I'll say do it, and break this whole thing down.
I have an Epiphone 1960 50th Anniversary Tribute LP Standard (V3). I’ve never really liked the Bridge pup in the guitar, if I am correct it’s one of the Gibby BB’s. I’ve thought for years about changing, I have a SD Custom Custom laying around and am curious what that combo may be. I’m not a soldering wiz so I wanted to get some opinions before I dig in.
I say go ahead and give it a try. Can't speak to the sonic characteristics of the specific Epi. I did have an Epiphone classic ~1996 that I had a CC in I really liked it. You may or may not. I got this specific guitar and pickup for playing classic/southern/blues rock. What I loved: #1 the highs were super fat. Just big and round and smooth and buttery. If you were going for Clapton Woman tone, or sweet Allmans leads this was excellent! Also, the thing had mids for days. Massive giagantic wide down the middle of mids mids. It cut through great. It gave an excellent slide snarl. The bottom was not very tight. For looser goose Stones/Aerosmith riffing it was awesome. Additionally, if you wanted, because of the mids, it could crunch pretty good - just not that Uber-tight bass crunch. I wouldn't call it a first rate metal pickup. The output was hotter than you think, but it didn't feel like a distortion level sort of humbucker. So that's what I think you'll get.
This is my 4th LP and I wanna go for a different vibe with each, my 96 studio I am happy with the Stock 498
The Duncan pickup closest to this would be the Custom 5. Bass, Treble, and very very scooped mids. It is tighter in bass, sharper in highs, and feels a little hotter than a CC. Probably about the same output though. Think of it as the exact opposite of the CC on EQ. remember, the Les Paul is a very middy guitar so, it isn't like death metal scooped. Incidentally, if you mag swap the A2 in a CC for an A5, you get a Duncan Custom 5. Just food for thought. If you dig the 498, cool. Roll with it. I'd get a Custom 5. Maybe. However - great all around pickup. I could play whatever with that and not be sad.
my 2012 Classic (which is my primary guitar) I can’t stand the 500t so I am pretty sure a JB is going in there.
Too bad - because a 500t is pretty much exactly a Duncan Distortion! I LOVE that pickup. But that's me. That would be a great Metal Les Paul. You may hate it. The JB is historically hit/miss by people in Les Pauls. Some love it, some hate it. Best I can tell is bedroom shredders don't like it, while people playing in bands love it because it cuts through. It will have tighter bass, more upper mid punch and sharp highs compared to a CC. Les Paul plus JB if you like it is a great rock guitar. Can handle blues and metal too. You might also consider a Duncan Custom. It will be a rock, hard rock , metal pickup with super tight thumping bass, decent mids, and a cutting screaming ceramic high end that can rock as hard as you want. And guess what? You are a Ceramic mag swap from the Custom to an A5 to get a Custom five, and an A2 away from a CC
I have a 95 studio that I am thinking of putting HB sized P90’s in, so with the Epi I wanna kind of shoot for a late 70’s classic/hard rock vibe.
- Sticking with Duncan, a Phat Cat would handle classic, vintage, cleaners, grittier styles of all things blues jazz and rock. There are a bunch of other humbucker sized P90's people dig though. Ask about and see what they say.
So I say get the CC - and also learn how to swap mags. Way easier than a full pickup swap.
If you had Guitars with a CC, a C5, a Custom, and a P90-ish guitar you would have four very different Les Pauls
My Les Pauls have A Distortion, A SuperDistortion, Another SuperDistortion, and a Duncan Custom P-90 (loud ceramic RAWK P90) But I have Dean Cadillacs and other things with: Distortions, Customs, JB's, PG's, 59/Custom Hybrids...at the moment.
