HamerHokie Posted March 23, 2022 Posted March 23, 2022 Recently had a lot of work done to my 2002 Studio Custom and chose this opportunity to try a different bridge pickup. I like the way the Suhr Thornbuckers sound in Pete Thorn videos so I found a second hand bridge model online. It may be the best sounding bridge pickup I've ever used in my current rig. Runs about 9 kΩ impedance, clear and articulate even in drive mode. Doesn't overpower the SD '59 bridge when selecting the middle position.
polara Posted March 23, 2022 Posted March 23, 2022 Last week I replaced the stock pickups in my G&L Doheny HH. It was the perfect gigging guitar - great neck and frets, comfortable Jazzmaster body shape, super vibrato, separate bass and treble cut plus coil splits, and stays in tune - but the pickups freakin' sucked. My other guitars all sounded fine - a Tele sounded like a Tele, a Les Paul like a Les Paul, etc. - through my setup, except the G&L was boomy and shrill at once. I was almost going to sell it at a loss but I googled something like "clear, medium output humbuckers" and the Thornbuckers kept coming up. I was really afraid I was gonna blow money on a guitar that just couldn't sound good, but dang! The Thornbuckers are almost "acoustic guitar" sounding clean, really clear and balanced, and just like you said, you run 'em through dirt and they rock bu still have that clarity. Neck pickup is, if anything, even better, 'cos it's a neck humbucker that doesn't get woofy. They're almost like Filtertrons in a way, but but more balanced. I am blown away.
Jim85IROC Posted March 23, 2022 Posted March 23, 2022 3 hours ago, polara said: Last week I replaced the stock pickups in my G&L Doheny HH. It was the perfect gigging guitar - great neck and frets, comfortable Jazzmaster body shape, super vibrato, separate bass and treble cut plus coil splits, and stays in tune - but the pickups freakin' sucked. My other guitars all sounded fine - a Tele sounded like a Tele, a Les Paul like a Les Paul, etc. - through my setup, except the G&L was boomy and shrill at once. I was almost going to sell it at a loss but I googled something like "clear, medium output humbuckers" and the Thornbuckers kept coming up. I was really afraid I was gonna blow money on a guitar that just couldn't sound good, but dang! The Thornbuckers are almost "acoustic guitar" sounding clean, really clear and balanced, and just like you said, you run 'em through dirt and they rock bu still have that clarity. Neck pickup is, if anything, even better, 'cos it's a neck humbucker that doesn't get woofy. They're almost like Filtertrons in a way, but but more balanced. I am blown away. That sounds a lot like the Whole Lotta Humbuckers that are in my Studio Custom. They're hotter than I usually like, but they're also bright, which hot pickups don't usually do. I really like them.
dhuber Posted March 24, 2022 Posted March 24, 2022 I have the regular Thorn Bucker's in all three of my PRS guitars. I bought a used PRS DGT model on Reverb. It arrived and I freaked out it. It did not have the DGT pickups. It turned out it was my bad I did not thoroughly read the description. After playing the guitar for I while the Thorn Buckers that were in the guitar grew on me. I later purchased a McCarty off of the HFC for sale board and it came with DiMarzio 36th Anniversary's in it. I changed them out to the regular Thorn Buckers. The Thorn Buckers are an improvement in the McCarty but the DGT sounds better with the same pickups. I'd expect it the other way around as the DGT has a floating bridge. Early this years I purchased a locally owned used SE-245 with the express purpose of putting 9's on the guitar with the combined short scale for easy string bending. Again I installed regular Thorn Bucker's in the SE-245. Amazing improvement. Someone can correct me, but I think the Thorn Buckers are Alnico III in the bridge and Alnico V in the neck. I like'm!
Biz Prof Posted March 24, 2022 Posted March 24, 2022 6 minutes ago, dhuber said: I have the regular Thorn Bucker's in all three of my PRS guitars. I bought a used PRS DGT model on Reverb. It arrived and I freaked out it. It did not have the DGT pickups. It turned out it was my bad I did not thoroughly read the description. After playing the guitar for I while the Thorn Buckers that were in the guitar grew on me. I later purchased a McCarty off of the HFC for sale board and it came with DiMarzio 36th Anniversary's in it. I changed them out to the regular Thorn Buckers. The Thorn Buckers are an improvement in the McCarty but the DGT sounds better with the same pickups. I'd expect it the other way around as the DGT has a floating bridge. Early this years I purchased a locally owned used SE-245 with the express purpose of putting 9's on the guitar with the combined short scale for easy string bending. Again I installed regular Thorn Bucker's in the SE-245. Amazing improvement. Someone can correct me, but I think the Thorn Buckers are Alnico III in the bridge and Alnico V in the neck. I like'm! I swear I thought they had an A2 in the bridge a la original PAF specs.
dhuber Posted March 24, 2022 Posted March 24, 2022 We're both wrong: Bridge: Spacing: 50mm or 53mm Magnet: Alnico IV DC Resistance (50mm): ~ 8.5KΩ DC Resistance (53mm): ~ 8.9KΩ Neck: Spacing: 50mm Magnet: Alnico V DC Resistance: ~ 7.3KΩ Wire: Plain Enamel Hook Up Wire: 4-Conductor
Biz Prof Posted March 24, 2022 Posted March 24, 2022 Makes sense. I do think Pete recently said he's working on an A2 version with Suhr based on his EVH pickup shootout.
HamerHokie Posted March 24, 2022 Author Posted March 24, 2022 7 hours ago, Jim85IROC said: That sounds a lot like the Whole Lotta Humbuckers that are in my Studio Custom. They're hotter than I usually like, but they're also bright, which hot pickups don't usually do. I really like them. I have WLHs in my other Studio Custom. Sound great as well.
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