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throbak or wizz?

sws1

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Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846
It's personal taste.

I tried Wizz and didn't like them for what / how I play. Sold them pretty quickly. But I could see how many people would love them. To my ear, if you like Led Zeppelin, you'd like them. I wanted more Allman Brothers.

I have a set of custom wound Throbak that are based on my specific PAFs. Those are loaded in my most played R9. I have a set of Seymour Duncans in other R9s, and in my 335s. They all do that thing that I'm looking for in a PAF, which the Wizz did not.

Try both and sell the ones you don't like.
 

NYCBURST

Active member
Joined
May 11, 2016
Messages
288
It's personal taste.

I tried Wizz and didn't like them for what / how I play. Sold them pretty quickly. But I could see how many people would love them. To my ear, if you like Led Zeppelin, you'd like them. I wanted more Allman Brothers.

I have a set of custom wound Throbak that are based on my specific PAFs. Those are loaded in my most played R9. I have a set of Seymour Duncans in other R9s, and in my 335s. They all do that thing that I'm looking for in a PAF, which the Wizz did not.

Try both and sell the ones you don't like.


Scott, I would completely agree with what you said. My wizz were very jimmy page sounding, my throwbaks are more my tone. Allman bros feel, little more bite. The wizz are a little flat sounding, great pickups but they were missing something that I like.
 

sws1

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Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846
Scott, I would completely agree with what you said. My wizz were very jimmy page sounding, my throwbaks are more my tone. Allman bros feel, little more bite. The wizz are a little flat sounding, great pickups but they were missing something that I like.

Are you MK? Apologies that I don't recognize the userid (yet you know who I am).
 

HI-TONE

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Oct 21, 2014
Messages
40
I prefer Throbaks. I don't care for A-4 magnets, they aren't authentic sounding to my ears.
 

NYCBURST

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May 11, 2016
Messages
288
Are you MK? Apologies that I don't recognize the userid (yet you know who I am).


No, we don't know each other formally... my apologies .. I've spoken to you at the Philly guitar show, I believe.
 

Tommy Tourbus

Active member
Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
871
Which set of Onamacs do you have? What can you tell us about them? I had never heard of them before your post but it seems that, like Ron Ellis, Kerry Learned has his own unique/original way of winding. Color me intrigued! :hmm

I have a set of his "Top Shelf A2's" in my R9 and they sound gorgeous. I also have a set of his "Top Shelf Blues" that will be going into a '57 reissue LP Custom, and a set of his "Top Shelf Customs" which is his own magnet formula, and those will be going into a Johnny A. Since those last two sets haven't been installed yet I can't speak to them yet, but I'm sure they'll be great. I discovered his pickups in one of the PAF clone shootouts on the doug n pat show on youtube and loved the way they sounded there, so I bought the Top Shelf A2 set for my R9, and liked them enough to buy the two subsequent sets
 

CK6

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Joined
Feb 5, 2020
Messages
449
I prefer Throbaks. I don't care for A-4 magnets, they aren't authentic sounding to my ears.

I have both A4 and A5 Wizz pickups - the A4 sound pretty authentic to me! Perhaps a bit more “woody” sounding. I hear that Les Paul sound all over my favourite rock n roll records.

I also have ThroBaks with A5’s and those are cool too.
 

duaneflowers

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Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
I have a set of his "Top Shelf A2's" in my R9 and they sound gorgeous. I also have a set of his "Top Shelf Blues" that will be going into a '57 reissue LP Custom, and a set of his "Top Shelf Customs" which is his own magnet formula, and those will be going into a Johnny A. Since those last two sets haven't been installed yet I can't speak to them yet, but I'm sure they'll be great. I discovered his pickups in one of the PAF clone shootouts on the doug n pat show on youtube and loved the way they sounded there, so I bought the Top Shelf A2 set for my R9, and liked them enough to buy the two subsequent sets

Thanks... I'll check them out!! :salude
 

duaneflowers

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Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
I have both A4 and A5 Wizz pickups - the A4 sound pretty authentic to me! Perhaps a bit more “woody” sounding. I hear that Les Paul sound all over my favourite rock n roll records.

I agree... I have A2, A3, A4 and A5 sets (and quite a few combinations) and they all sound pretty authentic to me as well. Pretty much all major winders allow you to choose whichever mags you want but I find certain mags pair better with certain amps... for example, I have a couple different Wizz Beano sets and the A5 mag loaded set sounds perfect when paired with my Reissue Bluesbreaker while the A3 loaded set sounds better with Fender or Vox or other cleaner amps. I guess if you only have one amp you should choose accordingly. My Ox4 Beanos with A3s likewise don't float my boat paired with the Bluesbreaker... so its definitely a magnet thing. Magnet charge and uniformity has a lot to do with it as well and so individual pickup height and polepiece settings need to be in their sweet spots (which varies from one guitar to another) for maximum tonability. :salude
 

sws1

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846
No, we don't know each other formally... my apologies .. I've spoken to you at the Philly guitar show, I believe.

Now I'm the one who feels silly. (As I go through my memory banks of the Philly shows.)
 

Sol

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Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
775
I've had exptional service and results in my dealings with Onamac. They delivered on a highly personalised order for a custom guitar, that exceded our expectations.
 

TM1

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Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I have bought a number of sets of ThroBak's over the years! I love them and feel lucky to have a relationship with Jon going back to 2007! I really like the fact that I have pickups wound on the same exact machines as my fave old Gibson pickups were wound on and by someone who really gives a shit more than the winder did back then in the late `50's & `60's. Jon also knows so much more than any other winder(except TV Jones) about old pickups.
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
I have a set of his "Top Shelf A2's" in my R9 and they sound gorgeous. I also have a set of his "Top Shelf Blues" that will be going into a '57 reissue LP Custom, and a set of his "Top Shelf Customs" which is his own magnet formula

I installed a set of his Top Shelf A2s in a very good friend's Les Paul a few months back and they were stellar!
 

El Gringo

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Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I have bought a number of sets of ThroBak's over the years! I love them and feel lucky to have a relationship with Jon going back to 2007! I really like the fact that I have pickups wound on the same exact machines as my fave old Gibson pickups were wound on and by someone who really gives a shit more than the winder did back then in the late `50's & `60's. Jon also knows so much more than any other winder(except TV Jones) about old pickups.
+1 Jon is the best and so much knowledge and the best pickups to go with the best customer service and takes such great care of you !!!!!!!
 

P.A.F

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Joined
Mar 8, 2016
Messages
78
in the end i've bought a used set of alnico II wizz pickups. they're great both in look and sound. when i installed them and i played the first chord i notice the differences right away. i thought custom bucker were great but wizzes are on another level. i hope in the future i'll be able to try a set of throbaks!
 

duaneflowers

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Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
in the end i've bought a used set of alnico II wizz pickups. they're great both in look and sound. when i installed them and i played the first chord i notice the differences right away. i thought custom bucker were great but wizzes are on another level. i hope in the future i'll be able to try a set of throbaks!

Good choice... if you are looking to change things up at any time in the future don't hesitate to experiment with different magnets, its an easy operation to pop another set in. Also Wizz pups are very sensitive to setup changes. Raising and lowering the pup to find the sweetspot and/or adjusting each polepiece to make sure they are ringing out true to your ear is another easy operation. I also find Wizz pups respond better to PIO caps if you don't have them installed already. All easy things to do to reach maximum tonal nirvana. :salude
 
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