Lipstick pickups- pros and cons? (2024)

mikeratan00

Member
Messages
5,982
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #1

Killed_by_Death

Senior Member
Messages
18,317
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #2

From what I understand the grounded casing makes them quiet.

PixMix

Member
Messages
2,585
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #3

It's definitely a super quiet single coil. I have a '90s Talman with Kent Armstrong lipsticks, they sound great, very strat-like. I couldn't list any cons.

Tony Done

Member
Messages
11,654
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #4

I had an early Japanese Talman with what were probably Sky pickups. I never did get on with it because of poor string-to-string balance, especially using a wound 3rd string as I was, and there is no easy way of fixing the imbalance, as can be done with most other pickups.

P

p.j.

Member
Messages
6,537
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #5

Lipsticks are wonderful for clean, jangly sounds but also wonderful for distorted fuzzy tones.

Flatscan

Silver Supporting Member

Messages
8,684
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #7

Lipsticks are great. Check out Joe Gore's lipstick YT vids.

If anyone has extensive experience with assorted lipsticks, I would be interested in knowing your favorites vs. what you tested and your criteria.

I have Kent Armstrong lipsticks in my Reverend Spy and like them.

NoiseNinja

Senior Member
Messages
4,160
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #8

I don't like the tone on that demo, neck soloed sounded fine though.

But I am generally not a big coil pickup fan anyway, so I guess to me it's bound to sound a little thin.

Though I did have a Jerry Jones Longhorn bass equipped with 2 lipstick pickups and it sounded absolutely amazing, though I did prefer the setting with both pickups run in series the best.

Also I once owned a Danelectro Hodad guitar that was equipped with 2 humbucker lipstick pickups and it sounded great as well.

I guess cons would be that they tend to sound a bit more thin and trebly than most other pickups when not humbucked or conected in series, but if you happen to prefer that kind of tone I guess it would not really be a con but a pro.

Last edited:

Sweetfinger

Gold Supporting Member

Messages
15,923
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #9

Most of the ones nowadays just sound like Strat pickups. Also, you need to use low value pots or they'll sound really thin.

Whittlez

Member
Messages
3,323
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #10

I can't think of any negatives except for the ones people associate with single coils in general.

I have them in a Danelectro Hodad, which is super cool because they are HUMBUCKER lipsticks. Two in the bride, two in the neck, that can be split. Super cool. They sound GREAT.

NoiseNinja

Senior Member
Messages
4,160
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #11

Whittlez said:

I can't think of any negatives except for the ones people associate with single coils in general.

I have them in a Danelectro Hodad, which is super cool because they are HUMBUCKER lipsticks. Two in the bride, two in the neck, that can be split. Super cool. They sound GREAT.

As I said I also owned a Danelectro Hodad and it did have a super nice tone, however as you say they were really essential humbuckers (I couldn't come to terms with how the neck felt in my hands, mainly I think because I am used to 24,75" scale guitars).

The ones demoed in the video sound too thin for my personal taste, maybe with exception of when he solos the neck pickup.

ProfRhino

Member
Messages
11,405
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #12

I used to have an old lipstick (that was before all the copies appeared, so probably vintage) between two Duncan P90s in a vintage Schecter Strat body, which was a really cool, unique setup.
the P90s were on a regular 3-way Tele switch, a p/p tone added the lipstick for another 3 thinner, glassy and chimey variations.
perfect for quick rhythm / lead switching, e.g. with a VOX, sounded like nothing else, but definitely in a "classic" way.

ymmv,
Rhino

vortexxxx

Member
Messages
12,126
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #13

chandlerman said:

I love lipstick pickups. There are no cons that I can think of. My current lipstick guitars are: 1964 Danelectro Dano Pro, 1958 Silvertone 1448, 1989 Jerry Jones Double Cut, 1990's Jerry Jones 12 String, 1990's Jerry Jones electric sitar, 2016 Danelectro DC-59 Modified, and 2018 Danelectro '59 XT. Yeah, I like them.

How do the Jerry Jones sound compared to the vintage ones? I really like the vintage ones but didn't care much for the reissues on the new Danelectro guitars.

jvin248

Member
Messages
7,202
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #14

.

I used to think the Lipstick pickups must be weak until I went to the local city summer concert and a guitarist was playing Lipsticks through a cranked Marshall. They can certainly do heavy.

There are a few import lipstick pickups on ebay for $10-$15, from memory, that I'll start experimenting with.

.

Artie Fisk

Member
Messages
1,590
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #15

I reassembled and set up a 1964 Silvertone 1448 for a buddy of mine. As a result, I had it for two days. I really didn’t want to give it back to him. That one lipstick pickup in the center is just so so nice. Bright, clear, but never harsh. Expressive. Love those vintage Dano lipsticks. No cons.

PartoftheDark

Member
Messages
2,141
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #16

Also had the 90s talman with the Kents in it. It was a surprisingly versatile guitar. Great cleans, but could be boosted to be more chugga chugga like a lot of the stuff that was out at the time in the early 00s. I used it as a backup in my chugga chugga band. No complaints.

vortexxxx

Member
Messages
12,126
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #17

chandlerman said:

The Dano Pro is really special. I'm always amazed at the incredible tones I get from that guitar.. I guess I don't have the hearing that most TGP members have because I can't really tell any significant difference between the other Danelectros and the JJs.

The '59XT is my favorite guitar right now. I've begun selling off my expensive guitars because that's the one I always reach for these days. It has a P90 neck pickup and a coil split double lipstick humbucker bridge pickup with a Wilkinson trem.

Perhaps it depends if you're overdriving them. I found the new ones sounded thin while I might call the vintage ones P-90-light.

E

erksin

Member
Messages
23,125
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #18

The only negative IMO is that they are extremely low output - in the 3-4k range. So, if you’re gigging other guitars as well, you’ll need to boost it to get up to the levels of the other guitars.

Aside from that? Nothing - killer sounding pickups, especially the original vintage ones.

Stratburst70

Member
Messages
6,792
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #19

I have a set of Seymour Duncan lipsticks in my Danelectro DC-12 and I love them. I think they’re the best 12-string pickup this side of Rickenbacker. Add some treble and they’ll deliver the jingle-jangle. Switch to the neck pickup, dial back the tone control and you have a lovely acoustic sound. Crank the gain and you have a gloriously nasty garage rock sound.

About the only thing lipsticks can’t do is teh brootals.

VaughnC

Silver Supporting Member

Messages
19,659
  • Mar 15, 2019
  • #20

To my ears, the lipsticks I tried had a unique tonal character that I didn't care for....but we all hear it different. Lack of meat around the notes is the best way I can describe what I heard. But, you like what you like...and there's nothing wrong with that.

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Lipstick pickups- pros and cons? (2024)

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