Wilkinsons had a lovely warm sound for the first two tests and while the Duncan's had more clarity they were less pleasing to my ear. But when it came to the high gain test that warmth became a little muddy and the clarity of the Duncan's was really great.
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
I personally like the sound of the Wilkinsons much better. I'm far from a professional ear, but I found the Slash's to be tinny and too trebly for my taste.
It would be better to hear a demo with a backing track to properly judge the tone. If Slash is going to play a G'n'R gig, he'd probably prefer the ones that sound trebly to you.
@@helixworld Exactly. I love my SH12, but they got a bad rep quickly, because people were expecting super high gain, in their bedroom and ended up with lackluster, thin mids and less output than the stock pickups they replaced. But, throw them into a live mix and they sound phenomenal.
I have a v100 lemon drop and vs6 sg. For the price these guitars are unbelievable. I was initially looking at epiphone les Paul's £450-£600 and Gibsons at £700-£900. Long story short, after playing the vintages I left the shop with 2 guitars and £200 change. Music and sound is down to individuality. The bridge pickup is awesome, the neck is a bit muddy. I got the iron gear blues engine installed in the neck on my sg and it sounds epic. The pickup cost £36 and £25 to get it installed. I have spent £761 in total, I have 2 brilliant sounding guitars and beautiful guitars. If I walked in to the shop that day with £2500 for a Gibson les Paul standard, I would of used my brain and not an ego and still walked out with the 2 vintage brand guitars and £1739 still in my pocket.
I think the wilkinsons sounded great for clean and crunch. The slash pickups although brighter sounded too thin in clean and crunch but they kicked ass with the distortion up.
I happen to like the darker/deeper sound of the Wilkinson pickups. For the money I will keep my Wilkys. But hey I'm a 56 year old guy just picked up guitar a week ago. Maybe by the time I'm good I will change my mind.
Ariel Lopez the difference in magnets are big part off that alnico 2 magnets are referred to as singing magnets not that magnets have their own tone but it's a quality they give pickups combined the wind.
I have an older version of that same guitar. I'm going to try putting alnico 2 magnets in the pickups. I'm actually putting some Iron Gear pickups in that guitar, but I'm going to do my test with the old pickups just for fun.
It sounds like it would be much harder to use the Wilkinsons in a mix, I think they would fight with bass and kick too much with that (much) darker tone. The Alnico II pups sounded great to my ears. I'd also be interested in dmt's experience. Incidentally, I also have experience with handmade dmt, both from Phalaris and Psychotria... hahaha
Wilkinson is fuller, while Slash has a brighter tone. I would say that without messing with the amp, playing the Wilkinson pickups naturally would be more for rhythm and the Slash series would be better for lead, but either way the tone can be adjusted without switching the pickups, with that in mind, the slash seems to remover the lower end of the spectrum without adding anything else new to the tone besides maybe humming.
I just installed the Seymour Duncans Slash set in my guitar. They sound amazing!! Important piece of information: they come with just one wire (live), braided with a shield (ground), please look up the schematics for that because they are not included.
Best UA-cam video in most categories I’ve seen for months & many more! Thank you, as the excellent guitarist you are, for demonstrating the pickups not your undeniable skill. Every other video appears as a challenging concert versus ... a simple & precise demonstration.. well done indeed 👍
The Slash's for me. Clearer and more airy. I can understand someone preferring the fatter tone of the Wilkinson's but it's easier to fatten and darken a bright pickup then the other way around.
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! I bought the Slash pickups for $300, they are nice I won't deny but I wanted to adjust the sound from time to time so that they could sound like Wilkinson but the Slash pickups just couldn't get the sound of my original solos that I know in every millisecond how they should sound, for two months I played around turning all kinds of knobs and I couldn't make the sound the same! I'm writing this for people who have decided to change their WILKINSON pickups to various other brands in case they already love that sound, if you change them your sound won't get better, you'll just lose something you love. I learned all this the hard way...when I got the Slash pickups I trashed the WILKINSON before I even installed the others, what an idiot you have to be to do that but I did it in the blind faith that I had bought something much better and I'm building the guitar you are much better, BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT. And I've come to the point where: I'm going to buy a brand new vintage and with it a hard case and leave this guitar as it is and enjoy it for the rest of my life.
"Impressive for the price" What does that mean ? Are they comparing favorably or not ? Are you supposing they should price it more for your convenience ?
@@MehdiS-music Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
I like the brighter sound of the Slash pups better, plus I think they might be more versatile and better in a live situation overall they are both great
Managed to get a set of the slash pups a few weeks ago for £50 for my v100, honestly, i ended up keeping the wilkinson bridge pup in as it has a warmer fatter sound, the slash pup was just to trebly and i preffered the Wilkinson. The neck pup, i put in the slash as it has a much better articulate sound, no mud as oppose to the wilkinson neck pup. The result was a banging middle sound to!!
@@thesuccessfulbarber Nothing is ceramic in this comparison. Slash are alnico II, Wilkinson alnico V. Slash are lower output vintage- PAF type pickups, Wilks are hotter mid rangier for heavier music.
One thing is sure: pickups matter. To me, the Wilkinsons woulda been muddy in a band mix. Fine in the bedroom, but no cut. The A2'S sparkled and were open.
Great video - thanks for doing this. I felt the Wilkinsons were fatter, a little darker while the SD's were more defined and articulate, but at the expense of meat. The slightly lower audio levels on the SD's at first disadvantaged them, but in the overdriven bit when the levels came up, they shone. Its all about personal preference and what you like from your Les Paul, but well done Wilky, none too shabby.
my two cents: I liked the wilkinsons in the middle position for clean sounds and i also like the wilky cleans in the bridge could have gone either way for the crunch sounds but the seymours really killed in the high gain settings.
For me Wilkinson is a better choice it has a very warm bassy sound, high Gain doesn't feel saturated and the white noise it's not that noticeable than the SD. SD provide a Sharp sound with extra good mids and treble, a Brighter sound i have to say, but in the high gain and middle gain feels like they need more power. Winkinson provides a vintage sound and SD's provide a modern sound. For Classic rock the WM are better, and also Old school metal, But for NU Metal and DeathMetal i think the SD's win. I feel SD'S are more Versatile. But if you need the palm mute sound good take the WM without any Hesitation.
Interesting. For some time now I've been winding my own pickups and I know exactly what materials are used in their production, the cost of those materials, and the amount of time it takes to produce a pickup, and ever since I became proficient at making them I've been against pickup companies that charge over the odds for pickups and Seymour Duncan are 1 of those companies. There are some that charge way way more than Duncans but I still see anything priced around the £100 mark as overpriced. Regarding the Wilkinsons and Duncans, I thought that in the clean tone comparison, the Wilkinsons sounded the better of the 2. Warmer & fuller, while the Duncans were thin & uninspiring to me. In the crunch/heavy comparison, I'd say that again the Wilkinsons were better but only in the bridge position, whereas the Duncans sounded better in the neck position. So if this guitar & the pickups were mine, I'd keep the Wilkinson in the bridge and put the Duncan in the neck. Overall, for the money, the Wilkinsons are good sounding pickups but the Duncans are pretty 'meh', they didn't sound great and I'd be unhappy if I'd just spent that much money on them and heard that sound.
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
@@lasersauceretroarchives6544 I can buy $1000+ dollar pickups if I wanted and don't need the Slash model or others = waste of money unless you are a studio musician or playing sold out 10,000+ crowds. EVH did it on far less.
Wilkinson. Trev puts his heart into making his guitars and hardware, a brand you can trust, and for a fraction of price big guys sell their stuff, that is not much better.
I am glad that most people like the Wilkinsons because I have built a guitar with Wilkinsons and plan to build a second one with Wilkinsons and wanted to see what others think about it.
Carlo I have sold about 7 partscasters in the last couple years. Most of them strats and tele had Wilkinson ceramic and alnico 5 pups. Just wanted to let you know that 4 of my sales were to professional musicians and they were verrrry impressed with the Wilkinsons. They all said they sounded as good as their fender mexicans..except for one guy who compared the $37 wilkinson alnico 5's to his Fender American Strat. Although he did say the Wilks sound ALMOST as good. Hope this helps you.
It is simple, if you play early Les Paul classic/vintage rock, you want the Wilkinson, but if you want to play any rock/metal after about 1975, you want the Slash's to cut the mix. You can always mute the brightness of the Slash's, but it is hard to add life to a dark pickup sound.
@@iplayloud2 Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
I like the tone of the Wilkinson ones in a guitar like that. They’ve got a bit of an even-keel tone that I know would work well with effects for my taste.
The hilarious thing here is that if I was the guy getting the p-ups replaced, and I watched this video. I would immediately send my guitar back to get the Wilkinson’s put back in. They just have so much more body and tone than the Slash p-ups.
Dude, if you change the pickups, you have to redial in your amp settings. This video was with just the exact same amp settings, which is for comparison reasons. But nobody would do that in real life. Slash is one of the greatest professional players and uses those pickups in every recording and on every gig. Do you really think those cheap Wilkinson pickups would be better, than what he is using?
I cant believe you guys argue about such subjective matter as "better sound". Besides, what do you think you heard in this comparison? Nothing. No one is producing pickups to sound good on a bedroom level volume. You all would hear absolutely different results if this dude played a plexi on 10. These tests show nothing.
The current Vintage V100 range now come with Wilkinson pickups, tuners and bridge as standard although from glancing at the various models/specs they are using various HOT Alnico Vs rather than the lower powered IIs. You are using the Marshall DSL40C which comes standard with the V-Type speaker, this gives a nice smooth clean brighter tone. Slash prefers a smooth warmer mids tone hence he uses 800 cabs with the Heritage branded speakers. SO when you consider a good second hand Vintage V100 will set you back £200 without the Wilkies and new comes complete with the the full Wilkinson pickup/hardware setup for £360 there a good guitar to buy, certainly better than most if not all Epiphones and I would argue also better than the Gibson Player range. Find a good priced newer Vintage V100 with the WIlkies and you are laughing, there a great guitar !!
Wilkinsons sounded more classic, better mids, less output like classic HBs. The Duncans are toppy, a bit shrill for my tastes. Both are okay, but I prefer lower output pickups, since they bring out playing technique much better. I’d stick with the Wilkinsons. Many players upgrade to Wilkinsons.
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
A good comparison on how to change the tone of a solid body LP style guitar. Apples and Oranges comparison on pickups. The Wilky’s are ceramic (neck 7.5k, bridge 14k), and the Slash pups are AlNiCo II (neck 8.3k, bridge 8.9k). AlNiCo II’s are the quintessential bright clean bucker. Interesting on the discrepancy of resistance on the Wilky’s pups - although the resistance values aren’t the only thing that indicates pup tone. Both have their place in music. It’s just a matter of playing style and desired tone on which you prefer.
Every pickup comparison video should be this good! Thanks for setting the bar high for other pickup comparisons! A lot of opinions here on which pickups are "better". I don't think that's the point. It's totally subjective. The Wilkinsons are clearly offer darker, thicker, milkier tone with a more high output punch. The Duncan Slash's have a lower output and far less low-mids so you get a cleaner and more balanced tone across the frequency spectrum. In my opinion, the Wilkinson's sound much better for clean or a slightly dirty vintage tone. The Slash's are a winner for a saturated gain tone for hard rock/metal. Not better or worse. Just what works best for you in your situation.
I have the same guitar and (just my humble opinion)... the Wilkinsons give more warmth, the Alnicos more "bite" and clearness. I love the mid-range and the warmth... if I need that "bite" I just change the setting on my EQ and use a different setting on my distortion. Does the same job! Interesting to see your comparison- but for me no need to swop the pickups. Thanks anyway mate for that comparison!
The Slash pickups have more top end chime and articulation than the Wilkisons...sounds like a blanket over a speaker with the Wilkinsons....to each there own....Loved how did the side by side video and same riffs for each!!! Nice Work Chaps!!
The Wilkinson's have the traditional les Paul sound, the Duncan's have the traditional Slash sound. Both sound good, but if you want to sound like Slash on a budget, Irongear Tesla's will get you as close as you can get for not a lot of money. Another great video by the boys at Astrings
Did you guys change the electronics? pots and wire? If so did you change it to 50's style wiring??? Makes a big difference all on its own.. A good quality set of pots and caps along with 50's style wiring really wakes up a guitar without even touching the pups, instantly brighter and has more bark to it.. I own a Vintage v-100 and 1st thing I did was swap out electronics but kept the pups intact and it made a huge difference in tone. Food for thought...
Yeah mate tell us, I'm currently looking at upgrading the whole harness In my v100 to a pre-made Gibson harness as I don't have a clue about what bits I should ask my local guitar tech to use. All i know the electrics have shit little 250k pots not pushing the humbuckers to full potential.
@@sniffmatip3865In the 50's Style wiring volume and tone knobs are wired in series instead of parallel, which makes the sound brighter, similar to having a volume pot with a value of 1mega ohm
I surprisingly preferred the Wilkinson’s. I think the Wilkinson’s capture the AFD sound quite well and probably reflect the APH1’s better that we’re in the original Derrig Lester.
พี่เชียร ชาวไร่ i used to have an epiphone SG custom with alnico pickups in it. I recently picked up the vintage paradise and those Wilkinson humbuckers piss all over the epiphone
I just watched this. I agree that it's mostly to taste however I also agree that the bridge on the Wilk's and the neck on the SD sounded better. Bridge pickups often get too crunchy and bright for my taste and the added bass was great for W's on the bridge. That same added bass made them too muddy on the neck pickup. I think the SD's are a lot more balanced sounding so it comes down to preference. Good video.
I have Wilkinson vintage pickups in an LP build, I LOVE THEM. A fraction of the cost, with all the sound! I did a 50s style wiring, which is a superior set up for that classic 1970s rock. You get a great sound when switching between neck and bridge, natural..... Without buggering about with tone. Also using na good quality pot with good taper help you control to drive as well. Overall, I really liked the Wilkinson pickups.... Just watch for knockoffs from China on the Amazon.
Interesting demo. I like the Duncans on clean and highest gain, the Wilkinsons on the medium gain. Each has its sweet spot depending on how one likes to position in the gain structure.
I prefer the Wilkinsons pickups. They have a more round sound and more balanced tone. I have a V100 AFD and swaped the pickups for Gibson 500T and 496R.....what a difference it made in the guitar sound! Now my guitar sounds like a 2000 bucks guitar!
I replaced the Wilkinson's in my Vintage AFD 100 Paradise with Seymour Duncan Slash Signatures for this exact reason. The Wilkinsons are by no means bad pickups, but I found them to be too bass heavy, boomy and hot. I didn't buy this guitar intending it to be a metal machine, I wanted a good rock n' roll guitar, and after the pickup change, I'm perfectly satisfied. Pickups aside, I have to give huge kudos to Vintage - the AFD 100 Paradise is an excellent instrument, love the way it feels, plays and it feels like it's really gonna withstand the test of time.
I can see how the wilkinsons would work for players who prefer more mid-range oriented tone, but the slash's sounded "tighter" much like a low-shelf EQ with a (for the sake of argument) high q in the 80-220hz range, or maybe a a mid-scoop of some sort. When i say "tight" i usually think of subtractive EQing .
Both are good, Wilkinsons are a bit darker / warmer and that's fine ... Add an EQ and a good boost pedal ( which most guitar players already have ) and you can most likely dial in any tone you want. Wilkinsons for the win, and not just on price ( but yes that helps )
I put some chrome covered alnico 5 wilkinson wvch pro's in a really good strat recently and they sounded clearer and had more bite than this example with overall a much better balance and sound. Perfect for early ZZ Top etc... I traded it to a friend for jazz lessons and also do all his set ups, so still get to play it. I am getting a gold covered set this week for another build. I also put covered SD Alnico 2 pro into a 1978 Greco EG500 LP standard about 5 years ago. Sold it to a guy who played Fleetwood Mac'y sort of stuff. The Alnico 2 tend towards clearer and more flutelike. I liked both but it is horses for courses.
The Slash pick ups have a more scintillating mid-high resonance. The Wilkinson sounds like the tone nob is turned down to 3 or 4 (in comparison). Is it worth changing the pick ups? No. You can get the same effect putting a guitar through a DAW and playing around with the EQ settings and effects. I like that riff that he plays in the second round. I am watching his finger positions and making a mental note to steal it.
Those Slash pickups are crisp and bell like giving them a much brighter tone. The Wilkinsons are darker and warmer. Both are great pick ups, its all about what you want.
Sounds great. I am wondering if I should purchase the Fleor alnico 5 or should I buy the Wilkinson alnico 5. Both are the same price which one is more cleaner?
Great video thank you! I recently bought a V100 in arctic white and it's a beautiful guitar but I do find the neck pickup is too muddy and as such loses definition somewhat so I'll be replacing both as I like having the same brand in a guitar. My choice when replacing pickups however won't be an overppriced brand like SD, I will always buy Tonerider as their pups are on a par with anything I've heard but the prices are extremely reasonable, these days getting ripped off with guitars, electrics and hardware is a choice, it's no longer mandatory.
I have an epiphone Les Paul Korean made. had to do a check up for bad ground. Put a new jack on it but noticed how crusty the wiring harness and humbuckers are. Was going to get a new updated harness and Wilkinson humbuckers and insulate all the body cutouts. Surely Wilkinson will sound better than the standard Korean humbuckers I have?
Thanks for this. I will save a bundle getting the Wilkinson pickups. The Duncans so trebly that the fundamentals on the bass strings are buried in harmonics. The Wilkinson's sound more balanced.
Those are Wilkinson WVHZ (if the pickups are not replaced before). I know it because I have the same guitar (Vintage AFD100 Paradise). I think it is the few(if not, only) Vintage Guitar that uses those pickups (made to sound like Slash's). If you plug that on Amplitube and use the Slash profile, it does have the same voice as like the Slash pickups (but a bit thicker I would think, as tested here in the video). I have other guitars (Ibanez), and it cannot sound like Slash even if I put it on Amplitube.
Excellent video. I have the same guitar and am considering the upgrade. The Wilkinsons sound good but the Seymour Duncans appear to cut through the mix. For home use the Wilkinsons get the job done for the price. Did you change out the pots? If so, did you have to mod the guitar to get them to fit.
"Not really a shootout" Really? b/c that's probably the best pickup shootout I've ever seen. But you're right, I don't care about the opinions LOL just wanted to hear the difference and you nailed it. Let SD know I bought the Alnico II Pro Slash bridge pickup because of this video. Thanks!
I own one of these guitars and the pickups are good, the only real problem is that they don't clean up very well when using the volume knobs. I've changed the pickups to the Slash sig pickups and re-wired everything using CST pots, orange drop caps, switchcraft switch and output jack. Wired in a 50's style and it sounds so much better and is so much more versatile. I think if you are going to do the upgrade on this guitar, replace all of the electronics. It's an excellent guitar, plays very well, punches well above its price point but with the upgrades I would put up against any Gibson traditional any day of the week and it's a fraction of the cost
Were they both brand new strings? Or were the Wilkinson's the old strings? Were the same ones left on for the slash pickups or did you change them with the pickups.
Both sound good, sd seemed brighter to me, liked both. I wouldn't personally find a need to change, one can always alter the signal with pedals etc, that's a really nice geetar for the price !
I think both sets sounded great, just slightly diff voicings. Ultimately surprised at how the Wilks really held their own in this comparison--not sure I could justify the so-called 'upgrade'...I do agree that the SD's would prahbly cut through in a live band mix a little bit better. I really feel like this gentleman needed to include some well-executed iconic Appetite-era licks for the best perspective. Mainly since, IMVHO, the Slash pickups actually sounded like a SD Pearly Gates set. Great demo in any event. Again , the Wilks really shined!
I'd have to hear more. In this particular comparison the Duncans are too bright and the Wilkinsons too wooly. I'd be looking for something in between. Of course one could adjust amp settings to taste. Need to know if it was the same set of strings..
Unless you are doing studio work, I would have just kept the Wilkinson's to practice, gig with, and play. The Wilkinson MWHZ sounded hotter and great as is. All that money spent could have just been put in strings, picks, EQ pedal.
Great video bud I really appreciate you time on this comparison thrust me I know. From what I gather both guitar sound great on a clean channel. As far as overdrive Wilkinson sound freaking great on the bridge probably better then slash alnico if your looking for that vintage rock sound but I notice it lacks a bit on mid and neck and that's where Slash Alnico shines. The Alnico are clearly a beast on all 3 bridge mid and neck., to conclude Wilkinson is sound a bit more darker vintage. Slash Alnico sound more brighter like modern rock.
Nice video - a really good side-by-side comparison. I'm sure the Seymour Duncan's are more articulate but the Wilkinson's had a hell of a lot more punch. I'd have trouble deciding which I'd want.
Wilkinsons had a lovely warm sound for the first two tests and while the Duncan's had more clarity they were less pleasing to my ear. But when it came to the high gain test that warmth became a little muddy and the clarity of the Duncan's was really great.
I agree.
I think the Slash pickups cut the mix better in band situation, but in this video i like (the warmer sounding) Wilkinson pups better.
Precisely
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
3:33 for sounds...
Phil Smith oh my.
You got 33 likes as well.
God bless you
Thanks, dude!
999 to save yourself and ascend
I personally like the sound of the Wilkinsons much better. I'm far from a professional ear, but I found the Slash's to be tinny and too trebly for my taste.
I had them for a minute...I felt the same at first...But when you roll the tone knobs they beef up quick...😃
I agree
It would be better to hear a demo with a backing track to properly judge the tone. If Slash is going to play a G'n'R gig, he'd probably prefer the ones that sound trebly to you.
@@helixworld
Exactly. I love my SH12, but they got a bad rep quickly, because people were expecting super high gain, in their bedroom and ended up with lackluster, thin mids and less output than the stock pickups they replaced. But, throw them into a live mix and they sound phenomenal.
Wilkinson = muddy Slash = mid boost and plenty of cut through the mix
I have a v100 lemon drop and vs6 sg. For the price these guitars are unbelievable. I was initially looking at epiphone les Paul's £450-£600 and Gibsons at £700-£900. Long story short, after playing the vintages I left the shop with 2 guitars and £200 change. Music and sound is down to individuality. The bridge pickup is awesome, the neck is a bit muddy. I got the iron gear blues engine installed in the neck on my sg and it sounds epic. The pickup cost £36 and £25 to get it installed. I have spent £761 in total, I have 2 brilliant sounding guitars and beautiful guitars. If I walked in to the shop that day with £2500 for a Gibson les Paul standard, I would of used my brain and not an ego and still walked out with the 2 vintage brand guitars and £1739 still in my pocket.
I think the wilkinsons sounded great for clean and crunch. The slash pickups although brighter sounded too thin in clean and crunch but they kicked ass with the distortion up.
I happen to like the darker/deeper sound of the Wilkinson pickups. For the money I will keep my Wilkys.
But hey I'm a 56 year old guy just picked up guitar a week ago. Maybe by the time I'm good I will change my mind.
Slash are way clearer and open just overall more musical. Wilkinson don't sound bad just a darker tone.
Ariel Lopez the difference in magnets are big part off that alnico 2 magnets are referred to as singing magnets not that magnets have their own tone but it's a quality they give pickups combined the wind.
I have an older version of that same guitar. I'm going to try putting alnico 2 magnets in the pickups. I'm actually putting some Iron Gear pickups in that guitar, but I'm going to do my test with the old pickups just for fun.
Any update on alnico 2 swap?
It sounds like it would be much harder to use the Wilkinsons in a mix, I think they would fight with bass and kick too much with that (much) darker tone. The Alnico II pups sounded great to my ears. I'd also be interested in dmt's experience.
Incidentally, I also have experience with handmade dmt, both from Phalaris and Psychotria... hahaha
Wilkinson is fuller, while Slash has a brighter tone. I would say that without messing with the amp, playing the Wilkinson pickups naturally would be more for rhythm and the Slash series would be better for lead, but either way the tone can be adjusted without switching the pickups, with that in mind, the slash seems to remover the lower end of the spectrum without adding anything else new to the tone besides maybe humming.
Now this is a proper 'side-by-side' comparison video. Kudos! 👍
I upgraded my SG with these Wilkinson pickups, and I must say that they sound extremely amazing for the price. 🤩
I just installed the Seymour Duncans Slash set in my guitar. They sound amazing!! Important piece of information: they come with just one wire (live), braided with a shield (ground), please look up the schematics for that because they are not included.
Best UA-cam video in most categories I’ve seen for months & many more!
Thank you, as the excellent guitarist you are, for demonstrating the pickups not your undeniable skill.
Every other video appears as a challenging concert versus ... a simple & precise demonstration.. well done indeed 👍
The Slash's for me. Clearer and more airy. I can understand someone preferring the fatter tone of the Wilkinson's but it's easier to fatten and darken a bright pickup then the other way around.
ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! I bought the Slash pickups for $300, they are nice I won't deny but I wanted to adjust the sound from time to time so that they could sound like Wilkinson but the Slash pickups just couldn't get the sound of my original solos that I know in every millisecond how they should sound, for two months I played around turning all kinds of knobs and I couldn't make the sound the same! I'm writing this for people who have decided to change their WILKINSON pickups to various other brands in case they already love that sound, if you change them your sound won't get better, you'll just lose something you love. I learned all this the hard way...when I got the Slash pickups I trashed the WILKINSON before I even installed the others, what an idiot you have to be to do that but I did it in the blind faith that I had bought something much better and I'm building the guitar you are much better, BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT. And I've come to the point where: I'm going to buy a brand new vintage and with it a hard case and leave this guitar as it is and enjoy it for the rest of my life.
Clean
(SD) 3:33 3:50 (W)
(SD) 4:05 4:21 (W)
(SD) 4:36 4:53 (W)
Crunch
5:09 5:24
5:34 5:50
5:58 6:15
Heavy Distortion
6:26 6:41
6:55 7:09
7:24 7:38
I'm a year late, but thank you.
i like the wilkinsons, impressive for the price
Sound much fuller than the SD´s!!
"Impressive for the price" What does that mean ? Are they comparing favorably or not ? Are you supposing they should price it more for your convenience ?
@@nidranrebreski2828 it means that €250 for pickups that dont sound that good while for that price you can get a guitar with Wilkinson pickups.
@@MehdiS-music Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
Damn, that's a well put together comparison video. Thank you.
I like the brighter sound of the Slash pups better, plus I think they might be more versatile and better in a live situation overall they are both great
Managed to get a set of the slash pups a few weeks ago for £50 for my v100, honestly, i ended up keeping the wilkinson bridge pup in as it has a warmer fatter sound, the slash pup was just to trebly and i preffered the Wilkinson. The neck pup, i put in the slash as it has a much better articulate sound, no mud as oppose to the wilkinson neck pup. The result was a banging middle sound to!!
Great idea!
Both
70s Classic Rock = Wilkinson
90s Heavy = Seymour Duncan Slash Alnico II
The alnico is a more vintage sound. Ceramics are higher output so more compressed and more modern
@@thesuccessfulbarber Nothing is ceramic in this comparison. Slash are alnico II, Wilkinson alnico V. Slash are lower output vintage- PAF type pickups, Wilks are hotter mid rangier for heavier music.
Wilkinson sound more like a Gibson lp
One thing is sure: pickups matter. To me, the Wilkinsons woulda been muddy in a band mix. Fine in the bedroom, but no cut. The A2'S sparkled and were open.
To me the one thing is clear. New Strings with the Slash pups. dead strings on the Wilky's.
Definitely
Indeed. Got to keep that till turning over.
Too true mate! Defo old and sweaty string situation there. I have wilkos and they sound great
probably a setup, intonation to
lol exactly the comparison i made in my mind also
Great video - thanks for doing this. I felt the Wilkinsons were fatter, a little darker while the SD's were more defined and articulate, but at the expense of meat. The slightly lower audio levels on the SD's at first disadvantaged them, but in the overdriven bit when the levels came up, they shone. Its all about personal preference and what you like from your Les Paul, but well done Wilky, none too shabby.
my two cents: I liked the wilkinsons in the middle position for clean sounds and i also like the wilky cleans in the bridge could have gone either way for the crunch sounds but the seymours really killed in the high gain settings.
I agree completely. I thought the guy had totally wasted his money for quite a bit there, but they really came good at the end.
I agree with you
Exactly the same feeling. For cleans, Wilkinsons; for high gain, SDs. For crunch, either.
For me Wilkinson is a better choice it has a very warm bassy sound, high Gain doesn't feel saturated and the white noise it's not that noticeable than the SD.
SD provide a Sharp sound with extra good mids and treble, a Brighter sound i have to say, but in the high gain and middle gain feels like they need more power.
Winkinson provides a vintage sound and SD's provide a modern sound. For Classic rock the WM are better, and also Old school metal, But for NU Metal and DeathMetal i think the SD's win.
I feel SD'S are more Versatile.
But if you need the palm mute sound good take the WM without any Hesitation.
Interesting. For some time now I've been winding my own pickups and I know exactly what materials are used in their production, the cost of those materials, and the amount of time it takes to produce a pickup, and ever since I became proficient at making them I've been against pickup companies that charge over the odds for pickups and Seymour Duncan are 1 of those companies. There are some that charge way way more than Duncans but I still see anything priced around the £100 mark as overpriced.
Regarding the Wilkinsons and Duncans, I thought that in the clean tone comparison, the Wilkinsons sounded the better of the 2. Warmer & fuller, while the Duncans were thin & uninspiring to me.
In the crunch/heavy comparison, I'd say that again the Wilkinsons were better but only in the bridge position, whereas the Duncans sounded better in the neck position.
So if this guitar & the pickups were mine, I'd keep the Wilkinson in the bridge and put the Duncan in the neck. Overall, for the money, the Wilkinsons are good sounding pickups but the Duncans are pretty 'meh', they didn't sound great and I'd be unhappy if I'd just spent that much money on them and heard that sound.
Can you make pick ups on a commission?
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
@@lasersauceretroarchives6544 I can buy $1000+ dollar pickups if I wanted and don't need the Slash model or others = waste of money unless you are a studio musician or playing sold out 10,000+ crowds. EVH did it on far less.
Seymour Duncans allways sound meh.
Wilkinson. Trev puts his heart into making his guitars and hardware, a brand you can trust, and for a fraction of price big guys sell their stuff, that is not much better.
I am glad that most people like the Wilkinsons because I have built a guitar with Wilkinsons and plan to build a second one with Wilkinsons and wanted to see what others think about it.
Carlo I have sold about 7 partscasters in the last couple years. Most of them strats and tele had Wilkinson ceramic and alnico 5 pups. Just wanted to let you know that 4 of my sales were to professional musicians and they were verrrry impressed with the Wilkinsons. They all said they sounded as good as their fender mexicans..except for one guy who compared the $37 wilkinson alnico 5's to his Fender American Strat. Although he did say the Wilks sound ALMOST as good. Hope this helps you.
It is simple, if you play early Les Paul classic/vintage rock, you want the Wilkinson, but if you want to play any rock/metal after about 1975, you want the Slash's to cut the mix. You can always mute the brightness of the Slash's, but it is hard to add life to a dark pickup sound.
Maybe not metal. These are quite low output pickups. You rarely see metal players use the weakest magnet Alnico 2.
You can always alter the pot values. If you go from 500K to 1M pots you will get more treble.
@@iplayloud2 Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
I like the tone of the Wilkinson ones in a guitar like that. They’ve got a bit of an even-keel tone that I know would work well with effects for my taste.
The hilarious thing here is that if I was the guy getting the p-ups replaced, and I watched this video. I would immediately send my guitar back to get the Wilkinson’s put back in.
They just have so much more body and tone than the Slash p-ups.
Dude, if you change the pickups, you have to redial in your amp settings. This video was with just the exact same amp settings, which is for comparison reasons. But nobody would do that in real life. Slash is one of the greatest professional players and uses those pickups in every recording and on every gig. Do you really think those cheap Wilkinson pickups would be better, than what he is using?
Indeed. To all you in comments saying you would pick the wilk.. I'm 100% sure 99% of you would pick the aph2 slash pups if you got to try them
Slashes pickups will cut thru the mix. Wilkinsons will mud the shit out of it
I cant believe you guys argue about such subjective matter as "better sound". Besides, what do you think you heard in this comparison? Nothing. No one is producing pickups to sound good on a bedroom level volume. You all would hear absolutely different results if this dude played a plexi on 10. These tests show nothing.
I love the raging gear snobs trying to say that the mid scooped sound coming from the Slash pups cut thru the mix better than the Wilkinson’s. LoL
The current Vintage V100 range now come with Wilkinson pickups, tuners and bridge as standard although from glancing at the various models/specs they are using various HOT Alnico Vs rather than the lower powered IIs. You are using the Marshall DSL40C which comes standard with the V-Type speaker, this gives a nice smooth clean brighter tone. Slash prefers a smooth warmer mids tone hence he uses 800 cabs with the Heritage branded speakers. SO when you consider a good second hand Vintage V100 will set you back £200 without the Wilkies and new comes complete with the the full Wilkinson pickup/hardware setup for £360 there a good guitar to buy, certainly better than most if not all Epiphones and I would argue also better than the Gibson Player range. Find a good priced newer Vintage V100 with the WIlkies and you are laughing, there a great guitar !!
thank you I wish more of the you tube demoes were like this.
Yeah, me too pal.
I was looking to buy some because of the cheap price...but this video made me stay with Duncan's ;) Thanks !
Clean sound : Wilkinson wins
Driven sound : SD wins
Wilkinsons sounded more classic, better mids, less output like classic HBs. The Duncans are toppy, a bit shrill for my tastes. Both are okay, but I prefer lower output pickups, since they bring out playing technique much better. I’d stick with the Wilkinsons. Many players upgrade to Wilkinsons.
Slash ofc I mean just listen to that it eliminates all muddiness. All them comments here can't afford on the slash set so they root for a cheap wilkinsons. lol
Wilkinson on bridge writes 14K, the Slash on 8.3K.
Less output...😂
think i would have stuck with the willkinsons
but your not going to know anyway until you compare so its pot luck
Dude probably wanted a new sound without having to buy a new guitar. To each his own
Sam Chez, i would keep wilkinsons too))
A good comparison on how to change the tone of a solid body LP style guitar. Apples and Oranges comparison on pickups. The Wilky’s are ceramic (neck 7.5k, bridge 14k), and the Slash pups are AlNiCo II (neck 8.3k, bridge 8.9k). AlNiCo II’s are the quintessential bright clean bucker. Interesting on the discrepancy of resistance on the Wilky’s pups - although the resistance values aren’t the only thing that indicates pup tone. Both have their place in music. It’s just a matter of playing style and desired tone on which you prefer.
Every pickup comparison video should be this good! Thanks for setting the bar high for other pickup comparisons! A lot of opinions here on which pickups are "better". I don't think that's the point. It's totally subjective. The Wilkinsons are clearly offer darker, thicker, milkier tone with a more high output punch. The Duncan Slash's have a lower output and far less low-mids so you get a cleaner and more balanced tone across the frequency spectrum. In my opinion, the Wilkinson's sound much better for clean or a slightly dirty vintage tone. The Slash's are a winner for a saturated gain tone for hard rock/metal. Not better or worse. Just what works best for you in your situation.
I have the same guitar and (just my humble opinion)... the Wilkinsons give more warmth, the Alnicos more "bite" and clearness. I love the mid-range and the warmth... if I need that "bite" I just change the setting on my EQ and use a different setting on my distortion. Does the same job! Interesting to see your comparison- but for me no need to swop the pickups.
Thanks anyway mate for that comparison!
The Slash pickups have more top end chime and articulation than the Wilkisons...sounds like a blanket over a speaker with the Wilkinsons....to each there own....Loved how did the side by side video and same riffs for each!!! Nice Work Chaps!!
Great video! Well done, immediate side by side comparison without useless fooling around. This is to the point and usable.
All things considered; it’s a good idea to get wilkinsons.
Are the SD’s better? Yes.
Are they $250+ better? Hell no.
It’s a no brainer
what you mean $250 slash SD only 150 for the set
The Wilkinson's have the traditional les Paul sound, the Duncan's have the traditional Slash sound. Both sound good, but if you want to sound like Slash on a budget, Irongear Tesla's will get you as close as you can get for not a lot of money. Another great video by the boys at Astrings
Excellent job comparing these two sets!!!!! Well done!
What is interesting to me is how good that guitar holds up for its price.
Did you guys change the electronics? pots and wire? If so did you change it to 50's style wiring??? Makes a big difference all on its own.. A good quality set of pots and caps along with 50's style wiring really wakes up a guitar without even touching the pups, instantly brighter and has more bark to it.. I own a Vintage v-100 and 1st thing I did was swap out electronics but kept the pups intact and it made a huge difference in tone. Food for thought...
R. Lee Craine what caps did you put in the V100? And excuse me my ignorance what is the 50s wiring and what difference does it make?
Yeah mate tell us, I'm currently looking at upgrading the whole harness In my v100 to a pre-made Gibson harness as I don't have a clue about what bits I should ask my local guitar tech to use. All i know the electrics have shit little 250k pots not pushing the humbuckers to full potential.
@@sniffmatip3865In the 50's Style wiring volume and tone knobs are wired in series instead of parallel, which makes the sound brighter, similar to having a volume pot with a value of 1mega ohm
I surprisingly preferred the Wilkinson’s. I think the Wilkinson’s capture the AFD sound quite well and probably reflect the APH1’s better that we’re in the original Derrig Lester.
Folks forget that Slash used the APH before his signature pickups...I think that's where the confusion is.
The Wilkinson's are warmer sounding but they're also more muddy which wouldn't sit well in a mix.
The best comparison I've seen!! Thanks!!!! Definitely the slash sang more beautifully.
mwhz is high output pu
alnico 2 slash is low out put
but damm the cheap wilkinson pu is good for price
i like mwhz for bridge pu
and slash for neck pu
พี่เชียร ชาวไร่ ^^this guy knows what’s up
You can see from the link, that Wilkinsons are WVHZ and not MWHZ. Not high output if you know the differernce and stats.
พี่เชียร ชาวไร่ i used to have an epiphone SG custom with alnico pickups in it. I recently picked up the vintage paradise and those Wilkinson humbuckers piss all over the epiphone
I just watched this. I agree that it's mostly to taste however I also agree that the bridge on the Wilk's and the neck on the SD sounded better. Bridge pickups often get too crunchy and bright for my taste and the added bass was great for W's on the bridge. That same added bass made them too muddy on the neck pickup. I think the SD's are a lot more balanced sounding so it comes down to preference. Good video.
I have Wilkinson vintage pickups in an LP build, I LOVE THEM. A fraction of the cost, with all the sound! I did a 50s style wiring, which is a superior set up for that classic 1970s rock. You get a great sound when switching between neck and bridge, natural..... Without buggering about with tone. Also using na good quality pot with good taper help you control to drive as well. Overall, I really liked the Wilkinson pickups.... Just watch for knockoffs from China on the Amazon.
yes i feel that knockoffs from China are all over! what do you recommend...where did you buy or where to buy orig. wilkinson?
In my opinion the Wilkinson sounded duller and the sd/slash brighter
Shayne Butler dull is a harsh negative word.. Wilkinson sounded a bit warmer
Suman Chhetri, dull dull dull idiot dull dull dull politically correct idiot dull dull dull chump dull dull dull candy ass dull dull dull!!!
That is it in a nutshell mate. Same with maple neck or rosewood. Same with single coils or humbuckers. A matter of brightness or darkness.
@@fredfunf3456 time wood for solid bodies is a myth, like flat earth. Where have you been.
Yup. Old strings vs the twang of new strings. Haha
The Wilkinsons sounded fuller to me and maybe a bit louder. The SDs sounder more tinny to my ear.
Interesting demo. I like the Duncans on clean and highest gain, the Wilkinsons on the medium gain. Each has its sweet spot depending on how one likes to position in the gain structure.
I prefer the Wilkinsons pickups. They have a more round sound and more balanced tone. I have a V100 AFD and swaped the pickups for Gibson 500T and 496R.....what a difference it made in the guitar sound! Now my guitar sounds like a 2000 bucks guitar!
I replaced the Wilkinson's in my Vintage AFD 100 Paradise with Seymour Duncan Slash Signatures for this exact reason. The Wilkinsons are by no means bad pickups, but I found them to be too bass heavy, boomy and hot. I didn't buy this guitar intending it to be a metal machine, I wanted a good rock n' roll guitar, and after the pickup change, I'm perfectly satisfied. Pickups aside, I have to give huge kudos to Vintage - the AFD 100 Paradise is an excellent instrument, love the way it feels, plays and it feels like it's really gonna withstand the test of time.
SD brings clarity and sweetness
Great video. The Seymour Duncan PUs sounded like they had more clarity/definition, if that makes sense to you.
my thoughts exactly
Yes so they sound less muddy at higher gain and cut better through the mix Probably the reason why Slash uses them
I can see how the wilkinsons would work for players who prefer more mid-range oriented tone, but the slash's sounded "tighter" much like a low-shelf EQ with a (for the sake of argument) high q in the 80-220hz range, or maybe a a mid-scoop of some sort. When i say "tight" i usually think of subtractive EQing .
I like the way that you split the video.Great comparison.thx
Both are good, Wilkinsons are a bit darker / warmer and that's fine ... Add an EQ and a good boost pedal ( which most guitar players already have ) and you can most likely dial in any tone you want. Wilkinsons for the win, and not just on price ( but yes that helps )
Wilkinson pickus are more muddy and distorted but some people may prefer that.
I put some chrome covered alnico 5 wilkinson wvch pro's in a really good strat recently and they sounded clearer and had more bite than this example with overall a much better balance and sound. Perfect for early ZZ Top etc... I traded it to a friend for jazz lessons and also do all his set ups, so still get to play it. I am getting a gold covered set this week for another build.
I also put covered SD Alnico 2 pro into a 1978 Greco EG500 LP standard about 5 years ago. Sold it to a guy who played Fleetwood Mac'y sort of stuff. The Alnico 2 tend towards clearer and more flutelike. I liked both but it is horses for courses.
I would use Jb and 59 Duncan on this guitar and then a plek and this cheep lp gonna be a killer 😀
the tone im looking for is the Slash pups thank you
Great comparison. The seymour sound clearer which is important to cut through the mix. That said, Wilkinson are doing great pickups for the price.
The Slash pick ups have a more scintillating mid-high resonance. The Wilkinson sounds like the tone nob is turned down to 3 or 4 (in comparison). Is it worth changing the pick ups? No. You can get the same effect putting a guitar through a DAW and playing around with the EQ settings and effects. I like that riff that he plays in the second round. I am watching his finger positions and making a mental note to steal it.
Those Slash pickups are crisp and bell like giving them a much brighter tone. The Wilkinsons are darker and warmer. Both are great pick ups, its all about what you want.
Pickups aside, how did you like the Vintage LP?
Sounds great. I am wondering if I should purchase the Fleor alnico 5 or should I buy the Wilkinson alnico 5. Both are the same price which one is more cleaner?
Great video thank you! I recently bought a V100 in arctic white and it's a beautiful guitar but I do find the neck pickup is too muddy and as such loses definition somewhat so I'll be replacing both as I like having the same brand in a guitar. My choice when replacing pickups however won't be an overppriced brand like SD, I will always buy Tonerider as their pups are on a par with anything I've heard but the prices are extremely reasonable, these days getting ripped off with guitars, electrics and hardware is a choice, it's no longer mandatory.
I have an epiphone Les Paul Korean made. had to do a check up for bad ground. Put a new jack on it but noticed how crusty the wiring harness and humbuckers are. Was going to get a new updated harness and Wilkinson humbuckers and insulate all the body cutouts. Surely Wilkinson will sound better than the standard Korean humbuckers I have?
Thanks for this. I will save a bundle getting the Wilkinson pickups. The Duncans so trebly that the fundamentals on the bass strings are buried in harmonics. The Wilkinson's sound more balanced.
Amazed by just how good the Wilkinson pick ups are in comparison to the Seymour Duncans. Certainly are not massively inferior.
Those are Wilkinson WVHZ (if the pickups are not replaced before). I know it because I have the same guitar (Vintage AFD100 Paradise). I think it is the few(if not, only) Vintage Guitar that uses those pickups (made to sound like Slash's).
If you plug that on Amplitube and use the Slash profile, it does have the same voice as like the Slash pickups (but a bit thicker I would think, as tested here in the video). I have other guitars (Ibanez), and it cannot sound like Slash even if I put it on Amplitube.
Clear difference! Good review
Excellent video. I have the same guitar and am considering the upgrade. The Wilkinsons sound good but the Seymour Duncans appear to cut through the mix. For home use the Wilkinsons get the job done for the price. Did you change out the pots? If so, did you have to mod the guitar to get them to fit.
"Not really a shootout" Really? b/c that's probably the best pickup shootout I've ever seen. But you're right, I don't care about the opinions LOL just wanted to hear the difference and you nailed it. Let SD know I bought the Alnico II Pro Slash bridge pickup because of this video. Thanks!
I own one of these guitars and the pickups are good, the only real problem is that they don't clean up very well when using the volume knobs. I've changed the pickups to the Slash sig pickups and re-wired everything using CST pots, orange drop caps, switchcraft switch and output jack. Wired in a 50's style and it sounds so much better and is so much more versatile. I think if you are going to do the upgrade on this guitar, replace all of the electronics. It's an excellent guitar, plays very well, punches well above its price point but with the upgrades I would put up against any Gibson traditional any day of the week and it's a fraction of the cost
Not bad for the Wilkinson's pickups. They sounds thinker and balance than the slash. I personally like the sound of the Wilkinson's.
Wilkinson for me!
Were they both brand new strings? Or were the Wilkinson's the old strings? Were the same ones left on for the slash pickups or did you change them with the pickups.
Wilkinson all day for me.
They respond well to the volume controls also.
Just curious if the Wilkinson demo had fresh strings??? Its a huge difference for a Pup comparison.
Both sound good, sd seemed brighter to me, liked both. I wouldn't personally find a need to change, one can always alter the signal with pedals etc, that's a really nice geetar for the price !
Slash pickups sound awesome! You can always roll back the tone knob on a guitar and get a warmer tone if needed
I think both sets sounded great, just slightly diff voicings. Ultimately surprised at how the Wilks really held their own in this comparison--not sure I could justify the so-called 'upgrade'...I do agree that the SD's would prahbly cut through in a live band mix a little bit better. I really feel like this gentleman needed to include some well-executed iconic Appetite-era licks for the best perspective. Mainly since, IMVHO, the Slash pickups actually sounded like a SD Pearly Gates set. Great demo in any event. Again , the Wilks really shined!
What's your opinion on the vintage guitar brand ? Are better than Epiphone ? What would you recommend for the price point ? For LP style guitar.
What kind of guitar? It’s beautiful.
Are the Vintage Alnico 5 Seymour Duncan Alnico 2, I like the Vintage not as biting sharp as the Seymour Duncan
I'd have to hear more. In this particular comparison the Duncans are too bright and the Wilkinsons too wooly. I'd be looking for something in between. Of course one could adjust amp settings to taste.
Need to know if it was the same set of strings..
I liked the Wilkinsons' for the clean tones. but liked the note separation of the Seymours' as overdrive was added
I came here to check out the Wilkinson's but hot snot, now I want Seymour Duncan's!!!
Unless you are doing studio work, I would have just kept the Wilkinson's to practice, gig with, and play.
The Wilkinson MWHZ sounded hotter and great as is. All that money spent could have just been put in strings, picks, EQ pedal.
i have this guitar and i thought about change pickups for this and now i know it's good idea... ;-) thanks
Loved this video !! I think both sounded amazing! Love the new outro also!!
Great video bud I really appreciate you time on this comparison thrust me I know. From what I gather both guitar sound great on a clean channel. As far as overdrive Wilkinson sound freaking great on the bridge probably better then slash alnico if your looking for that vintage rock sound but I notice it lacks a bit on mid and neck and that's where Slash Alnico shines. The Alnico are clearly a beast on all 3 bridge mid and neck., to conclude Wilkinson is sound a bit more darker vintage. Slash Alnico sound more brighter like modern rock.
Nice video - a really good side-by-side comparison. I'm sure the Seymour Duncan's are more articulate but the Wilkinson's had a hell of a lot more punch. I'd have trouble deciding which I'd want.