Humbuckers that dont suck.

[mackerelmint]

Look into Ibanez 58s, maybe. They're the only PAFs I've really liked, and I get the impression that we have similar ideas about how guitars should sound. Never played lollars, I'm sure they're the cat's ass, but those Ibanez 58s punch way above their weight. Not too compressed, not muddy, just plain good.

[Con-Tiki!]

Look into Ibanez 58s, maybe. They're the only PAFs I've really liked, and I get the impression that we have similar ideas about how guitars should sound. Never played lollars, I'm sure they're the cat's ass, but those Ibanez 58s punch way above their weight. Not too compressed, not muddy, just plain good.

this is true. I had a set in an old roadstar (one of those Lukather models), they could do anything, really.
I recently bought a duncan 59 from the mid-80's. It also is remarkably bright and chimey. I think it reads about 7k. I have it in my Marr-ish telecaster, paired with an antiquity bridge pup. They work perfectly together, i was afraid they wouldn't balance at all.

The trick might be to find an old pickup from the days before everyone got into overwound.
for what they cost, you could buy a couple to try first.

[Pepe Silvia]

So, I ordered Lollar Imperials... I'm hoping I am happy with the end result.

[fuzzjunkie]

I used to live across the harbor from Jason on Vashon Island. Good dude, great pickups. I don't have any in my guitars, but have played a few on friends that had them in theirs. Doubt you will be disappointed.

[mackerelmint]

The trick might be to find an old pickup from the days before everyone got into overwound.

Solid advice, there. I'm forever asking winders to make my pickups slightly underwound. Maybe someday that'll become the cool new thing. Until then, older pickups and custom wound ones are gonna be the way toward better dynamics and avoidance of mud.

[Larry Mal]

Is that not the cool thing? I do it.

[marqueemoon]

One of my guitars will be sporting Fralin Big Singles in about a week. Will report back. Never tried them in person, but they sound incredible from the Youtube demos I’ve seen, particularly the Waterslide Guitars ones.

Not particularly humbuckery sounding though, at least I hope not.

I got my guitar back from the shop Saturday and brought it to practice last night. Big Singles are awesome. Exactly what I was looking for. Glassy and a little microphonic without being brittle like gold foils sometime are. A very usable neck pickup sound too.

As advertised they don’t sound much like humbuckers. Just a trace of quack.

[solfege]

So, I ordered Lollar Imperials... I'm hoping I am happy with the end result.

I have one in the bridge of my Cyclone. Wonderful pickup.

[mackerelmint]

Is that not the cool thing? I do it.

I guess it's the opposite of a hot pickup, so maybe it is by default? I feel like there's the "hot" pickup fans and the "vintage" pickup fans being served by off the shelf options, but those big winders don't really seem very interested in making "a different sound to what's out there already" and "not overwound" as part of the same pickup all that often. I guess it's the cool thing to do since not as many people do it, and we'll all have to get bent out of shape when it gets more popular than it is and boast about having done it first. I dunno. I'm just glad there are as many small winders out there as there are these days, who make it easier for bozos like us to get what we want.

[gusgorman]

Did Les Paul Studios from around 1992 have overwound pickups?

[Larry Mal]

You'd think I might know this, since I have a '91 Studio, but I only know what I've read, and that seems to be that usually the neck pickup is wound to around 8k and the bridge pickup to around 14k..

If those pickups have changed much over the years I really can't say.

I always debated removing them from my Studio but I'll keep them in. They are actually very good pickups even if not the most versatile, they have this very powerful throb with a nice amount of clean to them if you want it. Nothing exceptional, but if I want a great clean sound I have a lot of other guitars for that.

If I get another double humbucker guitar of quality, I'll probably make that one be the one with the El Rayos or low wind Imperials.

[gusgorman]

You'd think I might know this, since I have a '91 Studio, but I only know what I've read, and that seems to be that usually the neck pickup is wound to around 8k and the bridge pickup to around 14k..

If those pickups have changed much over the years I really can't say.

I always debated removing them from my Studio but I'll keep them in. They are actually very good pickups even if not the most versatile, they have this very powerful throb with a nice amount of clean to them if you want it. Nothing exceptional, but if I want a great clean sound I have a lot of other guitars for that.

If I get another double humbucker guitar of quality, I'll probably make that one be the one with the El Rayos or low wind Imperials.

Yeah I've got a '92. I've only really been playing properly for a few years so I'm not sure I'm really a good enough player to judge pickups, but at first I wasn't in love with them... and started to wonder whether I just didn't like humbuckers.... but have started to get some sounds I like out of them over the last few months. I always end up with the volume on the guitar turned down alot, maybe to 5 or less.

[JVG]

It's good to hear more and more people say they like "underwound" pickups in recent times. I'm also in this camp. It will be interesting to see what future trends arise - I've got a feeling the overwound thing is on the way out.

Cheers!
J.

[Pepe Silvia]

Got the Imperials in. Much less rawk now, just sweet, clear, clean tones. The neck is especially nice and bell like.

[mackerelmint]

Good!