CONFESSION: I put same pickups in most guitars....

skolacki said:
Just curious, do the guitars with the same pickups sound fairly similar?
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In my case, similar but not the same. It's interesting, because it illuminated the differences in the guitars themselves. Even if the guitars were basically identical, there are just too many variables in the wood itself, hardware, how the guitar aged, how much it was played, even the strings.

Also, for me, it's not about output but more about compression or feel. And I grew up on tube amps, so between various pedals and the pickups, output level used to matter more to me than it does now. It's just what I'm used to.
 
Churchhill said:
In my case, similar but not the same. It's interesting, because it illuminated the differences in the guitars themselves. Even if the guitars were basically identical, there are just too many variables in the wood itself, hardware, how the guitar aged, how much it was played, even the strings.

Also, for me, it's not about output but more about compression or feel. And I grew up on tube amps, so between various pedals and the pickups, output level used to matter more to me than it does now. It's just what I'm used to.
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Now now, you’re implying wood makes a difference 🤣
 
I have Thornbuckers in all my humbucker guitars. They sound great in Les Pauls, PRS and of course my Suhr guitars. I find them to have an great clear and balanced tone.
 
Well it sure makes things simple as you're changing up guitars and don't have to dick with Axe settings because of output/gain differences. I'm an unapologetic PRS fiend and went through a spasm of retrofitting my older ones with 57/08, 59/09, and/or 53/10 pickups. So the majority of them are in similar gain families and I'm a happy camper and think I hear more differences between different guitars vs. hearing the different pickups.

Mind you I have a ton of medium- to high-gain amp models that I spend most of my time playing, so those relatively low output pickups are simply not an issue. It's when I plug the screaming superstrats in that I have to stop and fiddle and fuss with settings. Or choose presets that are friendlier to hotter pickups.

These are not terrible problems to have! :cool:
 
skolacki said:
I’m of the opinion that lower output pickups sound better. Unless you’re a metal player and need the high output. I do have some original pickups still installed but most have been changed, and some more than once. I see nothing wrong with having the same pickups in many guitars. If you like them then you like them. Like the amp models in the FAS units. There’s a ton and I use 2 of them. Just curious, do the guitars with the same pickups sound fairly similar?
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Lots of metal players eventually realize they dont need the high output haha
 
The Suhr Thornbucker neck is a favorite of mine. Otherwise I use a variety of bridge pickups.
My current favorite is the DiMarzio Super Distortion with a Series/Parallel switch.
 
Yep, series/parallel is my favorite at the moment. Lots of options become available with different switching. Partial coil-taps are interesting, too. I've never been happy with the way a humbucker sounds with a coil completely disconnected, but being able to just dial one coil back a bit is a whole other world.
 
I love the Suhr ssh+ humbucker, works for almost anything and I like the split sound too. Need to try out the thornbucker.
 
I have replaced all the hi-output pickups in my guitars with PAFs (different brands). Except for the "superstrats", when I didn't like the pickup, I installed a BKP Holydiver :D
 
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