Why the Difference in Tones?

[old guy]

Grant it, I've only wound 5 pickups to date ... 3 Humbuckers and 2 Mini-Humbuckers for Firebird. The crazy thing is, they are all keepers! Every one of them is clear as a bell with only one complaint and, it's rather minor - they are more on the bright side when it comes to the 1st & 2nd strings than I like.

Anyways, Being a performer for just over 40 years (singing guitarist), I can't believe how much money I've spent on 'upgrade' stock Gibson pickups and fender pickups as I searched for that 'perfect' sound. You can figure it it out if I tell you I've had more than 24 Gibsons since I started this band stuff back in the 60s. Tick me off 'cause here and now, with these home winds, I'm closer to what I've been seeking than ever before!!!

So, all this rambling leads me to why I'm posting this question: ALL stock, loaded in the guitar, factory pickups sound great from Gibson but, WHY ARE THEY LACKING THE CLARITY AND DYNAMICS that these home wound pickups exhibit??? Due to this new found hobby of mine, I've replaced my 2004 Firebird pickups (Gibson ceramics), my 2005 SG Standard pickups (57 Classics set and 490R + 498T) and am going to replace my 2003 Les Paul Standard BurstBucker 1 & 2 with new creations soon as well. This, after I've already replaced the stock Burstbucker Pros the LP came with originally.
I'd love to do my ES335, which has 57 Classics also, but due to the status of that particular instrument, she'll be left alone.

[bea]

Noone will be able to tell You because You did not tell what You were making different.

But let's extend the question: why does an epiphone PAF replica (with alnicos) have less clarity than a burstbucker or my old Gibsons.

[copperheadroads]

Noone will be able to tell You because You did not tell what You were making different.

But let's extend the question: why does an epiphone PAF replica (with alnicos) have less clarity than a burstbucker or my old Gibsons.

-Thick brass nickel covers
-Brass base plate
-Different spec's in wire ,bobbin dimensions ,& winding pattern & dcr
-Ton of wax
-different alloy in slug,screws,keeper & different composition of Alnico used
In other words ,Everything is different but cosmetically the same