New user, new guitarist, help!

[Guitarsean]

Well, I been playign for oh... 6-8 months now... And since I have the money, I am totally redoing my guitar. New pickups and hardware. I need some help though.
Looking for a pickup, what do I need to look at? What do the terms mean (output? dc resistance?). What do you recomend for a metal/hard rock guitarist? Also, I know about the hardware I am getting... I know that, but what else 'inside the guitar' do I need? What are pots? What is the difference in changing them.

Also... For your reference, my guitar is an ESP Ltd EC-50, titanium. It will be a birght lime green (with green flake), everything else on it will be chromed. Tuner keys... knobs... everything, chrome.

Sorry if I'm bouncing around too much in the post, all help is wanted!!!

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

Is there any particular tone you're going for? For instance, Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, In Flames, etc...

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

HI...i am currently doing the same thing, i'm building a guitar too, pots are pretty much volume and treble controls, well the knobs go on top......you will need a pickup selector switch, and chord jack.....in my honest opinion, go get a set of EMG's(81-85). you got an explorer, and those pickups just go with it, and they sound like a million dollers, for hard rock/metal, and clean, keep my posted on how it comes out.

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

Wow... I don;t know really. Metallica is good i'd say... I like... Boy this is hard. I like basically metal... not real heavy... I also play some punk and hardish rock. I can't pick a band though.

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

HI...i am currently doing the same thing, i'm building a guitar too, pots are pretty much volume and treble controls, well the knobs go on top......you will need a pickup selector switch, and chord jack.....in my honest opinion, go get a set of EMG's(81-85). you got an explorer, and those pickups just go with it, and they sound like a million dollers, for hard rock/metal, and clean, keep my posted on how it comes out.

1) I don't want active pickups... that's for sure... I know that much.

2) I don't have an explorer, the esp ec-50 is a LP style guitar.

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

ohhh sorry....p.s....everything you will need comes with the EMG pickups...(all the electronics), pots, wires..ect.
but they are active, some people dont like active, i do, the rock. but they will be your best choice 100%.

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

ohhh sorry....p.s....everything you will need comes with the EMG pickups...(all the electronics), pots, wires..ect.
but they are active, some people dont like active, i do, the rock. but they will be your best choice 100%.

I actually was looking at those as far as actives. But... if you could, give me some details on actives, what do you cut into?... what does the end product of your guitar look like?... What makes an active better than a ... whats the word?

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

1) I don't want active pickups... that's for sure... I know that much.

2) I don't have an explorer, the esp ec-50 is a LP style guitar.

ohhh sorry, i got ex mixed up with ec....also go to your local music store and listen to emg's...i'm not a huge fan of them, but with your guitar they would be a good choice.

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

I actually was looking at those as far as actives. But... if you could, give me some details on actives, what do you cut into?... what does the end product of your guitar look like?... What makes an active better than a ... whats the word?

there are active and passive pickups, active use a 9 volt battery, passive dont use a battery, also you do not have to cut anything, the pickups just go into the old ones place

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

Oh, I was sure that you had to make more room or something, so the dimeision are basically the same? And what, mechanically is the difference in the pickups?
How often do you have to change batteries? My friend hates buying batteries all the time so he installed a kill switch so at the end of a song, if turned off the batteries.

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

Oh, I was sure that you had to make more room or something, so the dimeision are basically the same? And what, mechanically is the difference in the pickups?
How often do you have to change batteries? My friend hates buying batteries all the time so he installed a kill switch so at the end of a song, if turned off the batteries.

the emg website says twice a year,or 3000 hours, i got a set, i put them in febuary of last year and they are still good with that battery, just make sure you unplug yor guitar when your not playing orelse they will drain faster.

[gianniboy]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

the emg website says twice a year,or 3000 hours, i got a set, i put them in febuary of last year and they are still good with that battery, just make sure you unplug yor guitar when your not playing orelse they will drain faster.

emg"s and duncans are the same size, they are direct replacements of stock pickups, in the back of your guitar you will notice a cover plate, that covers all the electronics, you just have to stuff a battery in there, no cutting required.....i hope i am a help to you?

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

emg"s and duncans are the same size, they are direct replacements of stock pickups, in the back of your guitar you will notice a cover plate, that covers all the electronics, you just have to stuff a battery in there, no cutting required.....i hope i am a help to you?

Ya, your helping... Few more things, do I need to get 'conductor cables'? New pots? and if so... whats the difference between 500kpot and 250kpot? What other electronics do I need besides the pickups them selves for a active and passive basically?

[Armotron]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

500k- for humbuckers
250k- for single coils

thats basically all i really know, or have heard.

[Guitarsean]

Re: New user, new guitarist, help!

Any more help? Please refer to the first post to see what I am asking.