What Pickups for a Flying V

[harddriver]

Got to spend a good amount of time with it yesterday. I'll post more in the NGD thread.

For now, I'm gonna keep the 498/490 in it. They're good pickups and I'm still getting accustomed to what it sounds like. If it's in need of something that the stock pups aren't giving me, I haven't found it yet.

If I do change them out, I might try the Throbak DT-102, simply because I have them already, so it's a no cost option. My concern is that they're too close to the Burstbuckers I have in my natural V and I really want this one to have its own voice. Then again, maybe they'd be different enough. Easy enough to put them in and find out, though.

If I do buy something new for it, I think there are several really good options mentioned here. Suhr Aldrich is one I've wanted to try and just never have. Trying an SD Distortion neck in the bridge, similar to an old Seymourizer II, seems to have piqued my curiosity as it's in the 12-14k range of many of my favorites. The SD RTM is, well... I just like that sound.

But, I think I'm going to leave it alone for awhile and just see what it tells me it needs. I'll post more about how sounds and plays in the other thread.

Thanks, everyone, for all the good opinions and info!!

Sound like the stock pickups are good!

I know some of those pickups we mentioned you would have to install a cover in it but the SH-6N (SEYII) you can get with covers on them already. Chubtone has these in stock but I do like the old vintage ones myself but I have played some newer 90's and 2000's SH-6N for project guitars and they were fine. Opps I saw your covers need to be gold.............disregard the nickel...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134707969416

 

[JiMB]

Yeah, the 70s Tribute pups look interesting on paper, but what you said about the highs is usually what I end up thinking, too, with few exceptions. Either undefined or harsh for both. For example, there is exactly one set of Burstbuckers that I like. The rest I can't stand. The Custombuckers are much better, I think, but I like them even more after swapping the magnets for A4 or A2.

That R8 is stunning, love the double creams! What color is that? Whatever it is, it's stunning!

Yeah, the highs from Burstbuckers are harsh to me. The 70’s Tribute Pickups were undefined.
I bought that R8 used at Norman’s Rare Guitars. I call it lemon burst or just amber. It was made in 2002.

 

[ChurchHill]

Sound like the stock pickups are good!

I know some of those pickups we mentioned you would have to install a cover in it but the SH-6N (SEYII) you can get with covers on them already. Chubtone has these in stock but I do like the old vintage ones myself but I have played some newer 90's and 2000's SH-6N for project guitars and they were fine. Opps I saw your covers need to be gold.............disregard the nickel...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134707969416

Yeah, installing covers is something I've done many times. It's not hard, just gotta clamp them on tight, put some wax on the top to stop microphonics, get a good solder connection, and should be good. The trick is finding covers that will match the pole spacing, but even that's not too bad. A Gibson neck cover is the same size as a normal SD, for instance, and SD offers most of their stock with covers and I'd bet their custom shop would set me up.

 

[ChurchHill]

Yeah, the highs from Burstbuckers are harsh to me. The 70’s Tribute Pickups were undefined.
I bought that R8 used at Norman’s Rare Guitars. I call it lemon burst or just amber. It was made in 2002.

The first Historic R8 I played, I'll never get the sound of that guitar out of my head. Just an incredible guitar that I didn't have the money for back then. Anyway, yours is really nice. I'm sure it plays as well as it looks.

 

[johnny q]

If you want something more PAFish but with some grunt, The SD Whole Lotta Humbucker(rough cast A-5) is nice at 8.78K ohms, I really like mine. If you want some more grunt I hear the SD Saturday night( Alnico IV) special is more output at 9.75K ohms but still PAFish balance.

I voted "something else" and this is exactly what I was going to suggest. The WLH bridge. I found the matching neck a little too "wooly" in my Les Paul, maybe a Duncan '59 would be a better match.

 

[Anje]

I'm currently in that same brainstorm for a special old V.
What do you think about some old Jackson J80?

 

[harddriver]

I think you have alot of good contenders Mr. Churchhill! Let up know what you end up with.

 

[harddriver]

I voted "something else" and this is exactly what I was going to suggest. The WLH bridge. I found the matching neck a little too "wooly" in my Les Paul, maybe a Duncan '59 would be a better match.

I have only played the bridge WLH as I have a 59N in the neck of that guitar. I bought it on recommendation from PDC here at RT and I really like it and it is a nice variant to my Duncan 78 model

I think Mr Churchhill wants something with some higher output to it for hard rock/metal as it looks like he has all his PAF PAFish pickup in his other guitars so I tried to stay higher output for my recommendations.

 

[ChurchHill]

I'm currently in that same brainstorm for a special old V.
What do you think about some old Jackson J80?

It's been awhile, but they were OK, maybe a little brittle, but it's hard to remember and my tastes have changed since then. I remember liking the J90 more. That was a better pickup than I gave it credit for back in the day and the J80 probably was, too. Back then, I couldn't wait to get some EMGs. They had the thrust that I was looking for and were, of course, an entirely different thing. Played those for about 8 years, then moved back to passives and went down a dozen or so rabbit holes without ever revisiting those old Jackson pickups. I think I've still got a few, probably J90 and J50, maybe even a J80. Hmm...

 

[ChurchHill]

I think you have alot of good contenders Mr. Churchhill! Let up know what you end up with.

Definitely!

 

[Anje]

Looking forward to your feedback ifever you try some in your V

 

[ChurchHill]

Not trying to do some messed up double-posting here, but just wrote a rather long review in the related NGD thread. Part of that had to do with the sound of this guitar unplugged, so I'm going to copy it here. I absolutely believe that if I guitar sounds good unplugged it can sound even better with the right pickups. So, I'm thinking that this description is relevant to the discussion here in this thread, too.
............................................

So, the most impressive thing is the sound and by that I mean unplugged. It's bright enough to be aggressive when she wants to be, as expected, not harsh at all, also as expected, but there are two things that I wasn't expecting. The first is in the upper mids. There's a nice amount of that woody vocal character that a good Les Paul has, which I was not expecting at all. It's not too much, but enough to be really expressive if that's what I want.

The second is in the lower mids. This one's got a growl to it that I've only heard from two other guitars. My '81 V has it, which I would have attributed to it being maple (I think, could be alder, but it looks like maple to me) with a maple neck and an ebony board. My LP 25/50 has it, too, which I attributed to its maple neck and its weight (almost 3 times what this V weighs). The V is all mahogany. I've got other guitars that are all mahogany with ebony boards and none of them growl like this one. She's just vicious! The range of sounds from this one is just amazing, far exceeding my expectations. Definitely one of my best sounding guitars and right up there with my R0 as far

It's very resonant, very alive feeling, both the body and the neck. The neck is loud, too, almost as much as the body.

So, all that leads me to think that maybe I might be better served by lower output pickups or at least something that really lets all the character shine through. IDK just yet and intend to give it some time. The 498/490 aren't bad at all, but maybe something that breathes a little better, maybe. Something that captures that growl, something that really lets it rip your head off when that's what's it wants to do, but something that can purr, too, because this guitar is capable of all of that. It's a lot to think about and nothing to rush into. All I know is that this one is REALLY special.

 

[Harley90]

Gibson T-500 for me!

 

[harddriver]

Not trying to do some messed up double-posting here, but just wrote a rather long review in the related NGD thread. Part of that had to do with the sound of this guitar unplugged, so I'm going to copy it here. I absolutely believe that if I guitar sounds good unplugged it can sound even better with the right pickups. So, I'm thinking that this description is relevant to the discussion here in this thread, too.
............................................

So, the most impressive thing is the sound and by that I mean unplugged. It's bright enough to be aggressive when she wants to be, as expected, not harsh at all, also as expected, but there are two things that I wasn't expecting. The first is in the upper mids. There's a nice amount of that woody vocal character that a good Les Paul has, which I was not expecting at all. It's not too much, but enough to be really expressive if that's what I want.

The second is in the lower mids. This one's got a growl to it that I've only heard from two other guitars. My '81 V has it, which I would have attributed to it being maple (I think, could be alder, but it looks like maple to me) with a maple neck and an ebony board. My LP 25/50 has it, too, which I attributed to its maple neck and its weight (almost 3 times what this V weighs). The V is all mahogany. I've got other guitars that are all mahogany with ebony boards and none of them growl like this one. She's just vicious! The range of sounds from this one is just amazing, far exceeding my expectations. Definitely one of my best sounding guitars and right up there with my R0 as far

It's very resonant, very alive feeling, both the body and the neck. The neck is loud, too, almost as much as the body.

So, all that leads me to think that maybe I might be better served by lower output pickups or at least something that really lets all the character shine through. IDK just yet and intend to give it some time. The 498/490 aren't bad at all, but maybe something that breathes a little better, maybe. Something that captures that growl, something that really lets it rip your head off when that's what's it wants to do, but something that can purr, too, because this guitar is capable of all of that. It's a lot to think about and nothing to rush into. All I know is that this one is REALLY special.

It's always good when the guitar resonates well acoustically IMHO. I've had a couple guitars that I would consider to be dead wood guitars where they just didn't feel good, neck was spongy on one( J Frogg custom super strat) and a I bought a second EBMM tobacco burst Axis to back up my older amber one that didn't make the cut. The body woods didn't resonate like my good/favorite guitars that are acoustically pronounced and translate a good feel while playing them.

Sounds like Gibson picked some good body blanks for your V custom and you would think they would for such a specialty expensive guitar.

I'm thrilled to hear that the guitar is so far meeting your expectations, It's always a bummer when you have to try to tell yourself that you should like a guitar when it really isn't doing it for you........I've been there a few times , eventually I had to move on from those guitars.

 

[Frehley12]

Jim Wagner Darkbursts. Killer rock and old school metal pickups. Clarity, tight, and a balanced eq. I highly recommend them if going "boutique." I had a used Gibson Explorer with the Darkburst set. Pretty much nails 80s Scorpions. Blackout, Rock You Like a Hurricane etc..

 

[Anje]

Congrats, sounds like it’s a great one.
From your description I’d want to try some real old & good vintage PAT#, to see if the fully vintage specs would be the ticket.
Nice old alternates I like are the 70’s early DiMarzio PAF, and the early Duncan.
Then there are the numerous PAF replica; I’m not fully up to date on all that exist now to be honest. When I was trying a lot of them 20+ years ago I ended my search with Timbuckers; I had a particular “EdA” wind that kicked real PAFs out of my old 50’s Conversion LP.

 

[Jack Luminous]

I love the 498T but I'd replace the 490R by a 496R.

 

[ChurchHill]

There are certainly a TON of PAF clones out there. Maybe the most accurate are Throbak, simply because they have some of the actual winders. Not the only ones to have old Gibson winders, but more, maybe all, of the different types of winders Gibson used. They also have an EdA model, wound to his specs. Think he's used a couple of other winders, but I don't follow his channel.

Too bad Timbuckers are no longer made. Might have to look to see if any are available.

Jim Wagner is another one that I've wanted to try but haven't. Not really PAFs, but said to have lots of character.

Ron Ellis, another I haven't tried, but the clips I've heard are noticeably better sounding to my ears than most.

 

[Anje]

I think you can find Timbuckers used from time to time, not sure the going price though (afraid to look..).
I thought I had kept some, but just checked and it looks like not.

Only read great things about Ron Ellis but I've never had any; he's be on my list as well.
Jim Rolph is another great; haven't had his humbuckers but I had him rewind old strat pickups and they were really fantastic.

 

[LPMojoGL]

Fucking RTM

I have @scottosan first Forte, his take on the RTM. I think he tweaked it a bit before settling on his design.
I want to throw it in something, but I'm set with my pups n guitars.
Scott says it would sound good in a brighter guitar. Maybe I should turn it loose.