Expensive Pickups that should song great but don't

[80's_Metal]

I'm speaking from my own little Metal world over here:

Anything by Gibson (besides the 500t, the BB3 is just ok, and the dirty fingers) ...every other Gibson pup I have tried I really disliked.

Every single Dean branded pickup...
Every single Jackson branded pickup...
Every single DiMarzio pickup except for the X2N (the super distortion is just ok)

Anything that's has the name "classic, paf or vintage in it" ... they are weak, loose, and under wound for my needs.

Basically any pickup that is generally less hot than the SH-6 (with the specific exception of the Pearly Gates, which I think is pretty dang sweet.)

Hopefully I didn't poke anyone's nerve with that list, just my humble opinion.

 

[Mincer]

I've never liked any Dean pickup either, even in their most expensive Custom Shop guitars.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm speaking from my own little Metal world over here:

Anything by Gibson (besides the 500t, the BB3 is just ok, and the dirty fingers) ...every other Gibson pup I have tried I really disliked.

Every single Dean branded pickup...
Every single Jackson branded pickup...
Every single DiMarzio pickup except for the X2N (the super distortion is just ok)

Anything that's has the name "classic, paf or vintage in it" ... they are weak, loose, and under wound for my needs.

Basically any pickup that is generally less hot than the SH-6 (with the specific exception of the Pearly Gates, which I think is pretty dang sweet.)

Hopefully I didn't poke anyone's nerve with that lost, just my humble opinion.

I'm sure knowing you like the 500T, the X2N, and the Distortion, I could find you a Jackson pickup you'd like as well as others DiMarzios.

 

[Sam SG]

Uncle Larry and his odd number system. Lol

 

[80's_Metal]

I'm sure knowing you like the 500T, the X2N, and the Distortion, I could find you a Jackson pickup you'd like as well as others DiMarzios.

Ha ha No need, I've got lots of distortions and black winters.... The world's best.

 

[chadd]

I have never tried the Pros. I've used the BB1, BB2, and BB3. All of those have A2s. I think the BB Pros are supposed to be the 2 and 3 but with A5s.

My BB2 and BB3 set has been in almost all my HH guitars, yet the neck and bridge just don't ever sound well together. The Classic 57s, which are similar, sounded great in the two guitars I've gotten with them.

I have a BB1/BB3 combo in my 335 and it sounds fantastic. Used to run that set in my R7, until I threw a slash set in there. Slightly different flavors, but love them. Not a fan of the BB Pros at all, thought it was the 1/2 with A5 when I measured a set but I could very well be wrong.

 

[xxxplorer]

I don't like Fluence very much. Would rather have an EMG 81 personally.

I didn't much like the Motor City 2nd Degree Black Belt that people raved about. Much preffered the first one. That's taste though.

 

[freefrog]

IME, Motor City Black Belts, like T-Tops or Tim Shaw's, are in the same vein than P.A.F.'s as evoked in my post 13: old school designs better to be played in an old school configurations / signal paths.

That's a big part of the reasons why I've not named precise examples of "Expensive Pickups that should sound great but don't": in most cases, there's a defined way to make them sound good if not great...

That said, we have all our preferences and some boutique brands effectively seem less exciting than others to me. Lollar products don't attire me either, for instance, nor Fralin ones (which doesn't mean they aren't great in their own way). YMMV.

 

[marcello252]

That said, we have all our preferences and some boutique brands effectively seem less exciting than others to me. Lollar products don't attire me either, for instance, nor Fralin ones (which doesn't mean they aren't great in their own way). YMMV.

agree, for example I've just got rid of a Fralin vintage hot tele neck in favour of a 'standard' SD STR-1 without the cover, I do think it's still the best with my teles in my rig althought the Fralin did sound very good, and for some it could be the nirvana, no doubt

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I don't like Fluence very much. Would rather have an EMG 81 personally.

I'm the other way around. I used to love the EMG 81, but from a few years back, they've all sounded off to me.

For me, the Fluence does what I like about the 81 better. The 81 is tight, focused, clear, and polished. The Fluence Modern Ceramic is tighter, more focused, clearer, and more polished.

That's just me, though. These days, I'm kind of over actives overall, TBH.

 

[misterwhizzy]

I'm speaking from my own little Metal world over here:

Anything by Gibson (besides the 500t, the BB3 is just ok, and the dirty fingers) ...every other Gibson pup I have tried I really disliked.

Every single Dean branded pickup...
Every single Jackson branded pickup...
Every single DiMarzio pickup except for the X2N (the super distortion is just ok)

Anything that's has the name "classic, paf or vintage in it" ... they are weak, loose, and under wound for my needs.

Basically any pickup that is generally less hot than the SH-6 (with the specific exception of the Pearly Gates, which I think is pretty dang sweet.)

Hopefully I didn't poke anyone's nerve with that lost, just my humble opinion.

You're destined to fall in love with the Custom, Steve.

 

[80's_Metal]

You're destined to fall in love with the Custom, Steve.

I've owned a handful of them. Even a custom custom... They aren't bad, same as the JB... I like them but, not compared to the BW/SH6