Have any of you ever bought a low end guitar and replaced the pickups? Your results:

[XxSicRokerxX]

Im sure this is a familiar question, but i cant find it anywhere.

What are you thoughts on buying a guitar only to replace them with higher end pickups i.e emg 81/85 combo.

Heres a good example: You can probably buy a used ESP-VIPER guitar (with god-awful stock pickups) for 100$

Then buy yourself the emg 81/85 kit and replace the pickups yourself and save yourself ton of money from buying a higher end esp-viper with emgs already installed.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?
I mean sure i understand the feel of the guitar would be much different (neck thickness, fretboard, body weight, headstock tuners, etc)

But what about the sound itself?

Reason im asking is because im taking a look at buying a used esp stef 7 guitar for a really fair price (250$). This one: http://images.craigslist.org/5Y45O35W53n73k53o2bapdd79aeb003a512b0.jpg

But its a lower end model, comes with passive esp pickups. But i was thinking about remodeling the guitar with active emg 81 7 pickups like the higher end version of it.

****omg move this to equipment****

 

[Axonic Rot]

A lot of cheap guitars made by reputable manufacturers play fantastic with a good setup and of course sound good with new electronics. As someone who has played and set up a lot of really nice high end stuff and a lot of super cheap instruments I can tell you with confidence that the cheap stuff by the big companies is all just fine with pickups a good setup and every once in a while on the super cheap ones.... tuners.

 

[LuketheDuke]

Obviously high end guitars will have those bells and whistles that make it play and sound much better, but I've always just bought relatively cheap ($300-$500) guitars and replaced the electronics for awesome results. The difference in sound (if there is any!) between a revamped guitar and a high end one from the same company most definitely doesn't justify the difference in price.

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

interesting, what do you guys mean by "new electronics"

 

[mva801]

interesting, what do you guys mean by "new electronics"

Pickups..... and maybe wires. You know. The only electronics on guitars.

 

[jeb]

A friend of mine got a cheap Agile strat copy... I played with it a few time... the feel of the guitar, the playability ect.. was awesome after some weeks, he puts a seymour duncan kit in it, I took the guitar to test it in my rig and damn!! I was blown away, Hi really thing I'll do the same thing, great backup guitar for a ridiculous price!!

Do it!! you will not regret it!!

 

[Megin]

It depends on how cheap it is. You probably need to replace the bridge and tuners too.

 

[delayshifter]

All of my guitar is low end guitar ($250-450), it's korean epiphone flying v, japanese uchiyama Les Paul (try googling it, it's the only one and if you find it, thats mine ), squier telecaster japan, fender mustang 1966 (bought it just for $350). I bough it all 2nd hand with great deal

maybe this helps

If the guitar has fine wood (I mean real wood NOT plywood), good playability after you setup it and you have a lot of faith with it, try this

Usually my first upgrade is buying new pickup like duncan or EMG and new electronics (CTS pots, orange drops cap, switchcraft jack) and hear the result. If sounded like shit, I'll sell it. If it's good, my next things is buy gotoh bridge on ebay especially if the guitar sounded dull if I play it acoustically right after change strings with brand new one. Next list is alumunium tailpiece for sustain and some good tuning machine (usually sperzel, gotoh) so it will stay in tune all the time. If I had some spare money, TUSQ nut is my friend.

After I upgraded it all, I'm in love with all those guitar.
It's not the BEST guitar but it's FINE for me.

 

[StefTD]

a friend of mine bought a vintage (the brand) peter green les paul for 300 pounds in London, that thing is really
really great, he replaced the pickups with seymour duncans, but due to the fact that he mainly plays blues on
it, he put the wilkinson backups back in because he liked them better for his style.
Another friend of mine plays a vintage sg with p90s in a punk band and it really fits the sound and it plays well.

So for anybody who's interested into cheap classical style guitars (les paul models, es, strats, teles) I highly
recommend vintage, good wood and good playability, even the hardware is pretty decent because it was all
designed by Mr. Wilkinson himself (the guy who invented the Wilkinson trem) so it's pretty cheap for them to
use these parts.

 

[digitaldeath]

Anyone run into issues with regards to space for a 9v battery when replacing passive pups with actives?
I've a Schecter guitar I got for €120 that is lovely to play, but the cavity looks to be very small...

 

[Megin]

Anyone run into issues with regards to space for a 9v battery when replacing passive pups with actives?
I've a Schecter guitar I got for €120 that is lovely to play, but the cavity looks to be very small...

Most guitars have enough space at the back so it shouldn't be any problem.

 

[aramism]

mixed results. important to match the pickups with the wood. some really "good" pickups just bring out the characteristics of the wood. good or bad.

 

[Djentkitty]

i have that exact same guitar( the esp 7 string). ill tell you, the pick ups it comes with are really not that bad at all. if i had the money, i wouldn't replace those. but to answer your question, i bought a medium-end king v model and replaced with emgs and it turnsed out great, my friends did the same and it turned out great. but $250 for that esp, buy it right away, and in my opinion, theres no need to put emgs on it(unless you really want to spend money). what im trying to say is i have that exact same model(but was brand new for $599? just got it about 2 months ago) and if you dial in the tone right, you can have it sounding just as good the emgs. but then again, that could just be me and the wood/construction/etc.. could have been flawless on mine.

have a look here
http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/electric_guitars/esp/sc_207/index.html

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

Deathmetaler, you have it !? thats awesome, how do you like it? do you recommend it? what type of style is this guitar good for? So far everyone seems to love it, it has great reviews. The reason why im looking to buy it is because i love esp/ltd guitars. I currently rock a jackson d2km with jb tb4 pickups, its a good guitar, but i really dont like the floyd rose, its a pain having to adjust it all the time. So im giving up on it and looking for a esp/ltd guitar. Im a huge fan of deftones, thats mainly what ive been listening to on repeat the past 2 years. Thats why it only makes sense for me to get it, but i dont want to buy on impulse. I have 300$ i can spend on a guitar right now, and i really dont want to spend anymore since...well....i already have a neat guitar. So what do you think of the sc207

 

[aviel]

i am thinking of doing the same with my jackson dk2m. just switching to EMGs and maybe a new floid rose..not sure how it will turn put though

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

aviel you have the dk2m too? lol, how do you like it? im not very fond of mine, i could never really get a great feel of the guitar, something about the strings and the fretboard, i honestly think mine was just made wrong.

 

[Djentkitty]

Deathmetaler, you have it !? thats awesome, how do you like it? do you recommend it? what type of style is this guitar good for? So far everyone seems to love it, it has great reviews. The reason why im looking to buy it is because i love esp/ltd guitars. I currently rock a jackson d2km with jb tb4 pickups, its a good guitar, but i really dont like the floyd rose, its a pain having to adjust it all the time. So im giving up on it and looking for a esp/ltd guitar. Im a huge fan of deftones, thats mainly what ive been listening to on repeat the past 2 years. Thats why it only makes sense for me to get it, but i dont want to buy on impulse. I have 300$ i can spend on a guitar right now, and i really dont want to spend anymore since...well....i already have a neat guitar. So what do you think of the sc207

i fucking love that 7 string. imo, no need to swap pick ups. its got a great feel to it. its a great weapon of chose for playing Deathcore or any Nevermore kind of stuff or Bloodbath. pretty much its great for any metal style that contains brutal/non-brutal riffs etc.. if you only have $300 to spend. buy this right away. you forsure wont regret it. but make sure you try before you buy. $250 for that does seem alittle too good to be true.. i also had a neat guitar aswel with emgs, and was in need of a 7 string and wasn't sure if i'd like it, but when i tried it.... holy shit... bought it right on the spot

i totally recommend it, but remember, try before you buy.(mine was brand new)

 

[Manifesto]

I also have the same guitar and i also bought it brand new (~$700)
Awesome guitar, totally worth the financial effort. IMO It doesn't really need a pickup replacement, altough lately i've been dreaming about installing EMGs just to try them out.

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

interesting. well tbh its listed as 290$ used he said he bought it in the 400s. i told him i could do 250$ due to him living 2 hours away, he said ok. i well defintiely take a look before hand, to make sure its in good shape. What type of tuning should a 7 string be at? what size strings? i currently drop c on a 6 string 12-54 is what i use.

 

[Djentkitty]

interesting. well tbh its listed as 290$ used he said he bought it in the 400s. i told him i could do 250$ due to him living 2 hours away, he said ok. i well defintiely take a look before hand, to make sure its in good shape. What type of tuning should a 7 string be at? what size strings? i currently drop c on a 6 string 12-54 is what i use.

I play in standard or drop A on my 7-string. standard for a 7-string is B standard, (B E A D G B E). as for gauges, i can only find 10-59 gauges for 7 string in my area. however i want to have a 64 for the lowest string. i hear you can just buy a regular 6 string pack 10-50 and just put a single 64 gauge bass string for the lowest. might be trying that soon. but thats just me and i love having heavy as fuck strings