Best Pickups for my LP

[Joseph777]

Hi my name is Jose
Well i want to change the pickups of my left handed Gibson Les Paul Traditional Ebony

I´m not sure about which ones
I want it to have nice cleans, and more singing leads tones and massive rythm tones
I play mostly Dream theater, Opeth, Guns n Roses
here are some vids of reference for the tone I´m looking for:

(for the neck lead tone)
overall Lead and rythm tone
(Rythm tone)




please watch the vids to get a clear reference
Thanks.
Which pickups would you suggest me to get for bridge and neck positions?
Best Wishes
Jose R.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

What pickups are in your Gibson now? What amplification and/or effect pedals do you use?

Off the top of my head, I am going to open the suggestion list with Pearly Gates neck and Custom bridge. That should stir up some responses.

EDIT: I take that back. For the creamy Steve Hackett/Andy Latimer type LP neck PU tone, you need a Gibson pickup and the right distortion pedal. The Petrucci tone is pure DiMarzio. (Reminds me slightly of Tom Scholtz also.) The Helloween rhythm tone also strikes me as a DiMarzio thang.

 

[Joseph777]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

Hi
well I have a 57 Classic neck and 57 Classic plus on the bridge.
regarding amps I use a Marshall AVT 100, a DSL 100, Mesa Dual Recto and Mark V.
Effects I use Eventide Stompboxes (Timefactor, Modfactor) and TC Electronics G Major 2.:cool2:

 

[Joseph777]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

Bump.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

If you go dimarzios, why not Petrucci's own pickups: Crunch lab, Liquifire. I have an air norton/crunch lab in an LP style guitar, it is a very thick tone, ultra crisp and clear and cuts right through insane amounts of gain (which you have). The crunchlab is surprisingly great when clean. I can't see playing any classic rock on a crunchlab though, so you are stuck with that ultra modern sound. I love hot dimarzio neck pickups, they are nice and smooth under heavy gain and perfect for leading. For the bridge though, I'm still a big fan of the duncan Custom, especially the Custom 5 and 8, but the regular Custom is a good start for you.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

Don't the guys from Opeth play Screamin Demons?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

Should be able to get the creamy neck tones with the Gibson '57 Classic that you've got, or maybe a Pearly Gates.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

I have a 57 Classic neck and 57 Classic plus on the bridge.

Good start.

I think I'd leave the neck pickup alone and just get a hotter bridge HB.

Franknfilms' suggestion of the DiMarzio Petrucci signature pickup might work. JP's signature guitar is made from different woods than a Gibson Les Paul. On the other hand, the ebony fingerboard of your Custom should contribute some high frequency content that a Standard lacks.

 

[inhuman]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

Try a 59 neck with a Custom 5 in the bridge. I would install an alnico 5 unpolished magnet. The unpolished mag takes off enough of the high end while still retaining tight bass and strong mids. Cleans are to die for. And you can chug chug on the rhythm all day.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

The '59 neck is pretty scooped and bright. Not very "creamy".

 

[inhuman]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

the 59 in my les paul can get really smooth. Plenty of mids. I love the pickup in that guitar. in other guitars i can see it not working.

 

[skynyrd]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

You might try swapping out the mags in your 57`s, put a Alnico 8 in the bridge and a unoriented A5 in the neck, should get you very close.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Best Pickups for my LP

I've had good luck with a 59 bridge ceramic in an LP.