Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

[camaross427]

Well first off i'm new to the forum so Hello

I have an Epiphone Korina Explorer, and i love it, but i am looking to "take it to the next level" so to speak by putting in some nice pickups.

I am currently debating between

the Custom

And the Custom Custom


I am a bit all over the place with what i play, i want something great for a balsy bluesy rock tone (think lynyrd skynyrd/ acdc type stuff) But i still want it to sound nice for 80's metal ( ratt maiden priest, and higher gain stuff such as metallica

So what should i do? Any recommendations?
I have heard the Custom 5 would be good for what i want, but for me it sounds way too open, no mids.

I am also concerned about the Custom, that i wont' like the scooped mids....and in the custom custom i am afraid there wont' be enough bass...so yeah any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

For the neck i was thinking a pearl gates, or a 59, for a smooth tone, bluesy, but good for dave murray type iron maiden solo's (think the trooper solo, smooth sounding, but still with good distortion)


Anyway, thanks!

 

[checo]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

I tried quite a few in mine...i found the answer in the dimarzio Air Zone (gibson explorer = mahagony) just something to consider.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

I tried quite a few in mine...i found the answer in the dimarzio Air Zone (gibson explorer = mahagony) just something to consider.

allright thanks for the advice.
The only thing is my explorer is korina, so that may make a difference

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

I reckon a dimarzio paf neck (ideal for Dave Murray though he mainly used a strat) and maybe a dimarzio super distortion in the bridge.

The choice of the super D is a little out there, but will cover the heavier stuff really well. The paf neck is really versatile for the bluesy rock stuff.

Throw in a coil swap when you wire it up for an extra couple of sounds.

Of your listed choices, I would go for a pearly gates neck and custom bridge.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Ya that is sort of what i am afraid of, that a super distortion would just be too much for stuff like skynyrd or zeppelin, which is why i want to go for something more in the middle.

I would like to buy both pickups form one company, either both dimarzio or both Duncan, just to make life easier.

also about how much would a coil swap cost, and how would i go about mounting it? or should i just have a tech do it?

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Ya that is sort of what i am afraid of, that a super distortion would just be too much for stuff like skynyrd or zeppelin, which is why i want to go for something more in the middle.

I would like to buy both pickups form one company, either both dimarzio or both Duncan, just to make life easier.

also about how much would a coil swap cost, and how would i go about mounting it? or should i just have a tech do it?

You could get by using the neck pup for skynyrd and zepp stuff.

A coil swap just needs one push pull pot (can be either volume or tone) and only means a few more solder joints.

 

[oilpit]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Custom + A Gibson = the best heavy blues/rock/hard rock/metal tone EVER

And if you were worried about it being too scooped, coming from somebody that really hates scooped anything, the Custom has plenty of mids, you need not worry.

I have never tried to tap a Custom, but given the nice even compression that you get from the pup, and a lot of power coming from the magnet, I'm sure you would get a really great single coil tone out of it.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Custom + A Gibson = the best heavy blues/rock/hard rock/metal tone EVER

And if you were worried about it being too scooped, coming from somebody that really hates scooped anything, the Custom has plenty of mids, you need not worry.

I have never tried to tap a Custom, but given the nice even compression that you get from the pup, and a lot of power coming from the magnet, I'm sure you would get a really great single coil tone out of it.

allright thanks! looks like i'll probably be going custom then!

Now how do i go about wiring in the coil tap? Would this be something i could do my self or should i take it to a tech? if i took it to a tech about how much would this all cost, wiring in 2 humbuckers and a push pull pot for the coil tap?

sorry about all the questions lol, i'm not a noob to guitar but i'm a noob to replacing pickups lol

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Sounds like you'd be happy with a Custom. Either the '59 or PG would be good in the neck. We're do-it-yourselfers here, and you have to start somewhere. If you have a few guitars (or will eventually) you should learn how to swap PU's & rewire youself. Push-pull pots are easy to do. There's online instruction and many helpful guys on this forum.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Sounds like you'd be happy with a Custom. Either the '59 or PG would be good in the neck. We're do-it-yourselfers here, and you have to start somewhere. If you have a few guitars (or will eventually) you should learn how to swap PU's & rewire youself. Push-pull pots are easy to do. There's online instruction and many helpful guys on this forum.

so i guess i'll have a look around and find some threads about wiring it all in than

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

so i guess i'll have a look around and find some threads about wiring it all in than

There's excellent diagrams on this site, and coil cut is very easy. My first rewiring was putting two push-pulls in a 335 (thru the F holes); the second was putting the 4 push-pull Jimmy Page system in an LP. I had no prior soldering, electrical, or handyman skills what-so-ever. It's all low tech and just not that hard. As I've said before, if you can dress yourself and drive to work, you can do this stuff. Take your time & follow the diagrams. Every electrical part (PU, pot, toggle, and jack) has a hot and a ground wire. The grounds are all inter-connected in one big loop that links to the bridge or stop bar.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

There's excellent diagrams on this site, and coil cut is very easy. My first rewiring was putting two push-pulls in a 335 (thru the F holes); the second was putting the 4 push-pull Jimmy Page system in an LP. I had no prior soldering, electrical, or handyman skills what-so-ever. It's all low tech and just not that hard. As I've said before, if you can dress yourself and drive to work, you can do this stuff. Take your time & follow the diagrams. Every electrical part (PU, pot, toggle, and jack) has a hot and a ground wire. The grounds are all inter-connected in one big loop that links to the bridge or stop bar.

Ok, thanks man for all your help :thanks:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Ok, thanks man for all your help :thanks:

A few other tips: Set the guitar on an old towel on a table, and place a second old towel over the guitar to catch solder drips. Have good overhead light and a fan to keep solder fumes out of your face. Make it comfortable and relaxing. Don't rush. Make a color diagram of what you have now, and compare that to the diagram from this site. Look at them until they both make sense. You're only dealing with a few wires; it's not a plate of spaghetti. You want a low watt solder iron (not gun) as when solder gets too hot, it runs everywhere like water. Don't overheat the pots.

It's a great feeling to be self-sufficient. You can make your guitars sound great and save a fortune doing it. Let us know how we can help.

BTW, you meant 'coil cut', not 'coil swap' right? Shutting off one of a HB's coils?

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

A few other tips: Set the guitar on an old towel on a table, and place a second old towel over the guitar to catch solder drips. Have good overhead light and a fan to keep solder fumes out of your face. Make it comfortable and relaxing. Don't rush. Make a color diagram of what you have now, and compare that to the diagram from this site. Look at them until they both make sense. You're only dealing with a few wires; it's not a plate of spaghetti. You want a low watt solder iron (not gun) as when solder gets too hot, it runs everywhere like water. Don't overheat the pots.

It's a great feeling to be self-sufficient. You can make your guitars sound great and save a fortune doing it. Let us know how we can help.

BTW, you meant 'coil cut', not 'coil swap' right? Shutting off one of a HB's coils?

Yep coil cut.
If i put in a push pull pot to control the coil cut, will i still be able to use it as a volume knob also? Or can it only be one or the other?

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

custom + a gibson = the best heavy blues/rock/hard rock/metal tone ever

and if you were worried about it being too scooped, coming from somebody that really hates scooped anything, the custom has plenty of mids, you need not worry.

I have never tried to tap a custom, but given the nice even compression that you get from the pup, and a lot of power coming from the magnet, i'm sure you would get a really great single coil tone out of it.

+1

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

+1

Even more motivation to get the custom! Thanks again guys for clearing up my confusion, i'm pretty excited, those pickups and the gibson vibrola i am going to put on ( like the one on allen collins or rickey medlocke from lynyrd skynrd's guitar) are just going to make my explorer sick!

 

[Gish_85]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

Yep coil cut.
If i put in a push pull pot to control the coil cut, will i still be able to use it as a volume knob also? Or can it only be one or the other?

It does both, twisting action always changes the volume whether it has been pushed/pulled

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

It does both, twisting action always changes the volume whether it has been pushed/pulled

Cool so i just wire it in and i'm good to go, sounds like a plan

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

I'll just add another recommendation for the Custom coil in a Gibson. I'm a recent convert to the much-lauded Custom bridge/59 neck combination, and I think it sounds great.

 

[camaross427]

Re: Need help deciding between a few pickups for my explorer

I'll just add another recommendation for the Custom coil in a Gibson. I'm a recent convert to the much-lauded Custom bridge/59 neck combination, and I think it sounds great.

Nice, i think i am going to go for the pearly gates in the neck, but i'm still not completely decided.