Gibson Burstbucker

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 7.7k

Model of guitar or bass: 02 Gibson Les Paul Special
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: 490R Alnico Magnet Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Burstbucker 2
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock, blues, grunge, psychadelic
Reason for pickup change: Needed new pickups for this guitar I'm building, but I figured that it could never be a Les Paul Custom so I put the burstbuckers in the real les paul, and put the old gibson pickups into the new guitar.

Perceived output level: Les than my old 490R Alnico humbucker, but louder than the burstbucker 2
Tone: great bass, very little mid, good treble (slightly overshadowed by the louder bass). You can hear every note in the chord... amazing.
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing the burstbucker and burstbucker 2 in my Gibson LP Special via Monster Cables which pump the sound through a boss tuner, boss oc-2, morley wah, mxr distortion +, and mxr phaser (with some special guitar center mods) and then it all goes back to my Marshall AVT275. When I practice at home, I just use this shitty Crate GFX-15. My guitar/pickup combo sounds great through most amps that I've played on, but especially good on Marshalls.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for classic rock stuff, kinda difficult to get a dirty garage sound because these are more about beauty, good for funk/rap/r&b, great for bassy blues. I haven't tried this pickup in any other positions.

Comments: If this were broken or stolen, I would definately by another one. I am convinced that the burstbuckers are the greatest pickups ever. I have been playing for two and a half years now (wow, that's nothing...) but I play for hours every day. All of my gear is mentioned above, besides my guitar that I just made. I love the purity of this pickup; you can really hear every note in a chord. Not having mid range tones is hard to get used to, but I have other guitars for that. The pickup is also kind of bass heavy. Also, you will be able to hear all the mistakes that you couldn't hear on your old pickups. Overall though, this pickup really went above and beyond what I expected. I can now get the sound of a LP Custom through my LP Special.

Pickup features: humbucker passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone SG Special
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Factory
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Still looking
Reason for pickup change: I wanted my guitar to sound like a PRS. This pickup is what the guitar center recommended.

Perceived output level: Normal
Tone: bassy and trebly
Sonic evaluation: I put a #1 in the neck and a #3 in the bridge of my Epiphone SG Special guitar. I played them through a Fender Blues Deluxe Amp (with and without a Digitech 2120 preamp). These pickups sound fantastic going direct through the amp. They consistently produce a nice jazzy sound that is similar to what a PRS produces. Through the preamp with clean effects, they sound great. The metal and rhythmic metal effects sound good only if the presence is boosted.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For blues, funk, and jazz, this pickup with give you the sound you want. For metal, you might want another pickup although these can give you the right sound if you manipulate your effects a little bit.

Comments: These pickups didn't give me the PRS sound I was looking for exactly. They lack a bit in the midrange to get that sound. If they were stolen, I would likely go with a #2 in the neck position instead to get a more full sound. Since these pickups are not wax-potted, feedback was a problem for me. This was greatly reduced when I shielded the inside of the body (via tinfoil) of my guitar. I wouldn't wax-pot these because I wouldn't want to change the sound. These are great pickups for the price. I know where my perfect sound is (PRS), but this works very well when you're not rich.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Neck: 7.65 /Bridge: 8.3

Model of guitar or bass: Tokai Love Rock
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original Pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, etc.
Reason for pickup change: Original pickups lacked depth and punch, as well as complexity.

Perceived output level: Traditional PAF territory, not really hot.
Tone: These pickups are on the bright side, with biting edge, especially on the bridge. They have a tight and prominent bass response, but are attentuated in the mids.
Sonic evaluation: For practice I play through a Fender '64 Vibrochamp with a Fender Reissue. With a band I play through a Mesa Heartbreaker combo.
I have a #1 Burstbucker with Alnico V magnets in the neck, and a #2 Burstbucker with Alnico 2 magnets in the bridge.
I can only say that these are incredible pickups. I've been mainly a Fender guy for most of my twenty years of playing, but sometimes you need the punch of a humbucker. I have another Les Paul with Duncan Antiquities. While they are great, they really do sound like "old" pickups with the edges of the sound worn off. They have the complexity, but do not have the "edge" that the Burstbuckers have, where the sound seems to jump out of the guitar.
When I put the Burstbuckers into the Tokai I was expecting some cross between the Duncans and Gibson's '57 PAF reissues. I can only say I was amazed. No they are not as warm and complex as the Duncans, but these pickups are more "alive." They are so much better than the '57 PAF reissues, which give a punchy, but very smooth sound--which some people especially jazzers would like.
But these pickups are not for everyone. Some people like humbuckers that are dark and chunky, which the Burstbuckers are not. They don't hide careless technique and mistakes like most humbuckers. This is especially a warning to players who play through modern Marshalls which are usually very bright.
I was always weary of humbuckers as I always felt like I was playing through a cottony gauze that limited my picking attack and dynamics. Perhaps because of the uneven windings, there is an edge on these pickups--especially the #2 in the bridge position--which I have not heard in any other PAF replications.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Definitely not a metal pickup, perhaps too bright and edgey for jazz, but an excellent blues and rock pickup.

Comments: Yes these pickups are so good, I'm thinking of taking out the Antiquities in my other Les Paul, and replacing them with Burstbuckers.
One day I might try humbuckers from Voodoo Pickups or Lindy Fralin, but I got these Burstbuckers much less than $250 or so for a set of those. Not only are these pickups incredible sounding, they are a bargain compared to the high-end boutique humbuckers.

Pickup features: humbucker #2 in bridge and neck
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Dearmond x155
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock junk
Other pickups on guitar: stock pickups
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): jazz, blues , rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were way to bright with a very unforgiving treble bite. The stock pickups were brighter than my telecaster. Great guitar terrible pickups do yourself a favor and get one of these Dearmond jazz boxes and save the big bucks for your retirement, there really is not that much of a difference in the sound once you change out the electronics.

Perceived output level: They seem about the same, I tend to keep my pickups adjusted farther from the strings.
Tone: The best pickup I've heard from Gibson, it's about time they started doing something right.
Sonic evaluation: I use these pickups in a deep hollow body guitar and they sound great. The tone reminds me of the old jazz guys very textered and sweet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I got this pickup for a jazz guitar, but I'm sure it would sound good in any situation.

Comments: I've been playing for some time and this pickup is definitely gibsons best effort. Don't even bother with their other pickups because they suck, just do yourself a favor and get the burstbuckers. They have more character, sweeter tone, more airy and textered etc... I do not know if frailins are better, wasn't able to compare them, but before buying these I listened to, classic 57, 57+, 498, 500, Seymour duncan alnico 2, seth lovers(waxed and stock)and others I can't remember. The burstbuckers do offer more than all of these others the only pickup that I actually liked was the alnico 2 but the burstbucker does have more going for it, maybe it's the uneven windings. Overall I doubt that I'll look for something else unless someone hands me something that I just have to try, otherwise I'm very happy. If I do sell the guitar the pickups are staying with me, these pickups are making me love humbucker guitars again.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: I'm using a Burstbucker #1 (neck 7.7k) and #3 (bridge, 8.3k)

Model of guitar or bass: 2001 Les Paul Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: 490R/498T
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Gary Moore
You musical style(s): Classic Rock - Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups had too much bottom end, resulting in a muddy sound. Also, they weren't clear-sounding.

Perceived output level: Less output compared to modern pickups. This results in better tone, but harder to do pinch harmonics.
Tone: Accentuated bass and treble response.
Sonic evaluation: I play Les Pauls thru Marshall Plexis. The Burstbuckers have lots of bass and treble, but their lack of mids make them sound brittle instead of warm. I really noticed this when comparing them to 50's era PAFs that I own. That said, the Burstbuckers are still way better than the stock pickups. They are a lot clearer.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Versatile pickup: covers the gamut from blues to metal.

Comments: I've been playing for 20 years, but it's only been in the last couple of years that I've really payed close attention to getting the perfect tone. The Burstbuckers are pretty good, but hopefully I'll come across another pair of great sounding PAFs before long, at which time I'll sell the Burstbuckers.

Pickup features: Humbucker with nickel cover #2
Impedence or other specs: 8.2 k ohms 2 conductor wiring

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Custom Ace Frehley model
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Classic 57
Other pickups on guitar: Classic 57 and 490R
Artists using this pickup: Gary Moore
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: I thought when I bought a Classic 57 I was buying the best PAF reproduction pickup from Gibson. Now the come out with the Burstbucker and I have heard so many good things about them I had to check them out. And for $100 new I thought it was a good time to try it.

Perceived output level: Medium output pickup. It's a #2. Hotter than my Classic 57.
Tone: Very clean, balanced output. A bit more treble and bright sounding.
Sonic evaluation: I have a Rivera Fandango 112. I plugged in my LP and cranked it up and this pickup squealed like a stuck pig. It has no wax potting (like the original paf's) so it will feedback badly if you stand in front of your amp with high gain. It sounds great other than that.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly rock so this pickup matches up good on most stuff. This is a #2 and could be used in the bridge or neck depending on what your using it with. It measures around 8.2k and my classic 57 in the neck is around 7.8k so it's a great match.

Comments: I have been playing for 17 years and have tried dozens of pickups. It gives my Epi Les Paul a great vintage sound when played with lower distortion. It sounds better than the Classic 57 I had in the bridge position before it. It's very bright sounding. It's hard for me to compare it to a real PAF since I have never heard one personally. I have heard of some people getting them wax potted to prevent the terrible feedback but I hven't heard if this effects the tone at all.

Pickup features: HUMBUCKER
Impedence or other specs: #3 IN THE BRIDGE AND # 2 FOR THE NECK

Model of guitar or bass: EPI LES PAUL CUSTOM
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: STOCK
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: //
You musical style(s): ROCK: NEW AND OLD
Reason for pickup change: TRYING TO GET A EPI LP TO SOUND AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO A GIBSON LP

Perceived output level: HOT, GREAT HARMONICS .NOT TO HOT, JUST RIGHT
Tone: TONE IS WARM AND FAT NO MUD
Sonic evaluation: EPI LP CUSTOM, I ALSO HAVE 79 GIBSON LP CLASSIC AND PLAY THROUGH MESA BOOGIE 60 WATT.
I FIRST TRIED THE FOLLOWING P/U: SD JEFF B, SD 59, AND I DO LOVE JB BUT THE BURSBUCKERS ARE THE BEST ALL AROUND P/U. THEY ARE HOT AND I HAD NO INTENTION LOOKING FOR A ZZ TOP SOUND BUT THAT IS THE 1ST THING THAT COMES TO MIND. THESE ARE VERY VERSITLE AND A BIT PRICY BUT WELL WORTH IT. MY EPI LP SOUNDS WONDERFUL AND ADDED THAT GIBSON TONE. I THINK MY EPI IS ACTUALLY SOUNDS BETTER THAN MY GIBSON-GO FIGURE! I ALSO MUST ADD HOW EASY THESE WERE TO INSTALL, THE TWO-CONDUCTER WIRE DOES NOT GET ANY EASIER. I READ BELOW SAYING THES ARE NOT METAL P/U?S BUT I HAD NO PROB WHEN CRANKING THE DIST ON MY MESA. THAT IS WHY I SAY THESE ARE SO VERSITLE, ZZ TOP THRU DEFAULT, PUDDLE OF MUD, ETC.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: GREAT MATCH FOR ALMOST ANYTHING. BEST FOR "IN YOUR FACE" CLASSIC ROCK

Comments: THESE P/U'S HAVE BALLS. I LOVE EM. BEEN AT 15 PLUS. WAISTED LOTS OF MONEY ON OTHER STUFF. THESE ARE QUALITY P/U'S. I USE #3 IN THE BRIDGE AND #2 IN THE NECK. PRICY BUT WELL WORTH IT. OVER ALL BALANCE IS PERFECT TO MY EARS, NO COMPLAINTS. JUST RAW GIBSON SOUND. I GIVE THEM A LARGE 10. BEST IVE SEEN FROM GIBSON.

Pickup features: Hum.
Impedence or other specs: Burstbucker 2 in neck 3 in bridge

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson Kelly
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Jackson?
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Metal/Rock/blues
Reason for pickup change: I love the guitar style but couldnt afford a new Kelly so I decided to beef mine up and started at the pickups

Perceived output level: not as hot as 500T but pretty close
Tone: awsome!
Sonic evaluation: just expensive headphones and a cheap effects processor or wheatever i can get my hands on

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Love Metal, but it isnt exactly a metal pickup. it sounds awsome with clean tone but gives a pretty cool, and different soung when distorted. i love it

Comments: Played for about 5 years, if lost, hey i can always buy new and i sure would buy one new, especially for the bridge, when trying to harmonize highs and lows, the lows seemed to drown out the highs alot unless the bridge was on and the neck was off giving it a high trebley tone, i chose it because it was different and not to many guitars had it unless they were very expensive, wanted to try something new with the sounds i like, in a way i am very satisfied. i love the sound, it was unexpected, not all the extreme highs i want but its awsome.

Pickup features: Humbuckers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Stock on '01 Les Paul '58 reissue
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, whatever
Reason for pickup change: No change - these were stock

Perceived output level: Vintage
Tone: Incredibly balanced
Sonic evaluation: Going through two Crate VC-3112 Class A 30 watt amps, these pickups are the best! They have a real sweet high-mid with more highs than the '57 Classic humbuckers. They are lower in output than some pickups but their sweet tone was well worth it. Great harmonics and they were creamy when I went into overdrive.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for all styles except real hard metal

Comments: I plan on retro-fitting all my Les Pauls with these pickups as soon as they are available in stores (which I'm told will be in December sometime).

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 9.0

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Gary Moore
You musical style(s): Pop/Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: Not quite as hot as a Gibson 500T but hotter than the '57 classic...
Tone: Neck position gets pretty thick, great for leads. Bridge is VERY trebly.
Sonic evaluation: The set up I use is the Les Paul through an Ibanez tube screamer into a Marshall JCM 800 2x12 Combo with a 2x12 extention cab.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mainly modern hard rock, for which this pickup is perfect for. In the Gary Moore Les Paul, It's the same pickup in both positions. The difference in the tones is in the location.

Comments: The "BURSTBUCKER" by Gibson is a hybrid of a couple of their best sounding pickups to date. Each coil has about 250 winds of copper wire. They come stock in the Gary Moore signature Les Paul. The most interesting feature being the rhythm pickup comes as one white coil and one black coil but is reversed in the mounting ring as to add more mid range. The rear pickup is uncovered, both coils being black. This configuration with the reversed zebra was made popular in the early 70's by Peter Green, a friend of Gary Moore's. Many southern rock and 70's era players in general adopted this modification for their own Les Pauls. Just watch the movie "Almost Famous" and pay close attention to the Les Paul the guitarist uses in the live performances.