Product: Sheptone Blue Sky
Price Paid: AUD 320
Submitted
10/24/2008
at
09:07pm
by
Red Baron
Features
:
The Sheptone Blue Sky (PAF replica) pickup set is designed to emulate the tone of Dickey Betts famous Goldtop, but in a modern Les Paul.
Magnets: A4 (both pickups)
Bridge: 8.1k
Neck: 7.6k
First let me say that I've owned quite a few different flavours of boutique pickups, but these are the first I've felt compelled to write a review about... yes its a gushing review and I'm not ashamed to say that sometimes you find a product that exceeds your expectations so it deserves a great review...
Instrument
:
I've installed these pickups into a 2007 Gibson Les Paul 1960 Historic Reissue.
Although they replaced an existing set of boutique pickups, there's no point in derailing or make comparisons with other manufacturers products, except for saying that the Blue Sky's gave me the tone I was searching for.
After installation the first thing I noticed was how alive the guitar suddenly sounded (and this guitar already had all the sound enhancing mods done to it), there was a totally new organic complexity in the tone I'd never heard from the guitar before.
Sound
:
10
These pickups have spectacular clarity and an open airiness about them. Add to that extreme sensitivity to playing dynamics, and you have a set of pickups that in my opinion rival a good set of original PAF's.
I play mostly blues/classic rock (influenced by early ZZ Top, Zep, Peter Green etc) ...with my Orange Retro 50 and Sheptone Blue Sky equipped Les Paul, I'm now getting without doubt the best vintage Les Paul tone I've ever experienced...
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing for roughly 37 years and have owned a lot of nice gear during that time. Some products really stand out from the crowd and I feel that Jeff from Sheptone is producing one of those truly outstanding products.
Not only do they sound magnificent, they look tremendous with aged covers. If you check out the Sheptone website you'll see just what went into these pickups, including bobbins that were cast from a real PAF bobbin. Considering the amount of work that has obviously gone into making these pickups, I think they're extremely good value for money... considerably less expensive than some competitors products I've bought.
Dealing with Jeff (from across the other side of the world) was easy, communication was excellent and the pickups arrived within a reasonable timeframe.
In all honestly, regardless of price, the bottom line is tone and take my word for it, if you want vintage tone, these babies will give it to you in spades.
