WTB / Recommendations Neck Pickup

[BadgerDave]

I'm looking for a neck pickup to pair with a Peter Florance '59 Alnico 5 bridge pickup in a chambered Les Paul Standard.  Prefer a slightly aged zebra humbucker but open to other options.  Currently using a Lollartron, but it doesn't blend well in the  middle position.  Need something vintage PAF voiced that cleans up nicely when volume is rolled back.

A Florance Alnico III would be perfect if you happen to have one stashed away.

[RobB]

Give the Dimarzio Humbucker From Hell a try. THE most magical neck pickup I’ve used in any guitar. Two rows of hex screws, so you may/may not like the look. 

[kizanski]

It may not be booteek-ey enough for you, but I always loved the Duncan Custom in my SuperPro.

[Jeff R]

If you like what you hear on this vid, there are a lot of options from which you and I could pick. Outside of bobbin colors and/or metal cover alloys, you can spec ABS or butyrate, 2C or 4C (I designed these to split beautifully), long or short plate legs, different steel alloys for screws and slugs ... or even built around an A3 (sounds a touch woodier but still articulate and sparkly IMHO.

 

[JGravelin]

On 2/14/2024 at 7:36 AM, BadgerDave said:

I'm looking for a neck pickup to pair with a Peter Florance '59 Alnico 5 bridge pickup in a chambered Les Paul Standard.  Prefer a slightly aged zebra humbucker but open to other options.  Currently using a Lollartron, but it doesn't blend well in the  middle position.  Need something vintage PAF voiced that cleans up nicely when volume is rolled back.

A Florance Alnico III would be perfect if you happen to have one stashed away.

TLDR: any Fralin, Lollar, or Wolfetone of similar spec on the used market will get you almost there. If they are not A3, you can swap. Not all A3 are created equal. If you need the right A3, I've got those and will help.

Long answer: Those Florance '59 A3s are hard to find and I did a deep dive on your behalf to scrounge one up with no joy. A set or two, yes  but single neck pickups ..nope. Keep an eye out and I'd bet one will show up eventually. I'll stay on it too and will get in touch if I find one.

Beyond that, per PFs specs it's 7.9k. Considering the +/- there, and knowing his build quality as I do having converted output leads and covers on a few for folks, as a starting point, a similar resistance-rated pickup made by any of the reputable makers will be 100% in the ballpark. Swapping magnets is easy stuff and you and i have worked together enough times for me to feel confident that you would have no problem doing this work. I can say with full experience and authority there that a Fralin, Lollar, or Wolfetone first - Duncan second, and DiMarzio lastly -  with a similar resistance and build spec will be so very close. If you can find one with A3, great! If not, I know you could swap the mag successfully.

Finally, and it's important for me to say this because not many consider it; magnets of the same grade from different manufacturers DO NOT sound the same. PF sourced his via a specific USA manufacturer, one of the 2 companies who've been supplying these to both guitar manufacturers, the pickup community, and in an industrial capacity for years and years. There are not only obvious audible differences but also electronically measurable differences in how they affect the "whole" of the pickups performance. Mojotone and PLT source their mags from China and for some builds/winds, they are fucking amazing! But they aren't what PF used and they don't sound the same as their USA counterparts. Nor do the two USA sound the same. Herein, and across all parts, lies the "big trick" of pickup making.

I am here to assist.

 

 

[BadgerDave]

Wow!  Thanks for your extensive response and research Josh.!

[Armitage]

I think it's pretty hard to beat a Duncan Alnico Pro II in the neck.