Help picking pups for my epi dot

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poundthecheddar

New member
Hi, first time poster here. I am sure this question has been done to death but I am going to ask anyway. I am the proud owner of a really nice Epiphone Dot, and the only thing not great about it are the pickups. I am thinking of putting Alnico II's in both the bridge and neck, but a few people have told me while the Alnico is good for the neck, they suggested either a Custom Custom or a Pearly Gates. The tone I want is kind of a cross between Chuck Berry's 335, and the 335 that Rick Derringer used on the Edgar Winter Roadwork album if that rings a bell. I am guessing the tone I am looking for is not a particularly powerfull tone. Not like a super distortion or a JB type of pickup.

Any opinions would be much appreciated
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I've always thought that P-Rails mounted in Triple Shot rings would be killer in a Dot.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

You're right in that the stock epi pups are terrible - they just do not suit that guitar in the least. I believe they are both Epi Les Paul Neck pups. The LP's have a different bridge but the Dot doesn't. The model numbers matched on mine when I ripped them out so I don't doubt what I've been told.

I ran with the SD Hotrodded pair of Jazz neck pup and JB in the bridge. These pups opened the guitar right up, especially in the neck position where the factory pups sounded like a wet blanket had been thrown over my speakers.

The JB is quite trebly in the Dot, more so than the JB I have in my LP, which is the nature of the beast I guess. I should note that to warm up the JB in the LP I ran 250k pots instead of 500's. The Jazz in the neck is just beautiful. I use the neck for soloing over blues as much as I do the bridge because it is just sweet, fat and warm.

The Alnico II is a great pup, too. A million Slash fans can't be wrong although I'm pretty sure his are a custom wind. For what it's worth though, Slash often turns his bridge tone all the way down to warm the Alnico's up, then runs through any number of his billion dollar effects racks.

Dunno why he doesn't get a pickup built that is already warmer, but what do I know? He's god as far as I'm concerned.

A slightly flawed god, but a god nonetheless.
 
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Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Hmm that is interesting about both pickups are neck pickups. I have to admit that the neck position was useable, and on one gig I had to turn up the clean channel on my Peavey Delta Blues with JJ tubes and that rig just roared. Slightly distorted but a lot of push but still full of dynamics. The bridge pickup however was just horrible. I am very curious about the Custom Custom but it doesn't seem to get talked about much. I really liked the sound of it on those Duncan sounds samples. I know I don't want a 59 in the bridge in the neck because I find them to bassy in my Les Paul. I appreciate your response and hope I get many more. I wonder, is the Jazz in the neck bass heavy, and Howell does it dirty up for blues and classic rock solos?
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

poundthecheddar said:
I wonder, is the Jazz in the neck bass heavy, and Howell does it dirty up for blues and classic rock solos?
Click to expand...

I don't know if I have the right words to answer this.

Yes the Jazz is bassy, but is in no way muddy. At the same time, it has a magnificent sound through the mids and trebles. I'll hark back to Guns n' Roses. If you listen to say, the intro to Get In The Ring or the November Rain or Knockin' On Heavens Door solos it has that same richness and clarity. Driven it is even sweeter.

For Classic Rock solos I love putting the two pups out of phase and in series (with or without the either pup split) and get that real screaming sound a-la Jimmy Page in Whole Lotta Love. It's an amazing sound - every hint of an accidentally struck harmonic just wails through. I'm in the middle of a wiring dilemma which when sorted I'll post a video showing the range these 2 pickups get with a couple of mods. Might not be for a week or so though.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Alnico II Pros are great pickups but I would not put one in the neck. Way too muddy. Bridge yes but not neck. They have a nice sweet tone but the attack is rather soft and spongy. Bridge yes. Neck...at your own risk.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Pizza maker, that would be great if you could post some samples. I am so confused I am almost thinking of getting a set of 59's and be done with it. I like the59 in the bridge, just not in the neck. I know a lot of people love the Seth Lovers but they are a bit pricey and I am afraid they will squeal at high volumes.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

It will be a while - my wife is getting the sh*ts with me tinkering all evening and not paying any attention to her...

The first set of JB/Jazz I purchased were from a guy who pulled them out of his ES-335 to put the original set of 59's back in. I never got to hear his guitar though.

I'm afraid to say that the sample vid when it is posted will be of the pups in my LP. My Dot is in pieces getting a re-wire and I'm going to run some DMZ PAF Pro's in it for something different. The pups I've pulled out of it are going into a prototype guitar I'm working on.
 
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Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I've got a few Dots. My 1st choice is a pair of Seths. 2nd choice is an A2P set. For me, both are excellent in the bridge and neck slots. Seth's are known for being very feedback resistant (lots of posts to that effect here).

Thru experience with dozens of models of PU's, here's what I would not use:
- JB - ideal in Super Strats for '80's metal. Not a good choice for semi-hollows
- CC - very warm and middy PU, does best in bright woods
- '59N - tends to be bassy/boomy in the neck slot of 335's and LP's
- PG set - the neck is warm and rounded; the bridge is pretty bright. To me it's a mismatched set, and neither one impresses me on it's own
- CC and PGN - just not much treble or clarity, not nearly enough 'bite' for me in either PU
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Have Fralin Pure PAFs that are 5% overwound in mine 7.5k neck 8.3k bridge and they are about as good sounding as a set of pickups can be .12 on a scale of 1-10
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I tried '59 in the bridge ... too bright. Swapped it with A2Pro. Tried A2Pro in the neck ...mushy. Replaced it with '59 ... bassy. Then swapped it with Jazz.
A2Pro B and Jazz N in Epi Dot = excellent :fing2:
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Another day, another thought. I liked the idea of Alnico II's because I think they might have a delicate sound. I also am considering a Custom Custom in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck, and thirdly. I notice that the 59 set is pre matched to each other. How different is this from just the neck and the bridge separately?
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Here's one of with the Hot Rodded set. Of course one must take all of these in proper perspective as all are done on different guitars, rigs and recording setups.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

My go to set is hot rodded Humbucker Set designed in 1974 the box says and is Seymour's favorite set. I have a new set of epi dot pickups and they just don't compete.
SH-4 JB SH-2n. I always have a spare matched set. My 335 copy has them, I had them in a LP Studio and have fitted a few sets to other similar guitars. Whilst high output they have a really nice sound for jazz. My son was asked if he would loan the 335 copy to a band at the recording studio he uses


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Although I really like the JB for distortion. I hate it' s clean tone. I am thinking about maybe the jazz for the neck and a custom for the bridge
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

MikE2e said:
My go to set is hot rodded Humbucker Set designed in 1974 the box says and is Seymour's favorite set.
Click to expand...

Do you have the same kind of guitars as Seymour, same woods, same amp, play the style and same genres? If not, don't assume his choice of PU (and what he's doing), will be ideal for you. JB's are not a universal PU that works everywhere. If it was, Seymour wouldn't offer such a large line of PU's.

The Duncan employees on here that have expressed their favorite PU have all chosen Seth's.
 
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