Lesser known pickup brands to try
- Thread starter Rex_Rocker
- Start date
Mononoaware
Active member
Tonerider
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
In the big list. They aren’t really lesser known anyway.
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
There was an Australian brand called Pure-Tone that made their own pickups for cheap and some of their own designs like “the blade” that looked like an ENG with a strat angled pair of blades. My favourites were the Spider (A5 with very distinct sound even amp to amp) and a hex screw neck pickup which is essentially a PAF Pro. They vanished off the face of the earth in the early 2010s.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
So how about this?
What JB-inspired alternatives from other builders are there?
I know of:
DiMarzio AT-1
DiMarzio Tone Zone
Suhr SSH+
Suhr Aldrich
BKP Holy Diver
Fishman Fluence Classic
Tonrider Generator
But what else?
What JB-inspired alternatives from other builders are there?
I know of:
DiMarzio AT-1
DiMarzio Tone Zone
Suhr SSH+
Suhr Aldrich
BKP Holy Diver
Fishman Fluence Classic
Tonrider Generator
But what else?
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Post #5. But I didn't restrict my list to 'lesser known'. I just posted my list I was keeping of winders. Somewhere I have a longer list, but I can't find it. Manilus and a number of others are missing from what I posted.
Ascension
Well-known member
Mag swaps on the Kiesel Pickups aren't as easy as they are with many others. I thought about trying a A5 in one of my Beryllium bridges but backed off when I realized how far I had t disassemble the pickup. The mag doesn't just slide out like on a Duncan or Dimarzio. How far did you have to pull your Holdsworth apart to be able to swap the mag? Also with a standard size mag fit?
the old 22 poll Carvin pickups are built pretty differently from the new Kiesels.
The Beryllium uses a different wire plus the Holdsworths are not fully potted. Different pickups.
soulforger
Active member
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
JOLLY
Super Simonologist
Motor City Afwayu. I have no personal experience with it. I've just read that it's similar to a JB.
Gstring
New member
[
So how about this?
What JB-inspired alternatives from other builders are there?
I know of:
DiMarzio AT-1
DiMarzio Tone Zone
Suhr SSH+
Suhr Aldrich
BKP Holy Diver
Fishman Fluence Classic
Tonrider Generator
But what else?
Iron Gear Dirty Torque. A really great JB alternative. Like JB gives good clean PAF tone when put in parallel with a push pull.,,,Goes very well with the Iron Gear Blues Engine(A4) in the neck. Very popular pick up combination here in the UK among my acquaintances
So how about this?
What JB-inspired alternatives from other builders are there?
I know of:
DiMarzio AT-1
DiMarzio Tone Zone
Suhr SSH+
Suhr Aldrich
BKP Holy Diver
Fishman Fluence Classic
Tonrider Generator
But what else?
Iron Gear Dirty Torque. A really great JB alternative. Like JB gives good clean PAF tone when put in parallel with a push pull.,,,Goes very well with the Iron Gear Blues Engine(A4) in the neck. Very popular pick up combination here in the UK among my acquaintances
Regular mags worked fine. It was actually quite easy, perhaps the semi potting helped? I know Dimarzios can be challenging due to the wax and sometimes glue/bonding agent to hold mag or wires in place.
*Edit* I have been swapping so much recently but perhaps I did take the backplate off since I swapped out the black pole pieces for nickel ones. Magnets come out pretty easily that way.
Ascension
Well-known member
I installed a new set of Kiesel pickups in my 2014 Carvin DC 600 last night. It runs direct mount so these were a straight drop in. There is a particular Kiesel set I have been wanting to try and my long time sales rep set me up with these for a killer price.
I'm absolutely blown away by these pickups. Problem is they are not listed on the Kiesel Pickup builder so unless your some body like me who knows to ask for them you don't know they exist.
Did a A/B test with the Alt 8 Sentient set I have as well as the Perpetual Burn / Alnico II neck in my other 2 hardtail DC's. Think these kill both sets through my first gen PRS Archon rig here at the house just jaw dropping tones. In particular that Gambali neck is spectacular.
Greg Howe bridge with a Frank Gambali neck both A5. Why in the world Kiesel pushes the super hot shrill screechy sounding metal pickups but ignores these is beyond me. The Howe has now been discontinued and no one really knows the Gambali neck is available on anything but the sig Gambali guitar. These are real unknown gems for a slightly over wound PAF themed killer combo.
Here is the only real demo of this set i can find. Really a magic combo here. I got a chance to play a guitar with the set and loved the tones is how i found them.
I'm absolutely blown away by these pickups. Problem is they are not listed on the Kiesel Pickup builder so unless your some body like me who knows to ask for them you don't know they exist.
Did a A/B test with the Alt 8 Sentient set I have as well as the Perpetual Burn / Alnico II neck in my other 2 hardtail DC's. Think these kill both sets through my first gen PRS Archon rig here at the house just jaw dropping tones. In particular that Gambali neck is spectacular.
Greg Howe bridge with a Frank Gambali neck both A5. Why in the world Kiesel pushes the super hot shrill screechy sounding metal pickups but ignores these is beyond me. The Howe has now been discontinued and no one really knows the Gambali neck is available on anything but the sig Gambali guitar. These are real unknown gems for a slightly over wound PAF themed killer combo.
Here is the only real demo of this set i can find. Really a magic combo here. I got a chance to play a guitar with the set and loved the tones is how i found them.
Last edited:
Zombie 13X33
New member
I have tried various off brands from ebay and Amazon with very little disappointment for the money spent. There are way to many Chinese companies I don't know the names to to list but I know one company I've bought from thru ebay and they are called GUITAR MADNESS PICKUPS. I've only tried 2 different kinds of pickups that they sell but I've bought a couple sets and a couple individuals. I'll just list them..
"1984" I think it's there recreation of something vanhalen would have used. Wasn't for me but only tried it on my old fender amp, before I had the katana.
"Hexbucker" this is the one I'm sold on. The prices of all these have gone up but they are 100% worth it. I think a set goes for about 35-38 bucks now? Used to literally be half a year ago... one is about 20 bucks give or take I can't remember but they are worth it. These are there dimarzio super distortion clone. I'm not sure if it's a good clone or not but I really enjoy using it in every guitar I put it in. The neck version is kinda dark but it looks cool enough cus it looks like a super distortion with the dual hex heads. I've gotten white ones, black ones and my new favorite. The black and cream zebras.
Random Chinese invader pickups from random vendors off ebay and Amazon. I've tried the invader single coils but not on a good amp. Didn't like them at all. Had an invader hsh set in white with black poles. Had the red/black zebras. Etc.... lots of colors cus they were cheap and better then stock jackson/ibanez low-end guitars.
I like the cheap brands sometimes just for the fun factor. Use a cheaper guitar. Swap a set of cool looking pickups in it and see if they sound any good. Usually.. if you have a decent enough amp it doesn't matter too much about pickups I'm finding out and I think that's what's fun? Right now I'm personally debating on buying a Chinese hetfield explorer copy but idk. I would only do it for the cost of 300 ish dollars. Otherwise it's 650 for the epiphone and that's almost good enough but I really want a white 84 explorer so bad lol.
"1984" I think it's there recreation of something vanhalen would have used. Wasn't for me but only tried it on my old fender amp, before I had the katana.
"Hexbucker" this is the one I'm sold on. The prices of all these have gone up but they are 100% worth it. I think a set goes for about 35-38 bucks now? Used to literally be half a year ago... one is about 20 bucks give or take I can't remember but they are worth it. These are there dimarzio super distortion clone. I'm not sure if it's a good clone or not but I really enjoy using it in every guitar I put it in. The neck version is kinda dark but it looks cool enough cus it looks like a super distortion with the dual hex heads. I've gotten white ones, black ones and my new favorite. The black and cream zebras.
Random Chinese invader pickups from random vendors off ebay and Amazon. I've tried the invader single coils but not on a good amp. Didn't like them at all. Had an invader hsh set in white with black poles. Had the red/black zebras. Etc.... lots of colors cus they were cheap and better then stock jackson/ibanez low-end guitars.
I like the cheap brands sometimes just for the fun factor. Use a cheaper guitar. Swap a set of cool looking pickups in it and see if they sound any good. Usually.. if you have a decent enough amp it doesn't matter too much about pickups I'm finding out and I think that's what's fun? Right now I'm personally debating on buying a Chinese hetfield explorer copy but idk. I would only do it for the cost of 300 ish dollars. Otherwise it's 650 for the epiphone and that's almost good enough but I really want a white 84 explorer so bad lol.
51501984
New member
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