Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

[Seraphial]

Other, I know that this is gonna be a wide-open question without more specific details, but any kinda opinions would help.

I have 2 LPs. A real middy, dark sounding satin Classic, and a newer 2019 goldtop with 61T and R pickups.

I'm exploring options to make the satin classic less dark and wooly sounding, including eq pedals, different amps, etc. I've already checked pots (all 500k) and adjust heights.

The pickups in the Goldtop I really like, real open sounding and with a bit more treble, high mids and clarity. I'm thinking about swapping these pickups into the satin classic.

My question is: fundamentally, because both guitars are constructed the same but one has more mid/low frequencies, the 61T/Rs may help balance this out. I'm just not a fan of always swapping pickups all the time. Think this is a good move?

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

Different guitars do sound different (which is why the people that say it’s all the pickups are full of baloney)

I have a cheap FirstAct GarageMaster a friend gave me. It’s a nice guitar, but the stock pickups were muddy and awful.

I had a Duncan Jazz neck and a DiMarzio Al DiMeola laying around so I put them in. The Jazz came out of a alder bodied Strat style guitar with a Floyd. It sounded good in that.

In the FirstAct it was super woofy sounding because of the basswood body. It was almost unplayable. It resonate at the same frequency as the body and made everything sound like I had too much bass on the amp.

Since I’m a pickup maker, I designed a neck pickup with mismatched coils so it wouldn’t accentuate the lows. Now it sounds great.

So you have to find what pickups work in that guitar. If it’s kind of dark go for a pickup with more upper mids.

I also find that an aluminum bridge helps tame the low end.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

Different guitars do sound different (which is why the people that say it’s all the pickups are full of baloney)

Preach it, my brother!

 

[chadd]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

Trying the pickup that you know you like in the older LP will give you a good idea of the tonal differences in the wood of the two guitars. You can then start working out what you want to do about those differences.

 

[Seraphial]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

That's a very good point!

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

Other, I know that this is gonna be a wide-open question without more specific details, but any kinda opinions would help.

I have 2 LPs. A real middy, dark sounding satin Classic, and a newer 2019 goldtop with 61T and R pickups.

I'm exploring options to make the satin classic less dark and wooly sounding, including eq pedals, different amps, etc. I've already checked pots (all 500k) and adjust heights.

The pickups in the Goldtop I really like, real open sounding and with a bit more treble, high mids and clarity. I'm thinking about swapping these pickups into the satin classic.

My question is: fundamentally, because both guitars are constructed the same but one has more mid/low frequencies, the 61T/Rs may help balance this out. I'm just not a fan of always swapping pickups all the time. Think this is a good move?

I am not sure about your classic, but when the Classic model was first introduced it had high output ceramic pickups. This could be part of the difference you are noticing.

With Les Pauls I like to examine the tonal differences between them acoustically. If your Classic still seems dark and wooly, like the notes are getting sucked into the guitar rather than blooming out of it, then you have a Dark and Thick sounding LP. Compare it to your GT acoustically. If the GT's tone blooms with sparkle and snap, then you have 2 LPs that contrast each other. This is not a bad thing. My dark LP, which weighs in over 13lbs, I put 2 Sreamin' Demons in. These are bright moderate output pickups. In another LP the bride was very bright, modern and good for classic metal tones. In the 13lbs LP, it gave it a very traditional classic tone.

You are going to have to experiment. Swapping you Classic's pups for the GT's may just cause you further frustration, if the guitars are on opposite ends of acoustic spectrum. If they are similar acoustically, then just order the same pups that the GT has and you will be good to go.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Swapping pickups from one LP to another...

Darker guitars need brighter pickups, indeed. I regularly use pickups to 'fix' strange sounding wood. Sometimes it is too bright, or too many mids. I'd go with something that either sucks out mids (Jazz & Custom 5) or just boosts the highs (Jazz & Full Shred).