# Gibson burstbucker for high gain sounds?



## GÜMERSINDO (Apr 21, 2016)

Hi, sorry if I´m repeating a thread, as the title says, my concern is how would work this particular pickup for high gain metal sounds. Has anyone previous experiences with that? 

Thanks a lot.


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## J-Fender7 (Apr 21, 2016)

I have the Burstbuckers that came in my Epiphone Thunderhorse and to be honest, they're pretty disappointing for high gain metal. I've messed with my settings and boosted my amp, but no matter what they always sound too weak. I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be Gibson's highest output pickup, but I get a higher output from Epi G-400's stock pups. I'm planning on switching them out soon. I wouldn't recommend them for metal, but I'll give credit where it is due and say that they have some really nice cleans, especially when split.


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## Spicypickles (Apr 21, 2016)

Gibby's highest output pup is the dirty fingers, unless you're talking about current production.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Apr 21, 2016)

Burstbuckers love particular amps, particularly bright high gain amps like the Marshall JVM-410H, and not so much love for the Bogner Uberschall which is mid and bass heavy. 

You might try a Tube Screamer for a bit more grit, but more noise will come with it.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Apr 21, 2016)

Spicypickles said:


> Gibby's highest output pup is the dirty fingers, unless you're talking about current production.




^Those, or the Iommi pickups.


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## ah_graylensman (Apr 21, 2016)

J-Fender7 said:


> I'm pretty sure they are supposed to be Gibson's highest output pickup...



Um, not really:

500T "Super Ceramic" Humbucker Pickup - Gibson Store

Tony Iommi Signature Humbucker Pickup - Gibson Store

Dirty Fingers Pickup - Gibson Store


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## Emperor Guillotine (Apr 21, 2016)

Gibson's highest ouput pickups are the 500T super ceramic and the 498T alnico.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Apr 22, 2016)

A friend of mine had a pair of Burstbuckers in an Epi Les Paul tuned down to C for a while. They were fairly thick and warm, but didn't hold up to low tunings or aggressive playing that well. They just didn't have a lot of punch or bite on tap. Much better suited for rock and blues with moderate to low gain IMO.


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## goldsteinat0r (Apr 22, 2016)

I had an LP with burstbuckers and found them to be extremely bright and lacking in low/high mid punch. I imagine they work beautifully for lower gain sounds but I hated them through my marshall DSL100/orange cab setup. I could never dial out that top end harshness and they were never tight or woofy, just spongy and chirpy.


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## tedtan (Apr 22, 2016)

Which burstbuckers: the 1, the 2, the 3 or the pro? They all respond a bit differently.

My Les Paul with burstbucker pros screams in high gain applications. I've never had it below D, so I can't say how it will handle low tunings, but from what I hear in D, I bet it will hold up.


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## TheAbstract (Apr 22, 2016)

The 500t will be better (and likely cheaper) for what you're wanting. 

Keep in mind that the aftermarket pickups aren't the same as the ones Gibson installs in guitars. Aftermarket are 4 wire...Gibson install are 2 wire. 

Buy used pulled pickups.


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## Jaxcharvel (Apr 22, 2016)

The 500T is a super hot pickup, but it's not particularly clear. I liked the one I had in my V in standard and drop D, but if it went lower than that it was very muddy. I've never played the Dirty Fingers but from what I understand it's very similar to the 500T, just more of everything.


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## The Spanish Inquisition (Apr 23, 2016)

If you want to have high gain metal sounds, why not go for something like Seymour Duncan? Gibson isn't really the most high gain guitar brand. I've got a Seymour Duncan SH-6 in my guitar, it's cheaper and way more adjusted to metal. The Gibson humbuckers always felt kind of weak and sonically just not versatile. Anything lower than D comes out muddy.


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## RUSH_Of_Excitement (Apr 23, 2016)

Hey man, if you want high gain Gibson pickups, use the Dirty Fingers. I saw Amon Amarth the other day, and those were the pickups Olavi was using... I don't think you need any other endorsement


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## rewihendrix (Apr 27, 2016)

They will be absolutely fine for high gain playing, IMO, so long as you like passive pickups. There are very few pickups that _don't_ work for high gain sounds. Unless you're playing below D standard, in which case specifically tailored pickups are required.

That's not to say that there aren't better or worse pickups out there depending on your rig and the way you like things to sound. Just that you'll definitely be able to get good sounds out of them.


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## GÜMERSINDO (Apr 29, 2016)

Hello again. I asked about burstbuckers just because an Explorer 76 caught my eye and was within my price range since I couldn´t afford something more expensive. Finally I´ve found another 76 with 500T and 496R for the same price so I´ve pulled the trigger. It´s my first Gibson, so I don´t know what to expect, my intended plan is to keep it in stardard tunning and play some old Metallica/Bay Area stuff. 

I don´t know if Gibson pickups are proper to play this kind of stuff, if it eventually don´t work for me then I´ll start to do some research until I find the right ones.

Thanks for the replies.


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## rewihendrix (Apr 29, 2016)

500T is awesome for metal. They'll be great.


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