59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

CarmenJuandeago

New member
I really like the sound of the burstbucker pro in my 2004 lp, very raunchy with gain, palm mutes sound awesome, wound strings don't get muddy with gain.. Maybe it has something to do with the unmatched coils?

interested in the 59/custom hybrid for another guitar because it is also has mismatched coils--- will it provide that same raunchy "rock" sound?
how do both of these compare to a dimarzio 36th anniversary?
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

I haven't played the BB Pro, or 36th, but I have the 59/C Hybrid as well as a BB 2 in another guitar. I believe the Pro is the same wind as the BB 2, just with an Alnico 5 magnet instead of Alnico 2, which comes stock on the hybrid (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Based off my experience, the hybrid has a bit more top end, and is a bit more open compared to the Burstbucker 2, which are also qualities one could equate to the differences between Alnico 2 and Alnico 5 magnets. I reckon that the BB Pro and the hybrid would sound relatively similar using this reasoning.

Too long/Didn't read: Yes, the hybrid sounds awesome. Yes, you'll probably like it. I don't think it'd sound too far off from your Gibson pickup, although I don't have experience with that exact pickup. More seasoned members will hopefully chime in soon.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

I really like the sound of the burstbucker pro in my 2004 lp, very raunchy with gain, palm mutes sound awesome, wound strings don't get muddy with gain.. Maybe it has something to do with the unmatched coils?

interested in the 59/custom hybrid for another guitar because it is also has mismatched coils--- will it provide that same raunchy "rock" sound?
how do both of these compare to a dimarzio 36th anniversary?

The BB Pros are wound within the realm of stock '50's – '70's factory humbuckers, and the coils are only slightly mismatched. The '59/C is not really similar at all. It has an extreme coil mismatch, and doesn't in any way sound like it could be a stock vintage-style pickup. It has a definite aftermarket, hot-rodded sound, though it isn't as heavy as typical hot-rodded classics like the JB. The way I'd describe it would be a "significantly" (but not "extremely") beefed up P.A.F. that leans a little bit toward moderately-hot-single-coil-like feel/response.

The P.A.F. 36th is a more "vintage" sounding pickup than either of the others you mentioned. It has a more even e.q. when compared to the bottom-and-top-heavy BB Pro or the bottom-and-low-mid-heavy '59/C. It also has less output and a lot more clarity than the BB Pro or '59/C. That said, the P.A.F. 36th will get you much closer to the BB Pro than will the '59/C.
 
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Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

There are a lot of pickups that have great rock tone. Fair to say that any mismatch comes in about last on the list of important factors in determining this.

And from those who have tested BB pro's, the mismatch is of the order of a hundred turns.......well within the normal realms of offset for a pickup designed to be even coils. The 'mismatched coils' bit is a marketing gimmick for the BB pro's. You need to do more than what gibson did for the effect to make any difference.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

a very nice observation about 59/Custom hybrid IMO

The problem when you overwind a PAF style 42 guage wire pickup(59 Model, Seth, EVH, etc.) is that it starts getting garbled sounding above about 9k just as MJ has informed you...

To achieve a more beefy tone and retain clarity, you need to step to a thinner wire and wind more turns... ala the Custom models which use 43 guage wire coils wound to just above 14k which is the optimal range for tone with that wire...

The next step is the JB & Distortion which are wound up to about 16-17k with 44 gauge wire which is the optimal range for THAT wire.

Each wire has its "sweet spot" for tone and response and they all end up with about the same size coil... each wire also produces a unique set of harmonics

The comprimise when producing a "hot" pickup is that you lose some of the articulation and dynamic response of the PAF and start to suffer from compression due to the signal travelling through a greater length of thinner wire. There are benefits and comprimises with each unique design.

With the Hybrid you get a blend of the different gauge wires qualities... also, each coil has a different resonant peak so the combination is less "peaky" or "one notey" than a standard humbucker. The mis-matched coils also cancel less harmonics so the tone is more complex and posseses some qualities exclusive to single coil pickups.

The coils are actually not very mis-matched since they have roughly the same amount of copper on the coil... you can't just use the resistance reading as a balance indicator
The difference in resistance readings is because a 59 coil is wound with 42 gauge wire and a Custom coil is wound with 43 gauge wire which is thinner and electronically more resistive, add the additional turns it takes to fill the coil and your resistance reading is going to be a lot higher than a 42 gauge coil... the key factor is that they have about the same amount of copper on the coil which is what reacts to produce sound when the magnetic field is stimulated by the vibration of the strings.

An example of a widely mis-matched humbucker is the FRALIN UN-BUCKER which has coils of the SAME gauge wire wound pretty far apart... the resistance measurement may only be 1k or so, but that is with 42 gauge wire which will produce 2 coils with a big difference in the amount of actual copper... I tried one of those and did not like it at all... the resonant peak produced by that 3.5k 42 gauge coil was shrill sounding to my ears.

I hope I have explained this in understandable terminology...

There is a consistant misunderstanding on the forum of how pickups work... ESPECIALLY in regards to resistance measurements... different gauge wires produce a different responses, harmonics and tone... that is why there are different models made with 42 gauge(59 Model, JAZZ, APII, etc), 43 gauge(Custom) and 44 gauge(JB,Distortion, etc...)
Seymour has nailed the optimal winds for wire each of the standard gauge & type and that is why his pickups are generally regarded as the best... the majority of all the different models available are just variations of magnet type/size, coverd/uncoverd, potted/un-potted and different polepieces.

Hybrids made using Duncan coils are the best pickups I have ever heard...
The finest Bridge pickup being the Alnico 59/Custom Hybrid... the JB/Custom is also very cool for more modern tone...
The Neck pickup of choice is the 59/Jazz Hybrid...
DiMarzio has patents on this type of design so you will not be seeing them in the Duncan lineup anytime soon.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

"Hybrids made using Duncan coils are the best pickups I have ever heard...
The finest Bridge pickup being the Alnico 59/Custom Hybrid... the JB/Custom is also very cool for more modern tone...
The Neck pickup of choice is the 59/Jazz Hybrid...
DiMarzio has patents on this type of design so you will not be seeing them in the Duncan lineup anytime soon."


With all due respect to the great post by BachToRock, and in light of the three lines preceeding the last, I don't understand the part about the DiMarzio patents.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

BachToRock's post is from about 10 years ago.

The DiMarzio patent referred to is the 'dual resonance', which constitutes each coil using different gauge wire. This patent has expired which is why SD can produce the 59/C.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

"Hybrids made using Duncan coils are the best pickups I have ever heard...
The finest Bridge pickup being the Alnico 59/Custom Hybrid... the JB/Custom is also very cool for more modern tone...
The Neck pickup of choice is the 59/Jazz Hybrid...
DiMarzio has patents on this type of design so you will not be seeing them in the Duncan lineup anytime soon."


With all due respect to the great post by BachToRock, and in light of the three lines preceeding the last, I don't understand the part about the DiMarzio patents.
DiMarzio's Dual Resonance Patent - http://www.google.com/patents/US4501185
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

Not to get too far off topic, based on this:
Date Code Event Description
May 6, 1997 FP Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19970226

Seymour could be making every possible combination of mismatched coils and selling them commercially? Fascinating!
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

Not to get too far off topic, based on this:
Date Code Event Description
May 6, 1997 FP Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19970226

Seymour could be making every possible combination of mismatched coils and selling them commercially? Fascinating!
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinteresting.
 
Re: 59/Custom Hybrid vs Burstbucker Pro

I've got a Burstbucker Pro bridge, that's a 4 conductor version, sat to one side, if some DC values of the coils are of any interest to anyone(?)
 
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