New Pickups need break-in period?????

[Dunk19]

Relatively inexperienced player, less than 4 years. I just recently changed pickups in both of my S2 McCarty 594's. Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in my Thinline and a set of 58/15 LT's in my DC. I noticed on both guitars that it took about 10-15 hours of playing time before my ears noticed the significant tonal change. Does anyone agree with that or are my inexperienced ears imagining this???

 

[Senor Verde]

I do and a couple well respected people I know do. However, There will be a lot of very negative naysayers on the subject.

 

[WEDGE]

Maybe but it’s your ears and not the pickups. I never go from hot to hot, but if I go from a more vintage type pup like a 57/08 or similar to a hot pup then yeah I can hear and equally as important I can ‘feel’ the difference when playing.

 

[JasonE]

The pickup swaps that I have done were very noticeable right away. I will say that I don't do a lot of them and the reason I have done them is there was something I didn't like about the pickups currently in the guitar. I have done the research to find a pickup that would change what I didn't like and they were usually quite different pickups in construction, different magnets and resistance. It is easier to predict if you can see a graph of the pickups resonant peaks. If you change to a pickup that has a similar resonant peak, it may be a lot harder to hear a difference.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just remember snake oil actually works, it’s the snake oil salesman that sells you snake oil without any snake oil that gave snake oil it’s bad reputation.

 

[DISTORT6]

Just remember snake oil actually works, it’s the snake oil salesman that sells you snake oil without any snake oil that gave snake oil it’s bad reputation.

Or if you have a squeaky snake.

 

[AP515]

Relatively inexperienced player, less than 4 years. I just recently changed pickups in both of my S2 McCarty 594's. Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in my Thinline and a set of 58/15 LT's in my DC. I noticed on both guitars that it took about 10-15 hours of playing time before my ears noticed the significant tonal change. Does anyone agree with that or are my inexperienced ears imagining this???

Did you never touch the amp after the swap? If you turned a couple knobs as you got used to the new pups, we have our tone change...

 

[Bogner]

Pickups themselves need no break in time. Your ears can vary depending on what was initially installed and how different the replacements were from the pickups being replaced. That sonic shift can be instant or take some time to get used to.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Just remember snake oil actually works, it’s the snake oil salesman that sells you snake oil without any snake oil that gave snake oil it’s bad reputation.

Where can I buy a rattle can of this?

 

[aphantomvaper]

Where can I buy a rattle can of this?

From a snake oil salesman! Try to keep up here, man...that joke bites.

OT my ears definitely take adjustment when switching guitars. Switching from my SE Mira to another guitar and I'm like, "these pickups sound dull". If I start with the guitar I switched to, then it sounds great, usually. Mira and 85/15s pickups ruined me a bit in comparison to other guitars I have.

 

[Sybo]

I heard of you eat Pork and eat Bananas together you die.

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

Just remember snake oil actually works, it’s the snake oil salesman that sells you snake oil without any snake oil that gave snake oil it’s bad reputation.

You, Sir, have won the internet today.

 

[Herr Squid]

Just remember snake oil actually works, it’s the snake oil salesman that sells you snake oil without any snake oil that gave snake oil it’s bad reputation.

OK this is too weird, my wife was telling me about this yesterday afternoon...