Humbuckers...wow

simwrfman06 · 10-05-2005, 10:39 AM

Ok, so. i am looking to replace the electronics in my First Act. don't kill me, its a good beginner guitar and its lasted two years, so i am happy. anyways, i want to replace the humbuckers because, well, any pickup most likely would be better than these. but anyways, i dont know much about tone and all that, so i was wondering if i could get some feed back. i am very much interested in the hard rock sound, but not sounding to "disturbed/drowing pool"-ish. i want to be more hoobastank-ish. i know effects can help, but i think it starts at the source. sooo, any feedback would be great. God Bless!

gtrdave · 10-05-2005, 11:38 AM

Distortion is a product of the pickup, the amp and the guitar itself and each plays an important part.
Great pickups through a lackluster amp will give poor results.
A great amp with a bad guitar, ditto.

Just so you know...

Ok, humbuckers will give you a different kind of distortion than single coils: a little darker and thicker. But singles can give a killer distortion as well (My stock Tele is a fantastic hard rock guitar and loves an overdriven tube amp).
I'm assuming that your FA is a Strat-style guitar w/ 3 singles?
If so, what I'd suggest first is to be mindful of how much $$$ you put into the guitar and look at the lower-cost single sized humbuckers.
GFS mini-humbucker pickups (described in another thread today) may be a way to go or the Duncan Performer Scorcher is an option too.
Either will give you a true humbucker sound in your guitar without much labor or modification.

You can start with only a bridge pickup or maybe the neck and bridge...or change all three if your budget allows.

All that said, don't look for the humbucker change as an "be all, end all" to obtaining great distortion as MUCH of that rests on your amplifier.

What kind of amp do you have?

**Rainer.** · 10-05-2005, 06:40 PM

Give us all the details of what you play with. Tone beginners don't usually realize that it's almost all about the amp.

ryanxxxx · 10-05-2005, 08:40 PM

get seymor duncans they're the shiznit

gtrdave · 10-05-2005, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanxxxx

get seymor duncans they're the shiznit

I would recommend he put the money towards another guitar before spending $150 on pickups for a $100 guitar...but that's me.

PianoMan · 10-05-2005, 09:01 PM

I would agree. I think a better investment would be either a better guitar or a better amp. (Preferably both.)

martinedwards · 10-06-2005, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtrdave

I would recommend he put the money towards another guitar before spending $150 on pickups for a $100 guitar...but that's me.

or if he's happy with the neck etc he could pay $55 for 3 lil killers from GFS like I did. they're yummy!!

gtrdave · 10-06-2005, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinedwards

or if he's happy with the neck etc he could pay $55 for 3 lil killers from GFS like I did. they're yummy!!

So true which is why I recommended them in my first post.

**Rainer.** · 10-07-2005, 04:42 PM

Pickups are also interchangable. If you get some new pickups, and get a new guitar, you can put the good pickups in that guitar.

em0ticon · 10-08-2005, 04:56 PM

You can also give a few amps a try.

Through GC, my epiphone sounded terrible through certain SS amps. I was going to buy a pair of gibson burstbuckers 5, till i played her through my friends amp. Now i dont even dare of changing them.

Amp > Pickups

i'llcondescend · 10-12-2005, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Pickups are also interchangable. If you get some new pickups, and get a new guitar, you can put the good pickups in that guitar.

True. I wouldn't want to go through the trouble though. I would just save for a new guitar and get new pickups later on down the line if i need them. I'm lazy that way.