Query failed: connection to localhost:9312 failed (errno=111, msg=Connection refused). Gotoh HB-Classic Alpha humbuckers? - Guitar Discussions on The Fretboard
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UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Gotoh HB-Classic Alpha humbuckers?

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polotskapolotska Frets: 113
edited September 2023 in Guitar
Has anyone ever tried the Gotoh HB-Classic Alpha humbuckers? Just stumbled across these today, and they’re quite inexpensive (see e.g. here), but there’s very little information available about them.
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  • SchnozzSchnozz Frets: 1786
    Yep - Fantastic!

    I love Gotoh's pickups, but they're very 50s.
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  • polotskapolotska Frets: 113
    edited September 2023
    Thanks, @Schnozz. ’50s-style would actually be good for my application—a Yamaha Weddington Custom with the stock custom DiMarzios. They’re pretty good, but the bridge pickup (most similar to a Norton, I think) is quite a bit hotter than I’d like, the neck pickup less so; both could also stand to be a bit brighter. I’d been leaning towards a pair of DiMarzio Air Classics when I happened on the Gotohs, which sound like they might work well for me.
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  • SchnozzSchnozz Frets: 1786
    I had Gotohs in 5 of my guitars, but I have HB Classics in 4 of them (Les Pauls). I have Superstrat, so I use that for late 70s and on. 

    I know someone who swapped them out of his Les Paul for boutiques and ended up putting them back in.

    Seriously nice guitar you have there!
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  • polotskapolotska Frets: 113
    edited September 2023
    Seems hard to wrong at that price, so definitely worth a try. Thanks again!
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  • polotskapolotska Frets: 113
    In case anyone is curious, I ended up ordering a pair of HB-Classic Alphas with alnico 5 magnets (instead of the standard alnico 2) from Japan.

    As it turns out, Gotoh Pickups (est. 1966) is unrelated to the Gotoh (est. 1950) hardware company (which started out as a manufacturer of gut strings), though the latter also made pickups from 1988–1993. If you’re not confused yet, they also have a common distributor (KMS Shokai).

    Once the pickups have arrived and I’ve had a chance to try them, I’lll post my thoughts.
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