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Can someone fill me in on the Rio Grande pickups?

GuitarDoyle

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GuitarDoyle Outer Circle

GuitarDoyle

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Hi guys,

I hear lots of wonderful things about the Rio grande BBQ set for mahogany based guitars like an LP or Hamer Studio. I personally like a fat, rich and thick pickup and many seem to say these are the fattest while retaining clarity, tightness and the guitar's natural tone. I thought about sticking with the Duncan JB in some of my guitars or trying the Duncan C-5, but the Rios sound interesting.

If not, is it worth it to look into the expensive boutique pickups?

Thanks guys!

GD

BCR Greg Veteran HFCer

BCR Greg

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Feel free to call me, I'll talk your ear off about them. 90% of my stage guitars have Rios. 717.730.9775

Jack C Veteran HFCer

Jack C

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hmm?

Sorry. I thought you might be a long-lost HFCer who used to post this question every week or so.

Greg can hook you up on the Rios.

GuitarDoyle Outer Circle

GuitarDoyle

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Feel free to call me, I'll talk your ear off about them. 90% of my stage guitars have Rios. 717.730.9775

Thanks, can I call you tomorrow? I'll try today but not sure I'll have time. Is there a good time?

silentman Veteran HFCer

silentman

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Greg's in the shop 11-8 everyday except Wed.

I have rios in my Duotone and Studio Custom. Great pups. Really sounded great compared to the 59's I had in the Studio. Literally sounded like ass before I swapped em out IMO. They are very versitile. You can get blues to metal out of em and they sound great clean. I have a BBQ Bucker/Genuine Texas pair.

GuitarDoyle Outer Circle

GuitarDoyle

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Why don't you guys reply to that guy? Is there some sort of secret with this dude and Rios? ;)

Silentman - thanks for the help. It's nice when you can find a pair that are good enough for most any guitar in your collection.

serial Veteran HFCer

serial

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I have Rios and Voodoos. Personally, the Voodoos don't do it for me in the guitar they're in-very thin compared to the BBQ/Gen TX combo which sounds great in all of the guitars I have them in (now in six guitars). For the price, they blow away anything Duncan has and I can't see spending the extra $$ for the boutique cork sniffing stuff. In my experience, it wasn't worth going above the Rios (I also had some Holmes, which were really good, but not appreciably better than the Rios for the price (and that's when they were $250 a set!).

GuitarDoyle Outer Circle

GuitarDoyle

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I have Rios and Voodoos.  Personally, the Voodoos don't do it for me in the guitar they're in-very thin compared to the BBQ/Gen TX combo which sounds great in all of the guitars I have them in (now in six guitars).  For the price, they blow away anything Duncan has and I can't see spending the extra $$ for the boutique cork sniffing stuff.  In my experience, it wasn't worth going above the Rios (I also had some Holmes, which were really good, but not appreciably better than the Rios for the price (and that's when they were $250 a set!).

Awesome! You guys have me wanting a set! Man oh man...where is that tax return! Thick and rich I like! I like you all say they work in a variety of guitars!

Maybe I'll be moving on from the Duncan JB! ;)

I hear ya on the boutique stuff but I must admit I have been very intrigued by those WCR pickups. A buddy of mine just got the Fillmore set for his old Schecter. I can't wait to see what those things do.

Anyone try that new C-5?

Maybe Hamer should switch to Rios.

Guest Mike Lee

Guest Mike Lee

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I've tried three sets of Rio Pickups and didn't care for them. But I wouldn't go as far as to say they suck, as some do about other brands of pickups.

I put a BBQ/Texas set in my Studio Custom and found them to be way too dark for my tastes. I like the stock '59 and tolerated the stock JB for 9 years or so. Last year I installed a C5 and have been happy. It's not as nasal as the JB and has a bit more bass. Really sounds like a hot rodded PAF to my ear, which is what I was looking for.

Chollie Inner Circle

Chollie

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I use Rios and Voodoos in my guitars.... I'm not like a lot of the people here who can afford highend guitars that cost over 1k, i have the cheap pos imports and let me say i have guys doing double takes when they hear them coz they're impressed on how great they sound compaired to they're newer american counterparts.

Turdus Veteran HFCer

Turdus

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If your guitar has a dark tone, the BBQ may not be for you. I had one installed in an opaque finish, hard rock maple Studio Custom. Sounded great for thick smooth distorted power chords, but did not clean up well in that particular guitar. When my style changed to less preamp gain, this pickup no longer sound right to me. However, in a naturally bright guitar with a bright amp, it'd probably be a real winner.

hardheartedbill Veteran HFCer

hardheartedbill

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I have a TX/BBQ set in this Mirage II, 4 conductor and covered, they are awesome , pull the vol or tone to tap , tapped sound as good as full bucker to my ear, I love em

Mirage%20II001.jpg

HamerHokie Veteran HFCer

HamerHokie

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I've tried three sets of Rio Pickups and didn't care for them. But I wouldn't go as far as to say they suck, as some do about other brands of pickups.

I A/B'd an older Studio Custom with JB/'59 against Greg's Artist Korina Custom with Rios through a Marshall 6101 head. The Rio bridge had a nice midrange spank that the JB lacked. Later, I tried a Rio in the bridge of my 25th Anniversary and it was too dark.

Right now I'm going nuts matching woods/pickups/amps.

Buster Outer Circle

Buster

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+1 for Greg...and he's not lying when he says he'll talk your ear off about them...he has a vast wealth of knowledge and wouldn't lead you wrong...

tomteriffic Veteran HFCer

tomteriffic

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No expert here, but when I asked Greg about the BBQ vs. a Duncan C5, he said that even the Rio Grande guys said they were virtually indistinguishable. I had a C5 handy, so that settled that for the particular guitar in question (StevieDamnClay's otherwise EXTREMELY bright-sounding '98 Phantom Custom).

tomteriffic Veteran HFCer

tomteriffic

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Aaah, most esteemed Meester Poofy, perhaps this was your intent. My aged Geezerbrain took it to mean a virtual coin toss. I believe you referred to the Rio Grande guys as saying almost identical, or something quite similar. Either way, ol' cheapskate heard "don't get another pickup when you have pretty much the same thing in a drawer already" ;)

Still curious about a GenTex and a BBQ in a goldtop Studio Custom, what with the rock maple top and all.

kizanski Veteran HFCer

kizanski

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Still curious about a GenTex and a BBQ in a goldtop Studio Custom, what with the rock maple top and all.

Can you say "K-I-L-L-E-R"?

Brewmaster Veteran HFCer

Brewmaster

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I use Rios and Voodoos in my guitars....  I'm not like a lot of the people here who can afford highend guitars that cost over 1k, i have the cheap pos imports and let me say i have guys  doing double takes when they hear them coz they're impressed on how great they sound compaired to they're newer american counterparts.

Name change for you Chas? ;)

About the Rio's, I have a set of Rio P-90's in my AK, and they are very warm and aggressive. I put a Texas/BBQ pair in a Dean EVO and they were too dark for that guitar. This leads me to believe that they won't sound good in an all mahogany guitar.

The best sounding bridge pickups I have had are a Duncan C5 I had in a Studio and a WCR Fillmore I had in a LP Standard.

Just like everything else, there are horses for courses.

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