Well done. Your demo gives a very clear comparison between the burst bucker and custom bucker. It's like buying a better mic, subtle difference but noticeable
Thank you I enjoyed that! The Custombuckers are sweet both clean and dirty and they make that guitar so versatile. It's not just a slugger and playing it clean would be addictive.
Thank you for the informative video with cleanish fantastic sound! Had just the right amount of enhancement. You chose playing that gave us the pickup's sound, and not some goober showin' off souless tech and speed. And professional sound brought it all right home.
I love the Custombuckers, but i prefer the 57classics. It may just be the specific models that each are in, but 57s always sound perfect to me. Burstbuckers sound great too! Especially with high gain.
I agree. I had never heard of the 57's until I was gifted an Epiphone Tribute plus that had them in it, and I was absolutely floored at how good they sounded. I hate it that Gibson stopped making that guitar. It was deal of the century for those who got in on it. That said, the difference between the CB and 57, are incredibly small IMO. But, I'm playing classic, and 80's rock. There may be a bigger difference if playing clean.
They are NOT all the same - I've heard excellent "57 classics" and others that didn't sound good. I could say that about other pickups of the "same" design, and speakers are like that too!!
This comparison is awesome and Larry is right, not all the PAF sound the same. To my hears the Custombuckers sound phenomenal but Burstbuckers from the USA Collection sound good too!
Custombuckers are just marketed all wrong. They are fantastic sounding pickups on there own. There is no need to mention the PAFs and get the Tone Ghost Chasers all riled up. I enjoyed this video, thanks for putting the time and work into making it.
Probably better than many PAF pickups - they were NOT all great sounding, in fact the experts say most of them weren't. (Tonequest Report, Dave Wilson and co.)
Larry looks like the perfect blend between the Prince from Beauty & the Beast (like before he became the beast/after the curse was lifted), and The Dude from Big Lebowski
I just put a set of custombuckers into one of my epiphone 59 les Paul's and now that guitar sounds almost identical to the Gibson les paul that they originally came in . That gibson now has Duncan whole lotta humbuckers but the epj 59 sounds just as good . At the end of the day it really does mostly come down to pickups and sometimes it completely comes down to pickups.
I have the Gibson Unpotted Custombucker on my 59 / 60 anniversary / . When I plug different guitars with different humbuckers including 57 and B.bucker the Unpotted Custombucker w/ Alnico III sounds just better . Some king of more presence they have without to be loud . The best humbuckers for les Paul in my opinion I bought one for the bride to my traditional 2016
Potted or Unpotted, Custombuckers have some magic in them. They are super sensitive and woody, they link you to your amp in a way that no other pickup that I've used does. I love potted Custombuckers. They have a fatter midrange than the unpotted. They're also more versatile than the unpotted. If you get a set that mesure over 8K, you can literally cover every style of music. I've got Custombuckers that measure low 7s as well which are also great, just a little too vintagey for thrash metal :) On my 2 R8s I have potted Custombucker on the bridge, unpotted on the neck.
I think the custom buckers sound less brittle the R9 helps …but the custom buckers sound smooth more articulate ..The Gibson pickups offered are all nice in their own sonic way🤙🏻🎸
The custombuckers are good pickups and definitely the best pickups Gibson has produced in a while - still most of the aftermarket boutique PAF clones I've tried so far were superior to me...
@@AuntAlnico4 most of them are twangy in a more pleasant way that custom buckers (not as harsh). However most of those twangy zeppelin sounds are a tele by the way...
@Theo Chi Replaced the Custom Buckers on my R9 with an old set of Wizz - big Improvement. The Custom Buckers on my R8 I replaced with Brandonwound PAF's, also way better... I also have Sheptone Blue Sky PAF's and a 1963 Gibson SG with PAT No Pickups with Purple Wire (essentially PAF's) as a reference (sound very different to Custom Buckers). Custom Buckers can't be very authentic sounding - the use the wrong alloys and polished A3 Magnets. A3 was the least used magnet in PAF's and Gibson only used rough cast magnets in the 50's and 60's. The Boutique ones and originals both sound warmer and more defined than the custom buckers. In the right guitar they can be fun though...
I love them in the neck position but they just aren't enough for me in the bridge. I'd probably swap out the A3 magnet for an A4 for a little more drive but keep the woodiness.
Someone once compared an old PAF tone to a Tele on steroid's Hmmm I've been on the fence about potted or unpotted I don't run a lot of gain and some say the openess of unpotted is the key Didn't hear much difference w the clean tones but much improvement on the gain set ups Actually surprised that they don't use the 57 Classics much anymore I have an old set off of a crazy expensive 97 Historic R9 that I used to have 25 y/o now so gonna try them in my 2019 HCS Standard instead of the BB's Only thing to consider changing on the 19 HCS Nice wide flame, subtle burst(notomato) and the clincher 8.4 lbs Very happy with my recent Gibson purchase
Never been a fan of the BB2 in the bridge but I love the BB3 it's one of my all time favorites. I like the BB2 in the neck though. BB2 and BB3 makes a nice combo top. A custombucker neck pairs extremely well with the hotter BB3 in the bridge . Gibson put that combo in the Ace Frehley 59 les paul clone and many people who own many custom shop les Paul's and own several of the other collectors choice les Paul's say that the Ace 59 clone is one of the best sounding modern Gibsons and one of the best and perhaps the best sounding collectors choice models . The guitar does sound phenomenal in all the available demo videos and Ace has been using a few different examples of the clone live for the last several years and they sound insanely good one of the clearest sounding les Paul's I have ever heard but yet full and warm at the same time just like the best examples of the real thing. The current owner of the real Ace 59 has posted demo videos of the guitar being played and if you listen to those demo videos back to back with demo videos of the clones being played the clones actually do sound like the original. Mnd you get compression of you tube maybe hiding some to the more subtle differences but maybe not . The original itself is considered by many to be one of the best sounding 59 les Paul's in existence and its got an amazing top . I watched a demo video of a guy playing the song remains the same live version of no Quarter which has one of pages greatest sounding guitar tones and one of his most legendary guitar solos and the Ace 59 with a CB neck and BB3 bridge nailed that legendary tone and the player nailed the solo Those collectors choice guitars really are a cut above other Gibsons including their very best examples of R8s and R9s R0s Etc. It seems like their was extra effort that went into matching the vintage Gibsom tone on those collectors choice guitars. I went though all the specs for every collectors choice model and there was definitely more effort put into matching the pickups and tone . I saw Burstbuckers mixed with custombuckers and 57 classics mixed with BBs and 57's mixed with CB's and Burstbuckers mixed with Custombuckers . U also noticed there were Magbet swaps done as well . I saw 57 classics with A5 magnets in place of the stock A2. I saw Burstbucker 3s with Alnico 3 Mags and BB3's with A5 as well as Custombuckers with A5. I have never seem that with other gibsons . Mixing mismatched sets and using different Maga is not something done on other Gibson guitar ranges and no the Custobuckers are not Just BB's with a a mag swap . The only other time I saw Gibson use mismatched pickups was on the 2009 to 2011 les Paul traditional pro which had a 57 classic neck and BB3 bridge but that was not a regular production model it was a guitar center exclusive and they had a GC exclusive Flying V with the same pup combo but that pickup set was requested by GC. They also did a GC exclusive version of the 57 classic /Classic plus . Called the 57 classic vintage hot matched set which had A3 magnets which were also the pickups used in the Guitar center traditional pro 3.
I have both of these guitars/pickups. I love the custom buckers, best I’ve ever played. Not a great comparison though as the guitars were of differing quality as well.
I have 57 classics in my ES-335, & have CUSTOM buckers in my Gibson BYRDLAND, thinking about putting buckers, in the 335 doing a swap? Decisions decisions!!😅
I intend to swap the alnicos classic pro on my sg for 57. I love that creamy sound. I have the custom buckers on a les paul 59. They re phenomenal. But ever since i heard my roommate play his LP traditional boasting 57 i became quite jealous of that tone he has.
@@chrisdanner1173 Not all PAF pickups were great. I find it illogical to assume guitars and pickups made 60+ years ago using available materials just happened to be the BEST sounding way of making them. I believe it's 90% hype, although SOME old guitars and pickups were great sounding. New guitars can sound the same or better, if made properly. Tim Pierce, the great studio musician and youtube personality, said when listening to various PAF clones - it sounds just like a great PAF. So THERE!
@@pharmerdavid1432 I kinda agree, I've owned/own quite a few old Gibson pickups and rewound many. They vary but I honestly haven't heard a real bad sounding one. What I can definitely say they all sound different to Custom Buckers (no wonder, Alnico 3 was hardly used back than) and most quality aftermarket winder's PAF replicas (Wizz, Bare Knuckle, Brandonwound, Throbak, Brandonwound,...) sound closer to original PAF's. They Custom Buckers are nice and chimey sounding humbuckers, but have a upper mid grind I've never heard in original PAF's...
Has anyone installed one of these in a PRS SE McCarty 594? Seems like it would be a good combo. Gibson pickups + PRS SE's QC, playability and price point.
I own a 120th anniversary Standard with Burstbucker pros. Do you think custombuckers upgrade will her noticable sound clearer as heard here and bring her closer to custom shops? Thanks for the video btw.
I think there's a very noticeable difference between the Burstbuckers and Custombuckers. The Bursts can get a bit wooly when you're playing hard (but a lot of folks like that), so if you're looking for clarity and definition I think you'll like the Custombucker upgrade.
I changed the Burstbucker 1 & 2 in my 2019 Traditional with Custombuckers. The Custombuckers I got are from a CC #34 (Blackburst). They are a huge improvement over the BB’s and the sound is more clear and vintage sounding. I really like them.
Interesting informative video - well done. To my ear, they make a Gibson sound a little more like a Fender. Custombuckers may be more "vintage correct" (whatever that means) but I prefer the tonal contrast and personality of the Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2 pickup combo in my Les Paul. The Custombuckers sound good, but I'm firmly in the "not worth it" camp 👎
Hmmm, Burst Buckers for the rock and roll win! They sound fat and juicy overdriven. I have a great sounding 2008 Les Paul withBorstbuckers, no need to swap out
The original winding machines were not manual machines. The machines controlled the traverse of the wire. A manual winding machine is used for hand guided pickup winding here the machine spins the bobbin but a human comtrolls the traverse of the wire and hand guide the wire onto the bobbin ad the machine spins the bobbin bit nome of gibsons machines were hand guided winding machines. Seth lover confirmed in an interview that no Pafs were hand wound or hand guided . They were all machine wound. The only thing manual about gibosns winding machines in the Paf era were that you had to stop the machines by hand as they had no automatic shutoffs . The also did not have timers during the paf era . Seth lover said there were no turn counters timers or auto shot down. He said they wound the bobbins untill they looked full . Timers counters and auto shut offs were added to the machines in the early 60s which is why late stage pafs from late 61 and 62 as well as the patent sticker pickups and t top pickups where much more consistent. People have who have worked on repaired rewound or copied late pafs form 61 and 62 as well as early patent number pickups have all said that late pafs and patent number pickups all have quite even windings and don't have the unbalanced coil windings of the 57 to 1960 pafs .. alot of aftermarket winders are selling hand wound pickups for big money with the claim that you have to hand wind pickups the get the PAf tone and its crazy how many people believe this nonsense and how many believe that pafs were hand wound or hand guided. Cork sniffers go on about how they want the most accurate paf copies possible yet will only use hand wound clones which is ridiculous because machine wound pickups are more correct Thobak owns 1 example each of the 3 winding machines Gibson used and he does not offer hand wound pickups because it's unnecessary and not vintage correct. Seymour duncan PRS and I believe Fralin all have some of Gibsons old machines and none are hand winding or hand guiding machines. Seth lover himself said there was no hand winding or hand guiding. I have bought many after market pickups but refuse to spend 500 dollars plus for the hand winding gimmick. Scatter winding is another gimmick that is not vintage accurate. People charge huge money for hand wound and scatter wound pickups all in one when neither is vintage accurate.
Burstbuckers are great, more contemporary-sounding pickups. Custombuckers have a more mellow, aged character. The closer the pickups are to the sound of a 335, the closer to that slightly congested nose & throat sound of Nineteen-fifties PAFs
The custombucker was originally created when Gibson did the copy of Jimmh pages number 1 les Paul and were called Pagebuckers or the Jimmy page Custom Burstbucker . They were designed by Edwim Wilson and Edwin has state that his goal was not to recreate a perfectly accurate Paf clone but rather to create a pickup that would mimic the tone of Pages Number 1 les Paul as it sounded in 2002 when Edwin had the guitar. The A3 magnets were chosen to Mimic the particular tone of a specific guitar and pickup combo . So they were not conceived to be a full on Paf clone
Custombuckers are great neck pickups, but not hot enough for most modern rock tones in the bridge. Burstbucker 3 is my favorite bridge pickup from Gibson. If your just throwing whatever you have laying around into a guitar expecting it to be versatile? It doesn't work that way. There's a reason they sell them in sets.
Burstbuckers sound better, less boomy in the neck and the bridge burstbucker doesn't sound quaky like custombucker, I can't believe they arrived on that sound as somethign usable.
Once again I'm convinced that unless its the actual pickups from that era you just kind of fall down the rabbit hole trying to recreate something that for most part had no standard. and I think that's what gave the Parsons era Gibson's their originality no two sounded the same. For my ear personally unless its Tim Shaw's or pups out of one of the Holy Grail guitars Gibson pickups do nothing for me. Plenty of other options out there unless ya need the name on them to sound better. Great Demo btw.
The 59 Tributes are a bit darker in tone - and some think they sound closer to what a "vintage" PAF sounds like today. In the 59 Tributes, the slug coil is overwound quite a bit compared to the screw coil, so it's moving the stronger portion of the magnetic field further away from the bridge.
I just bought the new Epiphone '59 Les Paul Standard with the Custombuckers. I honestly didn't expect them to be THIS good. But they put my Burstbucker equipped Gibson to shame.
Not sure how valid a test it is to compare pickups in 2 different guitars, an R0 vs USA Les Paul. After all, even 2 different R0s can sound quite different.
These things squealed worse than Ned Beatty in "Deliverance" ES-335. Absolutely uncontrollable...they even squealed in the studio, which is a very controlled environment. The guitar was pretty much useless with even the smallest amount of gain. I finally got rid of them.
Pretty much nothing. They aren’t that great at all. I played a guitar with Amber Spirit of 59 pickups and never looked back. I immediately bought 4 sets for my own guitars. They are superior in tone, feel, they have that chirp sound....very complex and rich in overtones. Absolutely the best pups.
Gibson still has questionable ethics as a company. Here we have 2 pickups that cost the same to make but you can only get the Custombuckers in a overpriced custom shop Les Paul which are around 6 grand and up. This is to get people to spend more not because it costs them more to make. Unfortunately most people can't spend 6 grand on a guitar. Its a damn guitar not a motorcycle or car ...those cost much more to make than a guitar. Gibson will eventually fail because of this. The guitars they expect us to buy in the 2.6k range aren't good enough to justify that price either. WTF Gibson? Burn in hell!!!!!
Gibson's extensive research, testing, obsessively obtianing and analysing old PAFS. General Manager: "Yeah just wind them 50tpl straight back and forth and use A3 magnets; they are cheaper. Then wax pot the bejeebus out of them. Just to make sure they sound nothing like real PAFs did."
These sound more even than the Seth Lovers I'm currently running. I've had it in my mind to swap the a2 in those for an a3. Now I'm convinced. Thanks, bro. Nice LP.
Thank you for this short story and efficient demonstration.
Great demo! The custombuckers so smooth and articulate! Can really hear it. Thanks
As a Fender fan, I love how crisp and honky the Custombuckers sound. I've always felt Gibson pickups sounded stuffy or muddy, but these are great.
Well done. Your demo gives a very clear comparison between the burst bucker and custom bucker. It's like buying a better mic, subtle difference but noticeable
Thank you I enjoyed that! The Custombuckers are sweet both clean and dirty and they make that guitar so versatile. It's not just a slugger and playing it clean would be addictive.
thank you
The best comparison, to my ears that, I’ve watched on YT. Thanks man! 😎
Thank you for the informative video with cleanish fantastic sound! Had just the right amount of enhancement. You chose playing that gave us the pickup's sound, and not some goober showin' off souless tech and speed. And professional sound brought it all right home.
Great review. Those are sweet pickups.I need them.
I love the Custombuckers, but i prefer the 57classics. It may just be the specific models that each are in, but 57s always sound perfect to me. Burstbuckers sound great too! Especially with high gain.
I guess depending on if it's a hollow body or a solid body also, I don't mind the custombucker, I have 57 classics in my 335. Love em.
I agree. I had never heard of the 57's until I was gifted an Epiphone Tribute plus that had them in it, and I was absolutely floored at how good they sounded. I hate it that Gibson stopped making that guitar. It was deal of the century for those who got in on it. That said, the difference between the CB and 57, are incredibly small IMO. But, I'm playing classic, and 80's rock. There may be a bigger difference if playing clean.
Do you prefer the classic 57 or the classic 57+???
They are NOT all the same - I've heard excellent "57 classics" and others that didn't sound good. I could say that about other pickups of the "same" design, and speakers are like that too!!
This comparison is awesome and Larry is right, not all the PAF sound the same. To my hears the Custombuckers sound phenomenal but Burstbuckers from the USA Collection sound good too!
Great video! Very informative and excellent presentation.
Custombuckers are just marketed all wrong. They are fantastic sounding pickups on there own. There is no need to mention the PAFs and get the Tone Ghost Chasers all riled up. I enjoyed this video, thanks for putting the time and work into making it.
"Tone Ghost Chasers"... never heard that term 😂 Love it!
My R9 has Custombuckers and they are awesome.
Probably better than many PAF pickups - they were NOT all great sounding, in fact the experts say most of them weren't. (Tonequest Report, Dave Wilson and co.)
Larry looks like the perfect blend between the Prince from Beauty & the Beast (like before he became the beast/after the curse was lifted), and The Dude from Big Lebowski
LOL. I think the curse is still active.
Great presentation! Thank you.
The best comparison video hands down.
Absolutely my favorite gibson pickups, so fat and cutting
I just put a set of custombuckers into one of my epiphone 59 les Paul's and now that guitar sounds almost identical to the Gibson les paul that they originally came in . That gibson now has Duncan whole lotta humbuckers but the epj 59 sounds just as good . At the end of the day it really does mostly come down to pickups and sometimes it completely comes down to pickups.
Thank you
I have the Gibson Unpotted Custombucker on my 59 / 60 anniversary / . When I plug different guitars with different humbuckers including 57 and B.bucker the Unpotted Custombucker w/ Alnico III sounds just better . Some king of more presence they have without to be loud . The best humbuckers for les Paul in my opinion
I bought one for the bride to my traditional 2016
Very interesting! I haven’t seen a lot of Gibson pickup talk specifically so this was great. Wasn’t surprised that I preferred the custom buckers
a great Video.
THANK YOU!
5:21 u okay sir?
Potted or Unpotted, Custombuckers have some magic in them. They are super sensitive and woody, they link you to your amp in a way that no other pickup that I've used does.
I love potted Custombuckers. They have a fatter midrange than the unpotted. They're also more versatile than the unpotted. If you get a set that mesure over 8K, you can literally cover every style of music. I've got Custombuckers that measure low 7s as well which are also great, just a little too vintagey for thrash metal :)
On my 2 R8s I have potted Custombucker on the bridge, unpotted on the neck.
I think the custom buckers sound less brittle the R9 helps …but the custom buckers sound smooth more articulate ..The Gibson pickups offered are all nice in their own sonic way🤙🏻🎸
I have a sg standard which pichups do I have? ?l cant tell difference. 2020 year of purchase.
The custombuckers are good pickups and definitely the best pickups Gibson has produced in a while - still most of the aftermarket boutique PAF clones I've tried so far were superior to me...
Do those P.A.F copies as twangy as this custom bucker !?
That's kinda the essential tone that Jimmy page and Les Paul made so popular !
@@AuntAlnico4 most of them are twangy in a more pleasant way that custom buckers (not as harsh). However most of those twangy zeppelin sounds are a tele by the way...
Tele yes
And Page had Seymour rewind his T top in the bridge of his Les Paul
@Theo Chi Replaced the Custom Buckers on my R9 with an old set of Wizz - big Improvement. The Custom Buckers on my R8 I replaced with Brandonwound PAF's, also way better... I also have Sheptone Blue Sky PAF's and a 1963 Gibson SG with PAT No Pickups with Purple Wire (essentially PAF's) as a reference (sound very different to Custom Buckers). Custom Buckers can't be very authentic sounding - the use the wrong alloys and polished A3 Magnets. A3 was the least used magnet in PAF's and Gibson only used rough cast magnets in the 50's and 60's. The Boutique ones and originals both sound warmer and more defined than the custom buckers. In the right guitar they can be fun though...
@@chrisdanner1173 everyone pictures jimmy page with his burst but the first two albums a tele did the heavy lifting along with his LP custom.
I love them in the neck position but they just aren't enough for me in the bridge. I'd probably swap out the A3 magnet for an A4 for a little more drive but keep the woodiness.
Someone once compared an old PAF tone to a Tele on steroid's Hmmm I've been on the fence about potted or unpotted I don't run a lot of gain and some say the openess of unpotted is the key Didn't hear much difference w the clean tones but much improvement on the gain set ups Actually surprised that they don't use the 57 Classics much anymore I have an old set off of a crazy expensive 97 Historic R9 that I used to have 25 y/o now so gonna try them in my 2019 HCS Standard instead of the BB's Only thing to consider changing on the 19 HCS Nice wide flame, subtle burst(notomato) and the clincher 8.4 lbs Very happy with my recent Gibson purchase
These are the pickups in the New Epiphone Love Drops Flying V Right?
Never been a fan of the BB2 in the bridge but I love the BB3 it's one of my all time favorites. I like the BB2 in the neck though. BB2 and BB3 makes a nice combo top. A custombucker neck pairs extremely well with the hotter BB3 in the bridge . Gibson put that combo in the Ace Frehley 59 les paul clone and many people who own many custom shop les Paul's and own several of the other collectors choice les Paul's say that the Ace 59 clone is one of the best sounding modern Gibsons and one of the best and perhaps the best sounding collectors choice models . The guitar does sound phenomenal in all the available demo videos and Ace has been using a few different examples of the clone live for the last several years and they sound insanely good one of the clearest sounding les Paul's I have ever heard but yet full and warm at the same time just like the best examples of the real thing. The current owner of the real Ace 59 has posted demo videos of the guitar being played and if you listen to those demo videos back to back with demo videos of the clones being played the clones actually do sound like the original. Mnd you get compression of you tube maybe hiding some to the more subtle differences but maybe not . The original itself is considered by many to be one of the best sounding 59 les Paul's in existence and its got an amazing top .
I watched a demo video of a guy playing the song remains the same live version of no Quarter which has one of pages greatest sounding guitar tones and one of his most legendary guitar solos and the Ace 59 with a CB neck and BB3 bridge nailed that legendary tone and the player nailed the solo
Those collectors choice guitars really are a cut above other Gibsons including their very best examples of R8s and R9s R0s Etc.
It seems like their was extra effort that went into matching the vintage Gibsom tone on those collectors choice guitars.
I went though all the specs for every collectors choice model and there was definitely more effort put into matching the pickups and tone . I saw Burstbuckers mixed with custombuckers and 57 classics mixed with BBs and 57's mixed with CB's and Burstbuckers mixed with Custombuckers . U also noticed there were Magbet swaps done as well . I saw 57 classics with A5 magnets in place of the stock A2. I saw Burstbucker 3s with Alnico 3 Mags and BB3's with A5 as well as Custombuckers with A5. I have never seem that with other gibsons . Mixing mismatched sets and using different Maga is not something done on other Gibson guitar ranges and no the Custobuckers are not Just BB's with a a mag swap . The only other time I saw Gibson use mismatched pickups was on the 2009 to 2011 les Paul traditional pro which had a 57 classic neck and BB3 bridge but that was not a regular production model it was a guitar center exclusive and they had a GC exclusive Flying V with the same pup combo but that pickup set was requested by GC. They also did a GC exclusive version of the 57 classic /Classic plus . Called the 57 classic vintage hot matched set which had A3 magnets which were also the pickups used in the Guitar center traditional pro 3.
i have a set of custom buckers. Do you think they'd do well in a new Gibson Explorer?
I have both of these guitars/pickups. I love the custom buckers, best I’ve ever played. Not a great comparison though as the guitars were of differing quality as well.
Agree which is what what made me write my long reply detaining why this was not a accurate comparison.
I have 57 classics in my ES-335, & have CUSTOM buckers in my Gibson BYRDLAND, thinking about putting buckers, in the 335 doing a swap? Decisions decisions!!😅
I intend to swap the alnicos classic pro on my sg for 57. I love that creamy sound. I have the custom buckers on a les paul 59. They re phenomenal. But ever since i heard my roommate play his LP traditional boasting 57 i became quite jealous of that tone he has.
Fantastic pickups...the best recreation of the PAF original sound...worth every penny.
Gotta get those ears checked, dude!
@@chrisdanner1173 Hehehe...will see there
@@chrisdanner1173 Not all PAF pickups were great. I find it illogical to assume guitars and pickups made 60+ years ago using available materials just happened to be the BEST sounding way of making them. I believe it's 90% hype, although SOME old guitars and pickups were great sounding. New guitars can sound the same or better, if made properly. Tim Pierce, the great studio musician and youtube personality, said when listening to various PAF clones - it sounds just like a great PAF. So THERE!
@@pharmerdavid1432 I kinda agree, I've owned/own quite a few old Gibson pickups and rewound many. They vary but I honestly haven't heard a real bad sounding one. What I can definitely say they all sound different to Custom Buckers (no wonder, Alnico 3 was hardly used back than) and most quality aftermarket winder's PAF replicas (Wizz, Bare Knuckle, Brandonwound, Throbak, Brandonwound,...) sound closer to original PAF's. They Custom Buckers are nice and chimey sounding humbuckers, but have a upper mid grind I've never heard in original PAF's...
Has anyone installed one of these in a PRS SE McCarty 594? Seems like it would be a good combo. Gibson pickups + PRS SE's QC, playability and price point.
I own a 120th anniversary Standard with Burstbucker pros. Do you think custombuckers upgrade will her noticable sound clearer as heard here and bring her closer to custom shops? Thanks for the video btw.
I think there's a very noticeable difference between the Burstbuckers and Custombuckers. The Bursts can get a bit wooly when you're playing hard (but a lot of folks like that), so if you're looking for clarity and definition I think you'll like the Custombucker upgrade.
@@MooreMusicGuitars ✌️
I changed the Burstbucker 1 & 2 in my 2019 Traditional with Custombuckers. The Custombuckers I got are from a CC #34 (Blackburst). They are a huge improvement over the BB’s and the sound is more clear and vintage sounding. I really like them.
@@nickvankempen years looking to upgrade my 19 LP with something premium
@@paulcowart3174 There are so many options. I’ve heard great things about Wizz and will try those next.
Interesting informative video - well done. To my ear, they make a Gibson sound a little more like a Fender. Custombuckers may be more "vintage correct" (whatever that means) but I prefer the tonal contrast and personality of the Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2 pickup combo in my Les Paul. The Custombuckers sound good, but I'm firmly in the "not worth it" camp 👎
Hmmm, Burst Buckers for the rock and roll win! They sound fat and juicy overdriven. I have a great sounding 2008 Les Paul withBorstbuckers, no need to swap out
Larry out here with the "fat, tight low end" xD
Gibson probably going to go back to AII mags in the Custombuckers. Thank God!
Custombucker is great pickups.
The original winding machines were not manual machines. The machines controlled the traverse of the wire. A manual winding machine is used for hand guided pickup winding here the machine spins the bobbin but a human comtrolls the traverse of the wire and hand guide the wire onto the bobbin ad the machine spins the bobbin bit nome of gibsons machines were hand guided winding machines. Seth lover confirmed in an interview that no Pafs were hand wound or hand guided . They were all machine wound. The only thing manual about gibosns winding machines in the Paf era were that you had to stop the machines by hand as they had no automatic shutoffs . The also did not have timers during the paf era . Seth lover said there were no turn counters timers or auto shot down. He said they wound the bobbins untill they looked full . Timers counters and auto shut offs were added to the machines in the early 60s which is why late stage pafs from late 61 and 62 as well as the patent sticker pickups and t top pickups where much more consistent. People have who have worked on repaired rewound or copied late pafs form 61 and 62 as well as early patent number pickups have all said that late pafs and patent number pickups all have quite even windings and don't have the unbalanced coil windings of the 57 to 1960 pafs .. alot of aftermarket winders are selling hand wound pickups for big money with the claim that you have to hand wind pickups the get the PAf tone and its crazy how many people believe this nonsense and how many believe that pafs were hand wound or hand guided. Cork sniffers go on about how they want the most accurate paf copies possible yet will only use hand wound clones which is ridiculous because machine wound pickups are more correct Thobak owns 1 example each of the 3 winding machines Gibson used and he does not offer hand wound pickups because it's unnecessary and not vintage correct. Seymour duncan PRS and I believe Fralin all have some of Gibsons old machines and none are hand winding or hand guiding machines. Seth lover himself said there was no hand winding or hand guiding. I have bought many after market pickups but refuse to spend 500 dollars plus for the hand winding gimmick. Scatter winding is another gimmick that is not vintage accurate. People charge huge money for hand wound and scatter wound pickups all in one when neither is vintage accurate.
Wow sooooo much to say😵💫🙄
So are custom buckers worth it or is there a true legit alternative to them
I kind of like Burstbuckers better!
Both guitars sounds very similar, I suppose the magnets and winds make the difference but close!
Burstbuckers are great, more contemporary-sounding pickups.
Custombuckers have a more mellow, aged character. The closer the pickups are to the sound of a 335, the closer to that slightly congested nose & throat sound of Nineteen-fifties PAFs
not even on the street where the ballpark is located ...
Had real pafs on the same guitar as the customtbuckers ...the custombuckers deliver the paf tone in spades
pretty guitar
Like asking what Howard Dumble Amp sounds the same as the other..
I think Burstbuckers sound cleaner and more classic!
The custombucker was originally created when Gibson did the copy of Jimmh pages number 1 les Paul and were called Pagebuckers or the Jimmy page Custom Burstbucker . They were designed by Edwim Wilson and Edwin has state that his goal was not to recreate a perfectly accurate Paf clone but rather to create a pickup that would mimic the tone of Pages Number 1 les Paul as it sounded in 2002 when Edwin had the guitar. The A3 magnets were chosen to Mimic the particular tone of a specific guitar and pickup combo . So they were not conceived to be a full on Paf clone
Saludos desde México! Excelente información sobre el CustomBucker 🤯
Thanks for strumming an E chord and doing a really honest comparison. I love hearing what's being demo'd vs. CHECK OUT MY HOT LICKS!
Custombuckers are great neck pickups, but not hot enough for most modern rock tones in the bridge. Burstbucker 3 is my favorite bridge pickup from Gibson. If your just throwing whatever you have laying around into a guitar expecting it to be versatile? It doesn't work that way. There's a reason they sell them in sets.
Burstbuckers sound better, less boomy in the neck and the bridge burstbucker doesn't sound quaky like custombucker, I can't believe they arrived on that sound as somethign usable.
Once again I'm convinced that unless its the actual pickups from that era you just kind of fall down the rabbit hole trying to recreate something that for most part had no standard. and I think that's what gave the Parsons era Gibson's their originality no two sounded the same. For my ear personally unless its Tim Shaw's or pups out of one of the Holy Grail guitars Gibson pickups do nothing for me. Plenty of other options out there unless ya need the name on them to sound better. Great Demo btw.
Are they basically the same as the 59 tribute pups?
The 59 Tributes are a bit darker in tone - and some think they sound closer to what a "vintage" PAF sounds like today. In the 59 Tributes, the slug coil is overwound quite a bit compared to the screw coil, so it's moving the stronger portion of the magnetic field further away from the bridge.
Est les classique 57 Gibson sonne mieux que les BB 1 et 2 Pour moi. 👍ALNICO 3/4 good.👌
I find it hard after loosing my partner to cancer its hardto find the path back....
I just bought the new Epiphone '59 Les Paul Standard with the Custombuckers. I honestly didn't expect them to be THIS good. But they put my Burstbucker equipped Gibson to shame.
Custombuckers definitely sound rounder and cleaner/articulate - perhaps even more sustain.
Not sure how valid a test it is to compare pickups in 2 different guitars, an R0 vs USA Les Paul. After all, even 2 different R0s can sound quite different.
Nothing like a fat, tight, low end.
These things squealed worse than Ned Beatty in "Deliverance" ES-335. Absolutely uncontrollable...they even squealed in the studio, which is a very controlled environment. The guitar was pretty much useless with even the smallest amount of gain. I finally got rid of them.
Pretty much nothing. They aren’t that great at all. I played a guitar with Amber Spirit of 59 pickups and never looked back. I immediately bought 4 sets for my own guitars. They are superior in tone, feel, they have that chirp sound....very complex and rich in overtones. Absolutely the best pups.
custombucker has more bloom
Custombucker sounded best to my ear. Burstbucker was harsh.
The customebuckers sound muffled compared to the burstbuckers.
Gibson still has questionable ethics as a company. Here we have 2 pickups that cost the same to make but you can only get the Custombuckers in a overpriced custom shop Les Paul which are around 6 grand and up. This is to get people to spend more not because it costs them more to make. Unfortunately most people can't spend 6 grand on a guitar. Its a damn guitar not a motorcycle or car ...those cost much more to make than a guitar. Gibson will eventually fail because of this. The guitars they expect us to buy in the 2.6k range aren't good enough to justify that price either. WTF Gibson? Burn in hell!!!!!
Gibson's extensive research, testing, obsessively obtianing and analysing old PAFS.
General Manager: "Yeah just wind them 50tpl straight back and forth and use A3 magnets; they are cheaper. Then wax pot the bejeebus out of them. Just to make sure they sound nothing like real PAFs did."
These aren't wax potted ya drangus
Actually up until about 2018 they were wax potted.. It's common knowledge
You can de wax them
They ALL sound the same to me.....from 498t ,57classics.... Dirty Fingers ....no difference.all mid scooped.
Rubbish
These sound more even than the Seth Lovers I'm currently running. I've had it in my mind to swap the a2 in those for an a3. Now I'm convinced. Thanks, bro. Nice LP.
Save your money, the burst buckers are better than the custom buckers.