Pickup GAS 2025

[Seashore]

Inspired by Artie and Ehd. I don't really want another amp or a new guitar, but I'm constantly feeling itchy about pickups. I already have good pickups in all of my guitars! They sound fine. They sound great, in fact. But here I am anyway, looking for used Bare Knuckles and thinking about SD custom shop orders. I definitely don't need these:

SD JB/Jazz Rails set, 6 and 7
SD "Nagus" (Axe Palace model)
Peg City Angry Widow
Motor City Solution
Elysian Hellfire (or HF/T2 hybrid) 7 string soapbars
BKP Cold Sweat 7 string set with black covers and nickel hex poles
BKP ceramic Warpig 7 string soapbar
BKP 6 string Painkiller

And I certainly shouldn't pull the trigger on the used Cold Sweat, Nailbomb, or Warpig set that are all going for a decent chunk less than I'd pay new. Nope, I'm not gonna do it. They aren't magic boxes of tone. They're just wire and magnets and some bits of steel. The stuff I have already is fine. Right?

What pickups are you interested in getting your hands on?

 

[Mincer]

This year (so far), I am only planning on a few sets. I'd like to get an Apollo Jazz Bass set and a possibly Custom Shop Antiquity set with 4 conductor wiring, a neck pickup that is rw/rp and black powder coated cover.

 

[Chistopher]

I want something beefier than the Model J in the bridge of my PJ bass and I want another Bluesbucker

 

[Seashore]

Y'all are reminding me that I want something higher output for my 6 string bass. Don't need that either. Yikes.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

SD JB/Jazz Rails set, 6 and 7
Peg City Angry Widow

Yeah, same.

I also really want to try

• DiMarzio Breed - I like the Dominion for the most part, but I always thought it's kinda thin and slightly nasal. This might be better.
• Suhr Aldrich - Another one I've wanted to try for a while.
• Suhr SSH+
• DiMarzio Fortitude - I would like to see what this one is about since I like the 36th Annis.
• Duncan Thrash Factor - I really want to try it, but I really don't like Dave Mustaine, LOL.
• Fishman Modern Open Core - I'm pretty sure they sound just like the regular Moderns, which I love, but they look so cooooool.

 

[Artie]

SD JB/Jazz Rails set

Same on the rails. Plus, I'd love a "rails" 59 set.

I'd also love to try the Custom Shop AH Fatigue.

 

[MikeS]

I just bought a Mojotone Johnny Winter Firebird set. Technically got them a day before 2025, but I can't install them until the custom pickguard arrives. Looking forward to testing out that pair.

DiMarzio Chopper T - I'm not happy with the Area T 615 in the bridge of my baritone thinline tele. I purposefully avoided pickups that I thought might be too dark in a baritone thinline, but I want more low end girth and more punch than the 615 provides. I almost went Chopper T when I assembled this guitar, so we'll see if I should have gone with my gut. Kicking myself for not grabbing one during their annual sale last month.

Saturday Night Special - I have wanted to try this set since it was released, but I don't have a place to put them. The only H-H guitar that I'm not 100% sold on the pickups is my semi-hollow, and I don't hate myself enough to want to embark on another re-wire of that guitar right now.

 

[beaubrummels]

Seymour Duncan Lari Basilio set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Nokie Edwards Hitchiker set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Eric Steckel "Candy" set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Bonamassa Blonde Dot set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop MJ Queenbucker set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '53 Tapped bridge, Rhythm for Tele w/Strat Tone neck
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Brad Paisley Secret Agent
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Rickenbucker set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Bonamassa Cradle Rock set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop High Voltage set
Seymour Duncan Psychedelic Strat set
Seymour Duncan Green Magic (or CS Greenie) set
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop StagMag set (requires fabricating a neck version)
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Charlie Christian jazz blade neck
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop P-90 Staple set
Seymour Duncan P-90 Silencer set

Bare Knuckle Jimmy Page set (Riff Raff bridge, Mule neck)
Sheptone Hearbreaker set
OX4 Beano set

 

[jeremy]

that '53 tapped tele bridge is my favorite tele bridge pup, hands down. also what mj wound for the tele we made for seymour years ago.

the slash 2.0 bridge, hades gates set are are the top of my list to try

 

[Artie]

^^^^ That reminds me . . . I'd like to try a BG-1400 Tele bridge.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Oh, right! Got some GAS for neck pickups too, though not as strong as for bridge pickups.

I want to try

• Air Norton S
• Quarter Pound Neck
• Little '59 Neck
• '59B in the neck
• WLH-N

 

[Masta' C]

I think I'm kind of getting over the pickup GAS for the most part. I've tried tons of models at this point in tons of guitars and have sold off probably 80% of my collection (guitars AND pickups).

While pickups are cool and a great tool for fine-tuning the feel and sound of an individual guitar when needed, I find I enjoy a wide range of pickup types and can make almost any pickup sound like another with some tweaking in the signal chain or an adjustment to the volume/tone knobs.

Lots of pickups share playing characteristics that I like (medium to medium-high output, good dynamics, excellent harmonic character) and newer models are bringing less and less to the table compared to what already exists.

In my opinion, DiMarzio and Duncan both reached their peak between 2008 and 2013. Once you had pickups like the P-Rails, Alt 8, WLH, and Black Winters from Duncan and the Crunch Lab/Liquifire, Titans, Transitions, and 36th PAF sets from DiMarzio, the market was officially saturated with pretty much all the options players really needed (taking into account their previous designs, as well).

 

[ICTGoober]

Duncan Hot Chicken Tele set for guitar, along with any number of Fender Noiseless units.
For bass - any bunch of Lace Sensor Alumibars and a couple models of Nordstrands.

 

[Chistopher]

Also I forgot I really want to try a DMZ Al DiMeola set

 

[soulforger]

Some I've been wanting to try:

Seymour Duncan CS Brandon Ellis Dyad

Seymour Duncan CS Super V

Seymour Duncan Alex Skolnick

EVH Frankenstein Plus (specs like an RTM, Duncan made)

Dimarzio Dreamcatcher/Rainmaker
​​
Dimarzio Norton

Carondelet Secret Sauce (looks like a 15.2k "JB" with unbalanced coils)

Bare Knuckle Holy Diver

PRS "M"/Metal

Suhr DSH+

 

[nienturi]

S.Duncan: Saturday Night Special
S.Duncan: Brobucker
Dimarzio: Fortitude
Dimarzio: PAF Joe
Wolfetone: Marshallhead
S.Duncan: Hades Gates
Mojotone: PW Hornet
Mojotone: Black Magic
Dimarzio: Humbucker From Hell

 

[Artie]

Also I forgot I really want to try a DMZ Al DiMeola set

I can't help but think, that Al DiMeola, would make any pups sound great.

 

[Mincer]

I can't help but think, that Al DiMeola, would make any pups sound great.

His signature set is pretty bright, but honestly, Al's tone is mostly in his technique. Even on his LP with Super Distortions, it doesn't sound like a typical LP/Super Distortion sound. BTW, gonna go see him live (again) next week.

 

[soulforger]

I can't help but think, that Al DiMeola, would make any pups sound great.

He also has used several Paul Reed Smiths with 57/08 pickups that sounded incredible. Consequence of Chaos is one album, whe he made his "return to electric guitar" he used the grey/white PRS that was Paul's own guitar which he gave to Al, and later his multi colored "Prism" signature model. He also has some Singlecut PRS guitars.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Yeah, same.

I also really want to try

• DiMarzio Breed - I like the Dominion for the most part, but I always thought it's kinda thin and slightly nasal. This might be better.
• Suhr Aldrich - Another one I've wanted to try for a while.
• Suhr SSH+
• DiMarzio Fortitude - I would like to see what this one is about since I like the 36th Annis.
• Duncan Thrash Factor - I really want to try it, but I really don't like Dave Mustaine, LOL.
• Fishman Modern Open Core - I'm pretty sure they sound just like the regular Moderns, which I love, but they look so cooooool.

I'm surprised the PATB-2 isn't in this list. I think it'd be perfect for you.