Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

[Mincer]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I don't care how much a guitar costs. But if it stays in tune, fits my hands, and is ergonomically sound (balance...knobs where I like 'em, etc), then sure. New pickups only affect the sound, not the overall feel, so a great sounding, poorly playing guitar won't get played by me. But I have owned many inexpensive instruments that were perfect, and with a pickup change, all sounded great.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

You already have the pickups, so why not? Find one that already feels good and sounds decent, and do the swap. Keep the original parts and if you don't like it, swap it back and unload the guitar for most or all of what you paid for it.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I think the premise is incorrect. Cheap guitars can be vastly different from each other, as can expensive ones. If the guitar is good to start with, good pickups will make it that much better. If the guitar has issues or serious problems, pickups will sound the way they sound, but cannot salvage other problems with the instrument. For example, putting a hot pickup in a guitar with no sustain results in louder no sustain, IME.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I think the premise is incorrect. Cheap guitars can be vastly different from each other, as can expensive ones. If the guitar is good to start with, good pickups will make it that much better. If the guitar has issues or serious problems, pickups will sound the way they sound, but cannot salvage other problems with the instrument. For example, putting a hot pickup in a guitar with no sustain results in louder no sustain, IME.

True, hence when rescuing or recycling - I check the body is good, solid, neck is straight, frets good, and I forgot to mention that acoustically is resonant enough with decent sustain. Tick those boxes, can't go wrong !


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[Clint 55]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

2 cheap guitars that I've tried to work on ended up sounding bad so far. 1 was a squier jaguar. The neck was too thin, too much wood routed out of the body, and the bridge was on top of the pickguard. There could have been other things but those were the reasons I could come up with why it sounded dead. The other was an Epi afd lp for $200 (not one of the nice Epis). It sounded great when I had just a jazz in the neck for jazz where all I needed was bass. So I tried making a traditional rock sounding lp... No dice. It didn't feel right or resonate right. Not like a real lp at all.

On the other hand my squier strats, p bass, and Epi 335 all sound and feel really good. Almost no or no compromise in sound and feel at all.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

Why not tune one of your current guitars down? Spend $5 on strings and give it a shot.

I spent a lot of years on cheap guitars. A few years ago, I lucked into a good deal on a nice one. It cured me of my desire for a plethora of cheapies.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

Two points I should clarify:
1) Most cheap guitars are just lousy. The best cheap guitars are cheap because no one wants them but wereally actually decent quality when new.
2) Unless it's a unicorn, a cheap guitar with good pickups will NOT sound like a good guitar. That's kind of the point - it will sound good but different.

 

[thanaton]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

The two main reasons expensive guitars are expensive is because of the brand name and where it is made. Neither of those factors effects tone. Sure, there's finer fret and finish work in an expensive guitar, which arguably could also be done cheaper sans the big name brand, made overseas, and what does finer fret and finish work have to do with tone? Which brings me back to pickups: swap em out.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

The two main reasons expensive guitars are expensive is because of the brand name and where it is made. Neither of those factors effects tone. Sure, there's finer fret and finish work in an expensive guitar, which arguably could also be done cheaper sans the big name brand, made overseas, and what does finer fret and finish work have to do with tone? Which brings me back to pickups: swap em out.

You are making a bunch of general statements that aren't entirely founded in fact. The topic is "Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences" ...so what exactly are your experiences?

 

[Sensates]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I'm all for it.

Although there might be some quirks you might need to take notice... for example some guitars doesn't fit Duncans (eg. early Ibanezes) backplate unless you route it out. Also for downtuning if you're put in thick strings make sure the guitar neck is pretty soild, a lot of cheaper guitars has rubber band necks.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

The two main reasons expensive guitars are expensive is because of the brand name and where it is made. Neither of those factors effects tone. Sure, there's finer fret and finish work in an expensive guitar, which arguably could also be done cheaper sans the big name brand, made overseas, and what does finer fret and finish work have to do with tone? Which brings me back to pickups: swap em out.

it doesn't have to do with brand name or cost. It has to do with woods *and* construction. A cheap guitar might sound great, whereas an expensive one might have an inherent problem (e.g. rattling truss rod) and thus sound poor no matter the pups upgrades. Similarly, a guitar with soft (not dried) maple neck will sound dull and lifeless. By going expensive you decrease the chances of getting a lemon, but there is no guarantee that a cheaper one wont sound better.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I think the premise is incorrect. Cheap guitars can be vastly different from each other, as can expensive ones. If the guitar is good to start with, good pickups will make it that much better. If the guitar has issues or serious problems, pickups will sound the way they sound, but cannot salvage other problems with the instrument. For example, putting a hot pickup in a guitar with no sustain results in louder no sustain, IME.

I agree. BTW I must inform you here that my Ibanez uv70p about which you had predicted that I would bring out the "circular", is very well, with kicking tone and long sustain with action down to touch-screen levels. Haven't done a single setup in the last 6 months or so. So, a guitar that indeed has a problem does not make it doomed if a skillful and cheap tech can solve the fundamental issues. He solved all its problems for 100 EUR ($100) and now it is more rigid and enhanced than the new factory ones.

 

[stevethompson]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

My favorite guitar (don't tell the others) is a Framus BL10 that I picked up in an Albany pawn shop late '70's for 100.00. Soon after buying it put it through some rather ugly surgery with a drill-bit, hammer & screwdrivers to force a set of humbuckers to fit - the first set was a Dimarzio SD and an unamed PAF clone (still have that one). For some time I had also fit the guts of an EHX LPB-1 under the pickguard and drilled holes for mounting the controls. Eventually put in a set of EMGs and had a new pickguard assembled to fit. Currently it has SD JB/59 set and sounds the best it ever has. I see now there is an Antiquity JB/Jazz set that will probably be the final transplant - I should get the botched cavity routings patched up as well, I'll have to see if I can find someone who can do that, I think I've done enough damage. Pickguard screw-holes may not survive another removal.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

I've got some really good and expensive guitars and I've got a couple dozen cheap inexpensive guitars. I've replaced the pups in the cheap ones, made new nuts, and I've done fret jobs on them. They now sound, play, and feel every bit as good as the expensive ones that cost 10 times as much.

 

[thanaton]

Re: Good pickups into cheap guitars... tell me your experiences

Similarly, a guitar with soft (not dried) maple neck will sound dull and lifeless

Unless a neck is encased in polyurethane, I think it will dry out inevitably.

By going expensive you decrease the chances of getting a lemon, but there is no guarantee that a cheaper one wont sound better.

Usually when you buy a TV, the overpriced extended warranty is a like $60, and that covers unforseen problems. Here you're talking about a three-times-the-price warranty, for issues that will likely be readily apparent from the get go.