Lets talk about "stock" pickups

[Mincer]

Yes, but those are clearly not what the OP is referring to. He's suggesting that there's no difference in the quality or performance of lower-end "budget" pickups that come stock in some guitars and higher-priced aftermarket counterparts. While this may be true in a few cases, I think most of us can agree to disagree with him on these points

Yeah, that's my main point. Sometimes you get lucky, though. But pickups are one of the areas that a company skimps on when building to a price point. Finishing or wood grain are bound to sell more guitars than pickups. Many companies know that guitar players may eventually upgrade the pickups, but other factors actually sell the guitar.

[Masta' C]

Yes, but those are clearly not what the OP is referring to. He's suggesting that there's no difference in the quality or performance of lower-end "budget" pickups that come stock in some guitars and higher-priced aftermarket counterparts. While this may be true in a few cases, I think most of us can agree to disagree with him on these points

[Securb]

Keep in mind that even Duncan and DiMarzio are stock pickups. Both companies have OEM partners.

[solspirit]

I've got a cheap chinese lp design, branded SKY, with some of the sweetest pickups I've ever heard.
I can't find any info on the company at all.

[Erlend_G]

My Ibanez RG270DX had the "Powersound" humbuckers...

THe bridge pickup was something like... 22k? :o

The neck pickup was horribly bassy and muddy, almost unuseable. But the bridge pickup gave some really heavy tones .

I remember the middle single coil to be very unbalanced, quiet- in comparison to the 'buckers.

.

[Mincer]

My two cents would be that I'd rather have crap pickups that I can change than have a sh!tty construction and/or wood that I cannot fix.

I think many companies agree with you.

[nexion218]

My two cents would be that I'd rather have crap pickups that I can change than have a sh!tty construction and/or wood that I cannot fix.

[Cynical]

Most brands design to a price point, and may even know that pickups don't get as much as attention as a figured top or nice tuners. Most guitar players simply don't care about such things. Cheaper stock pickups can sound good in a guitar, but that is usually the exception. Most inexpensive guitars will absolutely sound better with upgraded pickups, although I am less inclined to pay a lot for an instrument that I feel I will have to mod to sound good.

Eh, I don't know that price really equates to "sounds good" or quality. The old Carvin 22 pole piece pickups were way cheaper than DiMarzios or Duncans, but the M22SD was one of the best bridge pickups ever IMO. Meanwhile, I have yet to encounter the Bare Knuckle pickup that I like, even though they retail for far more than a DiMarzio or Duncan.

The Ibanez V2 and V1 are a similarly great "stock"/cheap set, and the bridge pickup that came in my PRS SE 277 was perfectly fine quality-wise, just not suited for what I wanted that guitar to do.

[Demanic]

I liked the stock pickups in my 80's Carvin V220. Especially that they came wired to split with mini toggles. But I remember Duncan and DiMarzio from back then and so have always wound up swapping the stock pickups from most of the guitars that I purchased. The exceptions are my Schecter Blackjack that came with a 59n/JB and my Ibby V-Blade that came with Dimarzio D-Activators. But even at that I swapped the magnets in the Schecter and the bridge pickup in the V-Blade.

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[PFDarkside]

I was turned off stock pickups (and onto Duncan) when my first experiences with pickups were:
-Ibanez RG40 stock
-mid 90’s Epiphone stock
-Fender MIM Jazz V
-Fender MIM Strat
-Lace Sensors in a Strat Plus

All were improved immensely with Duncan’s or Dimarzio’s and then my next batch either had upgraded CS Fenders, Duncan’s, Dimarzio’s or EMG as I received them and that cemented it.

”Stock” Fender CS pickups are great (Texas Special, CS69, Fat 50s) and some Gibson’s are nice. It’s interesting that the upper mid level instruments like LTD and Schecter don’t need Duncan/DD anymore so they are all in house. I haven’t tried them yet.

[AlexR]

Companies tend to make more $$ by incorporating easy to make aspects into their production. Pickups, which can be an expensive item, are an easy target. In such a way, if you are making to pricepoint, then you can buy the cheapest components and

And its not true to say that all pickups are made with the same parts. The heirachy of quality is the one bit that is demonstrably true. More expensive parts do make for tonal change.....the insulation on the wire, the metals used for parts, covers, the magnets themselves. They all contribute in greater and lesser ways.

It is also false to say that all pickups are clones of each other, or can easily be wound to be with minimal information. There is more to laying on the wire on the bobbin than you are aware of. Anyone who has even the least experience of winding for themselves will confirm that there are infinite minor ways to lay down wire on a bobbin. And such variation can lead to vastly different pickups even if turn count and wire insulation type are identical. Boutique and aftermarket winders use such knowledge to make the vast variations on a theme.....where you have 5 different PAF type pickups with different sounds but very similar specs.

[Mincer]

Most brands design to a price point, and may even know that pickups don't get as much as attention as a figured top or nice tuners. Most guitar players simply don't care about such things. Cheaper stock pickups can sound good in a guitar, but that is usually the exception. Most inexpensive guitars will absolutely sound better with upgraded pickups, although I am less inclined to pay a lot for an instrument that I feel I will have to mod to sound good.

[Top-L]

Common misconception. If it was made by DiMarzio, it will say "DiMarzio" on it.

A couple people on the Ibanez forums started circling rumors years ago that DiMarzio had made a bunch of the other Ibanez stock models and the idea took off. DiMarzio didn't make any of the V-series pickups, Infinity, Quantums, etc. You can confirm this directly with DiMarzio.

If it was DiMarzio-made, you can bet that the "DiMarzio" name is on it somewhere.

I read that on this forum the other day.

In one of the threads on the front page in either this or the guitar sub, someone said they had worked at Dimarzio and they were making pickups for Ibanez that weren't marked. I agree with you that they would mark all thier pickups, but OTH they could be contracted to make OEM pickups that we would never know about. For instance a "cheaper" version that they don't want their name on for whatever reason.

It doesnt matter to me. I just assumed the Ibanez pickups were "in the style of" Dimarzio, regardless of who built them.

[Masta' C]

And there are many Dimarzio built custom stock pickups as you mentioned that aren't labeled Dimarzio.

Common misconception. If it was made by DiMarzio, it will say "DiMarzio" on it.

A couple people on the Ibanez forums started circling rumors years ago that DiMarzio had made a bunch of the other Ibanez stock models and the idea took off. DiMarzio didn't make any of the V-series pickups, Infinity, Quantums, etc. You can confirm this directly with DiMarzio.

If it was DiMarzio-made, you can bet that the "DiMarzio" name is on it somewhere.

[Top-L]

Oh yeah, the Super 58's were solid! I had a couple Talmans with those and they were great! The later "Super 58 Custom" models weren't bad, either

An honorable mention should also go out to the G&B pickups in PRS SE & S2 models...really solid pickups for "stock", as well!

You've named alot of good/great Ibanez pickups.

I had an old RG565 that came with some great pickups. I dont remember the designation. The old and new Quantums are both good. (They have different readings but sound almost the same, I have both.) The Infinities 1/2, especially the neck are great pickups. The V-series apparently are great too. The Super 58s. Of course the old F series-IBZ were great as they were Dimarzio special designs. And there are many Dimarzio built custom stock pickups as you mentioned that aren't labeled Dimarzio.

I think with regards to Ibanez, the only pickups that have never got a shout out are the Powersound pickups. The vast majority of Ibanez brand are good to great. The trend I am seeing is that more often than not, unless you are talking about a $100-150 guitar, the pickups are solid.

I dont have the same experience with other brands, but I would assume that the same is roughly true. Especially these days.

I am of the belief that "wire is wire" and "magnets are magnets". Its all made in the same place (china). Does Dimarzio use a higher quality wire in their pickups? Will it affect the sound? My guess is no and no.