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Throbak Peter Green pickups

CK6

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
Niiiiice, enjoy!

Aspects of them I honestly miss. I swapped into a set of Doyle Coils, and honestly can’t say it was an upgrade. I gained some qualities I like, but gave up others. Pretty sure my next set will be one of Jon’s, just have to work out which.

Do you have their heights in their respective “sweet spots,” and are the covers on or off?

I haven’t measured the height so I don’t really know but I kept the covers on and they are not too close. Very well-balanced and the neck and bridge are even in terms of output.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Niiiiice, enjoy!

Aspects of them I honestly miss. I swapped into a set of Doyle Coils, and honestly can’t say it was an upgrade. I gained some qualities I like, but gave up others. Pretty sure my next set will be one of Jon’s, just have to work out which.

Do you have their heights in their respective “sweet spots,” and are the covers on or off?

If you get some Throbak's maybe try out the MXV-SLE-101 Plus with A5 Magnets . Oh my goodness the tone is so good . If you like a nice mid range beast of a pickup that roars and doesn't have all that high end treble stuff this set will be awesome . I have this same exact pickup in 8 of my Les Paul's and am currently having 2 M2M Les Paul's being built which will make it 10 sets of these awesome ThroBak pickups . If you do speak with Jon tell him Gringo says Hi ! Jon is the best !
 

CK6

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
Kid Andersen just did this Peter Green tribute. The Les Paul he is playing has ThroBak PG-102 MXV pickups installed.

Here’s a quick clip I recorded after I installed them - love these pickups!

 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
That Kid Anderson tribute to Peter Green sounds amazing, the tone of those pickups are as close as anything I've heard in live recordings from that period. Very impressive phrasing played with total conviction, something I've only heard by the late Gary Moore on his ' Blues for Greeny' album.

However it's interesting that these pickups seem to read out the same as Seymour Duncans "Whole Lotta... something or other....slips my memory.. provided you know which way to flip a magnet you may have two for the price of one..
 

CK6

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
That Kid Anderson tribute to Peter Green sounds amazing, the tone of those pickups are as close as anything I've heard in live recordings from that period. Very impressive phrasing played with total conviction, something I've only heard by the late Gary Moore on his ' Blues for Greeny' album.

However it's interesting that these pickups seem to read out the same as Seymour Duncans "Whole Lotta... something or other....slips my memory.. provided you know which way to flip a magnet you may have two for the price of one..

I think that if you flipped the magnet you’d have something close to the JP vibe in the middle position.
 

Bulwark

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2019
Messages
52
... these pickups seem to read out the same as Seymour Duncans "Whole Lotta... something or other....slips my memory.. provided you know which way to flip a magnet you may have two for the price of one..

While true, I’ve discovered from personal experience that DC resistance provides far less information than we’ve all been lead to believe. Magnet size, alloy, “charging” method and intensity, bobbin winding pattern, pickup covers (presence thereof and material if employed), a number of qualities of the wire, wax potting (if any), and a number of other alchemical details seem to play an extraordinarily heavy hand in shaping the sound.

Several months ago I switched from a PG-102 MXV set to Doyle Coils. DC readings among the lowest I’ve seen, and they’re absolutely loud as fuck. Somehow they’re simultaneously brighter but don’t have that “airy” top end as P.A.F.s I’ve heard. Harmonically less rich, but a good strong principal pitch.

There’s probably nothing happening that would escape the capacity of an extraordinary physicist and computer scientist, but c’mon, is that going to happen?

Point being: DC resistance is useful to know, but I’d dare say it only gets you near the ballpark, perhaps not even in it.
 

Sol

Active member
Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
My observation was just that, an observation. The same magnet type, and resistance readings. However its the subtle hint on the ThroBak site that drew my attention that prompted my post.

Of course your quite right that coil resistance is a very basic and frequently inadequate means to determine the tonal character of a pickup, but in my defence, a reliable DC reading combined with Alnico V magnets might at least provide us grounds for further enquiry ?
 

Stef

New member
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
11
Kid Andersen with ThroBak Peter Green pickups
Close enough and all the sounds you want
When I win the lottery, I buy a set :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTAhsJSoonI
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TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I've been using ThroBak's for about the last 12 years. I have a number of sets. A friend of mine gifted me a set of the ThroBak PG's.. I just need another LP to put them in.. I'll be taking any welcomed donations gladly.. anyone have a non-working R-0 they'd care to donate to me..? :)
 

Amp360

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
852
I had a set someone gave me and I did not like them at all. I really wanted to like them but I didn't and I missed the middle pickup position even though I didn't think I would. I ended up putting the regular pickups back in and was more than happy with them.

I figured I wouldn't like Throbaks and moved on. I do like Lollar's stuff a lot but generally don't change anything.

I bought a 71 or 72 LPC for $1800 because it had a broken headstock and changed pickups and bridge. The pickups were Throbaks and I love them. I don't know if it's the guitar or the pickups but they sound great.

I can tell you I sold the PG set in about a day on Reverb so if you don't like them you'll prob do ok on resale.
 

CK6

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
I bought a 71 or 72 LPC for $1800 because it had a broken headstock and changed pickups and bridge. The pickups were Throbaks and I love them. I don't know if it's the guitar or the pickups but they sound great.

If you have a great sounding guitar (unplugged) they can pretty much take any pickup type and sound good. I’m going to keep them, but swap them into my 2002 Les Paul.
 
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