Pickups: How much difference do they actually make?

[wbreslin951]

Originally Posted by Wild_Child

Well that's the thing.. they don't sound much different through my GH50 either.

But I'm 100% with the "DO IT. DO IIIIIT!" point of view. I mean, I have the soldering iron right here.

I have changed loads of pickups in dozens of guitars before, but it's mostly been on the pure faith that they'll give me the sound I'm after. It's just not something I've given serious thought to before. I've always been in the mindset that different pickups sound ...well, different. After this little experiment, maybe I'm starting to think that this 'sound' I'm after is whatever I want it to be, and I'm just hearing in any given pickup whatever I had been hoping for.

Then again, I would say the worst that could happen is that I want to put the PAF Pro back in but really... the worst that could happen is that I hear no difference. And really, that just puts me in exactly the same position. I mean, the pickups even look exactly the same!

When I'm done, I'll post riff #3.. the steve's special version!

As far as testing the pickups in two different guitars.. Regardless of if they're the same exact guitar, just the fact that they are two different peices of wood is gonna give a very very very very slight difference in tone.. you can't really test the pickup for a different sound unless its in the same guitar.. and IMO it's not that hard to solder a few wires =} especially with the experience you have.. good louck though.. i hope you get the tone your looking for..

*i wish I could afford new pickups* lol

[HeavyMetal4Ever]

After a couple of listens, those clips are very similar, perhaps a hint more brightness from the Evo, but I could well be imagining it.

As for pickups making a difference, I have changed a few because I was not happy with the tone from certain guitars I own, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that pickup changes can have a big effect.

I changed the stock V8 in a 1570 to a SD Invader, and the difference is night and day.

I also changed the stock SD Jb in a LTD MH-1000 to a Dimarzio D-Sonic, and again, it completely changed the tone(for the better).

I'm currently in the process of swapping out an EMG set in a Ltd Mh-400 for something a bit more organic, and I'm also putting an Evo in a short scale (24.75) Charvel Fusion Custom to tighten it up a bit.

Back to the op, i'm eagerly awaiting the SS clip, and I hope you can get a tone you are happy with.

Rock on!