No offence intended but when I was watching the first part of the video before any playing, I started to have a little think about how you would play. I watch so many videos and some people talk it up with all the knowledge and then they play and you think, mate you need to stop giving advice 😂. As we all do I was playing the guessing game on how you would play and i thought to myself ahhh this guy will be one of those who is so so but won't be much good really. My god was I wrong 😂. It was one of those great youtube moments where you literally get humbled and surprised. Beautiful playing, delicious decision making, great phrasing and all round wow. I've been playing for 2 years now but you just get used to people giving lessons and advice and then it turns out they can hardly play...but I was made up when you played, made up that it wasn't another one of those immediately end video moments 😂. Fantastic!
Hey, great video! I was thinking about this swap on my 50s Epi LP, but haven't made the decision yet. After your comparison, I can clearly hear some more harmonic richness and sweetness of the AC2 pups (that's how I imagine the old PAFs sounded), quite surprised about that.
I have an Epi Les Paul with Probuckers, which I like and won’t be changing them but have just bought a Tonerider Alnico II Classic neck pickup for a partscaster Tele, which already has a James’ Home of Tone solderless harness. Anyway, really enjoyed your video, Andy - you have a new sub 👍
Hey! Yeah I think they are great pickups, I had a set in an Epiphone 335 pro that I no longer have (I’m an idiot) I missed the sound which is why I thought I get some more. James’ stuff is top notch👍🏻 It’ll be some Strat pickups from Tonerider next I reckon. Thanks for watching and thanks so much for the sub 🙏🏻😊👍🏻
@@andyknightguitarist James is great to deal with - definitely be using his products again! Great playing btw - it was remiss of me to not mention that - and the filming / presentation too! 👍
Can I tell any difference...frankly no. It seems to me that the Probuckers and the Tonerider AC2's must be voiced very similarly, they also have a similar impedance, and well, to me sound identical. I actually have a guitar with a Tonerider AC2 installed (Yamaha Pacifica 212VQM) but I bought it second hand, and therefore I don't know how the original (Alnico 5) humbucker sounded.
Very true statement!! Tonerider supplied all the pups in the CV series guitars for Fender/Squire for some time up until recent years. Fender could never confirm or deny it due to legal issues, but everyone knows it. That was then, but nowadays, fender uses its own in-house version pups. In-house as in most likely made in China, but to their spec. I'll also add that tonerider makes great pups for the money !! Great vid Sir - from the States 🇺🇲
I was thinking about replacing the Probuckers in the Epi 50s Les Paul but honestly (at least through RUclips) the Tonerider AC2s more or less the same. They do seem to have a new Alnico 5 set called the Birmingham. Maybe that will sound different enough to warrant swapping the pickups. Either way, I will certainly be holding on to the Probuckers. They are excellent A2 PAF style pickups.
I did this. Thought I loved the AC2s until I decided to do a test put the probuckers back in. Man, the probuckers won the battle by a county mile. The Toneriders are very bass heavy and underpowered at times whereas the probuckers are much more articulate and have a lovely woody / nasal quality when you turn the tone down to 3/4 and volume around 7/8. Fantastic for low gain blues and 60s Brit blues. If you really want your probuckers to sing, try putting A5 magnets in them. What a sound! I current have the PBs 1&2 in a Gibson Les Paul. To me, they sound much better than the stock BurstBuckers (which I thought were too bright)
Hey! Interesting, I guess it just goes to show that there are many factors that affect tone and sound. I really like the pro buckers but I found them too bright for my tastes at times, great pickups, just not quite right for me but it’s amazing that you can get such great pickups as standard in a “reasonably” priced guitar nowadays. After a few days of playing I think that the TRs are better suited to me but again that’s just my preference and definitely not a knock on the Probuckers. The woody quality that you mentioned is exactly what I try to go for when rolling down the tones and volume too, love that sound. I had a Gibson LP quite a while ago, with BurstBuckers and I agree with you, I found them to be a little bright too. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comments, 😊👍🏻
@@andyknightguitaristSPOT ON! The guitar itself has so much to do with how the pickups react, but even more importantly, we all like different things tone wise. Keep the great videos coming 👍
I once owned an Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe that I put Lollar P90s in. I ended up going back to the original Korean pickups as they suited the guitar better and sounded better. In this case, listening to your lovely playing on a pair of ear buds, I liked the sound of the original pro buckers a little bit more in each configuration (bridge, both, neck). There was more indefinable character, edge, sweetness etc. So I recommend you don’t sell ‘em yet!
Thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻 I like both sets, but yes the pro buckers are really great. I’ve been playing the Toneriders for a few days now and there is a quality that I really like….i just wish I could describe what that quality is 😂, maybe it’s a reedy type thing, with a kinda nice rattle 🤷🏻♂️ I’m hopeless at describing things 😂 thanks for watching 👍🏻
Hey! Thanks 🙏🏻 Yeah not much difference eh, I’ve had the toneriders in since I uploaded the video, I may switch back to see how the pro buckers sound now 🤔
Dude you need 50s wiring, I have them and I have played Probuckers (mine were Alnico Classic Epiphone I replaced) and as well as Burstbucker 1 and 2 and the Custombuckers from the 59 LP reissue. The only pups that come close are the Gibsons and I preferred the Burstbuckers over the Custombuckers but AC2 is better. Are you sure you have them at the right height? They need to be very close 2 mm on the bridge if I remember, check the manual. Because in 50s wiring I would challenge anyone with AC2, comfortably beating Seymour 59 in my LTD. They are beyond fantastic I'm not quite sure... how did you get them to sound that aweful? Probuckers are okay, I wanted to love them but I brought my TR loaded V and I used a Gibson 50s to compare and I thought the Probuckers sounded quite aweful for a good pickup and I would take either Burstbuckers or AC2 if price was equal... dunno maybe fiddle around a little. And it's not me, I record a bunch for fun and many people have complimented my tone, I think it's what you hear on all those records. Must be the magic scatterwinding and aged Alnico 2. Generally I prefer Alnico 2, the Alnico 3 in the Custombuckers is probably what I disliked and A5 is too much it to Alnico what Ceramic is to Alnico vs Ceramic... And don't get me wrong I would happily play a gig with Probuckers they are so much better than the 05 MIK Epi Alnico Classic. Those with any amount of gain were aweful. Though super close up to the strings they do clear up a bit. Yeah don't toss the AC2, I'll take em off your hand. I'm replacing all my Seymour Duncans, EMGs and Gibsons with them and that is something many end up doing so not to be tedious but I think you should carefully read the manual and make sure it's set up right and try some different wirings, the pots should be decent, I forget which exactly came with yours but the Inspired by Gibson Epiphones have excellent pots generally. Back in the day they where aweful, I tore mine out and that was already a big difference and then AC2 made my V into some sort of sonic time machine that can replicate any famous album sound with ease. So I don't know what you did wrong but it's something... anyway happy noodling. To be honest a few bad reviews would be good, they are always out of stock since word got out. AC4 are sweet too.
Hey! Yeah I’ve set them as per manual now, I thought it was only fair to have the ac 2s at the same height as the probuckers for the video. I didn’t think either sounded awful but after messing with them since making the video I definitely prefer the AC2s. Nothing wrong with the probuckers at all though, I just think the AC2s suit my needs better. 😊👍🏻
I personally think tonerider and epiphone pickups are on par quality wise. If it's for a different flavor, ok? I'm also the guy that's not going to drop $400 on boutique pickups over some seymour Duncan's. To me Duncan has plenty of flavors and are so much more dynamically colorful than import pickups that's where I'd put my money.
Yeah $400 on pickups is a big chunk, would be nice to see how different a set of boutique pickups are to the more budget friendly I guess. It’s good that there seems to be a decent option for different budgets though. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Well , here's my 2 cents on pu swaps , soundswise it's often not such a big leap forward ( unless the stock pu's are really shitty ) , but feelwise it surely can make a difference ( or is it just our own brain fooling ourselves : ) , the wire harness will for sure add something , and then changing the brigde to a better one also makes the guitar sound different / better ? And then there is the matter of setting the pu's on the right height so they sound how you like it , in the end i guess all these changes do add up and can make a guitar sound and feel better to you're own liking , and tinkering with you're toy's is just great fun : )
Hey! Yeah, I agree with you. The harness definitely made a difference, I think I can hear and feel a slight difference in the pickups…..I think….the Toneriders maybe seem a little clearer and feel a bit easier to play 🤷🏻♂️ either way both the probuckers and the Toneriders are great sounding pickups and it was fun to compare. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
@@andyknightguitarist cheers , i do think tonerider makes good sounding pu's for a not too absurd price , lollars , frailins and even sd's are so expensive these day's , i have bugdetgear at home and putting a set off pu's in them that cost more then the whole guitar doesn't make sence to me . ,I also tried artec pu's one time and they where o.k. too , i know there are many bugdet brand pu's who are just as good as the "exclusive "pu brands , in the end a pu is a very simple object , and i am a firm believer of the fact that most off the "tone " is made by the amp /speaker / pedals .
Switching the wiring to 50's spec will have a much larger effect on the tone than the pickups will. Of course everyone here is going to disagree with me because they haven't tested it they can only repeat the stuff pickup companies try to sell. Pickups don't sound any different from each other. Some are louder than others, that's about the only difference.
Yes, the wiring definitely did make a difference, although it was already wired 50s so I guess the better components in the new harness made the difference. 😊👍🏻
I don't believe you because I've swapped out several pickups without changing the wiring at all and I've heard a massive difference in clarity vs. muddiness, among other things.
Nope Humbucking pickup is a Humbucking pickup, One might be wound a little hotter Which = loud; not tone. May sound a bit different, If one set is wax potted? And the other isn't & Microphonic, I.M.E. Just Say'n.
Well these pickups are pretty similar sounding for sure, I don’t know enough about the technical side and construction of pickups to agree or disagree with you but I appreciate your comment and thanks for watching 👍🏻
No offence intended but when I was watching the first part of the video before any playing, I started to have a little think about how you would play. I watch so many videos and some people talk it up with all the knowledge and then they play and you think, mate you need to stop giving advice 😂. As we all do I was playing the guessing game on how you would play and i thought to myself ahhh this guy will be one of those who is so so but won't be much good really. My god was I wrong 😂. It was one of those great youtube moments where you literally get humbled and surprised. Beautiful playing, delicious decision making, great phrasing and all round wow. I've been playing for 2 years now but you just get used to people giving lessons and advice and then it turns out they can hardly play...but I was made up when you played, made up that it wasn't another one of those immediately end video moments 😂. Fantastic!
Oh wow! Thank you very much! I’m made up now 😊👍🏻
Hey, great video! I was thinking about this swap on my 50s Epi LP, but haven't made the decision yet. After your comparison, I can clearly hear some more harmonic richness and sweetness of the AC2 pups (that's how I imagine the old PAFs sounded), quite surprised about that.
Those T.R ac2's brought a beautiful coloured sweetness & quality tone w/ smooth tops.. geez , i can hear the difference ...
I have an Epi Les Paul with Probuckers, which I like and won’t be changing them but have just bought a Tonerider Alnico II Classic neck pickup for a partscaster Tele, which already has a James’ Home of Tone solderless harness. Anyway, really enjoyed your video, Andy - you have a new sub 👍
Hey! Yeah I think they are great pickups, I had a set in an Epiphone 335 pro that I no longer have (I’m an idiot) I missed the sound which is why I thought I get some more. James’ stuff is top notch👍🏻 It’ll be some Strat pickups from Tonerider next I reckon. Thanks for watching and thanks so much for the sub 🙏🏻😊👍🏻
@@andyknightguitarist James is great to deal with - definitely be using his products again! Great playing btw - it was remiss of me to not mention that - and the filming / presentation too! 👍
Thanks 🙏🏻 it’s all a work in progress 😊👍🏻
Can I tell any difference...frankly no. It seems to me that the Probuckers and the Tonerider AC2's must be voiced very similarly, they also have a similar impedance, and well, to me sound identical. I actually have a guitar with a Tonerider AC2 installed (Yamaha Pacifica 212VQM) but I bought it second hand, and therefore I don't know how the original (Alnico 5) humbucker sounded.
Very true statement!! Tonerider supplied all the pups in the CV series guitars for Fender/Squire for some time up until recent years. Fender could never confirm or deny it due to legal issues, but everyone knows it. That was then, but nowadays, fender uses its own in-house version pups. In-house as in most likely made in China, but to their spec. I'll also add that tonerider makes great pups for the money !! Great vid Sir - from the States 🇺🇲
I was thinking about replacing the Probuckers in the Epi 50s Les Paul but honestly (at least through RUclips) the Tonerider AC2s more or less the same. They do seem to have a new Alnico 5 set called the Birmingham. Maybe that will sound different enough to warrant swapping the pickups. Either way, I will certainly be holding on to the Probuckers. They are excellent A2 PAF style pickups.
I did this. Thought I loved the AC2s until I decided to do a test put the probuckers back in. Man, the probuckers won the battle by a county mile. The Toneriders are very bass heavy and underpowered at times whereas the probuckers are much more articulate and have a lovely woody / nasal quality when you turn the tone down to 3/4 and volume around 7/8. Fantastic for low gain blues and 60s Brit blues.
If you really want your probuckers to sing, try putting A5 magnets in them. What a sound! I current have the PBs 1&2 in a Gibson Les Paul. To me, they sound much better than the stock BurstBuckers (which I thought were too bright)
Hey! Interesting, I guess it just goes to show that there are many factors that affect tone and sound. I really like the pro buckers but I found them too bright for my tastes at times, great pickups, just not quite right for me but it’s amazing that you can get such great pickups as standard in a “reasonably” priced guitar nowadays. After a few days of playing I think that the TRs are better suited to me but again that’s just my preference and definitely not a knock on the Probuckers. The woody quality that you mentioned is exactly what I try to go for when rolling down the tones and volume too, love that sound. I had a Gibson LP quite a while ago, with BurstBuckers and I agree with you, I found them to be a little bright too. Thanks for watching and I appreciate your comments, 😊👍🏻
@@andyknightguitaristSPOT ON! The guitar itself has so much to do with how the pickups react, but even more importantly, we all like different things tone wise. Keep the great videos coming 👍
Hey! Yeah we all like different things eh, there’s not right or wrong, so much decent gear out there for all tastes. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Man you can play! And great choice of music! Tell you the truth, they both sound awesome to me.
I once owned an Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe that I put Lollar P90s in. I ended up going back to the original Korean pickups as they suited the guitar better and sounded better. In this case, listening to your lovely playing on a pair of ear buds, I liked the sound of the original pro buckers a little bit more in each configuration (bridge, both, neck). There was more indefinable character, edge, sweetness etc. So I recommend you don’t sell ‘em yet!
Thank you for the kind words 🙏🏻 I like both sets, but yes the pro buckers are really great. I’ve been playing the Toneriders for a few days now and there is a quality that I really like….i just wish I could describe what that quality is 😂, maybe it’s a reedy type thing, with a kinda nice rattle 🤷🏻♂️ I’m hopeless at describing things 😂 thanks for watching 👍🏻
Personally I prefer the Toneriders sound a bit more kinda scooped , single coilish, more PAF authentic to my ear. Horses for courses.
Listening on headphone and really, not enough of a difference to comment on. Your playing is quite captivating, at any rate.
Hey! Thanks 🙏🏻 Yeah not much difference eh, I’ve had the toneriders in since I uploaded the video, I may switch back to see how the pro buckers sound now 🤔
Dude you need 50s wiring, I have them and I have played Probuckers (mine were Alnico Classic Epiphone I replaced) and as well as Burstbucker 1 and 2 and the Custombuckers from the 59 LP reissue.
The only pups that come close are the Gibsons and I preferred the Burstbuckers over the Custombuckers but AC2 is better. Are you sure you have them at the right height? They need to be very close 2 mm on the bridge if I remember, check the manual. Because in 50s wiring I would challenge anyone with AC2, comfortably beating Seymour 59 in my LTD. They are beyond fantastic I'm not quite sure... how did you get them to sound that aweful? Probuckers are okay, I wanted to love them but I brought my TR loaded V and I used a Gibson 50s to compare and I thought the Probuckers sounded quite aweful for a good pickup and I would take either Burstbuckers or AC2 if price was equal... dunno maybe fiddle around a little. And it's not me, I record a bunch for fun and many people have complimented my tone, I think it's what you hear on all those records. Must be the magic scatterwinding and aged Alnico 2.
Generally I prefer Alnico 2, the Alnico 3 in the Custombuckers is probably what I disliked and A5 is too much it to Alnico what Ceramic is to Alnico vs Ceramic...
And don't get me wrong I would happily play a gig with Probuckers they are so much better than the 05 MIK Epi Alnico Classic. Those with any amount of gain were aweful. Though super close up to the strings they do clear up a bit. Yeah don't toss the AC2, I'll take em off your hand. I'm replacing all my Seymour Duncans, EMGs and Gibsons with them and that is something many end up doing so not to be tedious but I think you should carefully read the manual and make sure it's set up right and try some different wirings, the pots should be decent, I forget which exactly came with yours but the Inspired by Gibson Epiphones have excellent pots generally. Back in the day they where aweful, I tore mine out and that was already a big difference and then AC2 made my V into some sort of sonic time machine that can replicate any famous album sound with ease. So I don't know what you did wrong but it's something... anyway happy noodling. To be honest a few bad reviews would be good, they are always out of stock since word got out. AC4 are sweet too.
Hey! Yeah I’ve set them as per manual now, I thought it was only fair to have the ac 2s at the same height as the probuckers for the video. I didn’t think either sounded awful but after messing with them since making the video I definitely prefer the AC2s. Nothing wrong with the probuckers at all though, I just think the AC2s suit my needs better. 😊👍🏻
I like the stock pickups, but then I always have. Think they sound better. But bravo on trying something new.
Yeah they are pretty great pick ups. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
I personally think tonerider and epiphone pickups are on par quality wise. If it's for a different flavor, ok? I'm also the guy that's not going to drop $400 on boutique pickups over some seymour Duncan's. To me Duncan has plenty of flavors and are so much more dynamically colorful than import pickups that's where I'd put my money.
Yeah $400 on pickups is a big chunk, would be nice to see how different a set of boutique pickups are to the more budget friendly I guess. It’s good that there seems to be a decent option for different budgets though. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
S.D Pearly Gates.. 👍
Well , here's my 2 cents on pu swaps , soundswise it's often not such a big leap forward ( unless the stock pu's are really shitty ) , but feelwise it surely can make a difference ( or is it just our own brain fooling ourselves : ) , the wire harness will for sure add something , and then changing the brigde to a better one also makes the guitar sound different / better ? And then there is the matter of setting the pu's on the right height so they sound how you like it , in the end i guess all these changes do add up and can make a guitar sound and feel better to you're own liking , and tinkering with you're toy's is just great fun : )
Hey! Yeah, I agree with you. The harness definitely made a difference, I think I can hear and feel a slight difference in the pickups…..I think….the Toneriders maybe seem a little clearer and feel a bit easier to play 🤷🏻♂️ either way both the probuckers and the Toneriders are great sounding pickups and it was fun to compare. Thanks for watching 👍🏻
@@andyknightguitarist cheers , i do think tonerider makes good sounding pu's for a not too absurd price , lollars , frailins and even sd's are so expensive these day's , i have bugdetgear at home and putting a set off pu's in them that cost more then the whole guitar doesn't make sence to me . ,I also tried artec pu's one time and they where o.k. too , i know there are many bugdet brand pu's who are just as good as the "exclusive "pu brands , in the end a pu is a very simple object , and i am a firm believer of the fact that most off the "tone " is made by the amp /speaker / pedals .
Could I please have the epiphone probibuckers
I’ll probably be putting them up for sale on Reverb 😊👍🏻
1:45 That would never happen … would it? 🤔😂
😂😂😂
Switching the wiring to 50's spec will have a much larger effect on the tone than the pickups will. Of course everyone here is going to disagree with me because they haven't tested it they can only repeat the stuff pickup companies try to sell. Pickups don't sound any different from each other. Some are louder than others, that's about the only difference.
Yes, the wiring definitely did make a difference, although it was already wired 50s so I guess the better components in the new harness made the difference. 😊👍🏻
@@andyknightguitarist no new epiphones come with 50s wiring.
I don't believe you because I've swapped out several pickups without changing the wiring at all and I've heard a massive difference in clarity vs. muddiness, among other things.
Ah cool.😎👍🏻
hahahaha, I have ADHD as an adult, both the hyperactive type and the inattentive type, I understand what you mean!
Nope Humbucking pickup is a Humbucking pickup,
One might be wound a little hotter Which = loud; not tone.
May sound a bit different, If one set is wax potted? And the other isn't & Microphonic,
I.M.E. Just Say'n.
Well these pickups are pretty similar sounding for sure, I don’t know enough about the technical side and construction of pickups to agree or disagree with you but I appreciate your comment and thanks for watching 👍🏻