One way to help choose a pickup

[Thumas]

It's easy to get preconceptions when you are reading to much on forums, for me anyway.
Well it's been easier to know what you like now when you have the great sample clips on the main site.

One experiment i did was to save all clips on my computer (official sample clips on bkp site), in my case i split the modern files in to three parts, chords, rhythm and lead, and finally the low galloping part, let my girlfriend randomize and renaming the files, she wrote down the correct "answers" on a paper.
Now a did a blindfold test and made a top three list of each category. btw i have done it a couple of times and for me i get more or less the same results, i guess in my case i must have some idea of what i'm like or not.
I'm on my way to order a new calibrated set but having a hard time choosing appearance, i must admit it ain't easy to choose a pickup :)
Don't know if you like this method or not but it's one way to do it.

I still have the randomized clips on my computer with the answers in a pdf file, don't know if i'm allowable to upload it here? but if there is any interest maybe we could look it up and i will gladly share.
 

[Roobubba]

Well, I will admit that it is one way to choose, however it doesn't take into account the type of guitar, construction, or amp, which will all likely be very different to those used to make the original clips.

But if it works, great! :)

Roo

[MDV]

Well, I will admit that it is one way to choose, however it doesn't take into account the type of guitar, construction, or amp, which will all likely be very different to those used to make the original clips.

But if it works, great! :)

Roo

Yes.

This method doesnt take into account every other variable involved, and the interaction of all the components. This is a vast influence on the sound you hear.

The way to interpret clips is knowing all the factors involved (or as many as possible) and thinking 'the pickup *can* be part of this sound', not 'this is what the pickup sounds like'

[Thumas]

i know what you mean, but in this case i understand all humbucker clips were recorded with a les paul custom and axe fx 5150 sim?
and i guess the same settings were used (i understand gain was different) in the view of low output pickups etc.
that should give you an idea of what it will sound like, but i understand you can't know what it will sound like in your own equipment that's true, but many of the suggestions in this and others forums people gladly recommends pickups withouts knowing what amps, speakers that will be used, only what kind of guitar and music style, (not in all cases, but it's common)
anyway i hope this method helps me, it surely helps me more than listen to random clips users recorded on their own with all kinds of different equipment.
But it surely is not the best comparing method, but it should give you a hint.

[MDV]

You mean the clips on the site?

yes, they're pretty well variable-controlled (i.e. the only difference with most is the pickup; there were several guitars invloved but I'm under the impression that the groups of styles were each in the same guitar, same settings same model same impulses etc etc)

I thought you meant clips in players.

[Thumas]

yeah it was the clips on the new site i meant.
i thought i was clear, when i wrote "Well it's been easier to know what you like now when you have the great sample clips on the main site." in the beginning. sorry for not be clear about that.

[Roobubba]

you're right that some suggestions are made without prior knowledge of some, let alone all of the influencing factors - and no method is perfect!

To put the counter-argument forward on behalf of those of us who do make suggestions, these are (in many cases) based on our own experience with a range of equipment which gives us a feeling of how a pickup may sound in a handful of different situations - for example how a few pickups compare in a single guitar, or a few different guitars, made of different woods, and so on. That information is useful, and at least combined with as many other people's opinions as possible begins to build up a global picture of how a pickup responds more generally. This I feel is the greatest strength of these forums.

I'm all for some degree of objectivity (even where it's subjectively defined, as here), and comparing many pickups against each other is certainly a reasonable way to get to grips with how the different pickups may react to your own equipment. A blind test as you've done is even better as it removes any preconceptions the listener has from reading other subjective opinions.

Better, perhaps, would be comparison clips that other users have made with very similar equipment, but of course these are rarely available!

I'm not outwardly bashing your idea, I think it's good, but just wanted to put it in the context of the wealth of information that is already available about BKPs here on the forums :)

Roo

[Thumas]

you're right that some suggestions are made without prior knowledge of some, let alone all of the influencing factors - and no method is perfect!

To put the counter-argument forward on behalf of those of us who do make suggestions, these are (in many cases) based on our own experience with a range of equipment which gives us a feeling of how a pickup may sound in a handful of different situations - for example how a few pickups compare in a single guitar, or a few different guitars, made of different woods, and so on. That information is useful, and at least combined with as many other people's opinions as possible begins to build up a global picture of how a pickup responds more generally. This I feel is the greatest strength of these forums.

I'm all for some degree of objectivity (even where it's subjectively defined, as here), and comparing many pickups against each other is certainly a reasonable way to get to grips with how the different pickups may react to your own equipment. A blind test as you've done is even better as it removes any preconceptions the listener has from reading other subjective opinions.

Better, perhaps, would be comparison clips that other users have made with very similar equipment, but of course these are rarely available!

I'm not outwardly bashing your idea, I think it's good, but just wanted to put it in the context of the wealth of information that is already available about BKPs here on the forums :)

Roo

I have read alot of threads on this forum and i do appreciate yours and other members science just to be clear, just wanted to share this is an option to do.

[Doadman]

I think it's a good idea. I'd still listen to forum members and Tim especially but I did something very similar and it certainly helped to clarify some issues in my head. Having generally used ceramic pups in my guitars, the first thing that became clear to me was that overall I preferred alnico pups. I'd wondered if that might be the case but in a blind test I never once chose ceramic over alnico. It was quite an eye opener!

[Nolly]

I'm glad you've enjoyed the clips, the idea behind them was precisely to allow people to do what you've done - make an informed judgement on the comparative properties of each pickup in the range within its type.

[Thumas]

yeah it's great, i have two bkp's (mm and hd), and comparing them with the others i now have chosen a c-bomb for my esp eclipse, really think this method will help me to get exact what i'm looking for this time.
i will order today and will return when they are installed and write if i think it was a good idea or not :)