'74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

[NoelH]

Hey Folks,
I own a '74 Les Paul Special '55 that is really a warm sounding guitar. Played acoustically, you can hear the overtones that really do kinda 'sing'. Lot of low-mids too.
It's a 'player' not a collector piece. Had a neck repair when I got it and the Bridge Pickup is a full-size humbucker. I have a JB in there now. And it is just too dark and 'middy'.
Thinking I want to go with one of a couple of choices.

Duncan Custom (have had good results with all Mahogany guitars)
Custom 5
Full Shred (Never tried one, but the description looks good for this.)

Never liked the Screamin' Demon

Thoughts?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Check out your pot values. Sometimes Gibson used ridiculously low valued pots, and it screwed up the sound of the instrument regardless of which pickup/s you put in it. E.g. My '83 Custom had 100K pots, and they sounded like garbage with any pickup.

That said, the JB is a very dark pickup with an unsuitable amp. You might want to try the Custom as a step in the other direction. If you are willing to go even cooler in output, then you might like a '59/Custom Hybrid.

 

[NoelH]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Check out your pot values. Sometimes Gibson used ridiculously low valued pots, and it screwed up the sound of the instrument regardless of which pickup/s you put in it. E.g. My '83 Custom had 100K pots, and they sounded like garbage with any pickup.

Yeah, true. The Tone Pot is bypassed, and the Volume reads 550K-ish. Yeah, leaning Custom.

Any experience with the Full Shred? Description looks promising.

 

[Mincer]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

The Full Shred is a really bright pickup, maybe too bright. I'd try a Custom first before the FS.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

I just installed a Custom in a darker sounding guitar I have, which is a USA Dean Hardtail with a mahogany body and a soft Spalted Maple top. The one word I would use to describe the Custom in this guitar is Glorious.

Running with tone & volume on 10, it is bright and crunchy and really cuts.... in a good way. If I roll the tone back to 8.5 or so the tone darkens just enough to take any edge off you might not want and you're left with pure rock crunch goodness that is nice and bright, but with killer mids and awesome crunchy lows. It really is like a PAF on steroids.

I've resisted trying pickups that were this hot, as I have grown to prefer the tone of PAF style offerings and get my push and crunch from the amp. I have used and liked both the CC and the JB in a strat, and had a C5 in an Epi LP briefly, but that's my extent of experience with higher output pickups until now. I'm sorry I waited this long to really give the Custom a good go.

It's fantastic.

 

[Wattage]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Mostly curious what style(s) you play and what you play thru?

 

[Aceman]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Check all the pots first. Or better yet - just replace them.

Then we'll talk about what pup you really need.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Check all the pots first. Or better yet - just replace them.

Then we'll talk about what pup you really need.

Yeah, true. The Tone Pot is bypassed, and the Volume reads 550K-ish. Yeah, leaning Custom.

Any experience with the Full Shred? Description looks promising.

Already checked.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

I just installed a Custom in a darker sounding guitar I have, which is a USA Dean Hardtail with a mahogany body and a soft Spalted Maple top. The one word I would use to describe the Custom in this guitar is Glorious.

Running with tone & volume on 10, it is bright and crunchy and really cuts.... in a good way. If I roll the tone back to 8.5 or so the tone darkens just enough to take any edge off you might not want and you're left with pure rock crunch goodness that is nice and bright, but with killer mids and awesome crunchy lows. It really is like a PAF on steroids.

I've resisted trying pickups that were this hot, as I have grown to prefer the tone of PAF style offerings and get my push and crunch from the amp. I have used and liked both the CC and the JB in a strat, and had a C5 in an Epi LP briefly, but that's my extent of experience with higher output pickups until now. I'm sorry I waited this long to really give the Custom a good go.

It's fantastic.

I’d love to hear a short clip of your Dean....your description of the Custom sounds amazing.

 

[NoelH]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

I'm a Bluesy Hard Rock kinda guy. Gary Moore, Doug Aldrich neighborhood.
My main Amp is a Ceriatone AFD 35 50 Watter with 6CA7s.
I run the Lead volume high and the Preamp around noon. Keep the PPMV high and the output Master depends on the room.

I hit it with a Duncan 805 (Output high, Drive low) and slight boost for solos with a Boss 6-band EQ. Intellifex in the Loop for Time Domain/Modulation stuff.

Speakers in my 4x12 are WGS Retro 30s and Webex Hemp Blue Dogs. Also use a 2x12 with EVMs.
I have to get heard over a Keyboard, y'know.


In '79 I got a Dean Elite (wish I'd kept) and put a Custom in that. It KILLED! May just go with what I know.

 

[SFW]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

My favorite Les Paul bridge pickups in no particular order...

Duncan Custom- this pickup is a rock machine!
Duncan Antiquity - PAF glory
Suhr Aldrich - hits the amp with out feeling compressed. Great for all things rock. Has that growl that makes you smile.
Duncan Slash - rock n roll in a pickup
Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell - ultra defined rock somewhere between the JB and Custom 5. Pushes the amp without feeling like a super high output pickup.

 

[Aceman]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Well then....


Lets go Custom

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Have you tried pickup adjustments to brighten the pickup?. Drop it down and raise the polepieces to brighten a dark pickup. I've forgotten, does that model have soapbars that can be height-adjustable or dogears?. I played one once and asked if it was for sale, as I loved it, but the guy who owned it basically said he would never sell it.
Al

Damn, just noticed you said it has a humbucker in it now, so you can try adjusting the pickup I assume.

 

[NoelH]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Yes, I lowered the bass side and played with the screws. Didn't help much. It still needs more 'sting' in the pick attack. Think JBs like brighter guitars than this one. It was originally built for P-90s, yes. But I bought this because I loved it as a player, and couldn't afford one as a kid. But a former owner routed it for a Humbucker. Neck is still a P-90 size ('70's Lawrence L550 there now).

Hey SFW,
Have you tried the Aldrich in an all Mahogany ride? I love Doug's tone. But this is a fairly soft sounding guitar. I actually intend on getting a Les Paul next year and putting a Suhr Aldrich in it.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

JBs like amps with tons of headroom. Otherwise, they can go to mud very easily. They need the inherent cleanliness of a high wattage amp to sound their best IME. They excel at pushing such amps into some really glorious overdrive...but try to do the same though a lower wattage amp at high volume, and they can really mush up.

They also love/benefit from being in full-scale-length guitars, like Fenders. Gibsons are medium scale guitars in the grand scheme of things, so their tone tends to get muddy more easily.

 

[SFW]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Yes, I lowered the bass side and played with the screws. Didn't help much. It still needs more 'sting' in the pick attack. Think JBs like brighter guitars than this one. It was originally built for P-90s, yes. But I bought this because I loved it as a player, and couldn't afford one as a kid. But a former owner routed it for a Humbucker. Neck is still a P-90 size ('70's Lawrence L550 there now).

Hey SFW,
Have you tried the Aldrich in an all Mahogany ride? I love Doug's tone. But this is a fairly soft sounding guitar. I actually intend on getting a Les Paul next year and putting a Suhr Aldrich in it.

I haven't tried in in an all mahogany guitar. I have had the Aldrich in both of my Les Pauls. It allows a lot of the guitar's natural tone to come though. The Custom has a bit more top end sting, but its a great pickup.

 

[Zombiwoof]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Yes, I lowered the bass side and played with the screws. Didn't help much. It still needs more 'sting' in the pick attack. Think JBs like brighter guitars than this one. It was originally built for P-90s, yes. But I bought this because I loved it as a player, and couldn't afford one as a kid. But a former owner routed it for a Humbucker. Neck is still a P-90 size ('70's Lawrence L550 there now).
edit...

I was actually talking about lowering the whole pickup and raising the poles, but if you're convinced it needs to be replaced, it's your decision.
Al

 

[justFred]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Pearly Gates

 

[Shooweri]

Re: '74 Les Paul Special. Really Soft sounding. Need brighter Bridge Pickup

Try out Custom first. 59/Custom Hybrid might be good option too.