PICKUP showdown: OX4 vs. Stephens Design | Which nails that PAF tone?

[@rebbeche]

Great Demo, The SD PU are definitely my choice when it comes to sound, they are 3D airy the harmonics just bloom and it makes you play different to the touch. I also own a set of SD PAF his 59 J page set and his P90 set in my 56 Goldtop and they are incredible. But they are extremely expensive $1500 and up. But the OX4 is also a great builder I think for the price his asking for his set it’s definitely a must if you want to change your PU. As fare as the sound the OX4 in terms of the high frequency they are very close to the original PAF they really sound up there, not a lot of builders can achieve that sound. So both are great it’s just a matter of $$$ and waiting time.

[@norseman61]

Both pickups sound killer. What I AM learning is my 64 year old ears are having a tough time differentiating between the two. There is no denying, however, that the mental aspect or.preconceived expectation can make a guitar sound or feel different to the player. I was also about to mention a personal reluctance to “change the voice” of a guitar from how it was meant to sound, when you mentioned it yourself. Anyway.. great pickups, great playing, great video, great channel.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words and observations as always! I can relate to those mental aspects and sometimes have to take a break from tone chasing. It’s fun and helps find inspiring sounds, but I feel most content when writing music. I’m finding the pickup rabbit hole to be a particularly slippery slope.

[@OttoisOhio]

Your tone is literally insane we will need a video of you explaining your signal chain

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! I’ll need to go deeper on that. In the meantime I cover some it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdeqB-ab2sa80si=1DHFrEXw2JyPzgu4

[@Squall6575]

Amazing video! Im so glad you uploaded what seems to be the first high quality demo of Stephens Designs on here! I found that SD to be noticeably more dynamic than the OX, but OX were pretty great too. Good call on the swap!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Glad you appreciated the higher quality demo of the SD pickups. I love the dynamics of them too. They changed the entire feel of the guitar. I actually thought I mistakenly restrung with lighter gauge strings but I had not!

[@buddybeetle]

Lovely demo. Great playing. Both pick-up sets sound excellent. Thanks.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you!

[@ox4mark]

Cheers! Great vid, glad you like the tones.. you have great chops! Tom builds amazing guitars!!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks, Mark - much appreciated! Indeed he does and the OX4s pair wonderfully with mine. Cheers!

[@karlmartin849]

I put a set of OX4's in my Epiphone LP 1960 tribute along with a 50's wiring loom and difference is night and day compared to the stock pickups. Really great pups, and for the money you can't really complain.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Nice! I can imagine that, especially with the 50’s wiring upgrade.

[@indiecrust]

Totally agree with the point about diminishing returns. Can’t quite wrap my head around 1000 dollar pickup sets when great offerings such as OX, Monty’s etc are available.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

It's a rabbit hole for the obsessed, which I am living in!

[@matthewladerwager]

The OX4 pickups are definitely more focused. The SD pickups have a wider or fatter range to my ear. I would be torn to which one I would select because they both sound fantastic. I guess I would have to put a set of each in two different guitars that I owned so I would have both.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the observations. I hear it the same. I'll have to get another guitar for the OX4s - problem solved!

[@trixlee5102]

I liked both of them, but slightly preferred the focused quality of the OX4 in your recording. Can't go wrong with either of them, and I'd probably go with whichever feels better under the fingers.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the observations! Agree - both great. Just different flavors. The SDs felt a little extra special under the fingers.

[@BradRocker]

Something in the lower Mids in the SD. Both sound fabulous.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I really enjoy them both for different reasons. Luxury problems!

[@BradRocker]

@@RatherBeRiffing Your channel is pure Luxury.

[@shredgd5]

I would swear the SD pickups have more output (and low mids). This would explain the ease of playing feel you experienced after installing them. However I liked the OX pickups better in any application! More dynamics (less compressed) and more detail, more string separation, a “woodier” sound. This is what I believe a PAF pickup should deliver! In the mix almost all differences are lost, though. The more time passes, after experimenting and swapping a lot of pickups myself, the more I think pickups are a “feel” thing, not really a tone thing, at least when playing overdriven/distorted. This is coherent with your conclusion that the new pickups changed the feel of your guitar! PS: A rabbit hole in the rabbit hole is pickup height adjustments… they can make a night and day difference! This is also true for the central position tone, where even the tiniest height adjustment changes the balance between the two pickups!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for sharing! You are so right about pickup height adjustments. I've spent hours at a time making micro adjustments and sometimes going in circles, but all in the name of finding inspiring tones!

[@michaelschneider7590]

Really enjoyed this deep dive change of pace! (My knowledge of “SD” pickups is just cursory awareness of Seymour Duncan’s!) It made me curious about Stevens Designs and now I’m hoping you test drive his Texas Fifty Nine Strat set - a la Stevie Ray Vaughan!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Glad to know, Michael! I'd love to test drive those and channel some of my early SRV influence!

[@walgate1]

OX4 for me, they are more focused, and that is what I would like to play through, they have more balls.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I hear the OX4 that way too!

[@eugenechek7288]

Amazing playing, as always and tasty sound👍👏💯

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you - much appreciated!

[@CentaurusRelax314]

Did i miss it? Did you say what the complete signal chain was? What amp was that? Reverb, delay? Sounded glorious, especially before adding the pedals. I had no opinion between the two sets of pickups. I listened through the video without watching it, and whenever you may have switched, the differences weren't discernable enough for me to weigh. Both sound better than i usually hear from "PAFs" and i attribute that to your style. For example, when i hear Bonamassa play PAFs, i always think, "Why would i want _that_ sound?" Ick. Your tones, though, are inspiring/aspirational. Please tell me about that 'amp!' I guess i'll have to scour your other videos to see what you tend to favor.... Someone below mentioned the Halo, which i have in hand but just sold last night. Uggh.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words! I cover some of my signal chain in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdeqB-ab2sa80si=MEdYgm99868ri8Hl

[@CentaurusRelax314]

@@RatherBeRiffing Thank you, sir.

[@ikefork2606]

Back in 2012 I phoned the esteemed pickup makerJim Rolph and asked him to make me a set of his '59 Pretenders' for my 2009 Gibson 50th Anniversary R9 (Gold Cert). Jim is semi-retired with respect to the boutique PAF marketplace. However he was one of the early "pioneers" in the business and amounted a considerable following within the aftermarket PAF community. He was somewhat tight-lipped about the intricate details of his PAF replicas. ***IMO, Jim Rolph produced some of the finest PAF replicas on the planet.

[@purpleplexi]

I have a set of Jim Rolphs in my #1. They've been there since the early 2000s. I've considered changing them for some of the newer `must have` designs but I never have. And probably never will.

[@jackjamz]

Both sound great! I prefer the OX4s. The SDs do have more bite and either more bass or just “fuller” in general. I like the sticky vowel like sounds that the OX4s ring out with single note pick attacks with the light overdrive. Yes, I’m very aware that that sounds stupid and silly in all the worst guitar player personality flaws! 😂😂😂 I love how you described that the pickups unexpectedly changed the feeling of the guitar. That would undoubtedly make the player respond differently to how it’s played- another factor of tone that doesn’t often get considered in a shootout style comparison. And you did well to articulate that!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! I heard that vowel like sound as well in the OX4s (guitarist vernacular 😂)

[@Guidojackson1965]

I don’t know if you ever done one but could you do a vid on how you dial in your delay and reverb and what you use? Sounds amazing 🎸👌

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Check out about halfway through this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdeqB-ab2sa80si=MEdYgm99868ri8Hl

[@buddybeetle]

OX4. Pronounced “oh ex four”. It’s the postcode for an area of Oxford in England.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Ah - thank you! I was painfully aware that I was most likely botching that. Good to know!

[@LukeMosse]

All that happens with this stuff is people hear the expensive one and then decide that all the differences related to the expensive one are 'better'. So if it has more growl, they say having more mids is better. If the less expensive one had more growl, they would say the growl sounded cheap. You reach the 'quality' ceiling with Toneriders or equivalent, everything else is a spec difference after that.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

No doubt natural human biases creep into this stuff big time! I have a musical friend that couldn't care less about gear and I've always appreciated his convictions about what he likes regardless of price.

[@bluesrock4696]

The OX4’s sound more vintage to me - clear and not quite as much gain. The Stephens Designs sound more modern to my ear - a bit thicker and more gain. Both sounded great. If I was picking out a set for me, I would go for the OX4’s.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the observations as always! I hear that too.

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

I hear it the exact opposite- SD’s are more granular, which I hear in the real PAFs.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I listened without looking and every time I heard that tell tale tiny growl you get from the right PAF when I looked it was the OX you were playing. My favorite PAF PU was one I got that I got given to me from someone who wishes for me not to say. I will say only that he is one of the Top players in Texas.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I did some blind tests as well and my girlfriend and I could guess correctly the majority of the time. I hear that growl in the OX too.

[@thieveryguitars6206]

Have you ever thought about talking about some of the chords you use? I love the use of open strings and would hear your thoughts on it.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I would like to expand into topics like this so it’s super helpful to know specific interests like this. Thanks as always!

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

I’ve had multiple examples of both makers’ PAFs and, while OX4’s are a great bang for the buck, the SD’s are literally top tier in the PAF repro world.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I agree. I also have Rewinds Creme Brûlée with NOS wire in a different guitar. Those along with SD are a different playing experience from other makers. I think SD HD59's with NOS wire would be the ideal for me.

[@mattthrun-nowicki8641]

@@RatherBeRiffing I have both a Crème Brûlée NOS set and an SD NOS…both are killer

[@lucianmezinoi-qq1zf]

ox 4 for meee love it

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Great pickups!

[@GuitarGears4544]

Wow, that is one tough comparison. Very similar, but I tended to like the SD pickups more because of what I perceived as their clarity. They had a singing tone, even when overdriven. (But I see below that someone had a similar opinion, but in the opposite direction!) I don't know... I'm just a guitarist. Both sounded great, and probably in the right context I would prefer the OX4's.

[@sampruden7475]

I never leave comments anywhere, but I enjoy the channel. I immediately preferred the Stephens designs neck and middle position. Maybe Stephens neck and Ox bridge?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the comment! That's a cool idea that I had not considered - may have to try it!

[@drewbarries]

Great demo and congratulations on your forthcoming MLB! As always I’ll have to speculate as to the magnets and so at least based on the comparison I am going to say that the OX pups were probably A3 but could be A4 as they did have a bit more brightness than I would guess for A3s. The Stephen’s sounded like A5s and reminded me a lot of my Murphy Lab Brazilian. Both sound killer and depending on the tone I want, may go with either. I did prefer the Stephen’s overall, even for the higher gain, as they reminded me more of what I typically want for a blues based rock tone. It would be interesting to hear the same comparison but, say in the context of a mix, with bass and drums, because that will often change my perspective on what I prefer and so as I listen to your demo I imagine the Stephen’s as just singing in the mix best and they remind me more of the tone in my head on a lot of the classic rock that I gravitate towards.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you and I appreciate your perspective as always! I like them both too and think I need another Bartlett for the OX4s! Agree - I wish I had done a comparison in the context of a mix like I usually do. Next time!

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Either are more than satisfactory but overall the Stephen's designed has the "Mojo" to me. Also Doyle coils,Wizz and Mojotone limited NOS wire 59 sets are just stellar!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agree! Those are on my radar too and hope to try some day (especially the Mojotone NOS). Btw, that is an absolutely stunning Lester in your profile photo. It led me to watch your Historic video and enjoyed it! (BRW = Leather Seats... great analogy!)

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

@@RatherBeRiffing Thank you that is a 2023 ML heavy aged in golden poppy. The video you are referring to is by Todd Louis not me but has a amazing wealth of info for various Re-issues. His historic series is excellent.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

@@CS_Murphy_R9oh I see! Man that’s a beauty you have there!

[@anthonylevas4123]

Always really enjoy your videos. Remarkable tone and playing as usual! I have some of the same equipment. 1959 60th Anniversary Murphy painted WILDWOOD Spec LP, that looks very much like yours. Vemuram Jan Ray, B.K Butler tube driver, Keeley Halo (pedal purchase motivated my watching your videos) and an assortment of vintage Fender Blackface amps. Can’t seem to get that beautiful sustaining tone that is accompanied by great blooming reverb/delay. Quite fantastic how you managed it. Please consider doing a video outlining your tone. Even though you described what you use, just can’t seem to get there☺️. I live in northern Westchester county NY. Are you by any chance near by. Would love to take some lessons and get you help in tone shaping. You may like to play some of my vintage guitars and amps, maybe even use them on a video comparison. I have been playing for 60 years and toured with Ronnie Earl 30 years ago and recorded on his Eye To Eye album. I’m basically a vintage Strat player into just a vintage blackface amp, but branching out now in my old age😊.

[@Mark_B585]

In my experience what I've learned is it depends on the guitar. If it's a cheap guitar you're better off replacing the volume pots what's something that has higher impedance. If it's something you paid a little bit more for shoe replace the pickups but make sure you replace the pots as well. My best advice would be be smart about it understand what you're getting into.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Makes sense. Thanks for the info!

[@timarnold1024]

Both pickups sounded great and I couldn't really tell much difference in tone. I have a Gibson ES-359 Black Beauty with 3 Gibson MHS II pickups and changed the neck and bridge pickups to a boutique humbucker sized P90. The guitar totally lost something (and didn't sound that great compared to my other P90 guitar) and I have now gone back to the original pickups. I had guitar shops do the change and unfortunately its not an easy swap on Gibson ES guitars so it was pretty expensive.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Bummer - yeah those ES style guitars are brutal for pickup swaps!

[@staggs5034]

Dug that Waiting for the bus style riff you played. The both sound great I like the output better on the Stephan’s Design. I prefer medium output PAFs. I want them to hit the front end of the amp a bit.

[@drewbarries]

This is my thought too, the power of A5s is unmistakably great, I can even tell between my MLB with the A5s and the $1000 series 1 that I swapped in just to compare. The series 1 are a bit more balanced but I prefer the A5s with their higher output just push the front end of my 3rd Power Dirty Sink a lot better.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

The Reverend is always top of mind when I think PAF tone!

[@staggs5034]

@@RatherBeRiffing Billy Gibbons is badder than James Brown and Kung Fu put together.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

@@staggs5034 Haha - no doubt!!!!

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Ed king said the closest he could find to match his old original PAF was the WIZZ set

[@RatherBeRiffing]

They are on my list to try eventually!

[@roknfnrol]

Do I hear a light chorus effect?

[@PatatoKeftes]

Well the OX4s sounded beefier. Probably more mids. Punchier. That's why they felt better for the gainier tones. SDs sounded leaner, no overwhelming mids there, in a sweet spot where the mids almost compress and saturate, giving a strange swirly effect. Maybe resonant peak located at slightly higher frequencies. SDs are pretty hot for PAF repros, they compress without being boomy, that's probably why they felt slinkier? Yeah, changes in pickup dynamics can dramatically change the way your guitar responds sonically, therefore changing how it feels.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the observations - super helpful and makes sense to me! Someone suggested the OX4 in the bridge and SD in the neck, which might be cool to try.

[@jameshagan429]

Please tell me what pedals you are using to get that pretty sound you are playing when you’re playing softly. That guitar is gorgeous. Website is completely sold out. I know you can make a custom order.your tone is amazing

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Vemuram JanRay for light gain and Keely Halo in stereo for delay.

[@jameshagan429]

@@RatherBeRiffingthanks your very talented and fun to listen to. I have the Halo ! I’ll try it with my PRS 594 McCarty core. It has those PAF type pickups/ LT

[@CS_Murphy_R9]

Dave Stephens the man is quite eccentric and can seem off-putting BUT when it comes to the old GIBSON P.A.F no one has went as far and deep into dissecting the old originals like he has. He has actually sacrificed old ones to reverse engineer his PAF pickups!!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Indeed. There's no denying his passion and dedication to get these right!

[@anthonydavella8350]

Easy answer is yes, if they are to you, the player

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agree!

[@scottjua]

The SDs are much more PAF true. All the definition and detail the OX lacked. I've also gone down the rabbit hole of PAFs... so far the only two that came close were certain throbaks and Doyle Coils. That said, all I have in guitars now are actual vintage PAFs. It's a real problem.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

That is my impression as well. What Throbak model(s) did you like? I have SLE 101+ in a Gustavsson Bluesmaster. The Koss winds sound very PAF to me is some YT vids. I’m slipping into the rabbit hole myself. I recently acquired a set of Rewind Crème Brûlée with NOS purple wire and installed in a Lester. Liking them so far.

[@scottjua]

I’ve had the Crème Brûlée in my Bartlett 59 replica… and bought one to accompany two PAFs in my SG Custom… but since replaced it with a Pat # PAF. The Throbaks are the KZ115 and DT102s. I still have the DT102s in en epiphone Korina V now. I have a video with the KZ115 vs Wizz and 1959 PAF/1962 PAt# and my 1961 les Paul with it’s original PAFs on my channel… a comparison with time stamps, etc. I haven’t owned the Stephen’s so far, but have heard them in person. They’re like the Rewinds and Throbaks and Doyle Coils. Super PAF like. The Rewinds felt a little brighter and hot, but I don’t think my pair had old wire… I just don’t recall.

[@scottjua]

Oh… the other part of the rabbit hole you need to check… the pots. I’ve got vintage centralabs in everything now. Really night and day difference from new pots. The Borne pots in my Bartlett were pretty close, and I haven’t tried Vintage Inpisred Pots yet, but real vintage centralabs are a key to the puzzle. They really compliment the pickups. In the end, I’d go a good replica PAF pickup with Vintage centralabs pots.

[@arnolddealiii4259]

I felt like the Stevens Design was the better sounding pickups. I felt like you were inspired more in your playing with those pickups as well. Would I change the pickups out? Honestly yes I would. If I had the means to do it and I heard that much tonal shift I would switch and put the OX4 pickups in something else. Both sounded incredible. But that top end sizzle is the stuff that makes me think of ZZ Top's First Album.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for sharing! Interesting that you picked up on that… I am indeed inspired more with the SD pickups. It’s been a few weeks since filming and now I can listen back more objectively and happy with the swap.

[@arnolddealiii4259]

@@RatherBeRiffingI think you made the right choice!

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

I know diminishing returns is just a law of nature, but in this case I think it goes too far. Stephens, throback, some of these guys are charging for the reverse engineering they had to do once long ago. I don't care what anybody says, I'm not paying for the materials and the man hours when I buy a four-figure set of pickups handwired in the USA one town over from the other set of handwired pickups made in the usa that cost 20% of the other set. What, is he using silver instead of copper? Get out of here. I know they sound the best, I would love a pair of stephens OR throbacks, but I would legitimately be angry with myself for spending that much on a tiny, subtle increase the response curve and the tiniest touch of extra clarity or whatever. I want to, but I have to draw the line somewhere and THIS is the exact point where it goes from questionable, to downright foolishness.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I’ve had similar feelings about it. I think the diminishing returns are extreme in the case of pickups.

[@dasczwo]

dude with so much chorus and verbs its really hard to judge. its nice pornsound, why not give us some dry signal?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I can certainly do that!

[@antoonhermans8953]

As usual in the guitargearmarket these expensive pu's are a load of marketing / sales BS , even a cheap paf pu made by artec or some other OEM company will sound just as good , so paying more the 50 - 100 euro's for a set of pu's is just stupid . So the SD's , monty's , bare knuckle's, lollars , frailins , thro baks , gibson custom buckers ect . ect. are all way overpriced . Brands like tonerider and iron gear ect. make just as good pu's without overpricing them .

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I’ll have to try some of those other brands. Thanks!