Epiphone ProBucker Pickups Review
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- Опубликовано: 22 апр 2021
- I put Epiphone ProBucker pickups back in my Epiphone Les Paul, and play a few different types of guitar parts through them. Did I previously judge the ProBuckers too harshly? Yes. Are they my favorite pickup in the world? No. But opinions are very subjective, so give it a listen and see what YOU think.
Table of Contents
0:01 - Tony is grumpy
00:25 - Opening dialog
03:07 - Playing crunch tone, bridge pickup
04:28 - Both pickups
04:46 - Neck position
05:07 - Higher gain, bridge pickup
06:36 - Metal
08:12 - Big solo tone
09:19 - Clean and funky
09:49 - Both pickups tapped
10:47 - Final thoughts
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I honestly believe that these pickups are great, and the same goes for the Epi Alnico Classic Pros.
Problem is that we are hardwired to believe that "different" implies superiority.
These Probuckers sound different than SD Seth Lovers. Doe that mean that the Seth Lovers are better, or just different and more expensive?
Without a side by side comparison can any of us really hear that big of a difference?
I think not.
The Pro Buckers in my 2020 Explorer sound amazing. They will be staying in the guitar until something better comes along. So far I'm in love.
This was the best Pro Bucker review I could find so far. I love the way they sound thru your gear. If I need more mids I will EQ it in there, but I like them a lot. Thanks for this awesome video🎸
Thx for the video! I upgraded my Harley Benton SC-550 with Epiphone Pro Buckers and I am perfectly happy with it.
Reading up on my Probuckers I found your page and this video. Subbed :) Thanks for this video.
I'm so glad I bought a set of Probuckers to install in my Harley Benton. I know they are going to sound amazing. Thats a nice demo.
Definitely sounds good . Certainly for the price. You could probably upgrade with seymour duncan custom for example but I would have zero issues with leaving probucker in a guitar if they was already in it .
Man!!! Those sound great. I’m just now hearing about these pickups!🔥🔥👏🏾👏🏾
Good review I am doing a DIY ES 335 build and am considering swapping out the ones that come with the kit for the Epiphone Pro pickups as I like the way the Gibson Epiphones sound as apposed to the Nashville Gibson sound.
Richard, great video. I hope to see some more gear comparisons in the future. I find the (Pick Up) subject to be very helpful, especially if were talking budget guitars. Thanks p.s. I tried the Epiphone 50's Gold top at GC. It has the Probuckers 1-2, with 50's style wiring. Sounded really nice with awesome sustain, if you can, try one out, if you haven't already.
I put a set of those in my 1978 Les Paul Standard and I love them.
Another very useful demo! Thanks. I agree that Probuckers have their own voice and that it's actually pretty good. I can't bring myself to swap mine out of my Koren epi les paul custom, it just doesn't seem necessary.
Thanks for watching! Yeah, I think they do sound pretty good. Lots of range - you get the highs and the lows.
Sound great to me. Nice demo. Nothing wrong with those at all, especially if your normal playing style has some gain in it.
Thanks! I'm definitely leaving them in.
I have probuckers in my epiphone. I really suggest tweaking them a little. Raise the poles and lower the pickups. It dose make a difference, not a huge difference but it cleans them up.
Nice video, cool demo! Guitar sounds killer! Are these the same as the Epiphone ProBucker Vintage pickups?
My first experience with the probuckers (the 2 and 3 specifically) was on the Epi Les Paul Modern Figured I bought last month, and holy hell was I blown away by them.
Yes, that's what these are - a 2 and a 3. I think they're just the thing if you want gain. They are definitely good pickups - they're better than I thought they were. I can see why people like them - they have a lot of range.
I have these in my PRS SE 245 and I’m VERY happy with the sounds I get from them. My next upgrade is going to be the StewMac Golden Age hardware and I think those pickups will really shine once I get the pots upgraded.
I've never tried the Golden Age hardware, but I bet it's good.
Those Golden Age Humbuckers are really great pickups. I put them on my Washburn HB35 and they sound amazing. Good luck.
Did you upgrade them or did they come with it, and if it was an upgrade did you think it was an improvement? I like the sound of the newer PRS 85/15 "S" pickups from videos I've heard but just picked up a used SE Custom 24 with probuckers for a good price and I'm a little worried that I won't like it as much as I would if it were stock.
prs se pickups are awesome
very good review. Thank you.
Good review. They sound great and I might actually buy a set for my Squier Bullet Mustang..
Thanks! I think they're great for the money.
I bought my new 2020 '50s Standard Les Paul in january 2021 and after 10 months of intense use l can state the stock Pro-buckers pickups are amazing and great pickups...the sounds and tones you can obtain learning how to use correctly volume and tone knobs are beautiful...l play blues-rock (my refer is Free's guitarist Paul Kossoff)and all l need is a good jack from my Les Paul to my Fender Blues Junior lll amp... nothing else...great guitar with great pickups 🎸🎸🎸❤️❤️❤️...l still have to discover if the '50s Standard used 1 and 2 Pro-buckers or 2 and 3 like the '60s and other Les Paul models???Cheers from Italy 👍👍👍🎸🎸🎸
I bought an Epi LP Classic honey burst last year. Sounds good to me.
I thought they were average sounding on my Epiphone 2020 modern UNTIL I adjusted the truss rod (properly) and boy did they sound sweet after that. Really made all the difference to the sustain especially and made the lead playing sound much better. They're almost, but not quite, as good sounding now as my Epiphone 1960 Tribute Plus with stock Gibson 57' Classic pickups.
it is bizarre how a truss rod adjustment ca affect the sound of pickups on an electric guitar, but it happens a lot i find.
Interesting. I have the same two Epiphones. I haven’t A/B them but the Gibson 57s in the Tribute are excellent!
@@freddykruger3320 could be the distance b/w the pickups and the strings
Now I REALLY want to get my hands on a BurstBucker and compare them!
nice review, I did a comparison video between probucker and burstbucker, to me..tone wise.. they are slightly different. feel free to check my video ruclips.net/video/evM8ndyNgNI/видео.html
Get the 1959 they have Burstbuckers
I love to hear you play. The love you channel pierces my soul and inspires me.
It is traditional to use a . 022 cap in both the neck and bridge pickup. For clarity, you can put a . 015 cap in for your neck pickp
MAAANNNN!!! I ENJOYED YOUR VERSATILE PLAYING!!! YOU CAN PLAY!!! YOU HAD THOSE PROBUCKERS SOUNDING NICE!!! i'm glad to hear that you put the probuckers back in because my Epi standard/probuckers always had great tones. Just like yours does!!! It's nice to hear that someone else's does as well.
I recently compared my epi to my Gibby Studio. Because of the reasons that make the Gibby more expensive is the reason why it has noticebly more PRONOUNCED tone to the pickups and is slightly easier to play as well. BUT, I can't say that Gibby's tone is BETTER than Epi's tone. Because it not, better. It's just different. And it should be folks. They are two different, separate guitars. A decent, tuned guitar, in the hands of a good player, will have a nice tone, tones, or sound. Regardless of price. From what i've observed and experienced. So, to all of the beginners to playing guitar!!! PRICE ONLY BUYS YOU A GREATER PRONUNCIATION OF THE PICKUPS TONES (aside from the electronics, fretboard, materials, ect.).
Thanks for sharing!
Good demo straight info 👍👍
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
I like mine in my epi SG. My other guitars have burstbucker pros and duncans.
I have to say overall I like the pickups.
I would like to know what amp model you used in the first half. I have the stomp, it was a little harsh but one you went to metal section it sounded great. Same amp model ?
A yway Good review , thanks
They are VERY good! I didn’t like the BurstBucker 1&2s in my Gibson LP, so thought I’d try the ProBucker 1&2 set I had from an old Epiphone. Funny thing is, I’d never used them because I took them out as soon as I got the Epiphone.
Now, I find the ProBuckers offer a much warmer tone than the BurstBucker 1&2 set. Recently switched the magnets to A5s and it’s given them a little morr treble and bite.
I picked up…an Amos Bonamassa Flying V….ihave some nice Gibsons…I’m a little older played a long time…The Epiphones today are a great value..compared to what I cud get when I started out…These Epiphone today u can Gig no problem…The pro buckers remind me of gibsons burst buckers…amazing stuff for a decent price…👍👍
Agree the epiphone's past are pretty crappy today looking at a 2020 Les Paul custom with an ebony fingerboard for 700 bucks not 4500 on a Gibson Les Paul custom ...
everything's 4 to 7k on reverb & Craigslist
At the very least if the pickups don't get it ( I think these will push fine)
I can get a set up pick ups and drop them in I'm still under 1k .... Plus the headstocks less awkward 🤔
I have Alnico II Pro Slash on the bridge, 8.2 k output. You recomend Probucker 2 or Probucker 3 on the Neck???
Oh! I forgot to ask are those pickups Alnico 5 pickups? Sorry for the many questions.
Ha, I love my Squire Bullet. Gig it all the time and played the frets off it. Set up nice with good pickups mind. x
Sounds great
they sound great to me. different is good. try an EQ pedal to alter your mid range taste and you might have a new fave !!
I have bought an Epiphone SG 61 that carries these pick-ups. Probucker 2 and 3 Humbucker. Now as a rock - hard rock player mostly when I combine it with my Marshall, to me at least they sound bloody terrific. I think it's a great value for money.
Totally agree. Great value for money!
The probucker 2 and 3 in the new epi LP 60s model rock... they are just damn good pickups.
Their high gain sound is definitely where they sit best. My Genesis reissue has these
Agreed!
During an eviction today i found a traditional pro with a broken headstock that has these pickup's in it. I just finished gluing and clamping the headstock back on so hopfully i can string up this freebie in a few days and get her to jam! Nice video!🤙
Thanks! And congratulations on your find.
Recently picked up an Epi LP Trad Pro IV for a steal of a deal from a local Craigslist. I think PB PUPs are good, but the coil split is really lacking. After mulling it over the past few weeks, I decided to pull the trigger on new Gibson Dirty Fingers for the Bridge. I have like a 12 year old Gibson DF that I put on one of my Gibson SG's and love it. There's a little more oompphh out it and the coil split just sounds better than any other CS I played. I have an extra Gibson 490R sitting around and was wondering if I should drop that in the neck to replace the PB in the neck? It's been so long, I can't even remember how the 490 sounded. Would a 490R be generally more desirable over a new Epi PB?
To be totally honest, I've never owned the 490 pickups. I do have a set of Dirty Fingers - they're high output and they can definitely scream. The 490R is an Alnico 2 pickup around 8K output, so my guess would be it would sound similar to the ProBucker - my guess is the difference would not be huge.
My son just bought a used GS 400 with the probuckers, he bought it because of the sound of the pickups.
Nice!
I recently got some kind of Chinese Les Paul knock off somebody put these pick ups in. They sound really good to me
very nice sound. May be I'll by it.
I have a 2004 LP plus top with alnico classic pups and they sound pretty good compared with my Gibson 2003 LP classic that has 490 series pups
what version guitar is the epiphone les paul with the probuckers? thanks
I’d like to hear the probucker 2(neck) in the bridge position… since it’s based on bb2 which is used in bridge position on Les Paul standard’s
I almost did that. But I figure that most people have the stock setup so it'd make more sense for me to stay stock. But maybe the next time I restring it I'll swap them and make a video. :)
The Epiphone Pro buckers are highly acclaimed pickups and if you bought a set from Epiphone they will cost you $170.00
I definitely think they're worth $170.
The epiphone pro buckers are made the same exact same way as the Gibson burst buckers and with the same materials
First! I like my probuckers in my epi lp plustop pro!
Yup, they definitely sounded good to me!
Are these alnico or ceramic pickups? I'm between buying these ones or a ceramic neck and alnico bridge from Wilkinson. About quality, what should I go for?
The ProBuckers Alnico 2 pickups, which is a sort of classic rock type of sound. Ceramic pickups tend to be hotter and offer more gain (usually.). So I'd say for rock, I like Alnico 2 and for metal, I like Ceramics. But the amp is 85% of the sound anyway. I haven't had any experience with Wilkinson pickups, but they are a good company.
Glad they work for you guys but installed a set in a LP recently and I'm seriously underwelmed. Clean they sound great, very articulate but I play with moderate to heavy gain and I've found them to be rather weak, bright and schrill. Not musical sounding at all. Compared to my other LP's one with a Burstbucker 2 in the bridge and another with Dimarzio's they are worlds apart by comparison Maybe it's just me but after numerous adjustments of the pu/pole piece height I have yet to find any magic in these pickups.
On my Joe Bonamassa "Black Beauty" Les Paul Custom,,, the 3 Pro buckers sound weak ,their not wound ENOUGH. I put in. Accurate 59 JB pups, but left the middle the original pro bucket, I did the right thing,& I still have the original pups.
I have a Epiphone 50’s Standard and the pickups are not bad but I put a Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 Pro in the bridge and tell everybody that it’s the stock Probucker pickup 😂 I almost went with the Pearly Gates but I would have still told everybody that the pickups were stock 😐
Appreciate the Open Car riff.
I'm a massive Porcupine Tree fan! They're fantastic.
hello i dont know anything about pickups lol but are these pickups gonna sound bassy with warm with a lot of low end or are they gonna sound more bright and trebly with more mids? are they like a paf style or are they high output?
The ProBuckers are PAF style pickups and use Alnico II magnets. They do have a good amount of low end and mids. They're good for jazz, rock, and classic rock. They're not as a good a choice for high gain metal. I mean, they'll work, but there are higher output pickups that are better for metal.
@@budgetguitaristcom thanks!
I have Duncans (sh-1,sh-2,JB,SH-6,SH-5,Cool Rails,lil59) in all my guitars,so I can compare. The ProBuckers are an upgrate in a beautiful,well-built and great sounding made in Czech Rep Epi Les Paul Standard.
While the neck pickup sounds pretty ok,the bridge pu has something I don't like: lacking mids,thin top-end,unpleasant behaviour (note separation) ...it just doesn't sound harmonious...I'll keep the neck pu and throw in a Duncan 59
I don't know that I'd agree about the lacking mids part, but I guess it depends on what frequencies we're talking about, and what type of amp or amp sim we're using. The Duncan 59 is a great pickup though - I'm surprised I don't have one at this point in one of my guitars.
What's that song you're playing for the "big solo" sound?
I have no idea. I'm pretty sure I didn't write it, because it sounds really familiar, but I don't know where I heard it before. I do like it, though.
Putting some of these in a Japanese import silver burst samick lp
Looks like your little PA system in there are EV ZLXP. I own some of those and they are great speakers. The big problem they have in pro use is in the sun they got hot and shut off at times. Not great but pretty damn good. Just like the probuckers. Not great but pretty damn good.
Yup, they're ZLX12P speakers. My last PA used JBL JRX speakers, so these are definitely a step up. I love the way these speakers sound, especially for the money and the weight! Haven't had any issues with them outdoors, but it's good to know that I shouldn't let them get too hot.
Mine doesn't sound like that. Not even close. Any idea what could it be?
My guess is the amp. The amp is 80% of the sound.
I have a 2020 Epiphone Les Paul Custom with the Probuckers 2&3s and I've kept them in too! I think they are solid and sound pretty good. I've considered swapping them out, but anything that seems to be a major upgrade would be in the Lollar or Seymour Duncan Antiquity level and I don't think I want to spend $350 for new pickups in my Epiphone!
If I really get to a point where I feel I am missing something, I will probably just upgrade to a Gibson or an Eastman or something. It is nice keeping the Epiphone original and being happy with the sound and quality!
My guitar before this was actually a Squier Bullet Telecaster, and I totally agree with you. In that guitar I couldn't swap out the pickups fast enough! And now I can't even play it because the Epiphone feels so much higher quality, so I completely agree with your "budget" statement!
Love it
Hi. Were these the probuckers 2+3? Or 1+2? Thank you.
2 and 3.
hey do you know if the probuckers on ebay for 45-50 bucks are legit?
There are multiple sellers, so I can't speak to all of them, but I believe these are the real deal: www.ebay.com/itm/273695170583
Sounds good to me
What setup are you using for recording?
For this video, the guitar is going into an HX Stomp, into Logic Pro via USB, and I'mm using a lapel mic into a small Alesis mixer into a Tascam US 16 x 8 interface.
Tone is subjective. I have heard people prefer them to the Burstbuckers. I got Epi Probuckers for their clean qualities as they are far less shrill than the Burstbuckers I have at the moment. But I am sure I could lower the burstbuckers to get away from that - but they are going in another project anyway. I think I will replace the cap for the Probuckers with a NOS bumblebee and leave em at that. People often underestimate the power of capacitors on tone.
I've got Orange Drop caps in my red Gibson Les Paul and I swear by them. I think they're awesome. Tone is definitely subjective - I agree! I don't have any BurstBuckers, but I definitely want some to compare. They're just a little too pricey for me.
@@budgetguitaristcom Honestly, the only reason I have burstbuckers is I got them in a trade to true up the deal. I never owned a guitar with them stock. But they are very shrill to my ear so I will have to do some adjusting of caps to get that down a little. Cool hack for that is to use alligator clips and leave the control cavity off and switch capacitors easier until you find one you like (number value or brand). Orange drops are hands down a standard in good tone. Another tip is old Soviet caps sound just as good. I have a few of those I run in a couple guitars. I can send you one if you want to do a tone comparison.
@@anthonymichaelhall8432 I'd love that! If you want to do that, email me at richard@budgetguitarist.com and I'll email you my mailing address.
"There's something about the midrange..." thanks,that's all I need to know
Sold Me!
sounds good to me
yes
They’re pretty decent pickups I thought, I had the Epi Les Paul with them and I always thought they lacked something so I compared them to the pickups in my Gibson SG they sounded pretty crap compared to them. The low end in my opinion is very lacking, the definition between notes just isn’t there when they amp gets overdriven and distorted.
Agreed
Agreed , I think the pro buckers are muddy.
The Epiphone vintage classic pickups and the pro buckers are highly acclaimed pickups both are no matter what you're opinion is the truth is both are high end and highly acclaimed the vintage classic have Alnico V magnets the pro buckers have Alnico II magnets
High end? That's an interesting opinion.
Epiphone have confirmed that the Probucker & Burstbucker are 1-1 the same pickups
If that's the case, there's no point in me spending big bucks on one, then!
@@budgetguitaristcom If I can find the Video (Dr Epiphone) I can post the link here if OK with you
@@mrplitsum OK by me, but RUclips won't let you post URL's in the comments area. You'd want to leave spaces where the periods normally are, like www budgetguitarist com. That might work.
No they are not. The pro buckers from China Epiphone factory can be bought with full wiring harness for £17.50. Cheap Chinese stuff. Don’t be silly.
@@biglog6402 The cheap Chinese ones are also Copies. that's how god they are.
The epiphone pro buckers are made the same exact way as the Gibson burst buckers and with the same materials..so you cant say anything bad about them..
Where’d you get your studio desk?
It probably came from someplace like Staples about 15 years ago - I've had it forever. It wasn't designed to be a home studio desk, but with the two raised spots on each side where the monitor speakers are, it's pretty well suited for studio work. I put a shelf on top of the two raised spots and put my monitor on it. These days I have extended the desk further out by using a piece from a table, to fit my mixing boards on it. Maybe one day I'll get a real desk with space to rack mount gear, because I definitely need someplace for my rack mount stuff. But for now, it does the job.
Nice. Good review btw.
Would these be similar to a alnico 2 pro?
The alnico 2 pro’s sound muddy IMHO compared to these. I have had both in my 96 Epiphone Les Paul Limited Edition, and the Probuckers sound better in the mix with a band.
Probuckers are bang for the buck!
Yes. It's too bad Epiphone doesn't sell them separately. They did, briefly... for $180 per pair.
@@budgetguitaristcom @budgetguitarist.com actually they are selling a pair of it for 40$ from China. Its the same pickups from those Epiphone model. A friend gave me the neck pickup never been used because he upgraded but he loves the probucker bridge. I think i need to buy a pair too! Too bad it was expensive in your place.
@@toneseeker87 There are Chinese knockoffs of the ProBucker all over the web - you have to be really careful to make sure you get the real pickups! Mine came in an Epiphone Les Paul.
@@budgetguitaristcom there is a Factory of Epiphone in Qingdao China and epiphone latest models nowadays came from there. Even the pickups being sold as set. Had an Epiphone Korea. Another beautiful one you shall have is a Japan Custom they are hard to find nowadays.
Probucker 3 это на любителя,мне лично больше всего нравится Seymour Duncan sh-4.
Pair it with a good amplifier and one will be really happy.
The Epiphone Pro buckers are highly acclaimed pickups and $170 a set
you can get them for $50 a set
@@bikeman1x11 not brand new I wouldn't buy them from anyone but Epiphone
@@bikeman1x11 tell me where do you get the Epiphone Pro buckers for $50 brand new? Post the where
@@mr.astrophysics9115 ebay type in probuckers
@@bikeman1x11 ebay? 😆😅🤣😂🤣😅😆
the policeman said ricky was gonna do this!
The Epiphone guitars are better than their more expensive Gibson cousins these days :(
Also epiphone hasn't been budget since JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to where they should have always been epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson 2019 JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to high end brand
The old mudbuckers have brass baseplate, terrible wire and the covers were glued on a lot of the time, absolute garbage pickups.
The Probuckers have nickel silver baseplate, carbon steel polepieces, redesigned bobbins, etc. Which all brings it in line with the specs for Gibson Burstbuckers there are subtle sonic differences between the pickups but on the whole I wouldn't hesitate to drop a set of PBs into a Gibson guitar.
A little Rush there huh...
I'm a massive fan of early Rush - great stuff!
Burstbuckers are nicer to me...
The probuckers aren't great for metal... the pickups in my 200$ epiphone are WAY better than the ones in the epi les paul custom
Puppets?
Just Officer Tony. He sometimes introduces the video. There is King Alnico the Second, but his appearances are very rare. Tony mostly shows up to ensure that I don't take the channel too seriously.
The Probucker's are too harsh, almost as bad as nails on a chalk board, only Generation x and older will understand the nails on a chalk board reference.
One man's harsh is another man's classic rock tone.
hahaha,great lol...yes,I'm GenX and I would say the top-end of the ProBucker bridge is harsher than the teeth of a Great White
Epiphone pro buckers are made the same exact same as the Gibson burst buckers and the same material..do research first before you open your mouth...
You talk too much
Should I also use smaller words?
Good vid thank you.
Seriously having 50 years playing and collecting I will say this - the pickupsare only one part of the package. Having said that they are probably the most vital part.
I build and repair, a lot of mods.
The Epi pickups are generally fine. Instead of buying a $500 pair of others, just spend $30 on magnets. Easy job
The bobbins andesite are all the same pretty much. Absolutely. You can't change the nature of 42 or 43 wire which is the standard across the board.
But magnets ... Alnico 5 to 2's. They DO make a difference. A hell of a difference and this is where many manufacturers cheap out.
It's not just the impedance in K Ohms .... The magnets produce inductance, massive element in the equation.
So research how to do this. It just requires care but no soldering.
Seriously ... Yes scatterwound etc ... A lot of marketing jargon honestly.
The big factor is wax potting. A non potted bucket will give you the airiness of PAFs .... And some microphonic feedback probably. But the sound is great. Low power, look for 6K to 7.5K Ohms. Alnico 5 magnets will give you warmth, 2s a bit more toppy.
That's my 5 cents worth. I have reused cheap Asian pickups and replaced the magnets .... Voila .... A premium bucket for the cost of a Kolkata and similar!
Enjoy!
Great stuff! I've gone pretty deep into the world of guitar repair, but I have yet to wind my own pickups... but I suspect I'll get there, eventually.
I have an SD Alnico 2 Pro Slash on Bridge 8.2 k aprox.
For the Neck, Probucker 2 or Probucker 3? Wich one you recomend for the neck? In order to compensate the bridge.
I play rock, hardcrock and classic rock.
Thanks in advance