Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

[ratkent]

I've been using higher output pickups in my Les Pauls most of my career. I used EMGs back in the day and over the last 15 year or so I've lived on Duncan Customs, Custom Customs and recently the Suhr Aldrich. I've just gotten a modded Marshall JVM 410H and the other guitarist in my band has one as well. It seems like this amp likes the lower output of the pickups in his guitars a little better. The amp has way more gain than I will ever use. The heaviest tone I need is in the Zakk Wylde area and I'm pretty sure I can get it without a pickup smashing the input of the amp.

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone else has made such a switch. Say from Customs to Pearly Gates or 59s? Any other suggestions or shared experiences are welcomed.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

CC is a medium hot coil but a weak mag; how did you find it mixed with your gui/effects/amp? that'd tell you a bit i would think

both are well-loved in both neck and bridge and apparently take well to mag swaps?
if i were getting used to passives after actives i imagine i'd enjoy that kind of control... can testify on an A2 59n, still trawlin fo the others

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

The more I play and the more I understand about tone (or my perception of it) and what makes good tone vs bad tone, the more I gravitate away from high output pickkups!

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

as someone who's always played passives and is considering setting up an active gui, i ponder the differences between emg85s and blackout necks..?

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I used the JB for many years. Now I'm using a C5/59 hybrid. It's hot, but has nice cleans. It's around 11k - so I consider that medium...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

i used to use emg 81, 85, duncan distortion, dimarzio super 3, x2n etc...

i still have one guitar with a really hot 17k a5 bridge bucker but the rest are almost all paf/overwound paf type stuff. i like to make the amp do the work and keep my pups on the more mild side. although a double stud 11k brobucker is anything but mild

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

Went from a Hot Rails to a Custom Custom to a Phat Cat in my Strat.

Tone gets better each time.

 

[RockStarNick]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

Slowly but surely, I'm switching all the pickups in my guitars to lower output ones. I've found that I like vintage-based pickups - 42AWG, A5 mags, etc., that are slightly overwound. Rather than a straight up high-output pickup.

 

[DonP]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I've always had a wide array of guitars, so I didn't really change.

I like high output, I like low output.

I like them on a Strat, I like them on a Les Paul.

Variety is the spice of life.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I had a Brian Moore Guitars I12000 Series with JB Bridge, Alnico II pro single coil middle and Alnico II pro neck bucker, so I made the switch every time I moved the pickup position toggle lol.
If a guitar allows for it, I like to have high output and low output pickups in the one guitar.
High output for the high gain stuff, low for the clean stuff.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

i had a similar rig goin for a while...the Hot Rails in my strat was easily twice if not three times as loud as my single coils were...i took to using the Hot Rails instead of an overdrive pedal.

 

[sonicexplorer]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

Replaced the stock pu's in my explorer with pgs and never looked back. Gave that guitar some extra mojo that's still hard to beat. Also put a pg and apsII's in my Charvel #4. Crunchy and bluesy.

Tried the pgn in my #1 Westbury, but was too bright. The aph, cc combo works best. I am curious to try an aph in the bridge of my Westbury.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I'm going the low output way myself.

Handwound humbuckers 7.13K A5 neck p'up + 8.2K A8 bridge.

I just can't wait for the outcome! They're going in my 1980 MIJ Vantage LP Custom copy.

NOS (new old specs) Modern PAF specs. Dig it, I've just made'em up.

 

[brunogio]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I went from 495/500 set to Burstbucker Pros and really like the change. I have amps with tons of gain and they do the job fine. In vintage sounding amps, these pickups sing and are much fuller to my ears than the high output pups they replaced.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Anyone made the switch from high output to mid output pickups?

I haven't "made a switch", but I've got mostly guitars with high output pups - JBs, DD, Blackouts, BL USA 500XL, an EMG 81 on the way.
However, I have my Epi Black Beauty with an Alnico II Pro, Phat Cat and 59 in it and I love it every bit as much as any other guitar, for certain things.

I plan on swapping one of my JBs for something like a 59 or another AIIP.