Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 A couple of years ago Ben Crow (Crimson Guitars) made a video about PAF clone pickups he'd bought from a competitor guitar company called Monty's Guitars (another UK, boutique builder) and he raved about them. That says a lot, I think. Then, last year I met the chap from Monty's guitars and got talking to him. That bloke really knows his stuff. He was pulling original PAF bobbins out of his ears as we talked and showing me things. I've just ordered a set of Monty's PAFs. I'll let you know what I think when they're in. I hope to make a video with the burstbuckers in my R8 and then, with exacting amp settings, another video comparing Monty's pups. My expectation is a little more brightness and definition compared to the hotter burstbuckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 That will be a very interesting comparison - can't wait for the results. There is a thread somewhere here (probably in LP area) with a link to a long article about some guys that compared actual 58 and 59 LP guitars all with PAF humbuckers and it turned out they all sounded slightly different (and in some cases quite dramatically). Thus the endless quest for the PAF tone which is difficult to define because each one was individual in it's characteristics. Hope you are pleased with the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Oh I know. PAFs were extremely varied. Monty (that's not his name) says he took appart lots of PAFs in his pickup winding career and says he has theories on what made the good ones good. This does stack up, he's rewound pickups for the who's who of players in his time. Could all be marketing nonsense but his pups have a great reputation either way. I find burstbuckers to be ever so slightly muddy and they're on the hot side for PAF clones so that alone seems to be a good reason to try something else. I've never swapped pups before and until you have personal experience it's all a bit of a mystery. It's not like you can try a load out, is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Cool.. will be very interesting to hear them... Have you thought about PIO caps? From what I have seen so far in my experience they tend to make the general sound a bit softer or warmer.... So its like the highs are more rounded off.. Where as say Orange drop type caps have a harder sound.. Well to my ears anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Being an R8 it came with mylar bumblebees (period correct, of course, original bursts didn't have PIO bees, or at least the vast majority, 1 or 2 early 58's may have had pio). But I have a set of grey tigers in it at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Being an R8 it came with mylar bumblebees (period correct, of course, original bursts didn't have PIO bees, or at least the vast majority, 1 or 2 early 58's may have had pio). But I have a set of grey tigers in it at the moment. Ahh ok... I just went and looked them up.. ive seen pics of those caps before but didn't know what they are called... BONKERS prices for caps.. I can understand why some people would want them but replica caps is a small step too far for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Right Rabs, it's your fault. I just ordered a set of luxe reproduction bees as well. Always fancied experimenting with those too and it means the grey tigers can go with the burstbuckers. A mate has an epi LP which could use some better electronics so I'll probably chuck them in there for him in "permanent loan" in case I ever need to sell the R8 with all its original bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Right Rabs, it's your fault. I just ordered a set of luxe reproduction bees as well. Always fancied experimenting with those too and it means the grey tigers can go with the burstbuckers. A mate has an epi LP which could use some better electronics so I'll probably chuck them in there for him in "permanent loan" in case I ever need to sell the R8 with all its original bits. :) Cool, you may as well go the whole hog I guess.. I bet you will get some great results from all this It would be cool to hear if theres much difference between the caps when you demo.. But that's a lot of bother. Our you could do that by using clips to hold the wires in just for the test so you don't actually have to solder each one in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Look forward to hearing the comparison. Have not heard of Monty's pickups before. I have been using a lot of Mojo PIO caps lately. Good cap and great price! UK shipping may be expensive but if you were buying quite a few (Rabs) it would be worth it likely. http://www.mojotone.com/amp-parts/Capacitors_1/Mojotone-Vitamin-T-Oil-Filled-022uF-600V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Look forward to hearing the comparison. Have not heard of Monty's pickups before. I have been using a lot of Mojo PIO caps lately. Good cap and great price! UK shipping may be expensive but if you were buying quite a few (Rabs) it would be worth it likely. http://www.mojotone.com/amp-parts/Capacitors_1/Mojotone-Vitamin-T-Oil-Filled-022uF-600V I have been using these recently https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Paper-In-Oil-Capacitor-0-022uf-400V-High-end-Audio-Better-than-K40Y-9-PIO-UK-STK/222155282829?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649.. Whats funny is when I started buying them they were more like £5 each.. Doubled in price in like a year and a half... Getting a bit silly with the prices for these caps now.. So I hear, you can actually buy these from Russia directly (if you can find them) for like pennies each... there really isn't much special about a cap, in general terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Surfpup's link reminded me that mine aren't grey tigers, they're vitaminQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Surfpup's link reminded me that mine aren't grey tigers, they're vitaminQ. Ohh right.. Yeah ive had a few of those VitaminQ caps.. Very decent by all accounts. But they are all getting a bit pricy now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Ohh right.. Yeah ive had a few of those VitaminQ caps.. Very decent by all accounts. But they are all getting a bit pricy now. That's why I like those MojoTone Vitamin Ts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Mine were free. Flight959 gave me a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 This sounds interesting to me and I look forward to hearing the results. The best humbucker replacement pickups I have found so far are Bare Knuckle "Mules" and the best original fit are the MHS PAF copy humbuckers in my ES345 reissue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 It might be worthwhile wiring up all of these caps to an external rotary switch so that you can test them all straight one after the other in the same guitar and also do blind tests if you were so inclined. FWIW, I've used orange drops, russian grey pio, green chicklets and the emerson poi's. I don't think I hear any difference due to anything but tolerance when I change them out but that's opening a can of worms Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted November 27, 2017 Share Posted November 27, 2017 It might be worthwhile wiring up all of these caps to an external rotary switch so that you can test them all straight one after the other in the same guitar and also do blind tests if you were so inclined While I'm personally convinced I can hear a difference between a tiny ceramic cap and a pio, that's only in direct comparison, no one can listen to a guitar and identify the cap. I very much doubt I'll hear a difference between one PIO and another. I really just bought the luxe bees out of curiosity, and because, well, bees - I like the original burst thing. It is part of what a reissue is about, after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 Caps arrived. Pickups are being wound to order so a short wait yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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