Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

motorhead

New member
I've been away for a while ... anybody got these fantastic PUs in the past couple of months.

Harmony Central Review

I recently went out and got a Dunlop Q-Zone so I can get a real nice Michael Shenker tone out of them.
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

I installed a Jimmy Page set into my JP wired 59 RI LP a couple of weeks ago.

They are very cool to say the least.
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Robert S. said:
I installed a Jimmy Page set into my JP wired 59 RI LP a couple of weeks ago.

They are very cool to say the least.

Rob,

Are they the real deal? I've heard clips and great reviews. Can they do the classic Zep tone?
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Lee_M. said:
Rob,

Are they the real deal? I've heard clips and great reviews. Can they do the classic Zep tone?


It really nails Led Zep II ... hard hitting bridge and Jazzy neck. With some mod-wiring you can get a multitude of tones.
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

i heard some clips of the bridge....it was more or less dead on through a marshall......the neck wasnt so special sounding on the clips i heard
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Lets see if I can't come up with a meaningful description of these pickups and their tone.

Let me first say that they are definately unique sounding. I had a 59 set (pic to left) in the guitar prior to getting the JP set and I was getting ballpark JP types of tones from that guitar already, but they weren't spot on. The 59s seemed just a little too present to nail the JP tones. Don't get me wrong, they were close but for those of us that like to split hairs they weren't nailing it for me. I got great tones from the 59s and I really liked them in that guitar but with this particular guitar I wanted to see just how close I could get.

I have a Wine Std. that has an Antiquity set in it. While the Antys are at the top of my list for killer old school tones out of a LP, they don't really do the JP thing dead on either. While they do have that looser, more organic tone that JP tends to have, they don't have the glassiness on top that JP gets. JP also plays off of the middle position on a LP alot and while the Antys sound phenominal when both pickup are selected, they still lacked a little to get right on top of JPs thing.

The Custom Shop Jimmy Page pickups fall in between the Antys and the 59s to my ears and to me get the best of what the Antiquities and the 59s have to offer as well as getting all over what I hear in Pages tone with my ears. I don't run on his amps or have his hands but on certain things and some settings of my gear my 59 RI with the JP wiring hits dead nuts on what I listen for when I think of JPs tone.

The JPs have that organic, woody sort of feel that I get with the Antys but they have some of the glassiness of the 59s as well. The JP bridge is a little warmer than the 59b especially up high and has just enough bark to be present without being "tinky" sounding when clean. The JP neck is very nice and has a nice full voice that isn't overly bottom heavy which can sometimes be the case with alnico v magnets in the neck of shorter scaled guitars. The JP neck is smooth to say the least and gets nice and creamy under gain.

Killer sounding pickups.

Clips can be funny and it's always much harder to not get someone elses tone than it is to nail it irregardless of what gear is used. I occasionally let others play on my gear and they dont get the same things I get from it. I have no doubts that there are clips out there of the JP pickups that sound nothing like what JP gets. Too many other variables are involved. I will say that it is possible to get all over some of his tones with the JPs and that through the right amp and a LP it's not too hard to do.

I get alot of killer tones that are not nessessarily anything like what JP does and thats a bonus for me. I really like some of JPs tones but I don't really shoot to sound like him. I just thought it would be cool to see how close I could get to some of his stuff and so I bought the 59 RI and worked a bit at it over time. Now I have an A-V magnet Anty set in a beautiful LP with hum cancelling coil splits and some other cool options. It really is a pleasure to play that guitar.

If you want a bad ass set of vintage style pickups the JPs are definately worth the money, whether you are into JPs thing or not. If you are into the JP thing, they are the only way to go.
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Robert S. said:
Now I have an A-V magnet Anty set in a beautiful LP with hum cancelling coil splits and some other cool options. It really is a pleasure to play that guitar.

First, thank you very much for posting the review. It is extremely helpful, as you are really the first one from this Forum (that we know and trust) to give an extended opinion.

Second, in the quote above, you talk about have a an A5 magnet Antiquity Set in an LP - I assume you were referring to the JP pickups and you R9, right?

Thanks,
Lee Moore
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

So, that'd mean a set of Antiquities with A5 mag will do the Zep thing right to my ears!
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Thames said:
So, that'd mean a set of Antiquities with A5 mag will do the Zep thing right to my ears!

I don't think the JPs sound much like Ants and are much more articulate tha '59s. Put a Alnico 5 in and Ants and you'll get an Ants with an Alnico 5.

The JPs are wax potted something rediculous. IMO that reduces the 3D/acoustic/open sound BUT provides a more Jazzy-articulate neck tone and a more compressed bridge sound. The JP neck and bridge are also very tightly matched output wise which makes them ideal for middle position playing. The JPs have a great bass response too.
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

My antiquities are wound in the low to mid 7k range and the JPs are 8.2k and 8.7k if I am not mistaken, so an Anty with an A-V magnet woun't quite get you there. The JPs are definately have something esle going on over both the Antys and 59s I have here and I'm sure it's a combination of factors. I just used the Antys and 59s as a reference point.

I played that guitar after rehearsal for my new drummer and it really is staggering how easily the 59 RI gets all over JPs thing. Even through my mesa gear the vibe is undeniable. I'm sold......
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Well, I wasn't saying that Ants with A5 are the JP's. Just that it will get closer. We shouldn't forget that Jimmy used stock pickups, not specially wound for him, in the beginning at least.

BTW, my Ants are 8.7k/7.7k... med-hot Antiquities huh ?! I plan to sell my SG and want a LP badly now, of course, I'll keep the Ants... :D
 
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Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

Thames said:
Well, I wasn't saying that Ants with A5 are the JP's. Just that it will get closer. We shouldn't forget that Jimmy used stock pickups, not specially wound for him, in the beginning at least.

BTW, my Ants are 8.7k/7.7k... med-hot Antiquities huh ?! I plan to sell my SG and want a LP badly now, of course, I'll keep the Ants... :D


I didn't think you were saying that. Ants sound better than '59s. Sorry I think '59s are cheap knock offs. The JPs are different in that they are cranky, articulate and somewhat Jazzy (à la 'What is and what should never be').
 
Re: Duncan Jimmy Page PUs

haha can we assume that means you dont like them.. or was this whole thread to build the hype of your ebay sale
 
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