Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

[Ed Hunter]

On paper these look very close to one another, i have never tried the blues patb3 yet but have tried the 59TB.
I actually really liked the 59TB except wish it had a touch more output and warmth(less spikey highs) is that pretty much the PATB3?:naughty:

here are the specs,

59TB
8.7K,
alnico 5
resonant peak= 6.0 khz
6/3/8 bass,mids, treble

Blues PAtb3
9.8K
alnico 5
resonant peak= 6.0 khz
6/3/6 B,M,T

I know it is desginred for floyd type trems but what else does the parallel axis design actually do to the tone? is it anything like a "air bucker" in that it makes the full strength A5 perform like a aged 5?
actually it is really original looking too!:approve:

 

[AlexR]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Yep, the PATB 3 is like a thicker 59. It has a much better clean tone too IMO.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

big fan of the patb3

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

I have both.

I won't have the opportunity to try'em before Christmas time or even New Year, but in January I'll be trying'em both in the same guitar, both A8 modded and I'll post the outcome. Stay tuned!

HTH,

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Yep, the PATB 3 is like a thicker 59. It has a much better clean tone too IMO.

Thats what i wanted to hear! The 59 is a great pu but in a super strat with a floyd it needs a lil more beef. and if the blues has a even better clean tone then great!
Does anyone know exactly what the two poles per string do for the tone of the parallel axis pu's? i know theres a method to his madness with that design? i was told it mimics dimarzio's air field on their air buckers?

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

i was told it mimics dimarzio's air field on their air buckers?

The person that told you that has no understanding of neither the PATB design or the DM Air technology whatsoever.

It's too late for me now to try to explain it, maybe tomorrow... after at least some seven hours of sound sleep.

 

[51501984]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

From what I remember of the Blues was that it wasn`t as bright or boomy as the 59. The Eq chart shows it as being scooped but it dosen`t sound that way. Sounds great under high gain, a bit commpressed not as open sounding as the 59. A really cool pickup is a standard or tremspaced 59 rewound to the Blues specs. I`ve had the Blues in a hardtail Strat and a vintage trem Strat and it sounded pretty good with either bridge

 

[Despair]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Parallel Axis is in no way related to Airing a pickup.

I haven't A/Bed the PATB-3 & '59 in person, but in recordings I hear a lot of similarities. PATB-3 in a shredstick has a lot of the flavor of a '59 in a Les Paul. Which is impressive given radically different woods, scale length & general construction.

It does soften the attack a little, but combined with the higher output I find it balances out pretty well. The placement is intended to reduce string pull & improve sustain. It definitely does that, and also improves harmonics and sweetens the upper mids. Great articulation, surprisingly tight for the output and smoother attack. Also, no dropout for bending notes (unless you fret out, and there's no way that's the pickup at fault!).

If you dig in, the high output makes up for the softened attack, in my experience with the PATB-1b. It's ridiculously expressive. Chords bite and snarl awesomely, lean much more towards A5. Single notes and light picking leans a bit towards A2, but with way tighter bass and comparatively scooped mids.

Sure, a Custom UOA5 is somewhere in there, but it's not quite as punchy, doesn't have the extended harmonics (the combination of high output, thick lower mids with extended but smooth treble is really nice on the Parallel Axis pickups).

One caveat: Pickup height really matters, the high output means you can back it off quite far without volume drop causing volume/tone problems. Tweak height purely for tone. I found that too close to the strings, PATB-1b gets very twangy with insane low end, like a cross between a telecaster and a piano. A fun tone, but not terribly flexible. Back it off and it changed character completely, mids came up, treble got less uncomfortable and it started to sing for leads like few pickups I've tried have.

I'm very curious what UOA5 would do in a PATB, I know a lot of people don't like A2 in the production PATBs, but Frank Falbo has said good things about his custom shop PATB-78...

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Despair and 51591984 thanks for the info,sounds like the blues wilkl impress me in a charvel with a floyd. The 59 sounded really good,and i almost called it a day in this one guitar(charvel, alder. floyd,all maple neck pickguard but this blues model keeps haunting me. I am pretty confident now that when i try the blues pu i will have a smile on my face after playing it a few.

 

[Mpcoluv]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

The PATB-3 is the closet I have ever found for a vintage Les Paul type tone when installed in a bolt on 25.5 scale guitar.
I have one in a samick saraceno Radio 10 and love it!

 

[GrooveHT]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Something to add...it taps REALLY well. You know how typically, split humbuckers sound very thing? This one does not! Awesome when combined with a middle single for strat flair!

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Parallel Axis is in no way related to Airing a pickup.

It does soften the attack a little... The placement is intended to reduce string pull & improve sustain.

Not to be a pain in the arse, but those are exactly what Dimarzio's "virtual vintage technology" seeks to accomplish.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Just got a PAtb-3 to try out thanks to forum member Indy SG
I will report back my findings after i get a chance to install and play on it for a while. It will be installed in a newer Charvel pro mod that came with a JB stock, I will be putting it up against that JB and other these pu's i have tried in this axe,
59 trembucker
handwound guitar force Eruptor model(in guitar now,best so far!)
PG
78
CC with air mod.
FYI, the PAtb-3 has a resistance of 9.1K(same as eruptor and 78) duncan has the resistance at 9.8K. on website?

 

[Despair]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Not to be a pain in the arse, but those are exactly what Dimarzio's "virtual vintage technology" seeks to accomplish.

I have a nasty headache, hopefully this is clear and I don't garble anything.

Airing isn't Virtual Vintage. Virtual Vintage works by raising inductance through placing ferromagnetic mass hidden inside the coil. [Extra slugs/screws that don't protrude through bobbin.]

Airing is reducing connection between magnet and the polepieces, reducing inductance to mimic a weaker magnet.

It's a very different technology. Parallel Axis isn't the same thing as an aged magnet, it doesn't weaken the magnetic field, just spreads it and has it reach the strings from the sides instead of dead on. You get a softer attack, but overall increased output. Yet without losing high end like an overwound conventional coil does, or like swapping to an aged or unoriented magnet.

 

[Despair]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Just got a PAtb-3 to try out thanks to forum member Indy SG
I will report back my findings after i get a chance to install and play on it for a while. It will be installed in a newer Charvel pro mod that came with a JB stock, I will be putting it up against that JB and other these pu's i have tried in this axe,
59 trembucker
handwound guitar force Eruptor model(in guitar now,best so far!)
PG
78
CC with air mod.
FYI, the PAtb-3 has a resistance of 9.1K(same as eruptor and 78) duncan has the resistance at 9.8K. on website?

Whilesome variation is normal, that seems rather underwound or like it's got a partial short. Might check if one coil reads different than the other.

Could also be temperature, is it perhaps unusually cold (cold from transport, measured before it reached room temp)?

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Whilesome variation is normal, that seems rather underwound or like it's got a partial short. Might check if one coil reads different than the other.

Could also be temperature, is it perhaps unusually cold (cold from transport, measured before it reached room temp)?

Yeah you are right, the cold makes the resistance lower. i took another reading a few minutes ago after the pup has been indoors for over a hour and got a reading of 9.3K now

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Got the blues pup thanks to forum bro john(INDYSG)and installed it in a alder charvel pro mod(so cal)
The blues is a amazing pup that lives up to its rep!
Quite a few here have said how great the blues pup is and they were not BS'ing!
tone and output wise falls in between a 59b and UOA5 custom.
What is a little deceiving is that on the tone chart it shows the blues to be as mid scooped as a 59 and this is NOT the case at all.
It is actually a very balanced, medium high output pup.
Very underrated model!:naughty:

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Got the blues pup thanks to forum bro john(INDYSG)and installed it in a alder charvel pro mod(so cal)
The blues is a amazing pup that lives up to its rep!
Quite a few here have said how great the blues pup is and they were not BS'ing!
tone and output wise falls in between a 59b and UOA5 custom.
What is a little deceiving is that on the tone chart it shows the blues to be as mid scooped as a 59 and this is NOT the case at all.
It is actually a very balanced, medium high output pup.
Very underrated model!:naughty:

Ed, wait until january and I'll give a full report on an A8 modded PATB3.

I'm very curious about the outcome, I've always wanted to try a PATB and never had the opportunity as they're very rare indeed here in my neck of woods. It's going to be paired with an A4 modded PATB1. I'm REALLY looking forward to hear'em in my controlled enviroment having my #1 as tonal reference.

Stay tuned!

HTH,

 

[Blackie13]

Re: Anyone here ever compare the 59 trembucker and PAtb-3?

Got the blues pup thanks to forum bro john(INDYSG)and installed it in a alder charvel pro mod(so cal)
The blues is a amazing pup that lives up to its rep!
Quite a few here have said how great the blues pup is and they were not BS'ing!
tone and output wise falls in between a 59b and UOA5 custom.
What is a little deceiving is that on the tone chart it shows the blues to be as mid scooped as a 59 and this is NOT the case at all.
It is actually a very balanced, medium high output pup.
Very underrated model!:naughty:

Full review PLEASE !!!