Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

[ErikH]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Frankenstrat - Brobucker ... This is probably my most diverse guitar. It covers all the styles mentioned with ease.

Fender American Standard Strat - Fender Texas Specials set ... This is my blues/cl***ic rock guitar, though I have used it for some 80's hair metal stuff. I love playing Joe Walsh stuff on this one.

Fender Iron Maiden Strat - DiMarzio Air Zone/Air Norton S ... It's got an OFR on it. This is my Van Halen guitar through and through. I don't play just that on this one. It does blues and cl***ic rock very well too.

These three are my main players. My Kramer Baretta has a JB in it and will not be tinkered with anymore.

Edit 6/14/07:
Took out the APS-1 and running Brobucker only in the Frankenstrat. Still very diverse even with one pickup. The BB does it all.

Edit 12/23/07:
Frankenstrat has Super Distortion / PAF Pro combo.

Iron Maiden Strat has Super Distortion / Air Norton S combo.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I am 100% satisfied with the Pearly Gates neck and Duncan Custom bridge in my 2 humbucker Fender Japan Strat. Sounds great split for single coil tones too.

Just bought another Strat just like it and plan to install another PG neck but will use an EVH/78 for the bridge pickup in this one...should be awesome.

Lew

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I'm satisfied with my Steinberger GU Deluxe with Custom/Lil Screamin Demon/Jazz, Squier Tele Special with 59n in bridge and Fender Strat Single, Squier Precision Bass with Quarter Pounders and probably my Epiphone SG Special with Stock Alnico Humbuckers.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

None yet. Never been completely sold on any set. Luckily, I've got about 55 more years of playing to test stuff out.

 

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

EMG 85 in the bridge of my C-1 Stealth (Mahogany w/TOM/string thru).

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I'm also completely satisfied with the Surfer neck and middle and Custom Shop Tapped Tele Hot in my favorite Strat. It's the best set of Strat pickups I've ever heard! Lew

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I'm pretty happy with the Brobucker/CS Antiquity A2 combo in my Paul and even more satisfied with the Broadcaster/Lindy Fralin Blues Special in my Tele. I love both set ups.

 

[alex1fly]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Cool Rails in the neck of a strat is pretty sweet.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I am completely satisfied with the Seth Lovers in my SG. This does absolutely everything for me, I can get brighter tones than any LP could ever produce, and the Seths (for whatever reason) sound better with the tone rolled off than any other pickup has for me (I usually find the sound extremely dull on other pickups). I can get bright or fat, smooth or complex, with a great middle position, and the Seths can handle any amount of gain at the volume I play at.

I have the Pearly Gates as a keeper in my Ibanez, I'm still not attached to the Custom or the Cool Rails.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Thumbs up to:

Les Paul all-round setup: C5 bridge and jazz bridge in neck position
Les Paul hard rock: Custom bridge and Jazz bridge pickup in neck position

Ah, another long time Duncan user who's discovered the joy of the Jazz Bridge as a neck pickup!

As far as I'm concerned....for heavy rock, the C-5 and Custom are the kings for LP bridge pickups. Once I discovered the Jazz Bridge (being a cross between a Jazz neck and 59 neck) I was sold. I think the Jazz Bridge and Pearly Gates neck are my 2 favorite neck humbuckers.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Fender HM STrat: CS Lil Pearly GAtes (bridge) in the neck/Stock single mid/PATB-3 bridge

Fender MIJ 62RI: Music Man/Duncan Albert Lee sig. set

Fender '77 strat (w/ mid 90's AM Std neck): EMG DG-20 set

Epi Alleykat: SM-1n/Pearly Gates +/Fishman Power Bridge

Epi Sheraton: Phat Cat Set

Washburn Mercury: EMG SA?SA?85 with PA-2 boost module

Gibby Les Paul: Pearly Gates Set

Carvin DC-127T: PGb/CC

Alvarez 5047: Fishman Rare Earth Humbucker

Everything else is in a constant state of flux. Not necesarily because I can't get a good sound out of what I have, but more out of the desire to experiment.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

For me I've got 2 definite and 2 that are halfway there.

1--My strat used to be a Big Apple Strat, I eventually went the SC direction. So I ended up with an APS in the neck and middle and a Custom Shop unaged Texas Hot bridge. More girth in the bridge than straight vintage, but not high output by any stretch of the imagination. The neck and middle are very OD/Dist friendly and still have good cluck and chime.

2--My R8 Les Paul I have a Seth neck and a 78 wind on Seth bobbins and baseplate.

3--My PRS CU24 has a 59 in the neck with an A2 mag, but I think I'd rather have a bridge version.....MAYBE a PG(b) in the neck. In the bridge slot I've got a 78TB.

4--My Tele has a 5/2 neck and it sounds great, and the bridge is an A2 Broadcaster....but I'd really like to get a 5/2 bridge that was just a little bit overwound.

Luke

 

[MikeS]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Only one that I would never ever change, and that's my LP Studio with a Custom/Jazz set, with 300K pots. It covers most all my rock and metal needs.

The tapped QP set in one of my teles is almost there, I think all I'll change is to go to a 4 way switch for series and parallel operation.

 

[lex666]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Cool thread, its a reverse way of thinking... :bigok:

I've got several axes I'm totally saisfied with:

MIM strat - completely stock. I even like the stock pups. They don't sound "vintage" and thats why I like 'em. I tune this axe to drop D and use it for RATM covers...

ESP LTD KH502 with EMG-HZ's - this axe I use for RATM covers in standard tuning. This axeis my beater, I've replaced the toggle switch twice already doing Tom Morello style swtiching...

ESP LTD KH602 with EMG 81's - for Metallica covers. It cuts thru and does rythm just "right".

Gibson SG standard with 490n & 498t stock pups - This guitar is one of those rare peices that was just unbeleivable right out of the box. The action, neck, sound, everything was perfect. I wouldn't dare change a thing. This is my #1 axe. I use this axe for punk rock stuff and AC/DC covers...

Gibson LP studio with EMG 81 & 85 - I just recently completed this project a few weeks ago, and have been in love with it ever since. The EMG's in a LP adds just the right amount of 'dirt' not distortion. I have this axe tuned down 1/2 step and use it for GnR covers, and alot of punk rock stuff.

Gibson LP standard with C5b & 59n - I've always loved them in my Epi LP's so it was only natural to put them in my Gibby... I use this axe for LZ covers and just about anything...

 

[ES350]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

My R6 has a complete 50's harness and pickups---no need to mess with that.
Ditto the 350. My Tele has a JD and a early 60's Melody Maker pu in the neck slot---I really like that combo. The 335 has a T-top in the neck and a good '59 in the bridge position---with some PAF M55 length magnets, a good match.

 

[Edlennon]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Allrounder-guitar: my Gibson Explorer (C5 and Pearly Gates) - GREAT!!!

My metal-guitar (downtuned) is an all-stock LTD EX260, sounds very good too for it's price.

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

2 of my 4 are finished

1. ESP LTD MV-200 - JB bridge/Classic Stack Plus neck - the most versatile setup ever. covers a lot of ground, from hendrix to rage to deftones, it's all covered

2. Squier '51 - Phat Cat bridge/APS-2 RW/RP neck - does my classic rock and blues stuff really well. and I got it right the first time!!!

my other 2 need help.

My ibanez SZ320 sounds great in the neck but needs a little more bottom in the bridge. this is the one the Crazy 8 is going into. if that doesn't work, i'll get a Custom 5 for it.

My Ibanez GRX40 is my downtuned guitar. I'll be putting the bucker out of my SZ320 into it when I get my Crazy 8 to make it a bit heavier ... sound more Soulfly-ish.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I am so fickle with pickups I can't honestly say I will never change any of them.

Right now I am most satisfied with the Vintage Mini Hum and Tele Hot Stack Lead in the Canadacaster (MIJ Tele Custom). I get some awesome rock tones from that thing.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

I have got tree Ibanez Roadstar RS530 from the eighties ( one is my avatar )
all loaded with
Screaming Demon bridge in witch I put an alnico 8 magnet and replaced allen head by fat gibson golden pole pieces , shortened
Jazz neck with alnico 8 and air gap between poles and magnet .

Two of those guitar are heaven , can play everything , fat without mud and with a lot of high mids without icepick , from technical prog-metal to classic music , country and ballads when splited .

The other guitar is not as good , much more dry and bright , I nead to put other pickups but i won't , I keep it as my unplugged guitar , two is already too much !

 

[BluesGuyJ]

Re: Which pickup/guitar combos are you 100% satisfied with?

Only one guitar so far:

PRS McCarty: zebra custom in bridge and zebra PGn in the neck.

I really want to get my hands on a PRS Singlecut with a trem and load it with either a Screamin' Deamon in the bridge or a hot custom shop wound C5 and a Jazz b in the neck!