Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

[metalhead1879]

First off, I know nothing about pickups... I have been reading reviews online and I'm really confused about a lot of things. This may sound dumb to most guitarists, but do certain pickups not fit in certain guitars? (I know the difference between humbuckers and single coils, but I'm confused about sizes and how they fit in the guitar). I don't see any specs on pickup sizes anywhere in new guitars advertised on the internet, or maybe I'm not looking hard enough or missing something. Also, How do I know which pickups go in the neck or bridge position?

I will be buying this guitar : http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/511662/

I have looked into: SH12 Screamin Demon Pickup, SH13 Dimebucker, EMG 81, and Seymour Duncan LW-HMET Livewire Metal Humbuckers, just reading around and trying to figure out which is the best buy. I want a heavy metal sound (Between the Buried and Me, Unearth type sound of guitar), preferrably a good pickup for soloing and a good pickup for rhythm. Im not looking for clean so much as I am high output distortion with balls.

I am open to any suggestions as for which pickups to buy and where to put them, and hopefully someone can help me about this fitting the pickup in problem. I don't want to end up with 2 pickups and only one fitting in or they aren't compatible, etc. I would appreciate any help. Thank you!

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

Pickup sizes these days -- humbuckers especially -- are pretty uniform. All of the pickups you mention will fit in that guitar you linked. As for which pickups are the best for metal, it's a very popular question here, so I'll let others come in and give their very popular answers.

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

Given your tastes, I don't think the Dimebucker or Screamin' Demon are for you, but I'm sure someone will disagree.

If you want really insane output, go for the LiveWire, although you'll need two 9v batteries, not one like with the EMGs (although some would argue that the EMGs are much better with 2 batteries anyway). Imo, for the bridge, you'd be better off with an EMG 85 or a Duncan Custom.

The only real sizing issue these days is pole spacing for the bridge. That guitar has a trem, so if you choose a Duncan pickup, go with a Trembucker version of it for the bridge. Generally, a pickup description will say what position it is meant for (neck/bridge). Most pickups come in a standard spacing and said Trembucker variant for wider spaced bridges (so the pole pieces on the pickup line up with the strings). Some also have a neck model, meant for neck installation, unsurprisingly. If you look at the description table for each pickup, then under "complete setup" you'll see if you can get a neck version.

As an illustrative example, the Full Shred (a Duncan pickup) has three variants:
SH-10: "standard" version, for the bridge position on narrower spaced bridges.
TB-10: Trembucker version, for wider spaced bridges. If a pickup's description sheet lists "Trembucker." under "available mods", then a TB variant is available. Confusingly, there are a few extra pickup models specifically called Trembuckers, but that's a different thing. In this case, Trembucker refers to a pickup with wider pole spacing to line up with bridges properly.
SH-10n: while that name isn't generally used, it's the easiest way to refer to the neck variant of the SH-10, which has less output. This is because in the neck position, strings vibrate more, creating more output. So pickup output is lowered to compensate and balance with the bridge.

As for EMGs, with the basic models, you can put them in either position, and spacing isn't a problem, because they have a single bar for a magnet, rather than individual magnets for each string. You get less "attack", but a more even response.

Hope that all made sense.

 

[metalhead1879]

Re: Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

Thank you guys very much, I appreciate it.

 

[motorboy29]

Re: Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

well, if you really want to put some work in. make a custom/demon hybrid, a tight monster with balls. Or, if you like the pain of active pups go ahead, but no def not a dime or 'vader

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Buying a new guitar and new pickups, HELP!

This is something I don't normally say. BUT! If it's a new guitar that you don't even have yet. Then it would make ALOT more sense to me if you got it and played it for a month or so. Let your ears get accustomed to it. Then you will have a better feel of the guitar itself and alot better idea of what pickups are going to fit you better.

Hell, you may not even need to swap the pickups out. They might be what you need stock.

Every hunk o wood is different bro! Which means you could have 2 identical guitars made exactly the same /w the SAME pickups and they could sound totally different.


Get the guitar. Play it. Find out what you like and don't like about it. Then come back and talk to us!