pickups

Not to get into too many details, it's down to the sound. The single coils are brighter and more trebly than humbuckers, which tend to be warmer and slightly darker in sound.

There are numerous guitars with a combination of pickups,- Yamaha Pacifica, Washburn X8 etc, which are reasonably priced.

I'd really recommend getting the Vox AD30vt amp. Even if you have to space out the purchases, it'll save money in the long run. Anything less and you'll probably want something new within 6 months. :)

Plus, you can change the sound of either pickup with various effects pedals and/or effects processors. I have been able to make my single coil Strat copy sound like humbuckers (not exactly but close) and the humbuckers on my Agile LP sound as bright as the single coils...

I believe the big advantage of humbuckers over single coils is less interference from things like florescent lights. From what I hear single coils hum ALOT when too close to a florescent light!

If you are looking for versatile, go for the "Fat-Strat" configuration: Three pups, only the bridge pup is a humbucker. Many budget, but well-made guitar models now offer this arrangement. This makes the already versatile Strat configuration even moreso by beefing up the somewhat thin-sounding bridge. Sometimes the 'bucker is even splittable to get the thin-trebly Strat bridge-only tone.

single coil pickups used to be noisy. some stll are, some are not.

humbuckers are basically two single coils put together...together they cancel out that 60 cycle hum evident in single coil pups.

now, in this modern world there are some many pickups and pickup combinations on guitars it makes my head swim.

when picking out a guitar I would consider first just what kind of music I would probably be playing...as each pup combination has a say in that.

who are your favorite bands and players? what do they play? single coil or humbucker.

there is a difference tonally.

I am a single coil lover. I just like tthe tone that I get in. I play strats and teles. my bent towards single coil is purely personal.

generally: single coils have nice bite, good clea bell tones and great funky spank and treble to end all. so if you are a retro surf player...single coils.
humbuckers are awesome things. they have a smoother tone, tons of sustain, and huge crunch. Angus of ACDC plays with hummers.

what is your price range?
there are many to choose from and you don't have to spend a lot of money to get the sound you want.

i wanted to spend max £200 this is gonna be my first electric and i dont want to over spend as the other half puts up with the (awful) playing im sure she wont be impressed if i go and spend a fortune! any suggestions would be great,
my fav bands are ac/dc, led zep, lynard skynard, free, guns and roses, plus loads of others but not enough time to list all so if someone could suggest what pickups give a sound similar to these bands i will be forever in dedt! :P

ive been browsing on the internet on different guiar sites and have noticed the gutar packages that you can buy with amp spare strings and a few other bits included are they any good in terms of quality? or should i stick to getting a half decent branded guitar which was my first idea?
sorry for the simple questioning but i am just an old rocker trying to fulfill a dream!! :oops:

Well for slightly over £200 you can get a Roland microcube (has a headphone jack) and a Washburn X20 that will give you plenty of flexibility.
The Dean Evo XM may be your best bet for Humbuckers only and would keep you just under £200.
The packages aren't bad, but they usually skimp a bit too much on the amp especially. If you do buy a package, buy from a guitar store and have them open up the package and check the guitar. Quality control, even in expensive guitars can be somewhat lacking.

those guitar packs have really cheap guitars. think sub beginner. you'll out grow it fast and it wont resale.

by the looks of the bands you posted you'll want humbuckers.

Epiphone makes a LesPaual studio for 349$ in Musicians Friend catalog.
those are nice.
Ibanez Artcore models (semi hollow body) have been lowered in price. they have humbuckers and are nice for the price.
a band mate plays one. surprised me how nice it was. 422$ before the price drop. down to $300$.somthing.
Ibanez has a double cutaway for 392$...S7320.
these are all in Musician Friends catalog. and in American prices. the pound is doing good so you should have your pick of nice axes.

Unfortuanately England is terribly expensive
http://www.musicstreet.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=514&osCsid=511cb400b8c112512b1776105692b383
Epi LP Studio £290 That's closer to $500 :twisted:

There is an Epi special II for £129. You could also get a very cheap headphone amp and buy a full sized amp later. :?

that's quite a price jump. I had an Epiphone special 11 as a backup guitar for awhile.
played nice as it was light and comfortable. tuners were good, finish was gorgeous. the pickups (made in Korea) I thought were mushy and indistinct.
the switch popped when switching after awhile. dispite cleaning it always acted up. the neck body and tuners, bridge etc were fine.
with new humbuckers it'd be a good guitar but not great. but for the money ok.
still, you would need to upgrade the pups and that means more $$.

can you not order from Musicains friend and have it sent overseas?
or do they only ship within the states
and another similar branch deals with overseas shippements (and markups:( )

I believe Rondo Music will ship overseas if you email Kurt first. PLus I can vouche for their Agile Les Pauls since I have one and I will NEVER get rid of it!...Their prices are some of the best!

Mikespe is all about them Agiles and SX's. :)

Yes, those beginner packs really lack all the way around. You'll want to upgrade after you've learned your first lick.

Most of those band's players you mentioned use Gibson Les Pauls. From what I hear, those Agiles and even the SX's would make a suitable starter, and that will leave you enough bank to get a small Marshall, VOX or Fender.