Saw this on Threads and it’s relevant to the Box o’ Pickups traveling around. Rate these pickups from best to worst in your opinion.
- Thread starter KR Sound
- Start date
That's almost impossible for me to do because (for example) I love Filter'trons but not all Filter'trons are equal. I specifically like TV Jones Filter'tron Classics. Not the Gretsch versions, although they can be decent. Not the Brian Setzer versions by TV which for some reason I really don't like. It has to be the Classics. I might prefer a low-wind P90 over a bad Filter'tron.
And humbuckers and Strat pickups have so many variations it's crazy! I generally don't like most Strat pickups at all but the Kinman Woodstocks I recently put in my Strat have made it so much more playable it's like a different guitar. Same thing for HBs - they can sound really boring but the HBs in my R9 Les Paul are remarkable. So clear and articulate - they make the guitar sound nothing like the average Les Paul you try out in a store.
If it helps, the guitars I play most have TV Jones Filter'tron Classics in them. I also love the Strat I just mentioned with Kinman Woodstocks. I have a US Epiphone Casino with fabulous P90s in it which makes me want to keep playing Beatles songs all day long. I love whatever pickups are in my Les Paul. They're not very powerful and maybe that's what I like about them. After that I have no strong opinions. The pickups are so dependent on the guitar they're in. Mind you, Filter'tron Classics in a Tele can sound incredible.
And humbuckers and Strat pickups have so many variations it's crazy! I generally don't like most Strat pickups at all but the Kinman Woodstocks I recently put in my Strat have made it so much more playable it's like a different guitar. Same thing for HBs - they can sound really boring but the HBs in my R9 Les Paul are remarkable. So clear and articulate - they make the guitar sound nothing like the average Les Paul you try out in a store.
If it helps, the guitars I play most have TV Jones Filter'tron Classics in them. I also love the Strat I just mentioned with Kinman Woodstocks. I have a US Epiphone Casino with fabulous P90s in it which makes me want to keep playing Beatles songs all day long. I love whatever pickups are in my Les Paul. They're not very powerful and maybe that's what I like about them. After that I have no strong opinions. The pickups are so dependent on the guitar they're in. Mind you, Filter'tron Classics in a Tele can sound incredible.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
I like lollar vintage tele pu's. I have five teles (27 other guitars), the lollar sounds the most 50-ish....
spi
Well-known member
My favorite pickups are Teles (bridge and neck!).
When I tried filtertrons, they weren't for me (they sound great when other people play them).
And for p90s... everywhere I look people rave at how great they are, but if they were that great, how come they aren't on more models of guitars? If you go by supply, they're pretty niche. Personally, I think they're ok but still prefer Teles.
When I tried filtertrons, they weren't for me (they sound great when other people play them).
And for p90s... everywhere I look people rave at how great they are, but if they were that great, how come they aren't on more models of guitars? If you go by supply, they're pretty niche. Personally, I think they're ok but still prefer Teles.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
Passive or Active?
How To Sound Like David Gilmour - Seymour Duncan
David Gilmour is known for both incredible tone and highly emotive technique and note choice. Here are some tips to help you sound like David Gilmour.
www.seymourduncan.com
His rig for "Pulse" tour
Think we could fit that all in a 1590BB?Passive or Active?
How To Sound Like David Gilmour - Seymour Duncan
David Gilmour is known for both incredible tone and highly emotive technique and note choice. Here are some tips to help you sound like David Gilmour.
His rig for "Pulse" tour
View attachment 75290
spi
Well-known member
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
Thanks, I needed a good laugh. Dogs and cats were both annoying at 4am, multiple times and I only got around 4 hours sleep. A good belly laugh really helped!!!
My setup is ridiculously small in comparison. I think I'm suffering from Rack Envy.....
I was going to cut the cables and solder the ends on today. Had to fall back and punt tho....
coltonius
Well-known member
Passive / vintage output, of course! My Strats are rolling with EJ Signatures and 57/62s.Passive or Active?
How To Sound Like David Gilmour - Seymour Duncan
David Gilmour is known for both incredible tone and highly emotive technique and note choice. Here are some tips to help you sound like David Gilmour.
His rig for "Pulse" tour
View attachment 75290
I’d love a set that maintains the clarity and brightness of those sets with more heat (medium-ish output), but I’m not exactly falling over myself to swap them out.
1. Filtertron
2. P90 (in a hollow body)
3 Jazzmaster/Gold foil
4. Tele bridge/neck/Strat/Humbucker (low wind/mini)
I’m a Lollar fanboy, so think of the Lollar versions for examples. Filtertrons are glorious, particularly in a hollow body, but I can make most anything work with some pedals and knob twiddling.
2. P90 (in a hollow body)
3 Jazzmaster/Gold foil
4. Tele bridge/neck/Strat/Humbucker (low wind/mini)
I’m a Lollar fanboy, so think of the Lollar versions for examples. Filtertrons are glorious, particularly in a hollow body, but I can make most anything work with some pedals and knob twiddling.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
I have the lollar vintage tele pickups in my 78 American Deluxe with swamp ash body. Thing 'o beauty.....
Joben Magooch
Well-known member
In my estimation…
1. Tele bridge
2. P90
3. Strat
4. Tele Neck
5. Filtertron
6. Full Humbucker (but I am kinda pickier with HBs than most other pickups…)
7. Mini Humbucker
8. Jazzmaster
Beyond that TBH I don’t have enough experience with Firebirds and Gold Foils to have formed much of an opinion. I kinda go in phases tho. Had a big humbucker phase not long ago but now am swinging back hard towards single coils.
1. Tele bridge
2. P90
3. Strat
4. Tele Neck
5. Filtertron
6. Full Humbucker (but I am kinda pickier with HBs than most other pickups…)
7. Mini Humbucker
8. Jazzmaster
Beyond that TBH I don’t have enough experience with Firebirds and Gold Foils to have formed much of an opinion. I kinda go in phases tho. Had a big humbucker phase not long ago but now am swinging back hard towards single coils.
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
I recently bought a $100 beater Tele, semi hollow, made in 2019. So 5 years old and they're just dumping them now to clear them off the books. (You can only depreciate off the taxes for five years). Don't let the "Last one" fool you. It magically changed back to "1 available" a couple days after I bought the green one.
The bridge saddles are CR@P making it sound like a sitar no matter how they were adjusted, the neck was seriously bowed and the truss rod allen head doesn't align with the hole making reaming necessary to access it. Fixed that and got the bow out. Nice and straight.
BUT the tone is that of an ice pick. Treble up the arse.
So ordered some new saddles, and what the heck saw quite a few pretty good reviews of guitarmadness 52 tele pickups. At 50 buck$ for the set free shipping they're cheap but still half the price of the guitar, lmao.
I also ordered some roller string trees. But the frets are well finished so at least there's that. The flame maple top is paint. What a piece of shat.
When I'm done I'm sending it to a good friend who wants to introduce his young daughter to musical instruments, but I figured I'd have some fun fixing up this POS and who knows, the pickups might sound fairly good. He's a very good friend so I'm also sending a 5e3 combo amp with Mercury Magnetic iron that I built with a 12" JBL instrument speaker in a 3/4" pine cabinet with dovetail joints. He's agreed to drive down from Shingletown CA to pick up.
Description from the listing (and the reason why I appended to the pickups thread)
This Pickup is a True Reproduction of an early
50's Fender Telecaster Neck and Bridge Pickup Set
with a modest output with perfect warmth to give you a well rounded classic tone.
Neck Pickup
Chrome
DCR: 5.73
Magnet: Alnico 5
Type: Single Coil
String: 6
Wiring: Cloth Lead Wire
Position: Neck
Coil: Urethane
Bobbin: Fiber
Bridge Pickup
Period Correct Cloth Output Wire and Fiber Bobbin.
Copper Base Plate
Alnico 5 Magnets
Enamel Coated Magnet Wire
6.6k
Trust me folks, these are great sounding pickups. They are notGibson's, or Seymour Duncan's, but they are also not $120. YOU GET MUCH MORE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY HERE. NO BS, NO HYPE.
Now the old saying is "How do you say EFF YOU in the music industry? TRUST ME!"
I figure it'll be fun. Got a NOS .047 PIO cap for the tone. These come self shielded encapsulated in metal to minimize noise in sensitive signal locations. I have phillips mustard caps I could try as well.
Why? The secret to not loosing your mind after retiring is STAY BUSY. That's why. I figure I'll finish it off after getting it perfect by painting it a nice sea foam green.....
There's two versions of these stainless saddles out there, unfinished and crappy looking, and these smooth and good looking. 10.5mm and 10.8mm. Replacing the 10.5mm ones. T.G. for Calipers....
Grote Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body TL-F-YS Style F-Hole | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Grote Electric Guitar Semi-Hollow Body TL-F-YS Style F-Hole at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
The bridge saddles are CR@P making it sound like a sitar no matter how they were adjusted, the neck was seriously bowed and the truss rod allen head doesn't align with the hole making reaming necessary to access it. Fixed that and got the bow out. Nice and straight.
BUT the tone is that of an ice pick. Treble up the arse.
So ordered some new saddles, and what the heck saw quite a few pretty good reviews of guitarmadness 52 tele pickups. At 50 buck$ for the set free shipping they're cheap but still half the price of the guitar, lmao.
Vintage Sound Chrome '52 Tele Pickups for Fender Telecaster | eBay
Magnet: Alnico 5. They are not Gibson's. with a modest output with perfect warmth to give you a well rounded classic tone. MORE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY HERE. NO BS, NO HYPE. (sorry I live in NYC). Coil: Urethane.
www.ebay.com
I also ordered some roller string trees. But the frets are well finished so at least there's that. The flame maple top is paint. What a piece of shat.
When I'm done I'm sending it to a good friend who wants to introduce his young daughter to musical instruments, but I figured I'd have some fun fixing up this POS and who knows, the pickups might sound fairly good. He's a very good friend so I'm also sending a 5e3 combo amp with Mercury Magnetic iron that I built with a 12" JBL instrument speaker in a 3/4" pine cabinet with dovetail joints. He's agreed to drive down from Shingletown CA to pick up.
Description from the listing (and the reason why I appended to the pickups thread)
This Pickup is a True Reproduction of an early
50's Fender Telecaster Neck and Bridge Pickup Set
with a modest output with perfect warmth to give you a well rounded classic tone.
Neck Pickup
Chrome
DCR: 5.73
Magnet: Alnico 5
Type: Single Coil
String: 6
Wiring: Cloth Lead Wire
Position: Neck
Coil: Urethane
Bobbin: Fiber
Bridge Pickup
Period Correct Cloth Output Wire and Fiber Bobbin.
Copper Base Plate
Alnico 5 Magnets
Enamel Coated Magnet Wire
6.6k
Trust me folks, these are great sounding pickups. They are notGibson's, or Seymour Duncan's, but they are also not $120. YOU GET MUCH MORE VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY HERE. NO BS, NO HYPE.
Now the old saying is "How do you say EFF YOU in the music industry? TRUST ME!"
I figure it'll be fun. Got a NOS .047 PIO cap for the tone. These come self shielded encapsulated in metal to minimize noise in sensitive signal locations. I have phillips mustard caps I could try as well.
Why? The secret to not loosing your mind after retiring is STAY BUSY. That's why. I figure I'll finish it off after getting it perfect by painting it a nice sea foam green.....
There's two versions of these stainless saddles out there, unfinished and crappy looking, and these smooth and good looking. 10.5mm and 10.8mm. Replacing the 10.5mm ones. T.G. for Calipers....
Upgraded Stainless Steel Guitar Bridge Saddles 10.5MM/10.8MM Fits for Strat Tele | eBay
Upgraded version precision machined superior quality Stainless Steel Saddles; Will increase the sustain and tuning stability. These saddles require very little work and skill to install, it’s an easy way to improve your tone and sustain.
www.ebay.com
Last edited:
Band of Dans
Well-known member
I’ve bought two sets based on your guitar build threads and love them both
Sunday handwound for my Jazzmaster and tonerider PAF clones for my HH Tele.