Meet the sweetest sound to ever come out of Fort Wayne, Indiana: Sweetwater’s signature Gibson Sugarbucker pickups. Dreamed up by our team of guitar experts and designed by Gibson’s Pickup Product Manager Jared Brandon, Sugarbuckers offer a fresh, vintage-defying spin on time-tested PAF humbucker sonics. Here’s the story of how the Sugarbucker came to be — and how you can outfit your axe with a pair of Sweetwater-exclusive Sugarbuckers!
A Relationship Built on Gear
Sweetwater’s guitar experts are always on the hunt to provide our customers with the most fun and inspiring gear possible. In addition to factoring in direct feedback from our customers, another way we accomplish this goal is by forming tight relationships with the greatest guitar brands on the planet.
We’re proud to call Gibson one of our most treasured partners — much to the pleasure of Sweetwater’s scores of Gibson fanatics! So, we teamed up with Gibson to reach an ambitious goal: How can we supply Sweetwater’s customers with a unique, new flavor of Gibson’s iconic PAF humbucker?
Thom and Pat’s Twin-coil Task
To take on this challenge, we recruited Sweetwater guitar experts Thom Grant and Pat Hannon along with Gibson’s resident pickup-winding wizard Jared Brandon. Jared was a natural choice for his deep knowledge of Gibson’s history and masterful expertise regarding everything made of magnets and wire.
While producing a model that stood apart from the pack was a must, it was equally important that this pickup — Sweetwater’s first signature Gibson pickup — live up to our uncompromising tonal standards. Our extensive humbucker pickup shootout was essential to this process. Not only did this article provide real examples of how different specs shape the sound of a pickup, but it also allowed us to nail down the exact sonic qualities we know our customers would love from a distinctively Sweetwater-spec PAF. Thom and Pat were also instrumental in the design, utilizing Jared to translate their tonal requirements into real-world specifications. In Thom’s words, “We described our perfect meal to Jared, and he made the recipe.”
What Makes the Sugarbucker Tick?
First and foremost, Jared opted for Alnico IV magnets — a type of alnico that Gibson has only offered through a single PAF-style pickup set since the late 1950s. In addition, Jared suggested we go with a construction that’s very slightly underwound compared to the usual PAF. Why? Jared explains that Gibson’s particular Alnico IV magnets have a brighter voice and, when underwound, result in a “clearer, brighter, hi-fi tone.”
This clarity balances perfectly with Jared’s next suggestion: to wax pot the pickup and utilize symmetrical winding on both pickups. Historically, PAFs are not potted and feature inconsistent winding on each coil, which many players believe is integral to the pickup’s complexity and tone.
However, these four elements — Alnico IV magnets, slightly less winding, symmetrical winding, and wax potting — all come together to provide the articulation and complexity of a vintage PAF along with the feedback-resistant nature and sweeter, somewhat rounder sound of Gibson’s later humbucking designs.
Perfect from the First Strum
Fast-forward a few months, and Jared’s first go at Sweetwater’s signature humbuckers arrived at our campus. Thom and Pat were so thrilled by these preliminary pickups — intended as prototypes — that they told him not to change a thing!
Only one task remained: naming Sweetwater’s signature humbuckers. Plenty of names were thrown out, including Chuckbuckers (in honor of Sweetwater’s founder Chuck Surack) and Bit O’ Buckers (inspired by the Bit-O-Honeys we package with your Sweetwater order). In the end, the answer was obvious: what could be sweeter than the sound of a Sugarbucker?
What About the Tone?
So, who are Sugarbuckers for? Why should Sugarbuckers be at the top of your PAF-style-pickup list rather than the rest of Gibson’s stellar humbucker offerings? In comparison to purely vintage-correct PAFs, Sugarbuckers boast a warmer, rounder character when played clean — all without sacrificing anything when it comes to articulation. And while it can be a challenge to integrate old-school PAFs into a modern, gain-heavy rig, Sugarbuckers sing with harmonic-rich sizzle, biting presence, and none of the squeal you may encounter with an unpotted pickup.
In Jared’s words, “My goal was to get something sweeter-sounding and more transparent than a purely vintage-style PAF.” We’ll confirm that he knocked it out of the park! Furthermore, Pat is quick to add, “Thom and I know what it’s like to try to nail those sweet and expressive vintage tones while retaining modern convenience. In developing the Sugarbuckers, we wanted to give our customers a unique spin on the PAF-style humbucker that is distinct from everything out there while still retaining that unique vintage flavor.”
Sweet, Sweet Six-strings and Pickup Sets
To celebrate the launch of the Sugarbucker, we decked out a quartet of Gibson guitars that you can only get at Sweetwater! First up, we spec’d two Sugarbucker-equipped Les Paul Standards, each featuring a beautiful AAA Custom Shop-grade maple top.
For those looking for a more elegant instrument with enhanced modern performance, we have a Sugarbucker-style Les Paul Supreme and SG Supreme, both of which brandish gorgeous koa tops and glittering, golden hardware.
Finally, if you’re looking to upgrade your own guitar with the sweet sound of the Sugarbucker, then we also have individual sets in both nickel and gold. What’s more, the expert techs and luthiers in Sweetwater’s Guitar Workshop are happy to install a set of Sugarbuckers into any six-string of your choice — whether it requires a simple soldering job or a full-on rerouting of the pickup cavities.
What Sweetwater-spec Gear Would You Like to See Next?
From one-off guitars to custom-designed pickups, Sweetwater is committed to providing our customers with the most inspiring gear possible. So, whether you’re interested in a pair of Sugarbuckers of your own or you want to tell us what Sweetwater-exclusive gear you’d like to see next, make sure to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700!