Which pickup pairs have you never swapped out?

[Securb]

If we are going by Bob's definition, my only non-swaps would be high-value collectible guitars I would be crazy for not leaving them mint and all original

• My Les Paul Memphis has the original MHS pickups still (keeping it stock vintage)
• Parker Fly has the original DiMarzio PHWB1 based on a ToneZone (keeping it stock vintage)
• Ovation Deacon 12 still has the original active pickups (keeping it stock vintage)

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[jeremy]

with acebobs rulz, the old guild and the epi bass are the only factory stock setups i have.

 

[ehdwuld]

As by the rules of Ace

The Epiphone Florentine LP with Probuckers

The SR500 Ibanez bass with the Bartolinis

The SR300 with whatever those are

The Dean Shire semihollow with whatever Dean be doing there

 

[uOpt]

My Stratocaster has a Texas CS Special in the bridge and 2 Surfer Antiquities. No incentive to touch that.

My #1, a Burny LP, has Lollar Imperials that technically never came out after I put them in. However, I want a more aggressive sound on the bridge and a bit of sparkle in the neck, so when I get around to it she'll get a '78 model in the bridge and an Antiquity hummelbucker in the neck.

 

[EmiAba]

My 1990 les paul standard has its stock pickups (a P490 and a Hb-l). Weird pair but they sound too good to replace them. And then my wolfgang special.

 

[Seashore]

Well, my crappy little Fernandes with the sustainer pickup is stock; my Washburn archtop still has the Lawrence pickup I bought it with 25 years ago; and my Ibanez 6 string bass still has the stock Bartolinis but I swapped the bridge and neck around (which I suspect the previous owner had done, based on how they sound, which should actually make this closer to stock) and took out the godawful pre. They're actually good, which is good, because they're a proprietary design with oddball dimensions and it would take some coin to replace them.

But the Aceman rules won't give a full picture of which pickups people think are keepers, which is what I understood the point of this to be. They can sit in the shelf next to my 498T and wait for a good home.

 

[playas]

The 52 RI tele has the stock fender pickups. I think I bought that in 2012.

My homebuilt strat has the Bare Knuckle Apache set I installed when I put it together.

Shortly after I bought my Hamer Monaco Elite I took the sh-5 & sh-11 set out and replaced them with a Seth set. That was about 2016/2017 and they've stayed there since.

I have no plans to change any of them.

My Hamer Mirage has had the same JB '59 set since I bought it in 1997, albeit with lots of magnet swaps. I was never really happy with the '59 . I was happy with an A4 for quite a while, but it currently has an A3 and that's the best it's been. The JB has an A4.
I've always been reluctant to rewire it for some reason.

My Hohner strat still has the stock singles in the neck and middle despite endless bridge pickup changes. They sound decent...but I probably will end up changing them out before too much longer.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Lot's of my guitar's have the stock pups they came with..including plenty w/ no-name cheap pup's that sound fantastic. I'm not one of those guy's who just manically swaps out pup's as soon as I get a new guitar..

Let's see ..cheap/no name/stock pup's..the stock one's in my Axl Badwater axe, my Kramer Baretta's, Ibanez Gio, a lot of my Cort's (though I've swapped out a lot of stock Cort pup's as well) Al my Ibby's w the new Quantum pup's - (really like those)..... stock pup's in my two seven-string Sabre's, Custom 5 (B) cool Rails (M)/Hot Rails (N) in my Charvel & a lot more..

One's that I swapped out and that have stayed in there since: The Fokin pup's in my Grote semi-hollowbody, Sin pup's in my S540Ltd, Lace Deathbucker (B), SD lil Screamin Demon (M) & Hotrails (N) in my Dinky, Blackout's ( regular Blackout neck/ Blackouts single-coil middle & Blackouts Metal bridge) in my Cort X6SA.....


I also really like the DMZ Air Norton/Tone Zone combo I have in a few Ibanez's (they are'nt going anywhere) & those cool Dimarzio Vai pup's in my JEM Woody (forgot what they're called).

 

[jeremy]

oh i forgot one, it fits acebobs rulz too. my rick turner baritone model t has the stock horseshoe pup

 

[NotDemanic]

At the beginning of this year, I picked up an Epiphone LP from a pawn shop. All that was wrong with it is that the tip of the toggle switch is broken off. I came stock with an Epi Custom Probucker set, as well as push/pull volume knobs to split the pickups. Seven months in, I have yet to even consider changing the pickups.

 

[Artie]

My 1982 'The Strat' still has stock pickups . . .

Remind me . . . what was "The Strat?"

I was wondering if we would see any trends and so far the pickup that pops up the most seems to be the Jazz in many configurations.

My Cort, with a Jazz set, (not original), is one of my "keepers."

My rick turner baritone model t has the stock horseshoe pup

Oh c'mon. Stick a Dimebucker in there.

As for my "stock" guitars, off the top of my head:

One of my Peavey Patriots, with a pair of the original "Super Ferrite" pickups. These are 'bucker-sized rail singles. Unique sweet tone.
Ditto for my Peavey T-30 with 3 of the square-cornered, single-sized version of the same, in a Strat configuration.

Surf Green Strat, with DD Lipstick Tubes.

Schecter built Daisy Rock. I bought it at a pawn shop for $100 with Duncan Slash AII Pro's. Sold the pups for more than the guitar, making it essentially free. I hunted down the original DD 59's, which are a perfect match for its' sycamore body.

As for a couple swaps I've done, that will never swap again:

Black EPI LP Custom, with a PATB-1 set.

Fender Roadhouse Strat in Candy Apple Red, with Livewire Classic II singles. This was a cool project. I got the guitar from forum bro Butch Snyder. He ripped out the Eric Clapton tone board and made it all passive. That left me with a Strat with a battery box. The perfect vehicle for trying these pups.

And the above mentioned Cort/Jazz axe.

The above are all "keepers." May be others.

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[Mincer]

Remind me . . . what was "The Strat?"



;

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You can read about The Strat here.

 

[Artie]

Thanks Dave. I'd like to find a wiring diagram for that rotary selector. Could be interesting. (I'll search Fenders site.)

 

[Securb]

At the beginning of this year, I picked up an Epiphone LP from a pawn shop. All that was wrong with it is that the tip of the toggle switch is broken off. I came stock with an Epi Custom Probucker set, as well as push/pull volume knobs to split the pickups. Seven months in, I have yet to even consider changing the pickups.

I almost bought an Epiphone Genesis with those pickups. The guitar played, looked and sounded amazing. IIRC it was only around $300

 

[jeremy]

Oh c'mon. Stick a Dimebucker in there.

it wont fit!

 

[Artie]

it wont fit!

I know. Not to mention, that would be about the ultimate guitar blasphemy. (That thing looks killer.)

 

[Mincer]

Thanks Dave. I'd like to find a wiring diagram for that rotary selector. Could be interesting. (I'll search Fenders site.)

I have a few, from the Fender Strat forum. This one makes it kinda hard to see what is going on. But that switch would be difficult to find if it ever breaks.





Here is one where everything makes more sense. There might be an easier way to do his with contemporary switches.



I also found this page, which suggests that there is a current switch that will work.

 

[Mincer]

^EDIT
I think this is a current switch that would work.

 

[beaubrummels]

A rotary switch is kind of overkill. The original is a 4PDT. You could replace with with a toggle or a push-button.

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[jeremy]

i use 4pdt on/on/on switches on a few guitars to get series/split/parallel for two pups at the same time, but lots of other ways to wire em.