OzDog
Full Member
Are you ready to Rock and Roll!!!!!!
Posts: 32
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Post by OzDog on Apr 18, 2004 12:22:11 GMT -5
One thing about Epiphone is their pickups aren't really all that great. Yes, there getting better however, I know many players switch out their pickups for better ones. Infact, switching pickups can be the biggest factor in just how good a guitar sounds. This isn't just related to Epiphone either.
I'm using the stock Epiphone pickups but my Epi is an Elite and the pickups are USA Gibson made and sound very good.
This should be interesting I think.
Oz Dog
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Post by CAFeathers on Apr 18, 2004 13:21:10 GMT -5
I am a big fan of Bill Lawrence www.billlawrence.com pups as replacements. Both of my Epi's have Bill Lawrence pups as well as my Fender Strat and Tele. |
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Post by spacecowboy on Apr 18, 2004 13:25:19 GMT -5
i voted for seymour duncan, only because they have such a huge variety and every combination known to man... i do like emg's also with the right preamps.. but overall duncan takes the cake as far as sound quality and diversity!
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Post by tekrek on Apr 18, 2004 13:30:21 GMT -5
EMG Active they rock!
Just my opinion tho...
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OzDog
Full Member
Are you ready to Rock and Roll!!!!!!
Posts: 32
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Post by OzDog on Apr 18, 2004 13:44:21 GMT -5
Already I can see there will be many different opinions. In my other guitar a 1985 USA made Charvel I put a Dimarzio PAF Pro in it only days after I bought the guitar. It came with Jackson Active pups and I couldn't stand the need for a 9v bat. on board to keep the thing up and running. Imagine this, here I am with my new Charvel at a gig. Last set and the battery starts to wear out. I can't even tell you how bad it sucked to have to take a unexpected break to replace the battery.  That next Monday I was installing a new pup. Personally I've always had a soft spot for that warm PAF tone. Guess that's why I've always lusted after a Les Paul. The only thing I would use after that that had a battery was my wireless system. Nothing I could do about that one. Oz Dog |
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Post by tekrek on Apr 18, 2004 14:01:57 GMT -5
Ozdog:
That would suck having to stop in the middle of a set to change a battery,I havn't been playing long and my opinion is pretty green on pickups but what a diff. the active made in the sound of my LP.
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OzDog
Full Member
Are you ready to Rock and Roll!!!!!!
Posts: 32
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Post by OzDog on Apr 18, 2004 14:37:31 GMT -5
Tekrek,
Did you have to modify your Paul to fit the battery?
Yeh, it sucked bad. I won't use stomp boxes without AC adapters just for that reason. Batterys will always go bad at worst times. Not only that they get to be a bit spendy.
Of course this was back in the 80's. I'm guessing the active pups today aren't as much of power hogs.
Oz Dog
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Post by Steelpriest on Apr 18, 2004 15:26:59 GMT -5
DOH! Another poll... hehehe, okay... but I did not vote, I use several replacement pickups and sometimes I like to alter the configurations, i.e. I take one pickup out of this guitar and put it into another just to see what the result is and put the other pickup back into the first guitar... yes, actually I swap them from time to time when the result is not really satisfying. It all depends on personal taste, the guitar itself and on the purpose you want to use the guitar for... My most amazing experience recently was the old Gibson Dirty Finger that I put in my Epi Les Paul Studio, I thought the DiMarzio DP 150 Double Whammy (a close relative to the Tone Zone) in my other LP Studio was hot, but the Dirty Finger blows it way easily...  A DiMarzio SD Dualsound that is about 20 years old sounds amazing in one of my Stagg Les Paul Copies. I have another almost new DiMarzio SD that is razor sharpe, it was a total let down in one of my Epis, it is somewhere in my cupboard and I think I might give it another try somewhen if a suiting guitar comes in... otherwise I might sell it or trade it. On my Gothic Flying V which I sold meanwhile I kept the stock pickups, they were very nice, far away from just being "okay" they were really good... there is no golden rule to follow when it comes to pickups.  |
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Post by tekrek on Apr 18, 2004 19:46:47 GMT -5
Tekrek, Did you have to modify your Paul to fit the battery? Yeh, it sucked bad. I won't use stomp boxes without AC adapters just for that reason. Batterys will always go bad at worst times. Not only that they get to be a bit spendy. Of course this was back in the 80's. I'm guessing the active pups today aren't as much of power hogs. Oz Dog Oz The guitar tech who put them in for me just screwed a metal battery clip in the pot cavity:very neat and tidy in there with that clip:EMG said in the instructions just to stuff the cavity with the foam the pups came in :-/but i was happy when the guy put the clip in for me,no real mod i guess just 1 extra screw hole inside the cavity  |
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Post by tekrek on Apr 18, 2004 19:51:53 GMT -5
Oops:
Just to add everyone is telling me that the battery should last up to 100 hours of playing time!! we'll see!!
Just make sure you unplug the coard,as the pups are only on when pluged in...
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Post by samicksg on Apr 18, 2004 21:39:27 GMT -5
I've still got the stock epi P90s in my goldtop, I can't see myself changing them. Same with my SG. However the next guitar I buy will be getting EMG actives because I think they are simply amazing!
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Post by Steelpriest on Apr 19, 2004 7:18:34 GMT -5
No need for batteries in a guitar here... batteries belong into pocketlights, hehe... just my opinion, lol! ;D No, let me be serious: I´m afraid of being in need of total different settings on my amp when I use an active guitar amongst all the other passive ones. For that reason I never tried so far...  |
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Post by zep on Apr 19, 2004 15:09:20 GMT -5
My Epi stock pickups still work and sound good, and I'm not looking to spend a bunch of money...yet... to replace them when they work perfectly well. When I want to get the better sound then I'll switch them out.
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micman
not so new Member
Posts: 14
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Post by micman on Apr 22, 2004 20:24:12 GMT -5
I have used numerous pups from several manufacturers (DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, Bill Lawrence; Lace, Gibson) in many of my guitars. The pups in my 2002 Dot are, IMHO, actually really decent, and do have a definate vintage vibe. I had thought about changing them, but I'm sick and tired of popping in new units only to be disappointed with the results (I guess that's maybe a symptom of my age). I find that it is basically a trial and error scenerio with replacing pups, regardless of the reputation of a certain manufacturer, or model of pup. There are so many variables involved, that a pup that sounds great in one guitar, may well sound like crap in another.
Having said that, I must admit that the several pre 2001 Epi's that I have played, have terrible pups that do require replacement. The stock pups from that period are terribly microphonic and very harsh sounding.
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Post by Steelpriest on Apr 22, 2004 21:13:57 GMT -5
Micman has said it all. Very true words... |
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That next Monday I was installing a new pup. Personally I've always had a soft spot for that warm PAF tone. Guess that's why I've always lusted after a Les Paul. 
A DiMarzio SD Dualsound that is about 20 years old sounds amazing in one of my Stagg Les Paul Copies. I have another almost new DiMarzio SD that is razor sharpe, it was a total let down in one of my Epis, it is somewhere in my cupboard and I think I might give it another try somewhen if a suiting guitar comes in... otherwise I might sell it or trade it. On my Gothic Flying V which I sold meanwhile I kept the stock pickups, they were very nice, far away from just being "okay" they were really good... there is no golden rule to follow when it comes to pickups. 
