Gibson Burstbucker Pros Install:
- Thread starter Inspector #20
- Start date
Truss_rod
Ambassador of Picks and Sticks
I've never had the pleasure of playing one, however I have a Epi SG Special but that cant possibly be same.
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
Sounds great, Robert! I thought of Angus instantly.
Regarding the unexpectedly high Ohm readings: My limited experience tells me that the resistance readings really aren't as important as som make them out to be. Magnets, how the pups are wound etc. make more of a difference in the end. I was surprised when I measured my OX4 Hot Duanes as low as 8.14k (bridge) and 7.9k (neck). I thought they would be more like around 9k in the bridge and >8 in the neck. But they still sound nice and hot.
As for the brightness, that's what we have tone controls for! Both on the guitar and the amp... If you have bright pups, you can always dial the top end down a bit. Anyway, they sound mighty fine in your test clip.
Regarding the unexpectedly high Ohm readings: My limited experience tells me that the resistance readings really aren't as important as som make them out to be. Magnets, how the pups are wound etc. make more of a difference in the end. I was surprised when I measured my OX4 Hot Duanes as low as 8.14k (bridge) and 7.9k (neck). I thought they would be more like around 9k in the bridge and >8 in the neck. But they still sound nice and hot.
As for the brightness, that's what we have tone controls for! Both on the guitar and the amp... If you have bright pups, you can always dial the top end down a bit. Anyway, they sound mighty fine in your test clip.
OP
Thank you, Gahr!
These Gibson Burstbucker Pro's are Alnico V and I'm just wondering if I should go Alnico II's in the Les Paul????
I dealt with excessive brightness with Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz pickups just by using a 250k volume pot instead of a 500k volume pot.
OP
See, now that's where I am lost on my Gibson Les Paul 50's Tribute mods...do I use 300k or 500k??? Do I use Alnico II's or V's???
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
500 k and I say keep the A5s. I’ve fallen in love with the, for the lack of a better term, focus of A5. I get less mud from them, and they push the amp that tiny bit extra I’m looking for. And still they clear up very nicely when you roll off the volume. But it’s all down to personal preference.
Of course you could swap, and then swap back if you prefer that. Experimenting is part of the fun. And it’s a nice learning experience as well. Let your ears and feelings decide for you. Sod the actual specs. If you like what you hear and it makes you want to play, then you’ve made the right decision.
Of course you could swap, and then swap back if you prefer that. Experimenting is part of the fun. And it’s a nice learning experience as well. Let your ears and feelings decide for you. Sod the actual specs. If you like what you hear and it makes you want to play, then you’ve made the right decision.
OP
Good points....I don't want to be swapping pickups all the time, so I might stay conservative as ypu suggested.
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
I actually meant swapping magnets in the pups there.
OP
Right now, I'm leaning towards Seymour Duncan SH 59's with Alnico V's....
OP
Not super bright?
OP
Ahhhh! Never thought about that.
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
I've swapped magnets in several of my pickups. Dead easy and noticeable results. I've replaced the A2s with A5s in two '57 Classics, a '57 Classic+ and a 490R. They all became a bit hotter with sweet highs and nice clarity. I ordered oriented A5 magnets from Throbak. A bit pricey, but worth it in my opinion. It made me want to experiment more, with other types of magnets. But I'm totally in love with the OX4 Hot Duanes and Throbak PG-102s (bot sets have A5s), in my Derek Trucks SG and Les Paul Goldtop respectively, and so my other guitars don't get as much playtime these days. I could have done more magnet tests with the other guitars, but I can't justify the spending at the moment...
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OP
Oh, very cool, Man!!!!! I never messed with magnet swaps!!!!
No. They aren't. I like them a lot. You'll want 500k pots for volume and tone. I also use just .015 mF capacitors for tone caps.
OP
I want my Les Paul project to sound faithful to a 50's but with a little more output...maybe 500k and 022uf's????
OP
Thanks for the tip. The SH1-59 is currently in the Lead.
I can't help with that!
I don't really know what "faithful to a 50's" would sound like, especially since there was a lot of inconsistency as to how Gibson made pickups back then.
The number of windings wasn't precise. The bobbins were filled until they looked full; not necessarily to a precise number. Later, Gibson got more precise.
My thoughts about implementing the Seymour Duncan '59s are really based on what I've done and experienced. Whether it sounds like the '50s is another matter.
OP
True, True....faithful in the respect of staying lower output, not 498T/500T with original pot values