01-23-2012, 02:14 PM
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#1 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC
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Guitar pickups brands & alternative choices
I wanted to start this thread to see what people are thinking about brands of guitar pickups. Who's out there other than the well know brands like Dimarzio, Duncan, EMG etc...? I want to upgrade some of mine and thought about the GFS line but am having 2nd thoughts. What if any are some good alternative choices to the main brands & may be at a lesser price point for budget minded musicians like me?
I look forward to people's replies! Last edited by stm113 : 01-23-2012 at 02:15 PM. |
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01-23-2012, 02:24 PM
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#2 |
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UG's Jesus
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austria
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BG, Bareknuckle, Lollar, Arcane, Wolfetone, Leosounds, Kloppmann, ...
There are plenty of other brands, but many of them are more expensive than regular EMGs, Duncans and Dimarzios. Therefore those are handwound and tend to sound better.
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Best of discussions you can't win: - Gibson vs Epiphone - Tonewoods Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Epiphone Les Paul Custom Prophecy EX Egnater Rebel 30 112 Dunlop KH-95 Crybaby TC Electronic Polytune Boss SD-1 |
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01-23-2012, 02:35 PM
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#3 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Boston
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fralins are pretty great, at least the single coils i havent used the humbuckers
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01-23-2012, 02:48 PM
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#4 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
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GFS are cheap replicas of common pickups, made in China. They don't sound bad, but they aren't a major improvement to replace some Fender or Gibson stock pickups by GFS. Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Lindy Fralin, Bareknukles are so much better. And Wilkinson Pro Series too (don't make the confusion between Pro and Platinum Series: Pro are the best).
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01-23-2012, 03:15 PM
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#5 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: NSB, FL
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I have used several GFS pickups and some are better than there Dimarzio/Duncan counterparts, but some fall short. The Fat Pat I have I like better than the SH-4 or Dimarzio SD that I own. The VEH is a good pickup, but I have deff heard better. The Lil' Puncher set in a tele build I did is pretty damn good. I have also used there Mean 90 which is a nice P-90, but I know of much better.
If I had to say from my experience, the Fat Pat is probably the best I have tried.
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2002 PRS CE22 197? Sanox Sound Creator LP clone (GFS Fat Pat) 2009 Epiphone G-400 (SH-4) Marshall JCM2000 DSL100 Krank 1980 Jr 20watt Krank Rev 4x12 (eminence V12) GFS Greenie/Digitech Bad Monkey Morley Bad Horsie 2 MXR Smart Gate |
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01-23-2012, 05:20 PM
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#6 |
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Banned
Join Date: May 2009
Location: The London Borough of Croydon, GB
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Rio Grande
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01-24-2012, 02:58 PM
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC
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I started this thread because I have 3 guitars that I want new pick ups for & I'd like to keep the cost around $50 per pickup. 1 is a Epi Les Paul standard (2 is an Epi Les Paul that's a 1960 50th anniversary edition with Burstbuckers(that are too low output & too bright for me) 3 is a Washburn Steve Stevens sig w/maple neck & floyd.
I want all 3 guitars to have coil splitting capabilities. On the Epi Standard I do want a more moden Les Paul tone, on the 50th anniversary Epi I want a very vintage LP tone with higher output & a little warmer & on the Steve Stevens I want a very modern high out put charvel type tone with no fenderish twang unless I tap the coils. Any one have any suggestions of a manufacturer that might suit those needs? |
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01-24-2012, 03:20 PM
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#8 |
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UG's Jesus
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Austria
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Your amp is?
__________________
Best of discussions you can't win: - Gibson vs Epiphone - Tonewoods Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Epiphone Les Paul Custom Prophecy EX Egnater Rebel 30 112 Dunlop KH-95 Crybaby TC Electronic Polytune Boss SD-1 |
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01-25-2012, 10:32 AM
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#9 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC
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I am using a Fractal Axe FX II and a peavey 5150 head for power amp (I will eventually be changing power amps though).
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01-25-2012, 10:34 AM
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#10 |
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Call me Mike
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Jersey
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What are you looking to achieve with a pickup swap?
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Gibson Les Paul Studio Highway One Telecaster Dean Evo Mesa F-50 Laney GH50L Ampeg V2 pedals |
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01-25-2012, 01:21 PM
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#11 | |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC
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Quote:
Basically that... |
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01-25-2012, 01:24 PM
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#12 |
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One among the fence.
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Southern California, USA
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Just get SDs or DiMarzios on ebay if you're trying to save money.
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In your mind, you can fly. This isn't 1968. Use the volume knob. Main Rig Ibanez | S420 | LTD | EC-1000 | Peavey | 6505 | MS412 | Boss | TU-3 | CS-3 | GT-10 | SD-1 | NS-2 | |
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01-25-2012, 01:25 PM
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#13 |
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Call me Mike
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: New Jersey
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Modern LP tone? Something high output in the bridge like a Duncan Distortion. Vintagey LP tone=PAFs of some sort. For the Washburn if you're going for an 80s metal/hard rock type thing I would go for a DiMarzio Super Distortion.
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Gibson Les Paul Studio Highway One Telecaster Dean Evo Mesa F-50 Laney GH50L Ampeg V2 pedals |
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01-25-2012, 01:27 PM
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#14 |
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Banned
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Gibson Pickups, Seymour Duncan Zephyr Silver series (1100$ pair of pickups) and etc. are very expensive, and high quality pickups. But if you want some cheap stuff, Artec, wilkinson etc. has nice pickups, for really cheap prices. Fender pickups are cheaper then Dimarzio and Seymour duncan. Schaller seems to be expensive, but yeah Wilkinson really makes great pickups for nice prices.
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01-25-2012, 01:31 PM
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#15 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Not really sure how much you are looking to spend, but maybe take a look at BG pickups. Pretty reasonable price for hand wound pickups.
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01-25-2012, 01:46 PM
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#16 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
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For $50 you will have to look on Ebay and Craigslist for used pickups, and there will be plenty. For what you describe, either a Duncan Distortion, or Duncan Custom (SH-5) will be good if you want to go mainstream, but if you want something a little different, look for Tom Anderson pickups. I replaced Dimarzio and Duncan pickups on my guitars with these because they sound so good. The H3 is a great high output bridge pickup, or H3+ for even more output. The H1 is a great PAF type of neck pickup, and Andersons coil split very well too if you wire them to have that option.
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01-25-2012, 02:22 PM
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#17 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NC
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Where would a JB fall tone wise do ya think? I have one sitting around that I had forgotten about
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05-20-2012, 11:26 AM
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#19 |
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2004
Location: UK
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Q-tuner neodymium pickups: http://www.q-tuner.com
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05-20-2012, 12:40 PM
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#20 |
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Banned
Join Date: Sep 2011
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If you look for cheap wilkinson is good for vintage strat and les paul replacements but they can't replace high grade gibson and fender pickups.
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