Why choose a pickup?

[Jackson Distortion]

You chose a pickup for reason... so why'd you choose yours?

Did you think the pickup was going to be a big deal, like-- did you think it was gonna be a magic mushroom that was gonna cure your tone in one fell swoop, essentially make you sound instantly like a pro! Naive, but happens every year to hundreds of players.

Or, did you, like I did, use it as the basis of your sound. Like I wanted great mids, not too much lows, and good treble, which is my sound... and the pickup worked (thankfully).

I guess, my thread is inspired by all the guys I see post, asking for recommendations for one pickup to make them sound like a bunch of different artists, or maybe I'm not realizing they just mean they need one pickup to cover the range of styles... but, I mean come on, one pickup that will do a herion addict from the seventies to a Satan worshipper... in a mid-life crisis?
Some need a versatile pickup, but sometimes it takes more than just the pickup.

Your thoughts please!!!

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

You chose a pickup for reason... so why'd you choose yours?

Did you think the pickup was going to be a big deal, like-- did you think it was gonna be a magic mushroom that was gonna cure your tone in one fell swoop, essentially make you sound instantly like a pro! Naive, but happens every year to hundreds of players.

Or, did you, like I did, use it as the basis of your sound. Like I wanted great mids, not too much lows, and good treble, which is my sound... and the pickup worked (thankfully).

I guess, my thread is inspired by all the guys I see post, asking for recommendations for one pickup to make them sound like a bunch of different artists, or maybe I'm not realizing they just mean they need one pickup to cover the range of styles... but, I mean come on, one pickup that will do a herion addict from the seventies to a Satan worshipper... in a mid-life crisis?
Some need a versatile pickup, but sometimes it takes more than just the pickup.

Your thoughts please!!!

I'll take option #2.
The pickups give you the base sound... and frequency pattern. And while many say your amp is all and the pickups don't matter that much, I think pickups are equally important, cause an amp can only shape general frequencies (lows, mids, treble) and not the specific pattern of for example the mids. Ok, actually that didn't have too much to do with the topic

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

Well the pickups in my Dean werent bad. Id had no experiences with after market pups before. I wanted a warmer fuller tone out of the neck and got an A2P and i was blown away. Was smooth, warm and sounded amazing. Then for the bridge i wanted something hotter, a good bite to it and tightness with cool harmonics and good mid and treble presence and i went with the custom. My Dean is a zillion times better already, i am happy with this combination. I chose option 4.

 

[Pecan]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

Normally if the guitar doesn't do my style, I just won't buy it, so not that option. And I don't like sounding like anyone, I want to have a unique tone, so its not the fav band reason. I'd say its just I'm curious if I can push my guitar just a little further, make it just a little better.

 

[kylewrt1986]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

I guess, my thread is inspired by all the guys I see post, asking for recommendations for one pickup to make them sound like a bunch of different artists, or maybe I'm not realizing they just mean they need one pickup to cover the range of styles... but, I mean come on, one pickup that will do a herion addict from the seventies to a Satan worshipper... in a mid-life crisis?
Some need a versatile pickup, but sometimes it takes more than just the pickup.

in defense of people who quote artists for sounds, sometimes thats the easiest way to get across what kind of tone you seek...a pickup that sounds 'muddy' or 'dark' can sound completely different to someone else, so sometimes it isn't all that useful to use colourful adjectives which are pretty much totally objective. I mean if your a sound engineer then maybe you could quote peak spike frequencies and such, but if you're that advanced then you probably don't need to ask other people what pickup you want, you'd just check the pickups specification.

Ok that's my two penneth over and done with

 

[JHN]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

My main concern when choosing a pickup is highlighting what the instrument should sound like ideally in my head BUT always taking in acount the woods and construction that characterize it.What i mean is when i have an ash body,maple neck/fretboard strat,i won't try to transform it to a warm jazzer or tight low end metallica riffing instrument,because it will never be a great sounding one.Instead
i will try to maintain the bright eq balance avoiding what sounds too much of it.maybe roll off just a tad the highs so it is not ice picky,and warm a little the low mids so it's a little fuller,BUT with restrain and IF needed.A little improvement here and there can get you a long way.I never try to make the instrument sound
like something it can never be.

 

[greco]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

I chose option #4

The stock pups I have purchased with new (and used) guitars (and the pots also, for that matter) have been typically of poor quality...especially aftrer having heard SD pickups.

I appreciate having the choice of a wide selection of pups that SD offers along with the opportunity to "discuss" the specific considerations through a post on this forum.

I could buy higher quality guitars in the first place...but my present pattern is more fun/interesting/"exciting".

 

[Dave_Mcpherson]

Re: Why choose a pickup?

I used the band i love the most as a basis for my sound, since i love the sound he gets from his guitar, but since i'd only ever used stock pickups before i bought the SD's, i was blown away. I bought a pair of 59's, and it's very close to that sound in my head....I've ordered the Jb/Jazz combo for that extra bite and treble response that the '59 lacks in. But i can easily get that sound in my head with the gear i use.....The pickups are VERY important for that.