Cheap pickups in general

[ztikmaen]

Hi guys, I'm new here and I've been gassing for a very long time. I've always wanted some Bareknuckle pickups but SERIOUS doubt has plagued my mind when I found pickup companies like Rio Grande, GFS, Dragonfire, Klein etc
Are there any good suggestions for GREAT cheap pickups? I don't want to break the bank but I want a pickup that will actually last me forever (not a "pretty good for the price" one, a "WOW this would be great for 3 times the price!")
Thanks guys

[SammyD]

Whats your budget?

[GrantB]

I dunno about those brands...except for GFS, and I thought they were very average...but I would seriously consult with Adrian at Ash Custom Works. His pickups sound great to my ears and I'm comparing them to top end stuff. Seconding that, the DiMarzio stuff is always good value and I think great sounding.

Like most things, you get what you pay for...

[Hot_Grits]

I dunno about those brands...except for GFS, and I thought they were very average...but I would seriously consult with Adrian at Ash Custom Works. His pickups sound great to my ears and I'm comparing them to top end stuff. Seconding that, the DiMarzio stuff is always good value and I think great sounding.

Like most things, you get what you pay for...

Companies like Lollar, Fralin and Bare Knuckles do make fantastic products. But the less expensive firms like Duncan and Dimarzio both make a lot of really great pickups. I love Lollar Imperials and Fralin Blues Specials, for example, but I have a guitar with a Dimarzio PAF and Duncan APS2s and they sound really great.

It all depends on how picky you want to be, and possibly how much experience you have with the sound you're after. But the levels of improvement from mid-range to high range spend on pickups do tend to yield much subtler degrees of change than the move from cheapo pickups to mid-cost pickups.

[ztikmaen]

Oh ok. Well I have a MIA Tele that I want to put hotter PUs into, especially for the bridge (was thinking Rio Grande for "BIG TEXAS TONE!" -__-) but people keep raving on about how the cheap pickups were completely not what they expected in a good way. But my budget is around $600 to replace a Tele set and a Humbucker set.

[PlukkyBoy]

Which raises the question: what exactly is cheap about cheap pickups? (Apart from the sound)
Where do they make the savings?

[ztikmaen]

Which raises the question: what exactly is cheap about cheap pickups? (Apart from the sound)
Where do they make the savings?

Third world countries, child labour etc... Lol
Well what would you recommend for somebody on a tight-ish budget?

Oh... Just realized that Rio Grande isn't really affordable, just not as crazy as BKP... BKP are bloody expensive in that case :O

[bender]

I like the Rio Grande Buffalobucker/Genuine Texas set I've got. I've had a set of their tele pickups and they're pretty nice too. I wouldn't have called them cheap but you could get both for your budget. I've had two sets of BKPs and they're great but the Rio Grandes are pretty good too. I think the Buffalobucker is pretty special actually.

[bender]

I'd also second the Ashcustomworks suggestion. I really rate his pickups.

[jeremyb]

I have Seymour Duncan's and Dimarzio's in various guitars and both represent great value for money, sure its a bit like a toyota compared to the ferrari BKP, but they both do the same job

[danrawkz]

Duncan Designed HB102, sounds exactly the same as a JB, owned them both, compared them both, $25 on trademe.

[Capt. Black]

...
Well what would you recommend for somebody on a tight-ish budget?
....

A hotcake.

[Kris]

i got some BKP's from MR Glynn....wasn't that expensive at all,maybe 50-60 bux more than an equivelent sd r dimarzio set thru a local distro?

[Hot_Grits]

Oh ok. Well I have a MIA Tele that I want to put hotter PUs into, especially for the bridge (was thinking Rio Grande for "BIG TEXAS TONE!" -__-) but people keep raving on about how the cheap pickups were completely not what they expected in a good way. But my budget is around $600 to replace a Tele set and a Humbucker set.

I'd definitely recommend Seymour Duncan for telecasters. Seymour's a tele guy. The hot for tele and quarter pounder would be good places to start. Fralin and Lollar do great tele pickups but may not do a hot enough pickup for you depending on your needs.

For hum cancelling Dimarzio makes the Area Hot for tele. Haven't heard but I'm told they're good.

I'm sure Bare knuckles and Rio Grande do great hot tele pickups too.

Much depends on how much output you need, really. Bear in mind that the hotter a pickup gets the thicker in the mids and less toppy sounding they are. Which may be exactly what you're after.

[Bg]

Which raises the question: what exactly is cheap about cheap pickups? (Apart from the sound)
Where do they make the savings?

less unicorn tears and no dragons breath.