?Guitar pickups:?Let's first debunk a myth about changing pickups. Replacing pickups in a low quality plywood guitar played thru a solid state buzz burner cheapo amp is a waste of money period,?you'll simply never hear the tonal improvements. Upgrading pickups in mid level to top level guitars played through a quality amp can be a rewarding experience. For instance Epiphone guitars are mid level priced guitars built overseas but feature decent tone woods, upgrading pickups will really improve those guitars. One way Mfrs. cut costs on mid to lower level guitars is to put cheap pickups and hardware on them.

? O.k. When to upgrade? Simple almost ALL guitar makers pickups are simply not as toneful as the high quality replacement pickups you can buy? from the likes of Seymour Duncan or Lindy Fralin. There has been a very recent trend of the big guitar companies to put better pickups in their guitars and that's good but they're not there just yet. I would recommend before upgrading to own at least a mid level priced quality guitar and also own a great amp. Why? Simply put?you'll get the most out of the pickup upgrade when playing through quality equipment and you'll hear the difference! You'll be able to hear the articulation of the tone with clarity and much more "Harmonic Content" and that leads to great tone.

? Picking a pickup depends on your personal preference and the musical style you are playing. So that is a personal decision you'll have to figure out,?but here's a little help I can give. I would start by looking at pickup ?reviews?from Harmony Central.

?Seymour Duncan pretty much owns this realm right now and rightly so. From top to bottom his product line is?the best?in affordable quality and tone. I am not a fan of Dimarzio's at all and here's the reason. Both the mfrs. make a lot of the same style pickups with just a bit different twist. I've never pulled out a Dimarzio that the Duncan didn't blow away,? It's not that they make bad pickups I just think Seymours are better in tone. The sheer number of pro players that use Duncans are the real gauge.

??Now if your looking for the "Boutique" handwound best of the best then Lindy Fralin pickups?or?Jason Lollar pickups are the ticket in my opinion. They are expensive but worth it,?both these guys make excellent pickups based on the great pickups from the 50's. Both feature just incredible articulate tone and great "Harmonic Content". I would say these are for the very?serious player and studio musician. I'll delve more into the best pickup guys at a later date but this will get you started.

? Remember now don't spend the money untill your rig is?ready to go. But if your rig is ready,?GO FOR IT, you'll LOVE the difference a great pickup can make!!


Guitar Guru