Should i or shouldn't I....

[tekbow]

Right, i'm a firm believer that there are virtually no guitars on this planet that cannot be improved with the addition of BKP's

However...

I have an axis, i love my axis, i love the pickups, which is unusual because i'm not a big dimarzio fan. they ring sing scream and kick out pinch harmonics just by looking at it lovingly..

so given my 2 now conflicting beliefs, is there anything to be gained from upgrading to BKP's?

thoughts?

i'd want to keep the inherent sound and characteristic the same, but enhance it? is there a BKP that are these plus some mojo? weird because the only other guitar i wouldnt have changed PUs was my wolfgang

[FELINEGUITARS]

I have heard an axis with VH2s in and it sounded fantastic

[tekbow]

Yeah? how did it compare to the original PUs?

[FernandoDuarte]

Yeah? how did it compare to the original PUs?

what is the models of the pickups?

[tekbow]

the axis has custom wound dimarzios that were designed and ear tested in conjunction with evh. when he left, the PU's and design stayed with ebmm. only thing that changed was the postion of the selector switch

[FernandoDuarte]

Cool, so the VHII seems the way to go, I guess

[Philly Q]

I have an axis, i love my axis, i love the pickups, which is unusual because i'm not a big dimarzio fan. they ring sing scream and kick out pinch harmonics just by looking at it lovingly..

I've got to say, I know this is the BKP forum but if it ain't broke don't fix it.

I used to have an Axis Sport, which was a different body wood but the same pickups.  I thought they sounded great and if I still had the guitar it would still have those pickups.

[tekbow]

yeah, i would have thought, but the VHII are based more around the early vanhalen sound, axis pickups have more in common with a tonezone and norton apparently. not that i'm trying to get a VH sound as such, just wondering if there's a BKP that might have the same characteristics and tonality as these, but um.. more?

[Dazza1004]

I would have thought the answer was obvious

buy another axis and put BKP's in there  :D

[tekbow]

You maybe right..  :D always wanted one in red lol but honestly am i gona find one as pretty as this?



finally. an excuse to post my non BKP axis  :D

but i'm starting to go down the ain't broke don't fix it path

dimarzios are weird, before i knew about BKPs i would never have used them as a replacement pickup, but for some reason they rock in sig guitars. used to love the fred in my JS1000 before i sold it

[Matt77]

I've had the same dilema but ultimately, the pickups in my Axis Super Sport sound pretty good to me and will be staying in it.

I think Hunter swapped his out on his Musicman for some BKPs and then decided to revert back to the originals.

[Twinfan]

yeah, i would have thought, but the VHII are based more around the early vanhalen sound

My understanding is that the name comes AFTER the pickup has been developed, not as the focus for the development.  I believe the VHII was created for a particular BKP user who had a PRS Custom 22 and wanted some more clarity/less midrange than other pickups.  This was back in the early days of the BKP company.

Right, i'm a firm believer that there are virtually no guitars on this planet that cannot be improved with the addition of BKP's

I very firmly disagree.  It's all about matching pickups to the guitar, and each application is different.  If it's great the way it is, leave it that way and enjoy it.  Only change things if you know what you want to get out of the change e.g. more power, more clarity, coil split options etc.  "Different" doesn't have to mean "Better", unless you know what you're looking for.  Which it sounds like you don't.

As an example, I own a custom built guitar made by a UK luthier fitted with super hot DiMarzio pickups.  Exactly the kind of thing I would never buy on spec alone - I'm an old-skool-classic-guitar-with-PAFs kinda guy.  Having played the guitar in question (out of general interest more than anything) I was hooked, and it's now my #1 for gigs.  It's a contender for the best sounding and playing guitar that I own.  I don't think BKPs would improve that guitar at all, and I've considered getting some for it.  Yes, they'd change it, but not necessarily improve it...........

[Philly Q]

It's all about matching pickups to the guitar, and each application is different.  If it's great the way it is, leave it that way and enjoy it.

"Different" doesn't have to mean "Better", unless you know what you're looking for.  

Yes, they'd change it, but not necessarily improve it...........

Totally agreed with all of the above.

I change pickups on most guitars (if I actually keep the guitar long enough to get round to it), but only if there's something I dislike about the sound, or something "missing".  If it sounds good, especially in the mixed-pickup positions, there's a risk of losing the "magic".  I've often been surprised, when I sell guitars and put the original pickups back, just how good they sound!  Most manufacturers are pretty clued-up really. 

Of course, there's always the possibility different pickups would sound "even better" - but life's too short to keep experimenting just for the sake of it.

[AndyR]

but life's too short to keep experimenting just for the sake of it.

Hmmmm.... :lol:

There's two aspects to my "Hmmmm" here:

• I might be wrong, Philly, but this strikes me as vaguely amusing coming from you
• My entire life seems to have been experimenting just for the sake of it - left to myself, I'd have been very happy if everyone had just let me lay on the sofa :lol:

Otherwise, I agree with you and TF.

I have been through a period of "wanting BKPs in all my guitars" and "wanting to try all BKPs relevant to me and my playing". And I do think both of these are valid enough reasons to make a pickup change, as long as you and your pocket realise that's why you're doing it.

Now I've reached a position of "is it actually broken, or do I want to experiment?".

With my new geetar, I quite like the stock pickups - almost enough to not mess with them. But I do actually have a set of BKPs in another guitar that I'd like to try in this one. They are doing sterling work in the other one, but from previous experience I think they might be even better in this one... and added to that, I already know that the stock pickups from this one will work very well in the other one...

So, I'm up for a little experimentation in my situation - on the face of it, it only costs me time and two sets of strings (but in reality it possibly frees the other guitar up for its 3rd set of BKPs :lol:)

- and I fully understand what tekbow's going through...

My gut feeling, reading this thread, is that your geetar and it's stock pickups sound like they're made for each other... but it also sounds like you've got that BKP bug... so... :roll:

I know nowt about these sort of pups - but good luck with reaching your decision :D

[Philly Q]

• I might be wrong, Philly, but this strikes me as vaguely amusing coming from you

Well, you have a point.  :lol:   

I am always buying and selling stuff, and I always modify guitars in the sense of changing bits of hardware, filing the sharp edges off the nut etc. etc.

But I was talking specifically about pickups - I don't always change them, and when I do I try to get it right first time*. 

I must admit when I only had a couple of guitars many years ago I would modify them to death.  A couple of Strat copies had multiple resprays and my knackered old Hamer Special has had at least 10 different pickups.




*This is partly because I just cannot be arsed to take the guitar apart all over again....