Question about how pickups work

[SRChrono]

Hey everyone. I have this deal where I like really warm cleans and really heavy distortion and right now my pickups (EMG 81/85) aren't really doing it for me. I'm thinking about replacing them, but I have no idea about PU replacement limitations. Is it possible for me to just put a sexy smooth jazz PU in the neck and a put a nail bomb or something in the bridge? I'm just wondering if something would go wrong. Thanks!

[ratspeak]

If you were to mix a really high powered bridge pup with a low powered neck pickup, you might notice some difference in volume. This could potentially be solved by putting the neck pickup closer to the strings than the bridge pickup.

But on the other hand, most all BKPs have great cleans, especially anything with an alnico magnet. You'd probably be fine with a Nailbomb set, or a Nailbomb bridge, Cold Sweat neck (which is alnico, unlike the coldsweat bridge) combination. You'd probably improve your cleans with any pickup over an EMG.

It'd probably be easier to make a suggestion if everyone knew what kind of music you play, what tonal characteristics are most important to you, and what kind of guitar/amp/other stuff you're using.

[BigB]

If you were to mix a really high powered bridge pup with a low powered neck pickup, you might notice some difference in volume. This could potentially be solved by putting the neck pickup closer to the strings than the bridge pickup.

OTHO, vintage (well, low output...) pups tend to sound better when set not too close to the string IMHO - they get more of the wood's own tone, as well as more clarity, dynamics and "fluidity"...

@SRChrono: neck pups are usually cooler than bridge ones, because being closer to the 'mid-point' they get much more excitation from the string. A ultra-hot ceramic bridge would probably overweight a vintage alnico neck by a too big factor, but there's still some room... On the Crawler set, the bridge is 15.5K alnico 5  - which is already rather hot (think "80's metal") - and the neck is 7.8K alnico IV - hardly hotter than a vintage PAF (Mule neck is 7.3K) and very warm and smooth due to the alnico IV magnet -, and I had no problem balancing them, with the neck further away from strings than the bridge which is how I like them (more air and wood on the neck for cleans, more bite and 'in your face' attitude for the bridge for heavy rock riffs and leads).

FWIW, I've not much experience with EMGs, but "warm cleans" is definitely not what would come to my mind here  :? so I bet even ceramic BKPs would give you better cleans. But as xXperceptionXx said, you don't give enough background about your playing style, gear etc...

[Keven]

I have a cold sweat bridge which is ceramic rated at 14k or so. and an alnico V riff raff neck which has about 7.4k. as BigB mentions, they balance out quite well. i'm also waiting to replace my black dog bridge with a painkiller and that too will balance out very well, tim himself uses this combo in one of his guitars.

[SRChrono]

Sorry about the late response, I don't really want death metal distortion. I mostly like playing things like Spastic Ink, Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Buckethead, and some post rock stuff, but I also like the cleaner, warmer, melodic stuff too. I'm playing a Schecter Hellraiser (EMG 81/89) right now and I'm a little tired of it. I think i'm going to trade it in for a Ibanez RGA. I'm playing through a terrible practice amp with a MXR Fullbore Metal distortion petal. It sounds pretty awful. I'm sort of new to electric guitars and amps, so any advice on where to start would be greatly appreciated. I have a budget of about 1000$ for a new amp/effects/and pickups. Thanks for any help. Sorry i'm not very informative. I don't really know how to express what sort of tone i'm looking for. All the things I read about mid range/highs/lows etc don't mean a lot to me. I've never seen them explained.

[ratspeak]

EMGs are "deathmetal distortion". The only BKP that comes close to as heavy is the Warpig.

My suggestion: get a new amp first. A good amp is the #1 most important component to a good guitar sound. Once you have the amp you want, then take the time and decide what pickups you want. Your amp is going to define how brutal your sound is or not a lot more than your pickup.

Also, enjoy: http://psg.com/~dlamkins/lamkins-guitar/music/article/tone-terms

[Frank]

A good amp is the #1 most important component to a good guitar sound.

Got to take issue with that! Choice of wood for the neck and body, pickups, set neck vs bolt-on have far more influence on the overall sound.

[ratspeak]

A good amp is the #1 most important component to a good guitar sound.

Got to take issue with that! Choice of wood for the neck and body, pickups, set neck vs bolt-on have far more influence on the overall sound.

Fair enough, but OP has a guitar that will work fine for their needs. We're not talking single-coil vs humbucker here (although EMGs aren't great, they work and are popular enough to get the green-light). If it were SC vs humbucker than I would suggest that be the first change to be made, but upgrading from a practice amp to a tube rig is more important than upgrading from EMGs to BKPs.

Look at it this way: You're trying guys out for a rock or metal band. One guy shows up with a 15 watt solid-state combo and a BKP loaded Schecter, says he has no other amp and not enough money to buy one because he spent it all on the pickups. Another guy shows up with an EMG loaded Schecter and a 5150. They're both equally good. Who do you take?

[Frank]

One guy shows up with a 15 watt solid-state combo and a BKP loaded Schecter, says he has no other amp and not enough money to buy one because he spent it all on the pickups. Another guy shows up with an EMG loaded Schecter and a 5150. They're both equally good. Who do you take?

The one who can play best?

[ratspeak]

The one who can play best?

I said "they're both equally good".  :lol:

But you see my point.

(And really, having a proper amp shows your commitment financially. Other than the amazing sound, having BKPs is more like bonus points... or since I have a C-Pig, it's like "I'm the alpha-male").  :lol:

[ToneMonkey]

A good amp is the #1 most important component to a good guitar sound.

Got to take issue with that! Choice of wood for the neck and body, pickups, set neck vs bolt-on have far more influence on the overall sound.

I've seen this argument over the internet for at least five years now.  Got to say that the jury is still out on this one.

Personally, I would say that the amp is the biggest factor in sound, with pickups following a close second.  All very subjective though  :D

[BigB]

A good amp is the #1 most important component to a good guitar sound.

Got to take issue with that! Choice of wood for the neck and body, pickups, set neck vs bolt-on have far more influence on the overall sound.

Fair enough, but OP has a guitar that will work fine for their needs. We're not talking single-coil vs humbucker here (although EMGs aren't great, they work and are popular enough to get the green-light). If it were SC vs humbucker than I would suggest that be the first change to be made, but upgrading from a practice amp to a tube rig is more important than upgrading from EMGs to BKPs.

While I totally agree that getting a decent tube amp is an absolute requirement here, I don't think it will be enough to address the OP's problem - and I'd even say that he'd better swap his pups before he even try and choose his amp. For the record, the HRDx sounded cr@p with the stock X2Ns that were on my Vox, to the point I had totally dismissed this amp as a viable option for me. Much to my surprise, when I finally gave it a second chance - this time with the Crawlers -, it was so darn close to the "tone in my head" that I got me one within 3 days.

Also and FWIW, it doesn't have to be pups OR (exclusive) amp - 1000$ is surely enough to get good pups AND a decent tube amp.

[Frank]

Maybe my view is out of step with many guitarists because I rarely play with anything more than a slight bluesy overdrive - for my style of playing it's all about the wood, the pickups and the inherent natural tones of the guitar rather than the gain and tone shaping abilities of the amp.

As with all debates about guitar tone, you've just got to use whatever works for you and your chosen style of playing.

[ToneMonkey]

Maybe my view is out of step with many guitarists because I rarely play with anything more than a slight bluesy overdrive - for my style of playing it's all about the wood, the pickups and the inherent natural tones of the guitar rather than the gain and tone shaping abilities of the amp.

As with all debates about guitar tone, you've just got to use whatever works for you and your chosen style of playing.

Couldn't agree more mate.  I'm a tone deaf, ten thumbed bloke with a complete lack of any musical ability, so my ears aren't as sharp as 99% of the pople on here. :D

[Frank]

"talking about music is like singing about architecture"

Frank Zappa