Pickups, worth extra effort?

[Pdasrock]

Ok, here's my situation. My guitar was stolen a month ago and I'm just getting insurance money to replace it, I'll have about 250.
I've heard that basically any pickup that comes with a guitar in this price range is crap, so I'm wondering if it's worth replacing the pickups after I get it? Maybe a 150 dollar guitar and another hundred for pickups? I'm quite happy to go used. I play distorted alot, and will probably be using this with a small halfstack or solidstate amp about 60-120 watts, I'm looking for good crunch(like sum 41 guess). Thanks a million for help!

[Pantallica1]

I would save a bit more money and check out http://www.musicyo.com

Kramers are excellent guitars for the price, and you can get them relatively cheap.

Way better than any $250 guitar you'll find anywhere. You might be able to get a nice Kramer for that price, and they won't play anything like that, they'll play like a nice $600-800 axe.

Otherwise, check out ebay and see what you can find.

[Death55]

Pantallica1 is right. Its better just getting a better guitar and then if your not happy with those pickups after a while you can change them. You might as well have a good guitar with good playability too. Thats what is good about my guitar. Its very nice to play but if i want i can just change the pickups and have a nice sound too. A 150 dollar guitar would not be so easy to play on.

[the fool]

spend the whole money on guitar if you really need a guitar right now and dont have the time to save up. you can just buy the pickups in a later date when u get the money. i dont know of any guitar on the 150 range that sounds really good and is of decent quality. maybe u can find a better quality guitar around the 250 range but not 150. i also dont know if you can buy a really good pair of pickups for 100 bucks. just shop for a guitar now and buy pickups when u get loaded.

[joe scalene]

bc rich warlock(bronze series) cost 174 pounds... I think thats a good brand...

[joe scalene]

http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-BCR-BRWAR-BK--src-D0401IN0HAMS0000.html

check out the site... the guitar cost $149.95

[sambob]

Swapping out the pickups on a guitar with a **** neck, cheap hardware, etc... is a waste of time.

Save up a bit, get the best you can for your money (and yes, at least TRY to find something with pickups you like). THEN if you don't like the pickups a couple weeks/months down the line, you can change them. But make sure you're totally satisfied with how the guitar plays before you try to change how it sounds.

When you get ready, check out http://www.dimarzio.com

[PonyOne]

...this is where the Kramer is nice, I don't know of any other company that you can get a guitar that's made out of decent wood, with decent frets and hardware and electronics, for the cost. I switched a DiMarzio Tone Zone into my Baretta and love it with all my heart.

I am really really REALLY sick of the Gotoh tuners on the thing though. They are way more complex than they need to be. What pissed me off is that the whole manner in which you lock them is a bitch, I went through two low E and A strings trying to tune the son of a bitch, and I finally got it on, and less than a quarter turn and the damn peg would pop out, and if I got it there and then bent a step, pop, there go the strings. It's currently out of action until I get my paycheck and get some locking Sperzels of a better design. So if you get a Baretta for $200 figure $100 for new pickups, and $50 for new tuners (unless you want to get really pissed off and start throwing sh!t around like I did after wasting four strings).

[sambob]

Hold on.

How are Gotoh tuners complex?

Theres only one thing you can do with them...

Turn them.

They pull, or let more of the string slack.

[PonyOne]

these aren't regular gotohs, these are cheap chinese or korean made things that theoretically work, with the Gotoh name on them.

They will hold .009 strings just fine but the E A or D strings are too much for them to handle. I understand theoretically how it's supposed to work:

1) thread string through hole in tuning peg
2) use screwdriver to lock down string
3) tune the key to correct tuning
4) play away

this is how it really works...

1) thread string through hole in tuning peg
2) use screwdriver to lock down string numerous times, completely messing up string in process
3) tune key so the string is almost in tune, peg pops out, string goes slack
4) repeat 30 times until you're ready to throw guitar across room

and again, it's stupid because i'll get the thing in tune and go to play and i'll do a light bend, and bam, there you go, the f-cking peg pops out again!!! aggrevating as all hell.