Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup

5.0 (4)

1 Critic Review

2 Reviews

Find out who is using Lollar Imperial Humbucker

1 wishlisted

4 saved

Page last updated Nov 30, 2025

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Description

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Discover the nuanced sound of the Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup, a meticulously crafted component that elevates your guitar's tone to new heights. Designed with a keen attention to detail, this pickup draws inspiration from the classic PAF humbucker, delivering a balanced blend of warmth, clarity, and dynamic range. Ideal for players seeking a vintage voice with a modern touch, the Lollar Imperial offers a hand-wound coil that ensures consistent, top-quality sound performance.

The Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup is a perfect choice for musicians who appreciate a rich, complex tone without sacrificing detail. By utilizing a scatter-wound technique, this pickup enhances harmonic content and improves the overall resonance of your instrument. Whether you're playing blues, rock, or jazz, the Imperial's versatility shines through, offering a distinct character that complements various playing styles.

Designed to fit seamlessly into most standard humbucker slots, the Lollar Imperial is an easy upgrade that promises to transform your guitar’s sound. Its nickel-silver cover not only adds to its vintage aesthetic but also reduces unwanted interference, ensuring that your music remains pure and uncolored.

Key Features:

Hand-wound coils for consistent, high-quality sound
Vintage-inspired PAF humbucker tone
Scatter-wound technique enhances harmonic content
Versatile sound suitable for multiple genres
Nickel-silver cover reduces interference
Compatible with most standard humbucker slots

Videos

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Westwood Music

Lollar Imperial vs Seth Lover

Westwood Music

LOLLAR Imperial [PAF-Style Humbucker Roundup]

Guitar Player Magazine

Reviews

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Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup.

Comparisons

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Lollar Imperials are considered a boutique upgrade over Epiphone's Probucker 2/3 and potentially even Gibson's Burstbuckers, offering a distinct and unique tonal quality.
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Lollar pickups are preferred over factory-made Seymour Duncan models for their handbuilt quality, despite a higher price.
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The El Rayo Humbucker, compared to the Imperial, is described as a giant single coil with a stringy, Tele-like sound.
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User experience

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A local luthier expressed surprise at the high sound quality of Lollar Imperials, suggesting they may outperform expectations for pickups on mid-tier guitars.
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Owners report Lollar Imperials offer a different sound compared to Gibson Burstbuckers, but specific tonal differences are difficult to articulate, indicating a unique character.
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Mods and upgrades

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Owners recommend pairing Lollar Imperials with Blackface single coils in HSS setups for a powerful sound combination.
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Use cases and applications

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Lollar Imperials perform exceptionally well even in guitars with a plywood body, like a Squier II, enhancing the overall sound.
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Ideal for fingerstyle jazz and blues on a PRS McCarty S2, especially when played with fingertips rather than nails.
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The low wind version of the Imperial Humbucker is specifically praised for its tonal clarity and suitability for dynamic musical expression.
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Features and functionality

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The Lollar Imperial offers a PAF style with notable clarity and a beautiful bloom when pushed, appealing to those seeking a vintage-inspired tone.
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Value and pricing

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Despite being a significant investment, many are keen to choose the Lollar Imperials for their distinct sound quality.
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Critic Reviews

Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickups – 300Guitars.com

300guitars.com

The Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickups deliver a vintage PAF sound with modern reliability. Tested on two diverse guitars, both low and regular wind versions exhibited rich, clear tones that brought guitars to life, making them versatile for jazz, blues, and rock. Installation was straightforward, and the build quality was impeccable. While some might miss the unpredictability of vintage pickups, these offer consistent performance with no microphonic squeal. The pickups shine in live settings, maintaining clarity amidst stage noise. For those seeking a robust humbucker with vintage charm, Lollar Imperials are a top choice.

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5.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 4 Ratings

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1 star

skylinerr

5339

over 7 years ago

ES-335

Great in the 335 sound like a 60s 335 but a little hotter

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Metal

bobguido7

253

almost 9 years ago

"These are the best humbuckers I have ever heard. Clear and accurate with the character of the best vintage PAF pickups"

Artist usage

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Chris Cornell

Guitarist, Singer

Soundgarden

Verified via YouTube

Chris Cornell uses the Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup in his red ES-335, as demonstrated in the Premier Guitar Rig Rundown with Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Ben Shepherd.

Brendon Urie

Singer, Guitarist

Panic! at the Disco

Verified via Lollarguitars

"I really love having these Lollar Imperial pickups in my Fender guitars, with some of the best dynamics I could ask for in a guitar pickup."

Mike Sullivan

Guitarist

Russian Circles

Verified via Premierguitar

Mike’s current main squeeze is a 1985 Gibson Les Paul Custom that he bought in his hometown of Chicago at Rock N Roll Vintage. Since acquiring the guitar, he dropped in new pickups—a high-wound Lollar Imperial in the bridge and a standard Lollar Imperial in the neck. Sullivan goes with D’Addario NYXL .011–.056 strings and tunes this one to a DADGAD variant—C#-G#-D-G-C-A#. When it comes to picks, he’s been loyal to the Dunlop Max-Grip Jazz III since he found some inside a box for an Andy Timmons pedal.

Brian Fallon

Singer, Guitarist

The Gaslight Anthem

Verified via Photo

"People ask me all the time about the various pickups I use in my guitars... Here's the ones I use in everything. From top Left going clockwise: @lollarpickups imperial. - my first love. Best guys and gals and TOP quality pickups."

Jimmy Herring

Guitarist

The Allman Brothers Band

Verified via Lollarguitars

"Lollar Imperial Humbuckers and P-90 for Humbuckers have brought my guitars to life! I'm a big Lollar fan!"

Dave Lincoln

Guitarist

James Davis

Verified via Photo

Dave Lincoln is confirmed to use the Lollar Imperial Humbucker Pickup, as evidenced by his Instagram post discussing his experience playing a Telecaster. The post is tagged with #lollarpickups and #lollarimperial, indicating the specific gear used. In the caption, Dave Lincoln reflects on the versatility of the Telecaster for a jazz gig, despite its non-traditional appearance for the genre.