Which Tonerider pickups?

[patrick2099]

I wanted to buy some cheaper pickups for my Epiphone Les Paul, and possibly try doing the work myself. I have been reading about Tonerider, and this is the brand that I am most likely going to go with.

 

My only problem is, there do not seem to be many reviews, sound clips, or comparisons with Tonerider pickups. I play mostly stuff like Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Skynyrd, etc. I don't really need "the best" tone for any particular band, but I want something versatile. Which Tonerider pickup do you think would give me this versatility?

[Whitmore Willy]

Don't know anything about them.

Hope other members can be much more help.

 

In the mean time, have a look around here....I came up with several Tonerider Pickup results, many of which are

on Epiphone guitars:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Tonerider+pickups&page=1

 

Willy

[Pete B]

What kind of amp are you using?

[patrick2099]

I haven't completely made up my mind on the amp yet. I have some cheaper ones now, but I was thinking about getting a smaller tube combo, preferably under $1000, like the Marshall Haze or the Orange Tiny Terror. Until then, I have an older solid state Marshall and a Peavey Vypyr. I know that everyone recommends getting the better amp before upgrading the pickups, but I want to play the amp, with my guitar, and my pickups before buying it. I have recently had a few bad experiences ordering stuff without trying it first.

[Jon S.]

I haven't tried any of the pickups myself, but have been looking at their Rebel 90's for my Sherri. I've heard lots of good things about those and the RockSong humbucker set.

[Blueman335]

I get most on my PU's used, on eBay, usually for about half price. You get much more for your money. Maybe you can get a pair of Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios for around $40 each, which are better than anything Tonerider has.

[patrick2099]

I had immediately ruled out the Seymour Duncan Slash pickups, because I didn't want to pay the extra money, for a signature. I really wanted something that sounds similar to the Alnico II Pro pickups, but with a little more output. After actually listening to the Slash pickups, they sound like exactly what I was thinking of, on the dirty channel. I haven't heard much clean out of them, but I am thinking that they are still low enough output to sound good clean. Does anyone have more experience with the clean channel, using Slash pickups?

[patrick2099]

Now, I am kinda torn between the Slash set or an AP2 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge.

[bigneil]

I've had good experiences with Wilkinson pick ups . They are nice and cheap on evil-bay.

[Blueman335]

Now, I am kinda torn between the Slash set or an AP2 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge.

 

There are worse problems to have.

[patrick2099]

Oops.

[patrick2099]

Ended up going with the Slash ones. Now I just need to decide whether to learn to solder or take it to a tech. Will probably cost me a little more to do it myself, because I would have to buy all of the tools, but I'm sure that doing it myself would bee more gratifying (and frustrating).

[Blueman335]

Ended up going with the Slash ones. Now I just need to decide whether to learn to solder or take it to a tech. Will probably cost me a little more to do it myself, because I would have to buy all of the tools, but I'm sure that doing it myself would bee more gratifying (and frustrating).

 

Come on over to the Seymour SDuncan site and we'll teach you how to be a do-it-yourselfer. It's easy. I had no prior electrical, soldering, or handyman skills, and have swapped PU's in dozens of guitars, and put in dozens of push-pull pots, along with changing many PU magnets. This is low tech, low skill stuff, or I couldn't do it.

[patrick2099]

Thanks Blueman. That is kind of my concern -- having no background in electronics and soldering. I looked at some wiring diagrams, and started feeling a little more comfortable, until I looked at the rat's nest inside the control cavity. I am thinking that it will actually be easier to rewire the entire thing, using a prewired harness than it will be to try to do anything in the nest. I could see myself making a real mess out of things, otherwise.

[Blueman335]

Thanks Blueman. That is kind of my concern -- having no background in electronics and soldering. I looked at some wiring diagrams, and started feeling a little more comfortable, until I looked at the rat's nest inside the control cavity. I am thinking that it will actually be easier to rewire the entire thing, using a prewired harness than it will be to try to do anything in the nest. I could see myself making a real mess out of things, otherwise.

 

I too used to think it was like spaghetti, but it's about as low tech as you can get. Guys get worked about over nothing, me included. It's really simple.

 

Best thing to do is make a color diagram of what's in there now, then look at it until it makes sense. Every electrical part has a hot wire and a ground wire (PU's, toggle, pots, & jack). All the grounds are connected into one big loop; if any part gets left out of the ground loop, you get noise and static.

 

Going to each volume pot is: 1)a hot/ground from the PU, 2) a hot/ground from the toggle, and 3) a hot ground from the tone pot. Look at some diagrams and let it sink in. In swapping PU's you don't have to make any changes to the toggle or jack, or the tone pots. You're just dealing with volume pots, and only the PU wires. To make it real easy, you can cut the old PU wire an inch or two from the pot, and just splice/solder into it for the new PU wires (hot/ground). Any 10 year old kid can do that much. Another thing is when you mount the new PU, use alligator clips to test the wires (PU to volume pot) and not solder anything until you try it thru an amp. Then corrections are very easy.