Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

[d1dsj]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

My favorites so far:
Maple capped Page L.P - Brobucker or BKP Crawler bridge/ Ant bridge in Neck slot
'57 R.I L.P - Brobucker/ '59 with A4.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

Mean 90 bridge/Pearly Gates neck.

Can get anything out of this combo.

[Jeff5]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

It's impossible to say. You really need to have the right tool for the job. In my Hamer, the best sounding combo I had was the Custom Custom bridge and AII Pro neck. Very beautiful and musical sounding. Sounded great distorted or clean whether used on their own or used together.

However, I play a lot of very aggressive rock, metal, all the way up to nu metal. Due to it's looseness, the CC just didn't have the "umph" for my palm mutes, wasn't mean, dark or aggressive enough and I found the highs just a bit too rounded for my tastes. For these reasons, I switched to the regular Custom and am very happy. It's a bit of a compromise, but it works. If I played mainly blues/jazz/classic rock, with some hard rock mixed in, the CC would be great for me.

This story is just to illustrate that there is no best pick up, it depends on what you do. A Seth Lover may be a sweet sounding pup, but if you put it in an LP and expect to play with Slip Knot or As I Lay Daying or even Pantera, Metallica, etc., you will probably be disappointed and have a hard time. Covnersely, if you put a Dimebucker or Invader in there and are really going for a classic P.A.F. or smooth Jazz sound, it probably won't work.

Right tool for the job is the best way to go.

[Broeheem]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

Didn't you post a thread about that a while back? Can you post a picture of it, I'd be interested to see it.

The Twang Banger single-coil on a Les Paul was something that I'd never seen done before, but the idea couldn't be left alone... had to try it. I love it. The only Humbucker that even comes close is a Stag Mag, but I like a little noise - for historical authenticity!

That guitar is w/ my brother down in L.A. right now. I'll be in Cali toward the end of the month. When I get home, I'll photo it and (attempt to) post it.

It really is unique-looking, too.... the custom-made graphical pickup surround matches the neck pickup surround as well as the pickguard and switch trim - all made from Greasy Groove (Canada). They just ROCK!

I found that the recommended modification to the '59 @ neck (pole pieces up/pickup lowered @ lower strings) works real well - (boominess - I mock thee) - this axe sounds spectacular for a bolt neck.

Really, all that's left to do is upgrade the tuners and (gasp) install a Stetsbar trem, at some point. Either this will be a one-of-a-kind guitar.... or it'll start a trend. Probably the former.

This is my first guitar, and it will be hard to put it down when I finally can afford a Tele... but I'll try.

[Dezzy]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

..okay, i'm Pwned...I admit it.
that doesn't mean I don't hate the schmuck who calls people trolls for disagreeing with him.

your delivery was interpreted that way, it plain sounded troll like, he stated he meant troll in a good way, as in, you got him that time, you caught him with his pance down type thing, as in ha ha, but you were in fact the small minded one, as you could not see he meant well, and decided to go out and insult him, as was picked up by another member, hence the nerd photo, and picked up by me, hence this post, don't be a hater man, it only gets you in the end,

[SFW]

In a Les Paul I have three combos that I love. You will probably notice a theme... Lol

Custom/ 59
PGb/ 59n
59 set

[Kam]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

your delivery was interpreted that way, it plain sounded troll like, he stated he meant troll in a good way, as in, you got him that time, you caught him with his pance down type thing, as in ha ha, but you were in fact the small minded one, as you could not see he meant well, and decided to go out and insult him, as was picked up by another member, hence the nerd photo, and picked up by me, hence this post, don't be a hater man, it only gets you in the end,

You bumped up a thread that's a year and a half old just to say this? Really?

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

this seems to me like a "mylespaul" thread.


Has anyone tried a Pearly Gates/Seth Lover hybrid [set]?

[dvanburen]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

I like the Jazz/59 hybrid in the neck and Custom/59 hybrid in the bridge (both A5, though A4 might be even better). Detail, articulation and the three-dimensionality that just doesn't seem present with regular production models. I've even thought a Jazz/59 hybrid in the bridge would be awesome too.

This

The jazz/59 neck is sweeeetttt!! A4 for that one. I love the custom/jb for a more modern tone. ceramic mag for that one. although I like the A8 also

If the LP has an ebony fretboard. the old reliable for me is the trusted 59 neck and custom bridge. That combo screams Les Paul Rock n Roll!!!

[JumpMarine]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

It's all a matter of taste and what you want to play. Low to med output PAF's work the best for me: Antiquities, Seth, WCR Darkburst, Fillmore or Godwood, Lollar Imperials. There is no such thing as "The Best".

[Lewguitar]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

I've had a few Les Pauls but I don't own one now. I have a ES-335 though. In both guitars, I prefer the tone of nickel covered, Alnico 2 pickups. I like the slightly pronounced mids, and warmth to the treble and the bass is not so big and boomy as with alnico 5.

I loved the alnico 2 Tom Holmes humbuckers I had in my last Les Paul. If I had to pick one absolute best "new" pickup that I've had in my own Les Paul, I'd have to say the Tom Holmes. Tom said that mine were the same wind that Billy Gibbons uses. Similar to the Pearly Gates.

But that doesn't mean I didn't also love the Seth Lovers and Pearly Gates when I tried those. Both sounded great - the PG's especially. And they're a fraction of the cost of a set of Holmes HB's these days.

[Aceman]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

Wow - Most people in this thread are so wrong it is tragic!

I don't know about the bridge, but in the neck:

The Pearly GAtes is simply the best neck pickup a Les Paul can ever have. That Gibson does not use them OEM is just unbelievable and a testament to how crappy their business practices are.

Pearly GAtes - THE Les Paul neck pickup for anyone with any sense of style, class, and distinction.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

There isn't one.

Why? Because!

Personally, I've never had a problem with any stock LP pickup, except in Norlin models I've played and owned. And I think that has more to do with the three piece and/or maple necks than with the pickups themselves. They've been fine. Pickups are a matter of taste, and unless you go to the extremes in either direction, most of them sound pretty close to one another – close enough to be able to get them to sound virtually identical by changing amps settings and playing style IME. You have to just find what works best for you.

[Lewguitar]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

The Pearly GAtes is simply the best neck pickup a Les Paul can ever have. That Gibson does not use them OEM is just unbelievable and a testament to how crappy their business practices are.

Pearly Gates - THE Les Paul neck pickup for anyone with any sense of style, class, and distinction.

The PG neck is my favorite Duncan neck humbucker. Period.

I like the PGn better than the Jazz, the AII Pro, the 59n...even the Seth Lover and the Antiquity.

[rumblebox]

Re: Absolute best Les Paul pickup and why?

i didnt read any of this thread, but the simple answer is.... there is no right answer, because les pauls dont all sound the same.... and different genres call for different pups.