Shootout Gibson Burstbuckers vs '57 Classic - rather good way to do it

[lfm]

I like the way he did this and what he played.

Burstbucker 1 and 2 in neck and bridge vs 57


Burstbucker Pro vs 57


Gibson is soon releasing this
https://www.gibson.com/en-eu/products/g ... erry-satin

So thought SG has less "boom" to LP and 57 could fit better and balanced maybe?

[tapper mike]

I'm preferring the classic 57 to the burstbucker.

[lfm]

Thanks.
Burstbuckers Pro I threw out in my LP, something about top end boost I did not like.

I've had two guitars with '57 Classic, a Epi Sheraton II which had pups exchanged, and a Gibson 335. It worked very well on those guitars.

On these vids I'd say strong on low end, rather than weak mids which I've read many places.
With LP and Marshall I gather works really well depending on tone you go for, since Marshall cuts low end quite a bit.

If you buy 57s as a pair with two conductor ones, around $300. Separate with 4 conductors would be like 50% more.

If Epi Dot and Sheraton is still made in Korea and swap pickups might be an option too with those. Otherwise a Gibson SG Std for $1100 second hand here locally, but with 490s another option, possibly swapping to 57s. But then up almost in the range as that new one linked to.

I think apart from one linked to, that 62 reissue SG have 57s as well. I looked for years and never found one used.

Broad idea is to have a guitar with open tuning for slide available and look into getting better at that. Slide is an option that makes guitars such incredible versatile instrument, IMO.
- just notice the lower threshold to play the more it will be played

Tom Jones at Cardiff Castle 2002
- 59:18 min in, a rather cool slide work


Yet another great live concert....

[Uncle E]

My Ibanez Les Paul had 57 Classics in it, back when they were first introduced 35 years ago. When I replaced them with real patent sticker PAF's (they were cheap back then), the guitar gained a juicy midrange that was missing from the 57's. The 57's sounded full range in comparison.

[lfm]

Interesting read, thanks. Rune Gustafsson, a prominent swedish jazz guitarist, use the Ibanez LP quite a lot as I as 20+ longed to get "a real Gibson" and felt it must be good.

DiMarzio 36 yr anniversary PAF is in neck of LP, but no clue how it compares to the original. Just that it works way better in that guitar than stock Burstbucker Pro.
- just the way I see it, a particular pickup and what guitar?
- what makes the best come out that I don't have to tweak tone controls of every amp to use them

After I made this discovery with new silent load, but with a real speaker, I have 4 new amps pretty much and have to get to know all guitars in this context now. Just the sweetest breakup and work in progress....

[tapper mike]

My Epi Joe Pass had "probuckers" the cheaper version of bursts and the output was unbearably low. I replaced it with the newer version of SD JB/JAZZ (4 leads for coil tap) Day and Night. I was getting Kenny Burrell tones thereafter

[Uncle E]

btw, the Epiphone Elitists we were talking about in the other thread have US-made pickups.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

My Epi Joe Pass had "probuckers" the cheaper version of bursts and the output was unbearably low. I replaced it with the newer version of SD JB/JAZZ (4 leads for coil tap) Day and Night. I was getting Kenny Burrell tones thereafter

I think I've got those in my Epi 339 with coil splits. They're low-ish output, but not bad pickups. Sound a bit like the Burstbuckers in my SG, which I don't like as much as the Gibson Classic PAF's I put in my Epi LP.

I think I just REALLY like the PAF sound.

[Uncle E]

You can change PAF’s a lot by changing their magnets. Much cheaper than new pickups and only slightly more work, since you don’t need to remove them to do it. Another thing I’ve done is removed the screws and installed short ones so they’re not making contact with the magnet, but you’d only want to do that with pickups that are overpowered, not underpowered.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

When I bought the Gibson Classic PAF's, I didn't even know about "get the higher output one for the bridge" being a thing so I got two of the same one. But I've adjusted to it. I have zero desire to upgrade the pickups in that particular guitar. But perhaps one day I'll think about doing something different in that 339. The Bustbuckers in my Gibson SG aren't my favorite, but they do the AC/DC thing, so they'll stay.

My hot take is this: I have 2 Epiphones (Les Paul and 339) and 2 good Gibsons (LP Special DC and a really nice SG) that have been worked on by people who know what they are doing, and the Epiphones hold tuning much better. Even after having the nuts recut on the Gibsons. The shop that worked on my SG specializes in vintage and high-end Gibsons and they said my 61 Standard is up there with a 63 Gibson Custom Shop model they had in the store. And I still don't love it!

[lfm]

You can change PAF’s a lot by changing their magnets. Much cheaper than new pickups and only slightly more work, since you don’t need to remove them to do it. Another thing I’ve done is removed the screws and installed short ones so they’re not making contact with the magnet, but you’d only want to do that with pickups that are overpowered, not underpowered.

It's often forgotten about, how raising pole pieces and lower pickup, raise mids/highs.
- that can be the difference to buying a complete different pickup model

I had some thought into swap one magnet around like Peter Green to get out of phase, but ran into potted pickups and having to take care of melted wax and all that.

[lfm]

My Epi Joe Pass had "probuckers" the cheaper version of bursts and the output was unbearably low. I replaced it with the newer version of SD JB/JAZZ (4 leads for coil tap) Day and Night. I was getting Kenny Burrell tones thereafter

The Jazz/JB combo was the first attempt I did to pimp an Epi LP 20+ years ago. Later swapped Jazz for '59 and in the end 2 Gibson 490R and 498T. To me tone of Gibson and DiMarzio supersede SD all days in the week.

Can it be different strength of each magnet, or something?
- often you read Alnico this and that, but there can surely be differences how strong a magnet is made

Where I picked vids from
https://prosoundhq.com/gibson-burstbuck ... omparison/

Magnets are also sensitive to physical abuse. You can slam a hammer on a magnet and it becomes weaker.
- within reason so it does not break

[lfm]

When I bought the Gibson Classic PAF's, I didn't even know about "get the higher output one for the bridge" being a thing so I got two of the same one. But I've adjusted to it.

You always get away with putting it closer to strings, I gather....I usually experiment a bit with that when having both pickups active. Certain sound I don't like in middle position when bridge is too weak.....

[mystran]

Magnets are also sensitive to physical abuse. You can slam a hammer on a magnet and it becomes weaker.

Yeah. Permanent magnets don't like mechanical shock, they don't like heat (although neither does the plastic in pickups, so might not be terribly relevant) and they don't like external magnetic fields. Each of these can cause them to lose their magnetisation.

[mystran]

When I bought the Gibson Classic PAF's, I didn't even know about "get the higher output one for the bridge" being a thing so I got two of the same one. But I've adjusted to it.

You always get away with putting it closer to strings, I gather....I usually experiment a bit with that when having both pickups active. Certain sound I don't like in middle position when bridge is too weak.....

Just keep in mind that distance to strings also affects the tone. As it turns out, many people prefer the tone of weaker types of magnets and pickup slightly further away from the strings, while simultaneously wishing for more output... so it can be bit of a trade-off.