All Change.

[chris o'donnell]

Do many modern, well known, pro players change thier stock pickups as a matter of course.

I guess guys like Clapton, Page & Kossoff had stock pickups ( PAF ) and created the tone that we emulate today. Or did they change to custom wound alternatives.

As an aside, if they had stock guitars, how come signature models are so expensive, surley its just a standard strat or Les Paul which they would have bought from a shop like the rest of us.

Chris.

[TwilightOdyssey]

Well, Jeff Beck did.  PDT_028

And it was Peter Green's pickup swap that launched many people trying to capture his tone!

As guitar making got more production oriented, and as a result, automated, I think there was a definite loss in uniqueness to tone.

That has an overlap into your other question - a signature model should be a custom model, not a production guitar with aftermarket pickups thrown in.

[rinse_master]

I know Mr. Duncan has done work for the likes of Hendrix, Clapton and Page (and obviously Beck), although I don't know at what point in their careers or anything like that though.

Although, I did notice something along these lines the other day...

I was watching the Led Zep DVD (Disc one, the gig from the Royal Albert Hall 1970), Pretty much the whole set JP plays his LP Std (the one with a covered neck PU an Double Cream bridge PU)...

Then for the encore JP is playing a Black 3PU LP Custom with a Zebra neck, Double Black Bridge and Nickel covered middle (although customs have gold hardware?)

I'm guessing he got that Double Cream out of the middle pos of the Custom and stuck in the Std. Does anyone know anyhting about this?

The custom was later stolen, I think.

[PhilKing]

I think that in the past players changed pickups within the manufacturer.  I know I did!  When you get a guitar that plays well, sometimes it doesn't have the best pickups.  I used to have a 63 strat that didn't play as well as my 60, but had a great sound.  I changed the pickups over on that.

I also have a PAF that came off of a 66 SG Std.  I never really liked the guitar, but that pickup has been in 4 other guitars!

I remember reading that Leslie West (from Mountain), would change P-90's in his guitars looking for a good one.

And look how many people put humbuckers in the bridge positions of strats and neck position in teles!

[Ratrod]

I have a DVD of Led Zep on wich JP had the screws removed from the humbuckers of his LP. Why did he do that? What's the effect?

[rinse_master]

I have a DVD of Led Zep on wich JP had the screws removed from the humbuckers of his LP. Why did he do that? What's the effect?

I'm not exactly sure but I think it gives a more single coil type sound, something to do with having less of a magnetic field or something?

Which DVD was that?

[Ratrod]

It's 'The Song Remaines The Same' live at Madison Square Garden. It has a great version on it of 'Whole Lotta Love' It turns to rock n' roll to boogie woogie to rockabilly and back to the whole lotta love riff.

[rinse_master]

Cool, thanks Ratrod.