Installed some Wizz pickups in my R9…

[stephen78]

Incredible!!! I’ve tried so many pickups in my guitars over the years, but this is the first time I’ve been completely floored by a set. I went with the standard premium clone PAFs.

I was a little worried about the A4 magnets. I’ve tried several sets of A4 pickups in my other Les Paul (2008 Traditional) and disliked all of them. I figured A4 pickups weren’t for me. Then I tried some low wind OX4s (A4) in my 335 and I absolutely love them. So I figured I’d give it another go with my R9. Acoustically it’s very different than my Traditional. The R9 is woodier with fat midrange honk. Not too dark or bright…pretty well balanced. Has a slightly softer attack. My Traditional is bright and tighter sounding on the lower strings. Faster attack and mids not as fat.

The Wizz set was exactly what my R9 needed. It’s keeping all the qualities I love about the guitar and adding so much more to it! I hate listing all the cliché adjectives, but it really does have that complexity/clarity/openness to it. It matches the guitar perfectly…and that’s what I am most happy about. Every position is fun to play whether it be bridge/middle/neck.

It really is all about finding the right set that works with the acoustic sound of your guitar. I used to just randomly buy pickups without understanding what kind of eq they would add to my guitar. A lot of trial and error. If I put this Wizz set in my Traditional I probably would not like them. It would most likely be way too bright for that guitar. But for my R9 it’s a perfect match!

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Congratulations.

Nice when a plan comes together, eh?!

 

[Roxy13]

One thing I have learned is not to avoid a pickup over magnet type.

I do tend to prefer pickups with A4s, but some pickups (or maybe some guitars) do better with A2s, A5s or A3s.

 

[Airplane]

i wish we wouldn’t know about this magnet type stuff. nobody would notice… i think every set is different and one set with A4s can sound the same as a A2 set because the magnets can probably balance out variations of each (handmade) pickup.

but then i can’t help thinking i want as little magnetic pull as possible to let the strings vibrate, but the WIZZ set i used to have (coincidentally with A4s) was absolutely great so what the hell..

 

[rich85]

i wish we wouldn’t know about this magnet type stuff. nobody would notice… i think every set is different and one set with A4s can sound the same as a A2 set because the magnets can probably balance out variations of each (handmade) pickup.

but then i can’t help thinking i want as little magnetic pull as possible to let the strings vibrate, but the WIZZ set i used to have (coincidentally with A4s) was absolutely great so what the hell..

I agree to an extent but I really can’t get along with A2 pickups. I play a lot of single note riffs and they have no midrange punch. I have tried Burstbuckers, Slash set, Pearly Gates. Great tone but just such a soft midrange. I pick up an R0 with A3 and I find it has the tone im after. So there is something to it, but not the be all and end all. So I might like A3, A4 and A5 but not A2.

So I think narrowing down what you really don’t like is important, but not buying any pickups apart from A5 to me is silly. I love A5 Whole Lotta Humbucker, Ceramic Super Distortion, A3 Custombuckers.

Variety is important.

 

[Visual Guy]

One thing I have learned is not to avoid a pickup over magnet type.

I do tend to prefer pickups with A4s, but some pickups (or maybe some guitars) do better with A2s, A5s or A3s.

This is so true. I tend to be wrong when "guessing" magnets. But if I know the spec, I think I can hear the character. A good winder can trick us. I try not to worry about magnets these days at all.

 

[dc007]

I had some Sheptone Blue Sky pups. I really liked them and they had A4 mags. Up against my Wolfetones (A2) and Throbaks (A5) the primary difference I heard is the A4 seems a little drier. Maybe woody is the term I'm looking for.