Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: 59 vs Pearly Gates Neck Pickup
A 59 will not give you a heap more output than a jazz - mainly just more low end. However plenty of heavy players use it happily.
A pearly gates will not make you happy being too smooth and bluesy for the uses you described.
a WLH neck will get you in the ballpark tho.
or you could always go the cheap option first and try a different magnet in your jazz to give it a bit more juice to complement your distortion.
Having said all that about pickups. Pickups in themselves are not "sterile and boring". They are just a lens to let transfer the sound of your vibrating strings and guitar through to your amp. If you are noticing shortcomings in the richness of your tone, it might be time for you to upgrade the basic equipment on which they are mounted. Try playing a bunch of different les pauls unplugged and compare them to your custom and you'll hear some big differences in the tone color and the sustain. If it turns out that you can get a much richer and more rewarding sound from a different axe, then you can always transfer your favourite set of pickups into that and have a very satisfying playing experience.
A 59 will not give you a heap more output than a jazz - mainly just more low end. However plenty of heavy players use it happily.
A pearly gates will not make you happy being too smooth and bluesy for the uses you described.
a WLH neck will get you in the ballpark tho.
or you could always go the cheap option first and try a different magnet in your jazz to give it a bit more juice to complement your distortion.
Having said all that about pickups. Pickups in themselves are not "sterile and boring". They are just a lens to let transfer the sound of your vibrating strings and guitar through to your amp. If you are noticing shortcomings in the richness of your tone, it might be time for you to upgrade the basic equipment on which they are mounted. Try playing a bunch of different les pauls unplugged and compare them to your custom and you'll hear some big differences in the tone color and the sustain. If it turns out that you can get a much richer and more rewarding sound from a different axe, then you can always transfer your favourite set of pickups into that and have a very satisfying playing experience.
