$300 pickup budget for humbuckers....GO!

[swarfrat]

Swarfrat's Stubheadian post.

I'm not sure if I should be honored or offended.

And I certainly wasn't trying to tar Ken with that description. His prices are quite reasonable and he gets rave reviews here. (Someday Ken, I promise it's in the works, though my next guitar may not have magnetic pickups at all. ) I also didn't meant that they all sound the same, STDC expounded what I was trying to say quite well. There are certainly variations worth exploring. I'll add covers to the mix of parameters he tossed out.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

It's a compliment.  When skimming, I make a point to read any of his posts.  You get past the entertainment value on the outside, set up your instrument properly, learn to play it, then blame the gear.  It's musical tough love.  What's not to love?

 

[swarfrat]

I got it - I was joking since Stub is also our resident curmudgeon. Perhaps I should be offended just out of principle. WWSHD?

 

[AutoBat]

I'm not sure how much help Bill is these days - he's gotta be in his '80s somewhere.

Good guess: 82.
From wikipedia: Bill Lawrence born Willi Lorenz Stich on March 24, 1931 in Cologne-Wahnheide, Germany

 

[TroubledTreble]

I certainly did not feel it was aimed at me nor did I take offense. I can assure you that if unleashed I could supply a rant about the "snake oil" issue that would fill a couple pages. I feel everyone's pain when it comes to grandiose claims.

 

[clearerphish]

From what you've said in the first post, I gotta agree with what was said above. Set of Pearly Gates and you're done.

+1. Love my Pearly Gates and will shortly be buying another set for my Agile LP. My band continually remarks on those pickups even after 4 years now.

 

[KaiserSoze]

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice.  I have no huge desire to spend a certain amount on pickups.  I agree that the differences between mass-produced pickup A and hand-wound pickup B is lost in the myriad of other factors, including the skill and feel of the player.  My ear is such that I could actually probably only tell the difference between pickups at opposite ends of the quality scale anyway.

As I examine my perceived need, I guess I just want to change up so that I get a boost in my inspiration.  I find that a change in my setup, whether its a new pedal, pickups, or amp, can get me playing and practicing more.  Such is the nature of the beast.  I'm also a tinkerer who can't leave anything alone, so theres that...

 

[aarontunes]

As I examine my perceived need, I guess I just want to change up so that I get a boost in my inspiration.  I find that a change in my setup, whether its a new pedal, pickups, or amp, can get me playing and practicing more.  Such is the nature of the beast.  I'm also a tinkerer who can't leave anything alone, so theres that...

This I can identify with!  :headbang:

 

[DustyCat]

http://www.q-tuner.com/

$268 for the pair plus shipping. I have no idea how they sound like or how they feel, but I am personally very much interested in these pickups.

 

[riverbluff]

Can't go wrong with Bare Knuckle Pickups.  I highly recommend the Riff Raff set.

 

[ThtOthrPrsn]

Can't go wrong with Bare Knuckle Pickups.  I highly recommend the Riff Raff set.

+1  :icon_thumright: For classic rock I'd go with those, the VHII's, or the Cold Sweat's.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

$300 is actually the cost of a pair of SD Custom Shop humbuckers. Get exactly what you want.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Or pay half that and get Ken (Roadhouse Pickups) to make you customs.  Maybe I have lost track of what was wanted, but it seems to me that brands are irrelevant until you know what type and sound you are going for.  These threads always seem like a "My Dad can beat up your Dad," thing unless a specific is called out.  No doubt that there area lot of nice pickups called out in the thread, but to what end if a specific sound isn't asked for.  I know I'm not paying what BKP asks for, or SD for that matter, when I can get equivalents for a lot less.

What a happy camper I am this morning.  Only seven hours to the weekend.
Patrick

 

[drewfx]

All PU threads are exactly the same - it doesn't matter what the OP asks as most of the posts are just people saying what they like regardless.  :glasses10:

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, and even if somebody does know what they're looking for, you have to consider the platform they're installed on, how they're installed, playing style, amp/effects types, control schemes... the list of variables is long. Given the same pickup, it can have a pretty wide variety of sounds available. A JB humbucker from Seymour/Duncan will sound quite a bit different installed on a Strat vs. a Les Paul, and whether I'm playing it or Billy Gibbons is playing it, and whether we're playing through a Fender Champ or a JCM800, on and on.

It's a crap shoot. Always has been. And spending more money in the hope you'll be less likely to be disappointed is wishful thinking at best, bordering on irresponsible. $300 for a couple coils of wire? Really?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I can see having to pay for something that is off the trail, if it isn't produced in mega numbers, yeah the price goes up.  I can see paying more if you buy it from a small producer as well.  I can see paying more if you want something custom done.  But for the major brands vs the GFS, I don't see what the difference (in general) is other than the name.  I tend to beat the drum loudly for Ken's stuff, because it is reasonable priced for a custom job, he's one of us, and the product is a really nice pickup.  I've bought one set of pickups from most of the names to try them for myself, but now I tend to see if Ken can decipher my ramblings into pickups.
Patrick

 

[telecutie]

MINUTIAE!

 

[jay4321]

Mahogany guitar, not high gain-

Hearing this, my starting point would be a simple set of Seymour Alnico Pro IIs. Not great for high-gain metal stuff, but they really excel at cleans, gritty slightly-distorted chord arpeggio things, and just regular blues/rock n' roll up to maybe the AC/DC level of dirt.

You don't get any boutique points but I think they've become my go-to pickup for semi-hollows and I wouldn't mind hearing them in a mahogany Strat. I can vouch for them in an Epiphone Dot, an all mahogany Epi LP, a Gibby LP Studio with maple cap, and an all-mahogany SG-type guitar. Worked in all very well but stood out most in the Dot and LP Studio (maybe because the cap helped a bit?).

Heavier players would rightfully complain that it's a little mushy in the lower register. Not for chugging and you're not going to do a great SRV impression with them either. But they shine so well at what they're good at, nice chording and sweet lead that sounds best with only a medium amount of dirt on it, right up most blues rock guys' alley.

There's probably maybe 7-8 off-the-shelf pickups a serious guitar player should try out at some point, which ones depend on the music they play. I'd say for sure these would be one for classic rock, and in both neck and bridge positions. If your standard options fail then I'd look to custom winders and bring your notes with you so they can help you get what you're reaching for.

 

[cjpmmd]

Consider checking out manliusguitar.com --- Mick will really take the time to make great recommendations for what will sound good in your axe.  In 37 years of playing I have tried tons o'stuff, but Mick has a talent that's rare.  Not a put-down of anyone else's work (and I remain a BKP fan), but Manlius pickups really do it for me.