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Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

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  • Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

    Hey there,
    I'v got a Epiphone Les Custom and need some help in finding some suitable pickup's. I mainly play hard rock and metal such as Foo Fighters, Metallica, Iron Maiden and even stuff like Mudvayne ocassionaly.

    I was intially looking at a JB for the Bridge and '59 for Neck. I was kinda set on that, until i heard that the JB lacking low end, so was a little put off.

    If i could describe the tone i'm looking for from the bridge pickup, it would that of the Foo Fighters, from songs such as Everlong, Monkey Wrench, Breakout, All My Life or something along those lines.

    As for the neck pickup, i only really use this for clean sounds, so i'm basically looking for the best possible clean pickup which can ocassionaly be used with distortion.

    Any help much appreciated as this is my first pickup change and is relatively new to me!

    Thanks

  • #2
    Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

    Matrixman WELCOME TO THE FORUM!!!! You'll find lots of useful info here.

    As far as your neck pup goes you have a few options. You can go Jazz, 59 A2P

    The 59---considered the quintessential Alnico 5 magnet PAF. It has deep thudding bass and plenty of glassy highs. It also has a very scooped mid. It can sound muddy depending on the guitar.

    The Jazz---a very articulate pup tuned to standard or detuned. It has a chimey top end but not as much glass as the 59. It has more mids and less bass than the 59 as well.

    The Alncio 2 Pro---a very smooth Alnico 2 magnet pup that has good mids, and has smooth lows and highs. It has great string to string definition and is very even sounding

    For the Bridge, JB, Custom 5 (C5), and Custom

    JB---the JB is a High output pup with a large high mids spike that helps you cut through the mix. Some people use it with a 300k or 250k pot to tame the high end. It does have the least bass of the three pups mentioned but it is ample.

    Custom 5---the C5 is a PAF style pup overwound to the high output level. It has the same thudding bass and cutting highs EQ as the 59 and pairs up well with the Jazz or 59.

    Custom---the custom is a high output pup with the same coil configuation as the C5 or CC but it has a ceramic pup. It has more lows than the JB but less than the C5, it has more mids than the C5 and slightly less highs. It has more grind and punch than the aforementioned pups as well.

    Hope that help you out some man! You can order any of the slug/screw configured pups with a gold cover too if you want. Tell us what your setup is and we can further tune our recommendations. Fire away with any other questions.

    Luke
    “That which we do for ourselves dies with us … that which we do for others lives forever.”

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    • #3
      Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

      welcome

      i'd say a set of 59s or a C5b / 59n would get you where you want to be

      with the 21 day return policy, you can always give it a shot and swap out if something isnt sounding the way you want it to

      good luck
      t4d
      gear list in profile

      "no seymour - no tone ... know seymour - know tone!"

      Is it not the glory of the people of America that, whilst they have paid a decent regard to the opinions of former times and other nations, they have not suffered a blind veneration for antiquity, for custom, or for names, to overrule the suggestions of their own good sense, the knowledge of their own situation, and the lessons of their own experience?" - James Madison - Federalist #14

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      • #4
        Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

        Originally posted by matrixman_397
        If i could describe the tone i'm looking for from the bridge pickup, it would that of the Foo Fighters, from songs such as Everlong, Monkey Wrench, Breakout, All My Life or something along those lines.

        As for the neck pickup, i only really use this for clean sounds, so i'm basically looking for the best possible clean pickup which can ocassionaly be used with distortion.
        Hi, welcome to the forum.

        I play similar styles that you listed and my band even covers some of the songs you mentioned. I get all over those sounds with the Pearly Gates set in my Les Paul through my Mesa/Boogie V-Twin.

        What kind of amp are you playing through, BTW?
        Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

          Wow, all that help already and thanks for the welcome!

          Right first of all i must mention, that i'm looking to get the gold pickup versions so my guitar looks like stock. Also i live in the UK, so i'm not sure if this 21 day return policy is valid over here?

          I'v got a Marshall MG30DFX, and yes i know its crap, but i mainly play at home in my bedroom and it suits me fine. Upgrade to a tube amp is on the way in near future!

          I'm currently upgrading all the electronics on my guitar, as i'v decided on changing the stock pickups to something better.

          Would the JB in the Bridge be suitable for playing the type of music i listed or is it not much of hard rock/metal pickup?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

            I tried the JB in the bridge of my LP and it sounds good dirty, but is very much lacking in the clean department. I mainly swapped it out because it was always too compressed and "over the top" for my use and rig.
            Ain't nothin' but a G thang, baby.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

              Originally posted by Benjy_26
              I tried the JB in the bridge of my LP and it sounds good dirty, but is very much lacking in the clean department. I mainly swapped it out because it was always too compressed and "over the top" for my use and rig.
              I had the same problem as Benjy, except it sounded shrill dirty too, IMHO.

              As far as upgrading your electronics go, I will commend you on a GREAT move. You can get rid of the crappy epi 300k ohm pots and get some CTS pots, and you can also get rid of the caps and get some orange drops. Both Lew of www.Lewguitar.com and John and Kevin of www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com ship over seas. Talk to them about the return policy maybe they can help.

              My recommendation is listen to the soundclips till your ears bleed then do it some more.

              Luke
              “That which we do for ourselves dies with us … that which we do for others lives forever.”

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                Ok lets, see in terms Gibson pickups for Les Paul's, what would be the direct equivalent of each neck and bridge pickup in terms of Seymour Duncan pickups if you were to suggest one. I'm asking this as the stock Gibson pickups seems to be quite versatile and seem to allow a variety of styles to be played. All kinda of based on the kinda of music my friend plays on his Gibson which sounds alright.

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                • #9
                  Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                  Gibson pups are like chicken. It tastes alright cooked all kinds of ways, but there is no definitive taste. Steak tastes like steak and only tastes like steak.

                  There are no real direct correlations (which is good if you ask me). There are some approximations which forum members argue about from time to time.

                  498T--JB kind of but with more bass

                  490s--similiar to an Alnico 2 pro, but without the balance, definition and is darker

                  57 classic--Similar to a Seth Lover but very grainy with overdrive, not nearly as smooth

                  BurstBuckers--Alnico 5 models resemble a 59, Alnico 2 models are somewhere between a Seth Lover and a Pearly Gates.

                  Like I said these are approximation. More than anything versaltility is in the hands of the player. I'm using an Alnico 2 Pro Bridge and a Jazz neck, it's a A5/A2 combo that work well for me right now. If you want the Gibson modern humbucker sound (I can't believe I'm gonna say this ) then you should get the Gibson pups. If you want the truest vintage Re-Issue sound get Seths. If you want to be able to do lots of things then figure out what kind of sound you want from each pup.

                  Luke
                  “That which we do for ourselves dies with us … that which we do for others lives forever.”

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                    for your guitar id have a full shred or Jb at the bridge and for the neck maybe a 59 or a jazz, dont worry about the jb not having enough bass because it will have enough.
                    Cornford Hellcat
                    Peavey 5150 - Marshall 1960A cab

                    Ibanez 1994 Jem7VWH - Stock
                    Fender Strat - Fullshred/Duckbucker/lil59
                    Fender Strat - Jb Jr bridge + 2x Fender Single coils
                    Fender 1976 Precision Bass

                    http://www.youtube.com/user/BlueLightRideTV

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                    • #11
                      Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                      I maybe get killed for saying this at this forum but why don't you try the EMG active sets? You can get any tone you need (a great advantage of actives) and best of all, the set will come to you prewired and the only thing you'll have to do is install it! Or you can use the SD livewire set (lwhmet-lwc) but I'm not sure if it comes prewired and with battery case as the EMG one. Then again if you don't like your guitar to need a battery to play (like me) try full shreds and Jazz pickups for your axe

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                      • #12
                        Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                        EMGs, aside from the drop-in pickguards for Strats, are not prewired. They also are NOT capable of achieving "any tone." They're no different than passives in that they have a distinct personallity. That said, the EMG 85 is a killer bridge pickup for versatile applications, and the 81 owns for balls out metal.

                        EMGs also do NOT include a battery case.
                        “I can play the hell out of a riff. The rest of it’s all bulls**t anyway,” Gary Holt

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                        • #13
                          Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                          welcome to the forum!

                          Originally posted by tone4days
                          with the 21 day return policy, you can always give it a shot and swap out if something isnt sounding the way you want it to
                          +1
                          Constantly wanting new gear...

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                            Right after a bit of debating i think i'v finally decided on the Custom 5 for the Bridge and '59 for the Neck. The Custom 5 seems to be better for hard rock and metal.

                            What do you guys reckon?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Upgrading Pickups, Suggestions Needed - Please Help!!!

                              Originally posted by matrixman_397
                              i'v finally decided on the Custom 5 for the Bridge and '59 for the Neck. The Custom 5 seems to be better for hard rock and metal.

                              What do you guys reckon?
                              That was my first set of Duncans.

                              And even though they reside in two different guitars now, they're still a couple of my favorites.

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