I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

[Gearjoneser]

I've been doing auditions with other members for a new band lately, and jammed with a heavy blues rock band tonight. The other guitar player and I both had killer LP setups, so the tone was so dense and thick, it was like two Jerry Cantrells in the same room.

I had a LP Std. Premium Plus with A5 Brobucker/PGn into a Bogner XTC halfstack, and he had a LP Std. with Throback A2 8.1K/7.6K PAF's wound on the OTHER Leesona winder, into a 71 Marshall 100W halfstack. We both had slightly different tones, mine being broader and smoother, his being woodier, crunchier, but totally sweet sounding.

We were both in agreement that both tones were huge and amazing sounding, but I really started jonesing for the pickups he had in his LP, which reminded me of Gibson Burstbucker 1/2, but better.

I'd never given Throback any thought, since the name doesn't come up as often as WCR, Duncan, Lollar, or Bareknuckles, but those pickups are AMAZING!.....being plugged into one of the best Marshalls I've ever heard didn't hurt either.

I'm starting to question my use of A5's in LP's, and thinking that the best tone from a LP is vintage spec A2. My SG and 335 have Burstbuckers and 57 Classic, and I like them a lot. I also have my 50th Ann. Seths sitting in their boxes right now, which they shouldn't be.

All I can say is Blueman335 is onto something with roughcast and unoriented magnets. And Throback is making one hell of a PAF. I'm thinking that you don't need to pay these prices...you just need to find great vintage wound pickups, then start experimenting with sandcast A2's and unoriented A5's.

http://gundrymedia.typepad.com/throbak_electronics/2008/07/throbak-vintage.html

 

[Brow]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

I really like A4 in LPs myself

 

[claytonc]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

throbaks are arguably the second best paf type pickups made. However I prefer Antiquities with paf magnets to the DT102 set I had.

Dave Stephens makes the best pafs I have ever heard, and I have heard most of them. (Sheptone, Wolfetone, Duncan's, Throbaks, Holmes, WCR's)

His VL59 JP set replaced my Antiquities in my 2009 R9.

 

[LesPaulRules]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

I had a LP Std. Premium Plus with A5 Brobucker/PGn

I'm starting to question my use of A5's in LP's, and thinking that the best tone from a LP is vintage spec A2. My SG and 335 have Burstbuckers and 57 Classic, and I like them a lot. I also have my 50th Ann. Seths sitting in their boxes right now, which they shouldn't be.

I selected a few quotes about issues I've dealt with.

The guitar in my avatar is a Std PP with A5 Bro/PGn. Perfect set in this guitar... and I've had a ton of pickups in that guitar.

I usually prefer A5's in Les Pauls, as they don't always work well with the softer nature of A2's. Key word is "always". My R8 RI has bone stock '57 Classics (with stock A2 mags) and I can't imagine a better sounding pickup in that guitar.

I think it all comes down to the tone of the guitar and the style of music as to what mag/type of pickup works best. Can't tell you how many pickup changes I've made to various guitars, especially Les Pauls, to find the perfect combination.



P.S. Get those 50th Ann. Seths out of the box and in to something. I have a set of Musician's Friend version with A5 mags that just kill.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

throbaks are arguably the second best paf type pickups made. However I prefer Antiquities with paf magnets to the DT102 set I had.

Dave Stephens makes the best pafs I have ever heard, and I have heard most of them. (Sheptone, Wolfetone, Duncan's, Throbaks, Holmes, WCR's)

His VL59 JP set replaced my Antiquities in my 2009 R9.

Were your Antiquities stock, or did you change magnets?

Have you ever owned Wolfetone Marshallheads?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

P.S. Get those 50th Ann. Seths out of the box and in to something. I have a set of Musician's Friend version with A5 mags that just kill.

Mine are the MF A2 version, and they were in my LP Std Prem Plus before the Bro/PGn. I liked them on clean and midgain amps, but they got a little mushy in the lows on higher gain/more compression.

I'll probably put the Seths in a guitar with a harder response, like a McCarty.

 

[claytonc]

Re: I heard some of the best LP tone ever tonight.

I put real P.A.F. magnets in my Ants. I also prefer older Antiquities to newer ones.

I have heard Marshallheads, and I owned Dr.Vintages. the 65th set actually.
They are both very nice, but not in the VL league.