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[V-Type]

Well I like to change pickups in almost every guitar Ive had. My first pickup swap was when I puchased a MIJ Strat in 79. The stockers were noisey and bland. I went with a Dimarzio Strat set that had the Super PAF hum and two matching Dimarzio single coils. What an improvement and from that day on I learned that AVG guitars with Great electronic can sound very much like a Pro instrument.
Next was in 85 when I bought A Gibson LP Custom new from a Ma and Pa store for a Whopping $1100 and it came with the option of the Stocker Gibsons or Dimarzio Super Distortions installed free.
Apparently Gibson was offering this deal for some reason and boy Im glad I went with the Super D's. They were very articulate yet rolled off to play Clean and Blues just so sweet.
Since then Ive been buying Low $$$ guitars and putting upgraded p'ups and hardware if needed. And honestly the tones I get from my cheapies easily hangs with the high dollar guitars allready loaded with Excellent Electronics. They may not feel the same otr look the same but Tonally they are Toe to Toe.
These days I have:
Epiphone Les Paul Custom- Seymour Duncan Sh-11 Custom Custom/Alnico Pro II set
Prs SE Santana - Gibson 498T/490R set
Schecter Gryphon - Seymour Duncan JB/Jazz set
Jackson DXMG - EMG HZ3's(These are going soon as they dont have a lot of range too them IMO)
Fender Jaguar - Fender Stockers(Noisey but originals from 65 so they are staying)

Whats pickups you guys sporting?

[senor_penguin]

You've sure gone through alot of guitars lol. I am going to install my bill lawrence's in my les paul soon. The duncan distortion in peavey is kick ass

[floydmoline]

my LP has a ducan designed 103 in the neck, i didn't put it there someone before me did, it's supposedly the cheap variety of the SH-6, but i don't know i'm not a duncan fan really, typically i prefer the pick ups that come stock on guitars, i've swapped pick-ups in guitars before, and ended up spending money on aftermarket pick-ups that sounded worse than the cheap assed stock pups, i like the sound of the epiphone stocker in the bridge, but the ducan in the bridge don't sound bad, just not what i care for sound wise, but it's not enough to make me want to replace it, maybe some day when i am rich or win the lotto, i'll get some gibson classic 57s to put in it, but i don't think the cost Vs tonal improvement justifies it right now

[Monster]

i like Seymour Duncan.. i find they give me the sound i need.... some guitars i leave the stock pups in.. only  on a few will i change pups..other wise if you change the pups in every guitar i own they would all almost sound the same... the reason i liek have a few guitars is to have a different range of sound from thin to think...

[jackal]

The only guitar i didn't change pickups in is my Shecter Omen..   in my Aria ZZ i have PRS treble and bass pick-ups and in my PRS Tremonti i put in Gibson Classic '57's

[senor_penguin]

^ what pickups are in the shecter?

[floydmoline]

my guess would be ducan designed buckers

[senor_penguin]

hmmmm.....I've tried the "ducan designeds" before, not impressed

[jackal]

No acctually there not those duncan design, there acctually Shecter disortion puckups

[floydmoline]

cool, haven't heard those, call me ignorant but i didn't even know schecter made their own lol... thought they just used other companies in their guitars...... live one more day learn something new :-D

[MrSandMan]

I don't like duncan designs-  Horrrible pickup imo-

I'll take EMGs HZ or even stock epi Les Paul pups over the D-designs.

[V-Type]

I don't like duncan designs-  Horrrible pickup imo-

I'll take EMGs HZ or even stock epi Les Paul pups over the D-designs.

The Duncan Designed can be Hit or Miss. But now and then you run across a DD that is above the norm. My Jackson DK2 had the DD 102 which is their JB equivalent. That pickup sounded dead on to the JB's IVe had and currently have. It had a little less Ice pickyness also.
The thing sounded good in every guitar I tried it in. It currently is the bridge hum of my Crappy Magnum LP and it has Never sounded better.
Also changing mags in pickups isnt hard and can do wonders for tone and clarity as well as output. Im currently putting Alnico V bars in a old Pyramid pickup and expect much better results than stock when done.
Lots of Awesome info on p'ups and modding them on the Seymour Duncan forum.

[indytruckboy]

I use EMGs. 81/85/60/707
Wanna try the new coil tappers.
A lot of my Gibsons retain their factory stuff.

[jackal]

I have to take my Gibson 57's out and "Pot" them, a little to much feedback out of them..

[Monster]

the DD in my Dk2 sound awesome and sound nice... but as v-type said they are hit or miss..