New Pickups Comparable to L8000?

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TheNewSteveH

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I have a Matsumoku Burny Les Paul with what appear to be L8000 pickups. I know most people think these pickups are undesirable, but I like them a lot. I'm interested in blues, not hard rock, and these pickups make some very sweet, hot, rounded sounds when you add a little distortion.

Here is my question: can anyone suggest a similar pickup for another guitar? I can't find old Burny pickups anywhere, but I have a History 335 clone, and I wish it had L8000s. I have read that VH-2 pickups are probably about the same, but they're no easier to find than L8000s.

I am considering Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates pickups, but I'm going on lame information gathered from the Duncan site and Youtube videos.
 
hi
you are not the only one who likes the old burny pickups ,,,, :D :D
the are very good ,,,, they have a creamy blues sound that i love ,,, but i dont think that a vh2 would be the same ,,, they have ceramic magnets ,, and a are a bit hotter ( over 8 k ohm ) ,,, i really like the old burny pickups ,, the are not 100 % replica of the paf pickup but they sound great :D :D
all the best
otto
 
TheNewSteveH said:
I guess I'll try the Pearly Gates pickups and see what happens.

I don't own a Burny with L8000s anymore but they are very similar in sound to VH-3s.
Otto, L8000s also read just above 8 ohm, don't they?
I would recommend unpotted Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday's, they read a little lower but have the same sweet rounded feel with lots of dynamics.
 
Go for the DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pups....trust me on that!
They are amazing, played some the other day and was floored.
They even sounded better than the Antiquities IMO and as good as my Sheptones...very true PAF sound.
If you dig the VH-1's then I think you would live these.
 
Udonitron said:
Go for the DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary pups....trust me on that!
They are amazing, played some the other day and was floored. They even sounded better than the Antiquities IMO...very true PAF sound. If you dig the VH-1's then I think you would live these.

I have those and you're right that they're quite good but don't sound like L8000s to my ears, they're much more airy/drier and have less dynamics.
 
Yes but you have to realize that no new pickup is going to sound liek a 30 year old pup due to the magnet weakening over time. You could easily degauss the magnet in the DiMarzio to get more of a creamy tone and change the dynamics.
 
Udonitron said:
Yes but you have to realize that no new pickup is going to sound liek a 30 year old pup due to the magnet weakening over time. You could easily degauss the magnet in the DiMarzio to get more of a creamy tone and change the dynamics.

That's why I recommend the Stormy Monday's :D
 
Yeah but BK pups are WAY overpriced IMO...$350+ for a set of pups, silly. I love my Shep's but there is no way I would have paid retail for them.
 
I guess I'm stupid, but I already ordered the Pearly Gates pickups. Maybe they'll do it for me. I wonder how many people have thrown out their L8000 pickups, when people like me would have been happy to pay $50 for them.

I want to set the History 335 up for coil splitting with push-pull pots, but it's a pain trying to find pots to fit the Japanese holes.

It's hard to get good advice on pickups. It seems like everyone wants a harsh hard-rock tone. I have no interest in that at all. I like a sweet, round sound with an edge to it.
 
Alpha pots fit perfectly without hole reaming and they are every bit as good as CTS IMO.

If you want sweet rounded tone, buy a set of those DiMarzio 36th Anniversary's or some Duncan's in the Antiquity or Seth Lover variety, trust me!
 
TheNewSteveH said:
I have a Matsumoku Burny Les Paul with what appear to be L8000 pickups. I know most people think these pickups are undesirable....
Huh?!?!? :eek: :eek: Maybe the thrasher, speed-metal group.. but everyone I know loves them!


jacco said:
Otto, L8000s also read just above 8 ohm, don't they?
quote] Jacco, every set that I have owned were right at 7.9K.
 
they fit the Japanese holes too.

I am not too proud to accept help finding a place that has the ones I need!

everyone I know loves them!

Maybe the people you know have good taste. I may have the wrong impression, but I believe I have seen a number of people saying the VH1s are preferable. I think the L8000s are great, but I don't have any interest in hard rock
 
I have both... original VH-1's and several L-8000's.. the latter have nothing to be ashamed of.
 
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