Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

[papersoul]

Hi all!

I am hoping to get a Historic Gold Top this year. I currently have a 2003 LP Standard and while I like the Burstbucker Pros....it looks like I'll be installing Rio Grande pickups - this may be my more modern guitar.

I want to go with a more vintage or PAF vibe with the Gold Top. It comes with the Burstbuckers (alnico IIs) but they are not potted and I was thinking of going the Duncan route for this guitar!

Seths? Antiquities? Pearly gates?

Thanks!
Rich

 

[jeremy]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

if it were me, id go antiquitys. a friend of mine has a gold top ri with antiquitys and it sounds unbelievable, great classic les paul tone

 

[papersoul]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Thanks Jeremy! what are the specs on these pickups? Output? Magnet? Do they tend to do clean to heavy rock well? I have a very versatile amp.

Aare they wax potted? I was curious how they compare to the Seths as well.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

I would keep the Brstbuckers in there gor a while, maybe you'l like them. If you don't, Seth's or Antiquities woud be a great choice.

The Antiquity is an Alnico II magnet PAF type with an aged magnet and windings. They are wound in the traditional PAF range (7-8.5K). They are unpotted.

The Seth's are very similar to the Antiquities. The differences are that they aren't aged and the windings are symetrical. These are also unpotted.

The Pearly Gates are wound asymetrically, like the Burstbuckers and Antiquities, are also Alnico II loaded, and are wound to traditional PAF specs. These pickups are potted.

 

[jpage]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

You haven't even bought the guitar yet and you are asking about changing pickups? :smack:

1) You are buying the wrong guitar

2) You spend too much time on musician's forums.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

You haven't even bought the guitar yet and you are asking about changing pickups? :smack:

1) You are buying the wrong guitar

2) You spend too much time on musician's forums.

why is it the wrong guitar?

 

[MrHeavyMetal]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Antiquities or Seths

 

[jpage]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

why is it the wrong guitar?

Because it is a $2500+ instrument and before you even get it you are planning on dumping money into it! That guitar is good for any style of music, right off the shelf. What do you expect to "improve upon" with your pickup choice? The Burstbuckers are Gibson's best repro of that "vintage PAF vibe". They did invent the vintage PAF vibe.

I A/B'd the PG set against the BB's in an earlier thread:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=34286

Consensus was that the BBs were the overall favorite, but I really couldn't tell that much of a difference to be honest with you.

Of course you should do what you want but I can tell you that you will be much much happier in the long run if you stick with the BBs. I think it's the best pickup Gibson's made in my lifetime. If you must throw money around, go buy a new boutique pedal or something.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

C-5/59 Most versatile from clean to extreme gain.
CC/59 Similar, but top end on bridge is a bit more buttery, and less open like the C-5.
Seth Lovers.

I have a goldtop, and those are my favorite combos for it. I prefer everything in nickelcovered for that guitar.

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Nothing wrong with knowing you want to change pickups right off the bat. I always put Duncans in my guitars, because I know which one will give me the sound I want. Granted it seems that the Burstbuckers are Gibson's first great offering in many years, but I still would not rate them as the end all PAF. Afer all, Seth Lover did come to Seymour to work out as close to an exact replica as is humanly (or machinely) possible. The Ants and Seths represent this.

It's the differences in this world that make it a great place to be. How boring would it be if everyone played the same guitar with the same pickups, or had to stay with whatever stock pup came in guitars? Celebrate the differences, don't tell someone they're making a mistake by wanting to change pups.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Because it is a $2500+ instrument and before you even get it you are planning on dumping money into it! That guitar is good for any style of music, right off the shelf. What do you expect to "improve upon" with your pickup choice? The Burstbuckers are Gibson's best repro of that "vintage PAF vibe". They did invent the vintage PAF vibe.

I A/B'd the PG set against the BB's in an earlier thread:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=34286

Consensus was that the BBs were the overall favorite, but I really couldn't tell that much of a difference to be honest with you.

Of course you should do what you want but I can tell you that you will be much much happier in the long run if you stick with the BBs. I think it's the best pickup Gibson's made in my lifetime. If you must throw money around, go buy a new boutique pedal or something.

Thanks bro! I appreciate your honest.....

Would I be just as crazy then to replace the Burstbucker Pros in my LP standard? I have a 2003 LP standard and that is still debatable. I have a nickel covered Rio Grande BBQ to test in it as well as a Duncan C-5.

I assume you were referring to all BB pickups?

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Haven't played PGs or Ants but for classic rock/blues PAF tone I absolutely love the Seths in my '96 LP Standard. They've been in there over 2 years now and they're staying.

 

[jpage]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Thanks bro! I appreciate your honest.....

Would I be just as crazy then to replace the Burstbucker Pros in my LP standard? I have a 2003 LP standard and that is still debatable. I have a nickel covered Rio Grande BBQ to test in it as well as a Duncan C-5.

I assume you were referring to all BB pickups?

Not sure. Came in a 2002 Les Paul Standard. But I have tried the recent '57 Historics and think they sound great. My next guitar purchase will be the goldtop also.

Don't waste your $$$. Those pickups are among the finest I've played.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

You haven't even bought the guitar yet and you are asking about changing pickups? :smack:

1) You are buying the wrong guitar

2) You spend too much time on musician's forums.

Damn it, how did my wife find out about this site? :laugh2:
















J/K Page, all I'm saying is that sometimes hearing the voice of reason isn't fun!

 

[papersoul]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Not sure. Came in a 2002 Les Paul Standard. But I have tried the recent '57 Historics and think they sound great. My next guitar purchase will be the goldtop also.

Don't waste your $$$. Those pickups are among the finest I've played.

If you have a 2002 Standard, it has the same Burstbucker Pros. Keep in mind I play very heavy rock and prefer a thick tone. I was seriously considering a change to the Rio grande BBQ/Texas for a bit more heat and thickness.

Do you think the BB Pros are as hot or as big sounding as the 498/490 set of the previous Standards? I have never owned those pickups!

I think every guitar is different and will sound like itself even with different pickups. But, I am going to do a quick test tonight. I like the thickness of the Rio BBQ in my Dean so I am going to see how close I can get my Paul with BBs to sound like the Rio. Obviously the guitar has a huge impact but I am curious.

One thing I am changing is the Mccarty pickups in my McCarty.

Were the JBs really that much hotter than the BBs and Pearly Gates? I am worried the 498T is alot hotter than my BB Pro bridge because me and a buddy share the same amp some times at gigs and not a lot of time to tweak....both LPs. Mine with the BB Pros and his the 498T set.
Thanks!

 

[gOgIver]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

IIRC the 498T is Gibson's version of a JB.

 

[RiffRaff]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

I replaced the 59's in a Heritage H150 I once owned with ants and the tone was awesome - I'm going to be picking up a 57' reissue goldie next week as well!! I've wanted one for years and always picked up something "different" but this time I'm just going to bite the bullet, pay the extra cash for the "gibson" logo and be done with that particular GAS requirement. Of the 10 or so I've played to date the BB's sounded pretty darn good.... I will probably just leave them and enjoy playing for a change - vs chasing a tone. good luck - post pics when you get it, I will!!!

 

[papersoul]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

IIRC the 498T is Gibson's version of a JB.

So it is way hotter than the BB Pro!

I have a guy at True Tone pickups making me a so called better Burstbucker Pro, smoother, hotter, and fatter.

 

[jpage]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

I thought the 490-series pickups sounded "bigger" and "thicker" in my Les Paul Studio and I regret taking them out and giving them to my buddy. I do like the "air-ier", more open sounding tone of the BBs but it was nice having the Studio have a different tone.

By "heavy rock" I will assume its more of the "chugga-chugga" kind if stuff (no offense, just describing...) so maybe a heavier wound pickup would be better. Remember, not only is a higher output pickup louder, it cuts your high end more and thickens your low end. Less "KERRRANGGG" and more "SCHUNNNK". But that brings me back to the guitar choice thing again--why drop that kind of nickel on a guitar that you need to modify? Grab something more suited maybe to your type of playing, or, if you are set on a Les Paul, grab a solid color Standard and throw those pickups in. With the Historic, you are paying for accuracy and the wood and the finish, so if those things aren't important, don't waste money on them. You can't tell the difference between a Les Paul Studio with high output pickups awash in recto-grindage and a '59 Les Paul with high output pickups awash in recto-grindage.

Anyone who tells you that you can is either lying or really doesn't know.

Anyway, just trying to help...

 

[gOgIver]

Re: Good pickup for '57 Historic Gold Top?

Here is Gibson's output chart