NPU - Suhr Thornbucker+

[Kevin11]

I mentioned this briefly in another thread, but thought I'd start a new one. TLDR; for all you guys and gals looking for that "slightly overwound PAF" thing, I highly recommend you give the Thornbucker+ a go.

I have zero affiliation with Suhr or Pete, just had a great experience I wanted to share. I've had this 2005 basswood/maple Suhr H/S/S Standard I bought new years ago. It's been perfect in every way except the battle I've been waging with the bridge pickup. It came with a DSH that was immediately replaced with an Aldrich, which I gigged with for about 10 years. Awesome pickup, but still not exactly what I wanted in that guitar. So the "slightly overwound PAF" hunt started.

Literally spent years trying all of the typical big manufacturer offerings. Decided to go back to Suhr and try a Thornbucker+. Just got it in and it's THE sound I've been searching for, for way too long. With most pickups swaps for me, I usually feel like I get "close" and just end up settling. Thankfully, that wasn't the case this time.

Someone mentioned here recently something to the effect that Suhr pickups were sterile or lacked character in comparison to some of the smaller boutique pickups. I've tried a number of their pickups I personally didn't gel with, but the TB+ flat-out oozes character...period. Rather than me trying to describe it in words, and since I don't have a good way to record decent clips, listen to VH's "Hang 'Em High". I have no idea what Ed used in that song, but rock-wise, that vibe is almost spot-on. Might not be for everyone, but it's exactly what I was looking for. John and Pete definitely hit a home run here!

 

[guitarnerdswe]

I agree, that's one kick ass PAF-style humbucker. I used the SSV for many years before, and I can't get why people say that it lacks character, even though I don't agree. The Thornbucker + and SSV are more alike than they're different, but the T+ has a high end that rolls off earlier and a more pronounced resonance peak. I think the flatter peak of the SSV is why some think it's sterile, it's a bit more neutral and more hi-fi.

The T+ also has more of a single coil quality in terms of the attack/twang/spank. More like a tele on steroids. It does have unbalanced coils, which means it's not 100% perfect humbucking, which in turns gives it a bit more of that character.

 

[PDC]

Thank you for this post! I’m definitely gonna grab one of these and give it a try. We sound like we have similar tastes in output and tonal balance. The less popular / less common offering that I found really fills the bill is the Duncan Whole Lotta Humbucker at 8.7(ish) dcr and rough cast A5 magnet. You don’t find a bunch of threads about that one, but in the right piece of lumber, it’s a winner.

 

[LP Freak]

To me for that PAF tone the Wolfetone Marshallhead came out on top of the Thornbucker +.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

To me for that PAF tone the Wolfetone Marshallhead came out on top of the Thornbucker +.

Care to share your impressions of it?

 

[LP Freak]

To me for that PAF tone the Wolfetone Marshallhead came out on top of the Thornbucker +.

Care to share your impressions of it?

To me the Thornbucker sounds a lot like I’ve seen other guys impressions of Suhr pickups, kinda sterile, flat and lifeless. It reminded me of a Dimarzio 35th Anniversary. I had them in an SG so YMMV.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

To me for that PAF tone the Wolfetone Marshallhead came out on top of the Thornbucker +.

Care to share your impressions of it?

To me the Thornbucker sounds a lot like I’ve seen other guys impressions of Suhr pickups, kinda sterile, flat and lifeless. It reminded me of a Dimarzio 35th Anniversary. I had them in an SG so YMMV.

Ok! I used a 36th anni for a lot of years. The T+ is quite different, and better pickup to my ears. The 36th anni was just, boring.

 

[jape23]

I agree, that's one kick ass PAF-style humbucker. I used the SSV for many years before, and I can't get why people say that it lacks character, even though I don't agree. The Thornbucker + and SSV are more alike than they're different, but the T+ has a high end that rolls off earlier and a more pronounced resonance peak. I think the flatter peak of the SSV is why some think it's sterile, it's a bit more neutral and more hi-fi.

The T+ also has more of a single coil quality in terms of the attack/twang/spank. More like a tele on steroids. It does have unbalanced coils, which means it's not 100% perfect humbucking, which in turns gives it a bit more of that character.

I installed an SSV+ in one of my super strats and it sounds really great in that particular guitar. It doesn't work quite as well in some of my other guitars though. It's really about finding the right combination. Sometimes, what works well in one guitar won't always sound as good through another, even if the build specs are similar.

I have the Thornbucker bridge pickup in a couple of other guitars, and I agree with the OP that it sounds pretty damn good... very similar to the Fralin Unbucker to my ears.

In most cases though, for that sort of lower output/PAF vibe, a Bareknuckle Mule or a Tom Holmes H455 are tops in my book. I haven't tried anything that sounds better than those pickups.

 

[Kevin11]

The Wolftones get mentioned here quite a bit. Sounds like I need to check those out. I've got other guitars I can try new pickups in.

I looked at the Whole Lotta Humbucker too, but generally speaking here, Page's tone tends to have a little too much honk for my tastes. So I kinda skipped over them thinking they might be similar. Maybe they're not? Lots of love around for that sort of "PAF" tonality, but I much prefer the "scooped-mids" type.

I really wanted get back to a Suhr pickup in my Standard and knowing I wanted to stay more on the clear, vintage side of things, figured the TB+ would be worth a shot. There are so many PAF-ish options out there. One person's "awesome" may be another's "meh". Regardless of whether it's a Suhr pickup or not, in my particular guitar, and with my playing style and rig, it's perfect and exactly what I wanted. Pickup swaps are such a crap shoot and with me at least, that almost never happens. I'm way too picky.

 

[bwgintegra]

I had Thornbucker+ in my PRS SC245 and it was a perfect fit for that guitar

 

[blackba]

First I have read of Suhr pickups being sterile and lifeless. Not been my findings at all. I have a set of thornbuckers in a 73 LP custom and an ES339. The thornbucker plus wasn't out when I put them in, but I may have to check one out for the LP.

 

[Jarick]

I've got a few of the humbuckers in this thread that I kind of rotate through out of indecisiveness.

The Thornbucker+ is a great bridge pickup for just about any guitar I think. At one point I had them in all my humbucker guitars including a Les Paul, an HSS Strat, and a PRS. I've also tried the SSV+ which is I'd say a notch hotter and a bit fatter/more aggressive all around. The TB+ is smoother, lower output, clearer, a bit of single coil clarity (while still being a humbucker).

Two others I've tried recently were the Marshallhead, which is kind of looser and more aggressive than the TB+, kind of reminds me of the Duncan 78. And I also have a set of Friedman Classic pickups (Plus bridge, I think they once belonged to a member here) that are again hotter and fatter, especially in the neck position (my neck is wound hot compared to specs).

Right now I've got the Wolfetone Marshallhead in my Les Paul (Dr Vintage neck) which is a nice more traditional set. I go between the Friedman and Suhr pickups in the PRS, love the Friedman Classic Plus bridge but the neck can be fat. So I may load the Suhr SSV+ bridge/TB neck set in again.

Lots of fun options out there...

 

[SFW]

I'm glad the Thornbucker + worked out well for you! Personally, I hated that pickup. I absolutely love the SSV+, SSH+ and Aldrich. The SSV+ is my goto for hot PAF tones in a strat style guitar. I found the serious lack of compression hard to deal with on the TB. It sounds great on play back, but I felt like I was fighting the guitar while playing with that pickup. Different strokes for different folks. For reference, I also have a set of Duncan Antiquities that don't feel near as hard to play on. However, that is the beauty of guitar. What works for some, doesn't work for others. I seriously am happy that the TB+ is doing the job for you.

 

[Jarick]

I'm glad the Thornbucker + worked out well for you! Personally, I hated that pickup. I absolutely love the SSV+, SSH+ and Aldrich. The SSV+ is my goto for hot PAF tones in a strat style guitar. I found the serious lack of compression hard to deal with on the TB. It sounds great on play back, but I felt like I was fighting the guitar while playing with that pickup. Different strokes for different folks. For reference, I also have a set of Duncan Antiquities that don't feel near as hard to play on. However, that is the beauty of guitar. What works for some, doesn't work for others. I seriously am happy that the TB+ is doing the job for you.

What are your thoughts on the Thornbucker neck? Did you try the SSV neck at all?

I've got a TB/TB+ set and an SSV+. I bounce around pickups in my guitars but had the TB set in my PRS CE-24 for quite a while. It's versatile but does lack some of that push and I guess interest. I put the SSV+ in and that definitely kicked it up a notch in terms of output, push, and more aggressive tone. So I kick around trying an SSV in the neck spot.

On the flip side, my Les Paul is louder with more sustain and mids than the bolt-on PRS, so the TB set is good in there. In fact most humbucker neck pickups seem too fat in the LP and the TB is a much clearer option.

And to round out, the TB+ is nice in an HSS Strat as it's again lower output so it doesn't overwhelm the single coils as much.

 

[Kevin11]

I'm glad the Thornbucker + worked out well for you! Personally, I hated that pickup. I absolutely love the SSV+, SSH+ and Aldrich. The SSV+ is my goto for hot PAF tones in a strat style guitar. I found the serious lack of compression hard to deal with on the TB. It sounds great on play back, but I felt like I was fighting the guitar while playing with that pickup. Different strokes for different folks. For reference, I also have a set of Duncan Antiquities that don't feel near as hard to play on. However, that is the beauty of guitar. What works for some, doesn't work for others. I seriously am happy that the TB+ is doing the job for you.

It's all good! I can totally understand why it wouldn't work for everyone. I think it all really comes down to your particular guitar, your signal chain and what you want to hear. My main amp is an old Bogner XTC 101B. I run it a bit differently than most. I usually leave the boost engaged on blue and red, but run the gains on those channels really low. So I run a fairly compressed tone right out of the gate. I kind of have the opposite problem than you. Most of the hotter pickups with the way I run the XTC tend to be a little too over the top. The TB+ just happened to get my Suhr exactly in the spot where I wanted it. Still very chewy, but brighter and more cutting. The highs have a bit of that scritchy-ness (pardon the made up word), but smoothed out by just the right amount so it's not harsh. They're definitely not "creamy", at least in my guitar. I have the Aldrich set in a LP Custom and while hotter than the TB, they aren't nearly as compressed as one would think. I really dig those too. I'm favoring the lower output pickups more these days for sure though.

Lots of great suggestions here. In that same ballpark, I also really loved the Duncan 78 in an old LP Custom I used to have. I also have an EVH Frankenstein (not Wolfgang) in a Charvel SoCal that sounds killer. Pretty sure both of those are A2 mag with mis-matched coils. The A2 can be a little soft on the lows, which is why I wanted to try the TB+ with the alnico IV.

 

[SFW]

What are your thoughts on the Thornbucker neck? Did you try the SSV neck at all?

I've got a TB/TB+ set and an SSV+. I bounce around pickups in my guitars but had the TB set in my PRS CE-24 for quite a while. It's versatile but does lack some of that push and I guess interest. I put the SSV+ in and that definitely kicked it up a notch in terms of output, push, and more aggressive tone. So I kick around trying an SSV in the neck spot.

On the flip side, my Les Paul is louder with more sustain and mids than the bolt-on PRS, so the TB set is good in there. In fact most humbucker neck pickups seem too fat in the LP and the TB is a much clearer option.

And to round out, the TB+ is nice in an HSS Strat as it's again lower output so it doesn't overwhelm the single coils as much.

I have used the SSV neck and well as the TB neck. One of my favorite combos was the TB neck and the SSV+ in the bridge of my Charvel. (Clip below) I've been on a big Suhr Aldrich kick in my Les Pauls lately. They smack the front of my QuickRod in a way I really like. And yes, they ae not as compressed as one would assume.