What are your favorite stock pickups?

Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

Gibson T-Tops, neck and middle in my mid-'70s Les Paul.

PAF Pro in the neck of my EBMM Silhouette.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I feel like the Gretsch HS Trons are really good. I toy with the idea of switching them out for some TV Jones....but I'm just not sure if it will be a worthwhile change. When you add that to the work involved, I'm just not sure it's worth the risk!

Unless I feel like the pups are lacking something, they stay. A lot of work and expense to go through for something you're already happy with!


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Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I hate to say it, but the EMG "Designed" pups that came in my Johnson Strat were sweet. So much so that I kept this thing stock for more than a year before I swapped in the Duncans. And I'm not sure it was an improvement. I still have "it" and "them". True staying power.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

The Carvin M22SD is pretty badass. I had a few extra pups lying around but i never felt like switching it out.

I like those a lot. Carvin has never managed to hit a homerun on a neck pickup to me, although the M22SD and C22B brought it home at the bridge. I ended up swapping a Distortion/'59N in one of my Carvins, mostly for the neck pup improvement. The M22SD would have been ok to leave other than the cosmetic mismatch, although the Distortion is definitely a notch above and pairs most awesomely with the '59N.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I hate to say it, but the EMG "Designed" pups that came in my Johnson Strat were sweet. So much so that I kept this thing stock for more than a year before I swapped in the Duncans. And I'm not sure it was an improvement. I still have "it" and "them". True staying power.

I don't know that those count though. I think the pickups are supposed to be branded by the company building the guitar (usually only common among low end guitars and American guitar companies).
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

. I'm sure the only difference between the 102N and 103N is the magnet.
No, it's not. The turn count on both is different by 300 turns per bobbin. The ones I have bear slightly different wire color, but I don't think the meaning is different insulation thickness.

HTH,
 
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Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

Thanks. Is there an obvious difference in winding pattern between the two bobbins in the HB102N? How about the 103N?
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

It wouldn't alarm me if most cheap import humbuckers on various brands are the same pickup out of the same factory. Even/especially those stamped with a brand name on the bobbin. A lot of cheap singles are basically indistinguishable with maybe four variations total in common use.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I bought a $165 Chinese guitar, it came with four conductor G & B pickups that sound outstanding.
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Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I'm a bass player and always wondered who replaces stingray pickups? There's no need, they sound good.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I'm a bass player and always wondered who replaces stingray pickups? There's no need, they sound good.

Dude, I know people who BUY Stingrays JUST for the pickups! Ok I should say MOSTLY for the pickups. I know a guy who swears by his Dingwall for playability but never loved the pickups. While the Stingray isn't his favorite, he loves the sound so much that he switched over to playing only Stingrays now.

I do know of another guy who yanked the pickup from his Stingray to put in his custom ESP bass (his #1) so he could play his favorite bass while having his favorite sound.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

Gibson Circuit Board Back HB-R/HB-L from when Bill Lawrence was w/Gibson. Only available 1988-89.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

I have to say, Music Man has those pickups down. Actually, any of their bass pickups, from the Stingrays to the single coils on their Big Al...just wonderful sound. Now, I suppose if you got a used bass (or one of their Sterling models) and needed to upgrade, or if you want to route out a place on a J-Bass for a Stingray pickup, then you have some choices.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

The 500T is a solid, ballsy, stock pickup. I've replaced it once before with a JB and was satisfied, but I didn't give the 500T much of an audition before I took it out.

The PRS 245 Treble is a good pickup. I've liked it in every guitar I've played it through. Plenty of high end and isn't too much output.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

Most of the Jackson stuff I found pretty good especially the Jackson J90c. The ibz/USA don't really count because they are mostly oem DiMarzio.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

The Elitist 60SR and 60ST, "made by Gibson for Epiphone" as it's advertised.
Not that I wouldn't change them out, I just haven't.


I got a few of those Elitist HB's used for cheap (in the $25 range). For me, the bridge was much better with an UOA5.

For stock PU's I wouldn't swap out, I'd have to say A2 BB's. Anything else would be on a case-by-case basis. Gibson '57 Classics are guaranteed to be yanked.
 
Re: What are your favorite stock pickups?

Late 60s to late 70s Les Paul Deluxe-

Those minis might be reproducible today, but they were a breath of fresh air at the time- far more detailed and tighter than a full humbucker. Greg Almand, Tom Shultz, Townsend- all of them found articulate tones and I wish I had bought my buddies 77 when it was offered.
 
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