Uk Ant
New member
Three Guitars:
Gibson LP standard – Burstbucker Pickups
Tokai Love Rock LP Standard – Tokai PAF MKII
Burny LP Custom Randy Rhoads Model (circa late eighties) – Stock neck, Iron Gear Hot Slag in the bridge.
Also a Tokai explorer with a C5 in the bridge
Amp – Ashdown FA through a Marshall 2x12
Ok so what we have are three Les Paul’s, all Mahogany with maple caps, all fixed bridge. Now I was only really using the Bridge pup as that’s the one I’m thinking of replacing first in the Tokai.
So lets start with my Guitar (the others belong to our rhythm guitarist).
Now these MKII PAFs from Tokai are all right, I think the mags are A2 and the DC resistance is about 13k. The bottom end is quite tight but they lack a bit of clarity and if you back off the volume they do go a bit muddy. All round they’re pretty good but lack a bit of bite and character.
Next the Burny, now this is a MIJ guitar made in the same factory that made Tokai’s, Greko’s etc in the eighties. It really is very good, bit loose round the edges, then again it’s about twenty years old. Now Iron gear are another little UK pup manufacturer but rather than going the Bare Knuckle route of hand wound pups for every conceivable sound for big money they sell a small range of pups for bargain prices. From their website you can buy them for less than £25 for humbucker. Now the Hot Slag is their highest DC resistance pup at 16k with A5 mags, so a bit like a JB. Sound wise it’s got allot more definition than the Tokai’s and just a little bit more gain, like the Tokai’s they’re quite warm round the bottom end and mids but a bit punchier. They also clean up better than the Tokai’s.
Last is the Gibson. First thing to note is the weight; the do jap guitars are non chambered so this Gibson feels lighter, not light mind, but lighter. Now these pups do have a certain something over the other two, although that may also be the guitar itself. The A5 magnets mean that the bottom end is not so heavy but they’re not that flappy either. Lead tone is a bit thin up the neck, especially after the hot slag. Having said all that if you are doing heavy blues/classic rock these are really quite nice.
Ok, the odd guitar out is the explorer, although it’s also fixed bridge it’s a naturally brighter guitar and with the C5 in it sounds very different from the LP’s. The bottom end is much tighter, but it does lack that warmth in the low mids. I do like the C5, it’s a great heavy rock pup, which is handy as I play heavy rock most of the time.
So we have three almost identical Guitars with very different pickups. The weak ones are the Tokai’s, they just lack a bit of bite and definition. Next I’d say the Hot slag just lacks a bit of character, but for the money it’s a great pup, as a stop gap while you save for those BKP’s or SD Custom shop pups they’re pretty darn good. Next up it’s the Gibson’s, ok so they’re not high output and the bass is a tad light but they have character and I’d think twice before replacing them without it. So the Custom five wins, which is a pain as I have a guitar with a C5 in. Now there are other pups to try, and I’m very intrigued by Swineshead, who seem to be bargain basement BKP’s rather than the Iron Gear bargain basement SD.
Question is should I just get a Hot Slag anyway, I mean £25 is not very much at all
Gibson LP standard – Burstbucker Pickups
Tokai Love Rock LP Standard – Tokai PAF MKII
Burny LP Custom Randy Rhoads Model (circa late eighties) – Stock neck, Iron Gear Hot Slag in the bridge.
Also a Tokai explorer with a C5 in the bridge
Amp – Ashdown FA through a Marshall 2x12
Ok so what we have are three Les Paul’s, all Mahogany with maple caps, all fixed bridge. Now I was only really using the Bridge pup as that’s the one I’m thinking of replacing first in the Tokai.
So lets start with my Guitar (the others belong to our rhythm guitarist).
Now these MKII PAFs from Tokai are all right, I think the mags are A2 and the DC resistance is about 13k. The bottom end is quite tight but they lack a bit of clarity and if you back off the volume they do go a bit muddy. All round they’re pretty good but lack a bit of bite and character.
Next the Burny, now this is a MIJ guitar made in the same factory that made Tokai’s, Greko’s etc in the eighties. It really is very good, bit loose round the edges, then again it’s about twenty years old. Now Iron gear are another little UK pup manufacturer but rather than going the Bare Knuckle route of hand wound pups for every conceivable sound for big money they sell a small range of pups for bargain prices. From their website you can buy them for less than £25 for humbucker. Now the Hot Slag is their highest DC resistance pup at 16k with A5 mags, so a bit like a JB. Sound wise it’s got allot more definition than the Tokai’s and just a little bit more gain, like the Tokai’s they’re quite warm round the bottom end and mids but a bit punchier. They also clean up better than the Tokai’s.
Last is the Gibson. First thing to note is the weight; the do jap guitars are non chambered so this Gibson feels lighter, not light mind, but lighter. Now these pups do have a certain something over the other two, although that may also be the guitar itself. The A5 magnets mean that the bottom end is not so heavy but they’re not that flappy either. Lead tone is a bit thin up the neck, especially after the hot slag. Having said all that if you are doing heavy blues/classic rock these are really quite nice.
Ok, the odd guitar out is the explorer, although it’s also fixed bridge it’s a naturally brighter guitar and with the C5 in it sounds very different from the LP’s. The bottom end is much tighter, but it does lack that warmth in the low mids. I do like the C5, it’s a great heavy rock pup, which is handy as I play heavy rock most of the time.
So we have three almost identical Guitars with very different pickups. The weak ones are the Tokai’s, they just lack a bit of bite and definition. Next I’d say the Hot slag just lacks a bit of character, but for the money it’s a great pup, as a stop gap while you save for those BKP’s or SD Custom shop pups they’re pretty darn good. Next up it’s the Gibson’s, ok so they’re not high output and the bass is a tad light but they have character and I’d think twice before replacing them without it. So the Custom five wins, which is a pain as I have a guitar with a C5 in. Now there are other pups to try, and I’m very intrigued by Swineshead, who seem to be bargain basement BKP’s rather than the Iron Gear bargain basement SD.
Question is should I just get a Hot Slag anyway, I mean £25 is not very much at all
