The best pickups??

[EpiGib_23]

Alright guys,

I'm gonna be getting my Les Paul very soon, and due to the fact i'm on a budget, i'm thinking that the pickups might not be so hot on it as standard.

Can anyone tell me which pickups are the best ones to get? I'm looking for a Slash kinda tone, so i'm thinking Seymour Duncan APH-1 pickups??

Cheers.

[Rick]

maybe you could get some burstbuckers.
you'll be able to grab em from ebay

[EpiGib_23]

maybe you could get some burstbuckers.
you'll be able to grab em from ebay

Yeah i was looking at the burstbuckers. Are they good?

[Highway Star]

Hi Epi mate, nice to see you back!

I have Burstbuckers in my LP std. They are bloody brilliant! I would also look at Bare Knuckle Pick ups, Very good but... damned expensive!

Good Luck.

Farl

[EpiGib_23]

Hi Epi mate, nice to see you back!

I have Burstbuckers in my LP std. They are bloody brilliant! I would also look at Bare Knuckle Pick ups, Very good but... damned expensive!

Good Luck.

Farl

Hey man. Cheers.

Yeah i've seen barekncukles aswell on youtube...just cant make my mind up as to what i want!

Farl...would any of the pickups mentioned already give me a nice Slash type tone?

Any vids of u playin aswell Farl??

[Highway Star]

Hey man. Cheers.

Yeah i've seen barekncukles aswell on youtube...just cant make my mind up as to what i want!

Farl...would any of the pickups mentioned already give me a nice Slash type tone?

Any vids of u playin aswell Farl??

Me Playing?? No mate no vids but perhaps I'll do one..

Burstbuckers would sort you with a slash tone no problem.

BTW... I had a change of name...

Norman

[Rick]

i love the sound of burstbuckers, but i also have a bareknuckle van halen II in my peavey and its stunning

[ZappaFan]

Check out the Gibson site and see what are fitted to the Slash signature LP. It'll give you an idea what to look for.

My mate has Burstbuckers in his 2002 50th Aniversary LP Standard and they are superb. I too am toying with the idea of some Bare Knuckles for my JJ though.

[EpiGib_23]

I think i might go with burstbuckers then. Will check how much they are.

Thanks for all your help fellas! It IS appreciated!

Keep rockin! :)

[ZappaFan]

http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=EG02400

seems the Gibson Slash has Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro humbuckers

[EpiGib_23]

Zappa, yeah those are the ones mate, cheers for that link...but i'd really prefer the chrome style humbuckers.


Guys, the price given for pickups...i take it thats just for one?? I've seen the burstbuckers for £89.99??

[ZappaFan]

Unless it says ...... Pickup SET, it'll be per pup

They dont seem to do Chrome in them, black, white or zebra

[ZappaFan]

http://leeds.gumtree.com/leeds/78/30609378.html

[ZappaFan]

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/vintage/aph1_alnico_ii/

[Stew]

Burstbuckers definitely the way to go Epi. :thumb:

[ZappaFan]

Chrome or gold covers available as a mod

[Highway Star]

Alright guys,

I'm gonna be getting my Les Paul very soon.......

Which one did you go for matey??

Norman

[EpiGib_23]

Which one did you go for matey??

Norman


Haha thats THE question mate! I'm HOPING i'll be getting it very soon...but at the moment i can't get one for love nor money! Everyone has sold out.

I was told about another LP copy by a company called Westfield. They look alright and apparantely they play and sound better than the Vintage V100, so i might opt for one of those. The bolt on neck model which is the Westfield E4000 should only cost me £100. It's had pretty good reviews on the web. I've got somebody ringing me back today to let me know if they can get hold of one for me. Here's hoping!

[EpiGib_23]

Just had a phonecall from one of the music stores i contacted. My Les Paul has been ordered! :-D

It's the Westfield Les Paul in Cherry Sunburst with chrome hardware.

Will get pics up when it arrives in around 3-5 days.

[bigdoug]

Result, you will have a lot of fun with it :thumb:

[EpiGib_23]

Result, you will have a lot of fun with it :thumb:

Yeah mate i hope i do! :)

I know it won't be anything great because it's just a cheap copy, but it will be my first taste of a Les Paul! :-D

Who knows...i might be pleasantly surprised by it! lol!

[Stew]

Yeah mate i hope i do! :)

I know it won't be anything great because it's just a cheap copy, but it will be my first taste of a Les Paul! :-D

Who knows...i might be pleasantly surprised by it! lol!inded you may b pleasantly surprised. I have heard people raving about their Epiphone LPs so hopefully yur Westfield will be another hidden gem and as you already stated could always do some modification gradually to change it if anything you want tweaked.

[bluesgeek]

Welcome to the Cherry Sunburst club :)

[EpiGib_23]

inded you may b pleasantly surprised. I have heard people raving about their Epiphone LPs so hopefully yur Westfield will be another hidden gem and as you already stated could always do some modification gradually to change it if anything you want tweaked.

Yeah. If the pickups aren't upto much then i will investigate getting Gibson Burstbuckers as previously discussed in this thread.

I've also got some nice Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings to go on it too...so hopefully it will sound alright! :-D

[bluesgeek]

funnily enough I've just dropped mine down from regular slinkys to super slinkys - I slashed my thumb with a stanley knife a few weeks ago and I've been having trouble bending with 10's. They go well on an LP, though when my thumbs better I'll probably end up overbending :lol:

Good luck with the purchase, LP's are great though I could do without the weight for an entire 5 hour gig :lol:

[EpiGib_23]

Guys, am i going for the Burstbuckers 1 & 2?? Is that the best combination?

Also, i see there is the Burstbucker Pro aswell. Whats the difference??

[Viscolex]

http://pleaseusegoogle.com/images/pleaseUseGoogle.gif

[Highway Star]

Well here is what the Gibson website says...

The BurstBucker Pro™ enhances the vintage "edge" of Gibson's popular BurstBucker™ pickups with the added feature of an Alnico 5 magnet.
In 2000, Gibson's new BurstBuckers™ captured the subtle variations in true humbucker tone with historically accurate "unmatched" bobbin windings and an Alnico II magnet. Two years later, in keeping with Gibson's long history of experimentation and innovation in pickup design, Gibson developed an Alnico 5 BurstBucker™ specifically for new Les Paul Standards. The outstanding performance of this new pickup (originally called the BurstBucker V) led to an overwhelming demand for an after-market version. With the BurstBucker Pro™, all "Pure Tone Lovers" can now have stunning humbucking tone.
BurstBucker Pro™ humbuckers are offered in a calibrated pair; the neck position (IM59A), and the bridge position (IM59B). Output of these pickups is similar to the standard BurstBuckerT #1 and #2 model. And BurstBucker Pro™ pickups are wax potted so that they can withstand loud volume pressures without annoying feedback. Each model is available with either German Nickel Silver- or 24ct Gold-plated covers.

So, pick the bones from that! LOL

Never tried the Pro's myself but I think the std Burstbuckers will do the job just fine for you.

Norman

[Highway Star]

Just had a phonecall from one of the music stores i contacted. My Les Paul has been ordered! :-D

It's the Westfield Les Paul in Cherry Sunburst with chrome hardware.

Will get pics up when it arrives in around 3-5 days.

Nice one Matey!! Pics? soon as you can please.

Norman

[EpiGib_23]

Nice one Matey!! Pics? soon as you can please.

Norman

You'll be pleased to hear mate that i'm picking the axe up tonight! :) Looking forward to it.

Will get pics up as soon as i can!

[EpiGib_23]

Well i now have it...my first Les Paul! I like it. It's nothing spectacular but it sounds nice running through my Line 6 Spider amp. Pics don't really do it justice if i'm honest, cos the lighting was crap and i took them quickly.

Hope ya like! :)

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/craigc_zetec/LESPAUL1.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/craigc_zetec/LESPAUL3.jpg
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/craigc_zetec/LESPAUL2.jpg

[Stew]

Congrats have fun with her!! :smile: PS. The pics are pretty good so don't be so hard on yourself!!!

[ZappaFan]

Looks nice there Epi ....... enjoy

[Shep]

Looks really authentic there Epi, no one would be any the wiser if you stuck a Gibson label there!

[bigdoug]

great stuff have fun playing it :thumb:

[Highway Star]

Nice one Matey!! Looks really nice. Now...... recording it.... LOL Looking forward to the next stage. You know we'll all want to hear it!

Norman Farley Bates

[EpiGib_23]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys...glad u all like it! :)

The pickups aren't fantastic, but i've been thinking. Does anyone know of any pickups that i might be able to get, that are between these standard ones and the Gibson Burstbuckers? If i get the Burstbuckers i'll end up paying more for those than i did for the guitar! Does anyone know of anything cheaper but that are still better than standard?

Ta.

[Lyle]

Kent Armstrong pickups are pretty good. My mate has a some in his frankencaster thing. Nice sound out of them

[EpiGib_23]

Kent Armstrong pickups are pretty good. My mate has a some in his frankencaster thing. Nice sound out of them

Cheers mate...i'll take a look at those.

Is there a specific size i should get or is it pretty much 1 size fits all?

Cheers.

[EpiGib_23]

Just had a quote from my local guitar shop for set ups....£40 + strings!!!!!!!!!

Is this normal? This seems well expensive to me!

[Stew]

Just had a quote from my local guitar shop for set ups....£40 + strings!!!!!!!!!

Is this normal? This seems well expensive to me!
I'd say that is about the going price. Put it this way how long do you think it takes to do? Would you work for less money? Bear in mind when you see these prices the guy has his material costs and then probably a fee to the shop as well like rent so that ain't what goes in his pocket....so again the question is would you work for less? doubt it :lol:

Now different thing altogether is how much do you want to get to know your instrument as you are perfectly capable of setting up a guitar yourself!!! You have all the right people on this site to give advice as to what to do so only question is do you want to do it yourself? 6sh nurse is ready :th_36_2_54:

[EpiGib_23]

I'd say that is about the going price. Put it this way how long do you think it takes to do? Would you work for less money? Bear in mind when you see these prices the guy has his material costs and then probably a fee to the shop as well like rent so that ain't what goes in his pocket....so again the question is would you work for less? doubt it :lol:

Now different thing altogether is how much do you want to get to know your instrument as you are perfectly capable of setting up a guitar yourself!!! You have all the right people on this site to give advice as to what to do so only question is do you want to do it yourself? 6sh nurse is ready :th_36_2_54:

Cheers Stew.

I need help on my pickups at the mo. The Gibson Burstbuckers and the Seymour Duncan Slash pickups are just too expensive. They will work out more expensive than the guitar...and so i can't justify buying those.

I've seen these...http://www.axetec.co.uk/axetec%20guitar%20parts%20spares%20pickups_032.htm

I'm thinking of getting those as they sound good and have had good reviews...but i need to know something. Underneath the chrome cover...do all pickups look like that??

Cheers.

[Stew]

Cheers Stew.

I need help on my pickups at the mo. The Gibson Burstbuckers and the Seymour Duncan Slash pickups are just too expensive. They will work out more expensive than the guitar...and so i can't justify buying those.

I've seen these...http://www.axetec.co.uk/axetec%20guitar%20parts%20spares%20pickups_032.htm

I'm thinking of getting those as they sound good and have had good reviews...but i need to know something. Underneath the chrome cover...do all pickups look like that??

Cheers.not sure what you mean Craig? The link is for a humbucker with 2 colours but if you need a direct replacement for yours you need the chrome one which according to the scroll down menu is £1 more. What the pictures don't show you is on the underside is a series of wires that will be soldered in place of the current pickup's wires and the picture does show the tabs at the side that are used to secure the pickup in place on the guitar's body.

[EpiGib_23]

not sure what you mean Craig? The link is for a humbucker with 2 colours but if you need a direct replacement for yours you need the chrome one which according to the scroll down menu is £1 more. What the pictures don't show you is on the underside is a series of wires that will be soldered in place of the current pickup's wires and the picture does show the tabs at the side that are used to secure the pickup in place on the guitar's body.

Stew, so i will need the 'Rolling Mill' pickups then from that link?

What i was trying to establish, was if all humbucker pickups look like that double, because i thought that the chrome part on mine was just a cover? I wasn't sure.

So i will need to re-solder the wires again when installing new ones?

[Stew]

Not the hot mill Craig. See at top middle of page where it says colour Zebra Colis £24.95, scroll there and you'll see it mentions chrome there. I assume that sonically these will differ from the Rolling mill Chrome ones.

I don't think the chrome on yours will be cover it will be aprt of the pickup unless i am mistaken. The Zebra ones are just a look some people prefer.

Yes there will be some soldering required.

[EpiGib_23]

Not the hot mill Craig. See at top middle of page where it says colour Zebra Colis £24.95, scroll there and you'll see it mentions chrome there. I assume that sonically these will differ from the Rolling mill Chrome ones.

I don't think the chrome on yours will be cover it will be aprt of the pickup unless i am mistaken. The Zebra ones are just a look some people prefer.

Yes there will be some soldering required.

Ok mate i get it now. I've decided to go for the Rolling Mill ones anyway as it mentions that they give you a Slash kinda tone.

Do you think my local shop might install new pickups for me as part of the setup?

[ZappaFan]

Just a quick question here Epi, what makes you want to upgrade the pickups, are there issues with the ones already fitted ? Considering your inexperience with this, and i mean that in the nicest possible way, maybe it's not the pickups at all. It may be your expectation as to what they 'should' sound like. If you are looking for monster slash type guitar sounds from your budget guitar and small amp you may be trying to get blood from a stone. The fact of the matter may be that the pickups are fine and it's your tone that is letting you down. I would seriously consider that before spending the money on new pickups as you could spend the money and still end up with the same sound. With the greatest respect to you, you cant expect a budget guitar through a small combo to sound like a Custom Les Paul through a 100 watt valve stack,

[EpiGib_23]

Just a quick question here Epi, what makes you want to upgrade the pickups, are there issues with the ones already fitted ? Considering your inexperience with this, and i mean that in the nicest possible way, maybe it's not the pickups at all. It may be your expectation as to what they 'should' sound like. If you are looking for monster slash type guitar sounds from your budget guitar and small amp you may be trying to get blood from a stone. The fact of the matter may be that the pickups are fine and it's your tone that is letting you down. I would seriously consider that before spending the money on new pickups as you could spend the money and still end up with the same sound. With the greatest respect to you, you cant expect a budget guitar through a small combo to sound like a Custom Les Paul through a 100 watt valve stack,

Good points there mate...and i know i cant expect much as it's a budget guitar and a small amp.

I'm not sure whether it's me or not, but basically on some occasions, notes don't sound clear or clean. It's almost as though only 3 quarters of the note is picked up from the pickups. Its hard to explain.

[Stew]

Epi can you posts some clips of you playing anything by Slash. Doesn't have to be long 15-30seconds? Zap is right about the expectations. You could go further than your pickups and buy a100watt tube amp and still not get what you want...its a rainbow we all seem to chase and never find the pot of gold lol. Indeed you pickups may be fine adn what you need to look at is your amp or learning technique to get yourself sounding bit more Slash like.

[Stew]

Good points there mate...and i know i cant expect much as it's a budget guitar and a small amp.

I'm not sure whether it's me or not, but basically on some occasions, notes don't sound clear or clean. It's almost as though only 3 quarters of the note is picked up from the pickups. Its hard to explain.
bear in mind could be your cable or amp! a wee clip can give us an idea what is happening.

[EpiGib_23]

Epi can you posts some clips of you playing anything by Slash. Doesn't have to be long 15-30seconds? Zap is right about the expectations. You could go further than your pickups and buy a100watt tube amp and still not get what you want...its a rainbow we all seem to chase and never find the pot of gold lol. Indeed you pickups may be fine adn what you need to look at is your amp or learning technique to get yourself sounding bit more Slash like.

I hear ya fellas. I'll try get a clip soon and hopefully you might be able to hear what i'm trying to point out.

Thanks for all your comments! :-)

[EpiGib_23]

Right guys,

Here's a very brief video of my attempt at Sweet Child O' Mine. Apologies for the bad start. My hands were freezing cold! Lol! Not much of a video as its not very good quality and it's just a view of my amp.

If you listen very carefully, whenever i hit the...i think it's the D string...it doesn't sound right. They do feel like very cheap strings so i dunno...maybe that might have something to do with it. I've got some Ernie Balls that are waiting to go on it.

http://s93.photobucket.com/albums/l67/craigc_zetec/?action=view&current=MOV00365.flv

[bigdoug]

sounds ok to me Epi, you should have started this in a new thread, I will ask Zap to move it :thumb:

[mullyman]

I'm at work right now and don't have the option of listening to the clip at the moment, but I will when I get home. I just wanted to kind of add on to whoever it was that said it may not be the pups, probably Stew. If you're playing through a Line6 amp with the modeling tones you could have the sweetest pups God graced this earth with or you could have the shittiest and they're going to sound the same through the modeling amp. That's the entire point of the modeling, to make your guitar sound like you're playing through a Mesa Dual Rectifier or a 1960's modded Marshall stack etc....

The funniest thing to me is that when I practice at home I use a little Fernandes 10watt amp and a Zoom G2 multi-effects processor. I have my bridge pickup set with a push pot to cut it to a single. Oddly enough, when I'm using the Zoom, the sound doesn't change one bit when I switch from the humbucker to the single coil. You're definitely going to have that same problem with a Line6 amp. Not saying it's bad to have a Line6, just that you shouldn't expect changing pickups to improve your sound.

Also, you may want to try to get Slash's tone but one thing you gotta know is that Slash's tone is Slash's tone and you'll be hard pressed to recreate it.

Cool story from back in the early 80's. Ted Nugent was in awe of Eddie Van Halen's "brown sound" One day, I don't recall if they were touring together or if Ted showed up at one of VH's gigs, but Ted wanted to play Eddie's guitar. Eddie let him have at it and Ted was amazed to find out that he wasn't getting even close to the sound that Eddie gets, even though he was playing Ed's guitar through Ed's rack and amps.

I'll have to look that story up to get the exact way it went down, but that's the basic idea of it. Tone isn't only the pups, amps, and effects you use. The fingers have a lot to do with it too.
MULLY

[mullyman]

Just listened to the clip. It doesn't sound too bad. Are you using the front pickup? It kind of sounds like you are but with PC speakers I can't be sure. The front pickup will give you a much warmer sound, in the event that's not the front.
MULLY

[EpiGib_23]

Just listened to the clip. It doesn't sound too bad. Are you using the front pickup? It kind of sounds like you are but with PC speakers I can't be sure. The front pickup will give you a much warmer sound, in the event that's not the front.
MULLY

Not too sure mate. I'm rather new. I have it switched onto the Rhythm setting if that helps?

It just basically sounds like one of the strings is making almost like a horn noise! lol! I'm going to replace the rather cheap strings with Ernie Ball Super Slinky's and see if that makes any difference.

[bloodandtears]

i'd leave it alone dude.. as your ability improves as will the tone etc... with the rhythm (neck) pickup selected you have the basics of a slash tone...

save your money... practice.... then reward your ability improvement in a year or so with a better guitar...

[EpiGib_23]

i'd leave it alone dude.. as your ability improves as will the tone etc... with the rhythm (neck) pickup selected you have the basics of a slash tone...

save your money... practice.... then reward your ability improvement in a year or so with a better guitar...

Thanks for your good advice mate. I know i'm new...but i don't think it's my playing ability that is making the note sound the way it does, because it sounds fine on my stratocaster. Hmmm...i'm not sure!:-?

Some nice Ernie Ball Super Slinkys should be on it by the time i get home so i will see if that makes any difference.

[Stew]

Thanks for your good advice mate. I know i'm new...but i don't think it's my playing ability that is making the note sound the way it does, because it sounds fine on my stratocaster. Hmmm...i'm not sure!:-?

Some nice Ernie Ball Super Slinkys should be on it by the time i get home so i will see if that makes any difference.You got any mates other than internet mates that play guitar that can have a try of it and maybe plug into their amp or whatever that can then tell you for sure. Me and Zap listened to your clip the other night and were in agreement that it wasn't that bad at all and if you are hearing something your end likely duff string and the pickup won't be too far off a Slash tone as it is the neck pickup as James (B&T) confirmed for you. When you play Sweet Child do you bar your first finger over the first 4 strings? and simply move your other fingers to play the other notes? This was mistake i made when was new guitar you can do so much muting of noise etc with your fretting fingers as well as right hand muting of unwanted string noise and it takes wee while how to co-ordinate the 2 so that it sounds half decent.

Mully also pointed out with modelling amp it may not matter what guitar and pickup you play as long as its the neck pickup you'll likely get same sound.

A way to confirm this is get to local guitar store that stocks your same amp (take note your exact settings at home ) dial them in and ask to play a higher end guitar and flick it on the neck pickup see if sounds similar if it does then mmm save your hard earned dosh.

[Danny Danzi]

Epi, I'll give you my take on this for what it's worth. There will be several on here that may fight me to the death on this, but I can only explain my experience as I have lived it...and lived it I have as a guy that's been playing guitar nearly 30 years. :)

I sincerely do not believe pick-ups will make a difference in a players tone until their finger tonality achieves an identity. Also, the amp or pre-amp you use is the most important. I can use any guitar out of the ones I own through my rig and on most of them (unless a strat is used of course) the only one that would be able to tell a difference in which pick-ups are in what, would be me. Seriously man.

All the pick-up talk I've heard through my life is all hype and another way to get people to spend money. Sure, it makes a slight difference but not enough to lose any sleep over it or spend time thinking of the ultimate guitar pick-up configuration. Also, it's mind over matter in most cases. If we gave you 2 indentical guitars with 2 different pups, you'd probably not be able to tell the difference really.

I've been playing so long, I sound like me no matter what guitar or amp I use. The tone, first and foremost, comes from your natural finger tonation. This is where the tone starts. From there, it is accentuated by the way you play, your execution, finger pressure, vibrato, and the final stage is your amp. If your execution, finger pressure, natural finger tonation and your amp sucks, no pick-up in the world will EVER fix that.

Also, some pick-ups have way too much output. This makes it way harder to get a good clean tone. I personally like pups with middle of the road output because this allows the guitar to send a more natural sounding tone from the wood, not the pups. The more output and gain your pups give you, the more synthetic your tone is...as well as a harder to get clean tone. I'm sure you are fully aware of the stuff Slash uses. That is a very classic tone that uses certain combinations. Also, and this is important...if you were able to plug right into Slash's guitar rig right this instant and use his actual guitar, you would still sound like you. This proves how much the tone is in your fingers first and foremost.

So blood is really giving you excellent advice on this. I would concentrate on my playing if I were you and eventually get a better amp or guitar as a reward for my efforts at some point. But I sincerely don't feel you need to even think about pick-ups for a second at this point in time. They will make little or no difference really unless your current pups are so bad, they are giving you uncontrolable squealing and very thin tone. Some stock pups on Gibson SG's are horrible with this. They are just weak sounding and squeal like a pig. Putting in a good set of Seymour Duncan Customs fixes that particular guitar right up, improves the tone and stops the squealing.

Some strats also have weaker pups and are not really made for rock. The only time you would really notice a pup change is when you have guitar of these natures or guitars that were not made for heavy distortion. So just have fun playing, keep on practicing and concentrate on your execution of how you play. Watch for improper pressure, don't play too fast too soon and listen to what other players have in the way they play that you may not yet. For example, vibrato is a very important element in playing guitar. It is a trick of the trade that gives you your own identity when applied correctly. This weapon is what makes a pro player sound pro, and a beginner sound like a beginner. Whatever you do man, don't try to run before you can crawl. Sure we all want good tone and we hope to play well and enjoy this instrument. But baby steps are a necessity as well as good execution from the beginning as to not have to be stuck breaking habits later on.

Your tone will come to you in time naturally from your fingers. Once you have that identity down, you'll begin to tweak your tone a bit more. Just enjoy what you have now and work towards what you may enjoy in the future. Stay focused man, and don't let anyone try to sell you anything or make you try to run before you can crawl. Best of luck. :)

[bloodandtears]

+1

gotta love it when the "tone is in the fingers" discussion rears its head... duck and cover, danny ;-)

[EpiGib_23]

Cheers fellas. I hear what your're all saying and i really appreciate the advice you're all giving me.

I've got Ernie Ball strings on it now and it does sound a bit better actually. I still keep getting the honking string though! lol! I think the only way i can describe it...is...if you've ever watched Mock The Week...when they are doing the "What you wouldn't expect to hear on..." round at the end...whenever the honk goes off....it kinda sounds like that when i play the string lol! It sounds awful! Have a listen to the clip i've posted and see if you can hear it.

I was thinking that maybe the action was too low and that might be what's causing it? Then i thought that it was just my amp cos it's only a 15 watt practise amp. The reason why i thought it might be the pickups was because i'd read reviews about the guitar that said that the pups weren't that great.

I'll take all your advice on board and keep bashing away at it. :)

I don't bar my fingers, i just play each string.

[mullyman]

I'm with Danny to an extent on the fingers ruling the tone thing. I agree 110% that tone is in the fingers but I also believe that different pups have different characteristics that will change your tone. But again, Danny alluded to that towards the end when he mentioned the Duncan switch out.

You will get a different sound from different pups *BUT*, and this is a huge but, if you're using a modeling amp you're going to get the sound that that particular model wants you to have. And as Danny said, finger tone plays a huge part in your sound.

To summarize, I agree with Danny. Keep on practicing with what you have and forge ahead. In the future, if you're going to upgrade, then upgrade to a higher end guitar rather than just switching pups in a lower end guitar. Not to be offensive but even if you put a nice shiny polish on a turd it's still a piece of......

Personally, I didn't think the clip sounded bad at all.
MULLY
and yes, the rhythm position is your neck pickup

NOTE: The turd comment was for a bit of humor. I surely wasn't trying to insinuate that your guitar is a POS. :peace: