bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

[ConcreteVampire]

Hiya! long time lurker... proud SD fan, Using JB/Alnico2/Tele stacked/cool rails/lil59.. in other guitars! love me my Duncans!...

Scored a old Gibby T-Top for the neck of my 98 LP Classic.

UNBELIEVABLE... fantastic!

Clear but punchy, LOUD, articulate, almost immediate clean tone but still dig in and it crunches sweetly... can't say enough... Blues machine... Even frequencies across the board, very CLEAR for a neck pickup...

"Had" a Duncan Custom 5 alreay in the bridge which now sounds, trebly, lower in volume, thin. (Even though that s a 14k pickup, and the T is a 7.5...)

I know the SH14 is supposed to be a little scooped, and it's now VERY apparent. Kinda nutless....

I have adjusted the pickup heights, and pole pieces to no avail.

The T-Top neck sounds rich and full, the Custom 5 sounds light, and thin...

Reccomendations for bridge?

I'd like to keep a vintage vibe, Closest one to the T-top for the bridge?
(I've heard T-Top's in the bridge position aren't all that great, too trebly and thin and I can't "Score" another one anyway!)

I have had in this guitar's bridge 500t's, 498's, did not like either. To much output, and muddy respectively...

59 Hybrid?!

I wan big and warm like the neck, but a little more balls since it's the bridge....

Thanks!!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

Gibson 490T or SD Alnico 2 Pro bridge would be my go-to "hot T Top" models. They don't match the T tops or pre T tops in terms of specs at all, but they sound a lot like them.

 

[jeremy]

Re: bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

welcome to the forum!

if a c5 is sounding thin and whimpy i cant imagine that a 490t or aph is going to give him the tone he wants.

the c5 might sound thin compared to the ttop but shouldnt be lacking output. an unoriented a5 magnet will bring up the mids and soften the high end and would be the first thing i would try

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

Since T-Tops are weaker than a PAF anyway why not start with a nice fat PAF bridge pickup??

Maybe a Pearly Gates??

 

[ConcreteVampire]

Re: bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

welcome to the forum!

if a c5 is sounding thin and whimpy i cant imagine that a 490t or aph is going to give him the tone he wants.

the c5 might sound thin compared to the ttop but shouldnt be lacking output. an unoriented a5 magnet will bring up the mids and soften the high end and would be the first thing i would try

I should clarify, not really lacking output, what I mean is I had a 490-498 set in it before (Muddy), and the perceived punch and volume were balanced between neck and bridge. The T just seems louder, than the SH14, even with tweeking...

I pulled up the two middle screws and it seeed to help a little, regarding the other suggestions, I think a Pearly will be to trebly, and the Alnico 2 too mushy...

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: bridge pickup to mate with T-Top in neck of LP

Dirty Fingers....