Probucker Pickups on ebay from Asia - Legit?

[Raiyn]

I wonder why Epiphone doesn't just stock them more regularly on their webpage/ Amazon store or even dealers. Seems like people would be willing to buy them straight from Epiphone were they available.

Probably because corporate doesn't want to cannibalize Gibson aftermarket sales.

People putting Gibby p'ups in Epi axes has been a traditional revenue stream. I should say that the stock pickups today are better than they were in the 2000's so it's no longer as "necessary" unless you're a serial modder.

 

[Antigua]

It looks like Epiphone sells them direct, https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Product/Pickups-And-Electronics/IEPB/IEPB-NH

I'd suspect that replacing Epiphones pickups accounts for lots of boutique pickup sales, such as Lollar and the like. For both Epiphones and foreign made Fenders, the pickups were objectively non-vintage spec since at least the 80's, as overseas makers found cheaper ways to make a guitar pickup, but now Epiphone has Pro-Buckers, and Mexican-made Fenders have been featuring AlNiCo pickups, there's not as much of a need to swap pickups for vintage correct tone, but with hundreds of perceived choices on the market, people are going to swap anyway.

 

[Fadtoz]

I don't know. Some people have nothing better to do than test a whole bucket of fake pickups.

That would be legal -except they couldn't use the actual Probucker name. A similar but legally distinct name change would work.

I don't think I would replace stock Epiphone pickups. Every stock Epi I have tried has been great. Every Epiphone Standard Les Paul I have ever tried sounded really good. Probuckers or the Classic set CH57 or whatever they are called. I'm not loosing any sleep over the fake ones either. They do the job very well for me.

 

[Antigua]

I bought a Sheraton II in 2014, and it came with Pro Buckers, and people were saying "they sound fine" at the time, and in hind sight they did sound fine, but I didn't know much about this subject matter at the time, and a lot of people in forums were saying Seth Lover's were "the best", lots of talk about microphonic goodness, nice mids or whatever, so I replaced them, believing it was a big upgrade. If I had to do over, I'd just keep the Pro Buckers that came with it, and I might not even buy Seth Lovers today, but if I did, I'd not use them to replace Pro Buckers. And now the tables have turned and I'm actually going out of my way to find loose Pro Buckers, for a good deal.

I also removed Pro Buckers from a Florentine Les Paul, but only because I thought it would look nice with double creams, and the double creams I acquired and put in it were near identical, tone wise.

 

[BGood]

I bought a Sheraton II in 2014, and it came with Pro Buckers, and people were saying "they sound fine" at the time, and in hind sight they did sound fine, but I didn't know much about this subject matter at the time, and a lot of people in forums were saying Seth Lover's were "the best", lots of talk about microphonic goodness, nice mids or whatever, so I replaced them, believing it was a big upgrade. If I had to do over, I'd just keep the Pro Buckers that came with it, and I might not even buy Seth Lovers today, but if I did, I'd not use them to replace Pro Buckers. And now the tables have turned and I'm actually going out of my way to find loose Pro Buckers, for a good deal.

I also removed Pro Buckers from a Florentine Les Paul, but only because I thought it would look nice with double creams, and the double creams I acquired and put in it were near identical, tone wise.

Ahhh ... what will forum propaganda will have you do. I guess it's part of the learning process.

 

[Noodling Guitars]

It looks like Epiphone sells them direct, https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Product/Pickups-And-Electronics/IEPB/IEPB-NH

I'd suspect that replacing Epiphones pickups accounts for lots of boutique pickup sales, such as Lollar and the like. For both Epiphones and foreign made Fenders, the pickups were objectively non-vintage spec since at least the 80's, as overseas makers found cheaper ways to make a guitar pickup, but now Epiphone has Pro-Buckers, and Mexican-made Fenders have been featuring AlNiCo pickups, there's not as much of a need to swap pickups for vintage correct tone, but with hundreds of perceived choices on the market, people are going to swap anyway.

That's actually what I was referring to. I wasn't saying that they don't sell them. As I said, it's that they don't stock them more regularly on their webpage/ Amazon store. They've been pretty much "sold out" since... the time they put up that page and item on their Amazon store!

 

[BGood]

That's actually what I was referring to. I wasn't saying that they don't sell them. As I said, it's that they don't stock them more regularly on their webpage/ Amazon store. They've been pretty much "sold out" since... the time they put up that page and item on their Amazon store!

Epiphone's Amazon store ?

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Yep. They have one set left in the entire store (and I think that set only showed up this week).

 

[Antigua]

I've been looking at Pro Bucker images on Reverb with what I have in hand, and I think a best guess can be drawn from the clues, at least as far as the gold covered humbuckers are concerned. The AliExpress gold covered pickups have all this in common: the coils are not correct, the part number labels look fake, less solder is used to hold the cover in place than is typical of the authentic pickups, and the shade of gold is off to a different degree for nearly every pickup, but the base plate and the wiring harnass are accurate to a level of detail that suggests they're authentic. Even the trivial detail of shrink wrapping the bridge with black wrap and the neck with white wrap is correct. It has to be the case that some with access to both good parts as well as rejected parts, takes them home, or wherever, and completes the pickup to be sold as official or unofficial "b stock". They must not have access to printed product labels, because it looks like they use the correct sticky back paper, but feed it through an ink jet printer, or something else that causes the ink to appear faded and incorrect. It looks like they have access to raw supplies, and do the assembly on their own, using cheaper coils either to keep them cheap, or because they don't have access to finished authentic coils.

The chrome Alnico Class Pros I received though, they seem to be authentic, both in materials and assembly. They have both accurate looking labels, and large blobs of solder are used to hold the covers in place.

 

[Raiyn]

Is someone still pushing this? If it ain't sold by Epiphone, or sold as a takeoff (even then I'd question it) it's a FAKE.

You can copy literally everything exactly, it can be physically and operationally identical and that's fine and dandy. However, the moment you put a brand that isn't yours on it becomes counterfeit.

Every pickup maker out there has a version of the P.A.F. but they don't go around calling them a Gibson P.A.F.

Before anyone decides to be pedantic: Yes, the acronym P.A.F. is also sometimes written as PAF by laypeople leaving the periods out. However, in 1978 the word "PAF" was registered as a trademark by DiMarzio. This registered trademark should not to be confused with original P.A.F. acronym used to describe the original vintage pickups made by Gibson.

 

[BGood]

I've been looking at Pro Bucker images on Reverb with what I have in hand, and I think a best guess can be drawn from the clues, at least as far as the gold covered humbuckers are concerned. The AliExpress gold covered pickups have all this in common: the coils are not correct, the part number labels look fake, less solder is used to hold the cover in place than is typical of the authentic pickups, and the shade of gold is off to a different degree for nearly every pickup, but the base plate and the wiring harnass are accurate to a level of detail that suggests they're authentic. Even the trivial detail of shrink wrapping the bridge with black wrap and the neck with white wrap is correct. It has to be the case that some with access to both good parts as well as rejected parts, takes them home, or wherever, and completes the pickup to be sold as official or unofficial "b stock". They must not have access to printed product labels, because it looks like they use the correct sticky back paper, but feed it through an ink jet printer, or something else that causes the ink to appear faded and incorrect. It looks like they have access to raw supplies, and do the assembly on their own, using cheaper coils either to keep them cheap, or because they don't have access to finished authentic coils.

The chrome Alnico Class Pros I received though, they seem to be authentic, both in materials and assembly. They have both accurate looking labels, and large blobs of solder are used to hold the covers in place.

One of those wasn't enough below your message. I need more.

 

[Space1999]

Hmmmm. Well I have a 2018 Epiphone Sheraton Wine colored that I bought as a factory 2nd. Someone in China had accidentally put their bare finger on the upper left face of the guitar before it was sprayed and surprise, surprise! When they sprayed it the oil infested fingerprint didn’t take. I think they even sprayed it twice.

So the gold color comes off these pickups way too fast IMO and it just doesn’t sound like my other Epi’s. I thought it was just older Alnico Pros and I am used to the ProBuckers now.

I naively thought people take Epi pu’s out to replace them and you can buy them cheaper on Reverb.

Well they were being sold out of Sweden but the tracking number told they set out from China.
What a mess. The pictures looked perfect to me but of course that could have been a picture of a real set.

What I get in the next 16 days is anyone’s guess.
But I will tell you that for $180 for a set of real Epi pu’s (if you can get them) I would just put Bare Knuckles in it like my black one.

I was just purely hoping for a real set of used ProBuckers that were plug and play. Buyer beware. I can tell you this though, there won’t be any harm in swapping them out just to see what happens.

Wish I had seen this post earlier.

Pat

 

[Space1999]

On second thought, I may now just have a reason to buy a new guitar!!!

Bahahahahahha!!!!

Pat

 

[Raiyn]

I naively thought people take Epi pu’s out to replace them and you can buy them cheaper on Reverb.

Up until recently, the thought of someone buying replacement Epiphone / Squier branded pickups wasn't even something I took seriously. To a degree, I still don't.

 

[Space1999]

Up until recently, the thought of someone buying replacement Epiphone / Squier branded pickups wasn't even something I took seriously. To a degree, I still don't.

I really believe that guitars today are reaching a point of parity never achieved before.

You have to really go out of your way to buy a crappy guitar nowadays.

Pat

 

[Raiyn]

I really believe that guitars today are reaching a point of parity never achieved before.

You have to really go out of your way to buy a crappy guitar nowadays.

Pat

Yeah, I've been impressed with the electronic sections the new guitars have gotten the last couple years - specifically Epiphone.
If it came with Probuckers and a CTS / Mallory package, I'd leave it be. Having said that, if I had a previous model with a different set I wouldn't spend ≈ $170 for a set of Epi pickups (off the Epi page) when a guy can get a set of DiMarzio's (straight from them) or Seymour Duncan's starting at $200 for the set.

 

[Space1999]

Yeah, I've been impressed with the electronic sections the new guitars have gotten the last couple years - specifically Epiphone.
If it came with Probuckers and a CTS / Mallory package, I'd leave it be. Having said that, if I had a previous model with a different set I wouldn't spend ≈ $170 for a set of Epi pickups (off the Epi page) when a guy can get a set of DiMarzio's (straight from them) or Seymour Duncan's starting at $200 for the set.

Agreed, there are a lot of 3rd party pu makers that are attractive in that price range.

I swore off Seymour Duncan because they use those teeny tiny wires to connect and they were a real pain in my @ss last time I tried to install a pair LOL But they are great sounding pu’s.

You know I am now certain that the Sheraton II in question is a 2016. I remember now when I bought it. It is only stamped 2nd on the headstock and I ruined the inside sticker so I covered it up.

But I bought it at the exact time I bought my P93 and another guitar. China was still trying to paint the guitars well and there were plenty of factory 2nds to be had.

I will report back what I find when I get the new pu’s,,,whatever they may be.

Pat

 

[Raiyn]

I swore off Seymour Duncan because they use those teeny tiny wires to connect and they were a real pain in my @ss last time I tried to install a pair LOL But they are great sounding pu’s.

That set of DiMarzio's went in no problem. The only thing complicated there was my switching scheme.

 

[Space1999]

OK I got my Probucker Pickups today. I paid $80 for the pair and what I am certain I got were a pair of factory 2nd ProBuckers. And I am OK with that.

I have taken a good bit of pics here for you to decide for yourself.

Here is how they came…

And here they are out of the package…



The backsides which were kinda gunky till I cleaned them with Isopropyl….



A pic of the silver backing of the RoHS sticker and identification badge…



Now for the dates and the defects -
Bridge
N

Neck pu…




Lastly the dating on the included electronics and a shot of the treble bleed mods…




And there you go.

I’ve got a bridge pu from November 1st of 2020 with a sloppy solder run over and a neck pu from September 16th 2020 with 3 small indents on the face of the pu.

The electronics which were also a little grungy, date to November 3rd of 2018.

The pickups are solid and have passed all the usual flags for a fake. I am convinced they are real deal and merely factory 2nds which were put together as a pair and mated with a set of 2018 Probucker electronics.

I ain’t asking any questions. For just under half price and actual availability…I personally don’t care where or how they came to me.

I do wonder however what guitar was made in 2020 that had those cream pu rings.

Well there you have it. I have done my civic duty here on ET. Tomorrow I will pop them in minus the wiring harness and see how they run.

I may use the wiring harness since it has the treble bleed mod if I knew that my 2016 Alnico Classic Pro pu harness didn’t have them.

But that is a whole other kettle of fish.

Pat

 

[Noodling Guitars]

OK I got my Probucker Pickups today. I paid $80 for the pair and what I am certain I got were a pair of factory 2nd ProBuckers. And I am OK with that.

I have taken a good bit of pics here for you to decide for yourself.

Here is how they came…View attachment 17653

And here they are out of the package…

View attachment 17654

The backsides which were kinda gunky till I cleaned them with Isopropyl….

View attachment 17656

A pic of the silver backing of the RoHS sticker and identification badge…

View attachment 17657

Now for the dates and the defects -
Bridge View attachment 17658
NView attachment 17659

Neck pu…

View attachment 17660
View attachment 17661

Lastly the dating on the included electronics and a shot of the treble bleed mods…

View attachment 17662
View attachment 17663

And there you go.

I’ve got a bridge pu from November 1st of 2020 with a sloppy solder run over and a neck pu from September 16th 2020 with 3 small indents on the face of the pu.

The electronics which were also a little grungy, date to November 3rd of 2018.

The pickups are solid and have passed all the usual flags for a fake. I am convinced they are real deal and merely factory 2nds which were put together as a pair and mated with a set of 2018 Probucker electronics.

I ain’t asking any questions. For just under half price and actual availability…I personally don’t care where or how they came to me.

I do wonder however what guitar was made in 2020 that had those cream pu rings.

Well there you have it. I have done my civic duty here on ET. Tomorrow I will pop them in minus the wiring harness and see how they run.

I may use the wiring harness since it has the treble bleed mod if I knew that my 2016 Alnico Classic Pro pu harness didn’t have them.

But that is a whole other kettle of fish.

Pat

Hopefully they sound good! What happened to the top of the covers?
I'm almost convinced that the pair I have in my LP custom should've been factory seconds because of how odd they sound compared to all other guitars with PB2/3 sets I own.