Gibson Burstbucker Pro

These came stock in my '06 Les Paul Standard (Bullion Gold) which I just bought ! By the way, what a guitar ! I have played single coils pickups for over 20 years except a brief tangle with an SG. BB in both Neck and Bridge Positions with nickel covers ( beautiful ).

When I first hooked up my BB Pro equipped Les Paul to my Mesa Boogie Studio DC-2 head, I was a little disappointed in the sound ( it appeared a little muddy to me ). After last night, I did a 180 and experienced tonal bliss. I took the Les Paul to our weekly practice with my Fender DRRI in tote. I run thru an analogman orange juicer and a little delay (Boss DD-2). For solos, I hit my maxon overdrive and sometimes engage my wah. In addition, I have Premium cables throughout the signal chain. These BB Pros can emulate all the sounds that I play and dream of. Jazzy, Blues, Rock, it's all there. The neck pickup with the tone rolled back some is sonically beautiful, I love it. My friend commented on the tone and describes it as very rich and lush/full, round. The clean sounds I get are great (all positions). Now on to the meat... when I engage my overdrive pedal and wah (set about 3/4 down) and tap the bridge pickup - lookout. My slide work and this BB Pro pickup are a match made in heaven. The Bridge Pickup can scream beautifully, harmonics everywhere. I am floored at the stock pickups (BB Pros) that Gibson provided me on this Les Paul standard. I ran my set-up thru my Boogie again, tweaked a few parameters and once again enjoyed the wonderful sounds these pickups can make. I play a tad of jazzy chords, blues, funk, reggae and rock. These BB Pros handle it and deliver me incredible sounds. I'm not sure I'll be using my '68 tele refin much as this Les Paul experience is phenomenal. I find both pickups balanced; the bridge pickup is a tad on the treble side but i just adjust my amp and tone some. Both are very articulate with nice mids and bass. Output is a little on the hot side ! Great set !!!

These pickups are very good and complement my Les Paul standard. I am getting some awesome sounds out of this combination thru my Mesa Boogie and Fender tube amps ! I would implant them in my Les Paul again if need be.

Passive humbucking, Alnico V magnets

Guitar is a Gibson les paul Vintage Mahogany. The BB Pro's came factory installed.
Joe Perry and gary Moore use this pickup, as well as anyone using a stock Gibson LP standard.

Output is modrately hot. Someone told me this pickup is actually based on Gibson's original Dirty Fingers pup. I'm using it with a Roland Cube 15x and an Epiphone valve Jr. Tone is like a sledgehammer...loud and obnoxious, but not in a good way. Like an icepick to the head. Too shrill and emphasis on the mids. Not very "vintage" sounding at all.

Sometimes I wish it were destroyed! I'm thinking of replacing it with Duncan Sh-1's or SH-14's. I need something warmer. I play hard rock/old school metal, and I'm still searching for "that" sound. I don't use pedals, so I need to rely heavily on my pickup/amp setup for overdrive. Originally, it was the main selling point for me when it came to choosing the Gibson, but after 3 years, I haven't fallen in love with it and it's time to try something new. I think I'd do better with a Duncan. I can't see how Gibson justifies selling these pickups for $120.00+. I had a set of Duncan 59's in my old Epi LP years ago, and they were quite warm, and had a nice vintage hard rock sound, but I took out the bridge pup and replaced it with a DiMarzio super distortion. The sound wasn't quite the same after that. Now that I have the Gibson with more dense wood, and better electronics, I think th 59's would sound KILLER!

Burstbucker pro humbuckers with Alnico V magnets...

Les Paul vintage mahogany.... came as it. I picked this up in the store and I threw it on a Soldano 20watt and it blew me away.

I am used to the single coil land so this was my first humbucker guitar. I have played a lot of guitars with h/b however this was the first one that made me sit up and contemplate my next finacial decision. The pups can range from dark, deep and beautiful to slight shimmers by switching to the bridge. I have had it my guitar for several months and I almost forgotten my other awesome guitars (sad but true). I use it through my tiny terror paired up with 2 x 12 randall cabinet. I can play anything from rock, jazz, blues and indie. I am sure it can do more but thats what i used it for. I can play powerful leads through this and it just drives my amp to clip.
I know some people have had problems on this site with their experiences and I don't really understand why. Not to everyones taste perhaps but whenever I play the thing I get lots of attention!

These pups compared to my single coil are warm and have soooo much depth. I still enjoy my single coils for crazy rockin out or chillin with a thinner sound but my ultimate is this. I am fully satisified with this sound. Actually from being a Fender girl for many years to switch to Gibson wasn't somethiing I would expect but the transistion was a good one. I have modded all my fender guitars and this one is the first that can just stay as is..... Its more than FINE its AWESOME

These came stock in a Gibson Les Paul Studio Vintage Mahogany. They are in both neck and bridge positions.

I have owned a Gibson faded V with the 500T and 496R pups. These BB pros have slightly less output but much more clarity. I am using these pups through a Marshall JMP-1 pre and then into the power amp of a Marshall DSL 100 equipped with KT77 power tubes and then into a Marshall 4x12 with celestion G1275's. This guitar with these pups through my rig sound absolutely perfect with a moderate gain to high gain setting. There seems to be a lot of mixed reviews for these pups. I think maybe it's just the users have inferrior amps or this pup just sounds beautful with an all mahogany guitar/Marshall rig. I've noticed that the majority of the poor reviews are from people who are using maple top guitars or maple necks and such. Keep in mind also this reviewer has KT77's in his DSL and these are soooo much better sounding than the EL34's. It gives the amp more bottom and mids and isn't as harsh on the treble side. So, I may not be hearing as much treble as some of the reviewers here. I did try the guitar out at GC on a Marshall JVM which I thought sounded very shrill and microphonic. I also ran it thru a cheap vox modeling amp and it sounded better than the JVM, which was strange because I love Marshall amps and usually hate solid sate/modeling crap. I think the JVM in the store must of had bad tubes in it?? Anyhow back to these pickups. When played clean these pups are way better than the 500T/496R set. They don't distort and quite frankly give me some of the best clean tones I have ever had. And this is a Marshall/Gibson rig! I have an Ibanez prestige also w/ stock pups and have always loved the clean/dirty tones from it. I now have a better clean tone with this Gibson and these pups. Now, my idea of clean is a Marshall clean, no fender ear bleeding clean here. My style of musical tone ranges from blues to any old school Marshall based rock and metal to full out death metal. I'm in the camp of "play it like you mean it, if you need more gain then you need to practice more".

Overall I would say these Burstbucker pro pups are the best pups for a Gibson Vintage mahogany guitar. If you try these in another guitar they may or may not sound good, but Gibson made the perfect choice on the Les Paul Studio vintage Mahogany guitar. Hey people don't say these pups suck because it may just be your guitar and rig. If anyone used these pups with my rig and my guitar and said they suck then I would have to call 911 quickly and ask for a lunatic to be removed from the premises.

Same specs as the rest.

Stock in both bridge and neck of a Nov '07 Vintage Mahogany.

In the neck it is acceptable. Not very warm but much more clear than most humbuckers. In the bridge it is awful. After adjusting them up and down and all around I know there's just no simple adjustment to make them sound better. Unless the tone knob on the treble is turned to under 4 it sounds like you're listening through a tube to your amp. I guess that's called nasally but it really does just sound like through a tube. When the tone is turned down that much the neck then actually has more treble. Somebody at Gibson must have lost their mind or something, how could they think this sounds good? Maybe it sounds better in other than a Gibson Vintage Mahogany bridg but judging by all the used BBP bridge pickups on ebay I think a lot of other people feel the same way. I'll probably just get a Classic 57 (non-plus) for the bridge (a lot of '57 Pluses on ebay too so stay away from those in the bridge as well). I think in the neck position they are acceptable but it's certainly nothing to rave about. I'd rate it a 0 for bridge (unadvised) and better as a neck (8). I'd give it an overall 7 and just advise you to check them out at a GC on a LP Standard or Vintage Mahogany (nude wood model) before you buy. Also, look up BluesZep on Youtube. He plays a bunch with a lp using classic 57 in both positions and sounds great doing it.

I'm just starting out but only a fool would think it sounds good at least with my setup (vox AD30 and Gibson Vintage Mahogany). The bridge sounds pretty much the same (horrible) on any type except the hi-distortion models of course.

Burstbucker Pro Neck and Bridge Humbuckers

I replaced the 57's in my Gibson SG 61 Reissue guitar. The 57's are warm,creamy but not clear enough. Chords are a bit muddy..some of the notes get lost in them. Let me add Im using a Voodoo amps Plexi..I dont have a garbage amp. Warren Haynes is the Tone King,and he has burstbuckers in his les paul.

They sound exactly like the description...real meaty, open and airy, lots of bite. I play alot of jazz, and the notes cut right through. Alot of chunky style crunch. They get rid of the fuzzy characteristics in the 57s. They are wound uneven, unlike the 57's. The tone reminds me alot of les paul guitars. These pickups are it for me.

I will put these in all my Gibson guitars!!! I've been playing for about 13 years. No,Im not familiar with all the old vintage gear but I know what Im hearing with these, and its unreal tone. I thought about getting these for months and now I dont know why I waited so long. I play jazz, blues, soul, reggae, and it all sounds 10 times better than the 57's. Dont wait any longer on these...they are worth it.

Passive humbucking PAF pickup

I bought these to replace a Seyour Dunca SH-1 in the neck and SH-5 in the bridge. Both decent pickups but nothing special. They went into an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus.

I have been searching a long time for the perfect set of PAF pickups. These weren't it. Slightly hotter than your average PAF. The neck pickup sounded nice and sparkly clean but muddied up quickly when overdriven. The bridge pickup was hot when overdriven but I had a hard time getting a good clean tone out of it. It lacked the bluesy tones that I have been searching. I also had a problem matching up the output of the pickups. I found the sweet spot on the neck fairly easily but was unhappy with the bridge tone. This added up to a lot of frustrating adjustments until I found something suitable. With that said, these pickups sound better than the majority of the others I have tried. Just not exactly what I was looking for.

Didn't like these pickups a whole lot. Too hot and not quite bluesy and smooth enough to be a PAF. I wouldn't buy these again. If I did try out another Gibson set, I would try out the classic 57's. Much smoother tone.
I have been playing 20 years and have been searching about that long for a set of PAF's that I am happy with. I haven't found them yet. I am currently playing an Epiphone Les Paul Standard plus that I have rebuilt(project guitar). The other problem is that these pickups are seriously overpriced. I find some of Gibson's prices quite ridiculous. Nontheless, not bad pickups. Just seriously overpriced.

Passive Humbucking pickup.Alnico 5 Magnets

Came stock in my Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique/bridge position,open zebra coils.

Medium output.Classic Paf sound with extra power punch.I'm using it with my Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100/1960 Cab with Vintage 30s.This is an amazing pickup for classic old school rock.Great bass and treble response.Too much mids for my taste.The thing can get harsh and too middy if you push them to modern high gain rock sound.That's my only complain with it.Again,if you play old classic rock this the perfect choice period.

I did replace it with a Seymour Duncan SH-5 wich does better for my taste,since I go from old Kiss songs to Megadeth.I've been playing only for 5 years,enough time to have already 45 guitars.I love the great Vintage Sound coming from this pickup.I don't like its never ending mids when you crank the volume/gain knobs.This is a great pickup.It is not just the right choice for modern high gain rock.It will do the AC/DC,Led Zepellin/Guns & Roses sound without any problems.Not the same thing when you move to Metallica/Megadeth music style.The unpleasant mids sound seems to happen only at high gain settings and only on the bridge pickup.The Duncan Custom took care about it

Humbucker Pickups.

Pickups installed in a PRS Singlecut SE model. Original pickups were G&B pickups. They were good but I wanted something better. Replaced the neck and bridge.

Output is very good. It has a bit more output (to my ears) than a Dimarzio PAF. I had a choice of the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates or the Gibsons. Since the Burstbucker Pros pups are waxed, you can stand in front of any amp @ loud volumes without them squealing. Sustains and sings like a violin, very nice. I'm using this guitar with the new Mesa Boogie Express 5:25 and a Fender Blues Jr. The guitars tone is warm, clear and can be bitey if you want it to be. It has sweet tones for jazz (Neck), and classic rock tones (NECK or Bridge)when overdriven. Loves overdrive and distortion. I did'nt expect it to sound like a LesPaul, but sometimes I wonder because it cries and sings like one. It does have it's own tone that many guitar players I believe would enjoy with these pups. Pups seem ideal for mahagoney, maple top bodies and rose wood necks. Just a note here: I found something realy interesting with pickups in general. If you have high output pickups with a high gain amp, like a Boogie, Soldano, certain Marshalls etc., it's seems to take away the true tone of your instruement if that's your intent. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there needs to be a balance. Low or Medium output pups work great with high gain amps, or high output pups with low gain amps. I'm leaning towards the tone factor. It never ends does it? Bottom line here, if you are after great tone, Gibson Burstbucker Pros are an excellent choice for many guitars. Can't describe the feeling you get when you have your tone, it's such a natural high, maybe I'll check out the Seymours on another guitar.

Been playing for 30+. Love the pickups and the nickle covers. Dresses the guitar. Very satisfied. Only wish they weren't so pricy. Overal I am happy so I'll rated it a 8. Two point deduction due to cost.

It's a humbucker with an alnico 5 magnet, mismatched coil windings and a nickel cover. What else is there to tell?

This is in the bridge and neck of a les paul studio mahogany i bought a couple of months ago, I waited a while to make this review so I could play it alot and get over the honeymoon period. I play punk, old school R&B, rock and roll, country and blues. These seem to be somewhat middle of the road output-wise they are hot enough to push my 50 watt plexi head into drive i like. It's pretty dark but I'm assuming it's because The whole guitar is mahogany (carved mahogany top instead of maple) except the rosewood fretboard. This along with my SG classic (P-90's) I can get close to any sound I need, I am looking for new P-90's though. Point of advice: If you have an amp like a mesa, soldano, rivera or even a new marshall (post JCM 800) or anything solid state/tube-state then you should go home and stop thinking about pickups and start thinking about a new amp. Everything is going to sound the same through your amp.

I havent heard a humbucker I like better, In my opinion it is better than the 57 classic I have in my epi sheriton. Until I find a better one this is the humbucker I will use.