Pickups For Punk

[Mr. Stephen]

Im looking for new pickups, I have a G and L Legacy (just like a usa made strat) and im wondering what would give me a really full sound, good and powerful for rythym and lead guitar. Some say I should get a double humbucker. Suggestions? :dance:

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Pickups For Punk

I would suggest the Invader, JB or Distortion for Duncans, or the DiMarzio Super Distortion.

 

[Maggot]

Re: Pickups For Punk

What kind of punk are you thinking about - a lot of earlier punk stuff is low output humbuckers, P-90s, whatever was lying around. Later punk is a lot of JBs & higher output stuff. I don't have specific recommendations. I know that Phat Cats or 59s would get the old punk vibe, JB for Green Day, Weezer type sounds.

Most punk is all bridge pickup (& THRIFTY!), so forget about replacing the neck pickups. Just use what you've got when you need it.

If you don't want to go the full-size route, you could look into Lil 59 (I had one, it wasn't my cup of tea, but it would work well for classic punk sounds - nice output with lots of mids), JB Jr., Hot or Cool Rails. For serrated punk, a 1/4 Pounder might work - a board member named Stevo made some clips of some really aggressive punky surf music that sounded nice with the 1/4 Pounder.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Pickups For Punk

Personally, I think one of the best punk tones ever recorded was on "Equalized" by Jawbreaker. Some sort of neck single coil, cheep as heck, BUT IT WORKS!

Punk is all about energy. So many of the bands I hear going by the term punk now... it's just overproduced pop rock acts. If you want a full sound, then boost your mids, not your bass. The Invader and Superdistortion are great for guitars which are naturally thin sounding. If you want to get a more mainstream sound though, then scoop your mids by all means.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Pickups For Punk

p-90's are pretty much the standard

however, i play punk-ish stuff (used to be straight punk, but as i progressed as a musician i started writing more challenging things) and I'm getting great tones with a '59. If you use amp distortion, assuming it's a tube amp, I'd get a 'lil 59, similar voicing, but much higher output

p-90's seem to be really popular, i don't see a lot of punk bands without les pauls, so phat cats would work well too, it's all preference

 

[mr breaker]

Re: Pickups For Punk

I highly recommend the duncan custom....you get some awesome rock/punk tones out of it. I have on in my strat and it rocks.

 

[Forbes]

Re: Pickups For Punk

I'd go JB or for something equally powerfull but a bit 'fatter' an invader.

 

[Hellion]

Re: Pickups For Punk

You might think I'm crazy, but the best sounding pickups I've ever heard for punk are the old Gretch Filtertrons. Case in point, Billy Zoom from X used a White Falcon for a long time.

 

[Maggot]

Re: Pickups For Punk

The great thing about punk is that there's a lot of leeway because the technical requirements are kind of loose. I'd pick whatever sounds cool to you, use the return policy if you hate it, and adapt to it otherwise.

By the way, I have a Fralin Steel-Pole 43 in a Strat, which is a Strat SIZED P-90 based pickup, and based on your description, I don't think it's what you want (not that you were considering it). It's too bright & not quite full enough.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Pickups For Punk

Punks use the exact same pickups we all use...there are no pickups that are better for punk than they are for other styles. :smack: Just turn it up, pump up the attitude and do your thing...you'll sound punky! Lew

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Pickups For Punk

i'd avoid an invader, based on the fact that blink 182 uses them, but thats just me

and i forgot about the customs, wouldn't reccomend the custom 5 cuz it has close to no mids, but the regular custom would work, maybe custom custom

 

[big_black]

Re: Pickups For Punk

It really does matter what type of sound you are going for. As far as guitar tones, the punk genre has a wide variety of these tones. I wouldn't say there is a pickup "for punk". Why go for someones elses tone anyway. Get a pickup you like and just rock out with yo' c**k out!! That's what it's all about! Blaze your own trail, that's what it's all about, don't get caught up in other people's tone.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Pickups For Punk

wise words, big black

 

[Mr. Stephen]

Re: Pickups For Punk

THANKS A LOT FOR THE REPLIES, MY BAND PLAYS JUST BELOW THE MAINSTREAM POP PUNK LIKE BIGWIG, NOFX, BAD RELIGION, RISE AGAINST, etc, but I am also looking just for great pickups all around, clean as well, because i record a lot of my own songs and they are all types of music. From what i hear i like the JB and Custom custom, but G and L does carry pickguards with humbucker openings, but I assume I can just cut the plastic myself, right?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Pickups For Punk

i'd avoid an invader, based on the fact that blink 182 uses them, but thats just me

Would you sell your Tele if Tom DeLonge started playing one?

 

[big_black]

Re: Pickups For Punk

THANKS A LOT FOR THE REPLIES, MY BAND PLAYS JUST BELOW THE MAINSTREAM POP PUNK LIKE BIGWIG, NOFX, BAD RELIGION, RISE AGAINST, etc, but I am also looking just for great pickups all around, clean as well, because i record a lot of my own songs and they are all types of music. From what i hear i like the JB and Custom custom, but G and L does carry pickguards with humbucker openings, but I assume I can just cut the plastic myself, right?

I don't think you can go wrong with the JB, I love that pickup. It has so many uses in different styles. Expect natural harmoincs that jump out with ease and a tight, smooth gain response. Go with 250K pots. I know that Greg Hetson uses the JB, and I'm pretty sure he uses or used one of the cutoms at some point. Look some of these guys in the "artists" section of the SD site.

 

[Mr. Stephen]

Re: Pickups For Punk

by the way of you want to listen so you can give your opinion based on the music www.purevolume.com/thirdparty I am playing a Les Paul in the recording though, but the lead (well the left speaker, the first lead is me) is a strat. check it out. thanks.


:dance: what the hell is this thing

 

[PRG]

Re: Pickups For Punk

Invader is perfect if you like the higher-gain modern bands like Sum41, the Ataris, and Blink 182.
Custom is an excellent choice, though, since it's tone is balanced enough to work for old-school stuff with lighter gain and doesn't get muddy under high-gain. It's more of a bright, cutting sound.
Rivers from Weezer actually used TB-59's in the blue strat for live work and P-90's in LP's for the studio work in the older days. His tone is all over the map, though, with old Mesa amps and Marshall heads. I think the one thing about them that people don't notice is that they're sludgy, bottom-heavy sound on some earlier recordings is from the bass player and not from the guitarists. A Custom works perfect for these guys, though.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Pickups For Punk

Would you sell your Tele if Tom DeLonge started playing one?

no, he can go to hell, I HAD IT FIRST! :laugh2:

and i believe both nofx and rise against use LP's, so I'd reccomend p-90's

 

[big_black]

Re: Pickups For Punk

Live, the guys from NoFx play a Tele (w/rails?) and a Bc Rich (Bitch). Rise Against-Live they both play SGs.