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The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:56 am
by Gunner Recall
Everyone knows ILF loves single coils but I like to think we're equal opporunity musicians around these parts.

I'm getting a sexy Toronado GT from skip, and it come stock with a SD pearly gates bridge and a rev. pol. '59 neck.
Anyone have any experience with these? Namely the PG...I'm familiar with the '59 and was actually thinking of swapping the jazz out of the neck of my jackson for a '59.

I'm thinking the might be too low output for what I'm looking to do with them...I might go with some dimarzios (crunchlab/liquifire in matching red :drool:) instead.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:08 am
by Gunner Recall
Boutique pickups lovers, why don't you have a seat over there.

I was looking at the Motor City Pickups Hell Baby or Afwayu or a set of Bare Knuckle Nailbombs.

The MC's would be double the dimarzios and the BK's near triple. More $$$= more toan right? But seriously, has anyone had experience with them?
Somebody once described the hell baby as a darker nailbomb, but many other people say motor city and bare knuckle are apples and oranges, too different to compare.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:23 am
by Mudfuzz
I like humbuckers better then single coils. I think my fav ATM is the BQbucker by Rio Grande, I also like fitertrons, firebird minis, stacked P90s are really cool too [gibson P94]. On bass split humbuckers are really my thing, I love pbasses and also both my J type basses have split HBs in them. The Dimarzio model one is also a really cool pickup thick and clear, I have two basses with a model one up at the neck.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:27 am
by Gunner Recall
Oh yea Rio Grande! Forgot about those...I've heard good things about the BBQ. Some say it's kinda like the JB (I've got a JB that I love in another guitar)

To divert my thread in yet another direction...anyone try the Seymour Duncan Triple Shots?
Seems like a cool idea, easy mod that gives you split/parallel/series switches that are installed on the mounting rings.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:49 am
by Nychthemeron
All I know is that I have Burstbucker Pro's in my LP and I am okay with those humbuckers. That said I've always had a thing for BKPs though.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:53 am
by Mudfuzz
Also... Buckers + Fuzz = win :ilf:

My white V has a cool old humbucker at the bridge but I have no idea what it is; I got from a bin full of old pickups at the store I got it from, there are no markings on it, the only thing that sets it apart is that the bass side of the bottom plate where the mounting holes are is the full width and had three holes, where the treble side is normal with just the one little ear with one screw hole. :idk:

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:06 am
by Gunner Recall
Mudfuzz wrote:My white V has a cool old humbucker at the bridge but I have no idea what it is; I got from a bin full of old pickups at the store I got it from, there are no markings on it, the only thing that sets it apart is that the bass side of the bottom plate where the mounting holes are is the full width and had three holes, where the treble side is normal with just the one little ear with one screw hole. :idk:


Mystery humbuckers ftw :thumb:

I'd love to try my hand at winding my own some day. It would probably be crazy hot with huge lows that blow womens clothes off :lol:
Though apparently BKP already makes one like that, they call the Warpig.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:22 am
by elbandito
Gunner Recall wrote:I'm thinking the might be too low output for what I'm looking to do with them...I might go with some dimarzios (crunchlab/liquifire in matching red :drool:) instead.

Trade you for a white Dimarzio SuperDistortion? :poke:
I'm all about the low output, myself.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 5:56 am
by Inertia
I like the Dimarzio Super Distortion pickup for mathrock actually.
It's great with my Vetta. :cool:

My guitars include a wide mix of Single coils and Humbuckers, but I like both.
Might get some P90s someday. :idk:

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:01 am
by nbabmf
I've had great luck with the following...

Seymour Duncan:
59/JB
Jazz/Custom
Hot Rails/JB

Gibson:
Burstbuckers (both)
59 Classics (both)
490/498

Dimarzio:
PAF Classics
Super Distortion (bridge)

I tend to like alnico pickups, but I've had some ceramics that did a good job for me.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:21 am
by magiclawnchair
i love humbuckers. never liked single coils at all and havent delt with p90s. i am glad you started this thread gunner as i might be looking for new ones to try out... i think i like the milder out put as you can always boost up your signal. you cant un-boost yer singal for softer tones... or can you???

here is what little i know about them....

the dragons that are in my prs are awesome!!! :drool:

i really like the 490 and 498 that are in the lp custom. they are a bit bassy clean but man do fuzzhugger pedals love the hell out of them!!!

burstbucker pros sound nice but not as nice as the 490 and 498 combo to me....

the 10 string bich has rocktown mafia pups. these are nice. they sound great with pedals. they are sort of hot so clean is not as clean as i would like but man are these things clear! with the doubled strings of the 10 you need to be!

the mockingbird also has rocktown mafia pups. i am thinking of swapping these out as the 10 string has them, but it might be nice to have the same pups in a six. not real sure about this one yet....

i bought a cheap but nice looking ravens west les paul style guitar and put a sd jazz in the neck and a jb in the bridge and oh my god those sound down right awesome!!! :joy: :joy: :joy: have push pull pots so the two volumes split coils of their pups one tone runs seires and the other reverses phase!!! :joy: :joy: :joy:

i have a second cheap ravens west that has a very cool top. it has grooves cut into the top and is quite sexy... i put a dimarzio fred in the neck and a dimarzio tone zone in the bridge. i like both of these pups but the fred is a little hot for the neck... i might put some thing else in the neck there and use the fred as a bridge in another guitar. this one is wired the same as the other ravens west...

i must say that the mini humbuckers that came in my zebra wood firebird are the best sounding pups that i have... they are the stock gibson firebird pups and i love them. i love them clean i love them dirty. i love them with fuzzhugger and i love them with devi. i would play them on a plane and i would play them on a train...

i might grab another guitar one of these days and fill it with different mini humbuckers. Wes, the guitar tech at fat tone, was drooling all over the lollar (?) mini humbuckers so now i want to try those....

sorry if i ranted a bit there, but i am intereseted in moar humbuckers yo!!! :) :) :joy: :joy:

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:03 pm
by Gunner Recall
The dimarzio SD seems very compressed to me, I'm going for a more "open" sound if that makes sense.
How are the cleans?

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:06 pm
by Nychthemeron
MLC, you managed to snag the Dragon humbuckers? I heard that they're some of the best humbuckers around! I might get a pair to replace my BB Pros a while from now since the neck pickup goes in and out sometimes.

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:42 pm
by magiclawnchair
Nychthemeron wrote:MLC, you managed to snag the Dragon humbuckers? I heard that they're some of the best humbuckers around! I might get a pair to replace my BB Pros a while from now since the neck pickup goes in and out sometimes.


yeah i got a 98 prs custom 24 brand spanking new back in 98 that had the dragons in there!!! they are awesome!!! :omg:

do you have a bad connection with the neck pup? maybe resoldering might fix that or it could be a bad switch. i cant solder myself but i am lucky to have a good friend that can!!! :joy:

Re: The Humbucker Thread

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:15 am
by theavondon
I've had really doom-y results with the SD SH-5 Custom. It's all about the midrange, and it's rather high output too.