Anyone want to be a part of the PUP shootout?

  • Thread starter Thread starter James Lugo
  • Start date Start date
James Lugo":41lkh3yd said:
23 was all we did, that's both days. We didn't get to all the pups because we ran out of time.
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Years ago me and a few friends did something like this with out a studio and only a hand full of pickups.
I am surprised you did as many as did.

..... and the vocals sounded great to me. That last scream was impressive.
:yes:
 
Amazing, amazing pickup shootout.

Companies should take note that THIS is how you do pickup sound clips!

I'm loving the Pearly Gates. Man, that sounds awesome. Really old school, GnR-esque to me.

and that Rio Grande BBQ just kills.

I mean, to be honest, there's not a bad pickup in that bunch, they all sound awesome.
 
I dropped by the shootout just as they were finishing up, with the JB.... Was nice to meet James and his crew, everyone was really cool. Thanks again for doing this James!

My favs are the MCP Blackbelt, the WB Habanero (which I have and really like in 2 guitars), the Marshallhead and the WCR darkburst and Goodwood (I had a Darkburst awhile back in my LP Custom, sounded great and i switched it out when experimenting, and now I dunno where it went!!!).

As far as humbuckers go, I think I just gravitate towards hot PAF tone. 8.5-10K alnico 5 seems to be my deal. Just hot enough, and not so hot that the pickup overwhelms the inherent wood tone of the guitar. As soon as you go to a ceramic magnet, it goes out the window for me- the tone gets homogenized... it can still sound good but I don't hear the mids as well and it's harsher and just more generic I think.

I'm lucky enough to know Will at WB and Wade at Motor City, these guys are making some of the best pickups out there as evidenced by the shootout. Great dudes, both of them.

I have the Aldrich in my Suhr Modern and while it contradicts what i said earlier, I like them lots in that guitar and have no desire to switch.
 
petethorn":xxz2v3xu said:
As far as humbuckers go, I think I just gravitate towards hot PAF tone. 8.5-10K alnico 5 seems to be my deal. Just hot enough, and not so hot that the pickup overwhelms the inherent wood tone of the guitar.
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+1 on this. To me, that's THE perfect number for a hot PAF.

Had 2 of my Seymour Duncan pickups rewound by MJ at the SD Custom Shop to 9.3K, 42AWG, A5 buckers. They absolutely rule. You gotta use a little more gain on the amp, but the pickups clean up amazingly well, and are just so articulate. Zero mush. Really woody sounding.
 
The only other pickup I wish you guys could tried is the Duncan CS '78 EVH. I had in a LP a while back and it sounded killer. I've currently got it in my Strat and man...it couldn't sound more perfect. Duncan really hit the nail on the head with this pup IMO...
 
petethorn":1t49cnz2 said:
I dropped by the shootout just as they were finishing up, with the JB.... Was nice to meet James and his crew, everyone was really cool. Thanks again for doing this James!

My favs are the MCP Blackbelt, the WB Habanero (which I have and really like in 2 guitars), the Marshallhead and the WCR darkburst and Goodwood (I had a Darkburst awhile back in my LP Custom, sounded great and i switched it out when experimenting, and now I dunno where it went!!!).

As far as humbuckers go, I think I just gravitate towards hot PAF tone. 8.5-10K alnico 5 seems to be my deal. Just hot enough, and not so hot that the pickup overwhelms the inherent wood tone of the guitar. As soon as you go to a ceramic magnet, it goes out the window for me- the tone gets homogenized... it can still sound good but I don't hear the mids as well and it's harsher and just more generic I think.

I'm lucky enough to know Will at WB and Wade at Motor City, these guys are making some of the best pickups out there as evidenced by the shootout. Great dudes, both of them.

I have the Aldrich in my Suhr Modern and while it contradicts what i said earlier, I like them lots in that guitar and have no desire to switch.
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Man it was great meeting you, I'm a huge fan of your playing it was cool to meet.

Well I've been listening all morning to the clips and made some decision changes on pup placement. Still Godwood in my Sunburst. But I switched to the WB Fire in the Black Paul and the Marshallhead to my Goldtop. The Fire in my Black Paul is my favorite combo of everything I think. In the shootout Dan plays the first half and I play the second half, the 2 passages in 'Around The World In 30 Days' (HBE & Herbert) with the Fire in the Black Paul it gives me an erection! Incredible. The WB Fire in my Goldtop isn't as brutal sounding but the Marshallhead in my Goldtop sounds great. The WB Fire and my Black Paul is peanut butter and jelly and I think perfect for the way I play. :rock: Still going with the Rebel Yell in my Special.
 
Don't change the settings and finish up when yoyu get back!!! :lol: :LOL:
 
It was great to get a call from James (via Mark Friedman's request) to loan him a cab for the shootout...even if I did scuff the tolex on the way past my golf clubs while pulling it out on Hollywood Blvd (d'oh!).

Glad the speakers & cab held up for the recordings, and I'll get another cab made for you to replace it in early June.

Looks like you're all tired but had some fun. Nice job on the recordings/playing/setup.

Now get out of here and take your bride to Spain! ;)
 
I was there the first night. I got a good look at how some pickups would just sing and others had that little fight factor. My personal favorites from that night were the godwood, 2nd degree blackbelt, marshal head, and the Iron man. The Iron Man is for the brutalZ. The godwood was probably my favorite if I had to pick one.
 
You rock Jim'


So I'm rolling out to Spain here in a few hours, my assistant Nicole is getting all the pickups back from Erik Goehrisch this afternoon and will be shipping them back to you'all in a day or so. If you want tracking numbers or having any specific requests email her at: nicole@jameslugo.com

I will be on the internet some in Spain so I'll log on and say hi. What a great week. You guys made this happen, the support of Rig-Talk was unmatched. Thanks. Maybe we'll do another one when I get through my summer and 'American Idol'. Peace everyone...
 
Damn, that was just so excellent man!! Fantastic work......... :rock:

Just because of this, I've got Wade winding me a set of 2nd Degree Black Belts for my VOS Les Paul!!

Again great job and thanks so much for putting in the effort. :thumbsup:
 
Buckeyedog":5ljkwehw said:
Damn, that was just so excellent man!! Fantastic work......... :rock:

Just because of this, I've got Wade winding me a set of 2nd Degree Black Belts for my VOS Les Paul!!

Again great job and thanks so much for putting in the effort. :thumbsup:
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Just listened through, the 2nd Degree is incredible. The clarity is stunning. Not sure which guitar I'm putting it in a I have another Paul and a 335... :confused:
 
Yes ..... best wishes for you and yours James. Have a great time.
 
Got the first orders for CD's they are going out asap. The CD's are the way o listen to this, the CD's will blow away! Here's the disc orders:

Disc 1

1. Motor City - 2nd Degree Black Belt
2. Motor City - Afwayu
3. Holmes - H455
4. ThroBak - SLE 101 Plus Ltd
5. Suhr- Aldrich
6. Rio Grande - BBQ
7. Gibson - BurstBucker Pro
8. Walker - El Presidente
9. WCR - Godwood
10. WB - Habenero
11. WB - Hell

Disc 2

1. WCR - Iron Man
2. Wolfetone - Marshallhead
3. Motor City - Prototype 30k
4. Motor City - Torque
5. Patrick Nowlan
6. Seymour Duncan - Pearly Gates
7. PMP - SAR
8. Bareknuckles - Rebel Yell
9. Seymour Duncan - JB
10. WB - Fire
11. WCR - Darkburst
12. Zhangbucker - Pagey 2

Contact nicole@jameslugo.com if you want them.
 
stephen sawall":tk2gx4av said:
Yes ..... best wishes for you and yours James. Have a great time.
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+1,000,000

Have a great honeymoon James!!!
 
Thanks guys I'm sitting hear my guitars and still haven't packed, I'm crazy! We've been a/bing the Scumback and Bogner cab. The Scumback is so much better. The Bogner has a piercing quality in the top end that kind of hurts your ears. Scumback cabs rule!
 
Well all the guitars came back and everything sounded great but my Goldtop was bugging me, there was a hi end squealy sound you could hear in the E and B string when playing chords, it kind of dominated the sound, I switched the pickup out for the Motor City 2nd Degree Black Belt and viola. Amazing. Huge and open. Open and top endy but no over powering squawk. The guitar sounds 10 feet tall. Wade you rock!

Black - WB Fire
Heavy heavy heavy but rockin' with tone and upper register movement. Massive drop tuning with 11's, sounds super chunky. Great string tone. Hetfieldish.

Sunburst - WCR Godwood
Probably the most pure sounding of the bunch. To me the quintessential Les Paul tone. Tonal perfection!

Yellow Special - Bareknuckles Rebel Yell
Whoa step back, evil saturation. Made me actually laugh when I first played it. Heavier then the Black. Love this pickup, similar to the WB Habenero, but my engineer put the Habenero in his Goldtop yesterday so I figured I go with something else but they sound really close, same family.

Goldtop - Motor City 2nd Degree Black Belt
Definition and string separation from outer space without being sterile. Wild 3Dness, it's almost like you can hear around the guitar. Big, Big, Big!

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What a great job! Thanks !!

They all sound good. Of the clips, I like the MCP 2nd degree blackbelt best. I'm surprised I don't prefer a hotter PUP, I think that 2nd ' BB is like an overwound PAF, 9 or 10k?? ..live and learn... it sounds great at all drive levels ... Thanks again James!
 
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