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I've decided to go the whole hog now with this guitar, and have just ordered new bridge parts, locking tuners, etc. from the Iron Gear store (Axetec) to transform the EC-256 into a very different looking beast - to suit the snarly tone from the new pickups. Spent a good few hours playing last night and am still very happy with the result from a relatively low cost. Iron Gear pickups aren't "good for the price", they are good, period.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
All too often we're paying money for nothing - I reckon a Gibson headstock costs £1200 at the very least (and I've paid it).
I have always found pickups to make a massive difference. My favourite pickup is still an SD Alnico Pro 2 though. My experience with boutique pickups isn’t in the sound but rather the feel and response. It’s a musicality that I find gets reflected in my playing that sets them apart. But to the ear there is often little discernible difference. You may argue that it’s psychosomatic, but for me it’s there, there’s a different kind of warmth and texture that’s impossible to describe.
I’ve got a cheap ESP GL256 and I upgraded the stock cheap ESP pickup with an SD Screaming Demon and didn’t notice anything (the stock pickup was actually decent). I assumed the quality of the guitar was the limiting factor. Eventually I purchased an Arcane Inc Mr Scary and put it in and I was completely blown away by the warmth, clarity and articulation in the sound. It felt seriously good to play. Best pickup I’ve ever used. And the Oil City’s I got from Ash to go with it complement it perfectly.
These days I just go straight to the pickup winder tell them what I want and go with their recommendation. I've not had any issues with Marc at Mojo or Ash at oil city. If I'd done that first time I ordered pickups from Ash I wouldn't have had to send one back for a magnet swop when he warned me about it before I ordered and I didn't listen.
I've got two sets of BK mules in my les pauls, a bespoke set of tele Oil city pickups in a jerry donahue jap tele, tonerider in a levinson blade tele, BK and Bulldog pickups in my strats, Iron gear & Tonerider in my 3 Yamaha superflighters. I think the only stock pickups I've got at the moment are in a 72 tele and a G&L tele (which I've just got), and will probably change them or sell the guitars at some point.
I've owned around 30 sets of strat pickups, approx 10-15 in teles, and 20 or so Humbucker/p90 humbucker sets.
All the custom makers have been a joy to contact, and always provide a great service,I'm not trying to do them down at all.
Also agree that upgrading stock pickups is usually worth doing.
But personally unless I specifically want a custom pickup, the irongear/toneriders provide absolutely what i want and mean I can spend the additional money on tone enhancing pedals...
Pickup height is a big factor as well and spending some time trying various heights whilst time consuming is worth doing.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
This is my opinion also, but less educated! My buddy put tesla sharks into his prs Tremonti SE and it sounds absolutely fantastic, every bit good enough for any professional.
However, I've swapped them out for a Dirty Torque and a Blues Engine, and they sound excellent; obviously more aggressive, but they sound very sweet indeed!
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message