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.

In a fortuitous follow-on from the recent article about Matt Bellamy’s guitar rig, comes news to intrigue seekers of the Bellamy Tone.

Manson’s Guitar Shop (who will be no strangers to the Bellamyites among the readers) have collaborated with Bare Knuckle pickup manufacturers to produce a new set of custom pickups.

The MBK-3 pickups boast a tight tone, huge bass and powerful output.  They claim more ‘kick’ than their siblings, the MBK-1 and MBK-2 pickups used in Manson’s guitars and played by, among others, Bellamy and Josh Homme.

Manson’s and Bare Knuckle have carefully tweaked and tinkered to produce a pickup with a contemporary sound thats good for hard rock, metal, punk and all the other noises you pesky kids are into.

The bridge pickup has three ceramic magnets buried under that handsome chrome cover and the neck contains an Alnico V magnet.  Interesting contrast this and one that should be pretty flexible.

You can pickup (ha, see what I did there?) a set of MBK-3s from Manson’s web site.  They retail for UK £299 for the set.

Wanna sound like Slash?

Well, while you’ll just have to practise the intro to Paradise City until your fingers remember it, at least you have a chance to get your sound right.

Seymour Duncan are giving away ten sets (pairs) of the Slash Signature Humbuckers.  I actually haven’t heard these pickups in person yet but the specs are sufficient to make me feel they’re going to sound great.

They’ve got AlNiCo II magnets and are wound just slightly hot – should be enough for some nice crunch and sustain without getting that overwound sound.  I’m currently rationalising my upcoming projects to see if I can justify a set.

Of course, I’ll have to buy the damn things.  If, however, you live in the US, you can enter the Seymour Duncan competition to win a pair of these babies.  Just answer the marketing questions on Seymour’s site and submit for a chance to get your greedy little mitts on a set of AlNiCo II Pro Slash pickups.

Seymour Duncan has announced a bundle of new pickup models for 2010 and some sound quite tasty.

Alnico II Pro Slash

This is modelled after the pickup in Slash’s main recording Les Paul.  Apparently Slash intends to use it to make his live guitars sound more like his favourite studio instrument. That sounds like a pretty good endorsement to us.

As the name suggests, this uses Alnico II magnets but it’s wound a little hotter to push a Les Paul that bit closer to Slash’s signature crunch and sustain.  Single conductor cable and wooden spacers rock it old school.

Yngwie J. Malmsteen STK-S10 YJM Fury

The title is a mouthful.  The YJM pickups are stacked, humbuckers.  The range includes a bridge and a neck/middle pickup.  The bridge pickup is voiced for agression and power. The neck/middle version, more for sweetness and fluidity (apparently).  These guys are pre-installed in the YJM Strat or can be retro-fitted into pretty much any S-Type guitar.

SHPR-2b P-Rails Hot

Talk about versatility.  The P-Rails are designed for those who want all the sounds they can get.  Used with Seymour Duncan’s Triple-Shot mounting ring, these pickups can give you a humbucker, P-90 or single-coil tone.  Effectively, it’s three pickups in one.  These are hot – they use Alnico 8 magnets which rival ceramics but maintain the Alnico tone.  They’ll retro-fit into humbucker-equipped guitars and can be used for Trembucker spacing.  Using a regular push-pull or toggle you can get P-90/humbucker sounds but you’ll probably want to get the Triple-Shot to allow even more sounds.

Blackouts AHB-3 Thomson EMTY

The latest in the Blackouts range.  The AHB-3 Thomson pickups are created to Mick Thomson’s personal specs – namely, tighter low end and more top end cut.  These are active pickups and come with all of the necessary bits and pieces, including pots, jack and battery clip.  They’re available as a 2-pickup set or as individual neck or bridge.

SSL-1 Vintage Staggered 7-String & SSL-5 Custom Staggered 7-String

Production versions of the custom pickups SD have been making for a while.  The Vintage Staggered has a deep, punchy tone and strat-like.  Duncan tell us it’s for anyone looking for a vintage-style sound in a 7-string format.

The Custom Staggered keeps that vintage sound but fills it out.  It’s a bit overwound and more sustain and cut are available .

SH-10 Full Shred 7-String & SH-14 Custom 5 7 String Humbuckers

The Custom 5 is, again, for players wanting classic humbucker tones but in 7-string format. Alnico 5 magnets and an output suitable for everything from pop to heavy rock.  PAF-style sounds for 7-stringers.

No vintage sounds for the Full Shred though.  It’s designed for metal with a clear top, well defined lower end, and, more importantly, an agressive midrange.  The Full Shred is available with 4-conductor cables and in both neck and bridge versions.

More at Seymour Duncan.