What are your TOP 5 pickups?

A

Alex79

New member
Pickups that you feel outperform other pickups or are just plain great and versatile.
Curious to see, what people on this board like. Please only pickups which you actually own or have owned. No hearsay.

My list

Bridge
1. Bareknuckle Black Dog -Perfect detail, perfect balance and tone
2. EMG81 - such a classic
3. Seymour Duncan JB - also a classic tone
4. Bareknuckle Miracle Man
5. DiMarzio Tone Zone

Neck
1. Gibson 496 - ceramic but cleans up very good
2. EMG85 - supersmooth, if only it cleaned up better
3 -5 No experience really
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

In no particular order, these pups have worked well for me. I tend to like lower output pups these days.

Lindy Fralin SP 43 (think: P90)
Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot
Duncan Quarter Pound
Dimarzio Chopper
Gibson P90

15 yrs ago the SD Invader and the DMZ X2N would have been included.
 
Last edited:
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

In no particular order:

1. Dimarzio Paf Pro
2. SD Quarter Pound
3. SD APS-1
4. Dimarzio Chopper
5. SD APH-1
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Bridge:

1. '59
2. SSL-5
3. Pearly Gates
4. Fender CS Nocaster
5. Duncan Broadcaster

Neck:

1. '59
2. Fender CS '69
3. Fender CS Nocaster
4 & 5. Nothing - I have either replaced everything with the above or intend to
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Pearly Gates
DiMarzio PAF
DiMarzio Superdistortion
Duncan Custom series
Duncan Distortion
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Gibson Shaw PAFs
Duncan Pearly Gates (A2)
Gibson Burstbucker 1/2
For singles Fralin Blues Specials are the best I've encountered

Thats for production line pickups. I've heard other pups that I like better- either outrageously priced custom stuff, or outrageously priced vintage stuff.
 
Last edited:
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

bridge:
a4 PG(mock)
a8 PG(SG)
a5 490t(SG)
a4/a8 phat cat(mock)
498t(stock gibsons)

neck:
a4 PG(mock)
a5/a4 phat cat(mock/SG)
a5/a2 phat cat(dot)
a5 490r(dot/SG)
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

I only have two guitars
and 5 pickups

my list is easy

neck
Carvins S22j
Jazz

Bridge
Carvin S22b
JB

single
Fender Vintage Noiseless
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Bridge, in no order

JB
Super Distortion
Custom Custom
A2Pro
59
Bill Lawrence 500 XL


Neck, in no order:

DiMarzio PAF
59
A2Pro
Hot Rails
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

neck:
Lindy Fralin Blues Special Telecaster
Alnico II Pro humbucker
Pearly Gates
early 60's DeArmond "gold foil"
Antiquity mini humbucker (les paul deluxe style)

bridge:
Pearly Gates
Phat Cat a2/a5
Lindy Fralin Blues Special Telecaster
Gibson 498t
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

1. Duncan JB. So angry and bity. I usually set it low so that it opens up a bit, and there it's fantastic. It's a bit congested for my taste set high. Sounds so good playing with a band, it's a bit annoying playing alone but in a context it just makes sense. Sounds amazing split, too. And it's a monster in the neck! Hard rockin' leads only, forget about cleans or rhythm unless you split it. And set it even lower there.

2. Dimarzio Breed bridge. Take a JB, make it a bit louder, a bit smoother and a bit thicker. Sort of a more civilized JB, not as wild and not as temperamental.

3. Duncan SSL-1 in any position. Feels like going home. A glassy, clear sound that becomes mellow and smooth with a turn of the volume/tone pots. Versatile and a must for anyone trying to make their Strats sound good for cheap.

4. Toneriders Pure Vintage neck pickup. It has A3 under the higher strings, and A5 under the low strings. So leads sound sweet and focused, while still keeping the Strat/single coil signature. It's a fantastic idea. It loves dropping the tone pot to 7 or 6, mids really bloom. The whole set is fantastic, but the neck pickup is outstanding, for a very low price.

5. Ibanez S1 single coil, bridge. What? I'll explain.

Yeah, this pickup comes stock in the Japanese Ibanez guitars in the middle position, and it's usually forgotten there. Sounds pretty bad in those guitars, in fact.

But take it out of that Ibanez and put it in the bridge of a Strat! It's a poorman's Quarter Pounder. Sounds fat and hot. Found for dead cheap in the used market, it's a inexpensive upgrade to make a Strat rock hard.

And it's my #5 due to the bang for buck.
 
Last edited:
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Diego said:
5. Ibanez S1 single coil, bridge. What? I'll explain.

Yeah, this pickup comes stock in the Japanese Ibanez guitars in the middle position, and it's usually forgotten there. Sounds pretty bad in those guitars, in fact.

But take it out of that Ibanez and put it in the bridge of a Strat! It's a poorman's Quarter Pounder. Sounds fat and hot. Found for dead cheap in the used market, it's a inexpensive upgrade to make a Strat rock hard.

And it's my #5 due to the bang for buck.
Click to expand...

Actually this was my favorite one of the stock pickups in my RG550! I was really glad I had gotten a three-pickup RG instead of a 2-humbucker one just because of this one single coil!
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

That's curious. I had a RG1550 for some time and felt the S1 sounded kinda hollow and shrill at the same time. Sounded good with the humbuckers, but by itself I didn't like it.

So I ditched it, put it in the bridge of my Squier and wow! Lots of muscle, it worked great with the SSL-1 in the neck.
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

my favorites so far are:

SD JB
JB2
BK VHII
SD '78
SD '59
SD Custom 5
59/Custom5 hybrid
DMZ Air Norton

for humbuckers I don't feel like I need anything else. I don't know much about singles or p-90s
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Duncan Jazz Model
Duncan Pearly Gates
Duncan Alnico II Pro
Duncan '59
Gibson P-90's
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

1. Brobucker
2. BKP Crawler
3. Ant bucker
4. Custom/5/8
5. Yamaha Spinex Humbuckers
 
Re: What are your TOP 5 pickups?

Humbuckers

Dimarzio Super Distortion
Dimarzio Norton
Dimarzio Paf36 Neck
Seymour duncan Custom Custom
Seymour Duncan Full Shred


Single Coil

Dimarzio Virtual Heavy Blues II
Dimarzio Virtual Solo
Dimarzio Chopper
Fender Texas Specials
Seymour Duncan Hot Rails
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top