Anyone know about upgrading guitar pick-ups?
Discussion
A bit of a long shot - but does anyone know about upgrading guitar pick-ups?
I've got this trusty 20 year old Ibanez copy. It was a cheap guitar but I LOVE the neck.
Having spent the day trying out potential replacement guitars from Jackson and Ibanez, I'm now looking into spending a little money on this to make some iprovement to the tone.
One challenge is that I mainly like to play Hendrix and vintage blues stuff but I also like to dabble in metal/shredding/Vai stuff. I basically want 2 completely opposite guitars in one.
Is it possible to have an old vintage strat/tele style single coil at the neck and then something really high output/sensitive at the bridge? I have no idea what pickups they used as OEM but do you think an upgrade would give me a noticable improvement on a cheap plywood body?
Pic of current setup below:
I've got this trusty 20 year old Ibanez copy. It was a cheap guitar but I LOVE the neck.
Having spent the day trying out potential replacement guitars from Jackson and Ibanez, I'm now looking into spending a little money on this to make some iprovement to the tone.
One challenge is that I mainly like to play Hendrix and vintage blues stuff but I also like to dabble in metal/shredding/Vai stuff. I basically want 2 completely opposite guitars in one.
Is it possible to have an old vintage strat/tele style single coil at the neck and then something really high output/sensitive at the bridge? I have no idea what pickups they used as OEM but do you think an upgrade would give me a noticable improvement on a cheap plywood body?
Pic of current setup below:
Yes, you can mix your pickups like that.
I put a Motherbucker (two singlecoil-sized humbuckers together) in my Epi Les Paul and the tech advised me not to as he said it was nice wood and I'd lose the benefits of that with such a high output pickup, he said it would sound exactly the same in any cheap guitar, so maybe the ply wouldn't matter in that kind of situation.
You could also do similar to what's known as the Jimmy Page Mod, using push-pull potentiometers to give you extra switches, meaning you can split the humbucker to be a singlecoil, and put your pickups out of phase or in series.
I put a Motherbucker (two singlecoil-sized humbuckers together) in my Epi Les Paul and the tech advised me not to as he said it was nice wood and I'd lose the benefits of that with such a high output pickup, he said it would sound exactly the same in any cheap guitar, so maybe the ply wouldn't matter in that kind of situation.
You could also do similar to what's known as the Jimmy Page Mod, using push-pull potentiometers to give you extra switches, meaning you can split the humbucker to be a singlecoil, and put your pickups out of phase or in series.
I personally wouldn't bother with high output pickups for lead playing, a medium output works better imo, if you want more crunch get it from your amp or use pedals. High output just gets shrill unless you're on a really nice amp and it picks up all the faults in your playing as noise, unless you're as clean as Steve Vai. High output imo is really only necessary or worthwhile if you're playing low tuned metal with high string tension.
I forgot to mention, based on what you've said about the tone you're looking for, Dimarzio is what you want, Bareknuckle if you're looking to spend big. Tbh you really do owe it to yourself to try an Ibanez S series though.
I forgot to mention, based on what you've said about the tone you're looking for, Dimarzio is what you want, Bareknuckle if you're looking to spend big. Tbh you really do owe it to yourself to try an Ibanez S series though.
Edited by Mastodon2 on Sunday 27th September 16:26
I LOVE Warman pickups, I have a set of Infernos in my Les Paul. Even with standard pots I could back off the volume down to a clean jangly tone while on a hi-gain setting on pedals and amp. I asked the guy who runs it if he'd be able to make a drop in scratchguard for my Strat, he said if I sent it to him he'd wire everything other than the jack to whatever I wanted. I was thinking of Texas hot in the bridge and mid with a Tele style in the neck, maybe phase it to the bridge just to vary it up a bit and see what it sounds like.
I've just swapped the stock pickups in my les paul for some bare knuckles. The folks over there were very helpful. I told them the sort of stuff I play and the sorts of sounds I like and they gave me some ideas of combinations. They are in (along with a new harness) and the difference it has made to the guitar is significant (and positive
). Not cheap at £200 odd for a pair of humbuckers but I'll be buying more.
D
). Not cheap at £200 odd for a pair of humbuckers but I'll be buying more.D
my fender usa '74 strat was always great for lead work and clean work but lacked the desired "b
ks" when it came to a heavier sound. i ultimately got a gibson les paul standard but to enable me to keep using the strat ( i didn't want to sell but couldn't face not using it) i took the back pick up out and replaced with a dimarzio humbucker. dead simple 5 minute job and the guitar had a much heavier sound as a result. kept the standard pick up in the flight case so it is back to 100% original should i ever decide to get rid.
ks" when it came to a heavier sound. i ultimately got a gibson les paul standard but to enable me to keep using the strat ( i didn't want to sell but couldn't face not using it) i took the back pick up out and replaced with a dimarzio humbucker. dead simple 5 minute job and the guitar had a much heavier sound as a result. kept the standard pick up in the flight case so it is back to 100% original should i ever decide to get rid.doogz said:
I've never heard of coil tapping/splitting called a "Jimmy Page Mod" before.
I asked for a Jimmy Page, it was easier than explaining the wiring I wanted ( which ironically was more or less the same as a Jimmy Page mod). On reflection it sounds like a haircut.It does give a lot of options on a LP.
doogz said:
Yeah, my Explorer is wired in a similar manner, only it only has one tone pot.
Would like to change the pups in my LP, but there are 3 of them to change, plus I want a Bigsby first. And I have 3 guitars in bits in various stages of build I really need to finish first. And said Explorer to find new pick ups for. And an old Marshall amp I want to recover in tweed...
You can never have too many projects on the go though!
I'm after an explorer or a V...Would like to change the pups in my LP, but there are 3 of them to change, plus I want a Bigsby first. And I have 3 guitars in bits in various stages of build I really need to finish first. And said Explorer to find new pick ups for. And an old Marshall amp I want to recover in tweed...
You can never have too many projects on the go though!
D
Is it just a case of sticking a new pickup in the slot and banging some soilder on where the old pickup was connected? Can you just splice the old and new wires together to save the soildering?
I have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
I have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
FreeLitres said:
Is it just a case of sticking a new pickup in the slot and banging some soilder on where the old pickup was connected? Can you just splice the old and new wires together to save the soildering?
I have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
In theory yes but if you don't know how the existing pickups are wired then it could go wrong. Either rewire it completely or send them the pickup.I have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
playing an Explorer. Or a V.
FreeLitres said:
Is it just a case of sticking a new pickup in the slot and banging some soilder on where the old pickup was connected? Can you just splice the old and new wires together to save the soildering?
I have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
There's a bit of work to be done, it sounds like the Bareknuckle people are being over cautious but it's probably better they do that now rather than after you've bought it and you're raging at them why it sounds like crapI have been in contact with the bareknucles guys and I selected which pickup would be good but then they were talking about polarity and making sure they hand winded it the correct way round. They ideally wanted me to send in the middle pickup so they could assess how its wound? I kind of thought they would just bang straight in.
EMG do pretty much a drop in active humbucker pickup range that has it's own connectors so you dont have to solder, but then you're stuck with EMG pickups. They're great for Zakk Wylde pinch harmonics but I think they suck a lot of tone out. I find that with actives generally and never much been an EMG fan
You need to start experimenting. Asking other people what they like is as productive as asking them what they like to eat or how they like to have sex, it might work for you or it might not.
Coil tapping humbuckers will certainly change the sound of the humbucker but it will never sound quite like a single coil unit due to the other magnet still being there and still having an effect.
Coil tapping humbuckers will certainly change the sound of the humbucker but it will never sound quite like a single coil unit due to the other magnet still being there and still having an effect.
OP, does your existing set-up have a coil-tap switch on the tone pot?
I have an Ibanez super-strat with coil-tap, and a Washburn with two humbuckers. I fancied a change for the Washburn and a guitar-tech guy suggested adding coil-tap before buying new pick-ups. I love the sound and extra flexibility.
It may not solve your problem, but it could be a tenner well-spent, and a few minutes with a soldering iron if the pick-up can be wired that way.
I have an Ibanez super-strat with coil-tap, and a Washburn with two humbuckers. I fancied a change for the Washburn and a guitar-tech guy suggested adding coil-tap before buying new pick-ups. I love the sound and extra flexibility.
It may not solve your problem, but it could be a tenner well-spent, and a few minutes with a soldering iron if the pick-up can be wired that way.
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