Great news! My ears like the Epiphone for clean sounds (with the exception of middle position) which is all I care about. The only reason for me to buy a Gibson is just for bragging rights at this point. This means I can buy more guitars 😊
I have golden ears so it was easy to tell the pickups apart 😊 Bridge: Always prefer the tone of the Probucker. It a clear winner! Both: Probucker for the win! Neck: Prefer the probucker on the dirty tone, but cant decide on the clean tone. The burstbucker has more structure in mids but the lows get muddy. The probucker sound a little less vibrante.
Nice comparison congratulations. To my ear, the Burstbucker pickups win in all comparisons, except on the clean bridge pickup, where the ProBuckers win. However they sound very close, I would think before changing the ProBuckers.
It is amazing how close they sounded to me. Sometimes I picked out which guitar had the BB's and sometimes not. Even assuming that the BB's have a bit of an edge (which is debatable), the BB's are on Gibson LP's costing around 3,000 bucks, while the PB's can be found on Epiphones in the 700 dollar range. Now that's value! So happy with my Epi LP Custom Pro.
@@the.communist That wouldn't surprise me in the least. There were Burstbuckers on my Gibson LP Studio (which I recently sold). The LP Studio came with those pickups when I purchased the guitar new. So I had the opportunity to compare the Burstbuckers to the Pro Buckers for myself. I was amazed at how similar they sounded. How can Epiphone afford to put such good pickups on such a relatively inexpensive guitar as the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro? I would guess it's because the cost of labor and materials in China is so much less than in the USA.
@@dowaliby1 The real reason is pickups are actually extremely cheap to make. The "big" manufacturers are making an insane margin selling mass produced bobins at 100 a pop.
@@SlikkTim Thanks for calling this to my attention. It was something I hadn't realized before. It's also interesting that i like the 490R and 490 T pickups that came with my new 2022 Gibson Les Paul Tribute better than the Burstbuckers I had on the LP Studio I used to own.
@@dowaliby1 If you really think about it, what are pickups ? Plastic bobbins with copper wire and a magnet. It should never cost 100 to 150. And the R&D was done 70 years ago. But somehow the industry realized this was what people where willing to pay for perceived quality, so there you go. As for the 490, They are different designs, more powerful, more output. I truly believe in the difference in sounds of pickups, but 99% of it is design choices (magnet type, winding, output...) most of everything else is cork sniffing placebo.
I have an Epiphone '59 Les Paul Standard Outfit with the Gibson BB2 in the neck and BB3 in the bridge. They sound amazing, super happy with them - so much tonal variety using tone / volume knobs! My Epiphone ES-355 Joe Bonamassa has the Pro Buckers in them and it also sounds great, but I have to say I don't feel like they sound as good as the BBs nor do the volume & tone controls shape the output as much. Great video, thanks for putting this together!
Rather than try to pick which ones were the Burstbuckers, I just picked which ones I thought sounded best. I am truly surprised that what I picked as what I liked best were the Probuckers, evry single time except for twice when I picked the Burstbuckers!
Great demo. I was checking out the Epi pickups because I am gonna threw em in a Firefly and replace the whole harness. So this helps a lot. Thanks dude!
I could pick it each time because I’m familiar with both. I have Gibson BBs in my Epiphone 59 standard outfit and I have a bunch of 2021 Epiphones with variations on humbuckers. I’m not a Gibson fan (based on poor build quality and price) but I have to say there is a difference in the pickups. There is a difference. The standard Epiphones are sufficient but there certainly is a crispness to the better pickups. But not at Gibson prices. The Epiphone special editions with Gibson pickups really offer the best of both worlds.
Thanks for the video, it's informative . I wouldn't say one had a better sound over the other , as both had their distinctive sound , Personally I like the sound of the Pro's due to the high frequencies having a sharper sound making 7th notes ring out , But the sacrifice is a nice blended sound in the lower frequencies with the Burst , but then the Burst sacrifices the high pitch for a blended low. What one likes better comes down to what kind of sound you're looking for. I got 100% on picking out which ones were which but then I know what the pickups do and being a songwriter I can hear distinctions most players would miss,
Not to be picky, but one thing I noticed was that the Gibson pickups were slightly louder. And if you’re familiar with the Fletcher-Munson concept, your ears will naturally interpret a louder volume to have more mids and highs (i.e. “fuller” or “throaty”) when that’s not necessarily the case. But overall, an excellent video!
I have a Les Paul with burstbuckers and an Epiphone Les Paul with probuckers and playing them both side-by-side there is a huge difference the probuckers are all top end and the burst buckers are very well-balanced. You can't hear much of a difference on the video but when I'm playing them side-by-side on the same exact amp with the same setting there is a big difference
Show more of a high-end cut through and the other ones Mid balance You can still dial them in and adjust scoop or whatever you need to get to I just thought the pro buckers were going to be lacking and you're not switching them out
I’m curious whether the difference in capacitors is in play here, perhaps adding or subtracting something from the BBs that make them sound “better” or just different?
I picked the Burstbuckers 5 out of 6 times (I’m not sure if this was ear fatigue or not - yours was the 3rd comparison video I’d watched. Generally the Probuckers have more treble than the Burstbuckers to my ear. While this isn’t a bad thing.. IMO myself being primarily a PRS/Fender Stratocaster player… my ear expects a more mellow sound from a Les Paul hence my preference for the Burstbuckers… I’d love to hear this comparison up against a set of Pearly Gates…
Well, I learned something interesting! For both clean and dirty I liked the BB beter for the bridge and the PB for the neck. Guess I'll only need to swap out my bridge pickup on my Epiphone LP Standard 60s haha!
Cool video! I have both Gibson and Epiphone in Les Paul and Explorer models and its an either/or for me tone wise. I love both Gibson and Epiphone. Ironically my Epiphone Explorer 1958 Reissue has ProBuckers and my new Gibson Explorer has BurstBuckers. I cannot do an apples to apples comparison because my Epiphone Explorer is set up to D Standard. But i love how they both sound and play.
I have probuckers in my guitar so I was sure that first lick was played with it. Can't be more wrong 🤦♂ I only could guess when I've learned the differences between them. Very nice, thanks for the effort.
I would go for the Epiphone in the Neck and Gibson in the Bridge. The Epiphone lacks a lot of depth and warmth. That would be an ideal combination for me at least :)
I guessed them right on the clean sound, but on the dirty tones I just got the bridge right. Very good video BTW. I have an Epi LP 50s with the probuckers but my neck pickup doesn't sound anywhere near to your clip, I might be doing something wrong because mine is muddy as hell!
Try to lower the pickup on the bass side. Just half a round with a screwdriver. Do records before and after. The pickup hight does a lot to the tone and muddiness usually is something you can fix with it :) and dont overdo it. Just turn, compare, turn and compare. Its very interesting how the sound changes :)
I can tell because the higher output of the Epiphones, has a little dirt already on the clean setting. And follows the same when driven.. A little dark when you heat them up with a pedal..
First of all I must declare an interest because I have an epi Sheraton ii Pro with probuckers! I was honestly expecting the BBs to be clear winners in all departments, so it came as a genuine surprise to me when I preferred the PBs in two out three positions! I felt the BBs were clear winners in the bridge position, but I genuinely had a slight preference for the PBs in middle and neck. I read somewhere that when the PBs were first introduced they did a demo for a bunch of industry pros (including Gibson's own luthiers!) and many of them couldn't tell the difference or even preferred the PBs! That said I realise the fit and finish is going to be better on a high-end Gibson. The Sheraton needed quite a bit of setting up to get it where I wanted it but now it's a cracking guitar. Also I believe the PBs are hotter than BBs. At around a quarter of the price of a Gibson LP/335, though, the epi has to be a great deal! Thanks for posting this comparison by the way - these demos are really helpful when it comes to making an informed choice, particularly for us online auction addicts!
While watching this I was more picking out which one I liked the best. Interestingly all three clean positions I preferred were the PB's and all three distorted positions I preferred were the BB's.
Late to the party but just wanted to say they sound very close. I guessed wrong on the bridge pickup but got the rest right only because the Epi had enough fret buzz to give it away.
I’m a bit late to this but it’s a good comparison. I got all the neck & bridge comparisons correct, but couldn’t decide on the middle positions. Now then, as you say tweaking the amp can bring it much closer. I have an Epiphone 50’s Standard and an Epiphone ‘59 Les Paul outfit, so I have both to compare, with a similar result. However, my 50’s Standard is much nicer to play. I’ve set both up the same and maybe the gloss finish makes a difference compared with the aged (satin) of the ‘59 to the tone, but frankly I’ve bonded with the 50’s and struggled with the ‘59. I suppose it’s all subjective, but worth playing both before shelling out an extra 2 or 3 hundred pounds for the ‘59 with burstbuckers. Admitted, the Epi ‘59 has Burstbucker 2 &3 , the Gibson has 1 & 2.
I really suck at these type of things but on this test I legit picked the burstbuckers every time. I don't know if it was the way you did it or what, but the clarity gave them away relatively easily. Excellent job!
For me the last note's sustain in each passage (bridge and neck positions) was the only sure-fire way to distinguish between the two - but the middle position for me was inconclusive. I got precisely the info I needed from this shootout. Looks like my Probuckers are eventually going to get swapped out for Burstbuckers on my Epi Graphite LP Modern - the best chassis/neck profile/fretboard/finish in Epiphone's lineup, in my opinion. Thank you for your help. New Subscriber.
@@honkyadonis6379 No, I haven’t. I was able to prove to myself that l would lose more than l could possibly gain by switching. Here’s the thing, Adonis. If you use them correctly (with correct pick type, gauge - 1mm or greater - and touch, there aren’t any pickups made today with the range and transparency of Probucker 2 & 3s. They really are reasonable facsimiles of PAFs. The only problem I had was getting enough gain from the treble notes during the occasional high sustain (think Gary Moore or Carlos Santana) situations. Thus the 1mm minimum pick gauge which solved that problem and (somewhat surprisingly) unleashed the wide-ranging flexibility of the Probuckers and the combinations afforded by your wise selection of the Modern. I have played the Gibson. In my opinion, the Epi Modern qualifies as an Epiphone original, that, once appropriately dialed in, is capable of far lower, smoother, and faster action than the Gibson will ever have. The fit and finish on this axe is second to none, and compared to nitro will be far longer lasting, especially in high humidity climates that include frequent temp and humidity changes. If you want to learn more of my particular approach to set-up, leave an email address here and I will try to help you out. I live in a part of the world where resources are limited and things like Plek machines are nonexistent, which, over the years, has forced me to develop my own techniques and work-arounds to get action and intonation correct using minimal equipment and without adherence to orthodoxy. Mostly time, trial and error, and a need for super-light-touch interaction with the fretboard compelled me to find alternatives to the readily available solutions in the west. Don’t get me wrong. The guitar comes set up as well or better than most lower-end Gibsons, right out of the box. I have been playing since the 60’s and have developed a particular playing style. You might not need a damn thing besides some of the advice in this message. Last suggestion would be to order the Epiphone hard shell case. It is beautiful and the guitar deserves it.
@@honkyadonis6379 I left the original pick ups in my epiphone as I think the difference is so marginal that it really didn’t warrant the outlay. You are getting an 85% Gibson when you by an Epiphone for a fraction of a Gibson price so why change a thing. That’s only my opinion of course but many agree that the pro buckers are fantastic. Hope you have a great new guitar day today 👍👍
it is like between how you feel when you ride Benz S500 and Hyundai Genesis G90. Not much of differences but a little bit of nuances, feeling.. overall, probucker is something that DOES it's job.
LOL I got all of them right. But then again I got burst buckers. The pro buckers wasn't bad though. They sounded a little muddy to ne, but not nearly as bad as the pickups I replaced the burst buckers with (Greco law suit SG)
The only one that really stood out for me was the Bursts in the bridge clean position. That one was a clear winner. All the rest were too subtle for me to say who was a winner one way or another. I've got the Probuckers in my Epi LP Standard Plus Top Pro (say that 5 times fast) and I don't think I'd swap them out, but if all else were equal (especially price) I'd probably go for the one with the Bursts.
Interesting! They sound about the same to me (without closely comparing them back-to-back and note-for-note). The Probuckers in this test sound nothing like they do in my Epi SG Modern, which is much brighter. Yes, the neck pickup is further back in the SG, but still a lot of difference that can't be explained by pickup placement alone.
You couldn't really compare these to a guitar you are playing as there are many different factors to take into account when the sounds from a RUclips video hits your ears (your computer or stereo set up, soundcard etc.. ) will all have a bearing on the sound that you hear as opposed to the sound from your guitar which is direct from your amp and amp set up to your ears. Hope that helps. Thanks for your comment..
@@thesmartway693 Thanks for your reply. Appreciate that it's difficult to do. I was interested to know whether it would be worth changing the pickups in my SG from Probuckers to Burstbuckers or something else. I like how the Probuckers sound as they have more mid frequency push than my other humbucker guitars, but the output is lower and doesn't drive an amp so well.
@@yetigoosecreature8682 in all honesty I would stick with the pro buckers as I think you can get exactly the same tones as a burst bucker by adjusting the settings on your amp.
Pretty damn close, I couldn’t tell a difference. Or maybe I should say I never thought one sounded “better” than the other. Amazing, when you consider the price difference.
This was the best hearing test I ever had , I only got the first one right , I own 3 Epiphones with Probuckers , thought they sounded like Burstbuckers should , So I need hearing aids.
BurstBuckers are bright pickups. To my ears, it’s easy to spot them a mile off. This is why I sold mine from my Gibson LP standard and dropped in the lower output ProBucker 1&2s (with Alnico 5 magnets added). Nice and warm, with a tighter bass and a touch of sparkle ✨
I have an Epi Les Paul Custom with the PLEK done to the frets. I love it but somehow I feel compelled to upgrade things! I guess because it costs so much less than a Gibson. . . . and I am not a good guitarist and my ears do not have good tone. But still, I feel compelled to upgrade it!
Nice video! The difference in the sound is not only from the pickups, it is also from the wood and the construction quality of the two different guitars. In order to fully understand the difference between the pickups, they should be tested on the same guitar.
The burstbuckers (which I have on my Gibson LP Standard) have slightly more bass to them to my ear. Both are nice, but the Probuckers sound a tad better to my ear.
The Probuckers had this bit of sizzle on the top end the Burstbuckers lacked. In the middle I think I preferred the Burstbuckers regardless but as singles I think I preferred the Probuckers with distortion.
Through decent headphones there is a difference - once I'd listened to the first example I could pick them apart without much effort. Both however sounded good just slightly different and I would be happy with either sound. Wether my wallet would be is a different matter ;)
I guessed right everytime after hearing the first demo. but how I could tell had nothing to do with the sound. Both sounded great but found I actually preferred the probuckers over the burst buckers. The reason I could tell the difference, was I have developed an ear issue of some kind. So, certain things will actually, I don't know how to describe it, I can get a feeling in my ear. I compare it to kicking a bass drum. And when you hit a note on the Gibson, it was like kicking my ear drum. I didn't hear it. I felt it. I guess it's the midrange. I don't know. I found that interesting. But It made me prefer the probuckers personally.
Was pleasantly surprised by the episode pro buckers. To me the epiphone neck pick up sounds better . And some of the Gibson bottom ends were pretty muddy and on the edge of the bad kinda distortion. It’s all player preference. Some of the epiphone tones were fatter and crunchy some of it was over driven. Try the sprague orange drop caps and play with the tones. Or buy a set of Gibson pafs .
Through my laptop speakers, they sounded almost exactly the same. I guessed wrong on half of the examples, and even preferred the probuckers on a couple (I noted which one I liked better before finding out which was which). The burstbuckers didn't sound better enough to justify the price difference between the guitars, that's for sure.
To my ears the ProBuckers are like peanut butter & the BurstBuckers are clear and sweet sounding. It would be wild if we could hear things the way the other guy hears the same sound. Do we hear the same or is it just like food where it is a preference. I believe we can taste and hear preferences based on what we think it is supposed to be. Or even because we let the cool person's choice influence us. It's kind cool to bash Big Brand's pickups & other equipment these days. And I'm all for aftermarket equipment. My used Fender Tele came with a factory neck pickup and a Seymour Duncan bridge pickup. I love the sound the two produce. Being able to create our own sound is what it's all about. Thanks for the vid an' not knockin' about.
@@thesmartway693 The Gibson burst buckers are around $300 new here and the Epiphone pro buckers cost around $200 here so what I’m saying is that Gibson could offer a Epiphone Les Paul or a Epiphone V or a Epiphone Explorer with the Gibson Burst Bucker pickups from the factory taking the Epiphone Les Paul price from $650 US to $750 US and still be a bargain 😐 price accordingly for the V and Explorer
They both sound fantastic, but it wasn't hard to tell which was which on the neck and middle at first. It's just a cleaner, yet beefier. Distortion gets more interesting. The Probucker sounds cleaner, but flatter. The Burstbucker is beefier. It would take a snob to say the Probuckers are anything but beyond cheap!
There's nothing "obvious" to my ears... These were INCREDIBLY similar sounding, so much so, you wouldn't be able to tell without doing this kind of comparison. That said, you were playing one style of music where VERY little distortion was used. Under those circumstances, the warmer Burstbuckers sounded a tiny bit better. When you get into Classic Rock territory, and you need bit, articulation, and clarity for playing chords, riffs, and note separation, the Probuckers really stand out. This was an outstanding video, so hitting the like/subscribe buttons for the effort alone. But, I think it's a bit inconclusive. Also, while Gibson, IMHO has really stepped up their game with their pickups, there are a TON of models out there. So, I'm going to make an assumption that the Probuckers haven't change, and a Probucker 61 is the same as just a Probucker. The number of varieties, and versions get's confusing. Again, excellent video!
Problem here is that the sound levels were not equal between the Epiphone and Gibson recordings. Since the Epiphone pickups were recorded louder we perceive them to sound better, which effectively makes a fair comparison impossible. Otherwise good job!
OK, so I listened to the intro now and I understand that the difference in output level comes from the Probuckers being inherently hotter. But still, when it comes to comparing tone I would have preferred a comparison with equal sound level.
50s.60s have diff pickups though? should of done 50s across the board (Pro bucker 1+2 Vs BurstBucker 1+2, not Vs 2+3 as there will be a clear diffrence if u stacked the 50s n 60s gibsons against eachother aswell as the epiphones ) The 60s gibson has a burstbucker 3 in bridge which is a bit hotter of a wind as the 50 has a probucker 2 in the bridge little less hot but creamier (same applys to the neck on each as the gibson is using the pickup the epiphone has its bridge in its neck) i have the 50s epi and its amazing id reccomend keeping the Probucker 1 in the neck its a AMAZING Paf type pickup for my style of music Heavier metal and hard rock i would swap out the brige mind u , you dont have to do this the PB 1 can do every genre just fine (but you have to turn up the gain on pedals and amps just a bit more to get desired tone as opposed to say a 16kohm JB)
I could certainly hear the Burstbuckers being more articulate and smooth compared to the Probuckers. I was happy to find this test because I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with the Probuckers which I thought sounded very good. I was on the fence on swapping them out because they are really not that bad. Maybe sometime down the road I may swap them out but for now I am satisfied with the Probuckers.
There is a slight difference, but that doesn't mean that BBs sound better than PBs or vice versa! It is simply a matter of taste and I bet that it takes a genius to blindly tell which one is which, especially when there's no comparison! I will go for the PBs, a little bit less "metal" than BBs.
Wild difference from the what, "Alnico Classics" or whatever the "no, seriously, they don't suck this time!" stockers were called. "Somehow simultaneously muddy and shrill" was the consensus, and a Duncan Designed JB/Jazz was worlds away.
The probuckers are the winner hands down....when it comes to $$ why blow it on something thats just got a Gibson name on it. Oh and I own vintage gibson guitars but do have the new 60s epi LP. with burstbucker 2 and 3.
I preferred the Probuckers every time clean. Distorted was a mixed bag.
They really aren’t that far off at all, in my opinion.
Great news! My ears like the Epiphone for clean sounds (with the exception of middle position) which is all I care about. The only reason for me to buy a Gibson is just for bragging rights at this point. This means I can buy more guitars 😊
I have golden ears so it was easy to tell the pickups apart 😊
Bridge: Always prefer the tone of the Probucker. It a clear winner!
Both: Probucker for the win!
Neck: Prefer the probucker on the dirty tone, but cant decide on the clean tone. The burstbucker has more structure in mids but the lows get muddy. The probucker sound a little less vibrante.
Completely agree.
Wow I guessed wrong a lot. Shows you how close these pickups are to one another.
Nice comparison congratulations.
To my ear, the Burstbucker pickups win in all comparisons, except on the clean bridge pickup, where the ProBuckers win. However they sound very close, I would think before changing the ProBuckers.
It is amazing how close they sounded to me. Sometimes I picked out which guitar had the BB's and sometimes not. Even assuming that the BB's have a bit of an edge (which is debatable), the BB's are on Gibson LP's costing around 3,000 bucks, while the PB's can be found on Epiphones in the 700 dollar range. Now that's value! So happy with my Epi LP Custom Pro.
Probably gibson takes a bursbucker with its specs to the chinese factory for them to copy it.
@@the.communist That wouldn't surprise me in the least. There were Burstbuckers on my Gibson LP Studio (which I recently sold). The LP Studio came with those pickups when I purchased the guitar new. So I had the opportunity to compare the Burstbuckers to the Pro Buckers for myself. I was amazed at how similar they sounded. How can Epiphone afford to put such good pickups on such a relatively inexpensive guitar as the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro? I would guess it's because the cost of labor and materials in China is so much less than in the USA.
@@dowaliby1 The real reason is pickups are actually extremely cheap to make. The "big" manufacturers are making an insane margin selling mass produced bobins at 100 a pop.
@@SlikkTim Thanks for calling this to my attention. It was something I hadn't realized before. It's also interesting that i like the 490R and 490 T pickups that came with my new 2022 Gibson Les Paul Tribute better than the Burstbuckers I had on the LP Studio I used to own.
@@dowaliby1 If you really think about it, what are pickups ? Plastic bobbins with copper wire and a magnet. It should never cost 100 to 150. And the R&D was done 70 years ago. But somehow the industry realized this was what people where willing to pay for perceived quality, so there you go. As for the 490, They are different designs, more powerful, more output. I truly believe in the difference in sounds of pickups, but 99% of it is design choices (magnet type, winding, output...) most of everything else is cork sniffing placebo.
I have an Epiphone '59 Les Paul Standard Outfit with the Gibson BB2 in the neck and BB3 in the bridge. They sound amazing, super happy with them - so much tonal variety using tone / volume knobs! My Epiphone ES-355 Joe Bonamassa has the Pro Buckers in them and it also sounds great, but I have to say I don't feel like they sound as good as the BBs nor do the volume & tone controls shape the output as much. Great video, thanks for putting this together!
Rather than try to pick which ones were the Burstbuckers, I just picked which ones I thought sounded best. I am truly surprised that what I picked as what I liked best were the Probuckers, evry single time except for twice when I picked the Burstbuckers!
Great demo. I was checking out the Epi pickups because I am gonna threw em in a Firefly and replace the whole harness. So this helps a lot. Thanks dude!
Wow I only got one right! Very similar. Great video 👍
I could pick it each time because I’m familiar with both. I have Gibson BBs in my Epiphone 59 standard outfit and I have a bunch of 2021 Epiphones with variations on humbuckers. I’m not a Gibson fan (based on poor build quality and price) but I have to say there is a difference in the pickups. There is a difference. The standard Epiphones are sufficient but there certainly is a crispness to the better pickups. But not at Gibson prices. The Epiphone special editions with Gibson pickups really offer the best of both worlds.
Thanks for the video, it's informative . I wouldn't say one had a better sound over the other , as both had their distinctive sound , Personally I like the sound of the Pro's due to the high frequencies having a sharper sound making 7th notes ring out , But the sacrifice is a nice blended sound in the lower frequencies with the Burst , but then the Burst sacrifices the high pitch for a blended low. What one likes better comes down to what kind of sound you're looking for. I got 100% on picking out which ones were which but then I know what the pickups do and being a songwriter I can hear distinctions most players would miss,
I got them right on all the cleans, in some parts of the riff I preferred the pros but the clarity of the bursts was evident
Not to be picky, but one thing I noticed was that the Gibson pickups were slightly louder. And if you’re familiar with the Fletcher-Munson concept, your ears will naturally interpret a louder volume to have more mids and highs (i.e. “fuller” or “throaty”) when that’s not necessarily the case. But overall, an excellent video!
I have a Les Paul with burstbuckers and an Epiphone Les Paul with probuckers and playing them both side-by-side there is a huge difference the probuckers are all top end and the burst buckers are very well-balanced. You can't hear much of a difference on the video but when I'm playing them side-by-side on the same exact amp with the same setting there is a big difference
It’s always tricky when RUclips compresses so much of the real sound in these uploads but in all honesty this is how they both sounded in real life.
Show more of a high-end cut through and the other ones Mid balance
You can still dial them in and adjust scoop or whatever you need to get to I just thought the pro buckers were going to be lacking and you're not switching them out
The Burstbucker has alnico V magnets while the Probucker has alnico II, so the Burstbuckers are naturally going to sound slightly brighter.
I guessed then failed. well well... Seems I prefer epiphone neck pickup.
I’m curious whether the difference in capacitors is in play here, perhaps adding or subtracting something from the BBs that make them sound “better” or just different?
I picked the Burstbuckers 5 out of 6 times (I’m not sure if this was ear fatigue or not - yours was the 3rd comparison video I’d watched. Generally the Probuckers have more treble than the Burstbuckers to my ear. While this isn’t a bad thing.. IMO myself being primarily a PRS/Fender Stratocaster player… my ear expects a more mellow sound from a Les Paul hence my preference for the Burstbuckers… I’d love to hear this comparison up against a set of Pearly Gates…
Well, I learned something interesting! For both clean and dirty I liked the BB beter for the bridge and the PB for the neck. Guess I'll only need to swap out my bridge pickup on my Epiphone LP Standard 60s haha!
Cool video! I have both Gibson and Epiphone in Les Paul and Explorer models and its an either/or for me tone wise. I love both Gibson and Epiphone. Ironically my Epiphone Explorer 1958 Reissue has ProBuckers and my new Gibson Explorer has BurstBuckers. I cannot do an apples to apples comparison because my Epiphone Explorer is set up to D Standard. But i love how they both sound and play.
I have probuckers in my guitar so I was sure that first lick was played with it. Can't be more wrong 🤦♂ I only could guess when I've learned the differences between them. Very nice, thanks for the effort.
I would go for the Epiphone in the Neck and Gibson in the Bridge. The Epiphone lacks a lot of depth and warmth. That would be an ideal combination for me at least :)
I guessed them right on the clean sound, but on the dirty tones I just got the bridge right. Very good video BTW. I have an Epi LP 50s with the probuckers but my neck pickup doesn't sound anywhere near to your clip, I might be doing something wrong because mine is muddy as hell!
Try to lower the pickup on the bass side. Just half a round with a screwdriver. Do records before and after. The pickup hight does a lot to the tone and muddiness usually is something you can fix with it :) and dont overdo it. Just turn, compare, turn and compare. Its very interesting how the sound changes :)
I can tell because the higher output of the Epiphones, has a little dirt already on the clean setting.
And follows the same when driven..
A little dark when you heat them up with a pedal..
First of all I must declare an interest because I have an epi Sheraton ii Pro with probuckers! I was honestly expecting the BBs to be clear winners in all departments, so it came as a genuine surprise to me when I preferred the PBs in two out three positions! I felt the BBs were clear winners in the bridge position, but I genuinely had a slight preference for the PBs in middle and neck. I read somewhere that when the PBs were first introduced they did a demo for a bunch of industry pros (including Gibson's own luthiers!) and many of them couldn't tell the difference or even preferred the PBs! That said I realise the fit and finish is going to be better on a high-end Gibson. The Sheraton needed quite a bit of setting up to get it where I wanted it but now it's a cracking guitar. Also I believe the PBs are hotter than BBs. At around a quarter of the price of a Gibson LP/335, though, the epi has to be a great deal! Thanks for posting this comparison by the way - these demos are really helpful when it comes to making an informed choice, particularly for us online auction addicts!
Totally agree. think Iv just saved myself a couple hundred quid
I can't believe that i prefer PB's, nice video!!!
The capacitor only really makes a difference when the tone isn’t on 10 aka fully wide open
While watching this I was more picking out which one I liked the best. Interestingly all three clean positions I preferred were the PB's and all three distorted positions I preferred were the BB's.
Late to the party but just wanted to say they sound very close. I guessed wrong on the bridge pickup but got the rest right only because the Epi had enough fret buzz to give it away.
I’m a bit late to this but it’s a good comparison. I got all the neck & bridge comparisons correct, but couldn’t decide on the middle positions. Now then, as you say tweaking the amp can bring it much closer. I have an Epiphone 50’s Standard and an Epiphone ‘59 Les Paul outfit, so I have both to compare, with a similar result. However, my 50’s Standard is much nicer to play. I’ve set both up the same and maybe the gloss finish makes a difference compared with the aged (satin) of the ‘59 to the tone, but frankly I’ve bonded with the 50’s and struggled with the ‘59. I suppose it’s all subjective, but worth playing both before shelling out an extra 2 or 3 hundred pounds for the ‘59 with burstbuckers. Admitted, the Epi ‘59 has Burstbucker 2 &3 , the Gibson has 1 & 2.
I had em all right other than middle position clean, where i preferred the epiphone
I really suck at these type of things but on this test I legit picked the burstbuckers every time. I don't know if it was the way you did it or what, but the clarity gave them away relatively easily. Excellent job!
i preferred the epi in all but 1. i guess having lost highs in hearing has its advantages!
They weren't far off. I give the edge to the burstbuckers in dirty, but the probuckers sounded better in the clean positions.
To me, the Epi sounds a bit clearer, more high end.I like the sound!
For me the last note's sustain in each passage (bridge and neck positions) was the only sure-fire way to distinguish between the two - but the middle position for me was inconclusive. I got precisely the info I needed from this shootout. Looks like my Probuckers are eventually going to get swapped out for Burstbuckers on my Epi Graphite LP Modern - the best chassis/neck profile/fretboard/finish in Epiphone's lineup, in my opinion. Thank you for your help. New Subscriber.
Thank you 😊
I have an Epiphone LP modern coming any day and was thinking about swapping the burst buckers into it. Have you made the switch and what do you think?
@@honkyadonis6379 No, I haven’t. I was able to prove to myself that l would lose more than l could possibly gain by switching. Here’s the thing, Adonis. If you use them correctly (with correct pick type, gauge - 1mm or greater - and touch, there aren’t any pickups made today with the range and transparency of Probucker 2 & 3s. They really are reasonable facsimiles of PAFs. The only problem I had was getting enough gain from the treble notes during the occasional high sustain (think Gary Moore or Carlos Santana) situations. Thus the 1mm minimum pick gauge which solved that problem and (somewhat surprisingly) unleashed the wide-ranging flexibility of the Probuckers and the combinations afforded by your wise selection of the Modern. I have played the Gibson. In my opinion, the Epi Modern qualifies as an Epiphone original, that, once appropriately dialed in, is capable of far lower, smoother, and faster action than the Gibson will ever have. The fit and finish on this axe is second to none, and compared to nitro will be far longer lasting, especially in high humidity climates that include frequent temp and humidity changes. If you want to learn more of my particular approach to set-up, leave an email address here and I will try to help you out. I live in a part of the world where resources are limited and things like Plek machines are nonexistent, which, over the years, has forced me to develop my own techniques and work-arounds to get action and intonation correct using minimal equipment and without adherence to orthodoxy. Mostly time, trial and error, and a need for super-light-touch interaction with the fretboard compelled me to find alternatives to the readily available solutions in the west. Don’t get me wrong. The guitar comes set up as well or better than most lower-end Gibsons, right out of the box. I have been playing since the 60’s and have developed a particular playing style. You might not need a damn thing besides some of the advice in this message. Last suggestion would be to order the Epiphone hard shell case. It is beautiful and the guitar deserves it.
@@honkyadonis6379 I left the original pick ups in my epiphone as I think the difference is so marginal that it really didn’t warrant the outlay. You are getting an 85% Gibson when you by an Epiphone for a fraction of a Gibson price so why change a thing. That’s only my opinion of course but many agree that the pro buckers are fantastic. Hope you have a great new guitar day today 👍👍
@@thesmartway693 yeah I had an Epiphone standard pro and it did sound really good.
it is like between how you feel when you ride Benz S500 and Hyundai Genesis G90. Not much of differences but a little bit of nuances, feeling.. overall, probucker is something that DOES it's job.
LOL I got all of them right. But then again I got burst buckers. The pro buckers wasn't bad though. They sounded a little muddy to ne, but not nearly as bad as the pickups I replaced the burst buckers with (Greco law suit SG)
The only one that really stood out for me was the Bursts in the bridge clean position. That one was a clear winner. All the rest were too subtle for me to say who was a winner one way or another. I've got the Probuckers in my Epi LP Standard Plus Top Pro (say that 5 times fast) and I don't think I'd swap them out, but if all else were equal (especially price) I'd probably go for the one with the Bursts.
For practical purposes, they sound identical. Without an A/B comparison, you'd never tell them apart.
I did guess it right, but after the fact I could tell just by the slight fret buzz on the epi
Interesting! They sound about the same to me (without closely comparing them back-to-back and note-for-note). The Probuckers in this test sound nothing like they do in my Epi SG Modern, which is much brighter. Yes, the neck pickup is further back in the SG, but still a lot of difference that can't be explained by pickup placement alone.
You couldn't really compare these to a guitar you are playing as there are many different factors to take into account when the sounds from a RUclips video hits your ears (your computer or stereo set up, soundcard etc.. ) will all have a bearing on the sound that you hear as opposed to the sound from your guitar which is direct from your amp and amp set up to your ears. Hope that helps. Thanks for your comment..
@@thesmartway693 Thanks for your reply. Appreciate that it's difficult to do. I was interested to know whether it would be worth changing the pickups in my SG from Probuckers to Burstbuckers or something else. I like how the Probuckers sound as they have more mid frequency push than my other humbucker guitars, but the output is lower and doesn't drive an amp so well.
@@yetigoosecreature8682 in all honesty I would stick with the pro buckers as I think you can get exactly the same tones as a burst bucker by adjusting the settings on your amp.
Pretty damn close, I couldn’t tell a difference. Or maybe I should say I never thought one sounded “better” than the other. Amazing, when you consider the price difference.
This was the best hearing test I ever had , I only got the first one right , I own 3 Epiphones with Probuckers , thought they sounded like Burstbuckers should , So I need hearing aids.
BurstBuckers are bright pickups. To my ears, it’s easy to spot them a mile off. This is why I sold mine from my Gibson LP standard and dropped in the lower output ProBucker 1&2s (with Alnico 5 magnets added). Nice and warm, with a tighter bass and a touch of sparkle ✨
I have an Epi Les Paul Custom with the PLEK done to the frets. I love it but somehow I feel compelled to upgrade things! I guess because it costs so much less than a Gibson. . . . and I am not a good guitarist and my ears do not have good tone. But still, I feel compelled to upgrade it!
Experiment my friend and be free 🙏❤️ It can always be put back to how it was 👍
Burstbuckers definitely have more overtones on both clean and distorted. I just love that 59 edge of breakup tone.
Nice video! The difference in the sound is not only from the pickups, it is also from the wood and the construction quality of the two different guitars. In order to fully understand the difference between the pickups, they should be tested on the same guitar.
The burstbuckers (which I have on my Gibson LP Standard) have slightly more bass to them to my ear. Both are nice, but the Probuckers sound a tad better to my ear.
The Probuckers had this bit of sizzle on the top end the Burstbuckers lacked. In the middle I think I preferred the Burstbuckers regardless but as singles I think I preferred the Probuckers with distortion.
Through decent headphones there is a difference - once I'd listened to the first example I could pick them apart without much effort. Both however sounded good just slightly different and I would be happy with either sound. Wether my wallet would be is a different matter ;)
I guessed right everytime after hearing the first demo. but how I could tell had nothing to do with the sound. Both sounded great but found I actually preferred the probuckers over the burst buckers. The reason I could tell the difference, was I have developed an ear issue of some kind. So, certain things will actually, I don't know how to describe it, I can get a feeling in my ear. I compare it to kicking a bass drum. And when you hit a note on the Gibson, it was like kicking my ear drum. I didn't hear it. I felt it. I guess it's the midrange. I don't know. I found that interesting. But It made me prefer the probuckers personally.
Pro Buckers had more depth to my ears. Could I be wrong 😮😮?
Was pleasantly surprised by the episode pro buckers. To me the epiphone neck pick up sounds better . And some of the Gibson bottom ends were pretty muddy and on the edge of the bad kinda distortion. It’s all player preference. Some of the epiphone tones were fatter and crunchy some of it was over driven. Try the sprague orange drop caps and play with the tones. Or buy a set of Gibson pafs .
Through my laptop speakers, they sounded almost exactly the same. I guessed wrong on half of the examples, and even preferred the probuckers on a couple (I noted which one I liked better before finding out which was which). The burstbuckers didn't sound better enough to justify the price difference between the guitars, that's for sure.
Thats what I thought too 👍🏻
I have an epiphone 339 and I honestly couldn't guess any of the audio... I don't know what's wrong with me.
Paused at 2:10. That's the epiphone (Guitar A). It sounds really compressed and muffled, without dynamics and clarity.
To my ears the ProBuckers are like peanut butter & the BurstBuckers are clear and sweet sounding. It would be wild if we could hear things the way the other guy hears the same sound. Do we hear the same or is it just like food where it is a preference. I believe we can taste and hear preferences based on what we think it is supposed to be. Or even because we let the cool person's choice influence us.
It's kind cool to bash Big Brand's pickups & other equipment these days. And I'm all for aftermarket equipment. My used Fender Tele came with a factory neck pickup and a Seymour Duncan bridge pickup. I love the sound the two produce. Being able to create our own sound is what it's all about. Thanks for the vid an' not knockin' about.
It’s all subjective mate and you are right some beautiful tones can be solely down to the amp settings 👍
The pro buckers and bust buckers are the same both are also made and wound the same ..
I hope there is a difference cause one cost alot more than the other.
That’s the point of the comparison. Are you paying for the name or is it a better guitar?
I was wrong on almost all of them. Wow.
Saya hanya bisa membedakan ketika terdistorsi. PB lebih tertutup tapa saya sangat menyukainya.
Simple question 😐 how much more would it cost to put the Gibson pickups in the Epiphone for Gibson ?
I’d estimate a set of Gibson pickups would be around £200 for a 2nd hand set. They are roughly £400 new
@@thesmartway693 The Gibson burst buckers are around $300 new here and the Epiphone pro buckers cost around $200 here so what I’m saying is that Gibson could offer a Epiphone Les Paul or a Epiphone V or a Epiphone Explorer with the Gibson Burst Bucker pickups from the factory taking the Epiphone Les Paul price from $650 US to $750 US and still be a bargain 😐 price accordingly for the V and Explorer
The probucker are defenetily warmer in the clean. Which turns in more obscure, less brilliant in distortion
I like the Burst....looking at the 1959 epiphone...get the best of both worlds..
Probuckers slightly brighter. Just turn the tone knob.
The fret buzz on the clean tones gave the Epiphone away for me
They both sound fantastic, but it wasn't hard to tell which was which on the neck and middle at first. It's just a cleaner, yet beefier. Distortion gets more interesting. The Probucker sounds cleaner, but flatter. The Burstbucker is beefier. It would take a snob to say the Probuckers are anything but beyond cheap!
Guitar A sounded like a Tele, Guitar B sounded like my Gibson. Huge difference.
I could tell the difference right away but I actually prefer the probuckers
There's nothing "obvious" to my ears... These were INCREDIBLY similar sounding, so much so, you wouldn't be able to tell without doing this kind of comparison. That said, you were playing one style of music where VERY little distortion was used. Under those circumstances, the warmer Burstbuckers sounded a tiny bit better. When you get into Classic Rock territory, and you need bit, articulation, and clarity for playing chords, riffs, and note separation, the Probuckers really stand out. This was an outstanding video, so hitting the like/subscribe buttons for the effort alone. But, I think it's a bit inconclusive. Also, while Gibson, IMHO has really stepped up their game with their pickups, there are a TON of models out there. So, I'm going to make an assumption that the Probuckers haven't change, and a Probucker 61 is the same as just a Probucker. The number of varieties, and versions get's confusing. Again, excellent video!
honestly the burst buckers are just the better sounding , and clearer pickups. But you can go wrong with the probuckers, especially for their price
Clearly the burst buckers are more throaty, beefy, grainy and ring better
Problem here is that the sound levels were not equal between the Epiphone and Gibson recordings. Since the Epiphone pickups were recorded louder we perceive them to sound better, which effectively makes a fair comparison impossible. Otherwise good job!
OK, so I listened to the intro now and I understand that the difference in output level comes from the Probuckers being inherently hotter. But still, when it comes to comparing tone I would have preferred a comparison with equal sound level.
50s.60s have diff pickups though? should of done 50s across the board (Pro bucker 1+2 Vs BurstBucker 1+2, not Vs 2+3 as there will be a clear diffrence if u stacked the 50s n 60s gibsons against eachother aswell as the epiphones )
The 60s gibson has a burstbucker 3 in bridge which is a bit hotter of a wind as the 50 has a probucker 2 in the bridge little less hot but creamier (same applys to the neck on each as the gibson is using the pickup the epiphone has its bridge in its neck)
i have the 50s epi and its amazing id reccomend keeping the Probucker 1 in the neck its a AMAZING Paf type pickup for my style of music Heavier metal and hard rock i would swap out the brige mind u , you dont have to do this the PB 1 can do every genre just fine (but you have to turn up the gain on pedals and amps just a bit more to get desired tone as opposed to say a 16kohm JB)
Personally I preferred the Probuckers...
Burstbuckers have a slight edge in clarity I thought. You have to compare like this because the probuckers are very close sounding.
I wouldn't feel bad about putting Probuckers in a Gibson guitar.
Gibson sounded better all the way around. But the Pro buckers aren't bad at all, just a tad thinner and weaker
The fret buzz gives the Epiphone away I’m afraid
Probuckers are 60 bucks on Amazon with complete wiring harness with quick disconnect. No reason to spen more.
I could certainly hear the Burstbuckers being more articulate and smooth compared to the Probuckers. I was happy to find this test because I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom with the Probuckers which I thought sounded very good. I was on the fence on swapping them out because they are really not that bad. Maybe sometime down the road I may swap them out but for now I am satisfied with the Probuckers.
I prefer the ProBuckers clean and the BurstBuckers for dirt.
You need to match the volume, otherwise the louder will always be the better.
For the subtle difference, buy yourself an epi n spend the rest of the money on a good amp.
Exactly!
Are the PB’s 4 conductor?
Yes 👍
The gibson is more beautiful in almost all position, except in the middle.
probuckers sound more hollow/flat somehow - not bad, but just missing something esp in the mids
Once distortion is added, they are not close to my ears. The Gibson pickups are better sounding TO ME. Others will disagree.
I think I prefer pro Bucker
There is a slight difference, but that doesn't mean that BBs sound better than PBs or vice versa! It is simply a matter of taste and I bet that it takes a genius to blindly tell which one is which, especially when there's no comparison!
I will go for the PBs, a little bit less "metal" than BBs.
Wild difference from the what, "Alnico Classics" or whatever the "no, seriously, they don't suck this time!" stockers were called.
"Somehow simultaneously muddy and shrill" was the consensus, and a Duncan Designed JB/Jazz was worlds away.
Are these Burstbuckers 1,2 or 2,3?
2 and 3 😁
@@thesmartway693 thank you
Gibson Standard 50's comes with Burstbucker 1 & 2
@@alanswanson7515 yep.i stand corrected. On the specs it's 1 and 2 though the one in this video.had 2 and 3 ??
The epiphone pro buckers are made the same exact way as the Gibson burst buckers
In all honesty I couldn't tell the difference.
Turat me ep lp i better intrument for what one pays for
The ohms read are in K ohms ie 7.6K ohms not 7.6 ohms
The probuckers are the winner hands down....when it comes to $$ why blow it on something thats just got a Gibson name on it. Oh and I own vintage gibson guitars but do have the new 60s epi LP. with burstbucker 2 and 3.
Probuckers = Higher output, Burstbuckers = Clarity