Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

[STRATDELUXER97]

I'll start by saying that my review is very similar to Gearjoneser's review that I read a week or so ago...

Finally got the Brobucker into the bridge of my Gibson SG today....Took the cover off to expose those nice dual creme bobbins....I Like the shinier,darker Dimarzio covers better though but...It pairs very nicely with the DMZ VPAF I still have in the neck.

I Like this pickup alot....Reminds me of a much ballsier 59B pickup but not the C5...Compared to the VPAF Hot,this BB has less mids,is smoother(Like most Duncans)...Nice eq overall...Ballsy,articulate,nice lows,mids are perfect,chimey but not toppy highs,warm,and smooth....The pickup is tight but it has this really nice cleanliness about it that I Liked even though it's a ballsier 10k pickup in specs....Fat and articulate...The mids are slightly eq'd up but not like a JB pickup etc...

Has this cool custom shop vibe in that the pickup sounds like it was in fact wound by someone that really knows how to wind a great pickup....It's very much a great 59B pickup but just offers more of what I Like about the 59B...

Sustain is very easy to get and I Like this pickup over the VPAF Hot and only because the mids are scooped a bit and this pickup has a smoother and warmer tone....The A5 seems great in this pickup and I wouldn't change it...

This pickup is very similar to the VPAF Hot,but has less mids and slightly less output....Both are A5 and rated for 10k....The BB lacks that 3D quality of the VPAF Hot but I still like it alot....The BB has more of what I feel a great PAF pickup should have....It's ballsy,stronger lows,mids are eq'd flatter,nice highs.....Overall great job by MJ on this one...Glad I own one...It's really nice!

I'll use the VPAF Hot in the bridge of one of my H/S/S strats and it's also a great pickup...

This Brobucker measures 10.2k and is perfect in my SG....Not too bright and in no way too dark....It just sings through my Marshall amp!

I have one complaint about my BB pickup upon taking the cover off....There wasn't enough tape around the bobbins and tape was falling off....The tape around the bobbins looked sloppy and rushed and I had to fix it...Other than that,great pickup as far as tone...

Ok back to hiding for a bit.....LOL.....Lots of stuff going on right now....:smack:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

Forward

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

Nice review John. I found similar results and in comparing to the Fillmore that it replaced it was tighter overall, but lacks a bit of 3d quality especially when you roll back the vol. But it's a VERY nice pup and it's going to stay in my LP for quite some time.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

Nice review John. I found similar results and in comparing to the Fillmore that it replaced it was tighter overall, but lacks a bit of 3d quality especially when you roll back the vol. But it's a VERY nice pup and it's going to stay in my LP for quite some time.

I think mine will stay in my SG for now also....I know the VPAF Hot with it's higher mids would be perfect in a strat's bridge position...I feel the BB is closer to a hotter Seth,59B etc with it's eq and all....I like the fact that it's smoother and warmer(And rounder)also...I Liked it right off...

 

[gripweed]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

Mine is still in the shop, waiting to get put in my LP. It's killin' me that I can't play it!

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

John... how about compared to the 59/Custom Hybrid?

I know they are in different guitars, but do you notice any similarities or differences?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

John... how about compared to the 59/Custom Hybrid?

I know they are in different guitars, but do you notice any similarities or differences?

Hmmmm.....I've not tryed a 59/C Hybrid in this SG so I'd be at a loss trying to give you a fair comparison Pete?

The Hybrid is in my Love Rock LP....

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

I never take the time to write a decent review. My reviews are usually along the lines of "I like it" or "it sounds good" LOL!

...that's why I love reading John's reviews. Good stuff. Thanks, John.

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

John... how about compared to the 59/Custom Hybrid?

I know they are in different guitars, but do you notice any similarities or differences?

I'll take a stab at it...

I also tried the BB and Hybrid on different guitars, but IMO they are very different soudning pickups (both good in their own ways). The hybrid is brighter, has more of a P-90 single note chimey harmonic content (and considerably more harmonics in general). The BB is darker has more bottom end and girth.

I honestly didn't find any similarities except they are both more complex sounding than standard floor model p'ups...but in very different ways.

Even though John is hesitant to comment, I'm sure he could add more and explain better than I.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

I'll take a stab at it...

I also tried the BB and Hybrid on different guitars, but IMO they are very different soudning pickups (both good in their own ways). The hybrid is brighter, has more of a P-90 single note chimey harmonic content (and considerably more harmonics in general). The BB is darker has more bottom end and girth.

I honestly didn't find any similarities except they are both more complex sounding than standard floor model p'ups...but in very different ways.

Even though John is hesitant to comment, I'm sure he could add more and explain better than I.

LOL.....I've been thinking about the differences between the Hybrid and the Brobucker since I responded to Bachtorock's post....Since the SG is a brighter animal than my LP,it's hard to give a true comparison? Both pickups are great and so I guess I could say there are some similarities...I Like the DMZ VPAF Hot as much as these other 2 pickups also...

 

[PoorMan]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

I didn't dig the DMZ VHOT PAF at first...but over time it grew on me.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

I didn't dig the DMZ VHOT PAF at first...but over time it grew on me.

Great pickup for any guitar that could use a bit more mids....Like an SG...

 

[BigDreamer]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

on the subject of the VHPAF, dmz's website shows it as having a sort of upside-down smile to the eq, does this show up in the sound. i really want to find a low output pup with really accentuated mids.

You always have awesome reviews, i appreciate your thoroughness.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

on the subject of the VHPAF, dmz's website shows it as having a sort of upside-down smile to the eq, does this show up in the sound. i really want to find a low output pup with really accentuated mids.

You always have awesome reviews, i appreciate your thoroughness.

This doesn't sound like the pickup you want....It has a pretty hot output and the mids stand out more...The pickup is more aggressive than a vintage style bridge pickup..I'd say the VPAF Hot is more inline with something like a Custom Custom or the C5..

 

[BigDreamer]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

i know i probably wouldn't want the brobucker, but are u saying the output of the VHPAF is like that of the CC? i know i'd love the mids of the JB or the CC but i really can't stand pups that get really compressed and lifeless feeling if you know what i mean. i don't mind the output of my lil screamin demon at all so how do the VPAF line compare output wise with that?

i want tons of mids from a low output pup, but i'm guessing most of the mids that are present in pups like the JB and CC come from the overwinding (and magnet choice in the case of the CC).

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

great review!! also, my tape was the same way when i took my cover off to put the black cover on. very little of the "under" tape and no cloth tape over that. no big deal since i just put another cove on anyway.

-Mike

 

[gripweed]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

i know i probably wouldn't want the brobucker, but are u saying the output of the VHPAF is like that of the CC? i know i'd love the mids of the JB or the CC but i really can't stand pups that get really compressed and lifeless feeling if you know what i mean. i don't mind the output of my lil screamin demon at all so how do the VPAF line compare output wise with that?

i want tons of mids from a low output pup, but i'm guessing most of the mids that are present in pups like the JB and CC come from the overwinding (and magnet choice in the case of the CC).

You won't get CC type of mids, but if you want a vintage output pickup with great mids, try a Seth.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

great review!! also, my tape was the same way when i took my cover off to put the black cover on. very little of the "under" tape and no cloth tape over that. no big deal since i just put another cove on anyway.

-Mike

I was a bit putoff by that,but I fixed it up...:fingersx:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

i know i probably wouldn't want the brobucker, but are u saying the output of the VHPAF is like that of the CC? i know i'd love the mids of the JB or the CC but i really can't stand pups that get really compressed and lifeless feeling if you know what i mean. i don't mind the output of my lil screamin demon at all so how do the VPAF line compare output wise with that?

i want tons of mids from a low output pup, but i'm guessing most of the mids that are present in pups like the JB and CC come from the overwinding (and magnet choice in the case of the CC).

Yes...Dimarzio pickups normally don't suffer in output....I wouldn't say the VPAF Hot compresses though...It's tight and articulate always with the mids raised a bit...It has nice highs and strong tight lows...

 

[BigDreamer]

Re: Out From Hiding For A Brobucker Review..

sorry for the hijack btw. but it seems all of duncan's low output pups are scooped according to the tone chart and the dimarzio's eq chart on the VPAFs looked a little more up my alley, i basically just don't want a pup that sounds scooped at all. again sorry for the hijack.