Kickass pickup love thread

[jskadiang]

Quick OT question, is this Aged Pelham Blue? Did you custom order it? It looks AMAZING

And on-topic, I'm loving the Antiquity IIs in my Jaguar, vintage-y goodness, very warm and clear and sounds ace with fuzz.

[D.o.S.]

I've got a boner for Dano lipstick pickups. I have one on my Wishbass (oh yes, I have a Wishbass), and everything about that instrument just sounds So. Fucking. Weird. It's awesome.

And the Pickup Epiphone puts in the Casady is fucking badass. I really wish they'd offer it as an independent product so more people could experience the joy.

[dubkitty]

Gretsch Dynasonics. Tokai "Old" P90s. vintage 60s Gibson humbuckers. Fender Custom Shop '54 Vintage Strat pickups. the original pickups in Paul Bigsby's 1950s solidbodies, preposterously expensive replicas of which are now hand-fabbed and wound by a crazed boffin somewhere in Whoville. 1970s Schaller humbuckers with the vented covers. Gretsch FilterTrons--i prefer the standard "High Sensitive" FTs to the TV Jones models. the epoxy-potted PUs from the electric Ovations. "horseshoe" lap steel pickups of the differing types seen on old Rickenbacker and Supro-family instruments. the DeArmond acoustic guitar soundhole pickup like Lightnin' Hopkins used.

[Mudfuzz]

teisco square poles
Bartolini deeptone models
DiMarzio model one and ultra Jazz
Seymour Duncan invaders
Seymour Duncan 48 broadcaster bridge
rio grande muy grande humbucker IS BIIG BIG BIG!
rio grande bastard
rio grande BarBQ bucker

[Holy Schnikes]

Quick OT question, is this Aged Pelham Blue? Did you custom order it? It looks AMAZING

And on-topic, I'm loving the Antiquity IIs in my Jaguar, vintage-y goodness, very warm and clear and sounds ace with fuzz.

Why thank you! That's exactly what it is my man, Antiqued/Aged Pelham.

No special order thank god! Gibson released a super-limited run in 2007, "Historic Spec" 68RI, so good! I got mine on clearance, guess the color is off-putting to most. Weirdos!

Also, agreed with the Antiquity II series. The set that came stock in the Thurston Moore JM were titz!

[theavondon]

I dig the SH-5 Custom that I had in a cheap Dean. It was all midrange.

[Gone Fission]

the original pickups in Paul Bigsby's 1950s solidbodies, preposterously expensive replicas of which are now hand-fabbed and wound by a crazed boffin somewhere in Whoville.

Gretsch FilterTrons--i prefer the standard "High Sensitive" FTs to the TV Jones models.

"horseshoe" lap steel pickups of the differing types seen on old Rickenbacker and Supro-family instruments.

Curious about the qualities of the Bigsby and the horseshoes.

And curious about the Gretsch Filtertrons -- are we talking current issue that can be had for $50 a pop on ebay? What about them is beating the TV Jones out?

[Mudfuzz]

the original pickups in Paul Bigsby's 1950s solidbodies, preposterously expensive replicas of which are now hand-fabbed and wound by a crazed boffin somewhere in Whoville.

Gretsch FilterTrons--i prefer the standard "High Sensitive" FTs to the TV Jones models.

"horseshoe" lap steel pickups of the differing types seen on old Rickenbacker and Supro-family instruments.

Curious about the qualities of the Bigsby and the horseshoes.

And curious about the Gretsch Filtertrons -- are we talking current issue that can be had for $50 a pop on ebay? What about them is beating the TV Jones out?

I found TV jones a bit too clear and even

[dubkitty]

Curious about the qualities of the Bigsby and the horseshoes.

And curious about the Gretsch Filtertrons -- are we talking current issue that can be had for $50 a pop on ebay? What about them is beating the TV Jones out?

the Bigsby pickups are a little difficult to describe...they're low-output, large-coil singlecoils in aluminum cases and have a huge, clean, top-and-mid-rangey sound best represented by Grady Martin's late 50s Nashville session work, which includes the Johnny Burnette Rock and Roll Trio solos incorrectly attributed to Paul Burlison e.g. on "Train Kept A' Rollin'."

Horseshoe lap steel pickups have a massive, midrange-dominant sound. the Ur-Rickenbacker tone IMO is David Lindley's on his early- and mid-70s sessions with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Crosby and Nash, and pretty much anyone else within artillery range of Los Angeles; Ry Cooder's favorite Strat in the 70s and 80s had a Supro-type lap steel PU at the bridge.

i find the TV Jones FilterTrons to be too much like PAF-style humbuckers sonically...a little too hot, a little too midrangey. they don't really sound like old Gretsch pickups to me, in the same way that many attempts to reproduce PAFs seem similarly overheated and mid-heavy. the standard Gretsch FTs are clearer and i think they have a more pleasant, less gritty high end.

[dubkitty]

and when i say "preposterously expensive replicas" of the Bigsby PUs, i refreshed my memory and as of 2009 a pair was going for--brace yourself!--$625. to be fair, the cases and everything are machined from aluminum block just like Paul Bigsby, who started as a motorcycle builder, did back in the 50s, and they sound insanely beautiful. but still.

one of the boutique aftermarket pickup makers--i want to say Lollar, but may be mistaken--makes a reproduction Supro horseshoe lap steel PU. it's over $200, though, so it's cheaper to find an old lap steel and cannibalize it for parts.

[Big Mon]

I'ma hav'ta +1 the OP, because those SD Phatcats are fucking phenomenal. GFS makes a really sexy p90, too. Epiphone stock mini HB's in the Alleykat guitar they had out awhile back was bitchin' too.

[Zounds Perspex]

for Strats, I really dig the Ron Ellis 50's/60's set and Lollar Dirty Blondes.

for Jazzmasters, the Pickup Wizard sets are great as are Lollars, and I'm dying to trying some Novaks - he makes good stuff in general.

for Teles, I really liked the guit I had with the Lollar Special bridge, Lollar Vintage neck combo

those Lollar Wide Rangers are pretty boss, too.

[hbombgraphics]

I have a seymour Duncan SH-6 Distortion in the bridge of my univox and I friggen love it.
Really screams in the univox (sounded terrible in my LTD)

I now have a set of Dimarzio IBZ HSH pickups in the LTD grabbed them out of a prestige RG they sound awesome

For my strat I like the hot rails in the bridge

If I could put in a plug for the very affordable Lace powered by Lace Humbucker neck pickup
they sound awesome!

[nieh]

I've never used anything but stock pickups on any guitar.

[Gearmond]

I love microphonic pickups.

also gold foils

also also:

Q-Tuner
-just sound really unique and glassy wiht supoib harmonics imo.

EMG X series
-really love their sound with the tone rolled off a scooch

Gretsch Filter Trons
-love the twang and again a bit with the tone rolled off. surprisingly versatile