bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

nusti

New member
I'm looking for a new bridge pick-up for my gibson les paul studio. This is the current situation:

In my gibson les paul studio (mahogany body, maple top, baked maple fingerboard) I currently use a JB sh-4 in the bridge and SH-2 jazz in the neck, both coil split with a pushpull. I use 500K cts volume pots and allparts 500k pushpull pots. 50's wiring.
I play through a kustom defender 112 50W tube amp with a master control volume and tung sol tubes (EL34).
In front of the amp I use a pedalboard with a couple of overdrives and modulation pedals.

I play in a cover-band with songs from the early sixties to modern music. Just pop-songs, no high gain stuff. It doesn't get heavier than Always on the run, lenny kravitz or hard to handle, black crowes. A lot of clean strumming and mild overdrive.

I find the jb too overpowered, it breaks the amp up at very low volumes. Another problem is that if I use the jazz pup for setting up the amp the jb sounds too shrill, no bottom. If i set the amp using the jb the jazz sounds muddy, muffled.
So I'm looking for an other bridge pick-up, vintage or medium output that will match with the jazz pup that I like to keep in the guitar.

The pups that I find interesting are the pearly gates, the 59 and the 59/custum pup. What could be the best for me, or maybe there are other options?
The most importance for me is that it has a sweet clean sound, for leads and strumming and will match the jazz pick up and has a 4 conductor wiring for coil-split.
 
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Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Yep, the JB is certainly not what you want. I'd suggest a PAF type wind, up to maybe the Custom/59 hybrid at the hottest.

The PAF clones are: Seth Lover, '59, Pearly Gates, Alnico2 pro.
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Well put a Custom in it. Are u sure you have a Jazz in the neck? It is very odd that the two are not matching. to my ears they are a matched set. I would see this situation if I had 59 n instead of the Jazz. However I think you should give the Custom a try.
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Did you try lowering the pickup? If you havent give that a shot you can shave quite a bit of power off by dropping it down 2 mm's or so. The custom is still pretty hot I think it will still overdrive the amp. If it was me i would look for an SH55
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

I'd get a 59 bridge, or if you want things a little more complex, the a2pro bridge. I'd definetly not put a Custom in it.
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Custom5, '59/Custom Hybrid, Screamin' Demon, Jazz ...
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Try an Alnico 2 in that JB before you give up on it, I would go for a PG if that doesn't work out....
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

Thank's for the replies. First of all, I'm sure it's a Jazz pup in the neck. I placed it myself ;)

Yesterday we had bandpractice and I started with lowering the JB 2mm. Made a huge difference, the amp does not break up that easily anymore. Also the jb and the jazz sound more matched. So thanks for that tip. When I placed the pups in my guitar I matched them while listening to the output volume and not that much listening to the tone.

Still I'm not too fond of the JB I would like a warmer sounding pup in the bridge. I think I will order the 59 to test that one out. I think tonewise it will fit to my wishes.
The magnet swap is something I haven't done before, but I would like to try that one. Do you know an online store that will ship to the Netherlands?
 
Re: bridge pick-up for a les paul studio

The 59 as stock is a bit 'scooped', in that it is present in the treble and bass, not so much in the mids. You might find it a bit bitey, however the JB has a upper mid hump that some find harsh, this may well be the part you dislike most. The 59 certainly won't be like that.
 
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