Members billybilly Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 I picked up a Les Paul this year with Burstbucker Pros, I love them but haven't experimented with some of the other, more common PAF Les Paul pickups. Feel free to mention others, but these are the ones frequently mentioned around the traps. For the record, I like the Burstbucker Pros as they're a bit hairy, great for overdrive with an edge. My Les Paul does not have a maple cap so any brightness people sometimes talk about with the Burstbucker Pros is nullified. The cleans are good but not great due to the "hairy" nature of them. You can vote for more than one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ugameus Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 My favorites PAFs are Lollar Imperials. They are awesome. I use them in a strat though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 25, 2014 Author Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 Tell me about them if you would, what do you like about them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 Very impressed with the Burstbucker Pros myself. The secret with those to avoid the brightness some complain about is to make sure they are the covered ones as opposed to open. The nickel covers really do a lot to tame the treble, without compromising the overall tone. Also a big fan of S.D. 59s for the neck and JBs for the bridge position. Regarding JBs, they can be rather finicky depending on what guitar they are dropped into, but in the right guitar they can really sing. Wished I knew what pickup came stock in my special order Studio Lite (2000 - non-manufacture year) because the neck is really extremely articulate almost single-coilish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 My favorites that I've experienced would be the Burstbucker 1 & 2. To me those are classic without sounding overly bright. Complex chorus of sounds can be heard from the scatter wound design. But I do think they've got to have a decent build under them with some good resonance and coupling to bring out their best. I don't like the burstbucker 3, because I usually don't play with that much gain, which IMO is the only place the BB-3 shines. I have that pickup in JJ Melody Maker, JB LP Studio and a BFG Studio and I can only reconcile with them when I have the gain up.I like the BB Pros, but they are more mid sounding, i.e. kinda cranked, and extra vibey. Good for a guitar that needs to be woken up, but with a build that will provide it enough warmth for good balance. I put a set of BB Pros into an Epi G-400 Deluxe and that guitar just has a bit too much toppy sounding presence. I've left them in though, just to have an uber-cut-through-the-mix SG on hand. But I've got a double-cut LP Std with them that sounds real nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bernardo gui Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 Rarely play Humbuckers but when I do: Gibson Classic 57's.Solid, reliable, EXTREMLY good repro of a vintage Humbucker.Important part...NOT "TOO HOT"......I love these pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Into Nation Posted October 25, 2014 Members Share Posted October 25, 2014 I really like the 57/57+ but I've not really tried another higher end pup. The clarity they have and cleanup rolling back works good enough, so I stopped looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gdsmithtx Posted October 26, 2014 Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 I have a Dimarzio 36tn anniversary bridge in a HSS Ibanez, and it is very very nice. It's got the complete PAF vibe. From all pickups, I'd go with the Seth Lover set. If I had to choose from your choices, I'd go with the Alnico II Pros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 26, 2014 Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 Old greco pickups in my Greco Les Paul. Not a 100% sure what model they are. I like my 57 classic and SD Alnico Pro II in my Orville....quite a lot actually..... but the Greco's are better. The note separation on open chords under heavy distortion always blows my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FrankenTelly Posted October 26, 2014 Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 Are the Burstbuckers potted or unpotted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members speakerjones Posted October 26, 2014 Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 WCR Fillmores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 26, 2014 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 I believe the Pros are potted and the others aren't, not 100% sure, pretty sure though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 26, 2014 Author Members Share Posted October 26, 2014 Thanks for all of your responses, they fuel my GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 My favorite is the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover. Antiquities are the same pickup with aged magnets so I voted for that because it was the closest choice to vote for. I like that they aren't wax potted and are asymmetrically scatter wound....They sound bright and clear like a single coil but moree full of harmonics and quiet like a humbucker should sound. I HATE the sound of wax potted pickups. I know it kills feedback...but so does stuffing a $1,000 Neumann microphone under a pillow. What's the point? And yes...Burstbuckers are potted. But they ARE asymmetrically wound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gdsmithtx Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 My favorite is the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover. Antiquities are the same pickup with aged magnets so I voted for that because it was the closest choice to vote for. I like that they aren't wax potted and are asymmetrically scatter wound....They sound bright and clear like a single coil but moree full of harmonics and quiet like a humbucker should sound. ^^^^ This right here ^^^^ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mbengs1 Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 Burstbuckers are great sounding in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *BLEEP* Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm thinking that the GFS Professional Series Humbucker lineup are a poor man's Burstbucker? http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-professional-Series-Humbucker-Zebra-case-3-windings-available_c_354.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BeanoBoy Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 I had Burstbuckers in my '06 Les Paul. I found them to be too edgy. I switched to WCR Crossroads. They're bright but in a sweet vintage way. Low output compared to a lot of todays pups, I get my grit from my amp and I've gotten into using my tone AND volume knobs a LOT more these days. I have Wolfetone Dr. Vintage pups in my '91 PRS Artist. The PRS is a different animal than the Les Paul but the low output Wolfetones have a nice sweet top end and a piano-like clarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Rarely play Humbuckers but when I do: Gibson Classic 57's. Solid, reliable, EXTREMLY good repro of a vintage Humbucker. Important part...NOT "TOO HOT"......I love these pickups. I have to agree - I really like the 57's a lot too. If I need something hotter, I can use a boost pedal, but I like how these pickups clean up when you need them to. They're close enough to the original PAFs to suit my preferences / needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted October 27, 2014 Members Share Posted October 27, 2014 Never been the biggest fan of the modern Gibson pickups. A little too much in the mid section for my ears. my main choice is a DiMarrizo DP107, called the Megadrive in the neck, and a Duncan Trembucker in the bridge. Yes, I know, they are high output, but with coil taps, and series/parallel wiring, I can get the toes I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Karma1 Posted October 28, 2014 Members Share Posted October 28, 2014 I replaced the 490R in the neck of my Les Paul, which was too dark and muddy for my taste, with a Seth Lover which has more clarity and note articulation. Great sounding pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members niceguy Posted October 29, 2014 Members Share Posted October 29, 2014 I far and away prefer Gibson humbuckers over all other makers, after years of playing and experience. YMMV. I have a 57 Classic in the neck of my LP, and that bitch just sings. Phenomenal with overdrive. Bridge? My favorite so far is the BB Pro, though my LP has a BB3 in the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted October 30, 2014 Moderators Share Posted October 30, 2014 Old greco pickups in my Greco Les Paul. Not a 100% sure what model they are. I like my 57 classic and SD Alnico Pro II in my Orville....quite a lot actually..... but the Greco's are better. The note separation on open chords under heavy distortion always blows my mind. Most likely PU2s, got some in my Greco 335 and they are utterly glorious, just a magnet away from Dry Zs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted October 30, 2014 Moderators Share Posted October 30, 2014 My favorite is the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover. Antiquities are the same pickup with aged magnets so I voted for that because it was the closest choice to vote for. Yup off the shelf, Seth Lovers, which are only slightly different ( I can't hear it in every guitar, apart from my 335) from the SD Antiquities. If I did go boutique these days, I'd only bother with WolfTone pickups, Dr Vs and Marshallheads and Jon Gundry's Throbaks, but I ain't paying Throbak prices. I hear too much variation to actually buy BBs. I have an R7, in which they sound the best pickup in the world, yet in my recently acquired Memphis 335, they sound quite ordinary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 30, 2014 Members Share Posted October 30, 2014 Most likely PU2s, got some in my Greco 335 and they are utterly glorious, just a magnet away from Dry Zs You know I don't think they are. It's a late 81 Super Real EGC1000 and those are suppose to have Dry Z's in them. But because it's such a late guitar there is a chance that it has some very early mint collection parts. In which case they would be fujigen made pickups. And the first year Mint collection 1000 customs had a pickups called "Groove", made only for one year. They have no stamps on the back and no stickers as well. There are a couple other cases over on the Tokai forum of people with this situation as well. Some say (as I thought at first) that they might be left over maxon dry z's that weren't stamped. But now I think that's unlikely. I think they are these "groove" pickups which either had the stickers (like fujigen did with the dry 82's) removed or they never had the stickers in the first place. Regardless....it's a bit of a mystery that I'll probably never be able to answer 100%. All I know is they sound fantastic whatever they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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