Pick ups

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Pick ups

Hello eveyone 'm planing to buy some emg pickups soon but i'm haveing trouble  deciding over witch ones to put in my guitar  they are the emg 81 85 combo and the Het set combo i've look around the internet to find some info but eveywhare  they all say the samething so please tell me the pros and cons of both. And also i whould like to know the recommended  pickup hight for both models. Thanks for your help /m\

Matthew B.

And i'm useing an epiphone les paul  standard 100 by the way.

Pushead

I always come off as a jerk when people ask about upgrading inexpensive guitars, but it's honest advice:

Don't buy pickups, save the money and put it toward a better guitar.  The benefit of upgraded pickups in that Epi (or sub 100 level LTD) isn't as big as the benefit of a better guitar.  Save the $200 you want to spend on EMGs, save another $200 (heck, sell the Epi for $100) and spend that cash on a higher level guitar.  If you're still in school or living with your parents, it's a bit harder, but the increased quality of the guitar and hardware will be noticable.  There's more value in the used market.

Here, a quick search on ebay, and for less than $400 a significantly better guitar than an Epi 100 (no offense, but a beginner's level guitar isn't the highest in quality) with EMG pickups and a case.

eBay LTD EC 1000 with EMGs

And there are hundreds of other quality options in that rage.  Search your favorite brand and see for yourself.  Heck, search your local Craigslist for something you could see in person.

Don't waste your money upgrading a beginner's guitar.

Matthew B.

Thanks pushead i've had that guitar for a few years so i guess i'll save the money the main thing i want out of a guitar is versatility and tone and  playability the main shape of guitar i want is an explorer  or a les paul shape do you know anygood guitar/pickup combos for those shapes? maybe form dean guitars or gibson has one thanks again pushead /m\

Matthew B.

And i noticed that they have an esp custom shop. does it really work? i whould try to get a quote myself but i guess i'll have a little bit more about guitars to get one. i know  that it's  going to cost in the $1000 range but still geting your own guitar made sounds pretty  fuckin' badass /m\

 

Pushead

The body wood of most Les Paul and Explorer shapes is mahogany, but the Les Paul has a maple top.  Pickups that work in one of those will be fairly similar in the other.  What sort of styles of music do you play, and what do you think you're missing from your current set of pickups?

As for Custom Shop ESP, you're looking at around $5k as a starting point.  For your next move from the Epi, if you're looking at the ESP ranges of guitars, I'd stick in the LTD range.

Realistically, you might benefit from a trip to your local guitar store and play a bunch of things there to see what different price levels and brands get you.  See what you like and how different pickups sound.

Matthew B.

I like  some black metal bands like dimmu borgir and dark funeral  and melodic  death metal bands like dethklok gojira  and  the big four (Because  you can't be a metalhead unless you like the big four)  i have two guitars one is really old and beat up i got it back when i was around seven years old. so yeah little seven year old me went to town on it once i get it repaired  i'll use it too practice. but i want to use the  a really good guitar for recoreding i chould get around 430$  do you know any really good guitars around that range? and once i get the money maybe i'll go to the nearby guitar center. Thanks for the help pushead you're metal as fuck /m\.

Pushead

Well, in my experience you only really need to like two of "The Big Four" and can still consider yourself a metalhead.

As I said before, there's more value in that price range if you shop used.  But the LTD 200 or 300 range of guitars should be around that price range.  I'm sure there are quality Ibanez and Jackson guitars in that range as well.  Go to the GC and play a bunch.  You'll find out what you like and what you don't.  If you have questions or whatever after that, come back and ask.

Matthew B.

And  i have this for  my main guitar as of now. http://www.amazon.com/Epiphone-LP-100-Electric-Guitar-Ebony/dp/B0002CZUU6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422904949&sr=8-1&keywords=epiphone+les+paul+100  I'll be going to guitar center once i get my paycheck.

 

Clinton G.

both the het set and 81 85 are great. hard choice. i'd go with the 81 85 because the 85 has sweet neck tones, it has the woman tone inside of it with the volume and tone down.

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