How Can I hear Pick-ups?

[Johnhamdun]

I am currently unaware of a site that will let you do this, but does anyone know of a place where I can really get a feel for how a certain pick-up sounds? I would really love to find a place that has audio clips of a wide range of pick-ups because so much of it is down to personal taste and I don't really want to drop $200 on someone else's tastes.

Thanks Guys

 

[onedrop]

This might be a good start

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/audio-samples/

There was also a site, someone posted a link on this forum, where a guy recorded a bunch of different brands of single coils. If I find it I'll post it here.

This would be a great resource, if others have more links to sound samples!

 

[onedrop]

Dimarzio has samples of SOME of their pickups.. these are much less objective than those on the SD site.. but better than nothing

http://dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/

 

[ognolman]

I am currently unaware of a site that will let you do this, but does anyone know of a place where I can really get a feel for how a certain pick-up sounds? I would really love to find a place that has audio clips of a wide range of pick-ups because so much of it is down to personal taste and I don't really want to drop $200 on someone else's tastes.

Thanks Guys

This is a difficult thing to do, because of environmental factors that may affect the sound of pickups.  Some things that come to mind offhand: choice of instrument building materials, amplifier, EQing, active vs. passive, effects, miced amp vs. direct, physical characteristics of the room, etc.

I suspect the pickup manufacturers don't affer much because they don't want to get the "My-pickups-don't-sound-the-same-as-your-web-samples" complaint.  Can't say that I blame them.

JBD

 

[Johnhamdun]

I am currently unaware of a site that will let you do this, but does anyone know of a place where I can really get a feel for how a certain pick-up sounds? I would really love to find a place that has audio clips of a wide range of pick-ups because so much of it is down to personal taste and I don't really want to drop $200 on someone else's tastes.

Thanks Guys

This is a difficult thing to do, because of environmental factors that may affect the sound of pickups.  Some things that come to mind offhand: choice of instrument building materials, amplifier, EQing, active vs. passive, effects, miced amp vs. direct, physical characteristics of the room, etc.

I suspect the pickup manufacturers don't affer much because they don't want to get the "My-pickups-don't-sound-the-same-as-your-web-samples" complaint.  Can't say that I blame them.

JBD

I think you're right as to why this isnt more widely available, but  a simple disclaimer such as the one on the SD site (noted below) could solve all of that.

"What does all this mean? It means, for instance, that the Strat® pickup you love on these audio samples might not sound exactly the same played through your Strat®. You have to consider all the variables in the tone chain -- the particulars of your guitar, the amp, the room you’re in, etc. However, if you’re seeking a scooped midrange tone, or a fat & warm tone, or a quack tone, or whatever, if you hear it on these audio samples, you can presume that your guitar will approximate the same tone -- at least as compared with other Seymour Duncan pickups of the same style."

Regardless, thanks for the link to the SD site, it was incredibly helpful. I wish they would sample all of their pick-ups!

It might be worth building a website where users could submit clips of themselves playing the same riff on various pick-ups that they own. I'll let you guys know if I have some time to put one together.

 

[dbw]

That would get very unscientific very quickly... what we need is someone with a bunch of pickups to swap them into the same guitar and play a clean riff and a distorted riff, always with the same amp settings, etc.  Preferably an American Strat for single coils and a LP Standard for humbuckers... but I'd settle for a MIM and a Epiphone.  Any volunteers?

 

[ognolman]

Sort of like this? http://www.basstasters.com/, except for guitar?

Funny thing, though-- I've been checking out that site for a long time and, although I appreciate the work they do, I find that it doesn't influence my selections at all.


JBD

 

[spauldingrules]

Basically, it's just close your eyes and wing it, or look for a "professional" review like guitar world's one of dimarzio area 58's and 61 on youtube.

 

[GoDrex]

http://www.seymourduncan.com/comparetones

this page can be helpful for SD pickups - the EQ section and the DC resistance info can give you some idea of the output and tone of the pickup.

For instance the Jazz B/M/T of  5 / 3 / 9  gives you a really good idea what this pick up is like. Lots of treble.

 

[shanejw]

If you buy a Dimarzio and don't like it they will exchange it for any of their other pickups, just pay the difference in cost.  I've had great luck with this.

 

[RLW]

I could have sworn that Acme Guitarworks had a page where you could hear all the Strat pickups they sell. Just looked and it's not there, so I'm either mistaken or one of the manufacturers got pissed.

 

[GoDrex]

http://www.acmeguitarworks.com/Strat_Pickup_Sound_Clips_W1.cfm

btw - ACME kind of sucks. IMO.

 

[Johnhamdun]

If you buy a Dimarzio and don't like it they will exchange it for any of their other pickups, just pay the difference in cost.  I've had great luck with this.

Do you have to buy the pickups direct from the company, or can you buy it from any dealer?

 

[vanhagar]

Hey ! check out copperheadpickups.com, they have some nice sound clips and their pickups are awesome!! hand wound for under $150! He winds a mean tele bridge pickup too.