The Top 17 GREATEST Guitar Pickups EVER!
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- Опубликовано: 9 мар 2021
- #GuitarPickup #GuitarPickups #SingleCoil #Humbucker
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Pickups Discussed In This Video:
Gretsch Filter'Tron: amzn.to/2M1SVRw
Seymour Duncan Full Shred: amzn.to/37sAEo2
DiMarzio X2N: ebay.us/Y3tnpx
Fender Noiseless Pickups: amzn.to/3psaYhy
Seymour Duncan SSL-5: amzn.to/2ZucSnh
Bareknuckle Pickups Painkiller: ebay.us/LH3KWM
PRS Dragon / Dragon II: amzn.to/2Zrwt7y
DiMarzio D-Activator: amzn.to/3u9TF8t
Gibson P-90: ebay.us/oc3UWO
TV Jones TV Classic: amzn.to/3pC10tU
Fender Texas Specials: amzn.to/3dqSg7J
EMG 81/85 (Zakk Wylde Set): amzn.to/37sVvYq
Fishman Fluence Modern Set: amzn.to/3bm6Udt
Bill Lawrence L500XL: amzn.to/3azesum
Gibson 490R: ebay.us/dWmgIP
Gibson 498T: ebay.us/oX4LrO
DiMarzio Super Distortion: amzn.to/2Zu1WpF
Seymour Duncan JB Model: amzn.to/3pwBXZq
Gear Used In This Video:
Aston Microphones Stealth Dynamic Microphone: amzn.to/2ZpFoXr
Heil HB-1 Desktop Mic Boom: amzn.to/2wkRwdn
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 USB Interface: amzn.to/2VSevXA
Kali Audio LP-6 Studio Monitors: amzn.to/2WkmAc1
Nikon D3300 DSLR Camera: amzn.to/2vGo1E8
Panazonic LUMIX FZ-1000: amzn.to/2JAqhFY
Panasonic LUMIX FZ-300: amzn.to/2S9Hibo
Limo Studio Octagonal Softbox Light: amzn.to/2XVeuUn 
Видеоклипы
Fun thing to try:
I just removed the Ceramic magnet from a DiMarzio Super Distortion and installed an AlNiCo IV magnet, and HOLY MOLY!!! It has all the output and muscle of the Ceramic, but a much more open and lively dynamic sound.
Demo on your channel?
@88_TROUBLE_88 I'd love to, but I sold the guitar I put that pickup in. It's an easy modification, I encourage anyone to try some simple magnet swaps. It's easier than you think!
@@jonathananthony1901
Fair enough
Nice upload and plenty of info that I didn't know...thanks
Great video brother!! Just installed a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover Bridge in my Epi 58’ Korina Moderne and it completely changed its tone, which was way shrilly.. no more!!
Nice List Mr Robert Sir!!
That was an informative and enjoyable video. My favorite pup is the Gibson '57 classic on my LPs. I also use many of the brands that you name in other guitars. Thx for a great listen!
Seymour duncan didn't come out with the dimebucker AFTER dime passed. Dime, and grady worked with sd to make the pickup. Matter of fact, dime was using the prototypes on the last tour he finished. The korean ml he was playing when he was killed, was loaded with the production model we can buy today.
I find this videos very helpful in my search for pick ups, thanks Robbert
You’re welcome!
My favorite humbucker is the Pearly Gates from Duncan. I used to prefer the JB, but the Pearly Gates is a little bit sweeter and pairs just as well with the Jazz as the JB.
Single coils; Fender Tex Mex for me. 80 bucks a set and I like em better than the Specials personally.
Great vid, Robert.
Finally! I’ve asked you for this video a few times and it’s done! One of the few things in life that has gone right for me 😂🙃. Thanks Robert 🤘
good to see some love for the 490R/498T!
Thx Robert for the video. About a year ago I bought a used set of Gibson 490R 498T for my 338 copy. I be getting around to installing them this weekend.
Great review on a very complex subject - considering pickups sound different in different types of guitars (i.e., hollowbody vs semi hollowbody vs solid body/glued in neck vs solid body with bolt on neck, etc etc etc). Well done!
Great video Robert, 1977, my 19th birthday my big brother bought me a Dimarzio super distortion for my Fender mustang, he created a monster, 1st guitar was a 65 Gibson SG Jr so I'll always love that p90 / soapbar sound, and my Duncan jbs rock the town
Ive got a Bill Lawrence L500XL just waiting on a new guitar to put it into. I spoke with Bill Lawrence himself when I ordered it years ago.
Check you out..
@@88_TROUBLE_88 What do you mean by that.
Seth Lover at Gibson and Ray Butts at Gretsch were working independently of each other, but at the same time to create a hum canceling pickup. Lover’s patent application landed at the Patent Office before Butts’ application did and that’s why Lover is attributed with the invention of the Hum Canceling guitar pickup. True story.
It’s probably best that creation of this invention happened as it did. I can image s that if each man had been aware of the other’s effort and had decided to collaborate, we’d have ended up with a creation known the Butts-Lover pickup. There’s a gay bar joke in their somewhere and that’s why the PAF and FilterTron monikers are definitely easier to market. lol
I realize that you were attempting to be humorous, but gay jokes just like racial jokes are in bad taste...no matter your personal feelings
Jeez I guess clowning just brings the clouds out now for some....chill the fuck out! It's not that serious damn!
Crybabies like you are why the world is now full of sjw clowns offended by everything. Don't like his joke keep scrolling
And stand-up comedians, South Park and Family Guy still use them and it still works. Remember Ralphie May?
Yes, there is. Just shift the "s." That way you include heteros and homos alike. Who doesn't love butts? So, butt-lovers may it forever be.
59/Jazz and the JB, best pickup combo IMO. I also enjoy the Custom 5 in the bridge. Dímarzio Súper Distortion and X2N are also fantastic.
Great info. About buildings vs “builts” - why do we drive in the parkway and park in the driveway?
Haha that's funny too
Ha! I've always said this!!!
And,.
We don't take a sh*t, we leave a sh*t. Lol
:)
@Vinnie Provolone but a carrot is more orange than an orange....
Seymour Duncan and dimarzio are where it’s at. I adore my Jackson Mick Thomson with his signature blackouts. I loved the emg 81/85 set and I have to say, the EMTY Blackouts have me on the Duncan side for active pickups. A buddy of mine is also wrapping up a custom build for me with a lone dimarzio x2n in the bridge a la chuck schuldiner. Really excited to try that out for some monstrous tones using the neural soldano plugin
Why the comment was a reply to your Carlin esque dissection of weird English words and phrases is beyond me. I must’ve been half asleep commenting
I have never been to impressed with the JB and the Thrash factor pickup. I do like the Duncan p rails. Thanks for the video, fun watch!
Thanks man!
@@RobertWJackson I got done playing with my Dean Vmnt, a little eq helps with Daves Signature pickups, just chopping a song together. Great leads for sure .
The Fishman Open Core Classics I have in my Charvel pro mod so cal style 2 are killer pickups. Highly recommend
Great video on a volatile lol subject. Your the king of Greatest/Worst ever guitar gear videos...👍
Thanks man!
Robert I have to agree with you 100%
I stay in a nice built. 🤪🙃😉
Me too. LOL
Yes! The JB is IT! Although I wish the Fender 57/62 strat pickups and the Burns Tri Sonics were in the list too.
Dude, I was taking notes. You are righteous as well as timely. I have been neck-deep in pup lore and your contribution goes a long way in extricating me from pickup hell. I love it, but I hate it. Know what I mean? New subscriber and honored to be so. Cheers from SE Asia.
Thanks man! Welcome to the family! 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Damn Good list Robert.
Thanks man!
Great video and great choices.. I love the Dimarzio SD.. The JB was always a tad bright for me in some guitars..
I also love the Dimarzio Super 3 .. Had one in my Fender HM strat years ago..
One I think that most people don't know about that is great is the Rio Grande BBQ bucker.. Very cool pickup..
Thanks man..
Your taste runs very similar to mine. I love the Dimarzio SD as my number one, followed by the JB because of the treble, and third is the Super 3, which sounds great but, to me, can get a tad muddy in the bottom at times.
@@nomadronin7361 Yeah. I totally agree with all you said. I'm also liking the Duncan Custom 5 which sounds like the DiMarzio SD to me. Maybe a tad less output, but same EQ overall. I'm sticking one in my Charvel as soon as I have time. ♥️🤘
One of my absolute favorites is the Seymour Duncan Antiquity Humbucker set. Clarity, bite, versatility. It's all there and they just sing. Had a set in my Explorer from '95 and they just gave that guitar exactly what I wanted in the tone department, only problem is the guitar didn't stay in tune worth a damn and broke high E strings like it ate them for breakfast so I sold it. Still got the pickups though.
I would have to agree. I've got those on my Les Paul with the "relic" Antiquity version and it took the guitar from so-so level to holy grail level in my collection. They must have some kind of unobtainium magnets to do that.
Your Dad joke actually made me LOL. The facial expression was epic BTW. FWIW, my DiMarzio MegaDrive has been one of my favorites for a long long time.
They’re not dad jokes. They’re unanswerable questions.
I bought a partscaster strat with SD Handwound Hendrix Custom shops. Goddamn they sound good!
I'd love to see a list with boutique manufacturers, however this could be quite difficult. My fave pickup is Axesrus Waith (made for me in England) but i also dig Gibson 500t, Carvin M22T, DiMarzio SD, SD Invader, Tonerider Octane etc....
Man you left off two of my favs, the Duncan Antiquitys and the Screamin Demon
Screaming Demon huh! I like the sound of that.
Didnt Ray Butts build the first humbucker but was beat to the Patton office?
I put a Dimarzio Super 3 in the bridge & a Dimarzio PAF in the neck of a Ibanez Jem Jr. It's a hot rod now! I love it!
One of my favourite pickups is the Bare Knuckle: Holy Diver, great tone, very underrated
That was truly informative. I have been wondering if I need a p90 guitar. An active pickup guitar? Cool vid
Thanks man!
You made my day and I couldn't agree with you more on the Duncan JB . I'm always searching for a better sound and have tried many pickups. But I can't find a better all around pickup that can do high HIGH gain and roll off better while maintaining a smooth sound than the JB! I'm always looking for a better one as we all are . I play on 1 channel all the time,even if the amp has 3 channels. ! I won't use them.. I am always rolling the volume pot to control the gain, volume ,. That's just how I learned. You made me feel better that maybe I'm missing out on something lol. However I will give a shout out to the emg 81z? But that guitar now has a JB in it!! 🤘🤘
2 years laters 😅 some other good pickups : Ibanez super 58/ Maxon U1000/lace sensor gold/ DiMarzio FS1 /Fender nocaster 51/Fender CS69/Dimarzio custom paf pro.
I love the SSL-5 and you are right, Seymour Duncan recommended that you pair them with SSL-1, JB Jr, Hot Rails, and the full JB. They have a high K output, but the Strat sounds are classic, yet revved up! The SSL-5 Bridge with SSL-1 Middle/Neck is a perfect Strat set!
The JB and Jazz pair really well. IMO though the best one is the Bareknuckle Juggernaut.
My Charvel San Dimas has the '59 and JB combo which is classic as well. I need to get the Jazz pup into one of my guitars one day.
Your Charvel has the JB? Interesting. Charvel usually opts for the Custom in the bridge, while Jackson usually uses the JB.
@@RobertWJackson The 2015s style 2H (Specific Ocean great finish) came with the classic 59/JB pups. The So-Cals came with the Super Distortion set.
@Vinnie Provolone I could never really pick out the difference between '59 and the Jazz pups, my guitar teacher told me it was because I tried a RR in a music store and I would here it through my own rig. I hear nothing but great things about the Jazz pup.
@@RobertWJackson I think my Schecter C1 Classic has that combo
I should know that
Thank you for the love of the Lawrence XL500! Alas, you left off the Pearly Gates, but we all have our favs.
My Favorite pickups are EMG 81, I do have Seymour Duncan JB, Black winter, Hot rails . Dimarzio I have X2N, Super Distortion, D-Activator. So I have a few on the list. I really like the old Carvin M22 series pickups. The M22sd was a great bridge and the M22 neck pickups sing so good. I wish they still made them. great Video Robert.
I love Carvin pickups too, I hope Carvin or Kiesel makes them again.
The M22SD, is like a Dimarzio Evolution, but with cleaner bass, more upper mids, better highs and a lot more headroom.
I think Steve Vai based his Evolution pickups by Dimarzio, on the Carvin M22SD pickup .
@@diaryofanaxeman539 My old carvin dc125 has the M22SD in the bridge. They are awesome pickups and now hard to find.
seymour duncan black winters are nice too. much like a x2n but not as piercing
You could call them "Structures"
Hee hee!! Buildings should be called builts!! My favorite is the Duncan 59,its an alnico V PAF creation, sounds as good or better than botique priced pickups. Have a ser in my Washburn Idol. Another fav,DiMarzio Tone Zone. Bought a Peavey Limited ST that the previous owner installed and sounds perfect alone or perfect with the Peavey single coils. Another fav,DiMarzio HS-2 Strat pickups which sound awesome clean or heavily distorted. Have to include the DiMarzio PAF PRO as it sounds great ,also perfect with HS-2's in the neck and middle. P-90...YES!!! Also,have a Stew-Mac Golden Age PAF alnico V--simolar to a Duncan 59 but not a copy. A great extremely well made pickup that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Great video.😎👍🤘😎🇱🇷
My go to pickup is the Duncan Distortion. One of the best for high gain tones in my opinion.
Yep, great pickup. George Lynch’s favorite!
One thing about the Duncan Full Shred. Some pickups make a big splash when they hit the market, some make a small splash that becomes a tsunami over a number of years. For the Full Shred, a pickup first produced in 1987, the year I first loaded one into a Baretta, it didn't make a big splash. I only met one other player who was rocking one on the Sunset Strip back then and he was playing a Viv Campbell signature Kramer Nightswan which came loaded with the FS in the bridge. What's happened over the decades is the FS grew a fanbase in the nü-metal, trash, dark metal, prog and djent world. It's extremely articulate with high gain and has excellent one. You can play complex chords in low tunings and it won't get muddy. The low end is also tight without being thuddish. And the harmonics are absolutely popping. By the specs it's medium output, but it sure doesn't sound low output.
No, it doesn’t. I’ve always loved the Full Shred because, despite its output rating, it sounds like a flamethrower. And like you said, it maintains clarity perfectly. I’ve never understood why more people don’t buy these things up.
@@RobertWJackson It's catching on now, but it just took a long time. I always called it Duncan's DiMarzio, meaning that the design and the marketing campaign and even the double hex look of the thing scream Full Shred. At the time it came out, in the 80s, DiMarzio were still big competition for Duncan and almost all of their ads in guitar mags were replete with shredders and ad copy about high precision accurate performance and razor sharp accuracy blah blah blah. Take it for what it is, it's all hype. I still love a lot of DiMarzios but their ads were a real trip. They still use the same kind off marketing concept. I just trust my ears. I don't care if a pickup is designed by Joe Schmo so long as it rocks.
Agreed. Some of the best pickups I’m using right now are the proprietary Schecter USA Apocalypse pickups in my CR-6.
I've NEVER been disappointed by a Schecter pickup. They started with variations on traditional designs and tone spectrums, then moved into making hotter pickups. Great guitars, great electronics. @@RobertWJackson
I did a switch replacement on a friend of mines "91 Charvel and he had an X2N in it, that thing screemed
Nice video man, subscribed. Have you tried lundgren m6?
Thanks man! Not yet, but I think they come in a particular Schecter guitar that I’ve had my eye on for awhile now, so hopefully I’ll get to try them soon.
I've have Gibson 496r/500t, '57/'57+,490r/498t(my fav Gibson), sd jazz/jb, & emg85/81, but my favorite of all is the sd18(whole lot of humbucker), hot paf tone, super articulate, with just the right amount of growl
My top 3 are Seymour Duncan TB 6 Distortion and TB 4 JB and the EMG 70s hybrid puckups.
I've been using Rio Grande tall boys in my main vintage strat for over 20 years. I think Rio Grande makes some of the best pickups around in various models both humbucker and single coils.
I love the Seymour Duncan Little 59' & the EVH Wolfgang pups
Good call on the Wolfgang. I always forget those. They’re great!
Great video as always Robert 🤘
Who's Rob?
@Fried Rudibega RIGHT???🤦🏻♂️
@@RobertWJackson 😆
I apologise, i thought Rob was just shorted for Robert.
@@TheKBLarsen it's cool. It's kinda an inside joke but he did a vid recently about how he doesn't answer to Rob lolz
No one can deny the popularity of the JB. I think the reason it's had so much sticking power is that it's a genuinly great pickup, DESPITE the fact that EVH and so many legends have used it and continue to use it. It's just rock solid. I think the reason it caught on so well also has a lot to do with the evolution of high gain amps. I'm not an expert in how pickups are made but I now a lot about how they sound and why a particular pickup works well with a particular amp or pedal while another may not work so well. For one, the JB gained popularity at just the right time. Although first produced in 1976, it didn't make a splash till Eddie, Randy and other great players adapted it. It worked very well for their amp setups. Players in the Hollywood shred scene, which I was a part of in the late 80s, started adapting the JB, first probably because of who used it, but they realised it worked great and had no buyers remorse. This was the time when amps started have more high gain right out of the box with the master volume and dual channels. You put an ax with a JB in front of a JCM 800 and a good dirt box and it's going to scream. Same with a Laney, Boogie or solid-state Randall. The legend of this pickup just grew and grew. It became the stock pup for several Kramers including the unofficial EVH model, the Baretta. The Super Distortion was still very popular in this era, but the JB was gaining ground fast. The Super Distortion is still going strong, but it's hard to argue against the fact that the JB has surpassed it as the number one most popular after market (and in many cases stock) pickup of all time. The thing just works. It can make a clunky amp sound a lot smoother and musical. I've experienced this firsthand. Personally, it's not my go-to pickup. I'm more likely to use a Full Shred or one of my favorite DiMarzios including the X2N or Super 3.
For me The Duncan SH-5 custom is by far the best P\up I've ever used. Gives me everything I need tone-wise.
In total agreement - its got a mean sound - no flub - harmonics on all strings - perfection…
I had a USA BC Rich Warlock with Dimarzio super distortions and it was a beast!! Loved it! Now I have a Jackson with the 81/85 set and I'm loving it too! Also the Gibson 498R/500T set are great sounding IMHO
I’m building a Strat with vintage style p/u’s.I’ve named it building .However it may be fully built one day so I will call it built.
Hey Rob, great vid. Fishman fluence pickups are active or passive, that’s what makes them so cool. I have some in an Ibanez that I own (not sure which one). They’re great for blues /classic rock in passive mode. They sound similar in active mode with much more gain and a little more low end. They also posses a little more dynamics than most active pickups. I own some EMG 81/85’s also, and I like them, but I think they sound dark. But, let’s face it, most guys using them use them for that reason. My fav active pickups are the Dave Mustaine signature models. Hey, they just sound great. One pickup you have definitely forgot about is the Dimarzio Gravity Storm. These pickups have huge amounts of midrange and lots of low end with a very smooth top end. Every time I play my JEM or other guitars with these in them (Schecter XXX ;-)):the sound man asks me what kind of pickups they are. Real meat and potatoes stuff. Forgot the Dimarzio mega drive too. I like mine with the rail towards the neck. What about the Bill Lawrence Gibson “the original pickup”? Oh ya, it’s not readily available. For that matter, the Gibson dirty fingers plus (alnico) is really cool too. I agree with one of your other followers about the Seymour Duncan black winters too. They started out just for heavy low tunings but.... they actually sound great for blues too. Thanks -Don
Who the hell is Rob? ruclips.net/video/mZvTyKOcwY0/видео.html
Fort the EMGs, I love the 89s, because you can split them.
Also for Duncans, I love the 59 sets
Virgil arlo, Tom homes, Ron illis, don mare……..end…..your welcome. Expensive, and long wait times, the impatient need not apply, Now that defines “best”. Honorable mention to fenders custom shop for the Strat 54 set, on a maple neck Strat, and the 51 nocaster set for blackguard tele, something less expensive and no wait times. I still have about 90 pickups in a junk drawer. And have been playing about 40 years now.
I dont if they make any now but the gretsch supertons in my astrojet are fantastic, basically slightly higher output filtertron with blades insted of poles
Nice mixture of classic and modern pickups. Of course the opening question to make us go hmmmmm....
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hey man, I’m pretty new to your channel. I agreed with a lot of your picks here, just wondering if you considered two other Seymour Duncan’s - Pearly Gates or their Saturday Night Specials ( I love both ). Anyhow, cool channel man 🤙
Thanks man! I almost included the Pearly Gates, but I didn’t want to flood the list with too much of one brand, so I had to cut that one out.
Gotchya.
I'd have to go for the Rowe DeArmond M5A single coil, very unique sound and priceless in the bridge position on an LP.
Builtings?, I just fitted Epiphone pro buckers to my 1979 Washburn falcon replacing the awful EMG 81/85 set I stupidly put on it when I was younger, very pleased especially with the coil splitting tones, came all prewired with solder less connections. As I've got older I've grown to appreciate the lower output pickup
My list for stacked humbuckers would be the Bill Lawrence L250, Dimarzio Fast Track 2, Dragonfire Duo Rail and Dimarzio Chopper.
Bridge P.U. ; Dimarzio Evolution, SD JB, Dragonfire Screamers, Carvin M22SD ( like a Evo, but w/ better bass, more upper mids, better highs, more headroom ) , Schaller Actives P.U. , Bare Knuckel Rebel Yell and GFS Fat Crunchy Pat's.
Neck humbucker ( for Metal ) ; Bill Lawrence XL500, Dragonfire Modbucker, S.D. Screamin' Demon, GFS VEH and S.D. Pearly Gates.
*My current favorite two humbucker pickup combination by far is a Duncan 59' Custom Hybrid at the bridge, and a Duncan Alnico II Pro Neck at the neck... The best classic Strat set that won't hum is a DiMarzio Area set..., a 67' at the neck, a 58' in the middle, and a 61' at the bridge... The Area 67' is the cleanest, brightest, and least bassy, of the entire DiMarzio Area series, and is modeled after the underwound CBS era 67' Strat pickups that Hendrix used at Monterey.... The Area 58' is the second cleanest of the line, and is modeled after the original spec 58' Strat pickups used by Buddy Holly... And the Area 61' is the third cleanest of the series, and it it was modeled after the randomly overwound 61' Strat pickups used by Stevie Ray Vaughan...*
I’m on the hunt for a very smooth, perfectly balanced pickup set both in eq and paired with each other. I hate harsh sounding highs and I’m looking for something with a more vintage voice.
The Suhr Doug Aldrich pickups are amazing! You gotta review those
I rarely do reviews of anything, I primarily just do demos. Regardless, pickup demos are colossal-sized pain in the ass because I have to modify one of MY guitars at MY own expense, which is total bullshit and a complete waste of my time. I’ll likely never do another pickup video again unless I am WELL compensated for it.
Definitely great list. You got to number 2 and I was like number 1 better be jb. It is by far in the most guitars I own, jb and jazz combo. Emg 81 is my second choice however I prefer emg 81/60 combo. The only pair I would add is th petrucci set rainmaker and Dreamweaver. I bought those and put in my Ibanez j custom.
Fishman I am not a fan of. I love Fishman acoustic, by far best acoustic and electric piezo. But the electric pickups I find them harsh. The other reason I don't like them is battery life. You might get 5 days of 1-2 hours of play on a 9 volt. Where emg go a year for me. They have a rechargeable pack as well but do I need another thing on a charger all the time. My guitars with Fishman recharge packs I can't just pick up and play if they been sitting a few weeks. You have to charge them first. I got that BC rich warlock extreme last year with Fishman. Pulled and put in emgs. Battery was in electronic cavity. Had to pull it every week to change it.
I have two guitars with Fishmans. My BC Rich JRV has the Modern Fluence and my Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy has a variant that was made for the Prophecy series. I think they sound great and I like the different voicings. The Prophecy pickups are especially cool because they have a modern and vintage PAF voicing as well as a single coil like mode.
Agreed I have the Prophecy V and it sounds great.
@@21stcenturymetal31 Those Prophecy guitar can chug. 24 frets, Grover locking tuners, and Fishmans? Under a grand? Take my money! 😂😂😂🤘✌️
I still have a DiMarzio super distortion in the plastic box that I have had new since the 80s.Never beem fitted .It was going to go in an Sg copy but that got stolen and I have never really found a use for it since.However it sits on the shelf with a model ship and an eight ball trophy of same vintage.
Out of all those pickups I own guitars that have 3 of the pickups on this video.
Emg81, D-activator, and jb59.
I prefer the d-activators.
I’ve been rocking Duncan’s for as long as I’ve been modding guitars.
Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge of my SG with a no name P94 on the neck
Duncan JB/59 in my San Dimas
59’s in my partscaster
And a Gibson 57 classic in my Les Paul
Own a few of the pickups on this list and was shocked to see the JB hit #1! I actually have a JB jr in a tele and its one of my favorite pickups of all time as well. The 498T/490R is probably one of the most versatile and unsung pickup combos of all time. Simple and yet unbelievably effective ( throughout the 90s they, alongside another favorite: the 500T/496R ceramics, were in almost every Gibson made, save for the historic line and the 57 Classic and Classic Plus PAF)
Yep, those were the good ol’ days. Then somebody at Gibson said “BURSTBUCKER!!!” and many of their guitars began to sound like shit. LOL (I actually really like the Burstbucker Pro, but the 1, 2, and 3 are all hot garbage.)
@@RobertWJackson I had the 498T/490R set in an LP Tribute that I couldn’t gel with at all but for me they are magic in an SG or Explorer. I think the brightness pairs well with those all mahogany bodies. Learning to love my Burstbucker Pros in my LP but it’s taken me awhile
I got the 496/500 in a 97 studio and they are powerful. At least compared to my Strat with 3 color Lace Sensors. Why no love for those p/u's. I love the versatility of these. All the tones for cover band work I get out of these. But I also see a lot of bad reviews for these and how fast they get replaced.
The hamer explorer I had had Seymour Duncan and a JB in bridge pickup they sounded excellent
So does pickers grip build up on picks robert? I'd be interested in seeing a video dedicated to it lol.
It may over time, but honestly I’ve never had a pick last long enough for that to ever become an issue. LOL As far as a video on it, there’s a link down in the Description.
My personal honorable mention: EMG-60. James Hetfield used it in the neck position. Jim Root (Slipknot) too.
81/60 combo is the best metal combo I’ve used, but I’ve never touched more modern actives like fishman
Hey man, as I’ve mentioned I dig your show and I realize this is a video on pups but I have a quick question.
Well two questions I lied 🤣
Have you tried out one of these inexpensive Marshall Orijen 50 heads?
And if so, what’s your honest take on it?
I just ordered one because I obviously couldn’t lay out 3-4-5 grand on a plexi hand wired job and I have an awesome tubby cabinet to hook up to here, thanks in advance 🤙
PS - I just noticed I didn’t have the damn subscribe tab hit here 😣
Eh, it’s on now lol , thanks again man.
The Origin heads are awesome. I’ve got one of those on my wishlist, as well. However, I’m on a mission for a MUCH more expensive Les Paul first, so I won’t get to add an Origin to my collection just yet.
Nice 👍, I have 2 SG’s and one of these days I’ll get a Les Paul God willing lol!
Appreciate the feedback on the amp man, I’m just so damn skeptical because of it’s price, as you know the ones made over in England 🏴 you’d think was a ransom for their king haha!
Yes! I have a JB/59 set in my Les Paul and it's by far the best pickup I've ever played. I recommend them every chance I get bc of how versatile they are. I play everything from Zeppelin, Skynyrd and Sabbath to Lamb Of God BLS and Metallica and I have yet to find a style of music that these pick ups don't do extremely well!
Agreed.
The Reverend pickups with three fat polepieces for trebles and blades for the bass strings are a major breakthrough for us that like smooth highs and tight lows.Also the Duncan Nashville's or 5/2 strat pu similarly uses alnico 5 for bass and alnico 2 for treble.P 90 are the most versatile of vintage pickups..Ask Tony Iommi and / or Duane Eddy..two quite different players.
Those are independently made humbuckers by a company called "RAIL-HAMMER" and aren't necessarily exclusive to Reverend. They're my favorite
I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the Duncan Custom, and it’s left me wanting to get my hands on one for the longest time. From a lot of the demos that I’ve heard, it has the same versatility as the JB, but with more harmonic response and a tighter low end due to the ceramic magnet.
The 7 string sets gets you really close to the super metallic sounding tones you get from bands like Meshuggah or After The Burial, and with a boost in front the tightness really gets an opportunity to shine through in regards to both the palm mutes and arpeggiated riffs.
Spoiler alert: pickups add next to nothing to your tone outside of output level and clarity. Anything you’ve been told about “more harmonic response” or “tighter low end” in regards to pickups is nothing more than a myth.
Easy enough list.
Tele, p90, humbucker. Emgs
SD Custom Custom for singing lead work. SD Full-Shred for neck pickup.
Lace Sensors are the best pickups ever in my opinion :)
I have always felt the JB was too bright in the bridge. I did once pair one with the SD Distortion. The JB worked well in the neck spot.
@BigKii yes, I have used 250k on everything for years.
There are 2 makers of the Bill Lawrence pickups.The real ones had thicker blades. The Bill Lawrence(USA) pickups are in my opinion inferior ones.They used to be sold by Stew-Mac until someone bought a set and complained that they were noisy and sub standard
Robert, have you tried SD Retributions? Designed by Dino Cazares with lots of help from LA guitar tech Moshe Alvarez, they sound a lot more alive than EMGs. Love mine!
No I haven’t. I’ll have to give them a try.
My favorite pickups are the Duncan Jb and the Dimebucker. I run my shit through a 6505+ and it rips
For Strat Sullivan out of Texas and Klein also out of Texas, if you like the 69 custom shop tone
Yep ace never had the neck & middle even wired. Just the bridge.
Great video!
EMG makes oves100 pickup modeĺs. BTW.
Good questiom
🤷🏻♂️
Love the kramer shirt you order it?
I signed up for it in a free giveaway that they were running. The logo on it is crooked. LOL
I knew it would be the SD JBs! :)
These are all solid pickups. I'm not big on actives but I'd take EMG over Fishman. I just prefer the 81 when it comes to actives. For me it defined what an active should be and I don't think Fishmans necessarily sound better. I've tried a few Bareknuckles and they are good. I dig the Duncan Full Shred and JB. Both great pickups. I love the Dimarzio Super Distortion and X2N. I find the D Activator to be a little cold. I know the X2N ain't exactly warm either, but maybe I'm just used to it so it's a personal bias. The Bill Lawrence is a great pickup and the Duncan Dimebucker, modeled after it, is also terrific. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. They are just too similar. For an all out metal tone I'd go with the X2N. It also coil splits and does parallel like a champ. To cover everything under the sun I'd go with a Super Distortion bridge and DiMarzio Air Zone in the neck. I also love the Tone Zone and Air Zone and Steve's Special, the latter being one of the best pickups you can buy if you play with a lot of mids in your amp. It dials them back and gives you a lot of control.
My favorites:
1. JB/Jazz combo: add a coil split and you can get pretty much any sound you want. I have 3 guitars with this setup.
2. Gibson 490R/498T: you don't need massive output to sound big. There's a reason my Les Paul Goddess gets a lot of playing time.
3. Fishman Fluence Classic: the Moderns are great, but I think the Classics are more versatile.
4. Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell: I like these the most out of the BKs I've tried.
5. Fender Texas Special: how to make a perfect Strat tone.
All great picks! I agree about the 490R/498T set. Great pickups.
@@RobertWJackson As much as I love the OG Dirty Fingers in my '85 Explorer for shreddy metal, the 490R/498T combo are perfect for classic rock.
I love the Dirty Fingers, as well, both the vintage ones and the current reissues, but those pickups DO NOT like high-gain amps. They’re really meant more to turn a moderate gain amp into a high gain amp, otherwise they just get really muddy.
Ironically, the JB is on my hotlist to purchase next and tryout as I’ve never played one. I was gonna by the classic JB/Jazz combo. On another note, the best sounding pickup I own is the Gibson Dirty Fingers+. It’s one of the ones like Robert said, you can only get it in a Gibson guitar. However, the regular Dirty Fingers bridge pickup is on the market. I bought the set from a Reverb seller that removed them from a 2016 Gibson Flying V as he said they were too hot for his taste. I’ve only installed the bridge one so far in my cherry Epiphone G400 SG and that sucker sounds unbelievably killer. I can’t comment on the clean tone though as I play higher gain stuff. It sounds extremely tuff and throaty and definitely my favorite pickup of my ten plus guitars. I have the Dimarzio Super Distortion III in my Jackson V and to me it sounds like a classic rock pickup. Looks cool though, they’re red in my black V.
My next favorite is the EMG 57. I have the 57/66 in two of my guitars and that bridge position 57 rocks! They’re active but also have the pole pieces so I guess that’s why they sound so killer. By the way the new Epiphone Prophecy guitars come with custom Fishman Fluence pickups. I believe they have three different settings. Off topic but I think the Epiphone Prophecy series guitars are really good quality for the money, and Robert had them on the list in one of his videos about great guitars for the money or under rated guitars or something.
You can buy them at guitar center lmao
Not the Dirty Fingers +, you can’t.
It would have been nice to see the Steve Lukather DiMarzio Transition pup,but seeing the Super Distortion was good enough for me
Nah. I love Steve Lukather as much as the next guy, but I don’t know anybody that just HAS to have his signature pickups. They’re great pickups, I’ve played them before, but DiMarzio isn’t getting rich off of selling them.
Hey Robert, why not get a single pickup guitar that allows for easy pup swaps? look no further than to your shirt, Kramer has the 84 or the barretta special.
It’s still a pain in the ass. LOL Also, I’ve learned that pickup demos are particularly difficult because, in order to effectively demonstrate a pickup’s tone, you have to compare it to a stock pickup or a well-known pickup of some kind in the exact same guitar. Every time I’ve ever done a video on pickups, it’s always been A LOT of work that yielded very little results.
@@RobertWJackson that makes sense
Well maybe guys forget about the dan Armstrong plexi guitars you could slide the one pick up in and out and swap for different tone models rock country jazz ...they slid in and out and were fastened by a thumbscrew in the back.....no soldering....and they still fetch a good buck today......many of the usual suspects have played em.
Sorry for trolling.....just sayn....peace lol I guess I'm way off topic nvrmnd lol
Dave Grohl uses those right?