Do the same pickups sound different in different body styles?

[Eddie]

If I already have a set of XYZ pickups in a guitar. Would it be redundant to buy a different shaped guitar with the same XYZ pickups? Or does the shape, size, thickness, wood of the guitar alter the sound of the pickups?

What I'm saying is ... I already have a Strat style guitar with EMG 81/85's. Would I get a different tone in a Flying V with the same pickups ???

There's no way for me to tell unless I get it home ... and by then, it's too late.

 

[Anacharsis]

The sound would likely change, but due to differences in scale length, nut, and bridge. The body shape matters very little, IME.

 

[Eddie]

The sound would likely change, but due to differences in scale length, nut, and bridge. The body shape matters very little, IME.

So a V with EMG's would sound different than a Strat with EMG's?

Awesome. That's all I wanted to know.

Thanks ... green light go !!!

 

[Randall E]

You know. I would have said no, but I recently had an experience with my P-basses. that changed my mind. I had put a set of Fleor pickups in my Lotus bass and loved the sound. So when I rebuilt the Samick I used the same pickup, pots wiring, and jack when I rebuilt that one. I had ordered double of everything when I rebuilt the lotus so all parts came from same batch. I did not care for the tone that came from the Samick. It did not have the Lotus' deeper richer tone.

I'm guessing the Lotus has a different wood as it weighs a staggering 10 1/2 pounds and the Samick is less than 8 1/2. Both have the same scale length and strings.

In the end, in the Samick, I replaced the Fleor with a Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounder. It does sound better, but I'm not sure it sounds $70 better,

 

[AcrylicSuperman]

I once swapped the guts of a strat into a different body and pickguard, but used the same exact neck, and if you had blind folded me and asked me which guitar was which, I couldn't have told you the difference.

 

[DougMen]

If I already have a set of XYZ pickups in a guitar. Would it be redundant to buy a different shaped guitar with the same XYZ pickups? Or does the shape, size, thickness, wood of the guitar alter the sound of the pickups?

What I'm saying is ... I already have a Strat style guitar with EMG 81/85's. Would I get a different tone in a Flying V with the same pickups ???

There's no way for me to tell unless I get it home ... and by then, it's too late.

Les Paul vs. SG says yes, body shape can and does make a difference. Otherwise an all mahogany LP, an SG, a V, and an Explorer would all sound the same, which they don't.

 

[MAS Tequila]

They can sound different in two different Strats, or two Teles or on and on.

 

[Anacharsis]

So a V with EMG's would sound different than a Strat with EMG's?

Awesome. That's all I wanted to know.

Thanks ... green light go !!!

Now how much of a difference, I don't know. But I suspect they will sound different in some ways. I would guess the scale length change would be the biggest factor.

 

[AcrylicSuperman]

Les Paul vs. SG says yes, body shape can and does make a difference. Otherwise an all mahogany LP, an SG, a V, and an Explorer would all sound the same, which they don't.

In fairness, the pickups are not in the same location on a les paul and a sg. That is enough to change the way they sound right there.

 

[Hadronic Spin]

So a V with EMG's would sound different than a Strat with EMG's?

I'm no expert, but I believe varying scale lengths would play a role in tonal differences.


J

 

[65refinyellow]

With something like the distinctive EMG 81, the shape of body wood if solid, especially on this pup does very little to alter the sound, but like it was mentioned scale length makes a difference in tone the most here.

If that V were a 25.5” inch scale. then it might sound like your strat a lot.

 

[DougMen]

In fairness, the pickups are not in the same location on a les paul and a sg. That is enough to change the way they sound right there.

The bridge pickup on both is in the same exact place! And, the neck pickup on an SG is ever so slightly closer to the bridge, like 1/4", not enough to account for the difference in sound. Furthermore, a LP with a maple cap, which adds brightness, still isn't as bright as an all mahogany SG. Sorry, you lose. Try again.

 

[DougMen]

If you play with massive amounts of distortion, all guitars will sound the same. You're hearing the distortion, not the guitars. The more distortion you use, the less the guitar's individual personality comes through. That's why everyone though Led Zeppelin 1 was a Les Paul when it was really a Telecaster.

 

[duceditor]

Many here so ‘doctor’ the sound of their guitar via pedals and other signal chain sources that most all subtlety is lost.

Which also helps explain the different answers commonly seen for all these sorts of questions between old timers and many younger players.

-don

 

[otma]

Many here so ‘doctor’ the sound of their guitar via pedals and other signal chain sources that most all subtlety is lost.

Which also helps explain the different answers commonly seen for all these sorts of questions between old timers and many younger players.

-don

I would agree that once gain goes above the level of light overdrive, you start to lose the smaller, and even more significant tone influencing factors from the guitar and amp. I wouldn't say this loses subtlety. The loss of subtlety tends to be a factor of how pedals, multi-effects units, and modelling amps are often used. If you just set every knob pointing straight up, or dimed out, or use the standard presets as is, they become 800 pound tone gorillas. They don't play nice with anything else. It is possible to dial in a more nuanced tone with these things. It just won't be the same one you get from guitar straight to amp. Combining less aggressively domineering pedals has the same effect.

 

[duceditor]

I wouldn't say this loses subtlety. The loss of subtlety tends to be a factor of how pedals, multi-effects units, and modelling amps are often used. If you just set every knob pointing straight up, or dimed out, or use the standard presets as is, they become 800 pound tone gorillas. They don't play nice with anything else. It is possible to dial in a more nuanced tone with these things.

I agree. Players can get many unique sounds with pedals and other changes in their systems. But that, as I see it, is not a contradiction. They have traded what may to their trained ears be subtle, or major, changes in their systems overall tone. But none-the-less the subtle differences in the pickups themselves, or those induced by changes in the guitars construction (the subjects here being discussed), will be lost.

I was not here making a judgement call, "good" or "bad," regarding such tone shifting measures, merely commenting on the specific question at hand.

-don

 

[otma]

I agree. Players can get many unique sounds with pedals and other changes in their systems. But that, as I see it, is not a contradiction. They have traded what may to their trained ears be subtle, or major, changes in their systems overall tone. But none-the-less the subtle differences in the pickups themselves, or those induced by changes in the guitars construction (the subjects here being discussed), will be lost.

I was not here making a judgement call, "good" or "bad," regarding such tone shifting measures, merely commenting on the specific question at hand.

-don

The second part of your statement is something I agree with, so I don't think we actually disagree, just word things differently. Some discussions of pedals vs no pedals veer into purity arguments, but your known rejection of the purity arguments in surf tone points away from that, so if I perceived it here, it was mistaken.

 

[duceditor]

The second part of your statement is something I agree with, so I don't think we actually disagree, just word things differently. Some discussions of pedals vs no pedals veer into purity arguments, but your known rejection of the purity arguments in surf tone points away from that, so if I perceived it here, it was mistaken.

Quite so. I'm not into "purity." I'm just a guy whose tastes and esthetic judgments are from a rather different time.

That said I do remember when I needed to get a Maestro "fuzz box" so as to allow the Abstracts to do "Satisfaction," commenting to my guitar bud that I didn't spend all that money getting a Gibson guitar and Fender amp just so I could "mess it up."

Yup! Felt it. Said it.

BTW, I used that pedal for that one song and never used it again.

Today it still sits right alongside a bunch of antiquated camera gear in up my library.




-don

 

[Lanaka]

If I already have a set of XYZ pickups in a guitar. Would it be redundant to buy a different shaped guitar with the same XYZ pickups? Or does the shape, size, thickness, wood of the guitar alter the sound of the pickups?

What I'm saying is ... I already have a Strat style guitar with EMG 81/85's. Would I get a different tone in a Flying V with the same pickups ???

There's no way for me to tell unless I get it home ... and by then, it's too late.

Yes it will sound different, but the differences is more due to the changes in scale length, pup placement in the scale length, pup heights and guitar construction and materials, in order of descending effect on the sound. The shape of the body has little or no effect, altho IF the shape results in a massive body the sheer mass of the body may affect the sound. Good example: the Flying Vs and the Les Pauls.

 

[AcrylicSuperman]

The bridge pickup on both is in the same exact place! And, the neck pickup on an SG is ever so slightly closer to the bridge, like 1/4", not enough to account for the difference in sound. Furthermore, a LP with a maple cap, which adds brightness, still isn't as bright as an all mahogany SG. Sorry, you lose. Try again.
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That comparison depends entirely on the models in which you are comparing. There are some SG's that have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge, as well as further from it. There are SG's that have the neck pickup in the same location as a Les Paul, such as the 70s, early 80s models. It also depends on what pickups the models use, as Les Pauls and SG's have also used p90s and positions of the p90s on both models have changed several times. So it isn't always 1/4". It is enough to make all the difference in the world because an all mahogany Les Paul still doesn't sound the same as an all mahogany SG. If such an insignificant measurement didn't make a difference, people wouldn't notice a difference reversing the angle of a pickup, for example. If a 1/4" didn't matter, there would be no difference. But there is, so this argument that a 1/4" of pickup shift wouldn't change anything at all is bogus.

Sorry, but your theory really doesn't hold any water with me. But if you believe in maple caps making Les Paul's brighter and other unicorn dust, then you do you. Respectfully, I'll agree to disagree.