Yes I agree from this clip the ox4 is definitely more like the sound I feel and recognise as a PAF, the wizzes from this clip sound not so sharp and more modern although the guitar player is better in time etc it doesn’t sound nearly as good.Since duaneflowers brought up Wizz Pickups, I will say that for me I find OX4 to be superior. In particular, I think the OX4 Beanos do a much better nailing that specific tone than the Wizz equivalents:
I know which of these sounds closer to the recording in my books. There are a lot of boutique winders out there now and OP should investigate all of them. There was a lot of variations in PAFs back in the day due to different magnets, as well as uneven and inconsistent windings. One player's idea of the ideal PAF replica is different than another's.
Please do tell as I am most interested in knowing about the dishonesty ?Just FYI... throwback is one of the most dishonest companies I've had the displeasure of dealing with... and I'm really surprised you didn't use the word vintage in your post... you don't seem to know what it means and throw that word around like its candy... buyer beware... :salude
Yep, well said. From what I've seen and heard pretty much EVERY major winder who makes paf replicas, gets it right. Before my big sell off a few surgeries back, I owned several sets of real pafs. I use to pop them in my new guitars but honestly, the new versions nail the tone and I removed all the pafs from non vintage guitars and replaced them with new versions.Sound quality-wise, both are exceptional. Argue about the business ethics all you want (not that they’re unimportant, mind you), but if, at the end of the day, you want that vintage sound, either will get you there. I’ve had multiple sets of both (and many other boutique winders) and can’t complain about the product quality.
As others have said- you may also want to consider Rewind, Wizz, Mojo UK/Crazyparts Area ‘59 (or Beastbuckers), Sigil, Doyle’s Coil, etc. It’s like different master chefs preparing their take on filet mignon...it may have slightly different preparations, but it’ll be delicious.