Best pickup?

[misplacedsanity]

What are the highest quality pickups? We all love Dimarios and Duncans, but a quick look through what's avalible on the bay shows that there are many brands out there that sell for double the price of the main two, Gibson and Suhr are a couple of makes that caught my eye. Are they really that much better? Are they any better at all?
I've seen a few people on here mention other brands of hand made pickups, if anyone would be so good as to point me in the right direction I'd really like to check some of the less common brands out.

[quiksilverdew]

Well there are better pickups that DiMarzios and Duncans. To me, DiMarzios are the best deal though, I feel that Duncans are over-priced and no pickup that I've played feels as whole and "alive" as a true DiMarzio. I like what I've heard from Caparison and Suhr pickups though...

[jim777]

Pickups are so subjective it's very tough to call one "best". Duncan and DiMarzio offer lots of pickups as well, while a guy like Lindy Fralin only offers a few.
I personally like Bartolini pickups best. Tom Anderson makes nice pickups. Lots of 7 string users like Bare Knuckles pickups. Then there's Rio Grande, Manlius, Barden, Kinman, Bill Lawrence, Lundgren,...tons of manufacturers.
Try here for some more ideas.

jim

[zilong]

I like Adder Plus and Suhrs since they're prices are better than Bare Knuckle. I'd like to try a BK one day, though.

[Algiman]

I've loved every bare knuckle I've tried. They are more expensive, but then they are hand made. I'm about to swap some of the dimarzios in a few guitars to BKs.

Are they the highest quality pup going? That is pretty subjective but I can't fault the build quality and the tone - good/bad is all in the ears of the listener.

[JESTER700]

Yeah - since the end arbiter of a pickup's "quality" is sound, and that's a subjective thing, it's hard to say what's "better". After all, MOST mass produced pups made now absolutely blow away the manufacturing quality of the Gibson & Fender units of decades ago that are the "holy grail" to many.

[elcid]

My favorite pickups in order are
1) WCR Fillmores
2) Gibson 57 Classic
3) Duncan JB

but everyday 1 & 2 switch places. The WCRs are awesome, but about $300 for a pair.

[mccon.mark]

I think that pups are too much of a personal thing... for example, 2 people can pickup a guitar and both sound totally different...
Personally i think that the pup that impressed me most was actually a really affordable one, A mighty Might Motherbucker... cost me £36 and its HOT!