Which pickups for which guitar?

Semetery

Semetery

New member
Hi there, looking for some opinions from anyone who has used any of these pickups and may have tried them in various guitars. I'm open to mixing them around to see what happens. I would like to hear some thoughts on what you fellas and ladies might think could sound better in one versus another. I'm not seasoned at this, what sounds a certain way in certain guitar types and the varying woods. I don't need comments about choosing what's best to my ears, please, because I will. It is good advice, of course, but I will already factor in what I know from experience and then will likely shift some around if I don't love where it is and how it sounds. I'm honestly just looking for some veteran opinions on what you yourself may have liked or want to try to give me a starting point while I have some time to mess with them. Don't judge my guitars too harshly, I'm not a rich man and I like variety. Haha

Beyond what I'm listing, I have a Custom and a Jazz neck coming as well as a Fishman Modern set. I mostly play heavy metal and beyond but who doesn't enjoy versatility?

I have:

LTD EC-1000 with a Het Set and the 18v mod - I really like the mix with this one, I can't imagine shifting it would be a good idea, but hey, I'm open to suggestions.

Jackson King V with Black Winters - I love the BW's, especially the bridge pickup, but I'm not sure I'm quite sold on the BW neck in this guitar. I'd like to move it as a set if I were to move it. Is there another guitar that might sound fuller with the set? It's aggressive though.

Epiphone Zakk Wylde camo bullseye / empty - This one is waiting on me to put something in it since I got ripped off and sold it with cheap pickups that were cheap EMG-like pickups, so I'm trying to decide if I should move over the 81/60 set to get closer to Zakk's 81/85 combo or if I should try the Fishman Modern's and see how it goes to save myself the trouble. Or even Black Winter's? Custom/Jazz? I realize it won't be 'his' tone but I don't have an 85 at my disposal and am unsure if I should even grab one, opinions?

Epiphone Les Paul Standard with Custom bridge/Black Winter neck - I pretty much am in love with this combo though the BW neck and how thick it sounds to my ears pushed me to get a Jazz to see what it'd sound like in comparison.

Ibanez ART with stock pickups - They're pretty good for stock pickups. I could complain but I'll honestly say that I don't dislike them, but they do lack some oomph since I play heavy stuff mostly. Blues, rock and cleans are nice though.

Gibson Les Paul Traditional with the 57's - This one I go back and forth on. I love the classic sound but it just won't get me where I want it to in terms of power. I feel like, and it's just my opinion, it sort of stops at a point and lacks girth compared to others. Of course it isn't made so much for the angry sound that the Black Winter's give but I wouldn't mind something in between at least, which is why I got another Custom. I really love the sound and thought it and the Jazz might liven up the Gibson a bit though I wonder if it'd still get some of those classic sounds or should I just stick with the 57's?

Charvel San Dimas pro mod with JB/59 - I think this is already pretty great, I don't have anything negative to say about this combination it's just that I do wonder how they'd sound in a Les Paul in comparison to the Charvel strat style. They're direct mounted, I'm not sure how much difference that makes, but I really like it. It doesn't get to modern heavy but it does 80's all day and sounds incredible for it.

Peavey Vortex V that I put my left over EMG 81/60 combo in - This guitar and I don't love each other but I want to. I liked what I saw and grabbed it and it didn't take long to realize I hated the stock pickups. I've never heard a set sound more dead and lifeless. I don't know exactly what they were going for but they felt like just technically having pickups and nothing extra, hence the EMG's. I feel like this guitar will get the leftovers though I would like to love it. I'm thinking I may take the EMG's out and put them in the Ibanez and just let this one sit as something I can put more pickups in when I get some. I've been itching to try a Nazgul and Distortion. Any chance those would sound good together?

So, to try to make it easier, here are the pickup options: Black Winter bridge, Black Winter neck x2, Custom x2, Jazz, JB, 59, Het Set, 81/60, Fishman Modern, Ibanez stock pickups.

Again, I ask that you don't judge too harshly, I've not had much time doing this, I come to you humbly for opinions and nothing more. :) Thanks everyone, learning a lot around here!
 
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Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

An Epi Zakk Wylde with what you found to be knockoff EMGs is probably a FAKE GUITAR... an 81/85 set these days costs like $80 maybe 100 used if lucky... pair of knockoff actives cost like $40-50, while a pair of noname passives with EMG style covers costs $15-25ish but requires 4 new pots and a rewire job --- not really worth it for most people

Knockoff Epi Zakk Bullseyes were quite popular out of china for ~$200 a while back. They specifically made a bunch of fake Zakks, as well as other signatures like Vai Jems.


If I were you, since you have a Gibson LP whose pups you ain't keen on, I'd just stick my EMGs there instead
 
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Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

I’d leave the LP as-is and just use it for lower-gain stuff, though a Custom is a HELL of a good bridge pup in a Les Paul. Jazz would brighten up the neck position if that’s what you want.

Same for the Ibanez.

I don’t really have any thoughts on the other stuff. EMGs and actives, in general, aren’t my cup of tea.
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

Adieu said:
An Epi Zakk Wylde with what you found to be knockoff EMGs is probably a FAKE GUITAR... an 81/85 set these days costs like $80 maybe 100 used if lucky... pair of knockoff actives cost like $40-50, while a pair of noname passives with EMG style covers costs $15-25ish but requires 4 new pots and a rewire job --- not really worth it for most people

Knockoff Epi Zakk Bullseyes were quite popular out of china for ~$200 a while back. They specifically made a bunch of fake Zakks, as well as other signatures like Vai Jems.
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I checked it pretty thoroughly, the pickups were replaced with $70 ones that you can find online so I didn't worry as much about it, they're not fake EMG's in the way of deception (they don't have the logo, which I should've asked for a closeup picture of to see), they're just custom made active pickups that should have been actual EMG's. Guitar looks and feels real thankfully, I've looked around about it. I think someone just didn't want to give away their set of real ones, which sucks.



formula73 said:
I’d leave the LP as-is and just use it for lower-gain stuff, though a Custom is a HELL of a good bridge pup in a Les Paul. Jazz would brighten up the neck position if that’s what you want.
Click to expand...

That's where I keep going back and forth. Honestly, I'm not sure I love the clean sound of the Gibson. But it does do that vintage sound, I just wish I had the option of pushing it a bit further without losing that. I'll just try it and see I guess, no reason not to.
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

you can always put a dimebucker and a pearly gates on a guitar, you know to get some spicy texas tone...
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

That sounds nice, I'd never thought of that. I'm always hesitant about the Dimebucker, one reads so many things on the internet. But I grew up and am still a massive fan of him, his style and sound. I kept going back and forth on the PG's, Seth Lovers and even Whole Lotta Humbuckers for my Gibson and ultimately just grabbed a Custom and Jazz.

I'm unsure whether I should go with the BW, Jazz or 59 neck in the Gibson if I do move away from the 57's. Should I keep the 57+ and mix it for a more varied, dynamic sound? And I still can't decide where to put the BW set to get the best tone from them potentially. Maybe the Zakk LP? Would it get closer to his sound than Fishman's or is the active set or EMG's just the only way to get similar?

I'd love more opinions but I feel like I'm going to be doing a lot of swapping around over the next few days. Haha. Still, would love more opinions on where you'd start.
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

Hi, IMO leave the guitars you like as they are for now (both sound and feel). If you don't like the feel of a guitar, then I would sell it rather than try and save it with pickups.

I think your first step is the put the 81/60 from the vortex into the Zakk.

Then your main players are the ec1000, king V, san dimas, epi standard, epi Zakk. Ask yourself critically what tones you play that you cant cover with one of those and what is the limitation of each. Only then think about what gaps you have and therefore what to do with the Gibson, peavey and Ibanez.

I like hard rock/metal and badass ceramic bridge pickups, so always find paf style bridge pickups wimpy. But there are a few songs that need them and it was a matter realising that the guitars I have with pafs only disappoint me when I try to use them for the wrong job.
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

Thanks, that makes tons of sense, good advice.

I suppose I have been trying to make all of them metal since I honestly do just play that 99% of the time, but it wouldn't be a bad thing to have the Gibson sound like a Gibson, that is why I bought it after-all. Just the greener grass thing I suppose, wondering what could be and if it'd grip me. Is there any chance the Custom/Jazz or BW duo could get me within that ballpark still while also offering a greater range?

I've never loved the 57's in the guitar. I almost feel bad but they just don't feel, to me, like they do the things I like particularly well (heavy or clean) in the way that I want them to. I do like that middle ground on it but I don't play it a lot, I usually grab something else to play and I feel like I should favor it more than I do. I love the feel of the guitar itself but the sound has never given me that feeling. The BW's in the Jackson inspire me to play and write and to let it all out though I feel like they might sound better to my tastes in a LP. The JB/59 in the Charvel always make me drift off and daydream with some delay or reverb on clean, I just relax.
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

Id try a 59/custom hybrid ir pgs in the gibson. I think you want pafish pickups on the slightly agressive side.

Actually, screw it, dimarzio super distortion and paf!
 
Re: Which pickups for which guitar?

also you could just roll with a regular pearly gates set, you may need to add an additional pedal in front of your amp but those are the only pafs that can really deliver great tone, tight bass and good omph for thrash, death and black metal
 
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