IMHO (using nice headphones) the Throbak and Wizz sound closest to Oscar in that they have a bit of soft chewiness while the Doyle and Holmes are more open sounding than Oscar.
NYC LP Player I have to agree with you about Oscar. I bet that the mags in Oscar are either A2 or A4. I've noticed in the other videos that the pickups with those magnets come really close to the Oscar PAF's
You Guys are such a breath of fresh air, and in the humor you too cover some really important area's, and save players lots of time and money so they can make a intelligent decision before you buy, I can say safely that I've spent over a thousand dollars or more on pickups, from Lollars, to Trobaks, to SD Antiquity and others, but it doesn't matter what pickups you use you need good electronics to start with. With said enjoy the tone quest. Thanks Doug and Pat
The Wizz pickups really impressed me with their percussion, rawness and originality. Would love to hear all of these pickups through multiple cranked up amp setups. Thanks fella's!
In this shootout, the one set that stood out from the rest, was the Doyle Coils, specially the neck p'up, which I prefer even more than Oscar. Hey! De gustibus non disputandum est. ;)
I was thinking, I just saw you guys doing a video on throbak, and I was thinking I need to find some humbuckers, and theres at least an hour and a half of shootouts, perfect!!! lets get too it
Hey Pat it's Matt Hawkey from Five Star guitars and Guitar Center. Love your guys show. I haven't met your partner in crime but keep on keeping on what your doing, I always dig hearing what you two come up with. I am a Tom Holmes fan from way back so all your work is ahead of you if you are going to show me something that Tom hasn't thought of. Now that being said I like Tom Holmes pickups with A4 Magnets so much better than A2. The clarity and the note harmonics are great. I use really dark amps so A2's don't work, they are too fuzzy. Some guys like that but I want open and articulate. I know it depends on the rig and everything in the signal path. I am no Newbie. I worked at Guitar Center in LA for 4 years and met some of the best players in the industry and I worked at GC for almost 13 years up here, Apple music for 5 years, Portland Music for 4 years. so I have been in the business of tone all of my young and adult life. I have found I learn more from customers (sometimes than you can learn from reading) I am looking forward to this video.
Listening on studio monitors, the Wizz was the closest in the mids but the furthest off the mark and sounded like the tone knob was somewhere between 2 and 4. Oscar has notably more midrange than the rest of them, which I find to be a common theme when comparing pretty much any modern PAF replica to a PAF (did they gain mids with age for some reason?). Overall, I would say the Holmes is the closest with the Doyle being a very close second and the Throbak not too far behind. The Wizz pickups have a ways to go.
I am getting some Wizz for my 99 R9. Can't wait. Every demo I have heard is killer. I have some WCR in an R8, and love them. Doug, thanks for putting all these great vids out. Pat too. You are a tasty player and a gentlemen. You too, Pat :)
Sounded like the openness of the Tom Holmes and the air to it would let you express yourself like a single coil would, especially when clean where most humbuckers strangle the sound and touch dynamics/bloom. What did they feel like? I like sweet clear clean humbucker tones... would like a semi hollow but stuck with an excellent les paul right now. ... EDIT: Listened a few days later and the Throbaks don't sound bad either! Cool to have Oscar there at the end thanks for that
1. Holmes 2. Wizz 3. ThroBak 4. Tru-Clones For me, it's the neck tone that sheds the greatest light. Not that the bridge isn't key, but just that the neck tone is a bit harder to get dialed in just "right" . (the bite, the air, woodiness, that hollow/flutey kind of vibe....) My 2¢
I agree; it's not easy to get a tone out of the neck pup that is fluid yet present enough to solo without having too much bite. The Holmes pups sound amazingly close to Oscar for my ears. But I like the Wizz pups, too.
Love the show, guys! These may be too common or mass produced for you, but I'd love to see how a set Seymour Duncan SH-55s sound in one your shootouts.
After watching an erlier pickup shootout I ordered a pair of WCR pickups. You were playing the WCR Crossroads. Those pickups blew me away enough to order a set. That being said the Wizz pickups I just heard are the best hands down that I have heard. I know it is your amp and fingers making the sound and will be different with someone else but damn those sounded THE BEST. Good playing by the way.
Right off the bat I hear a Creaminess to the wizz I don't recall hearing On any of the sets thus far. 1 thur 7.. But in saying that This is the beginning of the show,
Wish you guys would show case in your show each time a local Player, as we have some really great players, and repair shops that do work on guitars, amps, and electronics. I must say that 58 just has that sound of crying, note bloom, sustain, I could go on and on you are one lucky man to have it as well as the 60, nothing makes up for the wood.Thank You
The 1958 Les Paul is in a league of its own here. It's just so chewy. Though I know it'll never happen, I'd love to hear the modern replicas pickups in that old guitar. From my experience with vintage Les Pauls, PAFs, and PAF replicas - the modern PAFs come very close to the originals. In the case of a vintage LP, my opinion that much of the magic is in the guitar itself; the wood, the hardware, the old pots and caps. I've had the good fortune of playing a '58 Gold Top, as well as a handful of vintage ES guitars with PAFs. I've also played a handful of early 50s conversions with real PAFs. I have one friend in particular that has 4 sets of vintage PAFs which he has installed in modern Custom Shop True Historic Les Pauls. The modern guitars don't have the magic, and frankly, they sound just as good with the OX4s and Custom Buckers that we swapped in.
This is really the elephant in the room on all the pickup trials and we agree completely that the old guitars are better than new ones and we're not exactly the new guys on the bus on that. We were buying and playing 50's Gibsons starting in the early seventies because we saw the quality of the new ones going downhill and the sounds we were looking for then (and now) we could not achieve with anything other than the old guitars. As the prices went crazy and an average pro player could no longer afford the old stuff we starting our search for "that sound" with new stuff and have been doing on and off camera for about 30 years. The hunt continues but we won't be changing out the pickups in Oscar of course. We are looking for a modified older guitar we can do that. Anyone have one we can borrow? D&P
I thought that ALL of the sets sound great. Maybe the Wizzes would be my top pick. MAYBE! All or any of them could be my pick. (if I had a guitar with humbuckings) Very nice playing. Your Vox is unreal sounding. And you guys are pretty cool youngsters.
If anybody out there is trying to decide on which set to buy, I really can't recommend the 'chasing oscar' feature on Doug and Pat's site highly enough. It's really excellent and must take an awful lot of time and effort to put together. Looking forward to seeing these pickups on there. Thanks guys, your channel deserves waaaay more subscribers
Great shoot out video- they all sound good. hard to choose. I have three sets of 1970's Gibson Dirty Fingers pick ups that i absolutely cherish because of their tone. So, it is subjective really
Great demo! The Holmes sound great but I think the Throbaks sound EVERY BIT as good if not better...Off to look up the price and waiting list on those Throbacks (Nothing sounds even close to that Oscar clip at the end, unfortunately)
I can't get past the sound of those wizz puppies. Throaty, raw and articulate. To these ears, a next level pickup, even compared to the superb companies products pitted against it.
Regardless of the hullabaloo surrounding Doyle, I liked how his pickups sounded in the Heritage. They've got a clarity in the high end that I like. "Snappy attack transient," for the technical folks. ;)
You might be interested in some of the pickup offerings from Suhr. Their SSV is a great PAF-style humbucker, and the SSV+ (slightly hotter) is currently one of my favorite pickups of all time. They're pretty affordable too (especially for something with the Suhr name on it!), at about $90 each. They make several humbucker models and I've been pretty impressed with all of them: they have a nice "signature" tone to them that I think sounds better than the more common stuff (like SD and DiMarzio), and they respond nicely to volume changes and slightly height tweaks.
Thanks for your shows Doug and Pat. I really enjoy them and usually they end up making me pick up my guitar :) Just an idea, but maybe you guys should try out the Amber Spirit of 59 pickups some time. Cheers guys.
Great show guys! Perhaps you could have brought to the table the Bare Knuckle's The Mule pickup - it's definitely worth a try if you anyone is into boutique PAF territory!
I like the Wizz because of that certain midrange. The Throbak bridge pickups sounds nice but brighter and maybe more modern? The Holmes sounds good too but also brighter more modern possibly IDK. I think it's the mids of the Wizz that makes them sound more vintage possibly. Maybe its the alnico 4? I didnt like the Doyles for some reason.
I guess I'm going to be standing in the long line. I prefered the Wizz set the best with maybe the Throwbacks coming in a close 2nd. I'm also a big fine of Klein pick ups. They have 5 different PAF variations, plus different pole piece arrays and even a couple of PAF/patent number hybrids. I would love to see a shoot out of all their different pickups.
John Steel check out one of them, with "practice amps" in the name, or something. The reason I bought the little epiphone one in the back. So glad I did! Great demos, indeed
Wish you guys would do a few shows on the whole culture or following of hand made early 50's and 60's fender combos like 5E3 and 59 Bassman original verses some of the new builders such as Lil Dawg, Tungsten, Victoria, Greer, etc. Thanks Love your shows
Since there're so many makers of Peter Green pickups now, why not do a shoot out of them, Wizz is making a set, along with Bareknuckle, Seymour Duncan, Shed, Throbak,and many others, lots of interest in these out of phase middle pickups from reverse wound to just flipping the magnet. Jimmy Page did this as well on his 59 LP.
Question for D&P. Out of all these great pickups that you have tried in the Heritage LP. Witch do you feel sounds best and is your top choice in that guitar? Top 5 list?????
I haven't seen much if any Seymour Duncan's n your reviews, but I purchased a Heritage H-150 from Wolfe's Guitars (it's actually the one on their video comparing Whole Lotta Humbucker's with the Seymour Duncan 59's) with the Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups, and am very pleased. If you get a chance, check them out and maybe do a review on them.
Great videos guys! Just getting around to listening to the episodes of your shows. I enjoyed this pickup shootout the most of the group. I think people get too caught-up in the mystique of the "PAF tone". Questions: What is the "PAF tone"? Which "PAF tone" are you referring to? Do you know that this "PAF tone" will suit your playing style and get you closer to the sound you hear in your head with the particular guitar you plan to put them in? I prefer to judge pickups by the way they sound compared to each other. It's better if they're in your own guitar with you playing, but that is difficult and expensive to do. So...in this comparison I liked the Tom Holmes' set the most followed very closely by the Throbak's. Both had a nice woody, clear sounding neck pickup and the bridge pickups produced a nice growl with a lot of sonic width which I liked a lot. The Doyle's and the Wizz are a different flavor...still nice sounding, but different from the other 2 (cleaner/brighter?). It would be interesting to hear the Wizz set with the A2 magnet option.
Glad to see someone else question the "PAF tone" since they varied so much. I agree just get a PU you like. Anyone who liked any of the replacements also brings into question a vintage instrument as the replacement PU's were in a Heratige guitar, which I have found don't even sound quite like a real Gibson. Don't know why you would think they should. My buddy had 2 of them and ended up selling and getting an R8 like mine. I find the BB's I left in mine to be as close to "some" PAF tone as any of the so called clones. As far as construction they are closer than many of the clones. And really that's the only way you can "clone" a PAF, not in tone.
It is clear that everyone's response to pups tested that we all have a different sound and tone we are after. Wizz sounded good to me on my phone which is not a true ecperience of tone. The Doyle's sounded cleaner bitey with good treble response. Bass was raunchy, which is nice and some compressed tone when attacked hard. The Throbak pups are nice, good attack response and sustain. Holmes pups are screamers! Wow! There is another four sets I need to buy.
OTPG's are the most faked aftermarket pickups on the planet. I've run across a few counterfeits on ebay and elsewhere. Doubtful that any legit owners would lend theirs to Doug for a demo. Also, the winder is not making any new ones afaik.
That's why I bought a set of Wizz a few years ago. If they are good enough for EK, they are good enough for all of us! Plus you get the best looking covers and rings for $425. I got mine on a sale for $300. Those Holmes though!
Hi guys what do use think of custom shop. Seymour Duncan joe Bonamassa skinner burst just put them n my les Paul standard replaced burst blockers pro set and the difference is unreal 🎸
Guys, I was wondering, since you have the "golden" ears and I don't, if you would make a general suggestion as to what pups would be best for certain types of music. For example, you might say, "I think X pickup gets that Billy G sound from X album best." I know you don't play favorites but to try and get a read on pup from a you tube vid is difficult. Just asking and thanks for the best stuff anywhere.
Hi guys . This excellent video . I it would be perfect if you do 10 second each pickup next to 10 second to your original 59 each pickup , playing the same thing us close us possible on the same settings , only then you be able really to detect the nuances in sound between them . And then we be able to hear how close they are to the original . Just for fun , please ! some parts of your playing could be even 5 second between pickups playing the same notes . Thanks you doing grade job
Dear Doug & Pat, I love your videos, I will like to know your opinion about the best PAF sounding but least expensive pickup set out all the pickups that you have tested ???
listening numerous on HD650's.. 1) Oscar. 2) Doyles' - they bloomed with balance 3). Throbaks - nice balance between neck and bridge, I see why many prefer them... 4). holmes - neck sounded slightly compressed compared to the others, these were a let-down...
What do you guys use to record your guitar and also your voices? And also what camera do you use, I love your show and really want to start a channel but I don't want to start it until I have the gear that will help make the quality as good as yours
We use a Panasonic HD video camera and sometimes just use the mic in the camera for the voices, sometimes a Shure condenser. We record the guitars using Pro Tools with two mic's on the 2x12 speaker cab. An AT4040 about a foot or so away and a Cascade Fat Head ribbon mic for close slightly off center of the cone. What we use is based on getting the most representative sound of what we hear in the room. Hope that helps. D&P
Oscar is king again....no dawgs in this pack tho! Holmes r super fat n juicy.... Still want that vox AC10 - sick. Nice playing Doug u really squeeze out some killer PAF harmonics and overtones!
1.Holmes 2. Doyle, 3. Throbak 4. Wizz - which is weird because I've used Wizz for a long time now and love them. But in this comparison that is my take.
The bridge is indeed a Faber sent to us by one of their distributors that we covered in the Humbucking Shootout 2 Show. It uses the inset studs like a Nashville TOM and is a nice piece of hardware. The nut is factory. D&P
To my ears Holmes sounds most like Oscar at the top end. Doyle was close second. Throwbak had a bit more bite than Oscar, while Wizz was most disappointing to me as it sounded watered down and flat.
Since you guys love the Gibson's so much,I was wondering what you guys thought about the rock n' roll relics guitars? Kind of off topic for this specific video but just thought I'd ask. Thanks.
Wizz 4:00 Doyle 10:23 Throbak 14:27 Holmes 20:07 Oscar 23:33
IMHO (using nice headphones) the Throbak and Wizz sound closest to Oscar in that they have a bit of soft chewiness while the Doyle and Holmes are more open sounding than Oscar.
Throbak bridge is more in your face than Wizz.
NYC LP Player I have to agree with you about Oscar. I bet that the mags in Oscar are either A2 or A4. I've noticed in the other videos that the pickups with those magnets come really close to the Oscar PAF's
Tough to tell as you have to take 50+ years of aging into account as well. You can degauss new mags but you can only get so close.
Wizz has my vote. Neck is more clear and articulated never muddy - bridge is clear and punchy.
Doyle coil tru clonea were a real standout IMHO! Had tons of Mojo!👍
Holmes, are the real deal... the workmanship is flawless, the tone is spot on
You Guys are such a breath of fresh air, and in the humor you too cover some really important area's, and save players lots of time and money so they can make a intelligent decision before you buy, I can say safely that I've spent over a thousand dollars or more on pickups, from Lollars, to Trobaks, to SD Antiquity and others, but it doesn't matter what pickups you use you need good electronics to start with. With said enjoy the tone quest. Thanks Doug and Pat
The Wizz pickups really impressed me with their percussion, rawness and originality.
Would love to hear all of these pickups through multiple cranked up amp setups. Thanks fella's!
Those Wizz pickups sounded the best imo! nice playing ! love your show keep em coming
Have Wizz on my les paul custom, absolutely the best!
Thomas Lund I
"In your cavalier callous attitude that you have about life in general" lol. These guys are so freaking cool.
In this shootout, the one set that stood out from the rest, was the Doyle Coils, specially the neck p'up, which I prefer even more than Oscar.
Hey! De gustibus non disputandum est. ;)
They all sounded awesome to my ears
The Wizz are the best PAF clones i ever had!
I was thinking, I just saw you guys doing a video on throbak, and I was thinking I need to find some humbuckers, and theres at least an hour and a half of shootouts, perfect!!! lets get too it
Wizz has a very warm distinct sound with a great punch WOw!
Bridge pickups: Wizz 5:38 Doyle 11:24 Throbak 15:49 Holmes 21:52
Love the high end on the true clones also the wizz pups were great. Great playing as always Doug!
I think I like the WIZZ the best. By the way I miss seeing
Oscar sitting in the background. truly a 1st class guitar.
Very informative video....thanks
Hey Pat it's Matt Hawkey from Five Star guitars and Guitar Center. Love your guys show. I haven't met your partner in crime but keep on keeping on what your doing, I always dig hearing what you two come up with. I am a Tom Holmes fan from way back so all your work is ahead of you if you are going to show me something that Tom hasn't thought of. Now that being said I like Tom Holmes pickups with A4 Magnets so much better than A2. The clarity and the note harmonics are great. I use really dark amps so A2's don't work, they are too fuzzy. Some guys like that but I want open and articulate. I know it depends on the rig and everything in the signal path. I am no Newbie. I worked at Guitar Center in LA for 4 years and met some of the best players in the industry and I worked at GC for almost 13 years up here, Apple music for 5 years, Portland Music for 4 years. so I have been in the business of tone all of my young and adult life. I have found I learn more from customers (sometimes than you can learn from reading) I am looking forward to this video.
the ThroBaks sure inspired some cool sounds out of you - pretty inspiring
Listening on studio monitors, the Wizz was the closest in the mids but the furthest off the mark and sounded like the tone knob was somewhere between 2 and 4. Oscar has notably more midrange than the rest of them, which I find to be a common theme when comparing pretty much any modern PAF replica to a PAF (did they gain mids with age for some reason?). Overall, I would say the Holmes is the closest with the Doyle being a very close second and the Throbak not too far behind. The Wizz pickups have a ways to go.
We love to see these PAF shootouts. For the next one what about
Skatterbrane
Jim Rolphs
OX4
OTPG
Stephens Design
WCR filmores
Agree....I have some Rolph '59 Pretenders....just nail it. You don't hear much about him, but man, these are the real deal.
I am getting some Wizz for my 99 R9. Can't wait. Every demo I have heard is killer.
I have some WCR in an R8, and love them.
Doug, thanks for putting all these great vids out. Pat too. You are a tasty player and a gentlemen. You too, Pat :)
Throback is the best ! More transparent, better Bass, more natural !!
They all lovely pickups. wow. and then you play Oscar and he's just the coolest thing. Great show guys.
The Holmes sounded great!
You ..have a recognizanle Style Dougie
Sounded like the openness of the Tom Holmes and the air to it would let you express yourself like a single coil would, especially when clean where most humbuckers strangle the sound and touch dynamics/bloom. What did they feel like? I like sweet clear clean humbucker tones... would like a semi hollow but stuck with an excellent les paul right now. ... EDIT: Listened a few days later and the Throbaks don't sound bad either! Cool to have Oscar there at the end thanks for that
1. Holmes 2. Wizz 3. ThroBak 4. Tru-Clones For me, it's the neck tone that sheds the greatest light. Not that the bridge isn't key, but just that the neck tone is a bit harder to get dialed in just "right" . (the bite, the air, woodiness, that hollow/flutey kind of vibe....) My 2¢
I have the wiz vintage wire pickups they sound incredible.
I agree; it's not easy to get a tone out of the neck pup that is fluid yet present enough to solo without having too much bite. The Holmes pups sound amazingly close to Oscar for my ears. But I like the Wizz pups, too.
Holmes to my ears - by a long chalk. Gorgeous tones.
Love the show, guys! These may be too common or mass produced for you, but I'd love to see how a set Seymour Duncan SH-55s sound in one your shootouts.
After watching an erlier pickup shootout I ordered a pair of WCR pickups. You were playing the WCR Crossroads. Those pickups blew me away enough to order a set. That being said the Wizz pickups I just heard are the best hands down that I have heard. I know it is your amp and fingers making the sound and will be different with someone else but damn those sounded THE BEST. Good playing by the way.
Right off the bat I hear a Creaminess to the wizz I don't recall hearing On any of the sets thus far. 1 thur 7.. But in saying that This is the beginning of the show,
Wish you guys would show case in your show each time a local Player, as we have some really great players, and repair shops that do work on guitars, amps, and electronics. I must say that 58 just has that sound of crying, note bloom, sustain, I could go on and on you are one lucky man to have it as well as the 60, nothing makes up for the wood.Thank You
Good idea and we're actually working on that. D&P
The 1958 Les Paul is in a league of its own here. It's just so chewy. Though I know it'll never happen, I'd love to hear the modern replicas pickups in that old guitar. From my experience with vintage Les Pauls, PAFs, and PAF replicas - the modern PAFs come very close to the originals. In the case of a vintage LP, my opinion that much of the magic is in the guitar itself; the wood, the hardware, the old pots and caps. I've had the good fortune of playing a '58 Gold Top, as well as a handful of vintage ES guitars with PAFs. I've also played a handful of early 50s conversions with real PAFs. I have one friend in particular that has 4 sets of vintage PAFs which he has installed in modern Custom Shop True Historic Les Pauls. The modern guitars don't have the magic, and frankly, they sound just as good with the OX4s and Custom Buckers that we swapped in.
This is really the elephant in the room on all the pickup trials and we agree completely that the old guitars are better than new ones and we're not exactly the new guys on the bus on that. We were buying and playing 50's Gibsons starting in the early seventies because we saw the quality of the new ones going downhill and the sounds we were looking for then (and now) we could not achieve with anything other than the old guitars. As the prices went crazy and an average pro player could no longer afford the old stuff we starting our search for "that sound" with new stuff and have been doing on and off camera for about 30 years. The hunt continues but we won't be changing out the pickups in Oscar of course. We are looking for a modified older guitar we can do that. Anyone have one we can borrow? D&P
Who is joe bonamassa?
I thought that ALL of the sets sound great. Maybe the Wizzes would be my top pick. MAYBE! All or any of them could be my pick. (if I had a guitar with humbuckings)
Very nice playing. Your Vox is unreal sounding. And you guys are pretty cool youngsters.
If anybody out there is trying to decide on which set to buy, I really can't recommend the 'chasing oscar' feature on Doug and Pat's site highly enough. It's really excellent and must take an awful lot of time and effort to put together. Looking forward to seeing these pickups on there. Thanks guys, your channel deserves waaaay more subscribers
Like your show fellas, have throbak mxv 101 in my r9 great smooth tone.Oscar then throbak that's my vote
Great shoot out video- they all sound good. hard to choose. I have three sets of 1970's Gibson Dirty Fingers pick ups that i absolutely cherish because of their tone. So, it is subjective really
Great demo! The Holmes sound great but I think the Throbaks sound EVERY BIT as good if not better...Off to look up the price and waiting list on those Throbacks (Nothing sounds even close to that Oscar clip at the end, unfortunately)
Wizz & Holmes..Nice stuff.
Doyle's Coils, Throbak, and Tom Holmes all sounded great.
I can't get past the sound of those wizz puppies.
Throaty, raw and articulate.
To these ears, a next level pickup, even compared to the superb companies products pitted against it.
Me too on the Wizz... nice and "ping-y". Sorry Oscar!
Regardless of the hullabaloo surrounding Doyle, I liked how his pickups sounded in the Heritage. They've got a clarity in the high end that I like. "Snappy attack transient," for the technical folks. ;)
Agreed. Bridge pickup, especially.
I have a Les Paul with a Bare Knuckles Stormy Monday and they are great, and also have a 336 with Seymour antiquity's and they are fantastic!!
I cry every time I hear Oscar......I need help......
You might be interested in some of the pickup offerings from Suhr. Their SSV is a great PAF-style humbucker, and the SSV+ (slightly hotter) is currently one of my favorite pickups of all time. They're pretty affordable too (especially for something with the Suhr name on it!), at about $90 each. They make several humbucker models and I've been pretty impressed with all of them: they have a nice "signature" tone to them that I think sounds better than the more common stuff (like SD and DiMarzio), and they respond nicely to volume changes and slightly height tweaks.
Just got a set of Holmes, there incredible and worth the money.
I'm on the waiting list now for a set of Holmes. They will be going into a custom single cutaway I'm saving up to have my builder do for me.
Thanks for your shows Doug and Pat. I really enjoy them and usually they end up making me pick up my guitar :)
Just an idea, but maybe you guys should try out the Amber Spirit of 59 pickups some time.
Cheers guys.
Great show guys! Perhaps you could have brought to the table the Bare Knuckle's The Mule pickup - it's definitely worth a try if you anyone is into boutique PAF territory!
I like the Wizz because of that certain midrange. The Throbak bridge pickups sounds nice but brighter and maybe more modern? The Holmes sounds good too but also brighter more modern possibly IDK. I think it's the mids of the Wizz that makes them sound more vintage possibly. Maybe its the alnico 4? I didnt like the Doyles for some reason.
I wish you guys would review the newer Gibson amps sometime.
I guess I'm going to be standing in the long line. I prefered the Wizz set the best with maybe the Throwbacks coming in a close 2nd. I'm also a big fine of Klein pick ups. They have 5 different PAF variations, plus different pole piece arrays and even a couple of PAF/patent number hybrids. I would love to see a shoot out of all their different pickups.
I would love it if you guys would do demos of the sweet amps in the background.
John Steel check out one of them, with "practice amps" in the name, or something. The reason I bought the little epiphone one in the back. So glad I did! Great demos, indeed
Wish you guys would do a few shows on the whole culture or following of hand made early 50's and 60's fender combos like 5E3 and 59 Bassman original verses some of the new builders such as Lil Dawg, Tungsten, Victoria, Greer, etc. Thanks Love your shows
Throbaks, Doyles and Wizz were tops
I thought the HOLMES were up there as well!
glad to see a new video!!
cant believe how good that amp sounds
The Wizz pickups sounded the closest to Oscar. Articulate, snappy and distinct.
Since there're so many makers of Peter Green pickups now, why not do a shoot out of them, Wizz is making a set, along with Bareknuckle, Seymour Duncan, Shed, Throbak,and many others, lots of interest in these out of phase middle pickups from reverse wound to just flipping the magnet. Jimmy Page did this as well on his 59 LP.
1- holmes 2- throbak 3-wiz 4- tru clones. Good job guys
The Holmes are very smooooth. Did that.
Question for D&P. Out of all these great pickups that you have tried in the Heritage LP. Witch do you feel sounds best and is your top choice in that guitar? Top 5 list?????
Doyle coils for me !
I haven't seen much if any Seymour Duncan's n your reviews, but I purchased a Heritage H-150 from Wolfe's Guitars (it's actually the one on their video comparing Whole Lotta Humbucker's with the Seymour Duncan 59's) with the Whole Lotta Humbucker pickups, and am very pleased. If you get a chance, check them out and maybe do a review on them.
Great videos guys! Just getting around to listening to the episodes of your shows. I enjoyed this pickup shootout the most of the group. I think people get too caught-up in the mystique of the "PAF tone". Questions: What is the "PAF tone"? Which "PAF tone" are you referring to? Do you know that this "PAF tone" will suit your playing style and get you closer to the sound you hear in your head with the particular guitar you plan to put them in? I prefer to judge pickups by the way they sound compared to each other. It's better if they're in your own guitar with you playing, but that is difficult and expensive to do.
So...in this comparison I liked the Tom Holmes' set the most followed very closely by the Throbak's. Both had a nice woody, clear sounding neck pickup and the bridge pickups produced a nice growl with a lot of sonic width which I liked a lot. The Doyle's and the Wizz are a different flavor...still nice sounding, but different from the other 2 (cleaner/brighter?). It would be interesting to hear the Wizz set with the A2 magnet option.
Glad to see someone else question the "PAF tone" since they varied so much. I agree just get a PU you like. Anyone who liked any of the replacements also brings into question a vintage instrument as the replacement PU's were in a Heratige guitar, which I have found don't even sound quite like a real Gibson. Don't know why you would think they should. My buddy had 2 of them and ended up selling and getting an R8 like mine. I find the BB's I left in mine to be as close to "some" PAF tone as any of the so called clones. As far as construction they are closer than many of the clones. And really that's the only way you can "clone" a PAF, not in tone.
the wizz are the best imo in this comparisson and the closest to oscar.
then for me the tom holmes and the tru-clones.
It is clear that everyone's response to pups tested that we all have a different sound and tone we are after. Wizz sounded good to me on my phone which is not a true ecperience of tone. The Doyle's sounded cleaner bitey with good treble response. Bass was raunchy, which is nice and some compressed tone when attacked hard. The Throbak pups are nice, good attack response and sustain. Holmes pups are screamers! Wow! There is another four sets I need to buy.
Let's hear some OTPG Pickups some other time?
OTPG's are the most faked aftermarket pickups on the planet. I've run across a few counterfeits on ebay and elsewhere. Doubtful that any legit owners would lend theirs to Doug for a demo. Also, the winder is not making any new ones afaik.
don't know if they're worth the $$$, but, them Doyle's sound pretty fricken great.
😖 just as I think I’ve decided between the KZ-115’s and the SLE 101 MXE’s I switch back to the other 🤔🤔 choices! 🤷♂️🤷♂️
I would suggest mojotones 59 clones for the next one. Lovely lovely lovely sound and for a good price. I`d say they sound much like the wizz.
uumm but was it Oscar? I watched the last show straight after this starting at the Brandon wound pups. and it did sound mighty similar.
Ed King has a set of Wizz in his 64 SG and says they're the best he's ever seen or heard.
That's why I bought a set of Wizz a few years ago. If they are good enough for EK, they are good enough for all of us! Plus you get the best looking covers and rings for $425. I got mine on a sale for $300. Those Holmes though!
I think the Vox helps lol.
Love these guys!
Hi guys what do use think of custom shop. Seymour Duncan joe Bonamassa skinner burst just put them n my les Paul standard replaced burst blockers pro set and the difference is unreal 🎸
Guys, I was wondering, since you have the "golden" ears and I don't, if you would make a general suggestion as to what pups would be best for certain types of music. For example, you might say, "I think X pickup gets that Billy G sound from X album best." I know you don't play favorites but to try and get a read on pup from a you tube vid is difficult. Just asking and thanks for the best stuff anywhere.
Wich in your opinion is a nice tone the throbak sle mxv,or that high end tom holmes? Just wanted to know what your thoughts wher?
Hi guys . This excellent video . I it would be perfect if you do 10 second each pickup next to 10 second to your original 59 each pickup , playing the same thing us close us possible on the same settings , only then you be able really to detect the nuances in sound between them . And then we be able to hear how close they are to the original . Just for fun , please ! some parts of your playing could be even 5 second between pickups playing the same notes . Thanks you doing grade job
Dear Doug & Pat, I love your videos, I will like to know your opinion about the best PAF sounding but least expensive pickup set out all the pickups that you have tested ???
YES
Does it say what Amp they are playing thru ? .... and what the controls are set to ?
Any chance use get your hands on the Virgil Arlo 59 humbuckers to test thanks
What is your thoughts on Virgil Arlo 59 humbuckers? Thanks
Where have you guys been? Are you doing okay? I miss the great content.
Question about the Holmes; does the 450/455 refer to the name of the pickups or the individual price?
You guys are the shit!
Keep it up.
Is it just me or are Holmes pickups very Page-ish
listening numerous on HD650's.. 1) Oscar. 2) Doyles' - they bloomed with balance 3). Throbaks - nice balance between neck and bridge, I see why many prefer them... 4). holmes - neck sounded slightly compressed compared to the others, these were a let-down...
What do you guys use to record your guitar and also your voices? And also what camera do you use, I love your show and really want to start a channel but I don't want to start it until I have the gear that will help make the quality as good as yours
We use a Panasonic HD video camera and sometimes just use the mic in the camera for the voices, sometimes a Shure condenser. We record the guitars using Pro Tools with two mic's on the 2x12 speaker cab. An AT4040 about a foot or so away and a Cascade Fat Head ribbon mic for close slightly off center of the cone. What we use is based on getting the most representative sound of what we hear in the room. Hope that helps. D&P
thanks
Oscar is king again....no dawgs in this pack tho! Holmes r super fat n juicy....
Still want that vox AC10 - sick. Nice playing Doug u really squeeze out some killer PAF harmonics and overtones!
Great stuff.
The clarity of the tru clones... unmatched... hey? how about some fender clean tones??
Did they ever say what magnets these are? Wondering if Tom Holmes was II or V alnico.
I would assume 2 as thats what they come with by default and tom recommend
1.Holmes 2. Doyle, 3. Throbak 4. Wizz - which is weird because I've used Wizz for a long time now and love them. But in this comparison that is my take.
How did you set up the height of each pick up?
nice faber bridge on the heritage!
changed the nut too?
what material is it? where did you source it from?
The bridge is indeed a Faber sent to us by one of their distributors that we covered in the Humbucking Shootout 2 Show. It uses the inset studs like a Nashville TOM and is a nice piece of hardware. The nut is factory. D&P
Thanks for the response guys!
Keep up the good work!
To my ears Holmes sounds most like Oscar at the top end. Doyle was close second. Throwbak had a bit more bite than Oscar, while Wizz was most disappointing to me as it sounded watered down and flat.
Oscar/Wizz/Holmes/Doyle/Throwback
Since you guys love the Gibson's so much,I was wondering what you guys thought about the rock n' roll relics guitars? Kind of off topic for this specific video but just thought I'd ask. Thanks.