Change DK2 Pickups to SD + Headphones

[metaldood]

I bought the DK2 last month and that has stock Duncan designed pickups. I connect my AudioTechnica ATH-M50 headphones to my multi effects pedal because of roommates and all. These are good quality professional headphones.

So my question was if I change the pickups to SD say TB-13 or similar, will it have a significant change in the sound through the headphones?

[Trem]

Changing a pickup to a different kind will always give you a change in sound to some degree yeah.

[metaldood]

But as I don't have a amp currently, I was wondering is it worth the effort to change pickups now.

[Grim]

The pickups are the wrong solution to that problem. Get an audio interface and Guitar Rig or POD Farm if you're looking for that sort of setup.

[Carbuff]

I used to use good headphones through my zoom pedal. I could get some great sounding stuff like that. I dont know if a subtle difference like that will make much of a change, maybe if youre doing clean stuff. Using the effects and volume I could make any guitar sound like a rock concert through the headphones.

[Newc]

The pickups are the wrong solution to that problem. Get an audio interface and Guitar Rig or POD Farm if you're looking for that sort of setup.

You're assuming everyone has their own computer....

[wilkinsi]

I imagine the output level on your FX would have to be reduced (automatically or manually) to avoid popping your eardrums. Would be better to connect your FX to an amp or a DAW (I use a Roland VS2400, not a PC, but is essentially the same thing, sepcifically for mixing/recording). In my experience, changing the pickups and whether using headphones or an amp will still produce a change in tone.

[Trem]

I use the same headphones, basically, and play through my mp-1 mod 4 into an alesis multmix8 usb into reaper with cab sims. Each guitar i play through it sounds different for sure. When i've changed pickups, it has changed the sound for sure. Don't know your muti-fx you are using, but i would still imagine it would change the sound - maybe to a lesser extent for a digital distortion type like a zoom, but it still will. I know when i used to just play through an old analog DOD distortion into my stereo, it still changed the sound when i put new pickups in my guitar.

[metalmania408]

Tweak your multi-fx pedal in every which way, while flipping the pickup selector switch in all different positions, until you can get tones you're looking for. Once you get sick of that, you can always try a new multi-fx pedal or pickup swap. I say until you've fully worked with the gear you already have, save some dough.

[neptoess]

Long story short, don't change your pickups until the rest of your rig is all good. Amp, cable, cab, guitar, strap locks, hard-shell cases. Pickups literally change your sound less than any other component unless your stock pickups are god-awful. Strap locks and cases obviously don't change your tone at all, but I'd rather have stock pickups than a beat-to-shit guitar because I spent my case funds on a set of pups. Also, heavy solid state circuit paths (like yours) benefit even less from pickup swaps. This is because of the heavy use of diode clipping and transistor gain stages. My basswood/bolt-on maple floating trem RG with an Air Zone bridge pup and my Mahogany/set mahogany stop-tail V with an L-500XL bridge pup sounded virtually identical through the GX130C I had. Also, Duncan Designed's aren't THAT bad. Just a tad muddier or harsher than their duncan counterparts. A multi-fx unit can very easily fix that though.