# Stock pickups that you actually kept and liked?



## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Switching out pickups is a fairly common mod, especially on sub-$1000 guitars. 

It's a practice that's driven in large extent, I imagine, by the junky pickups that some manufacturers install as stock equipment.

I'd like to hear stories about stock pickups that you actually LIKED and kept in the guitar, and/or moved to another instrument and used there.

I'll start - I picked up a set of nickel covered Ibanez humbuckers a while ago from another forum member, for a very reasonable price (I suspect they are ACH1 and 2's, but I'll have to check) and I've been playing them for at least a year now. Very nice, and suit the guitar very well!

Also, the bare black humbuckers in my 80's Kramer Focus 2000 have never been changed. They're not the best, but more than good enough for that guitar.

Others?


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

Both of my G&Ls, although I did put a 4-way pickup switch into the ASAT so I can have the 2 pups in series.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Gibson '57 Classics in my older R8, R9 and more recently in my 339. And they are all staying there.
Edit: And I might add that I have gone the boutique route before.

Swervin


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

The Burstbukcers on my LP Standard..love those personnaly.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

I like the DiMarzios that came in my Ibanez J Custom. So, it's stock, but kinda third-party at the same time. My rosewood Tele had cool pups and so did my '73 SG. Wish I still had that Tele!


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## screamingdaisy (Oct 14, 2008)

Gibson P-90s.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Been through a bunch of Strat pickups in my 2003 US Strat, but I'm back to the originals. Just as good as anything else I've tried in there.


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Owned a Fender Roadworn Strat for a while and the stock Tex Mex pickups were great


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

bridge pup in my '62 AVRI Tele is amazing. 57/62 set in my Strat (with reverse wind + reverse polarity middle for hum cancelling in 2 & 4) are great for clean, (they are however very low output and not much suited for harder rock) - they're there to stay.


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## Gene Machine (Sep 22, 2007)

+1 to burstbuckers

also like the Lace Sensors in my Strat+, they are not moving.

The stock pups in my 52RI tele were great, no longer have that git.


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## Gretsch6120 (Sep 20, 2006)

P-90's in a SG special and a 56 gold top both sound excellent


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## Phlegethon (Dec 18, 2009)

the AH series pickups in my RG7321 have been quite the surprise after I had my seven properly set up . . . the potential downside is that these pickups are "traditional" sounding and aren't matched well at all for the typical use (various incarnations of high gain metal) that these seven strings would get so they're not very well thought of at all. when I use my seven from clean playing up to and including hard rock these pickups deliver the goods quite handily. 

the stock P90's that were in a reverend semi hollow at a music store I tried out were also quite good as well, along with a squier classic vibe tele I also tried (needed to be set up badly though. . it buzzed almost every note). both of those guitars would have done fine with a good setup and nothing else


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Whatever came in my Agile AL-3100 are quite nice stock pickups :yesway:.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Duncan JB 4 and Jazz combo in my Charvel.

The Shadow pickup that my Lado came with 20 yrs ago.

The pickups in my Peavey Jack Daniels are also awesome...I'll have to take them out to see what they are. They blow away the ones my Les Paul came with for sure.

Also, for rhythm I have come to really like the Gibson Dirty Fingers that my Explorer came with.


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## brimc76 (Feb 14, 2008)

The Gibson '57 Classics in my ES-335 - I wish they were in the LP Studio I have.


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## neilli (Nov 22, 2009)

Generally I'm not a singlecoil guy at all, but I do like the Fender samarium cobalt (or whatever the hell they're called) single coils that are in my Jackson Adrian Smith. Otherwise, pretty much all my guitars came with 'brand' pickups, mainly EMG and Duncan.


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## Jimi D (Oct 27, 2008)

neilli said:


> Generally I'm not a singlecoil guy at all, but I do like the Fender samarium cobalt (or whatever the hell they're called) single coils that are in my Jackson Adrian Smith. Otherwise, pretty much all my guitars came with 'brand' pickups, mainly EMG and Duncan.


I love the SCN Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups in my AmDlx Strat and Tele... You read a lot of negative comments about them from the traditionalists, but I think they're spectacular all-round, and killer pickups for anyone in a country rock, pop or classic rock band... Extremely versatile, and they respond so well to the volume and tone controls. 

Besides the SCNs, I've always been happy with the stock pickups in my EBMM Axis Sport and Super Sport...


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I bought a cheap Vince Neil Washburn ($80) from XS cargo that came with whatever budget pickups are on budget Washburns. I didn't particular like them at first, but added a 1500pf bypass cap on the volume pot to trim off some bass when I turn the volume down, and now I like them much more. Actually jangly when the bass isn't overwhelming.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

-2006 Highway One Strat pickups. The neck pickup is perfect and the in between neck and middle position is as well. I have never even considered changing them.

-stock Seymour Duncans in 1986 Kramer Pacer American Series

-the pickups in the EC-256 that I had were great and I wasn't planning on changing them but ended up selling the guitar as 'excess'


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

The stock pickups in my PRS Mira are sweet, no need to change.


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Jimi D said:


> I love the SCN Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pups in my AmDlx Strat and Tele... You read a lot of negative comments about them from the traditionalists, but I think they're spectacular all-round, and killer pickups for anyone in a country rock, pop or classic rock band... Extremely versatile, and they respond so well to the volume and tone controls.
> 
> Besides the SCNs, I've always been happy with the stock pickups in my EBMM Axis Sport and Super Sport...


Ditto on the SCNs. I have them in my Amdlx Tele and they do everything that guitar is supposed to do. Actually, all of my guitars have their stock pups in them. The last one to revert was my 82' Tokai Loverock - the stock nonames (Gotoh?) in there sound fab!

Also like the BBs in my LP and the 490/498s in my SG


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## Guest (Jun 11, 2010)

Anderson MonsterTones in my Schecter Strat stayed. But: I picked 'em as an option when I bought it so that makes sense.

And the Dragon II stayed in the neck position of my PRS Standard.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

Godin's stock single coils are excellent. Also, a friend's Classic Vibe tele is completely stock and one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played at any price.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

The only guitar on which I ever replaced the pickups was my Les Paul, and that was used, and a previous owner had already replaced the original pickups--and I replaced those ones. I also plan to change the pickups in my LP copy one of these days.

other than that they're all stock, and I have not plans or desire to change any of them--especially the Super 80's in my Iceman


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## Caribou_Chris (Feb 15, 2009)

The stock pickups in my LP Studio (Burstbucker Pros) and SG Classic (P-90) are staying. No desire to change them.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

LP studio's come with burstbucker pros now? Because they didn't before..


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## Caribou_Chris (Feb 15, 2009)

Budda said:


> LP studio's come with burstbucker pros now? Because they didn't before..


Sorry, should have specified that they came stock in my LP Mahogony Studio (the "faded" series). Regular LP studios (with the maple cap) still get the 490 set I believe.

Here is a shot of the neck pickup in my LP:


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## Orcslayer (Feb 2, 2009)

Fender Texas Specials (stock in my 1996 MIA Roadhouse Strat). I transferred them to my 2008 American Std Strat when I bought it & sold the Roadhouse with the 2008 pups in it. (Roadhouse neck was always a bit too fat for my liking).


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

The neck pup in my old Hamer T-51 was awesome (a Seymore Duncan of some kind), the Blues 90 pickups in my Gibson Blueshawk are really good and really versatile (especially with the Varitone) - but I've been thinking about a set of JS Moore P90s for it to get that more raw sound.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I replaced the pickups on three of four guitars I own. The last one already had replacements when I bought it. There was improvement in the three I replaced. The one I bought already had Rio Grandes, which are killer.


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Suhr pickups - SSV+, FL standards.
Dimarzio - PAF Joe neck
Fender - Texas Specials


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...the stock pickups on almost all fenders seem to be just fine. one noteable exception is the pickups on the aerodyne series teles and strats, which are somewhat thin and bloodless.

the stock pickups on g&l guitars are untouchable. the same could probably be said for musicman guitars.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

You're right about the Aerodynes. I didn't half mind them in the beginning, but the bloom is definitely off the rose now. I love the *concept* of Tele bridge pickup and neck P-90, but something is lost in the translation.

However, the humbucking pickups in my Godin LG (Godins) and Godin Belmont (Seymour Duncans) are great. The Belmont also has 2 Seymour Duncan lipstick tube pickups. I also like the Godin Progression pickups, though with the boost circuitry I don't know how changeable they'd be.

Peace, Mooh.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

david henman said:


> the stock pickups on g&l guitars are untouchable.


 I can partially agree with that statement. The pickups in the Legacy Premium I had (s/s/s) were great, the pickups in the Invader I had were great (H/H) but the pickups in the ASAT I had were too hot for what I wanted from a Tele style guitarso I changed them. So even though the ASAT pickups were too hot for 'what I was looking for' they were still what I would consider to be high end...just not very 'retro' sounding-which was what I wanted.


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## mechanic (Apr 1, 2010)

more deletions


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## robertkoa (Jun 7, 2010)

I have a real nice Carvin Bolt in Solid Koa which is on the heavy side but I don't care 'cause it has a real beefy sustainy thicker than a Strat Sound, great for EJ, David Gilmour and some old Hendrix clean tones and more.

The stock AP11 neck and middle pickups are very good single coils, a little fatter than regular Strat Pickups and probably are a good match with the very resonant Koa Wood, The guitar is very Strat- like but very loud unplugged like a semi-hollow guitar so is great plugged in.

The C22 Humbucker at the bridge is also quite good and sounds good split into single coil as well.


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## mcgriff420 (Sep 30, 2008)

Eric Johnson Strat. Work fine for me! I've swapped out p/u's in tele's, Gibsons, jackson etc.

I have a few purist strat guy friends, I've watched them do many swaps and still be mediocre with the results, they all agree the EJ got it right with the stock design. ymmv


...


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

No changes in my Japanese 50's Tele reissue with Tex - mex pups, or my BFG Les Paul with it's killer Burstbucker 3 and Alnico P90, or my Heritage Stat with HSS Schallers. Put Phat Cats in my Washburn J9 single semi......good idea.


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## GammyBird (Apr 4, 2010)

I won't change the pickups in my Dillion Explorer....they are great.


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## Bruiser74 (Jan 29, 2010)

Strat with Texas Specials stayed.
ASAT Special pickups are stellar.
MM EVH with their Dimarzios are awesome also.
57 Classics in my LP Trad are very good, but going to an ES-335 copy i have.
The LP is getting a Wolfetone Marshallhead (Bridge) and Dr. Vintage (neck) in the coming days.
B


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