Gibson Burstbucker Pro

Alnico V reasonably high output pickups. Supposedly hot, but I find them very articulate and suitable for all styles of music.

Installed in a Washburn Custom Shop P4
Installed in both positions
Replaced the stock Seymour Duncan 59s
The 59s sounded a bit wimpy and bright in this guitar as this guitar has an ebony fretboard and the 59s are known for their scooped mids. Sounded single-coilish before, now it's a beast.

Output is the same as the stock 59s but what a difference sound wise. Having never owned a Gibson as I prefer the features and used prices of American made Washburn and Hamer guitars, I always felt as though there was something really special about the sound of Les Pauls and SGs. Just seemed a little darker and smokier than I could get out of my three Gibson style solidbodys (Washburn P4, Hamer Mirage II and Hamer Special) which also have a special sound I might add (which is an open less compressed sound IMO). Well I always attributed that Les Paul sound to the construction when in fact I now think it derives mainly from the Gibson pickups. These pickups in this guitar have great presence with better pop and add that darker Gibson smoky vibe I was looking for.

I was looking for something to darken the sound of this guitar and got lucky when a local shop was willing to give me a good price on some slightly used Burstbucker Pros. I was afraid after reading some reviews here that these might also be too bright for this guitar (maple top, ebony board), but that was not the case. These pickups sound simply epic in this guitar and moreover since the hardware is Schaller chrome, the chrome covered pickups even look so much better than the open 59s. Still happy with the 59s, that I have installed in three other guitars (two neck position, one both), but for this guitar the more mid heavy Burstbucker Pro sound (rich and full) was just what the Doctor ordered.

Passive Pickups
Both Humbucking.

Original pots/wires.

I own a 2005 Gibson Les Paul (Cheers, man) Standard.
It came with Burstbucker Pro's
They are incredible.
From volume 4 and up on the Bridge P/U, the tone kicks in,
and can be contoured to any preference in sound with the tone knob,
an amplifier, and even rolling back on volume!

From volume 7 and up, the Bridge p/u really starts to fire,
and can be contoured for many apps as well.

I have been able to re-create tele/strat and vintage Led Zepp,
even JIMI HENDRIX and SANTANA and of course SLASH tones with this beautiful instrument of MANNA from the GODS!
:O

It is very much a professional piece of equipment and the proof is this;
Most players who do not appreciate tonal qualities, and only seek one sound,
do not know how to 'dial-in' this Humbucker combo.
They turn volume and tone all the way up and wonder why the pickup
'sounds like crap'.
These people are not necessarily bad players, or stupid;
they simply have not yet put in the time necessary to dicsover where tone comes from in their electric guitar!
:)
I know this,
because I used to be one of those cats,
way back in Jr. High and Freshman year of highschool.
:)

2005 Gibson Les Paul Standard

Bridge and Neck

No replacement: original factory equipped

Nothing but Burstbucker Pro's.

Sure there are artists using this pickup.

A friend of mine from LA named Adam has some,
as does a friend of mine from LA named Aaron.

;)

Output from weak fender single coil to mid 60's Gibson
to FREAKIN SCREAMIN'

and everything inbetween; including Jimi H./Townsend/Clapton/Vernon Reid(but better than his tone)/ Wes Montgomery!
:)

I play guitar, thats my style.

This pickup is suitable only for pro players,
or amatuers who have no preference!

Yes, I would direct replace if needed.

I have been playing guitar since a young age,
but working towards being a pro since 1990.

I love it, because its it.
I hate that I did not have this equipment when I was born.

I have played several tens of tens of pickups,
and owned twenty or thirty.
These are it, man. (and Women)

I wish it had a billion dollar check hidden under the pickup cover. (maybe it does.)

I am always searching for more sound opportunities,
and will never die, err; stop searching for more tastes!
:)

I like you.

Humbucking zebra open coil pickup

Came stock in Gibson LP Standard Faded
Neck and Bridge

Medium Output Humbucker. Use with a Marshall JTM312, Marshall DSL50, Fender Pro Junior. This pickup prefers Marshall amps, no surprise here since it is in a Les Paul. I use a Blues Driver for overdrive and a Fulltone GT-500 for full clean tones on the edge of breakup. I also have a Boss Tuner, MXR Comp and Guyatone Delay in my pedalboard. I play blues, rock, country and jazz. I play both strats and Les Pauls depending on the song. This pickup will do any of these styles, it won't do metal. I have noticed that some people give this pickup a bad rap. I have played it for over a year now and let me say that if you have a good set of strings, a high quality tube amp and crank it up it sounds excellent. It has some cool overtones that I have not heard on any other dual-coil pickup. If you play these styles of music that I mentioned above you should give it a try. It can get bright in the wrong amp, but a treble adjustment at the amp usually fixes that. You can also adjust the tone knob on your guitar to make it more jazz suitable. I would say that it is most at home playing classic rock such as Frampton or Foreigner and early country rock such as the Charlie Daniels Band. Since these bands were playing mostly vintage Les Pauls I guess that means that Gibson met their goal of reproducing 1959 Les Paul tone. If you want to do Boston or Journey then get the 490/498 pickup. If you want the pure jazz tone then get the Classic 57. All in all I think this pickup is the best choice for my Les Paul needs.

I have been playing 36 years. I own two strats, one tele, the Les Paul, a Wolfgang and a Martin acoustic.
I like the way it has an almost strat like quality, it does not go thud like some humbuckers. It also does not cut your head off with too much brightness. It is a finesse type pickup and it really responds well to your fingers and your amp. It also kicks butt for slide work. I have tried these other bridge pickups in another Les Paul I had - Duncan 59(kinda dead), Gibson 498T(very good but a little too hot), Dimarzio Norton(too many mids), Duncan Custom Custom(too dull), Duncan Custom(too bright). I have decided to stay with the LP Standard Faded with the Burstbucker Pros - it is the best sounding pickup for my present needs.

Burstbucker pro as installed in chambereed 2007 LP standard with slim 60s neck.
Gibson Factory pickup, comes standard in newer Les Pauls, available by Gibson for replacement in other guitars.

These are simply amazing pickups. Played through a Mesa Boogie MK1v, you have all classic sounds available to you by rolling off the volume on the guitar and full on crunch keeping the guitar roofed.

There is a comment below complaining about "Ice-Picks" If you read the guys amplifier choices, you will see the problem. "poor choice of amp". These pickups are 10 in sound. Bar none.

An absolutely outstanding guitar pickup, Gibson did a great job on balance, tone, versatility. The harmonic capabilitiies are outstanding, even just changing the angle of your pick, where you pick, it is all translated nicely. I have been playing since 1980 and have always used high quality tube amps and 'uncluttered' effects, (maybe the odd Boss Delay pedal etc. (also used a myriad effects for experimental work but we are talking a highend pickup here so it should be tested pretty dry to hear what it does) Comparing the BB pros to Gibson 500T/496R and Gibson 498T and 490R, these pickups add a nice new dimension and range. Excellent Pickups bar none.

Features??

Well, I suppose...

Gibson-sized humbuckers. Passive. Chrome or gold covers, single row of exposed pole pieces.

Put a pair in an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Lefty, replacing the Epiphone Alnico Classic humbucking pickups.

Changed them because I was underwhelmed by the original pups, although I did not dislike the originals- just wanted more...

Hotter than "average" for a humbucker, I think.

Have used them with many amps, most were tubes.

Tone- a bit bassy, perhaps, but certainly not too much to my ears.

Overall sound is VERY good, highly recommended. These have really made my band mates sit up and take notice when I play this guitar, and that has helped me earn cred I may not have gotten otherwise.

These pups have spoiled me, so I would probably have to replace them if the guitar got stolen. I've been playing for four decades.

Compared them to the stock Epi Alnico Classic humbucking pickups and the HB's in my Westone Thunder 1A. These are much better than the Epis, and noticiably (but not hugely) better than the pups in the Westone.

Very satisified- for a HB pair-equipped guitar, I feel like they are all I want or need.

Passive humbucker, I think it has Alico V magnets in it and was designed to sound quite close to the traditional PAF.

I put this in the bridge position in a Gibson Les Paul Studio, to replace a Burstbucker 2, which in turn had replaced the stock one (498T). I have the stock pickup still in the neck (498R)

The output level of this pickup is probably medium - which is what I wanted after the slightly harsh over powered stock pickup. First I tried a Burstbucker 2, and although it gave me something more mellow, it was somehow TOO mellow and lacked guts. I actually preferred the stock one to that. The Burstbucker Pro though sounds more or less perfect to my ears - a good balance - bass is well defined and treble is not too spikey or harsh. I think it combines the best of a tradition PAF sound with a more modern, smooth sort of tone. It handles overdrive very well - doesn't lose its definition or become muddy at all really. But it also sounds great clean. It's perhaps not quite as nice as the Burstbucker 2 clean, but the latter was definitely inferior as soon as you added even a little overdrive and somehow had a hollow or empty bottom end. The great thing about the Burstbucker pro too, is that you have more flexibility with the amp EQ, since it is very well balanced. You don't have to adjust it for muddiness or harshness I find. Finally, it is a very responsive pickup which definitely highlights changes in your picking and hammering technique.

I would definitely put this in my guitar again if it was somehow damaged. I think it makes my Studio sound exactly how a Les Paul should, and can cover everything I need. Since putting this pickup in the guitar, I haven't been able to put it down, and find more uses for the guitar in recording contexts than I did previously. If you are in doubt about upgrading or changing your humbucker in a Les Paul guitar, this is definitely a good bet for a pickup. However, I hear that it depends a little on the specific guitar. For mine, it seems to be a match made in heaven.

Humbucker with 2 lead wiring. It's only down fall.

I have used this pickup in , Les Paul's,Ibanez my custom guitars, ESP, Charvels and Jackson guitars. I have what they call G.A.S. We all know what that means. I think the only problem with this pickup is the 2 wire lead thing. I know it is meant for a certain tone. But you can always solder a lead to the wires connecting the 2 coils and tap it your self.

Well I have to say. I have went through most if not all the Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio pickups. Not to say Rio Grande some other boutique pickups. Here is the trick. Maybe it's me. But I found if you take these particular pickups. Remove the cover and only remove the wax for visual purposes. This thing comes to life. Big change from it having the cover on. I even told this to my guitar tech which has been my tech for many of years and he was even amazed at the difference. I am all about tone. Be it jazz rock thrash blues I love it all. I rely on my amp for gain. My guitar for it's tone and me for style of playing. I have been playing since 1978.

If stolen I would definitely replace it. Others here say it's too basy, muddy. I think they need to learn how to adjust their pickups and know what type wood it is being put in. So they can adjust the pot's (volume-tone) knobs and caps they are using. Knowing your wood electronics and tone is everything. 500K are brighter and 250k are warmer. Plus knowing which type of capacitors to use is critical.

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