Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Guitar Rod

Guitar Rod

New member
I just bought a used set of Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker... humbuckers. Won't get them for awhile, but I was just wondering what the differences between the CS and retail versions are? Two immediate differences on the ones I'm getting are long mounting legs and no logo. Otherwise I have no clue.
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

welcome to the forum!

no idea. the custom shop will do pretty much whatever you want for the right price. logo and legs are shop floor custom changes, not custom shop. if they are real custom shop they will have custom shop boxes
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Thanks for the welcome. The pups have custom shop stickers on the back and I compared them to other custom shop pickup stickers, including WLHs.

I'm assuming they'd be hand wound. Wasn't the initial UK release a custom shop thing?
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

I have a set of the original UK custom shop version. They look like this. Long legs and no logos as you say. I've no idea about differences between the CS and regular production versions.

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Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Thanks for the pics. That's exactly what mine are like, including the box. Reassuring. So I guess they are the UK initial release ones. Nice!
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

None of them are hand wound. Neither were Gibson pafs. Great pups though
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Are you referring to "hand wound" as in wound manually by hand alone, or the more common meaning of controlling the winding machine by hand (number of winds, winding pattern, etc)? I only know of Zhangbuckers who do the first by request. The second is done by more pickup builders, and I assume that's what someone like MJ does in the custom shop. I'm not 100% sure though. Just what I pick up from reading the forums. :scratchch
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Most likely from that first run. If they were later pickups, I'd be more curious. I wonder how far the pickup has to vary from a production version before it gets a 'Custom Shop' box and sticker...or if it just is made in there, it gets it anyway, even if it is the exact same thing
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Guitar Rod said:
Are you referring to "hand wound" as in wound manually by hand alone, or the more common meaning of controlling the winding machine by hand (number of winds, winding pattern, etc)? I only know of Zhangbuckers who do the first by request. The second is done by more pickup builders, and I assume that's what someone like MJ does in the custom shop. I'm not 100% sure though. Just what I pick up from reading the forums. :scratchch
Click to expand...

true hand winding like dave does (and ive done for some silly reason) is rare, hand guided is more common and was the way fender made pups back in the day. gibson paf's were machine wound the only human interaction was setting up the machine, starting it, stopping it and pulling the full coils off. thats the way the custom shop makes all (or at least most) of their buckers, just like gibson did back in the day. duncan also has one of the old lessona winding machines, just like gibson used back in the day
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Hand-guided is what's meant by handwound. The traverse of the wire is guided by hand though the bobbin is turned by machine. Hand wrapping as I do with some of my pickups is rare -- should have called them Hand Wrapped to make it more clear but the Pure Handwound moniker has stuck, too late to change now. Tim White is the only other one I know (or at least strongly suspect) did it, and I got the idea from him.
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Here are the pics from the seller. The pups are flying their way to me at the moment. Just noticed the "UK Exclusive" there on the box. And it looks like the neck pickup was never used. The protective plastic is still on the bobbin and the wire looks like it's still factory wrapped and the end is cut flat. So possibly one new pickup out of the deal too! :banana:

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Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Wow! I never noticed "UK exclusive" on the box :banghead:
I shouldn't have given you such a good deal :bigthumb:
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

LOL! Me neither. But you're going to get some mighty good feedback. A+++++ Will buy again!!!!! :bigok:
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Got them today! Want to pop them in right now, but I have to wait on the CTS pots and bumblebees, and the wire and yellow heat shrink. So excited!
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

from what I heard, the original run (and I suspect the CS version too) has butyrate bobbins, the regular versions don't.
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

I'd love to hear them when you get them installed!
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

You and me both! :D

I gave them the butyrate smell test. There might be a little somethin' going on there. Tough to tell.
 
Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Finally got to install them in my Epiphone Les Paul. Also 50s wiring with vintage bees...

These pickups are GLORIOUS! They have some serious crunch to them, but clean up quickly and clearly with turning the volume down. And under high gain, the breakup remains clear, not a mess. Almost like a revving motorcycle. Very even and precise with a nice bloom. And even thought the EQ on these are very full and even, there is no mud nor harshness. The midrange is equal to the highs and lows, so it sound very full with lots of body and personality. There is a natural compression to them as I had read in reviews. The reviews pretty much have them nailed. They work with every song I tried, from Sunshine of Your Love, to More Than a Feeling, to Shook Me All Night Long, to Sweet Child O' Mine. SLASHTONEZ! Very versatile pups and highly recommended.

Now my Epi sounds better than my R9... Looks like I'll be looking for more pickups. PAFs this time.
 
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Re: Custom Shop Whole Lotta Humbucker vs retail SH-18

Wow, awesome review!! Do you have any sound clips? Even a pic of them in your guitar?
 
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