Do Aftermarket Pickups Matter Anymore? - The Beard Files

Lets talk about something close to all of our hearts: aftermarket pickups!

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[iankinzel]

I discovered that my guitar sounds best when I stop worrying about upgrades and just play the damn thing.

[andrewisace]

It's simple:

Cheap/Budget guitars benefit from after market pickups. No question about it.

Changing stock pickups on high-end/premium guitars is a lateral move based in personal taste and what you're going for.

[CaptainAugust]

If you are replacing cheap stock pickups with premium aftermarket pickups then YES, it does matter. If you are replacing premium pickups with similar aftermarket premium pickups then NO, it doesn't.

[triumph]

Take all the sound processing out and plug straight into your amp. Then you will hear a big difference beween guitar with different pickups.

[loydthabartender]

I noticed a lot of these "nothing matters! Tone is in your fingers" videos from people who have a fleet of cars worth of amplifiers and 30+ guitars

[slothstradamus]

"We have DISTRESSED THE COVER!"

Every metal guitarist was laughing their ass off at this.

[Lazy_eye_blobFish]

Why should I care? I'm still just a freaking drummer.

[ShredShed]

"WE DISTRESSED THE COVER...."

[guitarvirtuoduder]

"These pickups, custom wound with the exotic copper only found in the mountains of Appalachia, nestled deep in the Heart of Moonshine Kentucky...."

[chordsoforion]

Sorry late to the game on this one. Agreed that pickups matter less now than in the past. There are a couple of exceptions - single coil vs humbucker - big tone difference. And - pickup output. Even with digital gear (I don't use an amp), I have a distinct preference for lower gain pickups. That being said, I rarely ever feel the need to do a pickup swap.

[maxupp]

Go demo a stock pickup out of a 200$ Ibanez. You're basically saying: "I stopped reviewing supercars because they were all so good!"

A 50$ used Invader can help a kid with a 100$ guitar feel like Tom Delonge. Aftermarket pickups will always have a place.

[MateNako]

Cannot wait for a video that will be exactly the same but about Tube Screamer/Overdrive type of pedals :D

[buhimoth]

I totally get what you’re saying fluff, one thing I feel you didn’t mention though, is that a lot of (cheaper) pickups are lacking clarity. No matter what amp/effects/plugins you use, you won’t gain clarity that’s not there!

[DR]

On a cheaper guitar, I think they make a huge difference. The trap I fell into years ago was the whole boutique pickup thing. I found the only thing that they did over Seymour Duncan or Dimarzio was make my wallet quite a bit lighter. Only my opinion but I do not think they are worth the price. I will stick with Duncan, Dimarzio or possibly something else along those lines.

[crashoverride]

I installed EMG pickups in my guitar and it made a huge difference

[CarsoniaCar]

There goes your bare knuckle endorsement

[JohnDrogado]

Guys that go straight into their amp are going nuts right now. :D

[plaguelord]

Was actually having a beer when it said to take a drink every time you said pickup. I made it to 1:06 before I belched loudly and realized I was in my 30s. Great video though!

[CarlosGonzalez-qdrr]

I recently replaced the volume potentiometer of my strat from 250K to 500k without changing pickups and the results blew me away. There are so many factors in this topic.

[Ottophil]

Pickup type and position mattter, a single coil in the neck will never sound like a bridge humbucker, you’re right though brands and stuff are irrelevant