Guitr777 Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 I have a Kramer Pacer with a dead bridge humbucker. I get the Carvin catalog and the price is pretty standard for their humbuckers. In fact, I could get a pre-wired pick-guard assembly with all three pick-ups (SC, SC, HB) for about $120.00. I figure this way the pick-ups would "match". Anybody know of any pros or cons with Carvin pick-ups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 I haven't checked em in a few years, but I always thought Carvin made nice guitars and terrible pickups. They don't sound very good to start with, and man do they go super microphonic quicker than any other brand I've ever tried. I'd check Duncan and if cost is a factor, Schaller makes some great PAF style P'ups. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitr777 Posted April 4, 2002 Author Share Posted April 4, 2002 Originally posted by DC: I'd check Duncan and if cost is a factor, Schaller makes some great PAF style P'ups.Any recommendations for high output vs low output? I've always thought that high output was the way to go, but I've read recently that one of the contributing factors to EVH's 'brown sound', which I really like, was a low output pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 I personally don't like the sound of high output pickups. One of the trade offs of more windings (higher output) on the bobbin is a bassier, low middy tone. Add ceramic magnets to the equation to gain back some highs and you've got screechy fingernail on chalkboard sounding LOUD pickups which I personally just hate. I'd stick with PAF or vintage strength humbucks. The Duncan JB model is slightly hotter than average and very popular. Around 8.5 megaohm output is where the tone is. Stay away from ceramac magnets, blade pickups (except for bass guitar), anything that says super distortion or mega output etc. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitr777 Posted April 4, 2002 Author Share Posted April 4, 2002 Thanks Dave - Great advice!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myles_rose Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Originally posted by DC: I personally don't like the sound of high output pickups. One of the trade offs of more windings (higher output) on the bobbin is a bassier, low middy tone. Add ceramic magnets to the equation to gain back some highs and you've got screechy fingernail on chalkboard sounding LOUD pickups which I personally just hate. I'd stick with PAF or vintage strength humbucks. The Duncan JB model is slightly hotter than average and very popular. Around 8.5 megaohm output is where the tone is. Stay away from ceramac magnets, blade pickups (except for bass guitar), anything that says super distortion or mega output etc.DC ... A slight correction if you don't mind .... 8.5 K ohms, not Meg ohms. Just a bit of additonal info (not for correction)... I old tele pickup can range from 5.7K to 7.8k, a humbucker PAF can be about 10.5k to 12.5k or so, in most original examples. More resistance generally means more output and less treble, and then there are a few more factors. Myles S. Rose www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com www.la-economy.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/mylesr www.twitter.com/myles111us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted April 5, 2002 Share Posted April 5, 2002 Sorry Myles, K ohms! You know I really knew this stuff around 15 years ago when I worked in a guitar shop. I must have got that mega ohms from the universal pot or something. I am sure that a PAF style pickup that I liked the sound of measured around 8.5 K ohms though. They get up around 10 K ohms or so and they seem to start getting bassy. Thanks for setting me straight. -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jef5f Posted April 8, 2002 Share Posted April 8, 2002 I have used Carvins. They are as good as anything out there, just not as much variety as say Dimarzio and others. I'd recommend them. I do agree about high output pickups, they are too over the top. But fortunately, not all of Carvin's pickups are high output. Psalm 33:3 The best instrument you have, is your heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel E. Posted April 8, 2002 Share Posted April 8, 2002 Carvin pickups are actually pretty good. I have a set of AP-11s in a Strat and they sound great. Not "vintage" but really silky and smooth. Quiet for single coils too. I was at a Carvin showroom last week and tried a few guitars. They all sounded great so the humbuckers are fine. Best value for the $$ around. BTW high-output vs. low output pickups is really about personal preference and amp choice. A lot of super-distortion type humbuckers don't yeild a lot of detail or depth. But other high output pickups can sound really good and they do what they're designed to do which is to make amps scream. I favor hot pickups in the bridge position of a guitar. My favorite is the PRS HFS but I put a DiMarzio Evolution in an Ibanez and it sounds fantastic. "You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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