AlNiCo III magnets are the weakest of the AlNiCo series (yes, even weaker than AlNiCo II). AlNiCo III Magnets have a slightly higher Iron content in their makeup which gives them a little smoother/even tone (IMO). Great Demo Lucas. Love the PlanetTone pickups, great playing too. Also, glad you installed the AlNiCo III in your '59 Eastman, such a fine/deserving instrument.
You can put alnico 3 Humbuckers really close to the strings and they get super punchy cuase they have very little string pull, thats what i like about them.
Such a great sound with these pickups. I love that they have so much definition and "presence" with individual notes, even with considerable gain / distortion. I've had great success with a lot of alnico III pickups in other various pickup iterations, but I think I may have to snatch a set of these up and add them to the list. I won't be taking the Lollars out of MY Eastman (they just sound tooooo good), but I have another LP style that these will fit in quite nicely. Thanks for an awesome demo!
Great Demo Lucas, so glad you installed the AlNiCo III in the Eastman '59. AlNiCo III are the lowest Gauss (strength) of the AlNiCo series of magnets. I started switching to AlNiCo III pickups a couple years ago because they just seem to fit best with my playing style.
@@benink5690 It is my understanding that the AlNiCo 3 magnets are actually the weakest of the AlNiCo series of magnets. The MHS order could have been designated by magnetic strengths, which might explain the ordering flip of the MHS naming designations.
@@hkguitar1984 direct answer from Gibson "The original MHS is based on early PAF humbuckers. The adjustable coil has more turns than the slug coil, the wire is 42 gauge, enamel insulated and the long magnets are Alnico 2 for bridge pickup, Alnico 3 for neck. The MHS II is based on Gibson mid-60’s patent number humbuckers. Both coils have the same number of turns, the wire is 42 gauge poly coated and the magnets are short Alnico 5."
Clarity, I will have to find it again, but I watched a video where the magnets were switched on a set of pickups. It was the only change and the 3’s just got more clear. Those belong in a 335 screaming the sounds of BB King.
very nice tone, bright and clear, with good definitiion. I love it. Thank's for sharing and for your clear explanation and very good playing. Have a nice day!
"Lucy", the red Les Paul George Harrison used most of the time on the last three Beatles albums, was being analyzed by Gibson for a reproduction and they found AlNiCo III in the pickups. They just used what they could get back then. It comes off pretty bright on the records and the film. Telecastery? I think that's a bit of a leap, but definitely brighter than usual.
MHS is "Memphis Historic Spec". It's referring to a P.A.F. from Gibson in the late 50's and early 60's in Hollow body guitars. It was a small group of Paf's made with Alnico III magnets instead of Alnico V in Memphis. After the early 60's they went back to Alnico V. In 1974 Gibson made T-Tops with these exact specs...42 AWG wire, around 5k wraps and Alnico III magnets. This is another small grouping of Gibson pickups with Alnico III's as again most T-Tops had Alnico V Magnets. These T-Tops seem to be centered around 1974 to 1977. Many Les Paul's from that era have those pickups and fans call them "Super 74's". Gibson recreated both of these pickups in the 2010 era. The Super 74 replica's were made for a Randy Rhoads Signature guitar. The other late 50's PAF was called "Memphis Historic Spec" by Gibson around 2015-ish. This Planet Tone version seems to be their version of that PAF. I wouldn't doubt they sound remarkably like the Super 74's as well. It's very odd that one company...being Gibson made two different pickups in two different era's with virtually the same specs but they're viewed as two different things! Odd indeed...
Have done a couple kit builds this summer. An LP earlier and just finished an SG with the PT Soul Serenade humbuckers. I had PT do a Peter Green magnet flip in the neck and they sound so sweet! These sound great. Almost went with these just for the A3's. Dickey Betts to Duane Allman SG had A3's. My planned next project s/be a 335 style or possible full build at a local community college course. Will be using these sweet PUPs!
Im in your state sooo watch out lol. Just passing through going to Gatlinburg. But ill be back😎 tomorrow, going to Bryson city to ride the train!!! Keeping on giving us great vids!!
IMO these fit very well to a LP kind of guitar. I have mine fitted with unpotted Alnico III's (CustomBuckers) and they really sound like you describe it: clarity, articulation, kind of Tele on steroids. Which was originally the tone you got from a LP with early Humbuckers. '70s: yeah, I saw Peter Green & Danny Kirwan live in Paris at that time and they were getting a kind of honk that is unique to these low output pickups. On a LP: they rule ! Cheers Lucas
I've been a fan of the AlNiCo III pickups for a while now, especially unpotted humbuckers. I swapped a set of AlNiCo III rough-cast magnets into some Gibson Burstbuckers I had, they come pretty close to how the Custombuckers sound/feel.I've lso a set of AlNiCo III Fender pickups in a Telecaster I have, again, very pleased with the smooth, even note/feel. Not much compression and very musical sounding.
Ive only become familiar with A3 since my 54 avri strat...hearing them in a humbucker is incredible. That AC-DC intro was so realistic it smelled of Vegi-mite and Foster's Lager.
Love this channel Lucas. Pickups are a subject I have always been interested in and the whole after market industry also fascinates me . I feel safe here and don't get called a cork sniffer or a Luddite because I fall between both camps lol. Your playing and tone always sounds good to me no matter what and I enjoy your description of what you're hearing in the room. My only Humbucker guitar is a 99.9% stock '05 Gibson Les Paul. The pickups are original to the guitar ,Burstbucker Pro with nickel covers , wax potted , 7.91k bridge & 7.55k neck. I would love to see you put those pickups in a Les Paul style guitar and hear your playing and opinions. Cheers 🇬🇧😉🎸
I have an '05 Les Paul Std too. Although I liked the BB Pros, I always thought the guitar could sound better. I recently gave in to temptation and installed a Planet Tone Blues Heritage set after watching Lucas' vid. They sound like a much better Burstbucker Pro couldn't be happier. Awesome all-round pickups.
@@mattchurchill I guess it all depends on how you personally hear "better" , doesn't it ? Back in '08, I considered installing some kind of unpotted pickups ,minus covers for a more vintage vibe but I seriously doubt I'll ever get around to it . I had plans for the guitar , only getting as far as a fake Catalin switch tip lol. I'm happy with it.
They are superbly built instruments. Don't let anyone of those "made in china, must suck" dudes get to you. I own a lot of really great instruments, and this is every bit as good as my nicest guitars.
@@LucasFowler Lucas! Do NOT demo pickups or guitars using a digital amp or preamp! In a gigital amp you are NOT hearingt he actual guitas true signal as with analog or tube amps! What you hear in a digital amp is a triggered sampling as the analog signal is first converted to digital and them processed, the smple tones are programmed and stored inside the chips inside the unit and that is what your hearing. In a digital amp you can make a $150 guitar with old rusty strings sound like A $10,000 prs SIMPLY BY PROGRAMMING IT FOR THAT SAMPLED TONE! Study digital amp circuitry and you'll know what I mean! I own digital, analog, and tube amps, and have worked in programming. I know what I'm talking about! I refuse to listen to demos using Pods, Fractles, etc. etc. because it is not a real & true sound demo of any pickup or guitar!
@@kennyh5083 I think that's quite of oversimplification of how digital stuff works in the present, but this was my Legend A60 which has an all analog circuit. It has a tube pre-amp and a solid state, transistor power amp.
Remember when pete townsend played LP Deluxes thru HiWatts in the late 70s(?)...when you put some mid gain gas on the Legend, it sounded almost identical to that late 70s who tone. Those pups sound like they would pair well with bright mid gain amps. 👍🤘
I thought the same ! Pete Townshend was a teenage hero of mine in the 80's ! I always WANTED a guitar . I already owned Face Dances and then listened to Meaty, Beaty ,Big and Bouncy and Odds & Sods aged 13 and realised I NEED a f-kin guitar right now ! 🤟😉🎸🇬🇧
These pickups really sound like Peter Green’s type of sound, if you listen in the beginning or maybe you’re just playing vintage licks in the beginning. Keep it up man.
Hey Lucas, great post man, totally agree luv the bridge pickup with its tele twang, neck pickup sounds lovely and warm with a hint of twang as well. Pickups sound fantastic with the drive.Thanks for sharing. Stay safe man.
How did you hook up (wire) the pickups to the pots and caps?? There are 2 ways, one is the Vintage way and the other is the Modern!! Which one did you use??
Man, I love me some low output pickups. I've got Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers in my Yamaha SBG2000 and those have Alnico II magnets. I've never tried Alnico III before but they sounded great with all the settings you played through! I especially loved the mild breakup sound you had going on the clean setting and the mid-gain stuff. Very Tele like indeed! Can't go wrong with the fuzz either! That thing sounded awesome too. Is there an octave there with the fuzz?
I'm going for the 70s rock tone every time I plug in. I know I have it dialed in when my full 6 string major and minor bar chords sound overdriven, gritty and every note rings clear and pleasing. That A60 probably never saw stardom coming in it's later years.
Great video Lucas! My SB59 has SD Antiquities which I am loving so far, so did you not get on well with the Lollar's? I am considering getting a set of Lindy Fralin's Pure PAFs for my Eastman, and putting the Duncan's into the Ibanez, depending in how well it comes through surgery, and since the crack is almost 2 inches above the end of the truss rod, I expect it should play the same as it did before my Joe Bonehead move. Anyway, great sound, and playing, all the best to you, Heather, and the little one! Keith
Don't care for the clean tone or the neck HB vibes on these but that Bridge distorted tone is killer for a Tele IMO! IMO they ain't the best ones for a Les Paul (there's far better ones for a Paul) but that bridge puppy could sure do a rock'n blues tele sum justice! add in a Gibby Classic neck HB (what the Stones use BTW) and you got Stones rhythms in the neck and this beast in the bridge for jackin'-up the crowd! Yea that could be sweet!
? Hi Lucas . I am really interested in the MHS ll . I ordered a Gibson Les Paul from Gibsons’s Demo shop with these in them and I usually see them in 335’s or semi hollow Gibsons . Do they feed back ? What could I expect. I have 24 hrs to cancel my order of Of the 60’s Reissue Paul. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Love your channel and respect your opinions .
10:40 that is the sound I was waiting for, the CHIRPY sound, every demo of Gibson Custombuckers that has had that tells me the Alnico 3 is the pickup, at least to me. But all your description of Tele on Steroids, is the So called NICE PAF sound, airy is another term for them. Now if some one is playing METAL, more heavy stuff well maybe the ceramics or old super distortion might be what someone is looking for. Everyone's taste is different. These to me are NICE.
They do sound great. Honest question: if the lower output is what results in that clarity, can you get that just by turning down the volume? Also, since I’ve never heard anyone say they wanted muddy sound, what is the advantage to higher output pickups?
That's a good question. Lower output doesn't necessarily result in clarity, but it can help. Higher output pickups "drive" the front of an amp harder, resulting in more compression, sustain and distortion. Some amps that have less distortion available on tap benefit from hot pickups, giving you more gain/crunch. Hotter pickups also tend to be more mid focused, which can "tighten" the bottom end on some amps that sound too boomy. Basically, there are low output pickups that sound muddy and high output pickups that sound clear. The outputs are just one factor.
Hey Lucas, How many buffered bypass pedals is too many on a board? I am wanting to get a couple of pedals, but I am worried I will have too many buffers in my signal chain.
I have Alnico 3's in my Axesrus Laudanum humbuckers and they're pretty hot , around 12-13k and they sound great thru my gear.. Good for 80's style rock.. 🤘
They are indeed Frank, not by much but measurably lower Gauss than AlNiCo II. Their composition gives them a slightly higher Iron content giving them a little fuller/smoother tone. With less strength they have a little less compression as compared to a higher output pickup.
Your signature set! I use to like this guy but this is where am stopping. I haven't realised I was watching someone who gets sponsored and offered signature products. Sorry for leaving you and wish you all the best.
They are both Alnico III magnets. I went to Planet Tone’s website to see if there was a misprint and I was unable to find one. Where are you seeing Alnico II?
