Would any of you be willing to show us how various pickups sound?

[stevel]

For free For the benefit of the community?

The P-90 thread got me...It's like, someone says "what does a P-90 sound like" and 20 people post what they consider "the" P-90 tone and they're all drastically different. In fact, my experience with the few P-90s I've come across sounded much different than what was posted, and what was posted - with those levels of gain - could have been lots of things.

I know a lot of members here have a lot of instruments.

I would be cool to do a demo that shows the difference between Humbuckers, Single Coils, Filtertrons, P-90s, Lipsticks, etc. etc. ON THE SAME AMP ON THE SAME SETTINGS.

I realize of course that some pickups are going to be adjusted differently but this would be a much better comparison than listening to them in totally different guitar/amp combinations.

I also know that every pickup can be extremely versatile. However, I notice a definite difference in HSS guitars between the H and the S. But it's harder to compare when the demos aren't back to back, or are totally different videos (though I'm sure there are plenty of Tele vids since those guitars have "two types" in them by nature - but what would be interesting is maybe some of the "full range" humbuckers that were in the customs).

Maybe some of you have made demos like this already???

But even if they were different guitars (though some people do have a couple types in one guitar!) if people could hear them in say, a clean, edge of breakup, drive, and distortion settings I think that would be a wonderful resource for many people!

So, if anyone's willing, you know, post away

 

[stevel]

I did find this one video, but he compares it position by position. Why wouldn't you just switch to each pickup on those guitars with three different types, sheesh. I know pups sound different in the different positions, but you know, the change of guitar has just as much impact most likely. Furthermore, his tone is not what I'd consider to be "good", so that doesn't help - although at least his clean is actually clean and he did do a clean and not just buzzing insects.

 

[Multicellular]

For free For the benefit of the community?

The P-90 thread got me...It's like, someone says "what does a P-90 sound like" and 20 people post what they consider "the" P-90 tone and they're all drastically different. In fact, my experience with the few P-90s I've come across sounded much different than what was posted, and what was posted - with those levels of gain - could have been lots of things.

I know a lot of members here have a lot of instruments.

I would be cool to do a demo that shows the difference between Humbuckers, Single Coils, Filtertrons, P-90s, Lipsticks, etc. etc. ON THE SAME AMP ON THE SAME SETTINGS.

I realize of course that some pickups are going to be adjusted differently but this would be a much better comparison than listening to them in totally different guitar/amp combinations.

I also know that every pickup can be extremely versatile. However, I notice a definite difference in HSS guitars between the H and the S. But it's harder to compare when the demos aren't back to back, or are totally different videos (though I'm sure there are plenty of Tele vids since those guitars have "two types" in them by nature - but what would be interesting is maybe some of the "full range" humbuckers that were in the customs).

Maybe some of you have made demos like this already???

But even if they were different guitars (though some people do have a couple types in one guitar!) if people could hear them in say, a clean, edge of breakup, drive, and distortion settings I think that would be a wonderful resource for many people!

So, if anyone's willing, you know, post away

I would be more interested, and more willing to contribute, if you could cut out even more of the intervening variables. For example, having everyone record direct in and then either reamp or use an amp sim with rms level matching pre and post. Ask people to play with similar picks, same place on the strings.

 

[Badstrat]

I'd be interested in this thread. I've played a strat for 38 yrs and recently scored a '95 Les Paul Studio and I really like it as a gigging guitar. I'd also like to know more about P90s and humbuckers in strats etc.

 

[stevel]

Well that would certainly eliminate more variables Multicellular, but you know, it also needs to be pretty practical - I mean we know Strats and LPs don't sound alike, and even Strat to Strat and LP to LP varies - but there's a "general sonic footprint" that humbuckers have that's different from single coils - and showing that might be as helpful - even with the types of guitars they "typically" come in.

 

[Torren61]

What's in it for me?

 

[stevel]

Actually, I just stumbled across this looking for something completely different - and in fact their title doesn't tell what they do, but this is kind of what I'm thinking about - I like they did it with different pedals too, but even just through the amps would be informative.

 

[stevel]

See the "tone deaf" post today. I think someone like that OP would be helped by starting out with pickups with more difference to listen for, then narrowing it down like the video they posted (which was all strat single coils very close in design spec).

 

[BADHAK]

A video is next to useless for this type of comparison. Your not going to hear mucch difference between a Dimarzio PAF's and Throbak PAF's in a vid. You might be able to hear the difference between singles an humbuckers, or even a Ceramic and a PAF, but even between two brands of vintage singles you could pick out the ones you reckon sound best but absolutely hate them in your, guitar through your amp.