BIGGEST PAF COMPARISON YET! (Throbak | Lollar | Holmes | Wizz | ReWind | Gibson)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video we continue our exploration of the world of high end boutique PAF clones, this time in my Custom Shop Gibson ES345! The goal is really just to figure out for how much of a difference boutique pickups make, whether these pickups sound largely the same or all have their own unique characteristics, and which is the best humbucker for my guitar.
FOLLOWUP VIDEO GIVING MY THOUGHTS: • 7 PAF Humbucker Compar...
The pickups compared today are:
Stock Memphis Historic Spec Gibson PAF Humbuckers
Throbak SLE-101+ LTD (www.throbak.com/paf-pickups-t...)
ReWind Electric 1958 PAF & Low Output A5 PAF (re-wind.net/Buckers.html)
Wizz Premium Clone P.A.F. (www.wizz-pickups.net/product-...)
Lollar Low Wind Imperial (www.lollarguitars.com/lollar-...)
Tom Holmes H450/H455
I purchased the Wizz set on my own, the rest were lent to me by friends and individual fans of the channel. The only exception is ReWind Electric, which let me borrow a few sets of humbuckers for this video. They are not mine to keep and I am not being paid in any way. Also, obviously, it's a straight ahead side-by-side test for your own ears to decide what's what.
Comment below what you thought of the different sets!
Timestamps:
0:00 Some brief samples
0:31 We're back with a new guitar & new PAF's!
1:34 Guitar Overview (ES345)
2:06 Test Methodology
3:01 Gibson MHS Overview
4:27 Lollar Low Wind Imperial Overview
5:20 Wizz Premium Clone Overview
5:54 ReWind Electric Overview
6:48 Throbak Overview
7:37 Tom Holmes Overview
8:09 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 1
9:51 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 2
10:40 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 3
11:07 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 4
11:58 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 5
13:17 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 6
14:01 Suhr PT15 IR Sample 7
14:58 AC30 Sample 1
16:02 AC30 Sample 2
17:47 Princeton Sample 1
18:52 Princeton Sample 2
19:58 Princeton Sample 3
21:03 AC10 Sample 1
22:05 AC10 Sample 2
22:49 Conclusion... sorta
Signal Chain:
2016/17 Gibson 1964ri ES345 into...
Suhr PT15IR
Fender Princeton '64 Custom (Yeatzee Guitar)
Vox AC30 (Guitar For His Glory "HB GFHG30 BAL")
Vox AC10 (Yeatzee Guitar, not yet released)
Pedals when used are noted on screen, and include the Analog Man King of Tone, J rocket Archer Ikon, and J rocket Dude overdrive.
Les Paul PAF Comparison Video: • ULTIMATE PAF Shootout!...
ABR1 Comparison Video: • Gibson ABR-1 Bridge Co...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsor a coffee 😁: www.buymeacoffee.com/YeatzeeG...
Follow me on Instagram: / yeatzeeguitar
Follow me on Facebook: / yeatzeeguitar
Purchase my Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp / Kemper Presets: www.yeatzeeguitar.com/ - บันเทิง
![7 PAF Humbucker Comparison Followup - My Opinions 🤔 [Throbak | Wizz | Holmes | Lollar | ReWind]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qUv8HoJKlsI/mqdefault.jpg)
![7 PAF Humbucker Comparison Followup - My Opinions 🤔 [Throbak | Wizz | Holmes | Lollar | ReWind]](/img/tr.png)
![ตีสิบเดย์ [FULL] | ครอบครัวสะท้านทุ่ง "นางบี & อ้ายสติ๊ก"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/A1rhYcxxNtA/mqdefault.jpg)
Want to hear what I thought of each set tested here as the player? Watch my followup video here: th-cam.com/video/qUv8HoJKlsI/w-d-xo.html
New subscriber, Thank You.
Lots of time and effort, very much appreciated Sir.
I liked the Rewind 58 PAF because it had a certain midrange thing I could hear that I liked...character...and it wasn't too hot so it sounded balanced and not too pushy. I liked the Wizz just as much but they seem hotter but they have some character mojo I can't put into words but also top end clarity which I love. Next was the Lollar low winds for me as I kept noticing something I liked about them....maybe clarity and balance. Tom.Holmes sounded good but maybe a bit too strong and the Throbak are maybe a smidge better than the stock Memphis pickups. I've always thought Throbaks were over priced considering I hear better sounding pickups for over 100 less. I've even owned some of the SLE limiters but not the plus model which I think is a smidge darker as its hotter.
You're a pickup-swappin' video-shootin' madman! Great work. I'm sure it takes forever to produce a video like this. I could see all those pickups having strong points in different applications.
Thank you for all your labor on these comparisons.
Excellent comparisons! So many great options out there.
Lollars stood out as sounding noticeably different. All sounded great.
They all sound different from each other to me.
Thanks for taking the time to put this video together, one of the very best I’ve seen! You managed to combine a lot of gain levels, amps OD’s and playing styles in a very effective manner. Personally, I liked the Rewind 58’s overall but the Throbaks were consistently great as well. Awesome job!
Thank you!!
Actually, I just found an unused set of Rewind 1958’s that I purchased from a seller on the Guitars Canada forum. Saved over $100 and the 3+ month wait time; I can’t wait for them to arrive. The pickups will be installed in my nearly new Heritage H535 semi-hollow. Your video was helpful in making my choice!👍
First off: exceptionally well done. You are definitely one of the best if not THE best on the net at doing these types of video's. The direct side by side (quick change) comparisons are just THE best way to showcase these pickups. Really appreciate the time that you take to do this. Its a true service to the guitar community.
I actually have owned a bunch of these pickups and currently own a few so I'm very familiar with them. My take: the only 3 that didnt stand out to me were the Throbacks (surprisingly), the stock Gibson pickups and the Rewind A5's. Most others stood out at one point in time in once of the clips. These 3 just never did for me. The clean clips really highlighted the difference more than the overdriven clips but the overdriven clips really showcased some of the midrange bite. For overdriven I preferred the Rewind 1958. Cleans I preferred the Lollar Low winds and the Holmes. There is a clarity that the Lollars have that the rest did not. That was great for the cleans but made the overdriven tone suffer a bit as it could be a bit harsh on the upper end. The Holmes have a midrange characteristic that none of the others have...but they lacked a bit of clarity in the low E string. As a Holmes owner (along with Throbak and Wizz) I know that the Holmes have a harmonic quality in the midrange that just "jump out" when letting notes ring. The Rewind 58's were nice overall on cleans also. The Wizz have some great clarity also but as having owned them before, I remember that it comes at the cost of lacking a bit of midrange. That said...for the money...with what you get...they are really hard to beat.
Overall my favorite (for performance/price) is probably the Rewind 58 for overall tone. The Holmes are killer but are they really worth that much more? Depends i guess. But they are "unobtainium" right now so that factors in to the cost. (Tom stopped making them 1 or 2 years ago). The Wizz and Lollars are an incredible overall value.
Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to write out your detailed impressions!
I kinda agree on the clarity and the Lollars, but they were just too clean, like they had no character, that's why I said they were boring. Maybe it's just my ears, I'm used to the Holmes and how they "color' each notes in such a sweet way. I even have a low wind Holmes for the neck in my 335 to give me a little more clarity, it's still rich sounding.
BTW I heard Tom is only taking a break and will probably be making more pickups soon, let's hope!
Like that name 😎just saw them in Austin. Wish I could of gotten them to autograph my guitar, but maybe some other day.
Oh boy, that AC10 perhaps the most revealing amplifier of all those used in this superb demonstration. FINALY I can hear the detail I've so wanted to hear for so long.
This is my first visit to your TH-cam channel, I'm now subscribed and greatful for what must have been a great deal of hard work to produce, for our benefit.
I own five PAF humbuckers, purchased when they did not cost the earth. No two of them are alike. Some are brighter, some louder, some with more mid-punch, etc. There is no definitive "PAF sound" so, of course, all these aftermarket PAF makers produce wildly different products.
Steve Howe's ES-175 sounds about as good as any guitar can in my opinion and it has T-Tops in it. Clapton's ES-335, likely a '64 (however there is evidence that he also had a '68 or thereabouts) appears on many Cream recordings, on all of Blind Faith, and often thereafter. It had whatever incarnation of Gibson humbucker that was used then. The PAF cult is illusory. You want to sound better, listen, practice, and play as much as you can.
I’ve never heard of Clapton’s 335 being anything other than a 1964. I have heard 2 different versions of how/when he acquired it (or them) but have never heard of it (or them) being anything other than a 1964 so I’ll be interested if you have additional info. The first 335 or to most people his famous 335 I think we can agree was a 1964 as it was auctioned as such and he purchased it in 1966 with money he got from the Yardbirds. There is the other story of him purchasing a red 335 at Selmers the day before or the day of the Cream fairwell concert in 1968 in which he played a 335 all night. However, this story is really only coroborated by the guy who supposedly sold him the guitar at Selmers, which doesn’t mean it’s not true. But Ive still never heard that it was anything other than a 1964. Let me know I’m interested in this guitar story (like I am with all guitar story’s lol). But I assume your with me as far as the 1964 being the famous one and the one he purchased first with the Yardbirds money. I assume you’re referring to the other one which actually leaves me wondering that you could be right since there’s 2 stories of the purchase but I only know of it being one year which is 64. Where do you get the other being a 1968 model? To be clear I’m not being a troll or a dick I really want to know what you know. Thanks
@@rheinhardtgrafvonthiesenha8185 I understand your interest in these things, I share it as well.
It seems that Clapton had a '64 and also likely a later one, apparently a '68. I've edited my comment to reflect that. This is what I have found out:
According to Jerry Donahue who worked at the famous Selmer store in Charing Cross Road, Clapton purchased a red ES-335 from him in November 1968. He says:
"I sold Eric his red Gibson 335 not more than two weeks before his final performance with Cream at the Albert Hall, it was one of my main highlights of working at Selmer’s. We had a nice conversation during the process, and just as we were wrapping it up, Eric mentioned the upcoming shows in a manner that felt as though he was about to offer me a complimentary ticket or two. But I told him I’d already bought tickets, and he seemed pleased.
You can imagine my amazement and joy later as I sat watching Cream come on to the Albert Hall stage, Eric with the 335 strapped on. He played that guitar for the entire evening. I was filled with pride."
There is a lot of photographic evidence that Clapton used a ES-335 on Cream’s final farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall, corroborating Jerry Donahue's story. Also, there are photographs of Clapton wearing a black leather jacket playing that guitar during rehearsal publicity shots and during the second set of the concert. He played a Gibson Firebird in the first set.
Also, he did not play a ES-335 in the U.S. Cream Farewell tour between October 4th and November 4th, 1968, which further corroborates what Donohue said - that Eric purchased a1968 red ES-335 just weeks before the Albert hall show.
However interesting all of that may be, that is not my point. A lot of "lore" exists about what guitar was played on what recording or in what show and, frankly, it really doesn't matter. What music was played matters, and that is all.
@@Glicksman1 I know that story as I referenced it as well. I think we both watched it either on 5 watt world or the guitar show. What I’ve never heard is any indication that the guitar purchased in 68 was a 68. I know the two stories of the purchases but only know if one es335. I’m sure he owns and has owned many but the famous one is a 64 purchased in 66. What you’re saying is the one purchased in 68 was a separate guitar and was apparently brand new when he got it. I’ve never heard that and I’ve never known him to own a 68 es335 but I don’t know that he didn’t either lol. I just watch the stuff available on TH-cam I’m no expert. But I live old guitar stories and who owned what and sold it to who and what they recorded on it etc. Thanks for the reply. Have a good one.
@@rheinhardtgrafvonthiesenha8185 Well, if Mr. Donohue is telling the truth, and we have no reason to suspect otherwise, Clapton bought a red ES-335 at Selmer's in London in November 1968, just before the Albert Hall show. With few exceptions, Selmer's sold new instruments as did virtually all music sores in London and elsewhere in those days. There existed no "vintage", or as they would have said "used" or "second hand" guitar market then. Accordingly, we may reasonably surmise that the red ES-335 was of recent vintage at the time of purchase.
In that era, a new guitar was considered to be premium and only those who couldn't afford one had "used" ones, definitely de classe.
When B. B. King, Muddy Waters, etc. became successful, they bought only new instruments. Once Jimi Hendrix, could do so, he bought only new Strats.
I received the information I quoted from articles I have read, but 5 Watt World is reputable and I do watch it on occasion.
Cheers
1964 Gibsons had early Gibson Patent number pickups and are identical to 1960/61/62 Pafs in every way. The only difference between a 1960 PAF and a 64 patent number pickup is the sticker on the baseball .
The WCR crossroads are based on the 1964 Patent number pups . 1963 and 64 Patent sticker Pups are PAfs . Again the only difference is the the sticker on the Plates .
In late 64 they start to change. It was the that Gibson switched from PAf era Plain enamel wire to poly coated wire. And switched to ABS bobbins chrome covers Etc. They were also more accurate in the windings and didn't have uneven coils .
Regardless the late Patent number Pups from 65 and ealry 66 were awesome in their own right and so were the T tops that came after.
This was super helpful, thank you for doing this.
This should have considerably way more views! Awesome job
Thanks! I've got a couple other in depth PAF comparisons in my Les Paul as well if you're curious
If you appreciate this video and all the work that went into it consider sponsoring a coffee for all the late nights this caused me 😂 www.buymeacoffee.com/YeatzeeGuitar
the Menphis and the throbak seem the best for me ! the good idea you have is the change of amps ! nice work i got a 335 from 88 and nearly only play with the neck pup ; thank's a lot
Very nicely done!!! To be honest I didn't notice much with the overdriven tones, they were either warmer or brighter mostly, with the low wind being brighter of course. I play clean mostly, so that's what I paid attention to. I may be a little biased here, for me it's still the Holmes, there's this untouchable top end, the note is just surrounded by harmonics, the note blooms and sounds full.. none of the others could touch it. But the Holmes were sometimes a little warm, but still in a beautiful way and not muffled like the Gibsons were. I have two sets, one in a 335 and one in a V. I also found the low wind Lollars a little boring, while the low wind Rewind were just gorgeous. That Rewind 58 set was just wonderful!! There's this sweet mids it adds to the tone, just beautiful. I placed my order 3 weeks ago and I can't wait to try them next! It was the right choice :)
I listened to the clip using headphones with an external DAC.
Thanks, and congrats on the new pickups!
Rewind 1958 were my fave! Sounded great everywhere.
Absolutely amazing Video comparison. This is the best Video comparison on TH-cam!! Amazing production. Love your 64 ES-345 Reissue too! For me, the Tom Holmes were head and shoulders my favorites. I won't say 'best' because all of them were great and had strong points. I was surprised however that the Lollar low wind imperials sounded a bit too bright and lean for my preferences.
Call me crazy, but it's the MHS for me: balance, brillance, warmth, breakup, yet still clear.
I liked the Lollards Lows all around. The Rewind 58 sounded close and while all are great and I wouldn’t be disappointed with any set in my personal guitar, the Gibson Memphis OEM pups proved pretty versatile.
Thanks for doing a really great comparison.
Thank you very much for doing this - not a bad sound in there! The MHS acquitted themselves very well indeed.
I really appreciate getting to hear those Tom Holmes "in the wild" so to speak. They were almost *too* rich in the high gain stuff, but in the clean and break up tones those impressively musical mids took the crown for me. Wow, I understand their reputation now.
Overall I probably liked the Throbacks the best, they give the impression of being quite balanced from top to bottom, and I really liked the snarl and balls they had under gain.
Second only to the Holmes in the lower gain sounds too, imo.
Wizz would be awesome in a darker guitar, or if you wanted that Les Paul sound that evokes the Telecaster a little.
I dug the Rewind Low Output A5's, and I completely agree with others here that for value for money, the Lollar Imperial Low Winds were absolutely the champ - just wanted a little more meat on them in the high gain stuff.
Interesting comment about the Tele tone. Probably why I lean toward Wizz
I´ve never heard Lollars sounding that good. I´m really impressed. My three favs were the Lollar low winds, the Tom Holmes and the Throbaks.
That's a nice sounding guitar! All the pickups sound great in it. Some folks talk up vintage wire as being somehow superior to today's wire... After this video I will never sweat the fact that I will only wind with modern wire.
Thanks! Ya not sure on the difference wire makes. I guess if you're upgrading a historic LP with all sorts of aftermarket historic parts maybe having old wire in there would be appealing? Idk, not my lane :)
electrons don't care about vintage wire. resistivity should be all that matters. aging metal just means more surface oxidation and fatigue if it's under stress.
copper is copper is copper.
the only downside to modern materials are when they lie... like when nickel isn't really nickel but a nickel color or things like that.
I'm not sure anyone can come up with physics that favor old wire for sound.
the best part for me is the way people think their ears are as accurate as a spectrum analyzer... if you did these blindfolded i would bet that everyone that LOVED a specific set would not be able to actually pick them out of the group.
especially if you are allowed to move the tone knobs....
Well I mean that's pretty obvious, if you tamper the comparison you're probably not going to be able to determine what's in the comparison. I think its a lot harder as just the TH-cam listener to really pick up on the differences or get them locked in your brain but as the player there's qualities I could start to really identify. I always test myself for fun with a no video only audio version of these comparison videos and I'm pretty good at picking them out. The Holmes for example I can pick out just about every time, they have a very distinct quality to me. The lollars and MHS as well. Wizz I had more success in the LP comparison but particularly the bridge I could pick out well, and the rewinds kind of blended together for me a touch more than the others.
Best comparison video ever!
A very well-timed video in my world. I just bought a '16 1959 ES-335TD reissue which comes with the MHS pickups. From what I've heard from your video, I don't think I'll need to swap them out, which is nice considering how much money I just spent! *lol* As others have noted, each set of pickups shines in certain applications and it behooves one know which type of player he is and judge each pickup's applicability to his style. Well done!
I expected the love for the Lollar’s. They have absolutely blown up in popularity over the last two years and I always fully expect some bias confirmation as far as they are concerned. That said, it’s not without warrant. Every set of Lollar’s I’ve owned have had distinct top end presence to them that is immediately apparent. It makes them an obvious replacement for a dull or muddy pickup. It also adds a level of perceived sensitivity which is super satisfying. What you don’t get is the ridiculously specific character or frequency range from some of the other winders.
The ThroBak’s for example, all have a distinctive vocal quality to the midrange that seems super unique and is what often seems to stand out first on a vintage guitar. Like the top end presence of the Lollar’s, the midrange seems to be the common thread with everything I’ve owned from ThroBak.
You just discribed what I couldn´t. I LOVED lollar highs, but sounde maybe a bit scooped in the mids to be the perfect. A Throbak or Tom Holmes with the Lollar highs would be a killer pickup. But probably the wire/magnet mix can´t make miracles as an old vintage PAF does.
Only thing tho, for a real . true reissue , there not.mine are full of wax , wound with what looks like poly wire ..The pole screw coil is wound 4.01, the slug 3.83 , most paf are wound with the slug coil hotter .bridge same way ..pole screw coil wound a little hotter ..Yea they sound great but don't like a pick up to be in a bar of soap like wax ..it was caked plum full.
Wow, what a great comparison, thanks so much for your efforts! Based on listening to your shootout with headphones I come to the following conclusion:
The MHS sound quite muffled and dark - I've made the same experience playing them!
Throbak and Tom Holmes also sound a bit dark and could be more transparent (I expected more clarity from the hype they get, maybe they are a better fit in a brighter guitar).
The Rewind both sound exzellent, the 1958 is maybe the best medium between warmth and clarity in your comparison, a real surprise, they are my favourite set in your shootout
Wizz are also great, the just sometimes have a certain frequenzy I don't like, but that's very minor
Lollars have great clarity, but appear a tiny bit sterile in some sequences.
I'd definitely go with Rewind in that comparison!
I was really impressed by the Lollars, but I also liked the Wizz and low output Rewinds.
Found as well that these 3 suited best. Would habe liked to hear as the Mojotone 59 Clones low winds.
They all sound great!
Agreed!
I loved all the pickups. I have MHS and burst buckers on my 335's. But man this AC30 sounds amazing...
Kudos for all your effort.
Another great video! Important to note that the resistance (windings) is not the only thing that makes a pickup output high or low, the magnet paired with it is a huge factor. Stronger magnets = higher output if the windings are the same. Anyway, thanks for the video!
Ha. "I could use some coffee". wow. A labor of love, huh. Thanks for work. Nice guitar. nice studio!
Cheers from mtw in LA.
Great test!
This shootout must have been quite a hassle, considering the work involved in swapping pickups in a semi-hollow... plus all the editing ! Kudos man !
Thank you!
It was very helpful !! I subscribed to the channel!!
I like re-wind 1958 PAF.
cool comparison, the MHS actually held their own pretty good but the rewind low output A5's sounded really good with the semi hollow guitars sound.
Amazing work. Wery helpful…
All are fantastic pickups which all sound great in their own way i liked the clearness off the lollars but what stood out was the throbaks seemed to have a really musical 3 dimensional sound and a creaminess aswell 👍
That guitar is GORGEOUS
Sweet F. A in it . My drummer laughed when I showed him . Just just between you and me. The lollar set was the best. And I thought the stock set was on par in high gain and maybe one of the better sets at the start of the video.
How do you not have more subs? You always have great content. I just seem to always forget to subscribe when I come across your channel. Got it this time 👍
🙌 Thank you! Hopefully more people remember as well 😂
Very Very Very cool!!!!!!
Great tone!! yeah .
I make records for a living. I have a lot of guitars and just bought a 335 and a GT R7 like you had in your other video. Both of these guitars are NVL custom shop with Custombuckers. I was thinking of changing the pickups on the Les Paul but I love the 335. This video saved me money. Also these comparisons are not night and day. Even with the T Tops. It’s apparent people are making really great product out there. But what did standout were the ReWind 58’s. I think my Les Paul might do with a set !
James at ReWind makes some incredible stuff AND he's the most knowledgeable guy I've ever talked to about pickups. You're in safe hands if you opt to go that route!
Between the Tom Holmes and the Lollar for me so factoring in price the Lollars win hands down
I own both..... they are very very similar. I think the lollars might be a little more bright but not noticeable
Wow, I listened again with different headphones, and while there are differences, they are subtle at times, more so than the Les Paul shootout. I can hear varying amounts of output, some small shifts in frequency (Rewind low winds are obviously a bit shifted to the upper freq. Compared to the Rewind 1958's) . Wow, the raw character of that guitar just burst through overshadowing the pickups individual contributions. Since the guitar sounds great, this is a good thing! There isn't a single pickup that doesn't just sound great in that instrument.
That's actually a great point, starting with a good guitar is super important I think. I honestly don't own any dogs so I can't test this, but I have a hunch that if you have a guitar that's not good a pickup change isn't going to radically change it.
@@YeatzeeGuitar my friend has a crate guitar and put seymour duncans and the thing is those pickups where pricey and should sound really good but it just got louder, no definition in the guitar at all. Just louder clunks and chugs.
Hi, thank you for demo, perfect demo, for me i prefer a Throwback and a Holmes, it’s more light bassy and dark and very clarity and shiny sounds.
Thank you, and certainly not bad choices there!
That’s for doing all this.
The first time I could truly differentiate between these pickups was approx 15 min 40 sec when playing through the Vox AC30.
At this point with my eyes closed I could easily tell the low winds from the high, but Wizz from Lollar from Gibson.. Not a chance.. Not without peeping.. 😞😎
For me personally at higher gain levels the difference between all these PAF replicas becomes so small that I wouldn't know which of them to pick, but is that so terrible ? They sound teriffic, and while sound clips can't convay 'feel' this was a worthwhile experiment.
1. Throwbaks
2. Wizz
3. MHS
Surprisingly disappointed in the Lollars and the Holmes. Thank you for all your hard work. You saved me both money and time.
I have played both lollar and tom Holmes In my LP... Them some killer pups
nice!
Great work again,, love your comparisons. I felt the Wizz Premium PAF pickups sounded best, followed by the Lollar Low-wind pickups - also, curious as to why you like light weight aluminum tailpieces vs. solid steel. Thanks again.
Thanks! Just seemed to have an affect on the overtones I didn't dig with all steel hardware
@@YeatzeeGuitar Thanks!
They are all amazing. I hear only minor differencies. I liked the Tom Holmes best. I found they have a a mellower top end, but it's really just a tiny bit.
In 2006, I put a pair of Tom Holmes H450/H455 in my '98 Standard Honeyburst ($500/set) and I've never looked back. I run her through a 2015 Supro Black Magick, and it sounds like Jehovah's favorite choir!
Throwback in the bridge and wizz in the neck. The wizz has an open single oil like tone h others don’t, the throwback just sounded great in the bridge. I’d try for a hybrid set from wizz with an a5 in the bridge and maybe slightly overwound to match the specs of the throwback. Standard a4 in the neck. Hat would be the winner for me. Cheaper than throwbacks and. Wizz has custom spec wire that matches 50s spec now.
I’m only watching this on an iPad, and 75% through, decided I preferred the Tom Holmes. Never heard of him or that brand before, so there was no bias or predisposition. Imagine my surprise (horror) when I googled and found his prices and reputation. I have the _Golden Ears,_ apparently. And they too often cost me a lot of money….
Great video, man! All of these sound great. I love the Lollars the best. Those are really clear and have a cool voice to them. But I am also surprised by the Memphis ones. Those sound great too and I if those were in my guitar, I might not even swap them out. The Throbaks were a big disappointment to me though. I was expecting something more from those.
I just put a set of Lollar imperials in a 70's V and I can't wait to get them out. The bridge is ok, but a lot brighter and more hifi than here. And the low end on the neck is super woofy. I was super disappointed in them.
I also liked the MHS set a lot, particularly the chimey middle position! I don't think there's a "bad" set here :)
@@stilllifewithguitar184 That's a bummer!
@@YeatzeeGuitar It's all good, just going to try something else. Mostly likely some of those WCR Godwoods. Also, fwiw, I have MHS P90's in an ES-330 and they're amazing. I've liked almost every MHS I've heard.
@@stilllifewithguitar184 damn that sucks...did you make any height or screw adjustment?? What amp are you using ?
Throbak for the take
i have different preferences for OD and cleans. so i would prob stick with the memphis. i’m only wearing airpods rn but going into the studio with all these will yield the same result. i’ll have to go back with my sony headphones or on my midfields. i dont think i could pick out any of these out blindly, and i am a bit shocked i am not hearing A5 /A2 differences on the low end. perhaps because you arent digging in and also i may not be hearing enough low end atm. the guitar is awesome btw.
Rewind 58's are the winner to my ears.
First, let me be clear. I appreciate the effort that went into this video. 👏 To make it interesting, though, sometimes you have to try some Derigold ice cream next to the boutique just to know what value you're getting at the bougie ice cream shop. The second point is that if you're buying a guitar like that and aren't happy with the pickups it comes with, no bougie PAF is going to fix your problems.🤨 😅😅 Great review!
Having owned numerous vintage gibsons, some with PAF pickups, any PAF spec pickup is fine. The important part from there is turning up loud, backing off on the bass, and playing with confidence. 57 classics sound great even though they have even coils and are wax potted.
This one is closer than the Les Paul video. The only one that sounded different were the Wizz. So if you’re lookin for something different then the Wizz is the way to go. The rest to me are slightly different shades of what the MHS offers. Maybe a little brighter here, or a little more mids here. To me the sets that sounded maybe small percentages better for that guitar were maybe the Holmes neck, the Lollars sounded good overall, and I liked the throbak in the bridge. They were only marginally more pleasing to my ears. If I had to make a decision and had to have a set I’d probably go with the lollars. I could literally make any of these work. I think small adjustments in EQ or pickup adjustment would put them about equal with small variances.
All were good! Which they should be, they're all high end ;)
I liked the Lollars. It was just clarity. Not even harsh treble, just nice airy clarity.
That seems to be a consensus. I might try them. I love the Lollars in my Tele. I'm mostly a LP player though. I have Wizz in another guitar, and like them.
Anyway, thanks.
Another great and work-intensive comparison. The constancy of your playing is stellar! Going in I wanted to like the Throbaks the best, but they sounded muffled compared to the others. Maybe because of the slightly higher output? Their KZ-115 MXV's might be better. My overall favorite in this guitar would be the Rewind 1958's. If I were to be playing only clean, maybe the Lollar's.
Thanks for watching and agreed on just about all fronts! I've got kz-115s in the guitar now testing those out and ya they are a better fit for this guitar
@@YeatzeeGuitar how do you like the kz-15 compared to the 1958 set? Thank you!
Like both a lot! I never had them in side by side so hard to say how they differ, but they both are probably my fav two in this guitar so far
Amazing shootout!
Hard question.... Where do you purchase the Memphis Historic Spec pickup besides installed in an instrument??
That was my favorite 🤤
Haha yeah unfortunately they're not available anywhere! I would actually consider selling mine if you were really interested, shoot me an email yeatzeeguitar@gmail.com
Thanks bro
Subbed
Rewind or Arcane. To me Arcane nails it with the triple clone and 57 classic.
IMO, the PRS 57/08 is the best new paf style pickup I've ever owned. I've owned quite a few of the Gibson originals.
Amazing comparison. please don't peak yet and do the same on a Gibson SG Faded :) maybe throw in some Lindy Fralin Pure PAF's and some 61 brustbuckers? sounds like fun to me..
I can’t imagine how much time and energy goes into making these videos. Well done! Subscribed, and you deserve thousands more subscribers. I follow on Instagram too. :)
Appreciate it! Yes these are an INSANE amount of work 😅
That guitar is KILLA.
Agreed!
You just proved there is very little difference in pickups. I've been saying that for years. Cheers!
Very Very Close. But my top four are:
1. Tom Holmes
2. ReWind Low Output A5
3. Throbak
4. Whizz Premium PAF
Solid top 4
This is an awesome comparison. I'm solidly convinced the MHS sounds like.. well.. what a 335 is supposed to sound, I'd venture to say the Lollars are very similar. Both are mid-forward and probably work with a pedalboard/DI rig well. That being said, if you lean towards more of an LP style sound and play "guitar-cord-amp" the higher output PAF's color the tones with gorgeous harmonic overtones. Really there is no winner, just a lot of really good but different sounding tones! Coffee for you sir!
Thank you!
MHS nailed it
it might not the best sounding pick up
but it is defnitely the most close souding pick up to real PAF
Great video. Were the pickups and polepieces set at the same height?
The difference pole piece height makes is really exaggerated, unless you have them to the bottom or maxed out you're going to notice very little difference in tone. They were all roughly the same, none set to the extremes.
I gotta go with the Lollars. The Tom Holmes and ReWind low output sound good, but for the money, the Lollars win. The Lollars have this open and less compressed sound than some of the others that I really like.
I like them too..but take them apart and look..a bar of soap looking wax ..and looks to be poly wire , the neck pickup has its pole screw coil wound 4.01 and the slug around 3.83 @70 / room temp.most paf have the slug coil wound higher and no wax and no Polly / fake wire .All the ones I have , best 2 are one with Gibson 57 classic slug coil and a bbi screw coil ..and a sd 59 slug coil and a bb pro screw I took 450 turns of wire off .mixed and matched and sound realy good with the neck with real/ wide off sets , sounds more single coilish and close to even wound coils on the bridge for no ice pick thin sound .
Whats the small room reverb your using? Not listed in the description.
Just a random reverb plugin to give a light sense of space.
BTW, Tom Holmes is the designer of the Gibson Classic Humbucker! and they sound almost identical.
You missed out Ox 4s dude! They are world class
Playing live: Throbak
Recording: Lollars
ReWind Low Output A5 takes it for me
I'm going with the Holmes set. Sounds best across all samples. However, I have a set of Fralin Pure PAF's that I think are as good as any of these. I would have loved to hear them in the comparison.
I have a Fralin Pure PAF bridge position in one of my guitars. It will stay there as long as I own the guitar!
Heard good things about those Fralin's! So many I wish I could have included in this test :)
@@YeatzeeGuitar I have a set for sale, let me know! Lol
My pickup funds are all tapped out lol, need to sell some of what I've already got.
I would go with the Lollars
Not a bad choice at all!
Tom Holmes pickups are head and shoulders above the rest. Clarity, grind, definition presence, warmth... without mud.
One brand I missed here is Mojotone. Their 59 Clone set is very nice, and so is the price.
Tons of brands missing here, no way I could include them all! Even 7 was pushing it haha
No kidding, the Pickup market is saturated! While I have tried my hand, and an auto traverse (shooting for the vintage machine wind and turns per layer), at winding, I will never try to do it for a living. However, for my personal use, Its quite rewarding.
I have some of those same sets. They sound significantly different from each other in my amps. In this video they all sound similar. I'm mostly hearing pedals and amps and modelers, not pickups.
Ha. They sound how they sound, you're hearing them side by side in a way I'm betting you've never heard yourself unless you too did this sort of test. The mind fills in a lot of detail, and as the player you also experience more than what seems to come across in recordings. I'll be addressing all of that in the next video, but this is as legit as a test as you can get. If you're upset I used a klon in a few excerpts as if that negates pickup differences then I don't know what to tell ya 🤷♂️ If everything is constant but the pickups, you're hearing the differences in pickups (and a small amount of my playing since I'm not a robot), that's it regardless of anything else.
@@YeatzeeGuitar r u sure you’re not a robot?
🤔🤫
I guess go with the cheapest/quickest to get one, because I don't think that the tonal difference between them is worth the differences in price and availability.
What wiring harness does the guitar have? Is it stock?
Stock they come with a stereo harness summed to mono at the jack setup as modern wiring. This has the stock harness modified to be completely mono and 50s wiring
I don't think there's a bad sounding one in the bunch. I play clean/edge of breakup 90% of the time and all of them seem to work beautifully for that. I ditched the muddy BB 61s in my SG for Bare Knuckle Blue Note HSP90s (slightly underwound with A2 magnets) and won't go back to humbuckers, but of this group I like the ReWind low output A5s and the Lollars. I usually like A2 but those sounds great. Glad I don't have to pick from these. Would take forever to decide. Killer demo!
In some of these there is virtually no difference at all. In others the difference tends to be very minimal. T my ears my fav were surprisingly the Lollars, the ReWinds (reg wind) and Wizz. The Tom Holmes had it's moments, but not anywhere near enough to justify their price tag. For that price tag, they need more than just "moments." I feel like the Holmes, Throbak, ReWind Low Winds, and MHS were the PAFs all being tied for 2nd place (or last).
Considering the cost of the rewinds and the Wizz, the lollars are kinda looking like a bargain @ $180ea. I wish the std wind lollars were included in this comparison though.
the minute you compare pickups & run em thru a high gain rig especially one that uses gain pedals?.. its no longer a pickup comparison video.
they all sound the same because any nuances the pickups would divulge are completely lost thru enhanced signal.
Thro bac for the win!
I really like Wizz in the Bridge the best and Lollar in the Neck. However, you didn't compare it in this vid, but for me the Bare Knuckle Stormy Monday Bridge beats the Wizz.
Just got my Doyle Coils installed!!!
Report back how you like them! I still adore them in the LP. No chance I was taking them out for this video, I liked them that much lol.
@@YeatzeeGuitar
All I can say is Wow!
My guitar is completely different.
The tone range of my pots has completely changed.
All my settings are different.
These are really good.
@@YeatzeeGuitar
I just posted a low-fi video of the Doyle coils.
It's not a beautiful production like your excellent videos but the tone is there!
@@taojones4941 Awesome! Glad you like them, they really opened up my LP and made it the best sounding one I've ever played. So far everyone that's played it has agreed! You look like you've got an epic LP yourself so I'm sure they're a good match :)
@@YeatzeeGuitar BRO!!!! THANKS MAN
Very interesting... I might be total douche bag, but either the pickups loose a lot of "distinctiveness" when being recorded and the Audio streamed via YT or
the differences are so minute, that you'd really only are able to pick it up live, sitting next to the cabinet.
Having said that, being the owner of a LP historic with custom Throbak's, I can definitely hear a difference vs. the Custom Buckers that were in that guitar
originally, but usually besides having a good hearing, it also depends on what and how you play a lot... Still very interesting comparison!
Check my other pickup comparison in my LP, the guitar definitely has an affect on how strong the pickups voice comes through
Buzztones…….. period….. hands down…. Tone and price point is never going to be beat!!!!!
My guess is the Standard Wind Imperials would be the better Lollar set to compare with this group.
Possibly
Lollar!
👍👍👍🙏
Damn ..they all sound close to each other except for one set which from this sound sample I wouldn’t touch with a 10 ft pole.. : (
Which one was that?