Wilkinson pickups are excellent value for money, I put a set of humbuckers in a cheap sg i picked up in a junk shop and they transformed it into a great guitar, total cost £75, new strings included!!
Mike Drummond, No, he means to say " Hey, I'm a racist. I know nothing about Wilkinson, Pups or say the "Vintage" guitar brand that they are so often in, but my Pop hates foreigners, so, therefore, me Da hates foreigners, (especially Asians) so by virtue of all that early indoctrination, so do I. I never buy anything from China unless I can get the sticker "Made in China" off so that I can say that they're made somewhere else. Basically "I'm a knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, Xenophobic git !!". Oh, & "I'm also a real hypocrite.".
I got those too, usually hace dimarzios in my guitar, this time I went for the wilkinson whha set and... I want another one now, they come with ALNICO, and sound is increíble!!
Wilkinsons are amazing. I had a wilkinson strat. We tested it against a bunch of guitars, fenders and gibsons priced 10 times the wilkonson and it always came out on top!
Thanks for this video, as someone on a budget, it's nice to get info that isn't snobbish, like a lot of "guitar guys" tend to be. From my perspective, it's about playing, plain and simple. Play what you can afford, upgrade when you can, just keep playing.
I was absolutely blown away by the Warman HBP90s. I have them in a Raygun Relics telecaster and now have a gigging guitar that covers everything from SRV to ACDC and even Rage Against the Machine. Couldn't recommend them higher to anyone looking to find a "Jack of all trades" pickup. Great video. Will check out those pots too!
Ironstone Pickups - great sound & great value! Sound clips are available on their site. I purchased the Vintage Strat Alnico V - exactly what I was looking for!!
Some idiot put them in my Gordon Smith Why. It had the best pick ups you can get and they can be coil tapped. Want a Gibson its there Want a strat its there. want the dogs bollox its there Mind you same can be done with Seymour Duncan JB's and a neck pickup if you coil tap them.
What about Tonerider and GFS pickups? The tonerider Rocksongs (Might not be the best name) Are like a Seymour duncan JB on a budget. They also have a generator model , which is a bit hotter, something like an SD Invader. With GFS, there's just so many options , that I could not recommend just one without knowing exactly what the particular person wanted to do! And with Squiers (and some of the lower line Fenders have been known to do it to save money too the tightwads!) Get rid of the low-rent Alpha pots and switches and change them to CTS or something comparable. Always with cheaper guitars (as long as the pickups don't have metal covers over them) , pull the pickups out and have a look at the colour of the wire. If it's the proper golden browny colour that Copper is meant to be then you are fine, if you don't like the sound of them, then you can change them. But if the wire looks pinkish, then you really need to change them! As, it's really low grade copper that they get from recycled metal and they have alot of impurities do to them not being able to sort 100% of the non-copper metals out before the furnace, and due to things like wire being used and the burnt off plastic casing leaving impurities also. Something to think about anyway.
Interesting, I had written to the compagny for a similar tone to the JB and they recommended the Generator ! Anyway I totally agree. I also read somewhere classic vibes squiers may had tonerider pickups in it
I bought an SD JB years ago (many years ago 20 ish ) still working (coill tapped even then) and the best sound in the world even now worth the extra money. However not! Want to buy it from me. Not a chance
Hi ninh. Saw your video and bought warman 6 gauges for my strat and warman warblades for my les paul and the tone is killer for a fraction of the price of duncans or emg! Thanks a lot ninh!
Anytime Kim! I'm a firm believe in value for money when it comes to guitars - there's too many snobs out there who think that to get good sound you have to blow a whole boat load of money. Now you know that you can achieve similar results for significantly less money!
Hey Anderson, thanks very much for your kind comments! I hope you find this useful and remember if you're trying to negotiate a deal from these guys - mention my name and see if you get a discount. Be sure to share this video, subscribe and check out my channel for more like this! :)
I have used WARMAN pickups in about 16 guitars and basses I have built or replaced for folks . Wonderful sound for the money and in some cases better than PUPS 3 - 5 x 's the cost . Great people to deal with as well. They are designed and tested in UK by Josi Warman and in some cases made there , but I am sure the majority are contracted to be built outside of the UK to WARMAN's specs. Are not most things built in Korea or China these days?? Give them a try u will be impressed and tell Josi , MIKE sent you.
Agreed. I've bought a couple, but haven't bought from him in a while. Great pickups and great service. There are some people who have found some excellent pickups from china, but it's hard to tell the quality given that they don't really label or brand anything.
Once I tried Warman pickups (a Dominator), I was converted. Ordered Texas triple set and HB90 Soapy. You just cannot get better-sounding pups even for 3x the money. Huge range too. Various pots, coil split options etc, and free wiring diagrams and advice. And they are great to deal with, answer every query and email.
I really liked your comments on pickups I will be trying the wilkinson Texas pickups in a Mexican Straticaster I like your honest approach about the sound quality cheers Gary
Another pickup to check into are Wiggins pickups. You can get custom covers. And they have amazing tones. I must caution you they arent cheap. But you will get a one of a kind pickup. Im ordering a set of ssh in rosewood covers.
@@NinhLyUK Yes they are an american brand. They are amazing. Im working on a project guitar. I have been in search for pickups for months. But I wanted something that looks and sounds amazing. Thats when I found Wiggins pickups.
Haha I love the GTA soundtrack playing in the background! Great video Ninh, I just ordered some Wilkinsons for my Fender Squier! Keep up the good work man!
Tristan Hicks Finally, someone noticed the GTA soundtrack that I used!!! Well spotted, you're the first! Let me know how those Wilkinsons hold up on your Squier (did you buy them from Vanson?!). Thanks man, I appreciate the kudos, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I just ordered them on eBay, they were pretty cheap. I also picked up a cheap little First Act ME636 from my friend today for $20, I am hoping to lightly torch it like you did with your Yamaha, only, instead of a red stain, I am hoping to do sort of a cherry sunburst! Thanks for the ideas man, and I definitely subscribed, and will share the video on Facebook for sure!
Tristan Hicks Thanks Tristan, I appreciate the sharing! Hope your guitar build goes well and be sure to post a link here so that the kind people of RUclips can see your fine work!
He did . There are not an " inexpensive alternative" in the states, but might be the case that since this was filmed, that Knuckles started getting inquires and raised prices accordingly. That never happens in the music gear industry.
Nice tip on the Vishay caps! I could never justify paying all the dough for Sprague caps, especially since the change in sound is very personal and subtle.
+ZombicidalMan You're welcome dude! If there's one thing I hate: it's being ripped off. Those Vishay ones are pretty much identical to the Sprague ones at about a 1/5th of the price. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe if you haven't already :)
i keep ending up in your channel every time i RUclips diy guitar stuff. i have come to enjoy that fact very much. you have a very nice approach towards viewer and differ from other similar tubers by not being a stiff upper lip luthier. Thank you for your videos! keep up the good stuff!
Great info Ninh. Thx. Always shopped the 2 big brands since I got back into playing a couple years ago, so will have to check these out. Might save me a couple hundred on pups. Much appreciated.
every time I've installed a wilkinson, I really enjoyed the experience. I even have a guitar with an expensive alumitone humbucker (they do sound amazing), and I wanted to install a cheap bridge pickup, because I didn't really care about it. I chose a wilkinson and with time i REALLY started to appreciate it, and now often play in the bridge position because it just sounds so clear, good and a little beaten. I'm really thankful for it
+budgetguitarist.com Totally! It just makes sense to get the exact same caps in bulk than pay some guitar shop a rip off price for one. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Loved this video. I don't know if you're sponsored by the companies you recommended or not, but your presentation seemed very honest and was definitely entertaining. I really enjoyed it. Thanks!
Your rehabbed Pacifica looks great. Thanks for the tips. I love your philosophy: good sound cheap price. Those who want perfection have better ears and more money than I do. Thanks, Dr. G
Man! God Bless you, dude this really helped me out.... Warman has alot of awesome pickups and Pots. The output is insanely awesome!! Thank man for the video keep rockin out 🎸🎶👌
Any decent guitar store always has a box behind the counter full of old pickups. Just ask, l have gotten old PAFs , SDs and all for €30 or less. They happily get rid of them if you ask specifically for second hand pickups also the actual pickup has to be the cheapest and most important way to change your sound in one easy change from a stock chrap pickup to say a dimarzio or SD and all for usually less than €70-90! Dimarzio superdistortions are especially good for rock.
wjwmorrow I do too. Especially the price! But even if I had the money for Seymour duncans, I would go with the Iron Gears for an 'expensive' guitar build. Thanks for the comments :)
Capacitors like these turn up at Hamfests or Radio Rallies, if you know any radio hams maye they have some you could scrounge off them? Other places are mail order.
+cam comics Yeah, old ham radios usually have capacitors that guitarists love to use on their guitars. The only reason why I mention the Vishay ones is that they're exactly the same as the Spragues, but about a 5th of the price. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I could do with buying some electronic parts from China. one of the UK high street shops just buy their products from china and then up the cost to joe public like myself. Not sure which is the best means of sening money to china ?? Maybe Western Union ??
Great video of yours very informative. Even old radio hams like myself buy new parts. Got a bag of these orange coloured capacitors, must be at least 1,000 all the same value .01 Micro Farad....I love bulk buying.
cam comics If you're buying from China, DO NOT USE Western Union! Always from a reputable seller that will take a credit card, because at least then, if something goes wrong, the CC card company is liable. As for buying in bulk ... you must have a lot of guitars you're fitting up!
I have found the Rockfield pickups on Michael Kelly guitars to be phenomenal, nothing to envy to the SD in terms of roundness, mid range and brightness on their humbuckers especially the zebra ones...
I just installed my new Warman 12 Guage (Seymour Duncan Invader rip off) in a guitar last night, and they really do sound outstanding. I highly recommend them. I want to replace my stock Seymour Duncan from my Jackson with a Warman Warblade.
Lord_Vader. NICE!!!! Good job man, I'm glad they sound great on your guitar! The WarBlades also come highly recommended! If you're buying directly from Josi Warman, mention that you saw this video. Thanks for stopping by! :)
Nice one mate, I'm going to look up Warman now, and Wilkinson for pups, (got a very smart Wilkinson WVS50mkiiK(!) 2 point trem on the alt. Strat, so far so good...) And cheers for reminding me about Vishay, I'd like to see if I can hear the difference! Cheers man, Mick.
+Michael Jones Yeah, Warman comes highly recommended. And that Wilkinson is the exact same one I got on my red Yamaha!) Thanks again Mick, be sure to share this video and subscribe if you haven't already :)
+Ninh Ly Hello Ninh, sorry, I've been my friends taxi today! I had a look at Warmans site earlier, and all I can say to you is Thankyou very much, and roll on payday! They have some great sounding stuff for the money. I will hopefully be able to use these nice chrome pup rings I've got for my red LP studio! (Only open pups will fit dammit!) And you've got another subscriber my friend. The lacquer is coming on nicely, I am very excited and a bit anxious too, I hope I got my measurements for the bridge bang on... I'll do what I can to upload a demo video with the help of my friends. Thanks again, and keep at it mate. Mick.
Great video but I must say that Bare Knuckle pickups (At least in America are at least double the price of Fralins and Lollars and at least 3 times the price of Wilde -Bill & Becky-) The capacitors and potentiometer suggestion looks interesting. Thanks for the video
+Juan Pablo Romano Thanks Juan, I appreciate the comments. Yeah, Bare Knuckles have really jacked up their prices. Ouch! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
TheNeers71 Hey man, yeah especially if you're into metal or rock - the Warman ones come highly recommended! If you like the look of them and you're after a set: speak to Josi Warman at Warman Guitars. That dude knows his stuff, and he can advise on the best ones to suit your needs. Be sure to mention that you saw this video! (Oh yeah, and share this video if you can). Thanks for being the first comment on this video! :)
Brilliant, Ninh. Straight up info and getting away from the big brand BS. You messed up with the Irongear recommendation though; they are very pricey. Anyhow, you just got a new subscriber.
Ninh Ly You're welcome , Irongear make the best value pickups I've ever played , I used to play EMGs and Seymour Duncan a lot , eventually getting into Dimarzio , but now every one of my guitars have Irongears in them , I'd recommend them strongly , also Tesla make some amazingly good value pickups , you earned a subscriber Ninh , very well done video my friend
I'm enjoying the clarity and transparent 50's Strat sound from my Wilkinsons. Bought at 2015 NAMM for 10 bucks for all three! Loaded into a '94 MIM Strat.
Your opening photo shows what looks like a set of three rail humbuckers. They look attractive, what brand/model are they? What are your thoughts about them?
Sound-wise, how do you feel IronGear pickups compare to more expensive models, specifically Seymour Duncans, Dimarzios and Bare Knuckles? Not even taking the price into account, just as standalone products. .
Sebastian Lacroix Excellent question! My partner's father has IronGear pickups on his Fenders and he is absolutely blown away by the quality, especially given the price. He says that they're on a par, if not better, than the Seymour Duncans. If you're going to try any of them out, buy the 'Hot Slags' and I guarantee you won't be disappointed! Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Hello Ninh, loved the video but.......at the end of saying wonderful things about Wilkinson, Warman etc you state " are these the best pups on the market " followed by " no, not by a long shot" ( why..?) Earlier in the video you say SD & DMZ are a rip off, so........................... what PUPs are the best then ?? I used to " upgrade" various Fenders and Gibsons with SD & DMZ because that's all you could buy, but these days I've found Wilkinsons to be every bit as good and certainly better than some stock American guitar pickups. Good info on the pots n caps btw !
MrTimewaster1969 Hey man. Thanks for the comment on this video. What I meant was: in terms of the best sound quality for world-leading rockstars and musicians, they probably wouldn't go with Wilkinson's or Warman's. These are not the best pick-ups on the market in terms of pure sound. However, this video is all about BEST VALUE - i.e the best sound for the money. Price per performance, etc. They are very good pickups, and further for the price you pay for them - they are easily the best 'pound-for-pound' pickups on the market. SD's and DMZ'z ARE a giant rip off in comparison. They charge 4 times the price for about 20% better performance. This is not value for money in my opinion! Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
A great and timely video, Ninh! I'll definitely check out the Warmans and IronGear. I've installed a set of Wilkinson humbuckers on one of my solidbody axes and I'm quite happy with them. I've also bought several sets of DragonFire humbuckers on my guitars and find that they are an excellent value, usually at $32-39 for a set!! Have you ever tried them? Again, thanks for the great info!
Perry Rease Wow, I've never heard of DragonFire pickups. Probably because they're a US brand, but I'll be sure to try them out at some point. In the meantime, contact Josi Warman at Warman Guitars ... they come highly recommended and they ship internationally! Thanks for the kind comments on this video. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks for the video man :) Got myself a few pickups from Irongear, and they have made my 'budget' guitars sound alive, so I would recommend them for value and quality.
i replaced 200 dollar pickups in a good 5 guitars, myself and friends, for the $30 entwistle HDN pickups. not quite as good as my blackwater guitars neo humbuckers, but the price can't be beat. amazing pickups
Steve Chamberland Cool! I'm glad to see someone else has bought some low priced pick-ups that sound good! I'm trying to tell everyone that you don't have to blow $200+ on expensive pickups when there's companies that make good ones for a lot less. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Good honest pickup appraisal there Ninh. Just stumbled upon this , prolly from my Recommended List, but excellent timing as I need a tone pot for my RG... btw I have Wilkinson MWCHB humbuckers on a couple of guitars. I like them. Especially pulled back with the poles raised a bit. A touring pro mate of mine gave my HB35+ with the MWCHBs the thumbs up just the other day, so it's not just me ... ;^)
Awesome, thanks for the comment! Just goes to show that you don't have to spend the earth on guitar equipment if you know what to look for and where to look for it.
Real good, from Costa Rica, thanks I like the way you put the things on the right way. I didn´t knows the Warman pickups, have to ear a demo, well thanks again. Mauro.. Guitar tech.
Good comments in general but here in the US I can get 3 CTS pots for $12, or 3 Bourns for $19, so gonna go with CTS. Also, I can easily find Bourns push/pull volume pots but not tone, which is a bit annoying.
Hi NinhNice videoJust a quick question if I may?A typical H/B on the JHS site seems to retail at just under £60. A pair on amazon is £38 - are they the same pickups?ThanksBTW I recently went with a pair of irongear p90s for a Vintage SG (the original wilks had been removed). I'd taken a look at Warmans but was unsure because of cheapness. Wish I'd seen your clip first! Cheers.
+Devin Kolins Yeah sorry man, they were a lot cheaper the last time I looked. Boy are those things expensive! Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
+Devin Kolins I paid £200 for a set of nailbombs (Bare knuckles) back in 2011, so as far as I know they have always been one of the higher end pup companies, a bit like Seymore duncan or Dimazio (unless they have recently released a budget line of pups). I recently discovered Irongear PUPs when one of my students brought in a strat with "rails" on it that I was impressed with. so I can confirm that they are indeed "bang for buck". Currently looking for good set of single coils for an old Korean Squire Im doing up. I still find it a bit unbelieveable that a set of Warman pups would be up to the job, as they are just so crazy cheap.
Can pick those things up very cheaply from any decent electrical supply store. Any ones will do generally, but the nicer looking switches cost more. Thanks, I appreciate the comments! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
How about noise-cancelling single-coil-style pickups? (Stacked coils, or side by side coils, or rails, etc.) I've heard some so-so attempts at these (even some of Fender's are on the dull side), and also some excellent ones. But the ones I know of are all pricey. Any cheaper recommendations?
Im in THE US so shipping costs from the UK would defeat the savings . Who would you recommend that are here in the USA ?? If you have any knowledge of Makers here . Are the brands you mentioned available in the states through vendors like Guitar Center which I hate but its all I have within driving distance . Online shops in the US would be fine as well .
The shipping costs aren't that bad to the US, so it won't be extortionate. So long as they declare the package as a 'gift under $30' you also won't incur any taxes on arrival. I don't believe Warman stock in the US, but Wilkinson (whilst British) have stockists everywhere. They're labelled in the US under the 'Vintage' brand vintageguitarsus.com/ so if you find 'vintage' pickups - they're most likely going to be Wilkinson's.
Thanks for a really useful video Ninh. You have a thumbs up from me. Can you recommend any vendors in UK for buying the Vishay orange drop capacitors and other electrical parts? Thanks :)
+Southampton Guitar Academy Yes I can! You'll find the exact parts I used from a company called CPC (part of the Farnell group) based near me in Fulwood, Preston. They've got every electrical component under the sun and it's free delivery over £5! Thanks for the thumbs up! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I bought a pair of Warman HPB90 a few years ago. 45€ (shipping included). I have them installed in a Jack & Danny LS500 type Les Paul guitar. Amazing sound and quality for the money. I fully recomend it.
Any ones that have solid steel construction. Cheap tuners are constructed with pot metal. You can tell the difference as steel is magnetic - pot metal is not.
I actually found Warman by myself some time ago, and also seen a guy named Dave Barlow give a pretty honest review of IronGear. Sometimes the extra price we pay for the same quality pickups is just covering the costs of their marketing.
I recently bought a pickup called the Warman Dominator (warman UK) and only cost £25 for the bridge. Its almost as good as sets of EMG 81/85's I'ved owned before for heavy metal and dropped tunings. Its a quad-hot rail and sounds good for heavy single note stuff, and plenty of nice definition on distorted chords too. Quite bright, airy with a fat low end and mid rich and the trebles are clear but not ear piercing.
Yes, are chinese brand. Dear friend and other question, Recently bought an Aria sg guitar from the 70's. The humbuckers that the guitar brings are not the originals. If this guitar were yours, what pickups would you put. Thanks best regards.
They originally had Arias Protomatic-V humbucker pick-ups, I think a suitable replacement would be the Wilkinson High Output Hots or the Warman Dominators. They might be good for you.
Love your videos & your comments. I’m thinking of changing my pickups on my Yamaha 112j . I’m not after noise or anything like that. My style of playing are ,ballads & Latin American type of music. If I decide to go with Wilkinson, which type of pickup would you recommend? Although Warman sounds great as well .thanks keep up the good work .
Hi Joe. Thanks for your kind comments on my video. For that kind of music, you'll want more vintage sounding pickups - which are a lot warmer in tone. Wilkinson do a vintage set of pickups. I don't think Warman do an equivalent (might have to check with him), but the Wilkinson Vintages come highly recommended. Hope that helps?
Great video man! Just bought 2 (yes 2!) Vintage brand guitars on ebay for £56, plus they've both got Irongears pickups installed. I've asked for the original ones too, but was wondering whether you though one was better than the other?
+geecen No way! That's freakin' awesome! The stock pickups are good anyway, but the Irongears are definitely an upgrade. My friend: you just got a STEAL! Well done" Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Yea I'm pretty pleased. Was worried the guy I bought them off would refuse to sell them in the end for such a low price to be honest! My only problem with them is that there are a couple of sloppy bits of finishing on the v100, but for that price I complain!
+geecen I've not found a great deal like that on eBay for a while. so congrats to you! I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to bid on a Yamaha 774 - it went for some stupidly low price and I've not been able to find one since!
I have a Wamrna Destroyer bridge pickup and it sounds great. Good output and tone, awesome price and compared to most stock pickups on a lot of guitar brands its way better! I got the pickup rapped in bubble wrap and a box, but fo that price you shouldnt expect great packaging but I really dont care for that.
Exactly! They're excellent for the price, especially the warblades or destroyers, and you don't really want to pay for expensive packaging. Thanks for the comment man, much appreciated!
Just about to change pick ups in very old but much-loved Ibanez super strat. I know Harley Benton use Wilkinsons and people rate them so in pleased you share that view. I think I'll go with them. A most useful video for which I thank you very much! Cheers - PT.👍
Great info, thanks, I have a pacifica 112v, and would like to upgrade the pickups, and possibly other components to beef up the sound. I will definitely look into the companies you've recommended here!
Great video, warman pickups are the dogs dangaleys!( rather good indeed!), anyone wanting a beefed up metal sound, buy their humbuckers, you'l know which one to buy on their ebay store as they are the meanest blackest pickups they sell!!. All the best.
+James Andrews The point of this video was that these aren't necessarily the best pickups. But the best value ones. EMGS are excellent pickups - but they still cost 3 times the amount that the ones I recommended are. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Just saw your video Ninh and it was very informative... better late than never. Just recently (within the last 8 months) I spent over $700.00 on two sets of pickups from two different manufacturers. The first was a set from David Allen (voodoo 69's) which was around $350.00 after pro. install and they are way too chimey and not at all what the video sounded like, but the customer service was great. The second set are Klein 55's and at $320.00 plus install... they are noisy and nothing like there sound bites described on their web site and to boot, there customer service SUCKS... definitely not worth the extreme price tag!!! At least if I try these other manufacturers and don't like them I will not have lost much. Thanks for the great video.
Your video was very helpful Ninh Ly. Thank you. But can you suggest me two bridge and neck humbucker pickups if i want to have a very heavy and distorted (noiseless) sound (for metal songs) from the bridge and bright and soft sound from the neck one? Also its to inform you that my guitar scale length is 22.5".
Off the top of my head (I can't remember the exact ranges) but the Warman Warblades come recommended for that. Or the Wilkinson MWHB Humbuckers. In either case, contact the guys I mentioned in the video - tell them I sent you and you're looking for advice and they'll be happy to sell you the correct humbuckers for what you want. Hope that helps?
It's GFS pickups for me...been using them for over 10 years now in my electric, acoustic & bass guitars and never been disappointed, and they are reasonably priced as well.
I'll throw Dragonfire pickups into the mix their double stacked hot rails sound better than most Di M and SD offerings for a fraction of the cost.. Single coil size for strats and all 3 split single/off/humbucker..They come in a loaded pick guard of your choice...
Hello Ninh, I am in the US and I want pickups for my Yamaha Pacifica. Which humbucker and single coils did you use? I do like that 50s sound can you point me in the right setup for my Yamaha? Can you tell me which bourns you used and also size of vishays? Thanks, you have a wonderful channel. I am subscribing right now. Have a wonderful day.
+amcrebelfan Hey man, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the comments on this video! To answer your question ... it depends. Depends what you want it to sound like, etc. I've made mine into a bright-wailing guitar by adding Wilkinson hot pickups both for single and humbucker (alternatively use Warmans' Texas Triple Hots), Vishays I used the same size as a Fender Stratocaster (0.22uf, 630V ) and Bourns 500k pots. Hope that helps? Thanks for the subscribe :)
+Ninh Ly perfect thank you very much for your help. That's what I needed to know. Off to order my parts. I want to also thank you for the painting tutorial as I am going to paint this Pacifica as well. Your two videos took care of all I needed to bring this project guitar back to life. Have a wonderful day.
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Wilkinson pickups are excellent value for money, I put a set of humbuckers in a cheap sg i picked up in a junk shop and they transformed it into a great guitar, total cost £75, new strings included!!
Great job! I'm glad you got a decent guitar out of it!
Mike Drummond, No, he means to say " Hey, I'm a racist. I know nothing about Wilkinson, Pups or say the "Vintage" guitar brand that they are so often in, but my Pop hates foreigners, so, therefore, me Da hates foreigners, (especially Asians) so by virtue of all that early indoctrination, so do I.
I never buy anything from China unless I can get the sticker "Made in China" off so that I can say that they're made somewhere else. Basically "I'm a knuckle dragging, mouth breathing, Xenophobic git !!". Oh, & "I'm also a real hypocrite.".
I got those too, usually hace dimarzios in my guitar, this time I went for the wilkinson whha set and... I want another one now, they come with ALNICO, and sound is increíble!!
Wilkinsons are amazing. I had a wilkinson strat. We tested it against a bunch of guitars, fenders and gibsons priced 10 times the wilkonson and it always came out on top!
Anybody notice the background music is from GTA IV Ballad of Gay Tony?
yeah boy
+jeffdude100 Well spotted - I tend to use music from video games just to see if anyone notices! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks for this video, as someone on a budget, it's nice to get info that isn't snobbish, like a lot of "guitar guys" tend to be. From my perspective, it's about playing, plain and simple. Play what you can afford, upgrade when you can, just keep playing.
I was absolutely blown away by the Warman HBP90s. I have them in a Raygun Relics telecaster and now have a gigging guitar that covers everything from SRV to ACDC and even Rage Against the Machine. Couldn't recommend them higher to anyone looking to find a "Jack of all trades" pickup. Great video. Will check out those pots too!
Thanks Gary, I'm glad you approve. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Im seconding this. HBP90s some of my favourite pickups. Swapped out the humbuckers on my SG for these, and love them
Ironstone Pickups - great sound & great value! Sound clips are available on their site.
I purchased the Vintage Strat Alnico V - exactly what I was looking for!!
Thanks for the tip William!
Some idiot put them in my Gordon Smith Why. It had the best pick ups you can get and they can be coil tapped.
Want a Gibson its there Want a strat its there. want the dogs bollox its there Mind you same can be done with Seymour Duncan JB's and a neck pickup if you coil tap them.
I'm so glad I found this video! I'm ordering my Warman bass pickups this week and can't wait to have them! thanks for the video Ninh!
What about Tonerider and GFS pickups? The tonerider Rocksongs (Might not be the best name) Are like a Seymour duncan JB on a budget. They also have a generator model , which is a bit hotter, something like an SD Invader. With GFS, there's just so many options , that I could not recommend just one without knowing exactly what the particular person wanted to do! And with Squiers (and some of the lower line Fenders have been known to do it to save money too the tightwads!) Get rid of the low-rent Alpha pots and switches and change them to CTS or something comparable. Always with cheaper guitars (as long as the pickups don't have metal covers over them) , pull the pickups out and have a look at the colour of the wire. If it's the proper golden browny colour that Copper is meant to be then you are fine, if you don't like the sound of them, then you can change them. But if the wire looks pinkish, then you really need to change them! As, it's really low grade copper that they get from recycled metal and they have alot of impurities do to them not being able to sort 100% of the non-copper metals out before the furnace, and due to things like wire being used and the burnt off plastic casing leaving impurities also. Something to think about anyway.
Interesting, I had written to the compagny for a similar tone to the JB and they recommended the Generator ! Anyway I totally agree. I also read somewhere classic vibes squiers may had tonerider pickups in it
I needed this video, I already spent over $700 bucks on a bunch of Duncans on all my guitars just in the passed few months.
I hear you bro..
bakerXderek and didn't like them?
let's see your collection
I bought an SD JB years ago (many years ago 20 ish ) still working (coill tapped even then) and the best sound in the world even now worth the extra money. However not! Want to buy it from me. Not a chance
lmao just watched your collection video and that's why what brought me here.
Hi ninh. Saw your video and bought warman 6 gauges for my strat and warman warblades for my les paul and the tone is killer for a fraction of the price of duncans or emg! Thanks a lot ninh!
Anytime Kim! I'm a firm believe in value for money when it comes to guitars - there's too many snobs out there who think that to get good sound you have to blow a whole boat load of money. Now you know that you can achieve similar results for significantly less money!
Two U.S. places to also find quality pickups are Guitar Fetish (also sells cheap guitars) and Stewart Mac Donald,. Thanks for the tips.
Hey Ninh. this is one of the MOST IMFORMITIVE videos on the web. Thank you so very much!!!!
Hey Anderson, thanks very much for your kind comments!
I hope you find this useful and remember if you're trying to negotiate a deal from these guys - mention my name and see if you get a discount.
Be sure to share this video, subscribe and check out my channel for more like this! :)
I have used WARMAN pickups in about 16 guitars and basses I have built or replaced for folks . Wonderful sound for the money and in some cases better than PUPS 3 - 5 x 's the cost . Great people to deal with as well. They are designed and tested in UK by Josi Warman and in some cases made there , but I am sure the majority are contracted to be built outside of the UK to WARMAN's specs. Are not most things built in Korea or China these days?? Give them a try u will be impressed and tell Josi , MIKE sent you.
Agreed. I've bought a couple, but haven't bought from him in a while. Great pickups and great service.
There are some people who have found some excellent pickups from china, but it's hard to tell the quality given that they don't really label or brand anything.
Once I tried Warman pickups (a Dominator), I was converted. Ordered Texas triple set and HB90 Soapy. You just cannot get better-sounding pups even for 3x the money. Huge range too. Various pots, coil split options etc, and free wiring diagrams and advice. And they are great to deal with, answer every query and email.
I really liked your comments on pickups I will be trying the wilkinson Texas pickups in a Mexican Straticaster I like your honest approach about the sound quality cheers Gary
Cool, thanks Gary - I hope you find them to be excellent value for your guitar!
Bill Lawrence (Wilde and USA) offer incredible pickups for a very reasonable price.
Yea I had a xl500 and a xl90 way back n the day. I just ordered some cheap dual blade and waitin
Another pickup to check into are Wiggins pickups. You can get custom covers. And they have amazing tones. I must caution you they arent cheap. But you will get a one of a kind pickup. Im ordering a set of ssh in rosewood covers.
I've not heard of those? Must be an American brand?
@@NinhLyUK
Yes they are an american brand. They are amazing. Im working on a project guitar. I have been in search for pickups for months. But I wanted something that looks and sounds amazing. Thats when I found Wiggins pickups.
You are so correct about the warmans ..amazing pickups !!!
+Greg Henderson I know, right? Thanks man, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Haha I love the GTA soundtrack playing in the background! Great video Ninh, I just ordered some Wilkinsons for my Fender Squier! Keep up the good work man!
Tristan Hicks Finally, someone noticed the GTA soundtrack that I used!!! Well spotted, you're the first! Let me know how those Wilkinsons hold up on your Squier (did you buy them from Vanson?!).
Thanks man, I appreciate the kudos, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I just ordered them on eBay, they were pretty cheap. I also picked up a cheap little First Act ME636 from my friend today for $20, I am hoping to lightly torch it like you did with your Yamaha, only, instead of a red stain, I am hoping to do sort of a cherry sunburst! Thanks for the ideas man, and I definitely subscribed, and will share the video on Facebook for sure!
Tristan Hicks Thanks Tristan, I appreciate the sharing! Hope your guitar build goes well and be sure to post a link here so that the kind people of RUclips can see your fine work!
I will Ninh, thanks again :)
Did he just drop "Bare Knuckle pickups" as reasonably priced??
I caught that. Bareknuckles are three times the price of Irongears!! What on earth are you thinking, +Ninh Ly?
yeah but dont tell me they arent worth the money man... those fucking war pigs omfg *~*
GSUS HC I thought the same, what is he on about?
He did . There are not an " inexpensive alternative" in the states, but might be the case that since this was filmed, that Knuckles started getting inquires and raised prices accordingly. That never happens in the music gear industry.
This is only two years ago. They've always been very pricey.
My friend have a Entwistle pickups on Squier Strat and they sounds so good!
Yeah Entwistle pickups I've heard are fantastic. They're rare to find, I think you have to order them directly from him. Nice shout!
I put Entwistle pickups in my Jazz Bass, and they're awesome. I also bought a GFS humbucker for my Stingray and that was great too.
Excellent pickups for the price, for sure!
Thanks for the suggestions!
very cool informative video,thanks much,i just ordered a gfs 12k true coil,i have heard both good and bad reviews on it. i guess we will see!
Sweet, let me know how it goes!
Nice tip on the Vishay caps! I could never justify paying all the dough for Sprague caps, especially since the change in sound is very personal and subtle.
+ZombicidalMan You're welcome dude! If there's one thing I hate: it's being ripped off. Those Vishay ones are pretty much identical to the Sprague ones at about a 1/5th of the price. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe if you haven't already :)
Tonerider pickups are fuckkking amazing i have the rebel 90 and the alnico 2 humbuckers
Good to see Warman recommended. Not heard them but heard other good things about them
Yes, they're excellent for the price!
I dropped a Warman Twin Loco Hotrail into my bridge pickup on my Squier Strat, its an absolute beast! definitely recommended.
Good job man, hope it works out for you!
Does it sound like a fender?
i keep ending up in your channel every time i RUclips diy guitar stuff. i have come to enjoy that fact very much. you have a very nice approach towards viewer and differ from other similar tubers by not being a stiff upper lip luthier. Thank you for your videos! keep up the good stuff!
Thanks Emil, I appreciate your comments!! Please share and subscribe :)
Great info Ninh. Thx. Always shopped the 2 big brands since I got back into playing a couple years ago, so will have to check these out. Might save me a couple hundred on pups. Much appreciated.
Anytime, hope these work out for you.
every time I've installed a wilkinson, I really enjoyed the experience.
I even have a guitar with an expensive alumitone humbucker (they do sound amazing), and I wanted to install a cheap bridge pickup, because I didn't really care about it.
I chose a wilkinson and with time i REALLY started to appreciate it, and now often play in the bridge position because it just sounds so clear, good and a little beaten. I'm really thankful for it
Great cap advice! I will definitely check out the Vishay caps.
+budgetguitarist.com Totally! It just makes sense to get the exact same caps in bulk than pay some guitar shop a rip off price for one. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Such an informative, useful and correct video. I wish it had you kind of guys more on youtube! Thanks so much for the video
Loved this video. I don't know if you're sponsored by the companies you recommended or not, but your presentation seemed very honest and was definitely entertaining. I really enjoyed it. Thanks!
Your rehabbed Pacifica looks great. Thanks for the tips. I love your philosophy: good sound cheap price. Those who want perfection have better ears and more money than I do.
Thanks,
Dr. G
Thanks Dr G - I appreciate the comments. And yes, you don't have to spend megabucks to have a good sounding guitar.
thank you so much Ninh! I bought Warman MM style bass pickups and they sound amazing!
Man! God Bless you, dude this really helped me out.... Warman has alot of awesome pickups and Pots. The output is insanely awesome!! Thank man for the video keep rockin out 🎸🎶👌
Cool, thanks bro - glad you like the video!
Any decent guitar store always has a box behind the counter full of old pickups. Just ask, l have gotten old PAFs , SDs and all for €30 or less. They happily get rid of them if you ask specifically for second hand pickups also the actual pickup has to be the cheapest and most important way to change your sound in one easy change from a stock chrap pickup to say a dimarzio or SD and all for usually less than €70-90! Dimarzio superdistortions are especially good for rock.
That's actually a really awesome idea!
I didn't even think of that ... good tip bro!
Ninh Ly -cheers man :)
Nice, useful, vid. Thanks. For what it's worth I much prefer Iron Gear over twice-the-price SDs.
wjwmorrow I do too. Especially the price! But even if I had the money for Seymour duncans, I would go with the Iron Gears for an 'expensive' guitar build. Thanks for the comments :)
Capacitors like these turn up at Hamfests or Radio Rallies, if you know any radio hams maye they have some you could scrounge off them? Other places are mail order.
+cam comics Yeah, old ham radios usually have capacitors that guitarists love to use on their guitars. The only reason why I mention the Vishay ones is that they're exactly the same as the Spragues, but about a 5th of the price. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I could do with buying some electronic parts from China. one of the UK high street shops just buy their products from china and then up the cost to joe public like myself. Not sure which is the best means of sening money to china ?? Maybe Western Union ??
Great video of yours very informative. Even old radio hams like myself buy new parts. Got a bag of these orange coloured capacitors, must be at least 1,000 all the same value .01 Micro Farad....I love bulk buying.
cam comics If you're buying from China, DO NOT USE Western Union! Always from a reputable seller that will take a credit card, because at least then, if something goes wrong, the CC card company is liable.
As for buying in bulk ... you must have a lot of guitars you're fitting up!
thanks for the advice much appreciated. ian.
I have found the Rockfield pickups on Michael Kelly guitars to be phenomenal, nothing to envy to the SD in terms of roundness, mid range and brightness on their humbuckers especially the zebra ones...
Oh that's cool, thanks for the tip!
I just installed my new Warman 12 Guage (Seymour Duncan Invader rip off) in a guitar last night, and they really do sound outstanding. I highly recommend them.
I want to replace my stock Seymour Duncan from my Jackson with a Warman Warblade.
Lord_Vader. NICE!!!! Good job man, I'm glad they sound great on your guitar! The WarBlades also come highly recommended! If you're buying directly from Josi Warman, mention that you saw this video. Thanks for stopping by! :)
Nice one mate, I'm going to look up Warman now, and Wilkinson for pups, (got a very smart Wilkinson WVS50mkiiK(!) 2 point trem on the alt. Strat, so far so good...) And cheers for reminding me about Vishay, I'd like to see if I can hear the difference! Cheers man, Mick.
+Michael Jones Yeah, Warman comes highly recommended. And that Wilkinson is the exact same one I got on my red Yamaha!) Thanks again Mick, be sure to share this video and subscribe if you haven't already :)
+Ninh Ly Hello Ninh, sorry, I've been my friends taxi today! I had a look at Warmans site earlier, and all I can say to you is Thankyou very much, and roll on payday! They have some great sounding stuff for the money. I will hopefully be able to use these nice chrome pup rings I've got for my red LP studio! (Only open pups will fit dammit!) And you've got another subscriber my friend. The lacquer is coming on nicely, I am very excited and a bit anxious too, I hope I got my measurements for the bridge bang on... I'll do what I can to upload a demo video with the help of my friends. Thanks again, and keep at it mate. Mick.
Michael Jones Thanks for the update Mick. Yeah, you can't go wrong with the Warmans - let me know how you get on!
Great video but I must say that Bare Knuckle pickups (At least in America are at least double the price of Fralins and Lollars and at least 3 times the price of Wilde -Bill & Becky-) The capacitors and potentiometer suggestion looks interesting. Thanks for the video
+Juan Pablo Romano Thanks Juan, I appreciate the comments. Yeah, Bare Knuckles have really jacked up their prices. Ouch! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I wish I had seen this before I spent an arm and a leg on duncans. Those Warmans look great
TheNeers71 Hey man, yeah especially if you're into metal or rock - the Warman ones come highly recommended! If you like the look of them and you're after a set: speak to Josi Warman at Warman Guitars. That dude knows his stuff, and he can advise on the best ones to suit your needs. Be sure to mention that you saw this video!
(Oh yeah, and share this video if you can).
Thanks for being the first comment on this video! :)
Brilliant, Ninh. Straight up info and getting away from the big brand BS.
You messed up with the Irongear recommendation though; they are very pricey.
Anyhow, you just got a new subscriber.
Yeah, Irongear is totes expensive. Sorry about that.
But everything else I said was true.
Thanks bro!
that was my point.
Warman and IronGear make amazing pickups , Tonerider just released they're Alnico 8 Octane , absolutely insane value for money pickup , check it out !
Thanks for the tips man!
Ninh Ly You're welcome , Irongear make the best value pickups I've ever played , I used to play EMGs and Seymour Duncan a lot , eventually getting into Dimarzio , but now every one of my guitars have Irongears in them , I'd recommend them strongly , also Tesla make some amazingly good value pickups , you earned a subscriber Ninh , very well done video my friend
@@MrMadtv123 which ones do you recommend?
Excellent Info Ninh ...but Did you forget the already available Neodymium power? Thank U & Plz advise
Yes, I did. Thanks.
I ordered wilkinson hum buckets,will let you know when I get them.Thankyou
Awesome, let me know what you think!
He said hum buckets. hum buckets. hum BUCKETS.
Tim Hallas probably autocorrect
I hate autocorrect. It's like having two wives.
so, are wikinson good? which guitar you put them on?
i have the inavader style wilknsons in an ibanez rg and really like it
Yeah, wilkinsons are good for the money. Try the Warmans too! Thanks, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I'm enjoying the clarity and transparent 50's Strat sound from my Wilkinsons. Bought at 2015 NAMM for 10 bucks for all three! Loaded into a '94 MIM Strat.
Your opening photo shows what looks like a set of three rail humbuckers. They look attractive, what brand/model are they? What are your thoughts about them?
Sound-wise, how do you feel IronGear pickups compare to more expensive models, specifically Seymour Duncans, Dimarzios and Bare Knuckles? Not even taking the price into account, just as standalone products. .
Sebastian Lacroix Excellent question! My partner's father has IronGear pickups on his Fenders and he is absolutely blown away by the quality, especially given the price.
He says that they're on a par, if not better, than the Seymour Duncans.
If you're going to try any of them out, buy the 'Hot Slags' and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Tone rider make great pickups.Artec are very good as well.
bought a pair of warman PAFs for a les paul.....epic. thanks dude
+dingle1 Cool, you're welcome man! I'm glad you got some Warman's and that they worked for you!
Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Great Info
Good job Ninh
Going to try Iron Forge PUPs
Thanks Loris, much appreciated!
I would've liked to know what pictures were in the still photo you posted on the intro and throughout the video. They looked really interesting!
Hello Ninh, loved the video but.......at the end of saying wonderful things about Wilkinson, Warman etc you state " are these the best pups on the market " followed by " no, not by a long shot" ( why..?) Earlier in the video you say SD & DMZ are a rip off, so........................... what PUPs are the best then ??
I used to " upgrade" various Fenders and Gibsons with SD & DMZ because that's all you could buy, but these days I've found Wilkinsons to be every bit as good and certainly better than some stock American guitar pickups.
Good info on the pots n caps btw !
MrTimewaster1969 Hey man. Thanks for the comment on this video.
What I meant was: in terms of the best sound quality for world-leading rockstars and musicians, they probably wouldn't go with Wilkinson's or Warman's. These are not the best pick-ups on the market in terms of pure sound.
However, this video is all about BEST VALUE - i.e the best sound for the money. Price per performance, etc.
They are very good pickups, and further for the price you pay for them - they are easily the best 'pound-for-pound' pickups on the market.
SD's and DMZ'z ARE a giant rip off in comparison. They charge 4 times the price for about 20% better performance. This is not value for money in my opinion!
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
A great and timely video, Ninh! I'll definitely check out the Warmans and IronGear. I've installed a set of Wilkinson humbuckers on one of my solidbody axes and I'm quite happy with them. I've also bought several sets of DragonFire humbuckers on my guitars and find that they are an excellent value, usually at $32-39 for a set!! Have you ever tried them?
Again, thanks for the great info!
Perry Rease Wow, I've never heard of DragonFire pickups. Probably because they're a US brand, but I'll be sure to try them out at some point. In the meantime, contact Josi Warman at Warman Guitars ... they come highly recommended and they ship internationally! Thanks for the kind comments on this video. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh, you have a voice that could quell a beast.
Thanks! You're not the only person that's told me that recently :)
I love that GTA bass line. What guitar is that in the photo? I want those pickups
I'm not actually sure which guitar that is. Cool pick ups though.
Well spotted on the GTA bassline!
awesome video. Exactly the one i was looking for.
Thank you soooooooooo muuuuuuuuch !
great work Ninh.
Thanks Fabien, glad this video helps!
Thanks for the video man :)
Got myself a few pickups from Irongear, and they have made my 'budget' guitars sound alive, so I would recommend them for value and quality.
i replaced 200 dollar pickups in a good 5 guitars, myself and friends, for the $30 entwistle HDN pickups. not quite as good as my blackwater guitars neo humbuckers, but the price can't be beat. amazing pickups
Steve Chamberland Cool! I'm glad to see someone else has bought some low priced pick-ups that sound good! I'm trying to tell everyone that you don't have to blow $200+ on expensive pickups when there's companies that make good ones for a lot less.
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Good honest pickup appraisal there Ninh.
Just stumbled upon this , prolly from my Recommended List, but excellent timing as I need a tone pot for my RG...
btw I have Wilkinson MWCHB humbuckers on a couple of guitars. I like them. Especially pulled back with the poles raised a bit.
A touring pro mate of mine gave my HB35+ with the MWCHBs the thumbs up just the other day, so it's not just me ... ;^)
Awesome, thanks for the comment!
Just goes to show that you don't have to spend the earth on guitar equipment if you know what to look for and where to look for it.
Real good, from Costa Rica, thanks I like the way you put the things on the right way. I didn´t knows the Warman pickups, have to ear a demo, well thanks again. Mauro.. Guitar tech.
I love the sound off my humbucker bridge pickup from entwistle x3 . cost me 25 euros.
Your video is very helpful man. Thanks for that.
Thanks man, much appreciated.
Be sure to subscribe and check out my channel for more videos like this.
very good video Mr. !! keep on doing that!
+luis cortes mundaca Thanks Luis. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Good comments in general but here in the US I can get 3 CTS pots for $12, or 3 Bourns for $19, so gonna go with CTS. Also, I can easily find Bourns push/pull volume pots but not tone, which is a bit annoying.
Ah, obviously different in the US than it is here in the UK. CTS pots are expensive here, Bourns - not so much.
Hi NinhNice videoJust a quick question if I may?A typical H/B on the JHS site seems to retail at just under £60. A pair on amazon is £38 - are they the same pickups?ThanksBTW I recently went with a pair of irongear p90s for a Vintage SG (the original wilks had been removed). I'd taken a look at Warmans but was unsure because of cheapness. Wish I'd seen your clip first! Cheers.
Bare Knuckles are one of the more pricier pickups on the market, one can go from $150+
+Devin Kolins Yeah sorry man, they were a lot cheaper the last time I looked. Boy are those things expensive! Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
+Ninh Ly no worries, just thought I'd let the people know that they've gone quite up in price. :) Great video!
+Devin Kolins I paid £200 for a set of nailbombs (Bare knuckles) back in 2011, so as far as I know they have always been one of the higher end pup companies, a bit like Seymore duncan or Dimazio (unless they have recently released a budget line of pups). I recently discovered Irongear PUPs when one of my students brought in a strat with "rails" on it that I was impressed with. so I can confirm that they are indeed "bang for buck". Currently looking for good set of single coils for an old Korean Squire Im doing up. I still find it a bit unbelieveable that a set of Warman pups would be up to the job, as they are just so crazy cheap.
q tuners are better and they are only 125. even better are masters of wood because they are custom handwound
how about pickup selector switch? any favorites for a simple 3-way switch? 5-way one as well?
Can pick those things up very cheaply from any decent electrical supply store. Any ones will do generally, but the nicer looking switches cost more. Thanks, I appreciate the comments! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks for posting GFS pickups are decent for the money same with Dragonfire.Thanks for the capacitor tip.
+Joe Dov I agree. And you're welcome for the caps tip! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I found some used emg vintage series zeba pickups geared at a "classic" tone they will just plug in to my guitars existing electronics
Yeah, that'd work.
Very informative. Thank You!
Anytime Peter!
How about noise-cancelling single-coil-style pickups? (Stacked coils, or side by side coils, or rails, etc.) I've heard some so-so attempts at these (even some of Fender's are on the dull side), and also some excellent ones. But the ones I know of are all pricey. Any cheaper recommendations?
Boss video. Informative and highly useful as always.
Thanks Tim, much appreciated. New guitar video coming up tomorrow.
Great. Can#'t waaiit
Im in THE US so shipping costs from the UK would defeat the savings . Who would you recommend that are here in the USA ?? If you have any knowledge of Makers here . Are the brands you mentioned available in the states through vendors like Guitar Center which I hate but its all I have within driving distance . Online shops in the US would be fine as well .
The shipping costs aren't that bad to the US, so it won't be extortionate. So long as they declare the package as a 'gift under $30' you also won't incur any taxes on arrival. I don't believe Warman stock in the US, but Wilkinson (whilst British) have stockists everywhere. They're labelled in the US under the 'Vintage' brand vintageguitarsus.com/ so if you find 'vintage' pickups - they're most likely going to be Wilkinson's.
GFS pickups are awesome, and very reasonably priced.
Thanks for a really useful video Ninh. You have a thumbs up from me. Can you recommend any vendors in UK for buying the Vishay orange drop capacitors and other electrical parts? Thanks :)
+Southampton Guitar Academy Yes I can! You'll find the exact parts I used from a company called CPC (part of the Farnell group) based near me in Fulwood, Preston. They've got every electrical component under the sun and it's free delivery over £5! Thanks for the thumbs up! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I bought a pair of Warman HPB90 a few years ago. 45€ (shipping included). I have them installed in a Jack & Danny LS500 type Les Paul guitar. Amazing sound and quality for the money. I fully recomend it.
Put the Wilkinson vintage single coils in a build, very crisp and open tone. Recommend!
Ninh can you do a video of the best budget tuners
If I get enough demand, for sure. But I find that the Wilkinson ones are great for the money.
Well other than wilkinson is there any other brand I should look at
Any ones that have solid steel construction. Cheap tuners are constructed with pot metal. You can tell the difference as steel is magnetic - pot metal is not.
I actually found Warman by myself some time ago, and also seen a guy named Dave Barlow give a pretty honest review of IronGear. Sometimes the extra price we pay for the same quality pickups is just covering the costs of their marketing.
I recently bought a pickup called the Warman Dominator (warman UK) and only cost £25 for the bridge. Its almost as good as sets of EMG 81/85's I'ved owned before for heavy metal and dropped tunings. Its a quad-hot rail and sounds good for heavy single note stuff, and plenty of nice definition on distorted chords too. Quite bright, airy with a fat low end and mid rich and the trebles are clear but not ear piercing.
Dear Friend. Thanks for you advice. Dou you hear about de "Yibuy" pickups. What do you thinh about this. Thanks and Congratulations. Best regards.
I have not heard of Yibuy pickups, I assume they are a Chinese brand? I don't know anything about them. Sorry :(
Yes, are chinese brand. Dear friend and other question, Recently bought an Aria sg guitar from the 70's. The humbuckers that the guitar brings are not the originals. If this guitar were yours, what pickups would you put. Thanks best regards.
They originally had Arias Protomatic-V humbucker pick-ups, I think a suitable replacement would be the Wilkinson High Output Hots or the Warman Dominators. They might be good for you.
Thanks a lot. Best regards. My admiration for that knowledge.
Anytime! :)
Ninh, have you tried the Peacemaker for tele of Warman? And how about they're locking tuners?
Love your videos & your comments. I’m thinking of changing my pickups on my Yamaha 112j . I’m not after noise or anything like that. My style of playing are ,ballads & Latin American type of music. If I decide to go with Wilkinson, which type of pickup would you recommend? Although Warman sounds great as well .thanks keep up the good work .
Hi Joe. Thanks for your kind comments on my video. For that kind of music, you'll want more vintage sounding pickups - which are a lot warmer in tone. Wilkinson do a vintage set of pickups. I don't think Warman do an equivalent (might have to check with him), but the Wilkinson Vintages come highly recommended. Hope that helps?
Great video man! Just bought 2 (yes 2!) Vintage brand guitars on ebay for £56, plus they've both got Irongears pickups installed. I've asked for the original ones too, but was wondering whether you though one was better than the other?
+geecen No way! That's freakin' awesome! The stock pickups are good anyway, but the Irongears are definitely an upgrade. My friend: you just got a STEAL! Well done" Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Yea I'm pretty pleased. Was worried the guy I bought them off would refuse to sell them in the end for such a low price to be honest! My only problem with them is that there are a couple of sloppy bits of finishing on the v100, but for that price I complain!
+geecen I've not found a great deal like that on eBay for a while. so congrats to you! I'm still kicking myself for forgetting to bid on a Yamaha 774 - it went for some stupidly low price and I've not been able to find one since!
Hah yes, it was pretty good luck. I thought crazy deals were pretty much over on ebay, but apparently not!
I have a Wamrna Destroyer bridge pickup and it sounds great. Good output and tone, awesome price and compared to most stock pickups on a lot of guitar brands its way better! I got the pickup rapped in bubble wrap and a box, but fo that price you shouldnt expect great packaging but I really dont care for that.
Exactly! They're excellent for the price, especially the warblades or destroyers, and you don't really want to pay for expensive packaging.
Thanks for the comment man, much appreciated!
Just about to change pick ups in very old but much-loved Ibanez super strat. I know Harley Benton use Wilkinsons and people rate them so in pleased you share that view. I think I'll go with them. A most useful video for which I thank you very much! Cheers - PT.👍
Harley Benton using Roswell pickups a lot now.
Great info, thanks, I have a pacifica 112v, and would like to upgrade the pickups, and possibly other components to beef up the sound. I will definitely look into the companies you've recommended here!
Great video, warman pickups are the dogs dangaleys!( rather good indeed!), anyone wanting a beefed up metal sound, buy their humbuckers, you'l know which one to buy on their ebay store as they are the meanest blackest pickups they sell!!. All the best.
Thanks for the tip. They are pretty beefy pickups!
Thanks bro!
I'd just go with emg. maybe covert to active passive (het set) or just go with the Hz and and keep it passive
+James Andrews The point of this video was that these aren't necessarily the best pickups. But the best value ones. EMGS are excellent pickups - but they still cost 3 times the amount that the ones I recommended are. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
0:19 please what strange pickups arte those? what brand and model's name? thanx
I don't know, I borrowed that image from Google. Thanks for the comments, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Just saw your video Ninh and it was very informative... better late than never. Just recently (within the last 8 months) I spent over $700.00 on two sets of pickups from two different manufacturers. The first was a set from David Allen (voodoo 69's) which was around $350.00 after pro. install and they are way too chimey and not at all what the video sounded like, but the customer service was great. The second set are Klein 55's and at $320.00 plus install... they are noisy and nothing like there sound bites described on their web site and to boot, there customer service SUCKS... definitely not worth the extreme price tag!!! At least if I try these other manufacturers and don't like them I will not have lost much. Thanks for the great video.
Your video was very helpful Ninh Ly. Thank you. But can you suggest me two bridge and neck humbucker pickups if i want to have a very heavy and distorted (noiseless) sound (for metal songs) from the bridge and bright and soft sound from the neck one? Also its to inform you that my guitar scale length is 22.5".
Off the top of my head (I can't remember the exact ranges) but the Warman Warblades come recommended for that. Or the Wilkinson MWHB Humbuckers.
In either case, contact the guys I mentioned in the video - tell them I sent you and you're looking for advice and they'll be happy to sell you the correct humbuckers for what you want.
Hope that helps?
Thank you so much Ninh Ly. Can you just specify which brand should I use for bridge and which one for neck pickups? Thanks in advance. :)
It's GFS pickups for me...been using them for over 10 years now in my electric, acoustic & bass guitars and never been disappointed, and they are reasonably priced as well.
Yes indeed. GFS comes highly recommended.
I'll throw Dragonfire pickups into the mix their double stacked hot rails sound
better than most Di M and SD offerings for a fraction of the cost.. Single coil size for strats and all 3 split single/off/humbucker..They come in a loaded pick guard of your choice...
Nice find! I'll be sure to check those out. Thanks for the comments, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Best value pickup I have ever tried: Fleor Humbucker (Not the PAF Style ones, those with the hex screws)
I've never come across those. Good find!
Hello Ninh, I am in the US and I want pickups for my Yamaha Pacifica. Which humbucker and single coils did you use? I do like that 50s sound can you point me in the right setup for my Yamaha? Can you tell me which bourns you used and also size of vishays? Thanks, you have a wonderful channel. I am subscribing right now. Have a wonderful day.
+amcrebelfan
Hey man, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the comments on this video!
To answer your question ... it depends. Depends what you want it to sound like, etc.
I've made mine into a bright-wailing guitar by adding Wilkinson hot pickups both for single and humbucker (alternatively use Warmans' Texas Triple Hots), Vishays I used the same size as a Fender Stratocaster (0.22uf, 630V ) and Bourns 500k pots.
Hope that helps? Thanks for the subscribe :)
+Ninh Ly perfect thank you very much for your help. That's what I needed to know. Off to order my parts. I want to also thank you for the painting tutorial as I am going to paint this Pacifica as well. Your two videos took care of all I needed to bring this project guitar back to life. Have a wonderful day.
amcrebelfan Thanks man, I hope your guitar project turns out great!
Guitar Fetish VEH in the bridge, excellent humbucker
I remember when he modded that pacifica.have the same git. helped me a ton. thanks Ninh!