Seref

Have you looked into humbucker-sized P90s? Real powerful midrange snarl, and they're super reactive to the guitar's volume knob so they clean up beautifully.

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guitar/bass95

I'm buying new pups, two humbuckers, for my Ibanez S420. Mahogany body, locking trem, 25.5" scale lenght. I play mainly metal music, but I still want good cleans. I've decided to buy a D-sonic for the bridge, I've read that it's high output but still versatile, but I'd like to know how the rail affects the tone. What is the difference of it facing the neck or facing the bridge? I hope you get what I'm talking about. But my main concern is the neck pickup. What would you recommend for good clean sound? My amp is 6505+ combo.

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I hate my username
Please, call me TK


Ibanez S420
Peavey 6505 +112

Supercolio

Well, I did start a thread concerning pups, but that was more about pros and cons of upgrading them... Oh well, I'll ask opinions around here too. Here goes!

My current guitar is Tokai SG-43 w/ stock pups in it. They sound too blank and muddy. I'm looking for a new tone, more clarity and upper end, while getting that "chug chug" tone when going drop D or lower. I want also great cleans. I've been thinking about DiMarzio's Petrucci set Crunch Lab and LiquiFire. Opinions?

Also, this thread has been so useful. Thanks a million for it!

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DeanIsLig

I am thinking about upgrading my pups in my epiphone les paul. They are currently stock
pups and I would like to know if it's worth upgrading them. I love the way the guitar plays and plan on keeping for awhile. I mainly play hard rock, classic rock, blues, and some thrash metal. I'm looking for a better distortion tone in the bridge and a creamy lead sound for the neck that can also do alright cleans. Looking for a tone similar to some of the ones from bands like Metallica, Santana, Foo Fighters, Guns N Roses, The Offspring, and Rise Against. I currently play through a JCA20 tube amp. I was looking at two possibilities for each pick up position. For the neck I was looking at the SD SH-2 and the Pearly Gates. For the bridge I was looking at the SH-4 and the SH-6. I do not have a place nearby to try any of the pick ups out. Any input is welcome. Thank you.

steven_ferns84

You may want to look into the Crunch Lab pickup instead since it's similar to the DSonic but has better dynamics. A lot of people like that one over the DSonic. About the rail facing the bridge or neck, you'll have to try that out personally when you get one. It is supposed to sound fatter & focused in a particular facing but I don't remember which. It's not too difficult to do either, since you just need to loosen the strings & remove the four corner screws that hold the pickup on the guitar without adjusting the height of the pickup. That's considering there is some wire length available to move the pickup upwards away from the body of the guitar & turn it 180 degress. Usually there is alot available since the bridge pickup is closer to the pots, just check if it isn't tied together in the cavity under the tone/volume pot.
I like the Duncan 59 in the neck for cleans, with the pole pieces facing the neck. But I usually pick a clean amp when doing that. With a 6506+ I'm not sure how clean it will be, but yeah that's it's quite nice in the neck position.

steven_ferns84

Yup that combo is mighty versatile

steven_ferns84

I like the Pearly Gates choice of yours, it does the smooth lead overdriven tone well. I suggest the SH5 instead of the SH4 for the bridge. The JB can get trebly sometimes. The SH6 choice is fine too.

howangcturtle

I am in love with the high gain boost sound along with the djent metal crunch... Similar to this song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdQFDKB0gig
I have an RG350 with rosewood finger board, basswood body, maple neck


I was wondering how this set up would go: I will be puutting in a 500K push pull pot in there! Just to brighten things up a bit.

Breed Neck
http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/breed-neck

Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Middle (buying from ebay as a BRIDGE pickup)
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Seymour-Dunc...#ht_2567wt_1271

Seymour Duncan SH5
http://www.seymourduncan.com/produc...h5_duncan_cust/

Is this suitable for the guitar and the sound i'm looking for? do they even fit the guitar?

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http://www.youtube.com/user/jonnyXrice

busstopninja

I assume I can ask about bass pickups here too?

1- The bass I have is one I build myself, it's got a walnut body, maple neck, and rosewood/ebony (I switch necks between fretted and fretless) fingerboard. Routed for a standard split P-bass pickup.

2- Currently It's got Stewart-MacDonald's "Golden Age" P-bass pickup installed.

3- I play through a Kustom KBA-16 amp.

4- The pickup I have now is too thin and trebly sounding, it isn't as "deep" of a sound as I'd like. Plus, when I get into higher frets (approx. 9 and up) the sound becomes muddy, the notes aren't clear. Also, I want a more powerful pickup- I installed a passive overdrive circuit (Black Ice if anyone's familiar with it) and the signal from the pickup isn't strong enough to utilize the overdrive circuit and therefore there isn't any significant overdrive. I play most anything from jazz to metal so a versatile pickup would be great.

5- Preferably I want to spend less than $100 but if necessary I could spend up to $150.

maninasuitcase

Ok so my PRS Se semi hollow is a great guitar great feel, I love it but I feel the pickups are lacking. Especially the bridge, I like the sound of the neck alright. I like to play clean mostly with the OD sometimes and the occasional light distortion. My amp has some really nice clean tones but I'm looking for a set of pickups with a little more output a little more sustain but still with really great clean tones. I play progressive rock, jazz, blues rock and I play a lot of lead parts. I'm willing to spend about $200.

switchfooter

Hi guys

I have a bunch of questions

The current guitar I have is a fender starcaster (Please don't remind me that its crappy, I already know that) that has stock pickups in it. I am running it through a fender mustang two amp. I play music from bands like switchfoot, skillet, red hot chili peppers, the offspring, green day and stuff

What I want to know is will squire vintage modified or classic vibe pickups improve the tone on my guitar? Is there any better pickups that used on ebay run fairly inexpensive? the reason i asked about the squire pickups is because their only 20$ apiece on ebay, and I don't really have more than that to spend. Also would it matter if I only replaced the bridge and neck pups and left the middle one stock? I really like the noisy raw sound that single coils have but I was wondering if humbuckers would sound good for what I play.

Also what do duo-sonic pickups sound like and what kind of music are they used for?

Thanks guys

SG_Custom

I have a stock Godin Session which has a H/S/S p/u configuration. The tone is lame and not very Strat sounding. What are some good single p/u replacements that will give me a typical modern Strat tone. I plan to install a used Super Distortion in the bridge.

aerosmithfan95

1) The guitar I'm upgrading is my Kramer Focus 3000.

2) The pups in it are stock in an H/S/S configuration. The problem with these are that they are very quiet (even the humbucker), dull, and bland sounding. Also, when I add a bit of OD/Distortion, the pickups don't handle them well and they get even noisier.

3) I'm playing it through a Marshall Vintage Modern 50-watt half stack.

4) The tone I want from the humbucker is something that can handle cleans well, but can still sound great with some crunchy distortion (think 80s rock). I have been considering a Dimarzio Tone Zone or PAF Pro. Also, I heard F-spaced pickups are something I should get since I have a Floyd Rose on my guitar.

For the neck and middle pickups, I want them to be hum-cancelling as well as a good output so they aren't overpowered by the humbucker. Tone-wise, I would want them have some treble to them as well as a more "fuller" sound to them. I have been looking at the Injector Neck and Area '67 pickups, but I really wouldn't know what to choose. And as you can see, I'm kind of leaning towards Dimarzio pickups.

5) My budget for them? I'm considering $150-$200 or so, and cheaper will probably be better since I'm currently an unemployed teenager. Also, I'm considering on wiring them up myself along with some help from my dad.

Thanks, guys!

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AF95

Epiphone LP Standard w/ Seymour Duncans
Kramer Focus 3000
Marshall Vintage Modern 2266
A handful of pedals

steven_ferns84

For modern strat sounds, something like this would work:
From DiMarzio-
VV54 Pro or Injector(if you need a lot of output) neck
Area 58/61/67 middle
Paf Pro/36th anniversary bridge

From SD-
STK-S4 neck model
STK-S4 RWRP middle model
Full Shred Bridge

DJMonty

I'm looking to upgrade my Squier Affinity Strat. It's currently loaded with the stock pickups, but I'm looking for something more suited to hard rock, and metal. I would be looking to emulate the tone of the following bands: Whitesnake, Poison, AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, etc. I don't have an amplifier at the moment, however, I will likely be getting a Jet City JCA2212. I don't have a defined budget, however, I'd like to stay as low as possible.

A Tout Le Monde

My guitar is a chinese les paul copy (not a fake gibson, it just has the LP shape) with an alder body and rosewood fretboard. I play through a Fender Mustang III that may soon be replaced with a valveking. Tonewise, I want a slightly twangy neck pickup for cleans and the occasional classic rock. For the bridge pickup, I want something versatile that can do death metal (think Amon Amarth and Dethklok) but can also be used for pop-punk (think sum 41 and blink-182) and thrash (Megadeth mainly)

If this seems unrealistic, then I'd settle for a pair of pickups that can give me just clean and Punk to Thrash tones

EDIT:
I don't mind replacing the neck humbucker with a single coil or something if I have to. Also, my budget is about $300 and since I'm situated in australia, the selection of pickups available to me isn't the best unless I go online, and I'd rather not do that.

JimDawson

^ It's funny how I come on to this thread to ask a question and the guy above me has the name of the song which has been stuck in my head for days now.

But yeah, for some advice to you I would check out Dragonfire pickups. You said you would rather not order online, but they are pretty reliable- and inexpensive. I recently got these pickups called the "Phat Screamers" from them which would probably work for you quite well for everything you described and they come in both single coil and humbucker variety. I got a set for a HSS Strat copy though, so I don't know anything about the neck humbucker of the same name.


EDIT- Oops, posted a question in the wrong thread!

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NothingRocks

I'm going to be upgrading my Ibanez RG4EXQM1. It has a basswood body and rosewood finger board. I mainly play Progressive Rock, Fusion, and Prog Metal.

I was considering getting a Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid, DiMarzio Liquifire, and possibly a Lace single coil.

I want a bridge pickup that is clear and has a growly(or thick) midrange. I want a thick and almost twangy single coil middle pickup. Finally I want a neck pickup that's very defined(think John Petrucci's neck tone). Hopefully I'm not asking for too much for what I have.

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innertom

im upgrading my les pauls pickups to emg 81/85
has anyone put the pa2 booster in?
will it be worth doing or is it abit of a waste?