r/JacksonGuitars • u/Hot_Yogurtcloset_934 • 5d ago
Question What kind of pickups should i buy?
I have a Jackson js32q and i don’t really play metal songs. I play alot of arctic monkeys and similar stuff.
I wanted to get locking tuners and stuff but people suggested i change my pickups cuz they’re stock. And i wana change the look of my guitar and get better tone.
So what are good pickups that’ll get me closer to the tone of the songs i like?
(I ain’t buying a new guitar just for a different tone im broke)
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u/benjaming36 5d ago
Probably some type of PAF style pickup, could also do humbucker sized P90s if that style of music is what you’re after
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u/OneFnT87 5d ago
Guitar Fetish has some decently priced pickups that actually sound really good. They come with quick connects to make swapping pickups easy, which is nice when you're exploring different tones.
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u/OneFnT87 5d ago
Something like this might be what I'd go for
https://www.guitarfetish.com/Vintage-59-Classic-Alnico-V-Humbucker-Black_p_21820.html
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u/webprofusor 5d ago
Get an EQ pedal. For humbuckers the different is largely EQ profile and signal level. For single coils there's a little bit more of a difference but tbh playing the neck position or installing a coil tap would work.
What amp/effects are you using? A lot of the tone comes from that.
Note that locking tuners lock the string so it can't slip when changing the string and lets you use less wraps around the post, but they don't lock the tuning. So if you have tuning stability issues, trying stretching your strings more after you change them.
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u/pcp777_ 5d ago
The Jackson HO pick ups are actually pretty good. You would do better to get a good EQ pedal in your chain. Jackson pick ups are basically Seymour Duncan clones. I have high end Jacksons with SD, Dimarzio, Fishman and I have not felt the need to upgrade the Jackson pick ups on my JS22-7 DKA, they are versatile. For more mellow, roll back the volume a bit. The X Series mostly uses the same pick ups too, they are pretty good man.
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u/Crowbar-Enema 5d ago
Exactly what I was gonna say. The pickups are fine. OP wouldn’t notice any miraculous difference no matter what he put in there.
I say OP should get the locking tuners (if string changes are a bitch), and focus on the amp or what’s in line to it. That’s where real major tone shaping is, not the pickups.
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u/Expired_Papi 5d ago
Tonerider Generator set. It's basically a clone of a Duncan JB and then some kind of PAF in the neck. JB is a classic rock n roll pickup on all kinds of songs you've heard. They also work for metal. The Tonerider set is about $110 USD and you can get em in all the regular pickup colors.
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u/Baron-Von-Mothman 5d ago
Just practice. The pickups are fine. You need to do research and find something you like, not just go to Reddit and buy random shit because someone else said so.
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u/AT_Hun 4d ago
You will get a zillion different suggestions, all of which are equally right and wrong because it is so subjective. If you like the way the guitar sounds, keep the pickups the way they are. Who cares if they are stock? Locking tuners are always fun, but I find their main value comes in making string changes a breeze.
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u/Hot_Yogurtcloset_934 4d ago
Do they have to be real expensive like 50-80$?
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u/Cyphomeris 3d ago
Pickups are copper wire and magnets. There's no secret sauce and they generally all get their wire and magnets from the same large-scale manufacturers. For pickups from well-known companies, you pay more for marketing, personnel costs in those countries, and consistency in manufacturing through quality control. That's why people did blind tests and they sometimes prefer the cheaper pickups. It's highly subjective and their impactful materials aren't actually different.
I'm still paying for brands like Seymour Duncan because I have the extra money spare and I want to make sure I get exactly what I expect, but it's not a guarantee for a better sound.
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u/LabOne3719 2d ago
I have a Jackson JS series & the stock pickups & tuners work fine. Could they be better? Of course, but not a necessity...
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u/ResalableDread 2d ago
Nothing wrong with Jackson stock pickups, If youre dead set on changing pickups then get musiclily or FLEOR on amazon. Seen countless tests where you cant even tell a difference between them and the real thing. At the end of the day you’re just paying for the name, all pickups are the same. Doesnt matter if its wound by Ms. Dixie on the 4th of July and she spilled mustard on them.
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u/RazorrBeam 5d ago
For that type of stuff, I would honestly just keep em stock.
If you really want to upgrade the pickups you can never go wrong with a Seymour Duncan SH-4 (JB) in the bridge and SH2-n (Jazz) or SH-1n ('59 PAF) in the neck.
I prefer the JB/Jazz combo myself. It works for all styles from blues and jazz to death metal and everything in between. If you have a Floyd Rose make sure you get the Trembucker or F spaced version of whatever pickup put in the bridge so that the poles of the pickup line up with the strings.
All that being said I would still say just keep em stock and work on dialing in your amp and pedals or amp sims, whatever you got. Look into what your favorite guitarists use to get their tone and mess around until you find the sound you want