my conclusion

[ratsalad]

ok ok...
so ive bean thinking
and ive decided that i might
get the 57 gibson humbuckers for my acl 49 and then
get like a dot 335 or something on those lines...
but not sure weather
to get the tokai one instead...
because they like look oh so nice...(hey babeh...)
but im wondering how they play...
i want like a real warmth tone...
hmmm any sugestions???
thanks

 

[PetJyr]

Check out Bare Knuckles pickups, they sound great I also heard good things about Lollar.

 

[leadguitar_323]

Bare knuckle may be good but they are way overpriced and with the exchange rate what it is at the moment there is no way it would be worth buying anything from England. $430 Aussie dollars a set without shipping.
Peter {stratmoto}, suggested some Aussie hand wound pickups in your previous post, look em up and have a read ..


Mick

 

[stratmoto]

Brierley pickups. http://www.brierleyguitarpickups.com.au/

He has been winding pickups for ALS43's and ALC49's like yours. I know the guy is using a str@t, and you can hear that it is a str@t, but he gives the neck 'bucker a run through a range of gain.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=FNDu_Takpt8

I have no affiliation with Mick, but everyone that has used his pickups are happy. He is not happy until you are, and will modify ~ rewind, at no charge, until you get the sound you want.

Talk to him, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Peter

 

[JohnA]

Bare knuckle may be good but they are way overpriced and with the exchange rate what it is at the moment there is no way it would be worth buying anything from England. $430 Aussie dollars a set without shipping.
Peter {stratmoto}, suggested some Aussie hand wound pickups in your previous post, look em up and have a read ..


Mick

Bare Knuckle pickups are expensive in the UK without accounting for exchange rates, shipping, GST/VAT or whatever. IMO there are better sounding pickups out there for a lot less money!

 

[leadguitar_323]

Spot on John.. :wink:

Mick

 

[Dave_Mc]

Bare Knuckle pickups are expensive in the UK without accounting for exchange rates, shipping, GST/VAT or whatever. IMO there are better sounding pickups out there for a lot less money!

go on then, what do you think's better?

i'd agree with getting something handwound in australia, though, the exchange rate's probably going to be killer...

 

[JohnA]

go on then, what do you think's better?

I have a BN Stormy Monday in the neck position of one of my LS120's and it sounds great, but at full retail price thay are expensive. I like quite authentic PAF types, quite under-wound and low output, for my tastes I think the following are better value than BN's, and all sound every bit as good.

Peter Florence Voodoo's
Lollar Imperials
High-Order
Gibson '57's
SD Seth Lovers


At the moment the exchange rate means the US made pickups are probably just as expensive as the BN's

 

[Paladin2019]

I thikn Bareknuckle are fantastic and excellent value for money here in the Uk, but that's just me! Mules all the way!

Ratsalad, I say stay away from Gibson pickups. If bareknuckle are overpriced then Gibsons are nothing less than a criminal ripoff.

In fact I'm going to go against the grain here and say don't bother with new pickups at all. It sounds to me like you don't know what you want - you're shooting off on all kinds of tangents with no focus or clear musical requirements (other than "real warmth tone") and you're getting conflicting advice from everyone you ask. We don't even know what style of music you play (other than "lots of distortion"). One man's meat is another's poision and there's so much out there on the market that there's no way to know what you'll like.

The other thing to remember is that you have a decent guitar but it is ultimately a low end model. You can very easily end up spending more that the guitar's worth on a good set of pickups and that could be an expensive mistake if you don't like what you end up with.

Give it some time and come back to this pickup idea when you have a better idea of what you really want and really need.

 

[JohnA]

+1 Paladin2019 Excellent advice!!

 

[Goestoeleven]

If you want a decent upgrade for the lower-end Les Paul I can recommend the GFS "Vintage 59" from personal experience with my Epiphone SG, but I would agree 100% with the other guys on here, namely:

1) Don't spend a fortune without knowing what you want.

And...

2) Don't spend more than the guitar warrants. You'll never get that money back.

Why not sell the ALC and buy yourself a used higher-end Love Rock like an LS75/85? Chances are it'll do just what you want straight from the crate. I paid ?330 for my one (with case) at a time when a set of Gibson Burstbuckers would have set me back around ?200 on their own.

I wouldn't buy another cheaper range guitar like a 335 DOT. You'd be better off having one exceptional instrument like a top-end Love Rock than two average ones surely?

 

[ratsalad]

yeh thats pretty sweet advice
thanks
i am keen on getting the epiphone dot or alteast the tokai verssion
im real keen on tokai now...
the reson i got it was it was bucket loads cheaper than the custom and i liked the feel...
can you get an ES models in Australia?
and im like in love with my ALC 49
its not the best but i love it
i wont sell it ever...
so im not worried about the worth...
but thtanks
this forum is really helpful..
everyone has there own way
peace.

 

[Dave_Mc]

I have a BN Stormy Monday in the neck position of one of my LS120's and it sounds great, but at full retail price thay are expensive. I like quite authentic PAF types, quite under-wound and low output, for my tastes I think the following are better value than BN's, and all sound every bit as good.

Peter Florence Voodoo's
Lollar Imperials
High-Order
Gibson '57's
SD Seth Lovers


At the moment the exchange rate means the US made pickups are probably just as expensive as the BN's

no problem, i was just interested. i've heard good things about those high orders, never tried them though. there are a bunch of other UK handwinders I'm planning on trying when i get round to it lol: ), i did like the swinesheads i got, though, but i suspect BKs are slightly nicer (though almost twice the price- but the swineshead prices seem to rise all the time, which is quite annoying).

you're right about the exchange rate, US-made stuff is generally terrible value over here, and that was even when a pound bought more than $2! I agree with paladin about the gibson pickups, it's a similar story with most duncans and dimarzios, though ever so often you can get decent-ish value on them if a shop just happens to have a sale on...



EDIT: i also agree with what paladin and goestoeleven are saying- new pickups are expensive to put into a cheapish guitar, plus they might not do what you want. Also, what amp you have will also play a really big part- it's possible that you aren't getting the tones you want because your amp isn't aimed at the tones you want, and generally you need a nice amp (preferably tube) to get the best out of a pickup swap...

 

[leadguitar_323]

Hi Dave, i have 2 sets of custom wound "High Order" pickups in my Tokai's and they are excellent pickups and at US 140 a pair, {not too sure if they have gone up in price} they are excellent value for money. Mine are fairly high output and he charged me the same as his vintage style ones, i will definitely be buying more..

Mick

 

[Goestoeleven]

...i am keen on getting the epiphone dot or alteast the tokai verssion
im real keen on tokai now...

Ratsalad, don't waste your money on the Epiphone mate, honestly.

I know where you're coming from because I wanted a "Gibson style" guitar a while back. I looked at the Jap Tokais (Not played them) and I saw they were about ?700 in Denmark St, London (Tin Pan Alley).
I wasn't going to pay that sort of dosh for one, so I bought an Epiphone SG400 and I was really chuffed with it. It was even better once I'd changed all the electronics for CTS, Switchcraft etc. plus a set of GFS pickups.

But when I bid on, and then won, my LS75 Love Rock I just couldn't believe what a fantastic guitar it was. Even if it were the same price as the Gibson it would be well worth the money.

Save your money, ask the forum guys here for advice and if you want a 335 then buy the Tokai. It'll absolutely blow the Epiphone (Even the Elitist Epi) into the weeds. I kid you not.

Glad to be of help to you, and good luck with the guitar hunting!

Graham.

Edit: PS - If you love your ALC 49 then don't play an LS85F. You'll want to marry it! :lol:

My one (Again! Sorry, regulars. ) :

http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo77/Graha0808/Guitars/?action=view&current=PICT0003.jpg

http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo77/Graha0808/Guitars/?action=view&current=PICT0019.jpg

http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo77/Graha0808/Guitars/?action=view&current=PICT0006.jpg

 

[ratsalad]

hey leadguitar_323...
i see your located in Australia ...
i was just wondering what guiatrs you have...
like and where do you get your tokais from?
Australias a little slow here i think...
luckly my music man up the road has some
:lol:
i live in NSW by the way lol...
a lil off topic but i gotta no...

 

[leadguitar_323]

Hi mate, i am in Brisbane and i get my guitars from Japan.
Guitars i own; Tokai ls 180
Tokai custom order Gold Top
Tokai ST-70 springy sound {strat}
Greco RR-65
Burny RR-70
Bacchus BLS-95
Southern Cross custom made strat
Vantage bass


Mick

 

[ratsalad]

thanks graham
nice
guitar by the way...
i would marry it if it were white...
like wilmah (my guitar) haha 8)
yeh i would like to het this

its nice and i like the single coil in the middle
i think its exactly what warm tone im going for...
i would need to try it or something like it...
also how do you o buying from japan?
is it easy and good?
thanks heaps guys
best forum everrrrr
hahaha

 

[Dave_Mc]

Hi Dave, i have 2 sets of custom wound "High Order" pickups in my Tokai's and they are excellent pickups and at US 140 a pair, {not too sure if they have gone up in price} they are excellent value for money. Mine are fairly high output and he charged me the same as his vintage style ones, i will definitely be buying more..

Mick

thanks, that sounds like pretty good value. we'd probably get hit by customs etc. over here though...

 

[Derby Ant]

On the pickup front don't forget people like seymour duncan and dimarzio.
Both have a huge range of not badly priced pickups and both have forums for all kinds of advice.
If you can find a local hand wound manufacturer then check them out, but first you need to know what your after.
Bareknuckle may be great but I just can't bring myself to spend the big bucks when I can pickup second hand SD's on ebay for a quarter of the price.