The pickup boffins over at Epiphone are introducing their latest, and greatest, pickup. This is the ProBucker.

The ProBucker is Epiphone’s version of Gibson’s BurstBucker (which is Gibson’s take on Gibson’s much-hallowed PAF). The ProBucker is made with bobbins that have been manufactured to the BurstBucker’s specs and with Elektrisola magnet wire (the same as that used by Gibson). The pole-piece slugs and screws are also to Gibson spec as is the nickel-silver alloy used in the covers.

The magnets used are Alnico II and the coils are scatter wound like the originals but, in this instance, the windings have then been wax-potted.

Also differing slightly from original spec is the inclusion of a four-conductor hook-up wire. Not quite so nice but it does offer more wiring and sonic flexibility.

At the moment, the ProBuckers are only being installed in Epiphone’s LP Traditional PRO but more models will feature these pickups in the future.

Pickups are often a weak link in a ‘budget’ guitar’s chain so we’re quite looking forward to hearing how these sound.

More at Epiphone.