Lots of new guitars; need pickup suggestions please

[jay4321]

Guitar #1: Warmoth '72 Tele Custom (ash body, maple neck with Brazilian rosewood fretboard). Need a good rock pickup for bridge to pair with a reissue WRHB. Not too twangy.

Guitar #2: Warmoth baritone LP flat top (mahogany body, maple neck with Indian rosewood fretboard). Two humbuckers - leaning heavily toward EMGs for this. For heavy stuff.

Guitar #3: Epiphone LP Custom (all mahogany including the carved top, rosewood fretboard). Stock gold pickups sound very dark, replacement pickups needed to brighten - leaning toward the new EMG-X series as soon as their gold covered ones appear on the shelves.

Guitar #4: Epi LP Standard. Have a set of '59s, looking to trade out with Guitar #5.

Guitar #5: Ash Tele Deluxe. Jazz/JB with covers, considering trading out with Guitar #4.

Guitar #6: Alder Strat (maple neck/rosewood board). Need a bridge pickup, medium output to match with a CS '69 neck (but not another '69).



Well, that's a lot. In general I'd like to avoid really expensive boutique pickups. Any help appreciated

 

[MUYFUE]

Dang, that's a lot of guitars in the works!
#1 I'm no help on Teles at all.
#2 You can't go wrong with EMGs for a Baritone. I'd think of the 81 to keep it tight. The HA is a great neck Pup for low tunings too.
#3 I've heard great things on the sound of the X series, but that the Gold doesn't match 'normal' gold harware. The X series are allegedly smoother than the standards. I've not actaully played them though. Are you set on Gold covers? What about some good uncovered passives? I've used the Duncan Custom 5 in the bridge and loved it. It's not bright per se' but it does have a good 'refined' high end. The Alt 8 is a brighter one.
#4 & 5, A pup swap is always cool, and free! Give it a shot!
#6 I've been super happy with my Roadhouse Special. I got it in the neck position, but it's a really great sound. Fair price too.

 

[jay4321]

Well, 4 and 5 are really already done. Just not sure how well the swap would improve anything, so hoping for any input.

So what's the deal with EMG gold? Are they more lightly colored? I think I'd prefer than if so. The deep, rich gold always looks a little fake to me.

 

[MUYFUE]

Well, my understaning is that it's not a gold plating, but that the "gold" treatment actually changes the color of the metal cap, which is actually stainless steel. They do a mirror polish on them so it looks a bit lighter than the plating on bridges and such.

I think usually the plating on bridges and tailpieces is a little deeper of a color to make up for the lack of depth. In my yes, it's a bit of over "goldifying" and looks too dark. That's why I don't usually like gold hardware, it tends to acually look cheap...to me, ha!