Hot pickups and classic rock
- Thread starter Wayne27
- Start date
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Hot pickups and classic rock
It's much easier to play heavier music with low output pickups than it is to tame too hot pickups for lower gain tones. There are exceptions to every rule of course. Much of the heaviest music of the 70's and early 80's was played on Les Paul's with vintage output pickups. Although the Dimarzio SD was in circulation pretty well by the mid 70's.
In general, you can always turn up the gain, turn up the volume or crank up another distortion stomp box to get a heavier tone.
It's much easier to play heavier music with low output pickups than it is to tame too hot pickups for lower gain tones. There are exceptions to every rule of course. Much of the heaviest music of the 70's and early 80's was played on Les Paul's with vintage output pickups. Although the Dimarzio SD was in circulation pretty well by the mid 70's.
In general, you can always turn up the gain, turn up the volume or crank up another distortion stomp box to get a heavier tone.
Dave Locher
New member
Re: Hot pickups and classic rock
And now for a different perspective: I think everything sounds better with a good, powerful pickup. You can always turn down the amp gain and/or guitar volume, but with some amps lower-output pickups just sound thin and weak and adding another pedal to the chain also adds noise and slop.
I would rather play rockabilly with a Super Distortion (which I have done) than play hard rock with a weak/thin pickup.
Caveat: I like a thick, crisp tone (clean or driven) and hate noise. I know a lot of players dig their pedals and if someone is playing a Mesa or similar front-loaded amp the pickups matter a LOT less. So this comes down to tastes, preferences, amps and signal chains. There is no one right answer. For me it's Super Ds and L500XLs.
And now for a different perspective: I think everything sounds better with a good, powerful pickup. You can always turn down the amp gain and/or guitar volume, but with some amps lower-output pickups just sound thin and weak and adding another pedal to the chain also adds noise and slop.
I would rather play rockabilly with a Super Distortion (which I have done) than play hard rock with a weak/thin pickup.
Caveat: I like a thick, crisp tone (clean or driven) and hate noise. I know a lot of players dig their pedals and if someone is playing a Mesa or similar front-loaded amp the pickups matter a LOT less. So this comes down to tastes, preferences, amps and signal chains. There is no one right answer. For me it's Super Ds and L500XLs.
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