Pickup advice for a new player

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I will add to this discussion that there is an area of this website called 'The Players Room' which collects dozens of blogs about different aspects of playing, and is worth checking out if you want to read where notes, chords and keys all meet. BTW, I never really use any pentatonic shapes, but, hey, there are other paths up the mountain too.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

First, I say Welcome to the forum!! Second, welcome to the wonderful world of guitar playing!! Third, Im going to go against the grain a small bit. Yes, agreed with all that say work on the playing the most. Sounds like you are diving into it with hours a day!! Next, Ill ask, are you dissatisfied with the tone of the guitar? Meaning are you getting alot of feedback/noise etc?? If so, then a pickup change can help that and inspire you a bit too. As others have said, I wouldnt sink alot of money into the guitar, but sometimes entry level guitars have noisy and or dull pickups. I had a low end Kramer many years ago. It played nice but sounded like poo.. Put in a Duncan Jb and it woke it up. Also, does the guitar have a humbucker in it now? If not, make sure it has a humbucker route under the pickguard.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

good pickups are wasted on a bad amp.
Keep your coin and save it up for the important stuff like a good amp first.
Pickups are important, sure, but they are a much smaller piece of the puzzle.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I will add to this discussion that there is an area of this website called 'The Players Room' which collects dozens of blogs about different aspects of playing, and is worth checking out if you want to read where notes, chords and keys all meet. BTW, I never really use any pentatonic shapes, but, hey, there are other paths up the mountain too.

Yeah Dave - but you are all like a musician stuff. I'm a hack and MOSTLY use pentatonic boxes! Me & Slash….and Ace, etc.

I agree - learn wayyyy more than that, but it is a great place to start!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I have no problem with pentatonics, as most music I like uses them. It is just that more guitarists make better music with them than I do.

 

[Rick_Dixie]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I actually love the way the guitsr plays. It's smooth and easy for me to transition. I do get quite a bit of feedback and fuzz from it though. That's been a little annoying. At the moment it does have whatever stock humbucker it came with in the bridge position and then two other single coils for the neck and middle. There's no doubt I need a new amp though haha.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

Yeah, I think you can choose to get more satisfying life out of your guitar by maybe swapping out your most used pickup, but at some point you will pay more in pickups than the guitar is worth. And you will still want to upgrade your amp. While good pickups will stop feedback and hum, they won't make an amp sound better than it is.

 

[Progbusters]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

just play, listen to music, listen to your idols, be inspired

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

Amp is the biggest part of the sound

Agree. Once I played an Squire Classic Vibe (not the worst Squire really but still far from my Strat with Duncans) thu a nice Orange tube head with 1x12 cab with a Celestion speaker and that was a tasty tone, ok maybe cleans where not the best but not bad either.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

If I was gonna suggest a pickup, I'd say get the Duncan Designed Detonator for $30 (probably less if you can find em used). If you're dead set on a new pickup in there, that's my suggestion.

But I won't suggest a pickup. Instead I'll say that I started with a Squier Strat like you did. It's easy to get swept up in GAS. One trip to GC for strings and you'll find yourself craving everything in there. The Fender Mustang is a great amp to start with and even for your second amp, it's still a good purchase. I'd get that and figure out what kind of effects and amps you like. You'd be surprised at how much tone can change by tweaking a knob. So get the Mustang and get playing. A Squier isn't the guitar to be putting SD's in. That way madness lies.

Welcome to the forum. You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I'm a hack

He finally admits it.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

Just a question.... While I agree that a better amp should come first, if this is a SSS Strat and he's playing music that needs a Humbucker, isn't he going to be disappointed until he gets a bridge humbucker? Or is the Mustang one of those modeling amps that makes every guitar sound the same, regardless of pickups, etc?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

Just a question.... While I agree that a better amp should come first, if this is a SSS Strat and he's playing music that needs a Humbucker, isn't he going to be disappointed until he gets a bridge humbucker? Or is the Mustang one of those modeling amps that makes every guitar sound the same, regardless of pickups, etc?

He's got a HSS Strat.

 

[Progbusters]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

ok my real suggestion is to put in a JB cuz its widely available, widely used, and perhaps affordable, and then just play.

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

If I was gonna suggest a pickup, I'd say get the Duncan Designed Detonator for $30 (probably less if you can find em used). If you're dead set on a new pickup in there, that's my suggestion.

I totally forgot about the duncan design line, that makes sense for Squires as those are affordable even here in Mexico, I also tried once a Squire Hot Rails Deluxe one and was a very decent axe for the high gain players so I guess the other ones are quite usable for his kind of guitar.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Pickup advice for a new player

I totally forgot about the duncan design line, that makes sense for Squires as those are affordable even here in Mexico, I also tried once a Squire Hot Rails Deluxe one and was a very decent axe for the high gain players so I guess the other ones are quite usable for his kind of guitar.

Plus the Detonator is available on Musician's Friend and Guitar Center's websites for $40 brand new, free shipping.