Video comparison - Suhr V60 and V60LP singlecoils

[Drew]

I've had these sitting on my desk for a couple weeks now, and finally got a chance to do the swap and shoot some video over the weekend, and then do the video editing last night.



I'll chime in with my thoughts a little later in the thread, but the background here is these are basically two different versions of the same pickup, the regular-wind V60, which is Suhr's take on a 60's style Fender pickup, and then a more vintage-spec scatterwound version, the V60LP, that aside from being scatterwound is otherwise identical (and sells for the same price). Suhr claims this results in a lower resonant peak ("low peak").

Strings (minus a high E I broke retuning after the swap), pick, pickup height (to the greatest extent possible), amp settings, mics and positioning, and mix settings (basically, the delay level, and a limiter giving 3db of gain reduction with the guitars balanced against a hard snare hit) are all identical, the only thing that changes here are the pickups.

Not sure how many of you guys really care about singlecoils, but I think this is interesting (and I REALLY like Suhr singlecoils).

 

[Drew]

So, singlecoils aren't popular around here, huh?

 

[tedtan]

I preferred the V60s this time.

IIRC, you preferred the Landaus to the V60s; how does the V60LP compare to the Landau?

 

[wakjob]

I need to try more of John's pickups.
The ML's didn't blow me away, but the SSV did.

I'd like to see the full specs on these V60's.
The V60LP bridge pickup with two V60's in the neck & bridge sounds like it would make for a nice set.

 

[Drew]

I preferred the V60s this time.

IIRC, you preferred the Landaus to the V60s; how does the V60LP compare to the Landau?

You'll probably prefer the V60LPs to the MLs, I'd guess. The MLs are maybe quite a bit further in the same direction the LP is from the regular - they're based on the same magnets, but are a bit more overwound, making them punchier and middier and less open. I'm actually not sure if they're scatterwound or not, I'd guess they are simply because they have a high end more comparable to the LP than the regular, but that's pure guess.

I'd like to see the full specs on these V60's.
The V60LP bridge pickup with two V60's in the neck & bridge sounds like it would make for a nice set.

From Suhr's site (they list the same specs for the V60 and V60LP):

V60 pickups incorporate a modified staggered pole piece design to provide an even magnetic field needed to accommodate instruments with flatter neck radius and today’s string gauges.

Magnet: Alnico V Special

DC Resistance:

~ 6.3KΩ (neck)
~ 6.3KΩ (middle) RW/RP
~ 7.2KΩ (bridge)

 

[sezna]

LPs for me. Thanks for posting. I much prefer the mellower sound, works well with the strat tone.

 

[Drew]

Yeah, same here. They're not radically different, but they're a little fatter clean, and rounder and smoother under gain. For me, that's an improvement.

 

[tedtan]

I like the LPs; I have them in a Jackson SL1 along with a Thornbucker+. But that is a 24 fret guitar, so the warmer pickups work well with the pickups being pushed closer to the bridge.

For a 21 or 22 fret instrument, though, I like the brighter pickup because it allows me to get not only the brighter sound, but I can get the warmer sound by rolling off the tone knob or adding more capacitance to the cable. That way I have the best of both.

Regardless, thanks for posting - I enjoy seeing comparisons like this.

 

[Drew]

I like the LPs; I have them in a Jackson SL1 along with a Thornbucker+. But that is a 24 fret guitar, so the warmer pickups work well with the pickups being pushed closer to the bridge.

For a 21 or 22 fret instrument, though, I like the brighter pickup because it allows me to get not only the brighter sound, but I can get the warmer sound by rolling off the tone knob or adding more capacitance to the cable. That way I have the best of both.

Regardless, thanks for posting - I enjoy seeing comparisons like this.

Thanks - I was looking for good comparison clips when I was trying to find something as an alternative to the MLs, and there really wasn't much out there. So, I kinda rolled the dice, and thought the brighter pickup would be the better alternative for me for reasons similar to yours, and because I was looking at this more as a clean/blues guitar. As it happened, I ended up preferring the LPs anyway.

Youtube now helpfully provides stats on how your latest video upload compares to your last 10, and this one is way outperforming my average by most metrics, so evidently YouTube agrees and a lot of other people are curious how they stack up.

 

[tedtan]

I was looking at this more as a clean/blues guitar

I think I would go for the LP or the ML for a blues oriented guitar, too. In fact, I tend to like a warmer strat tone in general, there are just some times that I want an extra bright neck tone for a solo or the occasional "thin" clean part.

 

[Drew]

I think I would go for the LP or the ML for a blues oriented guitar, too. In fact, I tend to like a warmer strat tone in general, there are just some times that I want an extra bright neck tone for a solo or the occasional "thin" clean part.

Yeah, I hate that sound, I'd want more growl and fatness.

 

[tedtan]

Oh, they don't sound good by themselves. They only work in a dense mix with plenty of rhythm guitars or keyboards taking up the mids. Or maybe a spanky, funk type thing that functions more percussively than tonally.

But its easy to dial any unwanted highs out (tone knob, longer cable, amp tone controls, EQ pedal, etc.), so I'll take them in an all purpose instrument.

 

[Drew]

Oh, they don't sound good by themselves. They only work in a dense mix with plenty of rhythm guitars or keyboards taking up the mids. Or maybe a spanky, funk type thing that functions more percussively than tonally.

But its easy to dial any unwanted highs out (tone knob, longer cable, amp tone controls, EQ pedal, etc.), so I'll take them in an all purpose instrument.

Even then, unless I misunderstand what you're describing, I'm not wild about that sound.

 

[DudeManBrother]

Wow I could see using both sets of pickups. They both sounded great to me. I like the fatter tone of the LP neck, but I think I liked the 4th position neck/middle of the V60 better. I might be inclined to order a set of LP/60/LP as I spend a lot of time with that neck/middle selection. Nice review

 

[Drew]

Even then, unless I misunderstand what you're describing, I'm not wild about that sound.

...or, at least, the times I DO want a thinner sound, I haven't necessarily wanted to boost treble so much as cut bass, and the LPs are plenty bright for that as theyare.

@DudeManBrother - thanks man! I really like Suhr singlecoils. This video might be interesting to you - I did a lot of singlecoil swapping in this guitar with Fender pickups before I put the V60s in, and I just think that the Suhrs sound "bigger" pretty much everywhere - more substaintial low end, clearer highs - than the EJs they replaced.

 

[DudeManBrother]

Yeah. I’m going to grab a set and see how the stack up to my CS ‘69 loaded pickguard and Sumerium Cobalts I have loaded in there right now.

 

[Zado]

So, singlecoils aren't popular around here, huh?

Yep, which is a total shame

Waiting to get back home to give it a listen! Very interested

 

[Drew]

Yeah. I’m going to grab a set and see how the stack up to my CS ‘69 loaded pickguard and Sumerium Cobalts I have loaded in there right now.

Keep me posted!

 

[Zado]

Ok, saw the demo. Sort of liked the LP better, by a short margin really, but maybe it was the headphones
That said I've never been huge on Suhr pickups with the SSV being the exception ( and the thornbucker being the one I want to trh asap).
Also, my Single coil life was ruined the day a friend of mine bought a set of Kloppmanns.

 

[Drew]

Ok, saw the demo. Sort of liked the LP better, by a short margin really, but maybe it was the headphones
That said I've never been huge on Suhr pickups with the SSV being the exception ( and the thornbucker being the one I want to trh asap).
Also, my Single coil life was ruined the day a friend of mine bought a set of Kloppmanns.

They're supposed to be awfully similar pickups, with the LP being scatterwound to lower the resonant peak.

I havent played a ton of Suhr humbuckers but have found them really good but not exceptional. Their singleocils, though... I've sworn by their ML Standards for years, but honestly may be starting to prefer these now, at least in this particular guitar. Never played Kloppmanns, though...