Re: Help me choose pups for this Gibson of the Week.
I have one of the Gibson Guitar of the Week guitars. Mine is the Week Two Classic Antique Fireburst (CAF) with the shaded black-to-red-to-yellow burst.
I could probably do a Seth, Antiquity or Pearly Gates set; but honestly--I think you're nuts for even THINKING about swapping pickups in that guitar!
The key here is, "To be honest, it sounds great."
DUH!
I know this is a Duncan Board and I love Seths and Antiquitys as much as the next guy; and I know it's FUN to do some swapping....BUT....
Seriously, my Fireburst is a GREAT sounding guitar. I have six Les Pauls at the moment, and while I love them all--this one is really something special. Mine has great acoustical resonance, and some of the best workmanship I've seen on any Gibson during the 40+ years I've been playing. Right out of the box, it sounded killer.
You're going to want a set of potted pickups in that guitar, with the chambered body--and the '57 Classic and Classic Plus are potted. Seths, Antiquitys, Burstbuckers, and Classic '57s are merely variations on a theme--these are all good sounding pickups. I think Gibson has done really well in matching these guitars with the '57 Classic and Classic Plus.
When I got mine, I was going to to do the same as you--rip out the pickups, upgrade the electronics with new caps and pots, blah, blah, woof, woof. But the more I played it, the more I realized that doing all that would be a waste of time and money. Yeah, and I'm the guy with the 50th Anniversary A2 Seths in my 1997 Classic Premium Plus, Antiquitys in my 1996 Classic Premium Plus; and regular Seths in my 2005 Root Beer Supreme. And those guitars have RS Kits and LW Gotoh tailpieces, too! I just bought another Supreme, and I CAN'T WAIT to yank those 490R/498Ts out of that guitar!
But the CAF? Nah, that one is staying stock. It simply sounds too good to mess with. No new pickups; no RS Kit; no Gotoh tailpiece; not even super-duper Hovland caps.
I've gigged with it now four times and had it to a couple of jam sessions. I think this is a guitar that actually feels like it's MORE than the sum of its parts. It really seems to gig well, like a race-horse that doesn't do well in training, but just wins races. I like the light weight; though I've never minded a Les Paul under 9.5 lbs. All of mine are less than 9.1 lbs; whle the CAF barely hits 7.8 lbs. The neck is fast--it only needed a slight nut touch-up for superb playability.
Your all-mahogany GOTW Classic Antique will probably generate as much (if not more) interest from other players at gigs and jam sessions as my CAF. The CAF is a stunning finish, to be sure; but I have gotten some really nice compliments on my tone with this guitar. The '57 Classic and Classic Plus may not have the "cachet" of aftermarket pickups, but I think they are the perfect pickups for these guitars.
Good luck with your decision. It is a beautiful guitar.
Me, I'm not gonna mess with the mojo!
Bill
