Off Topic How many of you replace stock pickups?

[marantz1300]

I really like the stock pups.

 

[GoKart_MoZart]

Never on a Ball.

 

[beej]

I'm better these days, but I used to always rip them out, try a bunch and change the switching.

The worst was my favourite Morse- it's had a ton of different p'ups (now has Bill Lawrence noiseless for singles), series/parallel switching, coil splits, a piezo install, Silent Circuit, the whole kitten caboodle. Way too much.

Swapping p'ups can be a fun project. But often it's overkill ... 5 cents worth of resistors and caps can make a much bigger difference on a decent pickup than a new set.

In general, I think most of the EBMM stock p'ups are excellent. There's not much that I ever want to change.

 

[PugNinjas]

I'm better these days, but I used to always rip them out, try a bunch and change the switching.

The worst was my favourite Morse- it's had a ton of different p'ups (now has Bill Lawrence noiseless for singles), series/parallel switching, coil splits, a piezo install, Silent Circuit, the whole kitten caboodle. Way too much.

Swapping p'ups can be a fun project. But often it's overkill ... 5 cents worth of resistors and caps can make a much bigger difference on a decent pickup than a new set.

In general, I think most of the EBMM stock p'ups are excellent. There's not much that I ever want to change.

c'mon Beej, you know you want to put a swimming pool route in that Morse of yours and load it up with 4 DiMarzio X2N's and a blower switch

 

[Progdude]

I did. Or I should say I do replace pickups/pots/toggle/and lots of other stuff as well!
As for my current Ball I have a 2008 White Silo with maple neck. Came with Black PAF Pros. I upgraded (or changed) the bridge to a Dimarzio Andy Timmons model and the middle to a Dimarzio Area 67 pickup and the neck to an Air Norton but swapped that out for a Liquifire once they were released. I also changed the 250K volume pot to 500K and swapped the tone pot out for a No-Load Tone Control. So its kinda a semi-blower switch..........Ok I know its not really.

The only guitars I didnt change the pickups on was my old Axis or JP. They were good sounding for sure! That says a lot since Ive owned over 80 guitars by pretty much every well known guitar company out there and swapped the pickups out of pretty much all of them.

 

[B2D]

P.S. Everyone should try an Air Zone in their Balls (bridge position). Especially in the Silo Special.

As I've said in another thread, I have an Air Norton/Air Zone waiting for a pickguard from Chandler. That thing better hurry up and get here!

I've changed the pickups on almost every guitar I've owned. It's not just a sound I'm after - it's the response as well. I just ave a certain sound in mind and I like to fool with pickups to get it to be that way.

I changed the stock pickups on my Silo Special a long time ago, but the stock ones were definitely not bad by any stretch, just a little to straight-ahead neutral and plain sounding for what I was doing.

I can think of a number of guitar I definitely wouldn't change the pickups on... a Petrucci or an Axis for starters. My Axis now came with EMGs, so that kind of got decided for me.

I wouldn't be opposed to keeping the stock pickups in a PRS or a really good Gibson. Higher-end Fenders would probably get to keep their stock stuff, as would Suhr, Anderson, Ibanez Vai and Satch models... you get the idea.

 

[Whammy_Abuser]

I have changed the pickups in every single guitar I have ever owned, usually more than once. It's not because any 1 set of pickups is any better than another, it's just that the odds of the stock pickups in any given guitar are the ones that perfectly compliment my rig, my playing and my desired tone are a million to one.

I have become partial to Fender Strats for the very reason that I can keep several pickgaurds, and change them whenever I feel the need to. This comes in especially handy with EMGs, no pesky pot swaps!

 

[kneeoh]

Never changed pups in my guitars. When I was younger and played low end guitars it was because I didn't have the money or time, though I wish I could have done some pup changes because most of the time the stock ones sucked.

Now, because I only have Balls, I won't change a thing. The pups sound perfect for what I do.

 

[e.mate]

For me, the question is basically not about the PU being "good", but if the character on that specific guitar is exactly what I want...

I understood that EBMM is closely in touch with DiMarzio, to fit their stock PUs in the best possible way to the character of the model concerned. But the tonal preferences of different guitar players might differ from another, depending on various factors, such as amp/effects setup, musical style or whatever.

In my case, this means:
- I like the pups of the ASS...not gonna change this.
- I am thinking about swapping the bridge PU of my Silo...for something with a more modern appeal (most probably a Liquifire)
- The SUB will soon get a series of different pickguards with different PU setups, to represent different tonal characters for different projects....my guitar guinea pig if you like

 

[bkrumme]

I've swapped pickups on guitars before, but never on one of my Balls.

I've been tempted to swap them in my JP6, and in the Silo which has now become mine, but haven't really decided whether I want to do that or not. They already sound really good, and if there's nothing wrong with how they sound it would sorta be a waste to swap them just to realize I want to switch back...

 

[agt]

I like tinkering, so if the guitar has a pickguard and molex connector (e.g. Silo Special) I will buy a new blank pickguard and build something. I save the stock pickguard, pickups, and wiring in case I ever want to revert back to stock.

 

[beej]

c'mon Beej, you know you want to put a swimming pool route in that Morse of yours and load it up with 4 DiMarzio X2N's and a blower switch

Heh ... hopefully I don't get the itch to do that anytime soon But the blower switch is a great idea, I'd considered it.

 

[PugNinjas]

Heh ... hopefully I don't get the itch to do that anytime soon But the blower switch is a great idea, I'd considered it.

Yeah, I like the blower switch idea and, as you know, have been toying around with the idea for awhile......hmm Spring Break coming up.....you may be finding an email in your inbox very soon

As for the X2N idea, that is truly overkill, we could take it a step further and just load it up with as many SD Hot Rails or DiMarzio Super Distortion singles as possible and go from there Should easily fit 6 of em !!

 

[skerwo]

On my SSS Silo Spec I changed the stock pu´s in a set from a well known german guitar builder (Andre Waldenmair from Staufer guitars) because this set has a hot and punchy singlecoil at the bridge. The stock pups were good but this set made my no. 1 axe to a "never to sell" guitar.

I play every gig only with this guitar and have no need for another one. It suites perfect my style from classic rock, country, blues, soul.




Rainer

 

[bkrumme]

What is this "blower switch" you gentlemen are speaking of? I've never heard the term...

 

[beej]

It's basically a switch that overrides the other switch/pot settings, so you can get your bridge p'up dialed up with the flick of a toggle.

 

[PugNinjas]

It's basically a switch that overrides the other switch/pot settings, so you can get your bridge p'up dialed up with the flick of a toggle.

man, you are quick on the draw

 

[JP7Nomad]

I pretty much always do. There are only two guitars of mine (out of ten or so) that still have stock pickups - and both of them are the exact set I would have bought if they didn't come with them originally. Lower end guitars and higher end guitars can both benefit from them if they don't come with what you really dig. I know I can't stand EMG pickups, so I rip them out ASAP.

 

[bkrumme]

It's basically a switch that overrides the other switch/pot settings, so you can get your bridge p'up dialed up with the flick of a toggle.

Aha. Thanks for the explanation, beej.

 

[isaactmeyer]

Depends on the guitar.. i have replaced a couple