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Topic: Pickups for 6 string guitars |
Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2019 10:08 am |
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I'm thinking about upgrading the pickups in my Epiphone Dot, the stock pickups sound blah. I like the playability and feel of the guitar, and I have already done the wiring harness upgrade, so I figure it's worth going the next step to get decent sound.
But I know nothing about replacement pickups except that they can be pricey. So I'm looking for recommendations. I used a YouTube howto to learn about installing the wiring harness, and figure I can do the same for pickups.
Just need to know what to buy. Looking for good clean tones, country, jazz, a little blues. |
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Brian Hollands
From:
Geneva, FL USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2019 10:48 am
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What pots are in it now? IME humbuckers need at least 500K pots or they'll sound muddy. If you want a PAF-ish pick up, the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover and Jazz are both well respected options. I have a Seth Lover in a a Tele with a 1Meg Volume pot.
Dimarzio's 36th anniversary and (despite its name) Humbucker from Hell are also very well liked. The latter one sounds like it should be a death metal pick up but it's not..
If you just don't like humbuckers, the options would include any of several manufacturers humbucker sized P-90's. These are single coil and sound P-90 like although their dimensions are not the same.
The other one a lot of folks don't think of is the Gretsch Filter-tron. I've heard guys who don't like humbuckers say they like those.
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'81 Sho-bud LDG, 2 EMCI's |
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Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2019 12:37 pm
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All I remember about the pots is they are American made, better quality than the cheap stock pots, slightly larger shafts (had to enlarge holes). Don't know if I can find specs on the upgrade kit.
Can I measure them with a multi-meter? |
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Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2019 12:51 pm
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| Or inspect with a mechanic's mirror? |
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Brian Hollands
From:
Geneva, FL USA
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Posted 20 Nov 2019 1:21 pm
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A multi-meter is the best way if they're wired such that you can isolate them. They will be marked on the rear (A250 or A500) would be most likely although it's common to see linear pots on Gibsons (K500 for example).
The seller ought to list what they are as well.
_________________
'81 Sho-bud LDG, 2 EMCI's |
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Steve Sycamore
From:
Sweden
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Posted 21 Nov 2019 2:05 am
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If you want the authentic superb vintage Gibson tone that has all of the versatility required to play any type of music you can't go wrong with Gibson 57 Classic pickups (or even better IMO, 57 Classic Plus)
In comparison all of the aftermarket pickups tend to have some quirkiness that limits their applicability to a certain genre or amplifier or distortion/effects device. |
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Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 28 Nov 2019 7:38 am
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No more than I play 6-string these days, I don't have the budget for Gibsons, or even Duncans or Dimarzio pickups. Found a boutique pickup source at very reasonable prices and decided to give it try:
https://carterrosalie.wixsite.com/sinpickups |
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Brad Richard
From:
Chisago City, Minnesota
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Posted 29 Nov 2019 3:54 pm
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| Another brand you might check is Bill Lawrence (Wilde). I have a set in my Epi Riviera and have always liked them. And decently priced. |
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Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 13 Dec 2019 6:38 am Epiphone DOT upgrade
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Finished the upgrade on the Epiphone DOT...all I can say is "don't try this at home kids". "Tedious" is an understatement, but the new pickups and electronics are a huge improvement over the factory originals.
I have no experience with any of the the higher-priced name-brand pickups mentioned in this thread, but I'm very pleased with Chris Carter's hand-wound pickups as compared to the Epi's. And his web site claims they will go head to head with the name brands. My buying experience was good, support after the sale was good, and they came with a money back guarantee.
Here's the old pickups on their way out.
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