Help choosing pickups

[Bam!]

Hi,
I have a Cort Z42 with active Dynamite pickups and a mahogany body. I have recently installed a cheap $50 set of Chinese Invaders in a homemade guitar and found that I like the tone of them better. I have put it down to the passives have more life to them and the actives are a bit sterile. The feel of the Cort is amazing, the sound is not.
I play through a Champion 20 and can get a sound I like with 3-4 pedals.
So, I want to get a set of SD and I like the sound of Alnico 2 such as Pearly Gates in the neck and Alnico 5 eg 59/Custom Hybrid in the bridge, I find the Alnico 2 Bridges very bright and thin in the samples but I must admit I cannot tell the difference in sound between let's say PG Bridge, Slash bridge, 59 bridge, I find similar pickups near identical in sound, all I can say is I like Alnico 2 for neck and Alnico 5 for bridge.
I am mainly a slow Blues player which suits my level, building up to harder rocking styles and 80's metal in future, but really I want to play anything; if I like it, I'll play it. I have been playing for a bit over a year and struggle playing fast at the moment.
I find myself almost exclusively playing the neck pickup because I don't like the bridge sound.

Questions are
1.Is there anything wrong with customizing my own configuration based Alnico 2 for neck and Alnico 5 for bridge, which will obviously cost more money than a set?
2. This is my first venture into upgrading pickups, am I better off buying the hotrodded set at half the price and readily available in Australia and either set it up to my liking or move up gradually?
3. Can I tinker with my current pickups such as height to get a more beefy tone from the bridge?
4. I love the blues sound of Stevie Ray Vaughan and theme song of Becker which is strat I believe, I want that type of sound from a LP style guitar, not replicate but in the same vein, have I chosen the right pickups in the first place?

BAM!

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help choosing pickups

- I am mainly a slow Blues player which suits my level, building up to harder rocking styles and 80's metal in future, but really I want to play anything; if I like it, I'll play it.

1.Is there anything wrong with customizing my own configuration based Alnico 2 for neck and Alnico 5 for bridge, which will obviously cost more money than a set?

2. This is my first venture into upgrading pickups, am I better off buying the hotrodded set at half the price and readily available in Australia and either set it up to my liking or move up gradually?

3. Can I tinker with my current pickups such as height to get a more beefy tone from the bridge?

4. I love the blues sound of Stevie Ray Vaughan and theme song of Becker which is strat I believe, I want that type of sound from a LP style guitar, not replicate but in the same vein, have I chosen the right pickups in the first place?

- I'm a blues player myself, always good to see another one here.

1. A2 neck, A5 bridge? Check local ordnances to see what you can do without a permit. There are those that prefer it the opposite, A2 giving a thicker tone (as the bridge slot is inherently brighter, sharper, and thinner due to the reduced string vibration), and an A5 in the neck. You are free to do what sounds best to you.

2. For blues, the bridge for the Hot Rodded set isn't in the top 10 PU's for blues, or the top 20. But for hard rock and metal, it can be a good choice. Some guys like JB's in LP's, some can't stand them there. The neck half of that set, JazzN gives a clean, clear tone.

3. Smart boy. Adjusting PU and pole piece height changes output and tone to some degree. You're catching on fast.

4. LP's don't sound like Strats, and vice versa. No PU's are going to change that. Factors such as woods, design, scale length, etc come into play. Other Gibson's don't sound like LP's. What's your Cort like design-wise?

 

[Leon Of Late]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I believe the Cort he has is an LP style guitar.

As Blueman said, you are free to like A2 magnets in the neck and A5 for the bridge, lots of players like the same thing. Ultimately, the only rules are the ones you limit yourself by. Unless you really want the hotrodded set, I wouldn't suggest buying it just to save money, unless of course your budget it fixed and tight and you have no other choice. The JB is a hotter rock pickup. If you like 80's rock and metal you'll eventually want a JB in a super strat kind of guitar. There were probably, literally, 10,000 songs in the 80's recorded using the JB. If the guitar player in a band played a strat with only one humbucker, chances are very good it was a JB. If you like more than 5 rock/metal songs from the 80's, chances are one was recorded with a JB. Not the first choice for blues though.

Blues typically calls for a PAF style pickup (vintage style, low output, etc). I would suggest the Seth Lovers, A2P's, Pearly Gates sets as good starting points, although all of these are A2 sets.

If I'm using an A5 pickup, I prefer it in the bridge. A 59' in the bridge for example, would pair well with any of the neck versions from the sets I mentioned above.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Cort active Dynamite pickups ... are a bit sterile.

No surprise there. The budget pickups in many Cort (and Cort-built) instruments are a bit lacklustre, be they active or passive.

I have put it down to the passives have more life to them

Speaking of things having life in them, when did you last change the strings and the battery in the Cort guitar?

I play through a Champion 20

This will not be getting the very best out of the guitar.

Chinese Invaders

No such thing! Naughty trademark infringement.

 

[Bam!]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Thanks for your prompt replies.
Z42 is very similar sounding to an LP.
Not on a budget as such, I will save up for what I decide on. Since I am new to this game, my main worry is jumping straight into a custom config with little knowledge and AU$100 more on the price tag, I would want advice before going down that route especially if people advise against it. Not spoilt for choice in a country town in Australia, so I would probably go conservative and get what has been tried before, and is more available.
Not after a strat tone in an LP but the crunch of the examples above, which makes me lean towards a Blues/Vintage set, these sets have my attention: A2 Pro HB, Slash, PG, Antiquity, Seth Lover - Strong lean towards the PG.
Haven't changed strings in a couple of months, but last time I did I think there was no difference, I will keep it in the back of my mind, probably time for a change. I'll try the battery too and let you know. I will also try adjusting the pickup height and see.
Have to stick with the Champion 20 at the moment, would love a valve amp, but can't afford it. I do have EL34, ECC83 valves and transformers and most other parts in the shed from a project a few years back, was going to build a valve amp, but kids got in the way, I will build it one day.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Help choosing pickups

If fresh strings did not sound noticably brighter than the well-used set that they replaced, something in your rig needs attention. Could be the amp. Could be a crappy, old instrument cable. I would begin by checking the onboard battery in the guitar.

Dull, farty sounds and both pickups sounding almost the same as each other is a sure sign of underpowered pre-amp electronics in the active pickups.

*

If you are undecided between the SH-1n '59 and SHPG-1n Pearly Gates models for the neck/Rhythm position, consider splitting the difference - SH-1n with a magnet swap from A5 to A4.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I am one of those who generally like the crispness of A5 in the bridge and the smoothness of A2 in the neck.

For being an A2 pup, the PG is pretty bright and crisp (some people call it "rude"). That would be an excellent set for what you are looking for (blues). Definitely within the PAF output range. Very expressive and responsive to pick attack and volume pot changes. One of the best all-around neck pups you can get (the Demon is my fav, but the PG is a very close 2nd).

 

[Mincer]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I like A5 in the bridge and A2 in the neck as well (not all the time, but about half the time, looking at the guitars around here). Tinkering with your current pickups might get you where you want, and it is free (or at least inexpensive if you swap magnets). There are no rules. You like what you like.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help choosing pickups

the crunch of the examples above, which makes me lean towards a Blues/Vintage set, these sets have my attention: A2 Pro HB, Slash, PG, Antiquity, Seth Lover - Strong lean towards the PG.

To me, the Vintage Blues set is pretty bright and scooped to have that title. PAF's with A2 magnets fit that description better (picture a smoky blues bar). In thick-bodied mahogany guitars (LP's), '59N's can sometimes be bassy/boomy. If you're wanting to get into some hard rock/metal later, a Slash set would work. A2P's are similar with a little less output. Seth's are great for blues, but not a top choice for metal. You're wanting a lot from one set of PU's.

 

[Bam!]

Re: Help choosing pickups

You're wanting a lot from one set of PU's.

You're right, I'll stick to one thing, I like the Slash tone as well. Wont cater for metal just yet, when I do, it will be a different guitar.

Thanks

 

[blueman335]

Re: Help choosing pickups

You're right, I'll stick to one thing, I like the Slash tone as well. Wont cater for metal just yet, when I do, it will be a different guitar.

Which is the approach most of us take. The 'do-it-all' guitar is a myth; why have a guitar that does a lot of things but not all that great? Where's the appeal in that. You're better off having a guitar that does fewer genres, but does them well.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I was just thinking how good the Slash set could sound playing metal.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[leevc5]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Why not try putting a2 & a5 in your Chinese invaders and try them in the cort? I'm probably missing something here but it's not uncommon.
I have been playing for over 30 years, mostly blues and jazz but of course I went thru a led zep, j beck...phase. But blues is what I always come back to. All that said:
I recently put a set of Seth Lovers in my LP and after going through an adjustment period have come to appreciate what fantastic pups they are for blues and jazz music.
Probably more important than the pups is that amp...drag the parts out of the shed and spend 8 hours (max) it would take you to put a 5f1 together.

 

[EDX]

Re: Help choosing pickups

well if i were you i would be looking at the pearly gates set, maybe a custom 9.5k PG for the bridge as you want to get metal on the future, personally, from all the pafs, the Pearly Gates is the only one i can really see working as both a blues and a metal pickup with some boost on the amp or a little gain from a pedal.

and yep, the do it all guitar doesn't exist, what exists is the do it all rig, that by pressing a foot controller you can change your whole rack internal config and play brutal bestial vegan death metal with the same guitar you just used for jazz..... but that's another story.....

however, still while you will never in 100 lifetime will be able to make a do it all guitar, you can pretty well make a very versatile guitar, just look to get the best for what you do that still can do other things okey and get in ballpark of tones you don't normally do, like now, get the best all-rounder blues pickup set, wich you can easily tame and control with the guitar pots instead of trying to add to it with amp and pedals and you won't regret, as if you then try to take less from it the guitar will behave well for harder things, as if you take more from it it will behave okey for softer jazzy stuff

 

[Bam!]

Re: Help choosing pickups

.drag the parts out of the shed and spend 8 hours (max) it would take you to put a 5f1 together.

You got me hooked on amp projects again, parts were bought for a 70w high end stereo amp back in the day, I'll probably build based on a Marshall 1987 since they are the same valves I got, and round about the same wattage, similar circuit to the one I had planned. Coming into winter down here, a good time to start.

So you reckon a pickup upgrade won't give as much as I hope with the Champion? Are there better amps in the same price range if I trade it in? Vox VT20 has a valve in the preamp section.
Battery change didn't do anything, raising and lowering pickups changes a little, will try tht a bit more. Strings are next, will let you know.

.Why not try putting a2 & a5 in your Chinese invaders and try them in the cort?

That's a good idea, hard to find someoe who sells alnicos in Australia, very expensive shipping from US, haven't got a stewmac down here. Need to research some more.

Thanks for your help. When it is time for pickup change, I think I'll go with Pearly Gates.