Thinking of replacing PUPS - Suggestions?

[Froo]

Hello everyone,

I'm newly registered here and have just spent about an hour looking at people's guitars. MM guitars truly are pieces of art.

I myself, being a student, will not be able to afford an 'official' and high end MM for a while. However, they have been one of my dream guitars and so a couple of months back, I bought a Sterling AX30 in blue.

For an amateur player such as myself, it's perfect. Especially in contrast to my Classic 50s Series Strat which I've had for a while. They are in no competition with each other at all as they are just so unique to play. Both necks are to die for! Just so comfortable.

Anyways, the only downside to a cheap guitar is always pickups. I love the AX30 to bits (Would of been great in the purple finish found on the AX40) but the pickups are a bit eh, hit and miss I guess. I have no problems with the bridge pickup, it's just the neck pickup. You'll have to forgive me as I don't really know what the configuration is but on the second switch position (in between neck and middle), it almost sounds like a Strat but dull in tone and I just want that chimeyness. Yes, I know, it's not a strat and it's a humbucker but honestly, the sound is so close, yet so far. What could I do to get a better tone in the neck position? It would be nice for both the neck positions to not sound dull overall regardless of it being a humbucker. That's all I can describe it as. Dull. Any suggestions on a replacement for the neck pup. (It obviously has to be Zebra style. I like the look)

Thanks, and I look forward to suggestions.

(Possible budget will be around £100 - £150)

Edit: Just found this on another topic fro a few years back regarding the pickup config.

1-Neck humbucker - series, full output
2-neck hubucker - parallel, cleaner tone, little less output
3-neck humbucker and bridge humbucker together, all 4 coils active.
4-inside coils of neck and bridge pickups together - chimey, bright, funky,
great for country, funk tones.
5-bridge humbucker - series, full output.

 

[Eric O'Reilly]

Well the best would be the real axis pups, but they are very rare and expensive, i luckily found a set to put in my ax40 and it is to die for. Also I would replace the set, like you said I think the bridge is good too, but its better to replace both, I would go with Dimarzio, since they make the real axis set, I would go tone zone in the bridge, and air norton in the neck, the air norton is regarded as one of the better neck pups, and the tonezone is also a great bridge! Not identical to the real axis bridge, its a little hotter and modern but a great pup, i have one in my black and white van halen guitar, its awesome.

 

[beej]

In general, the hotter the pickup, the less high-end you're going to get. So if you're looking for a less dull neck position, then I'd look for something lower output. There are, of course, tons of pickups out there, so you have lots to choose from.

Personally I prefer pickups that are less hot. You can always crank up the amp and make them sound great, but with the gain lower I like humuckers that have a little more high end (and 'chime' when in parallel). Many of the PAF-style offerings are great for that. (The Dimarzio Axis pickups are great, but I wouldn't describe the neck pickup as clear, they're hot and middy. Great with distortion.)

I quite like Bill Lawrence's pickups, I have a few sets that fit that bill exactly (and they're probably the least expensive pickups on the market). But again, there are tons of great pickups on the market ... you could go mad picking sets. The key is really to figure out what you're missing sonically, before you start buying.

 

[David Corrales]

You might want to take a look at the DiMarzio 36th anniversary (low output similar to a 59' PAF) or the Humbucker from Hell which is basically a single coil in a humbucker format (ideal for the neck position).

 

[Froo]

In general, the hotter the pickup, the less high-end you're going to get. So if you're looking for a less dull neck position, then I'd look for something lower output. There are, of course, tons of pickups out there, so you have lots to choose from. The key is really to figure out what you're missing sonically, before you start buying.

Did not know this, thanks for the info. I'll bear it in mind. It's a puzzle as I'm not sure what I'm missing sonically. I have a Strat for nice clean chime sounds but I like humbuckers for distortion so somewhere inbetween? Neck pickup for a clean sound and bridge pickup for a nice full distortion sound? They'd be pretty cool for me.

I would go with Dimarzio, since they make the real axis set.

Definately want to go with Dimarzio!

You might want to take a look at the DiMarzio 36th anniversary (low output similar to a 59' PAF) or the Humbucker from Hell which is basically a single coil in a humbucker format (ideal for the neck position).

I was looking at the Humbucker from Hell but I'm not sure quite what I was looking at. The sound clips are all distorted sounds and I want to know what it sounds like clean.

 

[QuietSpike]

Froo--

Want my honest opinion?? Tone is mostly in the hands.

There is a YouTube video of Petrucci playing a s**t guitar through a worse amp (at a Guitar Center clinic where they were giving these away), and he still sounds amazing. I'd post the link, but I am new here, too, and don't want to get dinged for posting a MM endorsed artist playing a competitor (use the term loosely) guitar.

My advice, save your money and get the guitar of your dreams (which clearly will be an EBMM product ). While you are saving, concentrate on being the best player you can be--- not just speed or learning scales, but being smooth and clean in your playing. This alone will dramatically improve your "tone".......more than pickups will!


My 2 cents.

 

[Froo]

Froo--

Want my honest opinion?? Tone is mostly in the hands.

There is a YouTube video of Petrucci playing a s**t guitar through a worse amp (at a Guitar Center clinic where they were giving these away), and he still sounds amazing. I'd post the link, but I am new here, too, and don't want to get dinged for posting a MM endorsed artist playing a competitor (use the term loosely) guitar.

My advice, save your money and get the guitar of your dreams (which clearly will be an EBMM product ). While you are saving, concentrate on being the best player you can be--- not just speed or learning scales, but being smooth and clean in your playing. This alone will dramatically improve your "tone".......more than pickups will!


My 2 cents.

I think you may have misunderstood a little. Appreciate the reply but I'm purely using tone to refer to the sonic characteristics of the pickups. At the end of the day, no matter how majorly awesome JP is, he himself could not make a pickup sound like another pickup, which is the whole point of this thread. I am literally after a different pickup. I can play as smoothly and cleanly as possible, it's not going to make an overall dull pickup sound bright and chimey. Also, I have many dream guitars, I don't think one pure bad ass of a guitar would ever satisfy me!!! God help me if I win the lottery.

 

[QuietSpike]

...being a student... ...For an amateur player such as myself...

Ok... I read these two lines and took it that you were a beginner... In which case, I stand by my statement.

 

[QuietSpike]

Also, I have many dream guitars, I don't think one pure bad ass of a guitar would ever satisfy me!!

It won't.

 

[Gio_Force_One]

I'm very partial to seymour Duncan jazz and jb pickups , very articulate.
Check them out

 

[t_rod]

Have you tried different strings? A dull pickup may not "pick up" the frequencies anyway, but a brighter set of strings may bring you a little closer to the sound your looking for. Its also easier to change strings than pickups.

 

[Manxmusicman]

Why not have a look at dimarzio transitions? They're the pickup that's in the L3 and they never sound dull to me. Failing that have a look at bareknuckle pickups, Tim always responds to emails quickly and gives honest advice on what pickups will best suit your needs.

 

[Froo]

Have you tried different strings? A dull pickup may not "pick up" the frequencies anyway, but a brighter set of strings may bring you a little closer to the sound your looking for. Its also easier to change strings than pickups.

I did get new strings put on and although they have that natural new bright sound to them, you can still tell it's the pickups. Also, I won't be the one doing all the work on changing them, so I don't mind

I'm very partial to seymour Duncan jazz and jb pickups , very articulate.
Check them out

Thanks for the suggestion, my local store (who sold me the guitar and do free set ups for life) mainly deal in SD pups so I'll certainly enquire.

 

[ozzyrules]

I put the Suhr DSH+ in the bridge of my silo special, and the Air Norton in the neck. It screams!!!!!