Guitar pickup?

[Herm]

Hope someone can help me on a guitar question. Im not a great guitar player but have been around long
enough to know when one sounds good or not.
I have an old 1953 I think the number is a 125 gibson hollow body electric that my dad gave me.
It has the two F holes and is about 3 inches thick. It has a single Black rectangle pickup on it.
The guitar just sounds bad no matter what amp i put it through. Have done the change strings
thing and there is just no getting any descent sound out of it.
I guess my question is would a new replacement pickup help? Do they go bad over the years?
Or is it just a bad sounding guitar that will just set in the corner and collect dust.
I would never sell it cause its the guitar my dad played for years and it has sentimental value
to me, But would love to be able to get it to sound halfway descent.


Thanks

[teknomike]

This is a 1953 Gibson ES125.

Mine sounds phenominal played through a 1970 Fender Vibrosonic Reverb. Gritty, messy, skunky. But that's the way I expect (want) it to sound. Maybe that's not what you're looking for.

But it's definitely not my favorite thing to play. And that's another story.



mike

[frank_1]

Yes new pickups will help your sound. The pickups you have right now are very out dated. Get some type of Seymore Duncan, or DiMarzio.



http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aw-cgi/eBayI...ndexURL=0&rd=1

[Tom Hicks]

Those pickups are actually quite valuable,as is the guitar.The pickups are pre-humbuckers known variously as "soapbars" or "patent pending".I'm sorry I forget the actual part #.All Les Pauls had this pickup prior to the intro of the bucker (in 58?),so it is not that it is unsuitable for rock tones.
But you have an old Jazz box,my friend.Check the prices on these vintage Gibsons and realize that you will destroy all historical and monetary value with the changes you propose.The supply of good old guitars in original condition is rapidy dwindling.Don't be a party to helping that trend along.If you want to play rock,get a strat or an LP.

Tom

[charger]

I agree, I'd rather see you store or sell that guitar than alter it. Buy something more suited to your sound and style, and keep that thing in a room that doesn't have big fluctuations in humidity or temperature.

[Sentridoh]

They are P-90's Tom

[Eurythmic]

Those are some cool guitars.

Herm, when's the last time the guitar was looked at by a qualified luthier? If you can afford to, I'd really take that to a trusted music shop and have them do some restoration work on it. It could be that the intonation is off, or that the electronics are going bad, or any number of problems.

[Gag]

definitely leave it . If you can put in replacements without any physical alterations fine but don't lose the originals .Safe bet is to take it to a good tech with a good rep it could easily be fixable. Just reiterating Eurythmic"s reply( didn't mean to step on your toes Eury) . Cheers Gag

[Eurythmic]

Originally posted by Gag
definitely leave it . If you can put in replacements without any physical alterations fine but don't lose the originals .Safe bet is to take it to a good tech with a good rep it could easily be fixable. Just reiterating Eurythmic"s reply( didn't mean to step on your toes Eury) . Cheers Gag

That's an important point, though. If any part gets replaced, you definitely don't want to throw any of the originals away. That way, if you ever decide to sell the guitar, it can be restored to vintage spec if the owner wants to.