Stan Hinesley Viper

Bridge Position Humbucker with 4-conductor wiring.

Have it on my Ibanez RG450MMH and USACG Strat. Both of them in the bridge position. There's a DropZone in the neck for the RG and a Zen for the USACG.

I run it through a PS-5>RMC2>Looper>Modded JnH, Screwdriver, Sahasrara OD, Tonefactor 11>Ch-1>Modded Phase90>DMM>GE-7>amp.

Tone is really great sounding. Harmonics are screaming on this thing. Coil-tapped its very good too especially on the USACG. On the mahogany rg it isn't as nice. You can get really twangy with it. Cuts through the mix very well.

I play mostly classic to modern rock and blues.

Would definitely get it replaced if it ever fails, which i doubt it would, the craftsmanship is really good.

Been playing for about 6 years and this is one of the top rated pickups to me.

The pickups are finalised on these 2 guitars. Definitely not swapping these out.

Passive Humbucker, 13.06K ohms, no adjustable poles.

I have this installed in the bridge position of my Epiphone Genesis. It's replacing the stock pickups, though I briefly tried a Duncan Buckshot in there as well. The stock pickups are on the harsh side and the Buckshot was just too hot. This pickup is just about right and has found a permanent home.

Output is good, not too hot with a nice even tone. The first word that came to mind for me was "sweet". I play it through a Marshall JCM600 and the chords ring nicely. The upper registers just sing out with no harshness. Power chords are nice and tight. I play classic to hard rock and I love this pickup.

Not only would I replace this pickup if something happened to it, I'm planning on buying another for my other Genesis. The other guitarist in my band liked the sound too and is hoping to get some pickups from Stan in the future. Only thing I wish I had gotten with it is the cover (simply for cosmetics) and I'll get the next set with them. For a hand-wound pickup, the price on these is quite reasonable. The main alternative for me was either Gibson or Duncan. The 498T was harsh to my ears and the JB was just too sterile. There may be others from their lines that would be as good but the Viper got there first and now I can't imagine not having it in my guitar.

Passive Humbucker, DC 13.5k, Ceremic

I installed this in the bridge position of an Ibanez S520EX - slim Mahogany body, maple neck with rosewood board, Ibanez EDGE trem.

This Viper replaces a Dimarzio Evo 2, which has replaced a lot of other Dimarzio pickups - Breed neck, Breed bridge, X2N, Tonezone, Megadrive, Double Whammy, etc etc.

Main reason was to try something new and the Evo2 was really quite compressed... the other Dimarzio pickups didn't make the cut too.

Its quite a hot pickup, medium-hot - it does overdrive my Reverend Goblin tube amp if I pick harder. So if you are looking for vintage stuff, this isn't really it... ;)

My gear consists of an Ibanez S520EX guitar, a Reverend Goblin 15w tube amp, several booteek dirt pedals (Skreddy Screwdriver, Blackstone Overdrive) amongst other things. I guess what would matter is the amp and guitar. My amp is usually set cleanish then the dirt pedals provide the main oomph.

The tone is overall quite balanced - no excessive freqencies except perhaps in the mids. Speaking of the mids, there are more mids but not to the extent of sounding overly honky. There is a good amount of bass but it is not muddy, instead, it is quite "loose". I find pickups that have very tight bass to sound "less natural" and just feels too "stiff". The Viper leans slighty to the tight bass sound. Treble is great! It screams and wails but it isn't brittle.
Compression-wise, the Viper isn't like the Evo2, its definately more open but has enough compression to sing notes that are sustained. I like the way the Viper works with the way I play... the Evo2 was so compressed, notes were flying off just too easily - you lose some nauces. With Stan's pickup, the nuances are much more present. Digging in and light picking - obvious differences. Very pleased.
A very very nice thing to note - the Viper retains its body even when playing high up the neck. It doesn't thin out and get puny! Very good!
Harmonic response is excellent, though not as good as the Evo2 but just a hair... doesn't bother me.

I enjoy rock and I play instrumentals, just doing my own stuff... you know the usual widdle-widdly-widdoo stuff? =)

I've tried the Viper in the neck for a short while, its too fat sounding for me but when split in the neck, very very nice, I enjoyed it split much more then in series. For my tastes, I'll use it in the bridge - it simply excels there!

I'll buy it again if mine stopped working. :) No reason to mess with what works!

The only reason I would have to "complain" is that it isn't available off the shelf! Hahaha... and I have to wait to get it...

I am satisfied with it. =)