Help finding the right pickup for My Epi LP

[Aceman]

Re: Help finding the right pickup for My Epi LP

A5 may or may not be the way to go. CAn't decide based only on the magnet.

In dark LP an A5 PAF style can be muddy and boomy. Partly the mag, party the wind of the pup.

My experience with Epiphone LPs is that the tone varies considerably from a real Les Paul. Probably due to their use of a wide range of mahogany, or mystery wood.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Help finding the right pickup for My Epi LP

Then there's the differences in player tone, not to mention the amp he's using and the one you're using, as well as the entire signal chain including post-processing done for CDs, and the fact that unless you're playing the CD through a guitar amp, there's a vast tonal difference. What you're hearing through your setup from a CD may not be what he's hearing through his amp while he plays it on the guitar.

Even with his guitar and amp and whatnot, you're not going to cop his tone to the 'T'. SRV and Jimmie Vaughan swapped the same Strat back and forth through the same amp for one track on Family Style, and each one had their own signature tone because they each had a signature style. Pickups similar to what he's using may or may not get you in the ballpark. You might need a P90, or you might need an Invader.


Don't believe the hype about the Custom being more for Metal. Yeah it works for Metal, through a suitably boosted amp, but those knobs on the guitar do have functions between full-on and full-off. There's also pedals for tone-shaping EQ as opposed to just solo boosts/freq shifts.

[blueman335]

Re: Help finding the right pickup for My Epi LP

A5 may or may not be the way to go. CAn't decide based only on the magnet.

In dark LP an A5 PAF style can be muddy and boomy. Partly the mag, party the wind of the pup.

+1. The most common one accused of that is a '59N. They're prone to being bassy/boomy in LP's and 335's. A5's just have a lot of low-end. The reason A5's are recommended for the neck slot is that they have the most treble and least mids, of any alnico. That's the good part, and helps with clarity and definition. The downside is that a lot of low-end comes along as a package deal, and in some woods, it's overkill. A '59N in a Strat or SG usually works very well; in an LP or semi-hollow, you may get a lot more bass than you want.

A2's are loved for their rich texture and dynamics; great for blues, jazz, and classic rock. But they also have some characteristics that can work against them. They're low output, so they seem like a questionable choice for a bridge PU. They also have a lot of mids, little treble, and a loose low-end, so they would seem to be an odd choice for the neck slot too. For those reasons, some manufacturers, like Dimarzio, don't use A2's. But, the right wind can bring out the magic and downplay the shortcomings. Seymour understands this and has learned to wind accordingly, and of his many PAF-type PU's, most have A2's, Seth's being the flagship. An A2 PU with the right wind is a thing of sonic beauty, bridge or neck slot.

What I've found is that when most A2 neck PU's are around 7.5K or less, there's often enough clarity in the wind to keep the PU from being too warm or muffled. At 8K, it becomes much harder to preserve treble and clarity. An A5 neck PU can be wound hotter before it loses as much high-end, but you may also get an abundance of bass depending on the wood. Another nice quality of A2's, especially in the neck slot is that all the midrange makes them sound 'big.'

For a more affrodable high quality PAF, Parsons Street are very good. I believe they're wound in the US (unlike their Golden Age line). They also understand how to wind for A2 magnets. I played with some local guys a couple weeks ago, and brought my Epi LP with Parsons Streets in it. They said right off the bat they knew I didn't have the stock PU's in it.

[toneseeker74]

Re: Help finding the right pickup for My Epi LP

Never played the Parsons Streets, but I gotta say that Seths are truly awesome. Clarity, balance, just the right amount of presence...they're just so nice. Yes, new ones will probably cost about $100 each, but if you are patient they can be had cheaper. I scoured eBay and craigslist hardcore for a month or two, and I got an unused bridge for $50 and an unused neck for $75. Best of all they were both wound a bit hot...8.4k for the bridge, and upper 7k for the neck.