BG Pups P.U.F.

Vintage, PAF-Style, calibrated humbucker set using period correct (I believe) Alnico 4 bar magnets and a single-conductor, braided hookup wire. Not sure of the exact resistance or output, other than that they're wound fairly low compared to most modern pickups.

I bought a set of these to put into my '97 Les Paul Standard as a replacement for the stock 490R/498T set after listening to the demos on the BG Pups website. I was stuck for a while as to whether I wanted these or a set of 4-conductor BG Buckers, but I eventually decided that the Standard BG's were just a little too bright and harsh for me.

The stock pickups were a perfectly fine set (better than most of the rather trashy Seymour Duncan or Dimarzio sets out there), but the bridge pickup was a touch too bright and they just didn't mix very well, probably due to the neck being Alnico 2 and the bridge being Alnico 5. While that certainly made them more versitile than a matched set, I really love using the LP's middle position to get some pseudo strat tones, so they were a less than ideal fit for me.

Somehow these pups manage to be both darker and smoother than the stock set, while also being clearer and more articulate than just about any other humbuckers I've ever heard. In short, they're magnificent!

I play everything from jazz to funk to classic metal, and they can handle it all, but when I'm playing seriously with my band I'm squarely planted in the realm of blues-based hard rock, and for me that's where these beauties absolutely shine. The neck is smooth and creamy when distorted and the bridge is cutting without being harsh, but it's that middle position that really does it for me. It's like the best parts of a strat and a Les Paul rolled into one. Quacky, yet warm, kind of like an ES.

Like I said earlier, they're not quite as versatile as the stock set, but I get my versatility with effects and EQ, so that's not exactly a problem in my book. The only thing that these pickups don't do so good is modern, scooped metal tones, but if you're looking for something that'll do that then you probably wouldn't be reading this review, would you?

I've been playing for the better part of 7 years, and these are just about the best sounding humbuckers that I've ever come across. On top of that, Bryan Gunsher, the guy who makes them, is very friendly and easy to deal with. When I first received my set the bridge pup was actually faulty, but Bryan went out of his way to sort it out ASAP, which I really appreciate.

As far as the pickups themselves go, the only other thing I could ask for is a 4-conductor version as I'd really love to hear them tapped. I understand that these are essentially vintage reissues, but this is a critical review and for me that's literally the only thing that's keeping them from being a perfect 10. I'd like to add a push/pull coil tap at some point, but I never want to have to get rid of these superb pickups, so I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about that.

At any rate, whether you're a vintage tone freak who absolutely has to have the most period-correct humbuckers you can find, or a regular guy like me who just wants a sweet-sounding and well matched set of pups, I'd be seriously hard pressed to thing of a better option. Check 'em out!