Boutique Humbuckers - what's you favorite?

[GuitarFixation]

Hello everyone!

I have a question for all the pickup gurus out there: we here at guitarfixation.com are working on a series of humbucker video shootouts and want to include as many smaller, boutique pickup builders as we can (we love to support the little guys and the smaller companies). So the question I have for you is this:

What is you favorite boutique humbucker?

Also,

Here is a basic article about pickups that I though you might enjoy:

http://www.guitarfixation.com/features/more/sound_science_pickup_the_pieces

Thanks!

- Paul

www.guitarfixation.com

 

[TroubledTreble]

Hmmm, well there certainly are a lot of boutique makers out there that may or may not be interested in participating.

There was a recent discussion on another forum about a "shootout". You may want to invite these folks into it.

http://music-electronics-forum.com/f11/

Of course the rub about these types of things is the comparison method. Tone is such a subjective thing and what may be your cup of tea just won't cut it for someone else.

How will the judging take place? What are the parameters?

-TT-

 

[GuitarFixation]

That is a great question!

Here is the set up:

The Guitar is a 1996 PRS McCarty (with a flame top). It has been re-wired with CTS pots and switchcraft toggle and jack but all the P/U wires have been modified to allow for solderless changing of the pickups. The same style as they offer at www.acmeguitarworks.com

Here are some pictures from their site for reference:

We will then shoot each set while playing the same pieces of music (chording then solos) in the bridge, middle, and neck positions. They will be demo'd clean, with a little gain, then with distortion. We will then post the videos and let the community vote, after we tally the votes we will share our impressions and reveal how our audience voted!

It is going to be a long process, but I think it will be worth it!

 

[big bob]

BG pups, Brian Gunsher makes great pups.
http://www.bg-pups.com/

 

[bpmorton777]

all that clean wiring done and they couldnt whipe off the excess flux? :icon_scratch:

Brian

 

[Soylent]

http://www.riograndepickups.com/

:icon_thumright:

 

[Mor Paul]

bare knuckle pickups?

 

[GuitarFixation]

Love Bare Knuckle....

 

[Soylent]

you should throw GFS in there.. to see.

 

[GuitarFixation]

I'm hoping that Keeley makes some humbuckers to go along witht his single coil offering....

 

[jimh]

Bare Knucks for me...  :headbang:

 

[Tempest]

I've only played one but Bare Knuckles!

 

[tfarny]

Put in some GFS and some cheapo "duncan designed" throwaways, make up a boutique sounding label, and see how they score.
Would like to hear the Lollar stuff in there somewhere.

 

[GuitarFixation]

Lollar Imperials are part of the demo, they are the standard wind (as opposed to the low or high). I have a set of the High Wind Imperials in my Warmoth Flying V and they are awesome, you can hear them on the video for the Warmoth V review:

http://www.guitarfixation.com/reviews/more/warmoth_flying_v_project_guitar

 

[NonsenseTele]

All guys who played my Bare Knuckle Tele was impressed by it's tone... even it being not finished/set up properly yet - from luthiers to 20+ years experienced players

 

[GuitarFixation]

With all the support for the Bare Knuckles, they will HAVE to be in the shootout! 

 

[Wyliee]

I'd second Rio Grande too.  I've got a BBQ bucker in a super strat and Crunchbox/Punchbox combo in another guitar.

 

[dudesweet157]

My opinion, you've got to do it as a sort of PAF shoot out.  High gain pickups just sound poopy without a lot of gain to bring out the overtones.

Contenders
Lollar Imperials
Seymour Duncan 59's
Fralin Pure PAFs
Rio Grande TX/BBQ Set
Bare Knuckle Stormy Mondays
Swineshead Condors
Gibson Burstbuckers
Dimarzio 36th Anniversaries

Throw in the non-boutique brands (Duncan, Dimarzio, Gibson) for good measure, and to give your audience an idea of the differences between the high-dollar and slightly less expensive pickups.

Play them all through the same amp(s) with the same settings.  That is where a lot of people flub it.  They tweak the EQ for each pickup to bring out the best in each, but it doesn't really give you any idea of the tonal differences between them at all.


If I were conducting the shootout, I'd use a Fender Twin for cleans, Marshall 1987x with 412/Greenbacks for the crunch (jumpered channels), and goose the Marshall with a really good booster/OD for the high gain lead tones.  I LOVE my RC and AC Boosters for that sort of thing. Mike it with the old standby 57, or an e609 if you're feeling dangerous. :headbang:  I think the e609 has a more open, natural response and prefer it.

I'm not big into the scooped midrange, chugga chugga thing, so YMMV.

-Rose

 

[GuitarFixation]

Rose,

Thanks for the pick up recommendations! We will only be using PAF style pickups, nothing high gain this time around. For the amps, they will all be set the exact same for each pickup to maintain consistency, as will the mics, mic position, and mic pre amp. For the amps themselves, it will depend on what manufacture sends what. But there will at minimum be two tube amps, and the amp for the clean will have built in reverb. 

 

[NonsenseTele]

So, you could also put the Mules from BKP on there, they're not so "335" as the Stormy Mondays.