Favorite PAF style pickups

Bxlxaxkxe said:
I’m building an arsenal at my house with all these pickups. Want to try some more PAFish pickups that are great under high gain. Specifically in an LP. By that I mean something under 10k :ROFLMAO: . Whatcha like?
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I've explored this a bit. Godwoods come to mind. They're fantastic. Enough heat, superb cleanup. Would love to try other Jim Wagner pups, and Wolfetones. Those seem to be top of the heap for what I'd like. Motor City Detroiter is perfection in my SG.
Have a set Scott wound in my LP, atm.
Burstbucker 3, Antiquity, Seth Lover and Slash have all been good in that guitar. Didn't care for the Whole Lotta, Railhammers or Bare Knuckle Holy Diver. Would like to try a Pearly Gates, and some SD CS.
Didn't care for the Gibson Custombuckers in an R8, too peaky. Really like the Calibrated T set in my 335.
 
LPMojoGL said:
I've explored this a bit. Godwoods come to mind. They're fantastic. Enough heat, superb cleanup. Would love to try other Jim Wagner pups, and Wolfetones. Those seem to be top of the heap for what I'd like. Motor City Detroiter is perfection in my SG.
Have a set Scott wound in my LP, atm.
Burstbucker 3, Antiquity, Seth Lover and Slash have all been good in that guitar. Didn't care for the Whole Lotta, Railhammers or Bare Knuckle Holy Diver. Would like to try a Pearly Gates, and some SD CS.
Didn't care for the Gibson Custombuckers in an R8, too peaky. Really like the Calibrated T set in my 335.
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Good info Bobby. A lot of this pickup game is so dependent on the guitar itself. That’s why I’m building an arsenal ha
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
Good info Bobby. A lot of this pickup game is so dependent on the guitar itself. That’s why I’m building an arsenal ha
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True. Each guitar seems to need that perfect puzzle piece.
2 LPs will sound better with different pups.
 
harddriver said:
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I can only add the Seymour Duncan 78 model PAF.....9K A-2 magnet to the above list.

I tried the 59/custom hybrid years ago and it was not my favorite but if I played it again I may change my mind......

I have a 78 model and love it. because of PDC's recommendations for the SH-18 Whole Lotta Humbucker I tried it out and I like it quite a bit and they can be had for cheap. I got mine for 80's bucks shipped and it rates right up there with my 78 model output wise yet is still PAF and it is potted. You can find 78 model reasonable now as well.

All of these are wax potted I don't really care for unpotted pickups.
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i went from an original SD pearly gates to the SD 78 and thought they had a great deal in common with an almost single coil snarl mixed in, but preferred the extra girth and low mids the 78 added.
much clearer sounding than the bass heavy custom custom and holdsworth AH 1B , and the more compressed sounding JBs i had previously. dimarzio super distortion and gibson classic 57 / plus both had a harshness to the top end that i could not gel with.
 
DiMarzio Bluesbucker is amazing in high gain situations. It kills in parallel and split as well. Really good harmonics, too.
 
Bxlxaxkxe said:
I’m building an arsenal at my house with all these pickups. Want to try some more PAFish pickups that are great under high gain. Specifically in an LP. By that I mean something under 10k :ROFLMAO: . Whatcha like?
Click to expand...
DiMarzio 36th anniversary PAF or the 59’.
 
mentoneman said:
i went from an original SD pearly gates to the SD 78 and thought they had a great deal in common with an almost single coil snarl mixed in, but preferred the extra girth and low mids the 78 added.
much clearer sounding than the bass heavy custom custom and holdsworth AH 1B , and the more compressed sounding JBs i had previously. dimarzio super distortion and gibson classic 57 / plus both had a harshness to the top end that i could not gel with.
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I wonder how the A2 mag SDs with similar specs compare: Alnico II, High Voltage, 78, PG, ETC...
 
I have Seth Lovers in two of my SGs and I absolutely love them. It turns out that I like lower output pickups through a high gain amp. I haven't really had an issue with the fact that they're unpotted, but I haven't gigged since I started using them.

Tonerider Alnico II Classics are a good cheaper alternative, and are actually fully potted.

An even cheaper alternative, but legitimately great sounding pickup is the GFS Classic II. These are also wax potted and sound very similar to the Seths, perhaps a bit better than the Toneriders.

I tried a set of Seymour Duncan High Voltage. They were in the guitar for about an hour before I yanked them out. Way too dry sounding, like you've got your guitar volume turned a third of the way down. I still have these and I'm going to put them in my PRS and see how that goes, but I'm not optimistic.

I have a Wolfetone Marshallhead II/Dr Vintage set sitting around, but I haven't gotten around to putting them into anything yet.

Honestly, I highly recommend the GFS Classic IIs. It's not even a case of "for the money". These pickups sound just as good as any of the more expensive brands.
 
LPMojoGL said:
I wonder how the A2 mag SDs with similar specs compare: Alnico II, High Voltage, 78, PG, ETC...
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I've had a regular PG, a Custom Shop PG, a Custom Shop High Voltage, and the 78". Not all in the same guitar........but an R9 and an SG Custom.

First off, the production PG and Custom Shop PG sounded nothing alike in the R9. I actually preferred the production model. The CS was hairy and had a huge mid push like a high output pup. The regular PG was more open and airier........albeit a little bright.

The High Voltage killed in the SG. Everything I wanted........perfect output, open, clear, and a little low end roll off without becoming bright. Regrettably sold that guitar to fund an amp. Of the other pups mentioned, it most resembled the production PG.

I personally don't like the 78'. I've tried it in a Les Paul Classic and a one hum super-strat. It does not sound like a PAF at all to me. It is not open enough for my ears and has a round edge to the attack that annoys me. But I do find that most A2 pickups get that way when the output gets up around 9k or better. I hated the high output A2's I've tried........Frankenstein, RTM, Custom Custom, etc. I'm either A5 or A4 in all my guitars at this point.
 
Kolev Custom wound PAF pickup Alnico 8 magnet 8.4k plain enamel wire amazing open sounding pickup with teeth
 
I have one Les Paul Custom that has had multiple pickups in it over the last 4 years I’ve owned it - MJ wound JB, Duncan Distortion, Tonenerd Roxy, Tonenerd Psykes… stock 498T, 500T. Also has had a Godwood bridge, Wolfetone Marshallhead, and Wolfetone Timber Wolf. I’ve never been totally satisfied, tho many of them sound great.

I bought a Godwood neck and bridge set off Reverb a few months ago and threw the bridge in my parts guitar. I have had the Godwood neck sitting on my desk staring at me. For the hell of it, I emailed Jim - he told me it’s similar to a Darkburst. I threw it in the bridge of the Les Paul and took it to rehearsal tonight. Will need to spend more time, but right now in the honeymoon period it’s the happiest I’ve been with the sound. I think the neck is around 8.4k and Alnico 5, tho it plays a lot hotter than the output dictates. I might need to try a Darkburst next.
 
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