Worth The Upgrade? Gibson 1959 Humbucker Collector’s Edition Series 2 Pickup Swap

[@kiragina.7152]

I paid $1250 for a pair of Seymour Duncan 59s. They included an Eastman SB59 guitar for the price.

[@kiragina.7152]

And a hardshell case that's a lot nicer than the one those pickups come in.

[@sgblues4238]

I wouldn’t spend the money on a Murphy Lab if I thought it needed a pickup upgrade.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

@@sgblues4238 you'd be smart to steer clear of Murphy Labs. VOS all the way.

[@jasonswitzer1748]

Custombuckers sound amazing. I have a set of Bare Knuckle Mules that I got for my Les Paul Tribute because I wanted a great sound with a set of potted pups (I play a lot of high gain stuff), but a part of me wonders/wishes I had gotten some Custombuckers (unpotted pups be damned) instead just because they sound so damn good in every video I hear.

[@StevenAnthonyGuitar]

Why? If the guitar feels and plays great but the pickups are not entirely your thing, it would be a shame to pass on a guitar that might've been perfect if you just changed the pickups. No guitar is tailor made for you, sometimes it takes a few mods to make it exactly what you want. I bought a boutique guitar this year that was almost perfect: the neck shape, the weight and balance, resonance, response... but it had modern wiring and Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates. It sounded great already, but I like a different type of PAF and 50's wiring. So a pickup swap and some additional soldering later, it was perfect for my needs. Since I know what I want out of a guitar, I haven't had a guitar where I didn't change anything and I'm happier for it, as I'm just making really good guitars perfect for my taste.

[@Billy_bSLAYER]

​@@StevenAnthonyGuitarDid the guitar they try to replicate/age not have good pickups? LoL

[@StevenAnthonyGuitar]

@@Billy_bSLAYER a guitar can have good pickups, but you can still prefer something else.

[@wewin03]

The idea that a guitar at that price point could even get upgraded pickups is just obscene. If you’re paying 5 to 10K for a guitar the best of everything should already be on it.

[@vintageswiss9096]

So the 59 PAF pickups get their own hard case... but my Gibson Studio got a fucking gig bag... Can't stand this damn company 😂

[@tom.m]

They figure you'll use it. These are for "collectors". The name and packaging is basically Gibson saying they're for rich suckers who don't play. 😂

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Yes, but it's a nice gig bag.

[@wesmclaughlin9369]

Gibson guitars are the best, people just bitch about everything these days

[@jasonswitzer1748]

This is a hilarious point to make, but you’re not wrong. wtf, Gibson?! lol.

[@Scaredycat-dad]

Did you get the $1599 studio or the $1999 one? How do you like it? I think it’s ridiculous that it didn’t come with a hard shell case too.

[@Rickzenbackzer]

"The Emporer's New Pick-ups"

[@pucksnpicks]

😂

[@adamgray8009]

I feel bad for you if you can't hear how good those pickups sound. Night and day difference.

[@philmanson2991]

I bought a set of Tom Holmes PAFs back in 2005 for $500 and I've never considered another pickup switch; they are the NAZZ!

[@danrunnoft6642]

I'm gonna put a set in my Chibson.

[@smelltheglove2038]

The custombuckers that arent dipped in wax sound fantasic. They're expensive but not this expensive.

[@Vermonster23]

I love un potted pickups .

[@jfrankcarr]

I vote for the much more affordable SD Seth Lover or Antiquity.

[@garthvader8868]

Nah bruh,. the series set is on another level.

[@darrenanquist4611]

It all sounded killer on the crappy phone speakers. Fantastic playing!

[@Dragon_rls]

Excellent playing Baxter. That was perfect 👍.

[@jeremyversusjazz]

they sound better. that said tweaking the tone stack on that very nice amp would probably-definitely-achieve same result. imo

[@bottomkitchen250]

The case is sweet. I love cases. The recent Casino videos have been awesome! I love stuff like this.

[@6oundStudio]

sounds like a regular humbucker. which is to be expected. just a collector's item for rich people, nothing to do with real value for a musician. but thanks for the comparison!

[@Gaslight.Guitar]

Absolutely this.

[@badtonestudio]

Good comparison, thanks for sharing this. Can’t go wrong with the stock custombuckers or them fancy buckers. They both sound great, but once the drums kick in I’d never be able to tell a difference

[@jasonswitzer1748]

Ah, drums… the great equalizer. You think your tone is awesome, the you realize it doesn’t mean shit when the drummer starts banging away (note: speaking from the perspective of a drummer who also plays guitar).

[@ToddTheJoker]

The big winner for me is the Bloomfield Drive, dang I love that amp! but seriously, through KZbin compression its hard to hear what you guys are hearing in the room but I get what you are saying about the Re-issues replicas sounding better! Thanks guys

[@Bobby_Digital37]

Exactly! That amp was incredibly amazing!

[@josephbenz4913]

The case those pickups come in is adorable.

[@yourcousinvinny4177]

I tend to like everything Casino does but this is absolutely insane. So they made the pickups hotter so morons that switch out the pickups automatically believe the sound “better”. If I were to even believe this bs at all, it begs the question why these $1000 dollar pickups cost more to produce and why they’re not already included in every outrageously priced Murphy Lab Gibson?

[@kevinbatchelor9566]

The stock pickups sound great.

[@jonathanjackson7047]

Ahhhhh, the sweet sound of a thousand dollars being gently flushed down the toilet.

[@frankwren8215]

Here's a hot take: the SD antiquities are the best PAF out there.

[@czechplastik]

The expensive set sounded better, clear, lively with great dynamics. A fun test would be to stick them in a POS Epi.

[@michaelheller8841]

I love the sound of my stock custombuckers in my R8. If it sounds great don't change a thing. That being said, the Series 2 sounds really good. If I were to pull the trigger, it would go with another guitar.

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Got to get me a set! - Looks like baby's surgery will have to wait.

[@30smsuperstrat]

I'm happier with my 35 years of luthiery experience I've obtained and the $500 of tele style parts I assembled. 😮😊

[@DoctorEnigma01]

Both pickups sound awesome, so does the playing. Honestly if they’re still available in a couple months I’m getting a set

[@TimTrutone]

Sean just wants the case to put his stash in

[@wrobinson1702]

LOL! This is the winner of the Best Comment of the Day award!

[@cafeface]

"baby powder"

[@traviesoarcefan3063]

I'm usually very skeptical about these comparisons but I have to admit the new pickups sounded heavenly. Clear and beautifully rude all at the same time. I have the money but I still won't put them in my SG Custom. I'll leave these for the lawyers and doctors. I'm plenty happy with my present horse. 😊👍🏻

[@jameswhite1450]

I'm happy with my '57 Classics in my es-335 '59 Nashville reissue. I don't believe I would swap. I'm a little curious on how they would sound in a es-335 BUT not enough to try it LOL

[@franciscoherrera5577]

I have 57 Classics in my SG Standard. I am thinking of buying some for my Epi 335

[@jameswhite1450]

@@franciscoherrera5577some of it is personal preference. I also have 57’s in my Memphis dot and it doesn’t sound as good as my ‘59 reissue. Similar but not the same guitars. Hit or miss? Maybe

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

Sound identical. The real star of this is the Two Rock and the player.

[@DareBear2099]

💯

[@adamvellone7861]

I think it's criminal that Gibson charges copious amounts of money for a guitar and then does not put the best pick up the possibly can in it. This is the reason I don't own any Gibson's any longer

[@alistairwallace77]

It’d be cool to see you shoot those pickups out not just with the ones that came in the guitar, but also other sets across the price spectrum that are aiming for that same vibe (Duncan antiquities, Lollar, Dylan DAF, etc)

[@djt6546]

Custom Buckers Alnico 3, 59 Collectors series 1 Alnico 4, 59 Collectors series 2 Alnico 2. The different magnets have different traits and then the winds are different on each set of these Gibson PuP’s. Then factor in how one set of physical PuP’s will play/sound different in different guitars and you’re back to a good element of pot luck whether changing a PuP (at any price) will be perceived as anything other than different. I’ve had little luck trying PuP swaps in the past. I’ve been typically so deflated with the time, cost and resulting audio/feel that I’ve gone back to the original PuP’s in a guitar. Cost doesn’t equal anything. I am sure many have had a great experience with swapping to more expensive PuP’s. But I suspect in reality that has more to do with getting lucky that a PuP swap just suits the particular guitar the change has been applied to. So I think 1k is a lot to gamble with. My final thought with high end gear in general is that if you chase and try enough different flavours, you’ll realise there isn’t really “better” any more. There’s different for sure, but what is most common is that one guitar setup is currently “better” in your hands and in your mind for a type of play than another. Then you feel the same way about another guitar setup in another context. So in a positive mindset your tastes change constantly and that’s ok, but the negative take is that we’re trying to chase a ghost on the journey of finding the next “best” thing. Gotta make sure the journey is bringing real joy or you’re just slowly winding yourself up and others around you. Perhaps it’s best to chase a “feeling” rather something that’s perceived as “better”, because that special feeling with a particular instrument can be had at any price point. 😊

[@cortmiller]

I wish you had up on the screen the entire time which pickups were playing because once the playing started midway through I forgot. But they are that similar that I wouldn’t have been able to tell without it at least micd

[@dananthony6258]

I’d be lying if I told you I heard a $1000 difference. I thought the first set was awesome. Honestly I’d rather buy a new amp for or guitar than to get may 5% more out of something I already have. I still loved the video and thank you for making this content. I live for this crap lol 😂

[@adamgray8009]

Great video as always Baxter & Sean. You guys did a great job really capturing the tone of the pickups, which is hard to do. And FWIW I freaking love the tone of the Series 2 PAFs. There's a punch and clarity the Custombuckers lack. The thing that really gets me is the cascading overtones and blooming you hear compared to the Custombuckers, which sound more fundamental to my ear. I actually think they compare closely to Ron Ellis Pickups, specifically the Lee Roy Parnell PAFs, which have similar characteristics and are my favorite PAFs I've heard. Are they worth $1000? For most people no. For some, yes. I like that they're out there and choose to not be offended by their existence, personally, lol. Chill guys. You don't have to buy them if you don't want to!

[@hod8931]

Thanks for the review! I did buy a set of the under wound custombuckers for my usa Les Paul 60's standard but took the anico 3 magnets out and put sand cast alnico 2's in. The 3's were just to weak for me but those are $400.00 not 1k....

[@seanzinger]

I’d just keep them in the case and smell them every once in a while.

[@DoobTube71]

The whole "everything must be customized paradigm" is such a marketing narrative. Most good equipment sounds just fine. It's all a game to sell more shite, which most do not need and many cannot afford.

[@mesaseany]

I did the ultimate blasphemous thing. I took my 60s ultra heavy aged Murphy lab and put a set of EMG JH pickups. I had my friend distressed them so it looks stock but oh my God it makes the guitar scream. The stock pick ups that came with that are nice, but they just squeal way too much for my diesel and Boogie’s.

[@joshuathackston8921]

This reminds me of that Penn and Teller BS episode at a fancy water bar and the garden hose.

[@redfrozenseven]

I love that episode

[@rocktorrocks]

So I can spend $10K on a Gibson Custom Shop Murphy Lab and be told they don’t come with Gibson’s “best” PAF?

[@CMQ01]

They all sounded great

[@lewisbeeman]

Anything you play through that Two Rock is gonna sound amazing. Baxter, your playing resembled mine for once. Well at first it did.

[@Route32rg]

Looks like they Murphy Lab'ed the strings too! LOL!! Kidding aside I can listen to this kat play all day!! Especially when he played for enjoyment and not comparison.

[@James-l3e]

I prefer the original. Only noticeable difference for me is that the Murphy Lab seemed to be a higher output causing more breakup assuming amp levels were not changed.

[@cdnnielsen5964]

Great demo! Both sets sounded good. I wouldn't switch out custombuckers for the collector set in a reissue guitar, but would replace the 490 series or similar

[@YouTubeHandlesAreMoronic]

The 1959 Sucker-with-Money-2-Burn edition has slightly less bass and gain. If any Murphy Lab owner wants to replicate the change, I can lower their pickups for them by a full turn of the screws, and I'll only charge $2,500 per pickup + airfare.

[@Vermonster23]

Thousand dollars for a set of pick ups is pretty expensive, they are not the most expensive… Not at all. Think about that. Damn! They do sound really good.

[@tonyhills2112]

Great playing, cool pickups, ridiculous price.

[@rufftopdog2636]

Wow!! great demo! amazing playing too my man. Well that completely blew my mind, I was not expecting to hear absolutely no f'ing real difference at all. Get a JHS colourbox to improve your tone, actually for 1000 you can get 2 if you still want to waste your money.

[@Scaredycat-dad]

IDK if I paid 7k give or take for Murphy lab LP and found out I had to pay another thousand for the really great p/u’s I think I’d be pissed.

[@Wodawic]

Agreed with the case. Not sure that's a $1K delta on sound of the pups however. Maybe I'm poisoned, but how 'bout upgrading a POS guitar with those pups and really stretch it out? When they say they're "working on it" I think that's code for "just one more wrap" on the bobbins.

[@kyle.buss_guitar]

The custom buckers sound like they have the tone and volume turned down to 8. The Murphy pickups sound like full volume and tone!

[@stephenmccain-wx2jy]

If you want high output and good definition try some cheap high output ceramic pickups! Would like to hear a comparison will these crazy pickups

[@Tcflohr]

Between my own guitars with custom bucket alnico 2 and alnico 3, and Seymour Duncan antiques and 225 parson st pickups, I can’t tell the difference

[@JBurtonTenor]

The difference is really lovely. I like both, a lot. I have a CS VOS SG '61 has alnico 3 custom buckers....are the ML ones alnico 3? or both 2, anyways, my impressions over the internet matched the player's. Louder, hotter, but seemingly no less dynamic range. very cool!

[@TripleThreat2405]

I loved the comparison clean, but that overdrive was like putting ketchup on a filet mignon.

[@BinaryFormations]

It'd be interesting to hear them in the room. I know you said there was a night and day difference, but to me that didn't really translate to KZbin (at least for the bridge pickup, the neck sounded ever so subtly more present to me). Maybe I have tin ears.

[@redfrozenseven]

How do these compare to the 2014 Les Paul Traditional’s “1959 Tribute” pick ups?

[@aaronmcnair1829]

Someone probably already said it, but I'd put the $1,000 set or pickups in my 2003 epiphone or something. The Murphy lab already comes with decent pickups.

[@homegrownson]

Truthfully that guitar would sound good with beater Dimarzios in it and although those $1k Pickups aren't for me, surely there are a few out there that like them since they Sold out very fast. Imagine Sean will get grief for opening up a Great and Amazing Guitar to do a swap, but people need to Respect Sean is a Professional at this and not some backyard hack stabbing at his friends guitar with a ice pick.

[@30smsuperstrat]

I just put my Jared James Nichols tree topper back in the attic until next christmas 😂

[@marvelharris9540]

They do sound better.. what magnet type are they using and what is the dc for each?

[@Bobby_Digital37]

It alnico 2 unpotted. That’s the main difference. That’s why they sound so much more dynamic.

[@Koogle-o6g]

I can't tell what pickup is what you covered it up whit advertising

[@mikehoehn1475]

Neck pup shined for the 59

[@kevinoconnor2921]

It costs more to produce the box than it does the pickups.🙄

[@adamski101]

I thought exactly the same. Pickups $4 and case $12

[@allbushnocraft3031]

At this point they are not upgrades they are just new shines things

[@sharkair2839]

are they wound on the same machine, with the same wire and magnets?

[@nedsdonutshop]

Do they come in quick connect? And can you throw a set in a Theodore for me?

[@jeanexcell1234]

Were the original Custombuckers potted or unpotted? Love the sound of the new Murphy Lab!!

[@Murphy_R9]

The ones that come stock in Custom Shop guitars are all unpotted. the ones you can buy from the gibson store are potted.

[@jeanexcell1234]

@Murphy_R9 thanks! I have a Gibson Murphy ES-335 1958 with unpotted and was curious what the RO had. Just ordered the Murphy Lab set that I have been eyeing since they came out. Great video!!

[@jasonswitzer1748]

@@Murphy_R9I didn’t know that the ones you can buy today from the Gibson store are potted. Is that true? Not trying to be a dick… just asking, because if you’re correct, that’s a huge bummer (not about you being correct, per se, but about the pups not being unpotted… that’s a huge part of the Custombuckers sound).

[@Murphy_R9]

@@jeanexcell1234 Gibson has them listed as Unpotted in the gibson store for 2025? Be a good idea to call or email Gibson to confirm.👍

[@legomywallet630]

I just want the case to store my picks in silly opulence,

[@mikefromusa6902]

Wait, you changed pickups?

[@tawnstones7427]

I honestly just want the case 😢

[@reijerlincoln]

I can barely tell the difference. Not worth the $. Bragging rights denied.

[@aaronmcnair1829]

Fun fact, you can play around with pick up height for free and get interesting results.

[@BarronVonSchnoot]

Pickup demos need to be direct in on an oscilloscope. Overlapping comparison of waveforms before and after the swap.

[@wildbillhackett]

The Murphy's sounded deeper and all around better. However, those first PAF copies Dimarzio came out with in the 70's were the best ever and can be found used very cheap.

[@7387470]

I think I prefer the Murphy Lab pickups.

[@evalonious]

I could see buying a Epiphone Junior TV used for $300 and finding some used Murphy labs. Rainy day project?

[@timhall7297]

Nah not a 1000 dollars diffence in tone, maybe if they were 250.

[@WithCarePlz]

Things like this aren’t just about tone. Some people dig the exclusiveness, some people dig the aging, some people dig the unpotted thing. I agree I wouldn’t pay 1000 for them either, but I’m js

[@northmanlogging2769]

meh, the burst buckers in my 04 standard sound pretty much like the series 2 burst buckers... and they didn't cost me $1000 plus labor so? (in fact I think I can get a used set for like $100)

[@Gearslayer92]

I don't think the audience is going to care about a pickup change.

[@swampscott2670]

Both lack the kind of clarity I’d expect in that range. My guess is you’d have better results by swapping the pots. I think that’s the biggest difference between actual vintage guitars and modern ones.

[@kevinolson1710]

Put a $133 DiMarzio Bluesbucker worn nickel cover ( for the Vintage feel ) in the neck position and put a $122 DiMarzio Air Norton worn nickel cover ( for that Vintage feel ) in the Bridge position and keep the rest of the money in your pocket, and call it a day.

[@Bobby_Digital37]

The pickups sound amazing… and Gibson is laughing all the way to the bank.. these pickups probably cost about $100 or less to make 😂😂😂 why doesn’t Gibson put these standard in their already expensive Murphy Labs?

[@Vermonster23]

After reading the comments, I find it interesting that there is so much hate for the pick ups. Yes they are expensive, but you don’t have to buy them. If they make you feel threatened because it cost so much that still is on you. It’s OK to have less expensive pick ups. It’s OK to enjoy a cheap guitar. It doesn’t mean it’s the same quality as a high-end guitar. Sound is subjective. Enjoy each instrument for what they are. They don’t reflect on you as a person. It’s nice to see someone buy something high-end and give it a try. Whether or not I can afford it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it.That said have a great day everybody!

[@csharp57]

The reason people are commenting this way, is because there are many naive new guitarist that will believe based on videos like this, that maybe they should buy a bunch of overpriced crap and waste money. And then after they buy thousands of dollars worth of parts, throw it into super expensive guitars, buy the best amps know to man and they still don’t sound musically pleasing at all. You just breed gear snobs

[@kisschicken]

Playstation 5: Nearly a decade of R&D and huge advances in technology for $500. Gibson: Wire wrapped around some magnets for $1000.

[@mikeyn3611]

Put in ThroBaks. Cheaper and more options.

[@randallsmith7885]

OMG awesome! I am a beginning player. Eould love if you posted the tab for that beautiful blues sequence that started at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="189">3:09</a>. Blew my socks off. I am listening to the arpeggios and following along on my guitar thinking OK - cool. Then came the blues sequence. I was loving it! OMG that was cool. Thank you.

[@friedtaters8940]

1000 dollar pickups crazy but dang

[@nnuunnooc]

I feel bad for the folk who shelled out $1k for the first edition to know hearing Mark Agnesi saying that the Edition 2 is the shit and sounds much better! 😂 Fun!

[@liamguitars]

I hate them .... unless you give them to me.... then i love them hahaha. Happy 2025 you baxtards! You are my favorite Bax Jon Sean trio. name a more iconic trio I dare you !

[@adamsmith5828]

Now listeners, if you want to be totally unbiased and truthful, do a blind test with a friend and tell them which ones sound best to your ear. It's the only true way from this source. I've bought Ltd edition WIZZ Humbuckers, OTPG, Stephens Design, Gil Yaron, OX4, (90S) Tom Holmes etc etc Some of the best weren't worth the most. Sometimes swapping them out in different guitars made em shine and the ones I swapped sounded great in other guitars, sometimes not a all - just hype or a bad set. Don't believe shit from anyone. We all attack a bit differently and have different aged woods and so many other variables. Be honest with yourself and you'll come out wiser and happier 👍🏼

[@bradrehn1007]

How in any way does the price reflect the cost of manufacturing? For that $$$, I'm surprised there isn't a president's face on them.

[@petersouthwell5971]

It sounds like you playing Guitar Baxter. A nice sound indeed... but not so much influenced by those pickups. I mean.. They sound like humbuckers.... If I had paid 1K for that... for such a MEH upgrade. Honestly Id rather buy a mid grade guitar then some dumb pickups. Now that said... If I owned an $8,000 Gibson and the PAFs went bad or something like that... THen Yeah.. I could see throwing this PAF $1,000 included to keep the guitar consistent. Happy New Year.

[@petersouthwell5971]

Im sure you could just turn the volume down to control this.. But guess I find Less Pauls a bit muddy. Note.. Im a strat guy. ANd I like the strat cause Im looking for the chime. Gibsons just don't have that.. They have something else going on. Which is cool but not for my taste in tone.

[@SamHollidayV]

Hate to say it, I prefer the new expensive(er) ones

[@andrewbecker3700]

Or you could opt for the equally ridiculous Sugarbuckers collaborated with Sweetwater. Aren't those $1000 bucks too?

[@cafeface]

Gibson Custom is too rich for my blood. I would love to hear Baxter play a Heritage Standard H-150.

[@largeeng]

Identifying and differentiating the different Gibson PAF style pickups is a headache, I am talking about from the 80s on. They all look the same ish, and can be easily misrepresented. So some form of permanent id on the underside of the pickups would helpful. Also you do have to wonder how different PAF replicas could sound when not just Gibson, but many other manufacturers are all striving towards the same goal, analysing the construction to the nth degree, and pretty much all claiming to be the most authentic. Could we tell the difference in a blindfolded shootout? Hmmmmmm.