Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

[kevinabb]

I've had two pairs of older, US-made Tom Holmes humbuckers; I still have one. I played a Historic Les Paul which, unbeknownst to me, had the stock pups prelaced with a pair of Holmes'. I could not believe the tone of this guitar; it was otherworldly. Long story short ... I bought the guitar, discovered the Holmes pups, and eventually figured out that they transformed that Les Paul (and any other into which I installed them) into The Greatest Les Paul Of All Time. For the first time I actually believed the hype about an "unobtainium" boutique item.

So to the point: has anyone compared the MIJ Holmes-authorized humbucklers to some originals made by Tom in his shop in Tennessee? Usually, any "clones" Japan makes are at least as good as their US counterpart. Witness "lawsuit-era" Gibson replicas, Reissue Strats, etc.

Japanese Holmes pups still aren't cheap, but if they are in the same ballpark as the originals, tone-wise, the price would seem fair. Anybody have some info to share?

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

Specs-wise, the Holmes p'ups are very close to the ones you can wind yourself bying a StewMac's Humbucker kit.

I understand he's a big name, and that it was him that designed the '57 Classic for Gibson; but his own p'ups are very close to those specs-wise, I think his products are overrated, to say the least.

Just my two cents worth of opinion.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

I'd love to try a set of Tom's pickups- The soundclips I've heard are very good, but they certainly don't seem to be as completely incredible as the prices would indicate. However there are certain things, the tangibles in feel and push or overtones/harmonics, that are not always apparent, or heard in a soundclip, and in that case they *may* be so much more awesome? IDK. Like I said, I'd love to try them and see.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

the stew mac kit can be anything you want, its just the parts. the real trick is winding the magic pup like tom used to do. they are amazing pups but i can justify the price.

havent heard about the over seas ones. i cant imagine they are as good as his but who knows?

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

I just got a GMP Roxie with Holmes Filtertrons in it... absolutely smokin pickups!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

I'm just making the assumption that the difference between originals and Japanese is the same difference between a Seth Lover wound by Maricella Juarez vs. one from the production floor.

edit - a quick search brought this up.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pickups/74000-tom-holmes-japan-vs-sd-seth-lovers-blind-test.html

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

Specs-wise, the Holmes p'ups are very close to the ones you can wind yourself bying a StewMac's Humbucker kit.

I understand he's a big name, and that it was him that designed the '57 Classic for Gibson; but his own p'ups are very close to those specs-wise, I think his products are overrated, to say the least.

Just my two cents worth of opinion.

Spec wise, if you are going to wind your own you can wind anything you want.

Tom has a big name for a big reason, he makes a fantastic pickup...

I would hardly call them over rated and I must ask, have you ever even tried a pair, if not it hardly seems far that you call them over rated.

As for the Holmes/Classic 57 connection, the classic 57 sounds very little like a Holmes bucker, despite the "specs"...that like saying that an Alnico II Pro and a Seth sound similar because they are both low wind, alnico II pickups.

Just my two cents...

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

Tom has a big name for a big reason, he makes a fantastic pickup...

I don't think they're worth what he's asking... most tone snobs I've met associates the equation More $= More Tone, but in most cases I've found they can't even recognize their OWN instrument in a blind test.

I would hardly call them over rated and I must ask, have you ever even tried a pair, if not it hardly seems far that you call them over rated.

I know at least six guys that bought the H450/455 set. I've installed'em in their guitars.

So you know, I'm the biggest, nastiest and more obnoxious gear whore in my town. Being a Guitar Tech in my free time helps the whoring tremendously. I've been doing this for as long as I've been playing the guitar, which the 12th of December will be exactly FORTY YEARS.

Seems that you and I have some difference of opinion sometimes. It's OK. It'll be very boring if all were alike.

FWIW, all my opinions are backed for all this years of experience (whoring), both with my own instruments and my customer's.

Having said that, I stand by my earlier statement. :cool2:

HTH,

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

I am partly with Pepe, he knows his stuff. I think Tom was one of the first winders who took care of every little detail such a selfmade studs, special made magnets, specific wire, carfully made bobbins and more. This makes the difference. There are details you cant control on a production floor with employees and buying your parts in China.
But nowadays there are a lot of guys on the scene that can do comparably excellent pickup winding like Throbak, Boggs, Zhang, Shep, Wolfe, Lollar........
Everyone of them has his own handwriting, but it really hard - if not impossible - to recognize a specific winder, if you have given specs of the compared pups.

There is a good interview with Tom Holmes in the Tone Quest Report January 2009/VOL.10 NO.3

Here is the link: http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/TQRJan09_proof.pdf

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

Besides the differences between the best pickups on earth, you can never forget that all guitars aren't equal. And now, we're down to splitting hairs, because we're talking about great guitars, great pickups, and tiny differences if you mixed and matched them.

I'm just saying you could take 10 different high end guitars, and install the best pickups from every manufacturer, and there's no telling which one would be the best......probably the guitar that naturally sounds the best. Then, switch everything around, and it would be a random crap shoot as to which one would win round two. When you get to this level of tone testing, it's really just a matter of taste.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

Perfect story... like when making my first 59/Custom Hybrid... lent the Les Paul to a friend for a recording session and the engineer said it was the best Les Paul he ever heard... tried to buy it on the spot
The GMP Roxie I just got off eBay had Filtertrons which I assumed were TV Jones Classics... upon plugging it in it was obvious something was different... and spectacular... opened up the guitar... Tom Holmes Filtertrons... deadly... smokin hot tone! Right up there with the 59/Custom Hybrid and the Brobucker

I've had two pairs of older, US-made Tom Holmes humbuckers; I still have one. I played a Historic Les Paul which, unbeknownst to me, had the stock pups prelaced with a pair of Holmes'. I could not believe the tone of this guitar; it was otherworldly. Long story short ... I bought the guitar, discovered the Holmes pups, and eventually figured out that they transformed that Les Paul (and any other into which I installed them) into The Greatest Les Paul Of All Time. For the first time I actually believed the hype about an "unobtainium" boutique item.

So to the point: has anyone compared the MIJ Holmes-authorized humbucklers to some originals made by Tom in his shop in Tennessee? Usually, any "clones" Japan makes are at least as good as their US counterpart. Witness "lawsuit-era" Gibson replicas, Reissue Strats, etc.

Japanese Holmes pups still aren't cheap, but if they are in the same ballpark as the originals, tone-wise, the price would seem fair. Anybody have some info to share?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Tom Holmes Japan pickups - reviews?

smokin hot tone! Right up there with the 59/Custom Hybrid and the Brobucker

Those are two of my favorite humbuckers. The A5 C5/59 hybrid in a strat is great, and the Brobucker in a Gibson is great.