anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

[WICKED LESTER]

what i mean is the way it feels as you are playing under the fingers?
like some pups feel saggy or even draggy as you play and others are real precise and up frony and track your playing fast(ala EMG,duncan custom) and the notes just repond immediately.

 

[some_dude]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Feel is the reason I play EMGs. I tried various pickups until I found some with the responce I was after. Some of them had a great sound, but they didn't "feel" the way I wanted them too.

What I learned is that I seem to prefer ceramic mags, pups tilted towards the high end, and fast tracking with lots of punch in the attack.

I'm thinking that I'll stick a Dimebucker in my next axe....but who knows....

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

There's a lot -- and I do mean a LOT -- to be said for "feel".

Sometimes you are actually getting a great sound out of a pickup (or guitar/rig/etc) but because you have to alter your technique so much to GET that sound, making the act of playing so laborious that it is unpleasant, it "sounds" terrible to you.

Then when you just hand your guitar to another player (especially one who plays with a similar style/attitude) and sit and listen to him, you're stunned at how great it sounds. This is because you no longer have the ball-and-chain of laboring to get that tone to distort your perception of the sound -- you are now just relaxing and listening with a more objective ear.

The ideal pickup is one that will get you THAT SOUND without you having to alter your playing technique and otherwise dig in and work so friggin' hard for it, one that complements the way you physically play the guitar rather than fights it. Then you play more fluidly and more relaxed, and you play a lot better because you feel like you can do just about anything.

To a listener, even another seasoned, serious guitar player -- or even to an ocilloscope! -- there may be no significant difference in the tone. But to the player, it's a universe of difference that gives him wings...

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Very much so! I've ditched pickups because they felt saggy or mushy, for sure.

My next axe will either be EMG loaded, or I'll put EMG's in my Schecter, for the sole reason of how they feel.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

There's a lot -- and I do mean a LOT -- to be said for "feel".

Sometimes you are actually getting a great sound out of a pickup (or guitar/rig/etc) but because you have to alter your technique so much to GET that sound, making the act of playing so laborious that it is unpleasant, it "sounds" terrible to you.

Then when you just hand your guitar to another player (especially one who plays with a similar style/attitude) and sit and listen to him, you're stunned at how great it sounds. This is because you no longer have the ball-and-chain of laboring to get that tone to distort your perception of the sound -- you are now just relaxing and listening with a more objective ear.

The ideal pickup is one that will get you THAT SOUND without you having to alter your playing technique and otherwise dig in and work so friggin' hard for it, one that complements the way you physically play the guitar rather than fights it. Then you play more fluidly and more relaxed, and you play a lot better because you feel like you can do just about anything.

To a listener, even another seasoned, serious guitar player -- or even to an ocilloscope! -- there may be no significant difference in the tone. But to the player, it's a universe of difference that gives him wings...

Truer words have never been typed!

That's the reason that I think I'm so picky about pups. I feel like I have to work to get a passable sound with alot of them. I feel that way especially with A5 buckers.

Luke

 

[Mephis]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Yep, I do, with higher output pickups its much easier to play with.

And the new pickups in my tele have so much more charactor than thoes EMG do. Changing the picking attack can nearly make em talk. Sure they don't have much twang now, but man, they have their own tele'ish traits.

 

[Artie]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

I hope I'm interpreting how you mean "feel" here, and I hope I don't irritate folks with yet another Cool Rails rant.

If I caress the strings, the CR's purr back, if I spank the strings, the CR's bite back. I've never had a pup that responded to my touch like these do. And the Vintage Rails is the perfect referee between. I call him in whenever the bitch's get out of hand.

We now return you to the tech-talk already in progress . . . :laugh2:

 

[Curly]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

feel is the one thing that clips, no matter how well done, can't convey - whether it's a guitar or an amp

but, yes, feel is important to me 0that's one reason I often play with my fingers. I learned to like the lower pull/ more sustain of alnico 2 pickups like the APSs

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

ANDDDDD.........Curly and Lew convinced me about the APS'. I was already a believer in the A2P humbucker, but wasn't sure if it would be the same feel.

Luke

 

[Aceman]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Definitely - and it has to do with both my playing style (fairly heavy handed), and the guitar, and my musical style choices

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

I hope I'm interpreting how you mean "feel" here, and I hope I don't irritate folks with yet another Cool Rails rant.

If I caress the strings, the CR's purr back, if I spank the strings, the CR's bite back. I've never had a pup that responded to my touch like these do. And the Vintage Rails is the perfect referee between. I call him in whenever the bitch's get out of hand.

We now return you to the tech-talk already in progress . . . :laugh2:

No problem -- what you described is pretty much in line with what I was trying to say.

 

[Destructone]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Feel is the reason I play EMGs. I tried various pickups until I found some with the responce I was after. Some of them had a great sound, but they didn't "feel" the way I wanted them too.

What I learned is that I seem to prefer ceramic mags, pups tilted towards the high end, and fast tracking with lots of punch in the attack.

I'm thinking that I'll stick a Dimebucker in my next axe....but who knows....

"feel" is what drove me NOT to use EMG's anymore. they just dont hug the strings like a passive... even feedback is harder to control with them.

 

[Mephis]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

"feel" is what drove me NOT to use EMG's anymore. they just dont hug the strings like a passive... even feedback is harder to control with them.

Try not using so much gain and let the pickups do the work, if you are getting a really back squeal, you are using way to much gain. Or the amp is vibrating the strings.

Palm muting if your friend.

 

[some_dude]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

"feel" is what drove me NOT to use EMG's anymore. they just dont hug the strings like a passive... even feedback is harder to control with them.

I control my pickups, they don't control me.

 

[Destructone]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

Try not using so much gain and let the pickups do the work, if you are getting a really back squeal, you are using way to much gain. Or the amp is vibrating the strings.

Palm muting if your friend.

oh, i want the feedback definitely for effect in solos and such... and thats what the EMG didnt have enough of. they were holding back the feedback as much as i want them to.

 

[Destructone]

Re: anyone judge a pup by it's "FEEL"

I control my pickups, they don't control me.

same here.