brittle and harsh.

I don't like them.

Some may like this and may be achieved with an EQ adjustment.

PAF p/u's are all over the place in identity.

Our favorite PAF may not be what's common.

 

[axe4me]

Subjective & Interesting:

 

[Crikey]

I used to be a pick up tinkerer.

Changed p/u's all the time.

Now, guitars are left stock.

Going back to Marshall solved the pickup issue for me, my Marshalls make all pickups sound good

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I think the initial response is in the equation.

Subjective ears are also in the soup.

IMO, Gibson Dirty Finger P/U's are loud, brittle and harsh.

I don't like them.

Some may like this and may be achieved with an EQ adjustment.

PAF p/u's are all over the place in identity.

Our favorite PAF may not be what's common.

I have Dirty Fingers in my V and I lowered the bridge pick up to get it to sound the way I wanted it to.
May not work for everyone, but that particular guitar sounds great to me now.
As for replacements I tend to stick with SD’s 59’s, JB’s, and Invaders (for 2 of my Strat builds) and I also like the Dimarzio SD’s, all of my Gibson’s are still with the stock pick ups that they came with..
Cheers

 

[Matthews Guitars]

It is worth the effort to invest a few minutes adjusting pickup and slug height. It can make a great deal of difference to your tone.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Yeah man, but you're Ace Frehley.....

Now I don’t want want start stuff but if Vin is Ace Freely I’m Ghingis Khan , just sayin.

 

[GregM]

Now I don’t want want start stuff but if Vin is Ace Freely I’m Ghingis Khan , just sayin.

That's a ballsy statement, you must be a hell of a guitar player. Genghis totally slew with his axe!

 

[PaulHikeS2]

I look for hidden gems in pups - things in the $25-$60 range, and I do a lot of research before buying, then I tweak to get what I want out of them. Only guitars I change the pups in are rebuilds of cheap CL or yardsale guitars I do for myself or friends and family. And Fender Player series - I think the stock pups are meh.