PICK-UPS VINTAGE V MODERN

[Noelpsg]

I have a 70's Sho-Bud Pro with original pick-up. Would there be any advantage to swap this for a George L's E66 which I happen to have doing nothing at the moment? I know sound is a lot to do with preference, but I'd appreciate some valued opinions.
Thanks,
Regards,
Noel

[Tony Russell Davis]

Your post suggests you know the answer you'll get - it's what's sounds best to you and you need to swap to find out. Don't forget to record something before and after swapping so there's more than mere memory involved. If you stick with the E66, best to keep the original with the guitar, you know how these old things have a tendency to become the most sought after stuff in the world!
As a point of interest, let us know what you come up with? It has often been said that much of a guitar's sound is in the body and the pup doesn't alter it a great deal. Be interesting to see how much is the perceived difference.

[Ken Byng]

I have experimented with quite a few different pickups on my Sho~Bud. I tried the E66 pups, but they were too thin on the top end for my taste. I wanted to get as close to the original Sho~Bud pickups in terms of tone and string separation, and eventually plumped for a pair of single coil Wallace True Tones. I would probably put a pair of Lawrence 710's on it now.

Noel - you are correct when you say that it is all down to personal preference. Therefore it's best to borrow a pickup that you are leaning toward before buying one.

[Zebedee]

I wouldn't be able to live with the original Shobud pickup (even though it probably has more clarity than an E66) due to its single-coil hum.

I put an E66 in my Marlen at one time, and was pleasantly surprised at the recording tone, it didn't have the usual humbucker 'muddiness' that I was expecting.

I've got an Alumitone in the Marlen now, its got a nice single-coil like clarity, with no hum.