Re: Boutique PAFs comparison?
2 sets of timbuckers (very open tone, still thick, kinda tele like for a PAF, full with harmonics. The bridge screams, and the neck is so woody, hard to believe. Love them all) I think it has a5 magnet in the bridge (I am not too sure), and a2 in the neck. The whole deal is about the physical unbucker technique, i.e. the slug coil being a little lower than the screw coil. Bridges are like 8.40K and necks like 8.00K.
1 set of Rolph's 59s. Jim Rolph makes one from what you've got to say. In my case I wanted a "pearly", and he's done is job very well. 8.35K bridge and 7.80K neck. Bridge is very open (not as much as tim's rounder, I think it has an a2 magnet), again with harmonics (not as much as tim's tho), but blooms under pick attack, and it is doing a great job for them "pearly" tones.
2 sets of antiquities. very open very 3d, I generally change the magnets either to a5 bridge a3 neck or a5 bridge and stock dun-aged magnet in the neck (for the woody neck tone). But does not have that nasal screaming tone of the other two above (and PGs). It is rather flatter, but that's not something bad, on the contrary it is good and makes them unique. After the magnet mod, they become what burstbuckers were designed to do! Not that much uppermids. The neck with the dun-aged magnet blooms under pickattack without screaming, and that's soo cool!
My CS PG; great pickup. It is very similar to rolph, but has less 3d harmonics, and somehow less woody. But still great pickup! Would not trade them for any of the other boutique pickups. I coupled it with a 8.00K PGb in the neck, and they simply are the best pickups I have ever owned with the exception of the above.
Tried voodoo 59's, found the bridge simply icepicky. Definitely the brightest one in this batch. The neck was kinda similar to that from a timbucker set, so the neck was great. I sold them as a set! :smack:
Came across a Fillmore bridge, it was similar to a BBQ, but was more open, reacted quite well to vol adjustments, that is cleaned real well. But in comparison to the first 4 it lacks in the openness department. It is not a PAF clone after all, and has a little more compressed tone. BTW a custom custom with an a3 magnet I think is pretty close to it.
Burstbuckers from my R7 and R8: Great pickups, not the best, but they work. They do that flatter non uppermid heavy, non-nasal PAF tone quite well. The ones I owned (sold one kept the better set) are really not bad pickups at all. Somewhat comparable to seths. BTW I owned seths for some time but then sold them after getting antiquities. But I'd say seths and burstbuckers are quite similar, both a2s after all. One BBV neck I came along sucked big time, but the bridge was quite good. Was similar to a 59b, 59b being a little more heavy on the uppermids. thus the BBV sounds brighter, but was not thin at all.
My 8.75K PG+, again one of my favorites. Among all the pickups I own this one in a LP is the one closest to a timbucker bridge!
3 59's 2 necks and 1 bridge (8.70K). Great pickups, the bridge sounds close to an a5 antiquity, but the ant is deeper, has more 3d clarity, and is not that uppermid heavy as the 59. Btu 59b is probably the best one for the money! I don't like 59n's to my ears they sound too defined, too strat like. The bass in the neck is sort of too in your face. That's why I swap their a5's with either a2's or a3's. In fact I think they sound the best with dun-aged magnets out of antiquities. Still lacking in openness and 3d clarity.
That's my humble opinion.
Peace
B
thanks.