Pickups don't make a difference

T

thunderkyss

New member
I guess I'm alone on this. Especially considering the board I'm on.

But it's been my experience, that pick-up choice really doesn't make a difference if you're going from one kind to a "comparable" type.

Say a PAF to another PAF design.

The only time I heard a difference was when I replaced my SH-1/59 with Seth Lovers & the only "real" difference was that the SLs were more microphonic. Over several years, I've tried several PAF type pickups in two different Les Pauls (a '98 Standard & '10 Classic) & I've yet to find one that truly stands out. Either they're all really good at mimic'ing a true PAF (I've never played the real thing) or.... They're all consistently off.

Now... there's a difference with modified PAFs, or going to something drastically different like Custom Custom... but just from my experience with PAF clones I'm thinking the difference between two "like kind" High output pickups is probably pretty subtle. Like going from a Custom to a JB.

What do you think?
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

The JB and Custom even feel different to me man, I don't know what you're going on about.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

The only way to make a true and direct A/B comparison is to adjust each of the test pickups to the exact same distance from the strings.

Comparing the sweet spot of pickup A against the sweet spot of pickup B is less likely demonstrate any worthwhile difference.

After that, of course, playing style, pedals, amplification and venue all contribute to the final sound as your ears hear it. High gain overdrive certainly smooths out the differences between most pickups.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

Wax is important. :fingersx:
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

DOES NOT COMPUTE

If that is you pictured in your Avatar , maybe you should take your helmet off and give them another listen :D
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

If you continue to play guitar for more than the 2 days that you have apparently been playing, your ears will begin to hear the difference.:laughing:
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

That's quite an insight. I say you share this with the other pickup forums as well.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

Pickups only make a difference to you when you can hear a difference. Same is true of all mods such as nut replacement, bridge, saddles etc.
These are generally on the subtle side and generally very personal-level changes. In some cases it is psychosomatic but whose to say that isn't relevant.

Personal 'tone' is a game of inches when considering mods anyway. If you want radical change (or feet), you would need a radical change such as a Seth to an Invader.
That said, at some point through experience we refine and develop our ears and then the little inches become highly noticeable, we become very sensitive to details and then we argue about them on the internet.
If you refine your ears too much, you might be called a cork sniffin' idiot in some circles, although I have never actually met a bonafide cork sniffer in real life.

BTW, PAF to PAF should be like drinking different brands of the same roast of coffee. They are all great tasting coffee, but some just really 'have that flavor' that works for you.
To the uninitiated, it just tastes like coffee.

While Im at it, I have found that some guitars or amps are so strong in their inherent raw tonal quality that a pickup change is really subtle anyway.
Not to mention, I basically sound like me no matter the pickup.

Cheers and respect,

RG
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

thunderkyss said:
I guess I'm alone on this...pick-up choice really doesn't make a difference...What do you think?
Click to expand...

For 99.8% of us, there is a discernable difference between pickups, even between models of the same general class, though not always major. Still, look how many people can't stand the JB, but enjoy "comparable" pickups, like the Invader, Distortion and Alternative 8. Look how many production versions there are of the "Custom" series alone. Same goes for PAF variants. If there wasn't a demand for "different" tones, there wouldn't be an aftermarket for pickups. Regardless, it's ok to be in the 0.2% that doesn't necessarily wish or need to take advantage of the other tones available out there...count yourself lucky!
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

Rodney Gene said:
BTW, PAF to PAF should be like drinking different brands of the same roast of coffee. They are all great tasting coffee, but some just really 'have that flavor' that works for you.
To the uninitiated, it just tastes like coffee.

RG
Click to expand...

Agree. Just about everything I've got (humbuckers anyway) is somebody's copy of a PAF. I'm thinking about delving into some of the higher gain stuff, but don't really want to repeat my PAF experience. I looked into a Screaming Demon & found this:

Moderate output, P.A.F.-style with added "growl." Great for classic rock, jazz-rock fusion, heavy rock and aggressive instrumental rock.
Click to expand...

Aye-ya-yeigh......
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

Wood doesn't make a difference either, or strings, speakers, tubes or anything else for that matter.
Especially if you are deaf in one ear and can't hear out the other.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

I can see where the OP is coming from. Not that I share his sentiments, but I have several guitar-playing friends who could care less what pickups are in their guitar. Its all the same to them.
When I swapped my Burstbuckers for Duncan Distortions they called me dumb for spending money to sound the same. I don't need to tell you how drastic that change would be to most everybody here.
The differences are there, however subtle or distinct. Some of us care enough to pick it apart and analyze it, and others don't. That's all.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

I will start with sentence from some polish lutier:
"No hardware can give you this what you should have in your fingers."
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

I'd like to take the liberty of borrowing a phrase from our British friends as it seems particularly fitting here:

"What a load of bollocks!"

Haha, please take no offense, if you don't hear it you don't hear it. I guess lucky for you, you've saved much expense to yourself, but considering the success of Seymour, Larry Dimarzio, and all of the companies they've inspired, you are definitely in the minority on this one, cheers!
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

I think that what different pickups do best is give you the ability to adjust your amp to different settings. One pickups range will be very different from another pickup. This is not as completely apparent if you run the exact same amp settings but start making adjustments to find a sweet spot and you can totally tell a difference.
 
Re: Pickups don't make a difference

Mr. B said:
If you continue to play guitar for more than the 2 days that you have apparently been playing, your ears will begin to hear the difference.:laughing:
Click to expand...

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Re: Pickups don't make a difference

KnifeR said:
I will start with sentence from some polish lutier:
"No hardware can give you this what you should have in your fingers."
Click to expand...

While that is true in the sense of good hardware won't make you sound good, it is completely false in the sense that you will sound like you have super high gain while playing through a clean Fender deluxe, even if it is all in your fingers. Regardless of how well you play, you can't make your 59 sound like a Distortion without some form of extra hardware.

John Frusciante will still sound like John Frusciante, regardless of gear, because of how well he plays. John Frusciante will not sound like John Petrucci, regardless of playing style, without some high output.
 
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