New Stephens Design Pickups

[duaneflowers]

The New Stephens Design Set is in... and it looks and sounds awesome!!!

Nudged by the write-up in Guitar Player Mag. I immediately sought out a set of these higher end pickups and started discussions with Dave as to which set he thought would float my boat. I decided on the HD59 Bridge and HDPG Neck (the exact same set reviewed by Dave Hunter in the article) and they sure sound sweet. I can't wait to break them in a bit more and get them dialed in perfectly, but even right out of the box they really do sound sublime.

This set replaced the Doyle Coils Tru-Clone Set (which already found their way into my '79 Burny Lawsuit Lester where they are better suited) in my 2010 Murphy Special (an R9 so dubbed by Gibson Custom Shop) and while so far I've only had a chance to play them through the Marshall Bluesbreaker and Fender EC Vibro-Champ (with the pedal board pictured below), in each case the unique properties of the amps shone through... greatly enhanced by the pickups. In the review Hunter described original PAFs as "rich yet clear, compressed yet biting, three-dimensional and loaded with harmonics, yet punchy and thumping both clean and overdriven. It's a difficult tone to describe, yet utterly magical when you experience the real thing."... and I find this set to be all of that and much more (because they're mine). :spabout

With a new set of Ox4 Beanos recently installed I have some breaking in to do... so I better have at it... the neighbors are already banging on the walls but as the wise man once said... "when I experience a new set of pickups... so do my neighbors!"

So without further adieu, here are a few pix for those who won't get any sleep at all until they've beheld them... :salude

 

[latestarter]

Nice. Compared with the OX4s what differences are you hearing?

 

[renderit]

Wicked looking pickups. But at a price point I just can't do.

 

[duaneflowers]

Nice. Compared with the OX4s what differences are you hearing?

I think the easiest way to compare these two is to look at the magnets. The Beanos have A3s in both positions, making them both similarly creamy and warm... they are softer and rounder than A5s and brighter and more dynamic than than A2s... if that makes sense.


The SDs have an A2 in the Bridge... which considerably tames a sometimes overly bright pickup in this position. It is lower output, making it a bit sweeter and softer than the A3 in the Beanos (which is somewhat bolder and brighter in this position).


The SDs have an A5 in the Neck... which considerably brightens a sometimes overly muddy pickup in this position. It is higher output making it more punchy and aggressive than the A3 in the Beanos (which is somewhat warmer and creamier in this position).


So to my ears the Beanos are creamier, definitely very Claptonesque while the SDs are much more Allmanesque... especially the Bridge... it really nails that Fillmore tone.


Keep in mind that both of these sets are relatively new and have not had a chance to properly break in. The Beanos have a week headstart on the SDs and while I expect them both to change a bit I think these observations will remain pretty consistent... at least I hope so, as they are both great sets! :jim

 

[duaneflowers]

Wicked looking pickups. But at a price point I just can't do.

Aw come on, you can do it... you just don't want to wait. :laugh2:

They are expensive, but IMHO worth every penny... which is why I have a second set on order... :salude

 

[renderit]

I'm just excessively impressed at the offerings at about half the price. I can't justify what he is asking when I can get perfection for so much less. It is not that I don't have it to spend, I won't spend that much.

I respect that you will, that's cool. I can not envision these being worth that much more to me. But post up some sound bytes. I make no promises I will never pay that much...I found my sound, but I reserve the right to change it.

And I think it's entirely cool his approach to this dance as well as all the others. I am reminded of the snake oil salesmen of the bygone eras. According to each and every one of them we are idiots to buy anyone else's wares! They have each found the 'Complete Tonal Nirvana©℗™℞' of red flannel.

 

[dretot]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4oE3_wiXAw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-NGySDtCgc

Duane,
Your avatar rivals Charlie's... just needs animation

 

[duaneflowers]

I've queued this video to the set I have (2:59 if queuing isn't working)... the recording is a pretty faithful reproduction of the sound I am hearing here... :salude

 

[renderit]

They sound really good.

 

[duaneflowers]

Duane,
Your avatar rivals Charlie's... just needs animation

We all have our aspirations... :salude

Couple more hours on these new pickups this morning and I do believe they are breaking in nicely... they really sparkle through the old TRRI and Ceriatone OTS and the Klon and Tanabe TC absolutely loves them... :jim

 

[sickboy79]

I've always wanted to try Dave's pickups.

 

[DMartini]

good stuff DF its great you are getting the sound your after from the SD pickups :dude:

what is the second set you're getting?

 

[duaneflowers]

The second set has now become the third set (and the one on the right was on the left and the one in the middle was on the top)... I picked up a set of Stephens Design Vintage Lab IIIs from the other forum a couple days ago for a song which is the set Dave was selling before the current HD set. Here is a clip someone did comparing the VLIIIs to a real set of PAFs...

I think the first set I bought has become my favorite set of PAF replicas in the sense that they sound and perform the closest to the real PAFs I have played. I still like the Ox4s, Wizzes & Deaccis, etc., but they seem to be more like flavored PAFs while the Stephens Design are like unflavored exact replicas... if that makes sense. Dave had warned me that the pickups need some break in time, which I had never really considered before, and after a couple weeks now they seem to have settled into their true tone... which is bright and chirpy in the bridge and beefy and rich in the bridge... as it should be! I really love that set!!

What has now become the third set should be coming next month, and whereas the first set was and HD59 Bridge and PG Neck I've got the decision for the third set narrowed down to either an OOP (out of phase) HD PG Set (the one with the flipped magnet) to put in my CC#1 (replacing the OOP Burstbuckers that came stock) or an HD61 Bridge and an SN Neck to go in my CC#2 (replacing those Burstbuckers). Dave's site has some great demo videos demoing these sets and they both sound tremendous. There is a good chance I might pick up a 4th set at some point with the set I pass on this time... they really are that good. :salude

 

[sikoniko]

I've been tempted by the HD Lites. The HD59's are a bit more output than I generally like. I'm more in the 7.7-8.3ish range, based on my experience. I've put a hold on pickup swaps for the time being and I've limited myself to one big purchase a year, so I'll have to wait, but I'm glad to hear these are worth the hype. I know he has lost a lot of street cred at the other site that he is desperately trying to repair. I've communicated with him via email and he has always been quick to reply. Nobody seems to question the quality of his pickups though.

 

[el84ster]

I've got the same SD set (59 bridge and PG neck). They are awesome! I can finally use my neck pickup. Praise God!

 

[slammintone]

This is a good video comparison with a real PAF from 1959 and some of the pickups Dave is making.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olGOJpmHz4o
If I ever decide to try aftermarket pickups again it's going to have to come from this guy.

 

[duaneflowers]

Wise choice... they are the very best out there!!! :salude

 

[blueprint]

Did you had to wait for a long time to get them? I have heard a lot of bad stories about the builder...

 

[duaneflowers]

The first set I got in about a week and the second took the current 3 month wait time. There were problems in the past, which I believe have all been sorted, so the most you should have to wait now is about 3 months. I have a 3rd set I bought from a forum bruddah... so used sets pop up from time to time (like the set currently on fleabay) and if Dave's new project goes well I might have to spring for a 4th set in the not so distant future... :salude

 

[m bernardi]

I have one of the first set of jimmy page he put out 5 or 6 years a go still in my rep- lp great pick ups:hank