U2 Guitarist's Explorer Pickups

[Thrash]

What type pups does the U2 guitarist have in his explorer? Stock? Alnico, ceramic?

[Paul_R]

Tough question. You're talking about the one auctioned for $150,000 right?




From the article below it doesn't look like he changed the pups as he describes how much he liked the sound when he purchased it.
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyl...bson%20Explor/ Hard to find an answer to you question unless you can find pictures of the Explorer pickups on stage.

Are you trying to get The Edges tone?

[Thrash]

Not really after his tone but, my stock gibson 498 an 500 don't sound very good. I'm going to put a Norton/Air Norton combo in. I think they will sound good for most every type of rock.

[flarocks]

I have an '01 explorer and I agree totally.....the stock 498/500 combination sucks. The guitar has way too much mass for the 500 to sound 'clear' and the 498 is the wrong neck pickup as well. I think I understand why Gibson did what they did in making the Explorer a 'rock and roll machine', but this combination is useless for anything other than boisterous mud. I love the 500 in my Hamer sunburst and the 498 make a great bridge pickup in my Charvel Crossed Swords. In my explorer I have a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and an Alnico II in the neck........this is an AWESOME combination for this guitar and well worth a listen. Don't get me wrong, I love Dimarzio and am also a fan of some of Gibson's pickups, but for the Explorer I believe I have hit on the perfect pickup combo for versatility.

[dragsternj]

i have also changed the original bridge PU with a Barenuckle Miracle Man. Never liked the 498. The neck one was fine

[Thrash]

Yeah, I don't know why Gibson continues to use that combo. I've heard good things about the burstbuckers, dirty fingers, and 57 classics. I wish they would use one of those. Oh well, I've got Dimarzios in all my guitars so this is just another chance to try a set I don't have. I'll post a review when I get them in.

[jallen]

Originally Posted by Thrash

Yeah, I don't know why Gibson continues to use that combo. I've heard good things about the burstbuckers, dirty fingers, and 57 classics. I wish they would use one of those. Oh well, I've got Dimarzios in all my guitars so this is just another chance to try a set I don't have. I'll post a review when I get them in.

Dirty fingers have a similar tone/feel to the 500/498 thing, so you may want to stick with the 57 classics or burstbuckers. I agree that both are excellent pickups!

[CityofBlindingLights]

I'm actually a HUGE U2 fan (over 30 gigs in my iTunes library, plus close to 100 gigs elsewhere on my computer), and I've studied the Edge's tone down to a science.

When he first bought his Explorer in 1976, he loved the sound it had, so he never changed out the pickups (he went into a guitar shop in NYC expecting to buy a Rickenbacker, but chose this instead after playing it), so it's got stock pickups.

If you play an Explorer (with 496r and 500t pickups) through a Vox AC30, you've more or less nailed the Edge's tone. You need a bright amp to really get all that you can out of an Explorer (in other words, 6L6 not EL34!). All you'd need after that is the Edge's secret weapons in his sound- an Electro Harmonix Memory Man Deluxe and Herdim dimpled picks (he uses the dimpled side when playing, and that's what gives his pick attack that grating, chimey sound, in addition to a bright amp).

If you have more specific questions, PM me.

[eviltwin]

I thinks his 1976 Explorers are still equipped with the stock Pups.

He has loads of Strats and LPs with all sort of pickup configurations, incl Lace sensors, onboard boost (clapton sig) DiMarzios, SDs, and at least three Explorers.



When going for his sound the pups are only a very small part:


http://www.u2-stage-and-studio.com/edge/id9.html