Pickups... Pickups and ...More Pickups....

We seem to have more pickup options than Brad Pitt in a Ukranian Singles Club...Jason Lollar, Rio Grande, Bad Billy, Bare Knuckle, Rocket, Dirty Dog, Lindy Fralin, TV Jones, Voodoo... and I'm not even into the big names yet....apart from Fralin... and Brad Pitt.....Lollar are big though. But as I said... I have bought (and then returned) a guitar (by a maker who I will allow to avoid mention)... that did indeed have Lollar Pickups in it.. but may as well have had pickups made of Spam...like fine wine, I found out that there are many things that go into a pickup... the magnet size, number of winds, the gage of wire used, and the amount of lacquer used between the windings (and when it is used)... also whether they are 'potted' or not (see previous post). But when you go to the pickup guys' sites, and click on those mp3 samples they provide... admit it... don't some of those samples sound pretty similar? In fact... if the guy changes whether he picks the strings with his fingers or a pick, and how hard he picks them, and also how much 'mojo' he puts into it... can't this actually make MORE difference. I think most of these brands are good pickups... especially since there are now very few trade secrets out there anymore. What really counts is: 1.) What's your favourite brand name? 2.) Are you given them for free? 3.) Which one struck your fancy... and 4.) Cost. But they all really cost about the same too... around $100 to $200 apeice... tops. What really seems to count is who puts them into your guitar... and also, what guitar are they going into. Then there is also what amp you have... follow (or Savvy?, as Jack Sparrow might say). We all may find out too that pickups need ageing... just like the wine...to finally be the stuff of legend.