How much do new pickups improve the sound of a guitar?

Question

I have an Epiphone Les Paul Studio Gem and want to upgrade the pickups to Gibson BurstBucker Pros. Will this dramatically improve the sound i get out of my guitar?

Answer 1

allot of the sound of a guitar comes from the density of the wood. for the Epi les paul a name brand pickup (gibson, Seymour Duncan..etc) would be an improvement.. but not all pickups are right for all guitars. check out what high end les pauls use and get something similar.. or find a les paul player with a sound you like (buckethead, slash) and find out what p/u they use.

Answer 2

what tone do you want to get from your guitar? modern or more laid back and bluesy? what works for other will not always work for you. so get the pickup that will fit your style.  

Answer 3

Different pickups will CHANGE the sound.  Whether the change is an improvement is a matter of taste (subjective).