REALITY of tone vs $

I guess I'm stating the obvious here, but still... If pickups sound good, they are good. Price doesn't always reflect quality, but sometimes it might. But like with guitars it's a case of diminishing returns. Sometimes you might need to pay double to get something that is 5 % better (whatever better means).

All I know is that I really love the sound of a couple of my guitars in particular; the Derek Trucks SG with Bare Knuckle PG Blues and the SG i put together using a 2013 Future Tribute body/neck which got the '57 Classics I pulled out of the Derek Trucks. I didn't care for the 498T (too hot for me) in the Les Paul Studio I used to have, or the 490T (to weak for me) in the 2008 Faded Special (which I swapped out for a lovely '57 Classic+). I liked the stock humbuckers in my Epiphone Dot, but I like the SD Phat Cats i replaced them with even more. I replaced them mainly because I wanted a more P90 sounding guitar, not because I wasn't happy with the stock pups. So, what have I learned? Not much, really, apart from the fact that "good" is quite subjective.
 
Last edited:
Sp8ctre said:
Wow! You really know what you are looking for and your ability to hear the nuances WAY surpasses mine. I must admit my ears are not what they used to be and many of my guitars seem to sound very much the same...but the few that are truly different are the ones I gravitate to...

It's amazing with all those criteria that you were able to find a set for $90. I hope they meet your expectations when installed. I have found a few times that what I heard on a demo or someone else guitar that I could not replicate it with the same PUP's in my guitar. The Beastbuckers were the exception for me and hopefully the GFS will give you exactly what you are looking for!

Here's hoping they blow you away...Now GO get them installed!!! :D:p
Click to expand...

I've drooled over the Beastbuckers numerous times. Can they be delivered with an out of phase option? Not that I'll buy them (I don't have the money or a guitar that needs them at the moment).

Another option that seems great are the Throbak pickups. Bloody expensive, though...
 
Sp8ctre said:
Wow! You really know what you are looking for and your ability to hear the nuances WAY surpasses mine. I must admit my ears are not what they used to be and many of my guitars seem to sound very much the same...but the few that are truly different are the ones I gravitate to...

It's amazing with all those criteria that you were able to find a set for $90. I hope they meet your expectations when installed. I have found a few times that what I heard on a demo or someone else guitar that I could not replicate it with the same PUP's in my guitar. The Beastbuckers were the exception for me and hopefully the GFS will give you exactly what you are looking for!

Here's hoping they blow you away...Now GO get them installed!!! :D:p
Click to expand...

Now you bring up a good point...Recorded tone!!!!

Everything changes in a recording environment.
 
In the interest of how guitars sound on a recording, I need to post a soundclip of my 1987 Squire Stratocaster with a DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo (10k) through a Marshall JTM30.

I did a little digging and found the converted media....

Recorded on 4-track cassette in 1996, this song was simply a demo that never made it to our album. The rhythm guitar was a 1970 Hohner 400N Acoustic. The lead guitar is a 1987 Stratocaster equipped with a DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo in the bridge position (played on the bridge pickup only) through an all-tube Marshall JTM30 Combo. Only a reverb pedal was used. This track was lost for over 20 years and the old cassette was recently found in a shoe box. It appears here with all faults, as originally recorded in 1996...

The lead guitar part was my own spin on Kravit'z very simple lead arrangement....just a quick one-take deal...

https://soundcloud.com/robert-h-her...my-mind-cover-the-robert-herndon-project-1996
 
Last edited:
I wasn't 100% happy with my tone on this song, but I thought it wasn't too bad for a single coil Stratocaster....
 
I've had GFS and Guitarheadz pickups that sounded great. I've also spent $350 for boutique pickups. They are all good, different but good. With the boutique pickups I worked with the manufacturer to get a specific sound. I was able to send him some examples of the sound, describe my guitar, and he gave me that exact sound. With the lesser expensive ones I was just looking for something more general and I got that. I wouldn't say one is any better than the other, just different approaches for different needs.
 
Rant allert:

I paid 9.00 I think for this---- or maybe it was 9.00 for the pair......the bridge pup went into something --- God knows what--- (oh sold it that what) so I moved the neck pup to the bridge position ---- WHANG DANG AND A SWEET POONTANG it is AMAZING --- thick rich beefy gritty arse kicking tone........this WAS my Grandsons "player" when he came over ..........not anymore ....this is on the TOP shelf .........

It sounds BETTER than my SG with "REAL" GIBSON ZEBRAS--- more sustain -- smoother delivery fatter tone.......

free cast off Explorer a friend and former employer (and member here) graciously sent me THANK YOU PAUL!!!! and a 9.00 ebay pickup--- in the WRONG position for what is STAMPED on the back of it

dripping honey sweet jalapeno ripping tone monster
Explorer.jpg

DONT fall for the $$$ hype and the name (part of the cost pays the guy with the name a royalty ya know) you wont sound like Bernie, or Stew, JB, ANgus or whoevers name is on it-- you wont--- period Sorry FOLKS---- there are TOO MANY FACTORS involved
strings
picks
amps
cables
connectors
pots
caps
wood
skill
and the biggest --- sound men mixing boards and recording technology of that era when the magic tone you want was recorded......
THEN FACTOR IN
are you listening to this tone
Digitally
on vinyl
cassette
8 track

ANd -- FINALLY the speakers YOUR listening to the tone your trying to mimic ON is it a computer a Bose audio a cheap GPX walmart speaker ???????

CREATE YOUR OWN TONE ---- damn the rest !

And --- have fun doing it
 
Sp8ctre said:
I have a few good sets lying around including a set consisting of a Wolftone Dr Vintage and a Wolftone Marshallhead
Click to expand...
I have that same set of Wolftone's in my EBMusicMan 20th Anniversary Silhouette. Excellent pups, and Wolfe Macleod was a pleasure to deal with.
 
Give me your thoughts on them and describe the sound...I bought them spur of the moment off a forum friend at MLP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top