I'm considering neck pickups for my Les Paul and I've decided that I really want a "vintage" tone from this guitar. I usually like HIGH OUTPUT (full sized JB in my Strat) neck pickups, but I want, in order to increase my own skill, a lower output pickup because I feel that the high amount of distortion is "masking" my mistakes - when I play with the Air Norton in my Les Paul I tend to sound like crap! 
I dont like that pickup much either, which is obviously another reason why I don't like my tone right now. So I want to get a different pickup in my neck.
I'm looking at SD's and I'm liking what I hear about the Pearly Gates (likely my top choice) and the '59 (I hear it can get muddy even though it is versatile), but the Jazz model is catching my eye all of a sudden. I know that despite it being a 'jazz' pickup it's been used by many metal guitarists too. It seems very versatile.
So I have this Les Paul and I'm looking for a combination of things from my neck pickup, and I'm not sure if I can accomplish all these in one pickup.
I'll be playing lots of styles - blues, lots of classic rock (Zep, Skynyrd, Deep Purple, etc.), some more modern rock (90's), and also a good deal of metal too. I need something in the neck with stellar clean and distortion tones. The Air Norton, while having an amazing clean tone, lacks character, it seems flat and dead in my Les Paul. While it's fat, it doesn't seem fat enough for my tastes. I guess I'm looking for a "tubular" sort of tone, something that's really FAT and gutsy (that's what a neck PAF is supposed to sound like... right?!?!). Mainly something that'll suit a bluesy, bend-driven style of playing. But I also need something that's super clear and articulate enough for arpeggios and rapid alternate picking. And of course since I'm only considering lower-output pickups, a clean sound shouldn't be a problem.
So which neck humbucker would be best for this guitar... a Jazz, a 59, a Pearly Gates, or something else that I didn't mention?
If it helps, a 59, a Screamin' Demon (just how PAF is this, by the way?), or a Custom 5 is going to go into the bridge. I'm not even sure about that yet.
ANY help would be appreciated!
I dont like that pickup much either, which is obviously another reason why I don't like my tone right now. So I want to get a different pickup in my neck. I'm looking at SD's and I'm liking what I hear about the Pearly Gates (likely my top choice) and the '59 (I hear it can get muddy even though it is versatile), but the Jazz model is catching my eye all of a sudden. I know that despite it being a 'jazz' pickup it's been used by many metal guitarists too. It seems very versatile.
So I have this Les Paul and I'm looking for a combination of things from my neck pickup, and I'm not sure if I can accomplish all these in one pickup.
I'll be playing lots of styles - blues, lots of classic rock (Zep, Skynyrd, Deep Purple, etc.), some more modern rock (90's), and also a good deal of metal too. I need something in the neck with stellar clean and distortion tones. The Air Norton, while having an amazing clean tone, lacks character, it seems flat and dead in my Les Paul. While it's fat, it doesn't seem fat enough for my tastes. I guess I'm looking for a "tubular" sort of tone, something that's really FAT and gutsy (that's what a neck PAF is supposed to sound like... right?!?!). Mainly something that'll suit a bluesy, bend-driven style of playing. But I also need something that's super clear and articulate enough for arpeggios and rapid alternate picking. And of course since I'm only considering lower-output pickups, a clean sound shouldn't be a problem.
So which neck humbucker would be best for this guitar... a Jazz, a 59, a Pearly Gates, or something else that I didn't mention?
If it helps, a 59, a Screamin' Demon (just how PAF is this, by the way?), or a Custom 5 is going to go into the bridge. I'm not even sure about that yet.
ANY help would be appreciated!
