DR. Vintage vs. WB? How much better than Burstbuckers?

[Stylemaster]

Like the question says. I got my first historic (R0 Gloss Teaburst Plaintop Darkback) a month and a half ago and I like the way it sounds but I'm fascinated by how much modding everyone does here and I'm especially curious about how "off" the stock Burstbuckers are and which of the 2 most often-mentioned replacements, Dr. Vintage & WB are considered best.

[Spicoli]

I haven't tried any of the WB's yet but I do have Dr.V's in both of my Historics and I love them. They seem to have a more articulate sound with more mids to me. I would recommend them. Next on my list to check out are the Skatterbranes.

[Sean French]

You can do way better than the stock Worstbuckers.
My R0's both have Dr. V's.Highly recommended.
I will have a set of WB 67-07 vintage winds to check out next week.
I'll let you know how they both compare.

[FLICKOFLASH]

Enter the charity raffle get pickups that are made by both winders wrapped into one

[ReverendJWblues]

Originally Posted by Stylemaster

Like the question says. I got my first historic (R0 Gloss Teaburst Plaintop Darkback) a month and a half ago and I like the way it sounds but I'm fascinated by how much modding everyone does here and I'm especially curious about how "off" the stock Burstbuckers are and which of the 2 most often-mentioned replacements, Dr. Vintage & WB are considered best.

I've heard alot worse pups than the BBs, nuthin wrong with them, you like em keep em. Hell Ive spent money on crap I wish I wouldnt have before, but ya never know till ya spend it.

[shotgunlew]

Originally Posted by ReverendJWblues

I've heard alot worse pups than the BBs, nuthin wrong with them, you like em keep em. Hell Ive spent money on crap I wish I wouldnt have before, but ya never know till ya spend it.

I gotta aggre with the Rev here...

[shotgunlew]

Also BTW I suggest WB pickups, but everything i hear about the Dr. V's is good as well, eather way you cant go wrong!

[LPSol93]

I'm gonna step up and say I really like the BB's in my 07 R9. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying something else, but honestly, tonewise I'm very happy with the BB's. Although, this varies from guitar to guitar. Until I got my R9, I didn't like the BB's in any of the other R8-R9's I'd played stock. I think the sound of the BB's has a lot to do with the wood of any given LP.

[shotgunlew]

Originally Posted by LPSol93

I'm gonna step up and say I really like the BB's in my 07 R9. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying something else, but honestly, tonewise I'm very happy with the BB's. Although, this varies from guitar to guitar. Until I got my R9, I didn't like the BB's in any of the other R8-R9's I'd played stock. I think the sound of the BB's has a lot to do with the wood of any given LP.

I think thats true for all guitars, I aggre very strongly with you, also, dont fix what aint broken right?

[FLICKOFLASH]

i did the fixxxer sound sample & must say BB hung right there with most of these high end stuff

[BOBBO]

I have Dr V's in my R8 !!! But WB has some killer sounds as well as Skatterbrane too !! I'm in NJ Style .. Wanna give my DR V's a test drive ?

YouTube - Wolfetone Dr Vintage Dirty Demo

YouTube - LP With Wolfetones

YouTube - Since I've been loving you

YouTube - Marshall Vintage Modern 1960 Les Paul Reissue WB Pickups

YouTube - WB pickups:Habeneros Blues in A

YouTube - Skatterbrane pickups - Dirty 1

YouTube - Skatterbrane A5 Humbucker Demo w/ Les Paul

[ReverendJWblues]

Bobbo brother I didnt know yo had so much hair.

[Anchorman]

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

Enter the charity raffle get pickups that are made by both winders wrapped into one

Originally Posted by FLICKOFLASH

Enter the charity raffle get pickups that are made by both winders wrapped into one

I'm intrigued by the idea of these two guys working on a project together. I own a set of early DrVs and a set of WB Peter Greens. These are both great pups but voiced very differently. The DrVs emphasise mid and upper range tones whereas the WBs have more emphasis on the lower frequencies. This gives the impression that they are higher output.

DrVs are a A2 mag and sound best used with a clean boost & loud amp. The WBs sound best if you plug straight into the amp and work well at low to mid volume levels.

Cant imagine what the guys will agree upon.

BTW - My original pups were burstbuckers. These sounded harsh and unmusical. After many hours of adjusting I found they sounded 'OK' if lowered them way below the level of the rings and the pole pieces adjusted way above the covers.

(Naturally all of the above is my opinion based on the way my ears perceive my gear in my reheasal space.)

Hope this helps you Stylemaster

[george johnson]

Originally Posted by LPSol93

I'm gonna step up and say I really like the BB's in my 07 R9. I briefly toyed with the idea of trying something else, but honestly, tonewise I'm very happy with the BB's. Although, this varies from guitar to guitar. Until I got my R9, I didn't like the BB's in any of the other R8-R9's I'd played stock. I think the sound of the BB's has a lot to do with the wood of any given LP.

Thanks... you saved me some typing.

My sentiments exactly!

[LPCollector]

I never thought that there was anything wrong with my BB's.
Then I bought Skatterbranes, Dr V's, and Lollar Imperials. They took my guitars to the "next level" in tone. They all have more character than the BB's.
Mark

[shotgunlew]

Originally Posted by LPCollector

I never thought that there was anything wrong with my BB's.
Then I bought Skatterbranes, Dr V's, and Lollar Imperials. They took my guitars to the "next level" in tone. They all have more character than the BB's.
Mark

Whats your opinion on WB's new prototypes?
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pick...-les-paul.html

[hbucker]

I'm probably echoing what others here have said but...

I would say that if you can't get a decent tone out of BB's it's your problem not the guitar's or the pickups'. But there is that tinker factor. Sure, I've got a classic car that will go 140 mph. But can I change something to make it go 150 or even 153???

If that's where you are then I suggest looking around at all the winders to see what they specialize in and what their philosophies are. There is a "pickups" section on this forum under the "Tonefreaks" area and there are several threads that will give you hours of reading on different pickups. IMO what you want is your version of a vintage style PAF. NOT what others say you should have. Imagine your perfect tone, then research to find the pickups that sound that way and that fit your budget.

Whatever you do have fun. But it isn't (and rarely is) about one product sucking and the other product being the Holy Grail. It's about making your car run the way you want it to...

[LPCollector]

Originally Posted by shotgunlew

Whats your opinion on WB's new prototypes?
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pick...-les-paul.html

Those sound great and that guitar is a beauty!
Does the PG mod give them the sustain or is it just the pickups?
Mark

[classic]

It's all a matter of your personal taste depending on your guitar ... for me the DrVs are 2nd place after my WCR Fillmores ...

I had owned both of them and had the chance to check them one after the other over and over ...

[les strat]

Pickups help, but don't get too wrapped up in the pickup dance looking for the Holy Grail. It's mostly your guitar and how you tweak those pickups.

Height and pole piece adjustments are everything.

[hbucker]

Originally Posted by les strat

Pickups help, but don't get too wrapped up in the pickup dance looking for the Holy Grail. It's mostly your guitar and how you tweak those pickups.

Height and pole piece adjustments are everything.

I agree that adjustments can make a big difference. No problems here. And having the Holy Grail as your goal is elusive at best. In many ways people should be able to coax a lot of what they're looking for out of their current gear.

But we'll have to agree to disagree on how much different pickups can affect your tone. By saying pickups "help" I'm understanding you to say different pickups only influence tone. While there are MANY variables that go into one's tone, my experience with different pickups tells me that there are endless nuances in different pickups.

Where I think we agree is that unless a person has endless time and $$$, eventually you have to find a pickup that's "good enough" and then learn to tweak the rest of the variables to make those pickups work best for you.

Maybe we agree more than I think we do...

[les strat]

Originally Posted by hbucker

I agree that adjustments can make a big difference. No problems here. And having the Holy Grail as your goal is elusive at best. In many ways people should be able to coax a lot of what they're looking for out of their current gear.

But we'll have to agree to disagree on how much different pickups can affect your tone. By saying pickups "help" I'm understanding you to say different pickups only influence tone. While there are MANY variables that go into one's tone, my experience with different pickups tells me that there are endless nuances in different pickups.

Where I think we agree is that unless a person has endless time and $$$, eventually you have to find a pickup that's "good enough" and then learn to tweak the rest of the variables to make those pickups work best for you.

Maybe we agree more than I think we do...

That's more or less what I was saying. I too have swapped pickups and find the small nuances may be to my liking or not. But I have seen "the ultimate PAF replica!" trend come and go for mumerous brands/winders, and as mentioned here on the MLP, there is no one true PAF sound. Very trendy. I still think too many people get on these forums and read their Burstbuckers are crap, chunk them, and never give them a chance by dialing them in. They'll immediatley change the pots caps, pickups, TP, studs, etc., because that's what they think they are supposed to do and they don't have time to realize what each thing does to their tone.... or doesn't!

Often, folks get wrapped up in searching for their ultimate pickup and lose track of what's important - playing. IMO and many other's, the primary tone of a guitar will always dictate your basic sound regardless of what's in the thing. The pickups and other accesories do influence a percentage of that sound, but can only do what is in the realms of what the wood has to offer inherently.

[Redfish]

I put three different sets of Boutique PAF clones in my R8 and they all sounded better than the Burstbuckers to me. They all sounded good, just different in their own way. I will say that my Burstbucker neck sounded pretty cool and if the low notes had a little more definition I would have kept it. I recently got a set of WB VTPH's and that's it for this guitar. They do everything I want. I have a tweed Deluxe that has a permanent place by my recliner and these pickups just nail (my idea of) classic PAF tones at low volume. Then I take it to the practice house and they just scorch the paint off the walls through the Marshall at band volume. Very versatile and VERY expressive pickups. I think there is some truth to the belief that each guitar might like different pickups. One of my guitar buddies has a 2000 R9 that has 57 Classics and it sounds amazing. He won't even think about touching them. Bottom line is if you decide to take the plunge get ready to spend some serious scratch to go through several types until you find the ones that do it all for you. Thankfully there is Ebay so you can keep trading sets without losing much money until you hit on the right ones.

[Fiesta Red]

I have a set of Wolfetone Dr Vs that I have tried in 3 of my Les Pauls, and a set of WB VTPHs that I tried in the same guitars. I would agree with Anchorman's description comparing these two sets. I found that there was no contest between the Dr Vs and the WBs in terms of the sound I was after. I sold the WBs.

I had a set of Skatterbranes and wish I had hung on to them longer. I didn't give them the tryout they needed. I have a set of Sheptones coming as well. I also have a set of the WCR Goodwood/Darkburst combo that is incredible.

To the credit of all the makers listed here, they will all work with you to get the sound you want of of your pickups.

Lastly, I have found some sets of pickups to sound good in one guitar, great in another, and yet sound like ass-on-a-stick in yet another. The most important factor is to match the right pickup set to the right guitar. I have one Les Paul that sounds the best with a set of Duncan 59s rather than the boutique sets I mentioned above, and another that sounds best with a set of Duncan Pearly Gates. Matching the right guitar to the pickups is key.

-Mark

[ReverendJWblues]

I heard and played a brothers set of Dr Vs today and have to say I was damned impressed thinkin about tryin a set myself.

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by Stylemaster

Like the question says. I got my first historic (R0 Gloss Teaburst Plaintop Darkback) a month and a half ago and I like the way it sounds but I'm fascinated by how much modding everyone does here and I'm especially curious about how "off" the stock Burstbuckers are and which of the 2 most often-mentioned replacements, Dr. Vintage & WB are considered best.

Originally Posted by BOBBO

I have Dr V's in my R8 !!! But WB has some killer sounds as well as Skatterbrane too !! I'm in NJ Style .. Wanna give my DR V's a test drive ?

YouTube - Wolfetone Dr Vintage Dirty Demo

YouTube - LP With Wolfetones

YouTube - Since I've been loving you

YouTube - Marshall Vintage Modern 1960 Les Paul Reissue WB Pickups

YouTube - WB pickups:Habeneros Blues in A

YouTube - Skatterbrane pickups - Dirty 1

YouTube - Skatterbrane A5 Humbucker Demo w/ Les Paul

Did ya take a listen to these clips Style ?

[Fixxxer]

Originally Posted by Stylemaster

Like the question says. I got my first historic (R0 Gloss Teaburst Plaintop Darkback) a month and a half ago and I like the way it sounds but I'm fascinated by how much modding everyone does here and I'm especially curious about how "off" the stock Burstbuckers are and which of the 2 most often-mentioned replacements, Dr. Vintage & WB are considered best.

We'll,

The burst buckers this year are decent. One set of pickups Gibson makes that I am the most fond of are the '57 classics. These are my favorites, followed by the BB 2's. However, I like the 04 BB2's better than the '07's... yeah I am that weird.

As for the WB and wolfie stuff, I don't think you'll be hurting either way.
It really depends what you are looking for. Each winder excels in different areas, and your best bet is to call both and a few others to see what they make that meets your needs.

I'd also recommend just getting the RS kit and new caps as well. I am not as into the uncovered stuff, so I am a fan of covers. Raw nickel in particular, it just smooths things out.

You should really call around, you'll find what you like. You may even want to hang out and get some used stuff on e-bay so you can try more pups if your on a budget.

Let us know what you do, but call the winders you listed.

[Stylemaster]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

Did ya take a listen to these clips Style ?

Bobbo, thanks for posting these clips. My favorites are the Dr. V's as played by Martys13 but then again, he is a remarkable player and has an artist's touch. At first I thought the tweed in the background was a boutique but was amazed when I read that he was using a Classic 30. For what it's worth my R0 seems to sound best through my Classic 30, better than through my Dr. Z Maz 38!

Here's my first attempt at making a "nailing the PAF" comment: Martys13 with the Dr. V's comes close to what I want my sound to be like. My "new" (2 month old) R0 is in the shop getting a proper first setup, so when it comes back with new strings (the original Gibson strings were awful, already old and dead out of the box) and truss rod, intonation & action adjustments, I can give the BBs a true first test drive.

I forgot where you are in NJ. I'd love to get together to test drive your Dr. V's, meet your "girl" and trade licks - if the offer still stands. Now that I'm a new member of the Historic LP world I have yet to meet a brother in real time.

[classic]

Originally Posted by Stylemaster

Now that I'm a new member of the Historic LP world I have yet to meet a brother in real time.

Hey,

I'm not begrudging this guitar to you ... but I have the impression that you're feeling under par now in the swamp of common guitars and common people ... or why did you mention that 'other World' ???

That was the reason why I've left the other forum ... several social classes of people ... and 'Off Limits' if you couldn't prove that you're authorized to be there ...

Please ... not here again ...

[Stylemaster]

Originally Posted by Stylemaster

Now that I'm a new member of the Historic LP world I have yet to meet a brother in real time.

Originally Posted by classic

]Hey,

I'm not begrudging this guitar to you ... but I have the impression that you're feeling under par now in the swamp of common guitars and common people ... or why did you mention that 'other World' ???

That was the reason why I've left the other forum ... several social classes of people ... and 'Off Limits' if you couldn't prove that you're authorized to be there ...

Please ... not here again ...

I'm sorry but I don't understand what you're talking about. Let me rephrase my statement to clarify my meaning: Now that I own my first Historic LP and have discovered THIS site (which is a new world to me, as I've hung mostly on The Gear Page and have been mostly a Strat player) I haven't yet met anybody on THIS forum in person - which is something I look forward to.