Burstbuckers 1 & 2
- Thread starter ganzua
- Start date
Help Support Tokai Forum:
I replaced my stock MKII pickups with burstbucker pros last week. Gigged them on Saturday and love them.
Can get a great crunch from them if that's what you're after, to good old dirty.
We do 'feel like making love' Bad company and they did that very well. Dont do any Free or AC/DC(shouldn't you get an SG?).
I like them because they also do clean very well, unlike the MKII (IMHO).
Ours is a covers band that does a bit of rock, funk, reggae, 60s-00s, so I need to get lots of different sounds from my guitar. These pickups seem to be able to cover a lot of different sounds.
I also use a strat for songs that only a strat can do.
Can get a great crunch from them if that's what you're after, to good old dirty.
We do 'feel like making love' Bad company and they did that very well. Dont do any Free or AC/DC(shouldn't you get an SG?).
I like them because they also do clean very well, unlike the MKII (IMHO).
Ours is a covers band that does a bit of rock, funk, reggae, 60s-00s, so I need to get lots of different sounds from my guitar. These pickups seem to be able to cover a lot of different sounds.
I also use a strat for songs that only a strat can do.
Thanks for the answer jyster
Yes, BB Pro is one of the reasons because I'm doubting; BB1&2 are alnico 2 non wax-potted, uneven magnets and unmatched wiring. Pros' wiring is matched, are wax-potted... Probably BB1&2 are what I'm looking for but I'm aware that lots of Gibson 59ri players are throwing them and I wonder why.
That's the next one in my list, I said ac/dc just to name a band with the sound I want, you know, nothing of clean tones.
jyster said:
Yes, BB Pro is one of the reasons because I'm doubting; BB1&2 are alnico 2 non wax-potted, uneven magnets and unmatched wiring. Pros' wiring is matched, are wax-potted... Probably BB1&2 are what I'm looking for but I'm aware that lots of Gibson 59ri players are throwing them and I wonder why.
jyster said:
That's the next one in my list, I said ac/dc just to name a band with the sound I want, you know, nothing of clean tones.
Probably should have mentioned about feedback. I can now have a very high gain setting and have no feedback problem.
I used to get the microphonic squeal from the MKIIs as well. No longer an issue.
Don't know why the Gibson buyers are getting rid of them, but I bought mine from ebay, 1 month old, for ?78 delivered.
. For that price I don't care why they are getting rid of them.
I used to get the microphonic squeal from the MKIIs as well. No longer an issue.
Don't know why the Gibson buyers are getting rid of them, but I bought mine from ebay, 1 month old, for ?78 delivered.
. For that price I don't care why they are getting rid of them.They went with different quality of wire after 2004.
Next some don't like them so it's a matter of personnal taste.
Some changed them but went back :lol:
But the choice is wide, good ice-cream in different flavors.
Also what is important is the pair wood/pickup.
Next some don't like them so it's a matter of personnal taste.
Some changed them but went back :lol:
But the choice is wide, good ice-cream in different flavors.
Also what is important is the pair wood/pickup.
I tried the burstbuckers out a while ago but found them just a little bit too microphonic, my current faves are Seymour Duncan '59's... great for a vintage style 'chuck berry' breathy tone with a medium gain tube amp.
Fitted them to an early 80's es100 & late 70's ls60.
No squeal or feedback problems so far.
Fitted them to an early 80's es100 & late 70's ls60.
No squeal or feedback problems so far.
jyster said:
I like to have some feedback when I get close to the amp
That's part of the sound I want. You're right, MkII have feedback too. jyster said:Don't know why the Gibson buyers are getting rid of them, but I bought mine from ebay, 1 month old, for ?78 delivered.
I didn't intend to change my mkII set but I had to return some defective stuff to a German shop and now I have some cash in my customer account, so I have the chance but I'll have to pay 150? more or less.
Momo said:
I don't like this, do you mean a BBPro set or a BB1&2 set?
The one's I tried were the pre 2004 standard burstbuckers, I don't think they're wax potted but I may be wrong, I just couldn't get on with the squeal....kind of like the feedback that you'd get if you plugged a cheap mic through a fuzz box, but I don't think they're intended/designed for high gain use, the clean tones were really good for that 'Peter Green' kind of thing though.
For a ball park AC/DC thing have you tried the Gibson classic 57s ?
I was recently doing some promo stuff with a young blues/rock band and the guitarist used a 90s Tokai SG fitted with a set of 57s and it sounded nice and crunchy and very 'Angus' to my ears.
I tend to go straight to the amp (Fender 5e3 Deluxe Clone or Marshall 1974x Combo) and I've been impressed by the way the S/D 59's respond to 'guitar pot' tonal adjustments and although they're not high power units they do have quite a lot of body and grit when you dig in hard, again I'm not 100% sure if they're potted or not but judging by the lack of squeal I think they probably are...they work fine for me anyway.
For a ball park AC/DC thing have you tried the Gibson classic 57s ?
I was recently doing some promo stuff with a young blues/rock band and the guitarist used a 90s Tokai SG fitted with a set of 57s and it sounded nice and crunchy and very 'Angus' to my ears.
I tend to go straight to the amp (Fender 5e3 Deluxe Clone or Marshall 1974x Combo) and I've been impressed by the way the S/D 59's respond to 'guitar pot' tonal adjustments and although they're not high power units they do have quite a lot of body and grit when you dig in hard, again I'm not 100% sure if they're potted or not but judging by the lack of squeal I think they probably are...they work fine for me anyway.
Momo said:
Yes,
classic 57s sound great in a SG, all mahogany body, but I've never heard samples of a LP with this set. I think Gibson mounts this set in the LP Custom which is all mahogany too.Momo said:
SD 59 set it's another of my options. So far, I've only heard samples of these pick ups and I like better the Gibson pick ups for 70s sound.
For classic '70s style rock tone I think your best bet are vintage output, potted Alnico II types, e.g. Gibson Classic 57/+, Duncan Alnico II Pro, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates and so on.
Most of the Burstbuckers I've played were microphonic as hell (uncontrollable squealing as opposed to harmonic feedback), worst were the BB Pros in my '03 Std. Put in some Pearly Gates and this thing rocks now.
Check out my recent little PU shootout for more detail, I'll probably put those in my ES-120, too.
Cheers,
stumble
Most of the Burstbuckers I've played were microphonic as hell (uncontrollable squealing as opposed to harmonic feedback), worst were the BB Pros in my '03 Std. Put in some Pearly Gates and this thing rocks now.
Check out my recent little PU shootout for more detail, I'll probably put those in my ES-120, too.
Cheers,
stumble
ganzua said:Hi Stumble;
BB1&2 are alnico II. BBPros are alnico V. Anyway, I don't want microphonic sound at all
Correct, but the BB Pros are the only BBs that are supposed to be lightly potted, and even they were squealing like hell here.
The Les Paul forum is full of complaints about this issue, too.
Don't get me wrong, all the BBs are good PUs, but they do vary quite a bit and imho they were more designed for cleanish, vintage blues stuff, and that's where they really shine.
I'm not a high gain player, think Gov't Mule or ZZ Top, that's about it.
Never had a problem with any other quality PU, the Mk.IIs are completely unproblematic here, too, I just like the sound of others better for my style.
But in the end there are so many variables, guitar, amp, FX, volume, and not least your own taste and style, so if I were you I'd take all the recommendations (especially mine :wink: ) with a grain of salt and do your own testing, between your friends and the music shops in your area you should be able to try a variety of PUs.
Good luck and have fun,
stumble
Thanks for your answer Stumble
Unfortunately, here where I live it is quite hard to find this kind of stuff in local shops and you can't give it a try. I usually have to order from abroad, Germany and the USA.
stumble said:do your own testing, between your friends and the music shops in your area you should be able to try a variety of PUs.
Good luck and have fun,
stumble
Unfortunately, here where I live it is quite hard to find this kind of stuff in local shops and you can't give it a try. I usually have to order from abroad, Germany and the USA.
stumble said:
Yesterday I listened samples of this three; Duncan Alnico II Pro, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates on the Seymour Duncan web.
I liked best Duncan Alnico II Pro. If I'm not wrong these are the pick ups that Slash uses. I always thought that the sound he gets from his les pauls is more modern than the 70s classic rock.
Do you prefer Gibson Classic 57 over BB1&2?
Sure, anytime, at least if I have to buy them untested.ganzua said:
There are BB1&2s out there that behave well with microphonics and sound great, most that I've heard don't. The trick is to find the good ones.
The 57s I've played all were decent, none was microphonic. They do vary considerably in impedance though, I've seen between 7.6k and almost 9k.
No problem, the louder one goes to the bridge. 8)
With SD it's a lot more consistent.
Alnico II Pro are mellower, Pearly Gates have more bite, else they are rather similar.
Cheers,
stumble
tudor
Well-known member
ganzua said:
Ganzua,
sorry for jumping into a BB question ...
... don't forget WCR pups ... I have a Fillmore set in my Gibbo Classic which sounds so beautiful ... tone to die for ... and a set of Godwoods coming across the pond ...
BTW - the Robertson 'MarkBuckers' in my Eddie solved a big problem for me too ... tremendous sound, unpotted - at a reasonable price ... :wink:
Very, very close to the Fillmores ... 8)
Roger
stumble said:
Thanks for the explanation Stumble. I managed to listen some 57 classics samples on the youtube and I liked a lot. I'm towards to them now
. I have reserched the lespaulforum and there are plenty of good comments on these pickups.
tudor said:
Hi Tudor!
I listened wcr samples on their web but they seem to be more Gary Moore than 70s classic rock with only.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B2clFsLA3w -> I wonder what pick ups have Paul Kossoff here, according to the date, 1971, I presume they should be T-Tops?
