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Aftermarket Pickups???

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
I pulled the CustomBuckers in my 60th last night before a gig, as one does. I replaced them with an older set of ThroBak 101MXV+'s, double creams. As much as I think Gibson are improving in their pickups (PAF style), the ThroBaks are just such a significant lift in what I judge to be "good tone". Full spectrum, bigger bottom but still no woof, top end more similar to the CB's but with a slight refinement to upper registers, but importantly, the mid range honk that was missing in the CBs is found again with the TB's.

I left the harness factory. All I need now are some thin vintage style brass thumbwheels and I think I'm done.

HBV6DCr.jpg
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I pulled the CustomBuckers in my 60th last night before a gig, as one does. I replaced them with an older set of ThroBak 101MXV+'s, double creams. As much as I think Gibson are improving in their pickups (PAF style), the ThroBaks are just such a significant lift in what I judge to be "good tone". Full spectrum, bigger bottom but still no woof, top end more similar to the CB's but with a slight refinement to upper registers, but importantly, the mid range honk that was missing in the CBs is found again with the TB's.

I left the harness factory. All I need now are some thin vintage style brass thumbwheels and I think I'm done.

HBV6DCr.jpg
I think we are thinking alike as I left the harness in and just replaced the CB's and after playing my R9 all weekend I have to say I am mighty impressed . I love how clear and articulate the neck pickup is and the bridge pickups sounds so strong and full of tone and just screams as I love it . The CB's sound very tame and dare I say anemic in comparison to the ThroBak's SLE-101 Plus .
 

CatManDoo88

Active member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
I pulled the CustomBuckers in my 60th last night before a gig, as one does. I replaced them with an older set of ThroBak 101MXV+'s, double creams. As much as I think Gibson are improving in their pickups (PAF style), the ThroBaks are just such a significant lift in what I judge to be "good tone". Full spectrum, bigger bottom but still no woof, top end more similar to the CB's but with a slight refinement to upper registers, but importantly, the mid range honk that was missing in the CBs is found again with the TB's.

I left the harness factory. All I need now are some thin vintage style brass thumbwheels and I think I'm done.

All of the Throbak love in this thread has got me really curious about them. I know they have a Peter Green-style set and the Alnico 2 SLE-101's probably get pretty close to a Billy Gibbons/Pearly Gates sound. Does Throbak have any models that nail the Clapton/Beano type sound? It seems strange that they are the only big PAF clone maker that doesn't do a Beano-type pickup set.
 

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,173
I’m always tempted to try others (and have done so in the past), but I just really enjoy the Thro’s...so I probably need to focus more on playing than tweaking. I did a tone clip years ago of my (hot) PAFs in an R7 vs the Throbaks. There was nothing in it. Wish I could find it...
 

enharmonic

New member
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
7
I have used and like (no particular order):

Throbak DT102's
Arcane 58V's
Tom Holmes H450/455
Wolfetone Marshallhead II's
Rewind JPPost 72's
Wildwood-Spec Custombuckers

I just picked up a set of VIP's Honeybucker/Honeybucker+ to check out based on the description and a few clips I've heard. Might be a little while before I get to them, though.
 
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