Here are a few quotes from the report, which with David & Tonequest's permission, you can download the full article here.
"Plainly put, RD are on to something special and unique with their variety of pickups, and they are not shy about proactively encouraging feedback... We wouldn’t have known about RD if Declan hadn’t sent us an introductory e-mail in response to the invitation we had issued in print in the April ‘08 Spanish Castle issue suggesting that any pickup winder who had felt they had nailed true PAF tone were welcome to send a set for review. It was game on for Raymond and Declan.."
"Like the J.M. Rolph ‘58 bridge pickup reviewed here in the past, the VR-P Zero bridge delivers the musical clarity of a great single coil that will immediately propel the sound of your humbucking guitar beyond the ordinary"
"the single characteristic that seems to define RD pickups in general is ‘clarity."
"The Zero neck pickup also displays the smooth compression and reedy vocal quality we always hope to hear in a rhythm humbucker – warm and woody with clarity on the lowest bass notes, smooth upper midrange, and snappy treble presence as you move up the neck on solos"
"Switching from the Zero set to the P2 humbuckers produces a big leap in output and distortion, yet the clarity of the Zero set remains – you’re just hearing a more overdriven, hotter tone in both positions without a detectable loss of treble or presence."
"The VP2 impressed us as is simply a hotter, meaner version of the Zero set, and as hotter humbuckers go, you’d be challenged to find a set with better clarity and fidelity. Treble isn’t rolled off, and the tone remains chimey and detailed with harmonic depth and character, which seems to be the ‘trademark’ sound of RD pickups overall."
Subscription Offer : We can highly recommend Tonequest report if you are interested in unbiased well written gear reviews. If you reference RD Pickups, Tonequest have offered $10 off the international fee, and a set of Pyramid strings for anyone purchasing an annual subscription. www.tonequest.com
