Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

[giopas]

Hi folks,

After some years of using the below guitar, I finally decided to make the jump and upgrade pickups to make it sound even better.

I will therefore follow the question list suggested here to receive some advices from you.

• Make/Model of guitar:
  This is actually, a good question. On the guitar is written that it is an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, but since it has 3 humbuckers, I would rather say it is an Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty. For info, I bought it new from a music store, it is not a second-hand one.

EDIT Paragraph: I have just discovered that this guitar is actually a Les Paul Black Beauty 3 model. This explain whiy it has three humbuckers instead of the customary 2 of the other models. (Good to know that it is not a Frankenstein-guitar! :lol

Check the pictures at the following URL (they were too big to post them here).

Guitar head (you can see that it is a "Custom")

Guitar body (you can see that, despite it is a "Custom" it has 3 humbuckers)

Guitar with pedalboard (just for info)

• Type of wood for body/neck/fretboard:
  Mahogany (body and neck) / Rosewood (fretboard)
  
• Type of bridge:
  Locktone™ Tune-o-matic/Stopbar
  
• What style of music you play (or want to play):
  Rock/Hard-Rock/Blues
  
• Do you want this guitar for one specific sound or do you need it to get many sounds across many genres of music?
  While I would certainly keep playing Rock/Hard-Rock/Blues, I would also use it for other genres, like folk or clean arpeggios/slicks (kind of classical).
  
• What don’t you like about your current sound?
  Compared to a Gibson LP, the sound is much less powerful and "detailed". The sound is "capped".
  
• What amp do you have?
  Most of the time I use a Boss GT-100 pedalboard and sometime a Marshall amp.
  
• Do you want a particular color?
  Gold, in order to keep the original look.
  
• Will it fit in your guitar?
  (I am not sure to get the question Are we speaking about the pickups?)
  
• What effects do you use?
  With the GT-100, I often use patches with a lot of melted effects, but basically overdrive, compressor, reverb.
  
• Do I want a pickup with a cover?
  I believe that in order to have them gold, I do.
  
• Which guitarists’ tones do I really like?
  Slash, Santana, Direstraits, Metallica...

Based on the above, what kind of Humbuckers would you suggest? Having different HB for neck, center and bridge would be fine as well.

I would instinctively look at Gibson USA '57 Classics Humbuckers, but I don't want to miss the opportunity to really enhance the sound of my beloved instrument if there is anything better out there.

Thanks,

giopas

 

[SweetClyde99]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

The Custom might be a good fit. They work well in Les Pauls, and they can handle Metallica-levels of gain without losing the ability to get some vintage tones as well.

 

[giopas]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

For the 3 HB? Which specific model would you suggest?

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[SweetClyde99]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

For the bridge slot. I don't generally like any other pickup position so I would rely on the expertise of others for those.

 

[giopas]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

It is the same for me, but maybe changing pickups also for other positions I will find an interesting sound

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

The Whole Lotta Humbucker set with something else in between (maybe a Jazzn?) would work well for what you want. If you want to lean more toward Slash, you could get his A2pro set with something like a Seth Lover in between? If you wanted more power, you could use a Custom Bridge with a 59 middle and Jazz neck. That middle position really is interesting to think about. There are a lot of possibilities.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Epi LP Customs still have the cheap PU's, even today. Ironically, they cost more than 2 HB Customs, which have the upgraded Probucker HB's.

I'd recommend a set of good PAF's for the neck and bridge, which rules out Gibson '57 Classics, which are the worst sounding PAF I've ever owned (and I have a couple dozen models of PAFs, counting bridge and neck PU's). Duncan makes some great PAF's, like Seths, WLH's, and A2P's. If you want to go Gibson, Burstbuckers (not Burstbucker pros) are a good choice.

For the middle slot, you need to know that whatever you put in there won't sound the same as it would in the bridge or neck slot. There's issues from magnetic fields and 6 coils laying next to each other like sardines, and middle HB's don't sit under the string nodes was well. I'd go with either a P-90 (bridge model), like GFS Mean 90's, or a bridge PAF. The middle slot is weaker and doesn't usually have great tones, so beefing it up with a bridge PU helps balance output.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

I'm going to agree with the above...Blueman especially...Whole Lotta Humbucker Set with something fun like a humbucker-sized P90 in the middle.

Another option (never seen it done) would be 3 P-Rails. Go with the "hot" model in the bridge, the standard bridge model in the middle and the standard neck model in the, well, neck

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

I would leave the middle pickup in just for looks. Disconnect it from the controls altogether. Adjust the pickup downwards until its top surface is flush with the plastic mounting surround.

If you absolutely MUST retain a functioning middle position humbucker, I suggest investing in the Freeway 3x3-03 six-way toggle selector switch. Check out their .pdf schematic diagrams for plenty of interesting wiring ideas without resorting to push-pull pots.

 

[giopas]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Thanks for your valuable input guys! May I kindly ask you to include link to each product, so that I can have a clear idea of the items you mentioned as I am not good with acronyms? 1000 kudos

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

P-Rails Hot: LINK

Regular P-Rails: LINK

Whole Lotta Humbuckers (WLH set): LINK

 

[blueman335]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Another option (never seen it done) would be 3 P-Rails. Go with the "hot" model in the bridge, the standard bridge model in the middle and the standard neck model in the, well, neck

Problem with that is a whole lot of coils and magnetic fields. I think that would be a disappointment.

There's also some interesting wiring options for HHH guitars, far more versatile than the lackluster stock wiring.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

+1 to the Freeway switch and a Whole Lotta set, but I would put a Stagmag in the middle.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Condemnedsoul]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Had a pancake LP Custom that was special ordered from the beginning of the Norlin dynasty till couple of years ago.
Sold her with the original pickups due to the weight. It had T-tops in her. Pulled them went thorough literally dozens on pickup combinations.
Maybe this was age and lack of knowledge / skill. Oh well it's done.

Of all the pickup combinations that I tried in this guitar, one combination stood out and they
helped sell the guitar and were installed when the new owner took possession: 59 neck, 59 bridge, JB.

And 57's are boring ad over rated pickups - you can do better from Seymour.
Lastly, I learned this guitar from day 1 with a middle pickup. It is worth experimenting before you decide to disable it.

 

[leevc5]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Bridge = EMG H4
Middle = SD JB
Neck = EMG H4a
Played A Schecter with the above EMG set and really had a blast. So you can take my advice with a grain of salt as it may just be post jam euphoria syndrome.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

I'd go with a Whole Lotta Humbucker set with either a Phat Cat, or P-Rails with Triple Shot ring in the middle. You will get excellent boosted PAF tone, and the middle pickup might actually be useful here.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

I agree with Funk about the middle pup...disconnect it and lower it out of the way. The tone (and function) is almost useless. If you must have a functioning middle pup, I would also suggest a bridge position Mean 90...great tones and uniquely different than what you would have in either the neck or bridge.

You're never going to get all of the tones you want from just that one guitar, however. For Dire Straits you need a Strat. Period. For Slash you need a LP with PAFish pups (A2P or Slash). For Metalca you will need any muddy high output humbucker.

Yes, ANY SD pup, and I repeat, ANY SD pup will be a tremendous improvement over your stock Epi pups. As was said, the new Epi Probucker pups are actually pretty good, but yours are...well, let's just say.."not so good".

 

[always SD]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Santana, Slash : sh1 or better, a sh2
Metallica: sh6
Dire Straits : coil split with sh1-sh4 if you want too

 

[giopas]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

Thank you all for your advices, they are really helpful for me to understand and learn. Please add links to your suggested products as, even if it is more than 20/25 years I play, I never really bothered on pickup differences... :ashamed:

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[giopas]

Re: Advice on new pickups for Epiphone LP

I'd go with a Whole Lotta Humbucker set with either a Phat Cat, or P-Rails with Triple Shot ring in the middle. You will get excellent boosted PAF tone, and the middle pickup might actually be useful here.

Hi all,

I'm back from holidays and thinking to make the move!

Based on all posts here and on advice got from Seymour Duncan customer service (Arwin), I am inclined to go for the Whole Lotta Humbucker set and I was thinking about a P-Rail Neck for the middle HB. This is all on paper, that's why I am asking your wise advices before adding them to the chart.

Besides, do you know if it is possible to have the three of them in gold-plated?

Finally, my guitar has 4 controls, 1- neck volume, 1- neck tone, 1- bridge volume and 1- bridge tone. It seems therefore that the right chart is this one (02). However I don't think (pretty sure actually) I have a push/pull pot. Could it be possible? What chart I should refer to then?

Thanks all for your valuable advices!

giopas