Let's Talk Semantics

Martian · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:33 am

mondo500 wrote:

Also, let's not forget that "discontinued" now means "rare"...

And any means of abuse means, "Relic".

Martian · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:36 am

Solid Body Love Songs wrote:

...Martian, I wasn't goofing on the thread its just you used a word in place of another that might have been a better fit, like, "Lets Talk Instrument Modifications", or something other than semantics.

Actually, I thought it was a good choice. As you can see, all who posted caught my meaning. Obviously, YMMV.

Screamin' Armadillo · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:44 am

Shredd6 wrote:

My biggest surprises have come from using pickups that people will say I shouldn't use in the clean channel. But I have my reasons as to why I do. There is my science to it, and that's all that matters to me.
*I love a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge for the clean channel. It just chucks real hard for a reggae skank, and distorts great for solos.
*A Dimarzio Tone Zone in the neck is great while using a wah pedal. Ibanez puts them in the bridge position of their guitars, but they're fantastic neck pickups. With a wah, you won't get ice-picked. I've used Super Distortions in the neck for the same reason.
*My newest discovery is how good an EMG active 81/85 set is for playing Reggae. The whole band has been blown away by how good my Schecter Tempest sounds for this style.

I agree that we shouldn't get hung up on what the reputation or original intent of the designer for a pickup is...there are some pups made specifically for my style (blues/rock/outlaw country Americana mixture) that I cannot stand, and some pickups that I shouldn't even like at all (according to what they were "made for") that work great for me.

Just playing devil's advocate, but your post kinda proves the original poster's point. All these things that worked for you (for your playing style) and can be considered an upgrade...but for the next guy playing Reggae or Rock or Metal or Blues or Polka those may or may not be an upgrade--they would just be a pickup swap.

If it works for you and you like what you did, it's an upgrade--to you.

Quote:

Best thing I ever did was just use my intuition...To each his own, do what you gotta do.

...and that's where you are 100% correct. I swapped the pups on my '62 Re-issue Stratocaster (I put in a set of Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe SP90 pickups), and put a Mighty Mite P-90 in the neck position of my Telecaster and I feel like those were upgrades. But to a guy who likes the stock pups or Texas Specials or whatever, it would just be a pup swap.

The only thing that could be considered an upgrade across the board would be putting better hardware (tuners that actually stay in tune, a properly cut nut, etc.) in a guitar that is lacking in that department.

Screamin' Armadillo · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 6:49 am

Martian wrote:

Solid Body Love Songs wrote:

...Martian, I wasn't goofing on the thread its just you used a word in place of another that might have been a better fit, like, "Lets Talk Instrument Modifications", or something other than semantics.

Actually, I thought it was a good choice. As you can see, all who posted caught my meaning. Obviously, YMMV.

Yeah, I thought you were talking about my drummer, who is Jewish...no wait, that's Semitic...never mind. :oops:

stratmansteve · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:31 am

Martian wrote:

It does not necessarily follow that whenever someone replaces something(s) on and/or in their guitar that it is an, "Upgrade". YMMV.

Agreed! I still see this a lot on eBay. Someone replaces something and lists the change as an upgrade. At best they've customized it, at worst they've devalued it or maybe even ruined it.

Ceri · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:34 am

Screamin' Armadillo wrote:

Yeah, I thought you were talking about my drummer, who is Jewish...no wait, that's Semitic...never mind. :oops:

See, I was thinking about doing a gag about anti-semanticism... and I just kinda decided to pass on it.

Then I thought I'd do a joke based on semantics instead, and while wracking my brain for a good one my clicking finger strayed to this:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4 ... -joke.html

Yikes. So then I decided not to bother. Nothing like over-analysing humor to make it go away.

Cheers - C

tdanb2003 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:12 am

Ceri wrote:

Martian wrote:

It does not necessarily follow that whenever someone replaces something(s) on and/or in their guitar that it is an, "Upgrade". YMMV.

Huh? I've fitted alloys and a rear wing to my Strat: now you're surely not going to tell me those aren't upgrades...?

- C

+111111111
Are you getting better mileage or is it just more shinier? :shock:

Ceri · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:22 am

tdanb2003 wrote:

Ceri wrote:

Martian wrote:

It does not necessarily follow that whenever someone replaces something(s) on and/or in their guitar that it is an, "Upgrade". YMMV.

Huh? I've fitted alloys and a rear wing to my Strat: now you're surely not going to tell me those aren't upgrades...?

+111111111
Are you getting better mileage or is it just more shinier? :shock:

More down force: better traction on the road. And as you say, shinier!

Cheers - C

CRGuitarMan · **Joined:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:46 pm **Posts:** 2041

I also love all the posters on forums (especially new posters) who come on and announce their latest new amp purchase - "Finally got my hands on a Blues Deville!" - and before they even play the amp for an hour they're online, talking about "upgrading" the damn thing!

What tubes are better than the ones that came in it? Hey, I need a speaker upgrade, what are my choices? It drives me completely nuts. When I buy a new amp, or a used amp, I play that thing for weeks before I ever even being to think about changing something in it. And I rarely change a thing.

And new guitar "upgraders" are even worse. If you think you have to "upgrade" the pickups (or the bridge... or the nut... or the electronics...) the minute you get it home - why on earth did you buy it in the first place??

Rebelsoul · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:47 am

I usually look at the changes I do on my Strats as a customizing job....I tend to like the Reissue Strats like the '57,'62 and the '62 Hot Rod and to keep from having the pickups sound too much alike,I have other pickups that I like,Lollar,Fralin and Van Zandts mostly...when I make those changes I have guitars that play very similar but sound different.
The Strat is a guitar that is very easy to make changes to,but a very well made Strat is hard to make upgrades to,Fender builds great guitars to begin with.

Shredd6 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 11:36 am

Screamin' Armadillo wrote:

Just playing devil's advocate, but your post kinda proves the original poster's point. All these things that worked for you (for your playing style) and can be considered an upgrade...but for the next guy playing Reggae or Rock or Metal or Blues or Polka those may or may not be an upgrade--they would just be a pickup swap.

If it works for you and you like what you did, it's an upgrade--to you.

I do get your point. Just for clarification, it kinda helps to understand deeper what these are. With the exception of the Schecter with EMGs (which I refuse to touch), these pickups went into starter guitars that I pieced together from different pawn shop purchases. For example, if I run across a starter guitar that has a good neck and "like new" frets for $40, I'd buy it just for the neck. Same goes for guitar bodies (lightweight or good finish etc). I assemble these for my outdoor gigs or touring. It's pretty rare for me to like those kinds of stock pickups, but it has happened, and I do try them out to see how they sound first. These guitars are Ibanez Gio, J. Reynolds, Glen Burton, Squier, Slammer, etc.. Some of which, you'd be hard pressed to give the pickups away. A lot of times, they end up being my fridge magnets.

The last guitar I invested over $250 in was a used Squier Esprit sometime last year. The Duncan Designs it came with distorted through my wah, so I had to make a swap. Sure, fine for some people, but not for me. So you do have a point.

Shredd6 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:23 pm

This is fantastic!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VavKdmGFXkk&feature=player_embedded

I wouldn't dare suggest any upgrades for him. Unless he needed a new piece of duct tape for his pickup. That's just fun to watch.

Aerodynomite · **Joined:** Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:04 pm **Posts:** 111

CRGuitarMan wrote:

I also love all the posters on forums (especially new posters) who come on and announce their latest new amp purchase - "Finally got my hands on a Blues Deville!" - and before they even play the amp for an hour they're online, talking about "upgrading" the damn thing!

What tubes are better than the ones that came in it? Hey, I need a speaker upgrade, what are my choices? It drives me completely nuts. When I buy a new amp, or a used amp, I play that thing for weeks before I ever even being to think about changing something in it. And I rarely change a thing.

And new guitar "upgraders" are even worse. If you think you have to "upgrade" the pickups (or the bridge... or the nut... or the electronics...) the minute you get it home - why on earth did you buy it in the first place??

So true.

There was a committee established at Fender that decided "since we have no idea how to build a Stratocaster after 50 years, let's just randomly use this bridge, this pickup, etc. We sure wish we had some 19 year old who has owned 3 guitar to make better choices for us'. :wink:

Retroverbial · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:36 pm

CRGuitarMan wrote:

And new guitar "upgraders" are even worse. If you think you have to "upgrade" the pickups (or the bridge... or the nut... or the electronics...) the minute you get it home - why on earth did you buy it in the first place??

+1!

Arjay

53magnatone · **Posted:** Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:05 pm

NO...No..No...
The ultimate upgrade is a Carbon Fiber Strat pickguard and matching pup covers. The resulting tone is just brilliant.
Not your run of the mill Carbon Fiber, but actual carbon Fiber from a crashed McLaren.
It must be said I payed dearly for it but...... :lol:

Seriously, a case in point are / were the noiseless pups that came with my Deluxe Player Strat.
replaced with SCN's but the Deluxe pups went into my Stratopartster Build I with 2 TBX pots and 220k resistors ( instead of the 82k resistor ) played thru the vintage 410 Magnatone, those pups are like day and night. This was an upgrade in the sense of the word.

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