Do you feel Boutique pickups are overrated?

[formula73]

Re: Do you feel Boutique pickups are overrated?

Have you tried a boutique pu?

Honestly, just a couple. I played my buddy's Firebird which has WCR Crossroads, and they were nice but didn't floor me, and I have a set of Manlius Wurstkotzenbuckers in a Caddy that are great med-output hbs but again, I'm not sure if I would go out and buy them. They aren't getting swapped out, in any case. You probably hate me for this, but I even like the EMG 85 as a bridge pickup. I'll normally just roll back my gain a bit. When I go for a new pickup, its usually a CC or DD, depending on what I'm looking for.

Brash, loud, and abrasive with lots of highs and a tight bottom? DD
Super thick midrange with smooth highs? CC

I have a lot of 59n and 1 Jazzn and I'm starting to lean towards the Jazz. It sounds clearer to me, but then it might be the guitar.

Far be it from me to be thrifty on gear, but is it wrong to be pretty happy with what I've got? I do have to admit, your arguements are becoming somewhat compelling...

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Do you feel Boutique pickups are overrated?

Don't cave to any peer pressure to go out and get a pickup. If you're happy with what you've got, then you're saving money, another thing to be happy about, so very much dog poop on what anyone else thinks, me included.

That said, if you ever did decide you wanted something out of your pu's that you haven't been able to get with what you've tried so far, there's a lot to be said for going to a guy who will make something totally custom for you and your needs. If he takes tons of notes from your conversation and busts his nut to make you exactly what you want and still fails, he's obviously not for you. Only then could you make a solid judgement on boutiques, or at least that particular boutique winder anyway.

 

[formula73]

Re: Do you feel Boutique pickups are overrated?

Right you are. I guess, from my limited experience, that I feel boutique pickups are overrated, but then again, I suppose I never have had a sitdown with somebody who wound me exactly what I wanted. You do humbuckers? Maybe we could give it a try sometime...