How would you compare the Mule bridge to a Gibson BurstBucker Pro & Gibson 500T?

[NickyD]

Pretty much says it in the title?

Thanks

[ericsabbath]

they're nothing alike  :?

[josep_cla]

Well, the BB is a Vintage/Hot one, but the 500T is muuuuch more gainy!

The mule has nothing to do with them.

[Simon D]

The Mule's a old-school style humbucker, intended to give a pretty vintage PAF type tone, which it does extremely well. As I understand it, the two Gibson pickups are far more modern sounding than a Mule.

[PistottiAmps]

A little late on this one-

I had a BB in the neck of my LP and I replaced it with a mule.

My opinion is consistent with everyone else. Mule is much more vintage and has less gain than the BB- which I believe is supposed to be a bit less modern than the 500T.

The BB was grainy and had less character then the Mule in my opinion. And though I used the BB for the clean tones- it got muddy and nasty for overdrive. The mule- having less gain, handles the cleans better and the overdrive is much more controlled and just plain sweet. It personally wouldn't be enough for me to put it in the bridge unless I was going for a true old school sound (which I neither have the money or guitars to do so)- but it's a great pickup and much better than either Gibson PU.

[josep_cla]

Well, I love my 500T...

[Keven]

Well, I love my 500T...

good for you and your wallet especially :D

[Tellboy]

Well, I love my 500T...

At the end of the day ... that's all that matters.

I've recently fitted a calibrated set of Mules (unpotted, nickel covers) in my Les Paul. This is the fourth (different) set I've had in the guitar since I bought it (1989) and ,for me, this is the sound I've always wanted from the guitar. Although I suppose I like 'old school' sounds I have over the years tended to try higher output pickups which have been very successful in some guitars (Cold Sweats in my PRS) but with the Mules I can hear many of the classic sounds I loved when I started playing. Even though they are relatively low output they can do great high gain sounds and as I went for unpotted they can get a bit 'on the edge' where you can get musical/harmonic feedback. Not for everyone - particularly if you are a 500T fan but I luv 'em :D

[josep_cla]

 :D Keven...
I bought it new in a VERY expensive shop here in Castellón (my town) ten years ago for a non-reasonable price of 120€...

Now I have paired it with a CS neck, and am happier than ever.

[FELINEGUITARS]

Well, I love my 500T......

I bought it new in a VERY expensive shop here in Castellón (my town) ten years ago for a non-reasonable price of 120€...

Now I have paired it with a CS neck, and am happier than ever.

Interesting you should say that as the closest BKP to the 500T is the Cold Sweat Bridge pickup.
Tim sold a load of Cold Sweats to Dan Hawkins of the Darkness to replace his 500T s with a few years back

[Keven]

:D Keven...
I bought it new in a VERY expensive shop here in Castellón (my town) ten years ago for a non-reasonable price of 120€...

Now I have paired it with a CS neck, and am happier than ever.

Yikes. here i was thinking it was simply the stock pickup in your guitar. in that case, you had indeed better love it :D

[ericsabbath]

Well, I love my 500T......

I bought it new in a VERY expensive shop here in Castellón (my town) ten years ago for a non-reasonable price of 120€...

Now I have paired it with a CS neck, and am happier than ever.

Interesting you should say that as the closest BKP to the 500T is the Cold Sweat Bridge pickup.
Tim sold a load of Cold Sweats to Dan Hawkins of the Darkness to replace his 500T s with a few years back

the painkiller is still closer to my ears, but in fact, all ceramic BKPs have some resemblance with the 500t
pk = fat mids, cs = midrange crunch, miracle man = grinding low mids, cpig = ROAR
the 500t is a cool pickup
sounds like a tweaked duncan distortion, but no near as clear and organic as BKP models
I used to love the neck 496r too, but sounded way too sterile when paired with a cold sweat

[josep_cla]

well, I wasn't the stock pu in my Fender Strat  for sure :lol:

I was considering changing it for a BKP, but when I installed the CS on the neck, I felt there was no reason for geting rid off this nice pu. I still love it.

I readed a post in where Tim also says the 500t is a nice pu hehe.
his only complaint about was that the tri-ceramic arquitecture "muffles" the armonics (not to my ears!)

should I ask him to take one or two magnets out? hehe

but no I am also liking low output bridge pu's... I am getting older...