Here's my post on the Seymour Duncan forum:
Well, it was good to finally get a chance to crank the volume a bit. So, first impressions:
These pups are in an all mahogany Gibson Firebird Studio. Sounds nothing like my JB equipped SG. I see no similarities apart from the ability to really cut through a mix. They do have a lot of top but I believe this is to be expected with scatterwound pups. At low volumes I was a bit dubious about the top end but it comes into it's own when the amp is cranked. A lot of bite but in an old school kind of way - when you get the EQ on the amp set right it sounds great and reminds me of some of my fave players from the 60s and 70s. Not a lot of low end but personally I don't like that in a pickup. It's why we have bass players. On the other hand the low end remains very clear even with loads of gain.
Incredibly responsive to pick attack. I can crank the gain on the amp but get beautiful clean tones by picking gently. Hit hard and you get a great roar. I've never played a pup with so much dynamic range. Engaging the amps gain boost gives tons of sustain but the pups never lose their articulate quality and you can still hear all the notes in a chord rather than a slab of sound - think of those Townsend chords in Won't Get Fooled Again.
These pickups are a mix of vintage and modern sounds. Hard to describe but I'v heard others say the same thing. I wouldn't say they're warm sounding which some folks may not like. I liked the 498T that I replaced because it had a really Gibsony sound but it got too mushy with only a moderate amount of gain and it was hard to get any bite out of it. The 490 neck pick up was useless because it was so muddy and boomy whereas the RY neck pickup is crystal clear and the first time in ages that I've actually spent a lot of time using a neck pickup.
Downsides ? If anything, I'd say they're a little thinner than a lot of buckers I've played but this actually feels really good once you've got used to it. They seem to sit somewhere between a standard humbucker and a P90.
They are definitely quality pickups. I'd like to try some others from the BK range but I've no plans to lose the JB in my SG. I just need more guitars.
Price wise they're in the same area (in the UK) as Antiquities or Seths so that's not really an issue. If you're in the US (or anywhere else where the BKs are expensive) I suggest you wait until you can try them before spending your money. I don't think you'll be disappointed but it's all down to personal taste ain't it ?
