• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

There is one thing that keeps me busy all the time: ELECTRIC GUITAR PICK-UPS.
I don't know how many pick-up companies there are.
I found this when searching for EMG pick-ups:
This is what they write
Conventional pickups typically exhibit a dry "peaky" frequency response, while EMG's have a much broader bandwidth that's better for harmonic pull-offs and chord definition. Individual notes have better presence and are dynamic. Playing styles are more pronounced
- ACTIVE PICK-UPS: EMG 81 and 85 (the ones mentioned in another thread about Zakk Wylde)
EMG-81 is a high output pickup designed especially for the lead guitarist and is at its best for high volume overdrive and amps with a master volume. The EMG 85 gives a more natural tone, it works great as a rhythm and blues pickup.
- PASSIVE PICK-UPS: this is what they tell about the H4, on the EPIPHONE ZAKK WYLDE:
EMG-H4. The H4 is the equivalent of EMG's 81 Active Pickup without the "Active"
BUT WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ACTIVE AND A PASSIVE?

What about other pick-ups?
- LINDY FRALIN (I have 3 single coiled dominoshaped on a PRS EG made from 1990-1992)
- SEYMOUR DUNCAN
- GIBSON HUMBUCKERS, are these better or will your guitar sound better by replacing them?
better is GIBSON, FENDER and other brands working with specialised PICK-UP companies?
THIS IS A REAL JUNGLE FOR ME, but I don't think I am alone. How many players do change pick-ups, and what is their purpose and motivation?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

Phil my friend,

EMG's Great pickups, passive pickups do not require a battery and can be wired with 500K (for humbuckers) or 250K pots (for single coil). The active pick ups require a 9-volt battery and are wired with 1K pots they are hotter pickups as mentioned in your original posting. All the manufactures you mentioned above make a good product it is just your preference on who you like better. Tone monsters are the ones that are usually changing the pickups on guitars because they are searching for that perfect tone that will kill for them or the original pickups are just dogs.

Bootlegger.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

Thanks BOOT, I know YOU ARE THE MAN who knows how an electric guitar is build, you can analyze, you can compare. I compare it with ANATOMY, a course we had in the 3th year on University. (I always have a big smile on my face, when I think about that course, imagine anything you want, like scaring girls with a p** in their pocket, we did it.) We respected the body, in fact is was almost a non-human there on the table) so far my comparison.
I know that you are a skilled builder.
About pick-ups, do you see if a pick-up is good for HARD ROCK, BLUES, or a warm sound and a heavy sound, with an instrument that measures out- and input?
At that point we start with "customized" guitars. Or am I right if I say that the big brands start using a lot of different pick-ups?
.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

Wow! That starts a never ending subject... Seems that all the companies make good pickups and have the marketing hype to prove it. Most people never seem to explore the sound capabilities that they've got, others become fanatical in the search for "That Tone"! Seems sorta silly to plug a high end guitar into a tiny transistor amp and expect magic tones, or to get a really cheap import guitar and expect a whole lot out of it. But once you get the guitar and amp then it's exciting to explore the different tonal possibilities. Eddie Van Halen tinkered (he was broke at the time) around with parts until he was able to come up the a guitar that did what he wanted...that became history.
  At the Dallas Guitar Show I met a Gibson Rep who had a special Les Paul that allowed a quick change of Gibson's pickups. He also had a double bodied/double necked SG that had muliple pickup in it. He could add or switch to just about anything Gibson produces while you were listening thru headphones...he had an amp simulator and could go from mellow jazz to metal thrash...it gives one some really good ideas about what different pickups could do...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.
  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

jaygordon75 wrote:

Wow! That starts a never ending subject... Seems that all the companies make good pickups and have the marketing hype to prove it. Most people never seem to explore the sound capabilities that they've got, others become fanatical in the search for "That Tone"! Seems sorta silly to plug a high end guitar into a tiny transistor amp and expect magic tones, or to get a really cheap import guitar and expect a whole lot out of it. But once you get the guitar and amp then it's exciting to explore the different tonal possibilities. Eddie Van Halen tinkered (he was broke at the time) around with parts until he was able to come up the a guitar that did what he wanted...that became history.
  At the Dallas Guitar Show I met a Gibson Rep who had a special Les Paul that allowed a quick change of Gibson's pickups. He also had a double bodied/double necked SG that had muliple pickup in it. He could add or switch to just about anything Gibson produces while you were listening thru headphones...he had an amp simulator and could go from mellow jazz to metal thrash...it gives one some really good ideas about what different pickups could do...

I have a strat with two pickguards one wired with humbuckers and the other with single coils. I have a connector plugs on the groung so I can just switch them out when I want to change the pickups. The only problem is that I have to loosen up the strings and unscrew 11 pick guard screws to change them lot of work.

Bootlegger.

  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

Hey Bootleger! That a great idea! I think I wire up another pickguard for my strat and then put a connector plug on my groundwire so that next time I change strings I can swap out the whole Guard with pickups for a different sound...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.
  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2007-09-16
  • Posts: 369

Re: ABOUT PICK-UPS, ORIGINALS? or REPLACEMENT?

A tip from another forum: try Futaba Servo connectors.
They have three sockets/plugs so you can link the ground and the jack at the same time. They use them for R/C Aeroplanes, Cars and Helicopters.