after market pickups for LP

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mongoose

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I posted this in general but I think more people will see it here...

Hey I know pickups have been discussed before but I am still hazy on the subject. I have a Love Rock and I'm interested in switching the pickups. I'm looking at either SD SH 4- JB with a complimentary SD or the EMG Zakk Wylde set. What I was wondering was if these pickups will fit into my LP? Also I beleive the ZW set needs a battery so I wonder if I need to open up the guitar to replace the batteries often. Also it comes with a switch which I would hate to see installed on the guitar. Sorry just a few more questions...
-What is the difference between humbuckers and soapbars?
-Do I necessarily have to replace both pickups to compliment each others sound?
-What is the usual cost for a luthier or guitar tech to install these?

Thanks everyone.

Forgot to mention I am going for either a Kiss sound like Ace or Paul OR a Zakk Wylde squealer, very different I know... Any suggestions on other pickups would be great, I'd rather go for the Kiss sound if possible.
 
I've also looked at DiMarzio PAF DP103 and Super Distortion
anyone have experience with these or the SD SH- 4 jb and SH-1 '59?
 
hey mongoose, i read somewhere that ace used dimarzio pafs early on (actually it said that paul and ace were getting their pafs hand wound straight from lawrence dimarzio himself), and then switched over later around 76-77 to the dimarzio super distortion pafs. i e-mailed dimarzio and asked them which pickup ace used early in kiss and they replied: "The name of the pickup is PAF, and the model no. is DP103."
 
mongoose said:
I've also looked at DiMarzio PAF DP103 and Super Distortion
anyone have experience with these or the SD SH- 4 jb and SH-1 '59?

I have a DiMarzio DP103 in my '79 Ibanez Iceman and always liked it in that guitar..Lots of sustain, but I must admit it's a bit muddy on the top end, compared to the Duncan SH-6b Distortion in my Tokai.
 
I have EMG 89s (with push/pull tone pots for single coil mode) in an Epi LP copy. Depending on how much you play the guitar, battery changes aren't really that frequent. I rotate it with other guitars and I try to remember to change the battery once or twice a year (with involves unscrewing the back plastic plate behind the vol/tone controls and unplug old/plug in new, pretty easy). I've never run the battery completely dry, but I do notice it is brighter sounding with a fresh battery.

EMG is usually a complete system with pickups and pots and I think maybe even output jack (check their website for details) and come with excellent instructions. You reuse your existing selector switch. I don't think you can use an EMG and a conventional pickup in the same guitar at the same time.

The only thing to watch for on LPs is whether you need the long shaft pots or not. I didn't, but EMG stocks then both.
 
Hey Mongoose, Bare knuckle do a passive zack wylde style pickup called the "miracle man" there are sound clips on there site that will blow you away if thats your thing. But recently i have found this boutique pickup builder that builds pickups to any specs you want and for only US $75 each :D great price or what http://www.highorderpickups.com/
Read the whole page its really quite good i'm in the process of ordering some pickups based on the "miracle man" pickups specs of the bareknuckle site. Hope this helps, Mick :D
 
I can't recommend Bareknuckles enough!

www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk they really are EXCELLENT pickups!
 
Jamieh said:
I can't recommend Bareknuckles enough!

www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk they really are EXCELLENT pickups!

Yeah, too bad they're so f***ing expensive
 
Guitargoblin said:
Yeah, too bad they're so f***ing expensive

Well.. yeah they aren't cheap, but they are handmade and Tim REALLY knows what he is doing

They are worth the cash... and its along the same lines as Seymour Duncan stuff price wise...
 
Jamieh said:
Guitargoblin said:
Yeah, too bad they're so f***ing expensive

Well.. yeah they aren't cheap, but they are handmade and Tim REALLY knows what he is doing

They are worth the cash... and its along the same lines as Seymour Duncan stuff price wise...

You mean the custom line right? I have JB and Jazz neck in my other les paul, while they're amazing and serve my needs very well, the Bareknuckle's in my Tokai just have a whole different quality. Well at least until I tried them in a proper tube amp.
 

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