700 posts
YouTube Channel: ToroK Channel
Disclosures: See Signature
|
Post by taurash on Jul 29, 2018 12:45:51 GMT
oghkhood I don't understand why you sound like thinking that big brands are not top on quality. Do you have something to demonstrate that point ? As far as I'm concerned, I'm playing on DiMarzio and SD for more than 15 years and never had any problem. MartinB I took aa look and a couple of ears on BarKnuckle and I must say that they sound very good, especially the Nailbombs. Yet, the price is higher than the price of the guitar itsself and this pretty much stops me for this time. But, for a better quality instrument, I will think again about it. DerAlex Concerning samples on youtube, yes of course you hear the amp. Yet, when you listen to some comparison videos, you quickly can make the difference. This one, for instance, really helps me knowing how pups sound :
|
|
|
Post by DerAlex on Jul 30, 2018 5:45:03 GMT
This reasle argument always makes me angry. It is exactly like if you say : "as long as they are idiots to buy them" Music an ear affair, not look No need to go ballistic. First the TO himself mentioned resale value. And if you think about testing several sets of PUs and losing 40%-50% every time it can become quite costly. And exactly as you said: it is mainly about finding tones that the player likes. So one‘s nightmare can be someone else‘s heaven. No idiots anywhere - just tone chasers.
|
|
608 posts
|
Post by oghkhood on Jul 30, 2018 10:34:08 GMT
Ballistic, no certainly not. But you really make me feel like aiming higher than average - or perhaps more open minded -
They ( big brands ) are not top on quality. If you want top quality, go boutique : Van Zandt, Creamry, Kami, SP Custom ... or any artisan you know And if you are to play on series, then big brand will make you pay their brand, not their quality. This is why brands such as Tonerider, Irongear etc ... provide the same quality for less money. Tone chasers ? this is not what I ear when I read people mocking at the ones who dare to say there is no good tone out of Gibson/Fender/DiMarzio/SD/ etc .... or at least prefer to stay with them " because it is the brand ". this is not a tone chaser behaviour, but just consumerismAnd this is existing even on this forum dedicated to a low cost brand
edited
|
|
|
Post by Vincent on Jul 30, 2018 18:18:25 GMT
The only thing boutique about boutique pickups is the price. Quality between cheap and expensive does not vary greatly really. The differences are usually the materials used. Plastic vs fiberboard etc. Makes no difference to the sound. Thing to watch for is covers. Brass will induce more eddy currents and steal some of the high end, maketh them muddy sometimes, whereas nickel silver not so much. If they work they work. We like them or we do not. They are a bit of wire and magnets. There is more to it than this of course but there is so much BS around pickups these days. The placebo effect comes into play. Ever see a bad review of an expensive pickup? I have tried and bought many of the top brands and there is nothing wrong with them in my experience but there are alternatives just as good and for much less outlay. I have no name cheap Chinese pickups in a PRS and a Les Paul + others. Watch out for resellers importing stuff from China and marking them up tenfold while implying they are made in your country. There are some good deals to be hand by local independent winders. I received some strat pickups this week from a winder just starting out. Haven't tried them yet.
|
|
1,773 posts
|
Post by MartinB on Jul 30, 2018 18:25:47 GMT
Some boutique makers offer different designs and types that the mainstream builders don’t make.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent on Jul 30, 2018 18:34:01 GMT
Some winders do. Fair point.
|
|
608 posts
|
Post by oghkhood on Jul 30, 2018 18:54:30 GMT
But overall, if you come to their shop with your guitar, they will test it and chat with you to know what kind of work they can do to make you get what you are seeking. It is exactly the same with surfboards or bicycles for instance : you can buy a high end mass produced item, or for the same price or lower, get a custom made one ... a true custom made All my surfboards are custom made, and my son's too, for less money than most renown brands ... and much better. Same for pick ups, when on my Strat Classic Player 50 I changed the Fender Classic 57 set for a Van Zand True Vintage set, the difference was obvious - ok, the price difference too - Then, coming to upgrade a 200€ guitar, it is a non sense to expend even more money than the guitar price to change the pups. But there are low cost solutions. And now after having tested several pups from Tonerider. And more, compared them to big brands equivalent in term of character, there's trully no point I ever go first to these big brands to upgrade any guitar
And should I add that it is by far the best way to get to sound not like everyone, with these NotGibsonFenderDimarzioSeymourDuncanetc pups ? .... Tone chaser you said ? just do it !
|
|
700 posts
YouTube Channel: ToroK Channel
Disclosures: See Signature
|
Post by taurash on Jul 31, 2018 6:04:09 GMT
Interesting discussion I must say. I understand clearly the interest of these small boutique custom makers, and if I had the money to try and risk not te be happy, I think I could try some - I could let myself convince by Creamery, just to make myslef an idea of the sound I could reach. But I can't allow myself risking money for not being satisfied. Creamery is a british brand, so the shipment wouldn't cost me that much. But I wanted to try an american small brand, well I would pay a hard price for it. So yes, big brands sound like a kind of safe heaven. And as far as I'm concerned, they make good quality. Plus I know their sound cos' I have tried them. And no matter how good the advices of a customer service may be, nothing replaces your own experience, cos you have your own touch. A guy like Ola Englund couldn't make some EMG sound good but he loves hearing them from other guitar players. But Ola is used to medium output Alnico V pups, and plays quite hard. On some EMGs, if pups are close to the strings, it just sounds dirty. I'm sure he could make them sound the way he likes, but he would have to change his way of playing. I will certainly give a chance to one of those small brands and order boutiques pickups but not this time. I love my SC custom, it really plays well but I don't forget this is a 200€ guitar. It has grover tuners, Tone Pros TOM bridge, and those two pieces are worth 200€ if bought separately. My luthier knows HB quite well, he told me that he is always quite impressed with the quality of these instruments, compared to some other low cost brands like Fazley or Eagletone for instance. Yet, the wood has been dried up in ovens, probably including glu, and however good the result may be, it's not an instument that's made to have very rich harmonic tones. Let's stay basic with a basic instrument. I still have in mind the idea of having a completely custom made guitar, and I will do it someday. I think it will be a good moment to experience different pups and small boutique brands, with an instrument made to provide richness and subtlety. And thanks to you guys for having me discovering those small brands I had never heard about
|
|
|
Post by DerAlex on Jul 31, 2018 13:27:57 GMT
Well, if you come to Germany near Cologne I invite everyone to test out that cheap SC550 with upgrades worth more than the stock guitar and judge yourself, how Vineham pickups and upgraded electronics can make such a cheap guitar better than my friends LP Traditional. (Which still costs 4x the money of my upgraded SC550)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2018 14:24:06 GMT
People. Instrument is a personal journey. Mojo is part of it. If I feel no Mojo I don't play the guitar. Maybe brand name created that Mojo. So what! Some find the Mojo in affordable items. So what! It's a personal journey. Saying my God is better than your God is just ridiculous Each to its own. It's a Personal journey!
|
|
700 posts
YouTube Channel: ToroK Channel
Disclosures: See Signature
|
Post by taurash on Jul 31, 2018 16:27:42 GMT
Thanks for your invitation DerAlex, I've never been in Germany so if it happens, I'll tell you Wise words, @chedapapa you're right !
|
|
78 posts
|
Post by doktorsteve on Aug 1, 2018 12:29:43 GMT
I would be curious to hear from anyone else who has tried the Vanson alnico 2 pickups in SC Custom. I used them to replace the hot (14k) Wilkinson pickups on my SC Custom.
I love the playability of this guitar but I am still not sure about the sound. Maybe I am looking for single coil sound from mahogany set neck guitar.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2018 13:04:45 GMT
Indeed those Roswell LAF pups are THE only Roswell pups I liked so far. The Roswell ST, TE, FLT, P90 I did not like at all!
|
|