Beefed Up PAF Recs

[Demanic]

Thinking about the sound that you're looking for, and I keep coming up with the Lace Deathbucker.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Thinking about the sound that you're looking for, and I keep coming up with the Lace Deathbucker.

You come up with that for every sound, though.

 

[Kais]

This is turning into a moving target.

The 59/Custom might do it for you but I find it as scooped as the C5.

A bit of a curve ball but the Saturday Night Special has a flatter EQ with less output than the Custom series.

Lowering the pickup and raising pole pieces might get you less compression, too.

would a magnet swap on the 59/custom give it a flatter eq without changing the output too much?

 

[Gtrjunior]

I agree with the Custom Custom here. It’s a great pickup. Easily my all time favorite.
I’ve got one in my LP and it plain kills.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Really digging the Custom, but I also tried to put in an A8 mag and I also really like the sound. Has a bit less bite and more mids vs the ceramic. It’s still a bit compressed though…

Swap a RC A2 in there. It will sound similar to the A8 with plenty of mids, rounded highs but less compressed

I went down this same road not too long ago. I started with a Custom and I initially liked it but it had too much too end sizzle. Then I went to the A8. Loved the tone but it was just a bit “too muchâ€.
I hesitated in the A2 May swap because I’m my kind A2=less or somehow not enough. But I was wrong. I now have a full on love affair with A2 magnets. Lol. I think you’ll like the result.

 

[Mincer]

I agree with the Custom Custom here. It’s a great pickup. Easily my all time favorite.
I’ve got one in my LP and it plain kills.

I love the CC too, but it has some compression you don't find in PAF winds.

 

[ErikH]

Does the Whole Lotta Humbucker have a place in this conversation? I haven't played one, but on paper, it seems like it might fit the bill.

I was gonna suggest this one. I have neck pickup in the bridge with singles in the neck/middle. What a great pickup. Been thinking about getting the bridge model and tossing both in my Les Paul but I like how the LP sounds with the stock pickups or a CC in the bridge. For the beefed up PAF, I'd go Whole Lotta Humbucker or Brobucker.

 

[Kais]

I was gonna suggest this one. I have neck pickup in the bridge with singles in the neck/middle. What a great pickup. Been thinking about getting the bridge model and tossing both in my Les Paul but I like how the LP sounds with the stock pickups or a CC in the bridge. For the beefed up PAF, I'd go Whole Lotta Humbucker or Brobucker.

I will research the brobucker. Assuming either the brobucker or WLH is as hot as you could go without getting compression like the custom

 

[Demanic]

You come up with that for every sound, though.

With good reason.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[beaubrummels]

I will research the brobucker. Assuming either the brobucker or WLH is as hot as you could go without getting compression like the custom

The WLH does have a little bit of compressed sound to it. It's like an improved 59 with some more heat. It does match the description in the OP, though in an all-mahogany Explorer, don't know if the top end would be too soft / dark. (When I had a set in my SG, I always felt the top end was lacking slightly.)

Brobucker is not compressed at all. It's got some more heat but probably not as much as the WLH. It falls in between a Seth / Antiquity / A2P except it's mid peak is 'chime' rather than Seth-honk or A2Ps round wide mid hump. It's like an improved Seth with more heat.

 

[Juanhanglo]

You come up with that for every sound, though.

Lol!

In the lace lineup, the hemibucker is the hot paf set. The big block set too I guess.

Big bass and mids with pulled back highs sounds like dimarzio breeds. I own a set and love them. Definitely a hot fat paf sound.

Compression is more a function of pickup output and how it reacts to the amps input. Pickup height plays a huge part in compression, IMO.
My breeds are set very low, to where the 36ths in my ec401v are louder than they are. Guess what? I get no more compression than with the 36ths.

To me, pickups are about eq shape more than anything

 

[Gtrjunior]

I love the CC too, but it has some compression you don't find in PAF winds.

It does but I don’t personally find it overwhelming.
But then again I like compression from a pickup.

 

[chadd]

would a magnet swap on the 59/custom give it a flatter eq without changing the output too much?

I tried an A2 magnet in one and it ended up sounding pretty bland, an A4 or ceramic may have yielded better results.

 

[sedawkgrep]

Dimarzio Breed Neck (yes in the bridge) or Wolfetone Marshallhead.

 

[SFW]

The SH-5 Custom is exactly what you described. However, the 59 will get plenty mean. I give you Vivian Campbell with a set of 59s into an Engl Blackmore.. No boost pedal. Just guitar - wah- amp. That sounds pretty damn mean to me.

 

[nexion218]

I'm not really a proper PAF guy, but got intrigued ny these so called "modern, hot PAFs", so I recently installed an EMG 57/66 and they surprised my in a very good way, worth a listen. Before this I only liked EMGs until I tried them for the first time... LOL I put these in the place of and 81/85 and the output was so much lower and nicer that I thought the battery went dead... But no, it is really that much nicer. It can actually do useable cleans. LOL