Help with New guitar

I've got an Agile and so does my son. His is a 2500. Very nice guitars.

I would NEVER, and I strongly suggest that you don't, either, replace pickups simply on the basis of what you read. Try them out until you're very familiar with their characteristics, and if you can clearly state what it is about their characteristics that you don't like, then you can intelligently chose pickups with characteristics more to your liking.

For my part, both of the Agiles in my house have their Gotoh-made ceramic P-90s, and I love them.

I would NEVER, and I strongly suggest that you don't, either, replace pickups simply on the basis of what you read. Try them out until you're very familiar with their characteristics, and if you can clearly state what it is about their characteristics that you don't like, then you can intelligently chose pickups with characteristics more to your liking.

+1

Thanks I am going to purchase the Agile guitar and hold off on getting new pickups for a while so I can try some out. Thanks

Thanks I am going to purchase the Agile guitar and hold off on getting new pickups for a while so I can try some out. Thanks

Let us know how the agile works out. I'm looking into a 3100 myself...as soon as they get moe in..

you can also get samples of pickup sounds from seymour duncan, gibson and other sites
I think EMGs are only really suitable for metal, though you might be able to get an Epi buzzsaw ZW with EMGS quite cheap

I never quite got the pup-replacements. I mean, if you don't like the sound of the guitar why did you buy it? And if you do like it, why change it? At the end of the day I personally feel that worrying about pups should be done after everything else has been taken care of: a proper amp, some good effects, decent cables, a well-developed technique, all these things matter far more then just the pups.

I never quite got the pup-replacements. I mean, if you don't like the sound of the guitar why did you buy it?
Some people just like to tinker.

Yeah. I agree with Arjen, though.

If you can, look at the higher range Agiles. The 3000 and up have better electronics and higher quality tops. They would be much worth the investment.

.. a well-developed technique, all these things matter far more then just the pups.

Especially that one .. we should all really get one good guitar and work on it. But for some strange, inexplicable reason, we seem to be drawn to getting multiple guitars :-) Different people GAS for different piecesof gear .. and since we all live in that glass house to some different degree ....you know the rest.

More seriously, I've lately been thinking about upgrading pickups on my MIM strat. Mostly because, after playing it for quite a while and recently getting a humbucker equipped quitar, I've started thinking that I may like the strat if the pickups have just a little bit higher output. But, then I think locking tuners would be nice too .. and then start thinking I should leave the guitar as is, just keep improving the setup, and buy a better strat (or strat clone) with the pickup and other parts that I like.

I dont agree one bit with the statement that a pup replacement is pointless. I am a tone freak, I love particular sounds like the p-90 growl or the bridge pup of a tele's twang or the sweet tone of the neck pup of a strat or just the pure clean meaty sound of a PAF or just the amazing chunk a big fat humbucker can produce.

I also believe in very minimilist approach and different pup sounds can not be produced like the real thing.

And those different tones also push me to practice styles commenly associated with those pups and tones.

I mean when you have a 57' Strat Pup in the neck you just feel like playing some creamy blues, same for any other commen associated pup with a style or tone. And pups are usually WAY cheaper than any pedal or amp. :D

SO HURRAY FOR PUP REPLACEMENT!

Just remember though even if you have the tone you still need the technique to match that tone. So.... in the words of Frank Zappa "Shutup and play yer' guitar boy!"

i agre with flashback, i changed all 3 pups in my epi lp black beauty to dimarzio's, i changed mine out to fine tune my sound, i put a super distortion in the bridge, a paf pro in the middle and an evolution in the neck, and this guitar sounds so much better 8)

@ Rocker, that sounds like a great set of PUP's for that black beauty.

I agree on both sides. Sometimes it is needed to change PUP's and sometimes it really is not that needed. I have done some PUP changes and am still interested in doing a few more. I really like how some of the stock PUP's sound. If I could do side by side comparisons with exact same guitars, my opinions may change.

Really, this is just an excuse for me now to buy an exactly the same guitar (except color) to do an A/B comparison.

I am a firm believer in buying a mid-range guitar and upgrading PUPS.

I have a MIM Fender Strat which I upgraded with Dimarzios - while the workmanship of the overall guitar is not as good, I'll put the tone up against any American strat.

I also have an Ibanez artist ar-250 - I replaced the pups with Seymour Duncans - Alnico II and Custom-custom - made a good guitar great......the tone on the neck pickup is like butter - and the bridge rocks like a true LP.

As long as the basic guitar is decently made - and uses good wood - upgrading the pups is a great way to get the sound you really want!