Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

[Darkyal]

Sup guys? Newby over here.

I was wondering, the Gibson Les Paul Standards Traditional/Reissue seems to come with Custom Buckers pickups, right? Anyone knows if they're available to be purchased (Gibson Web Store doesn't seem to have them publish), or in any case... What SD pickups would give my LP a 50's tone. I've got in mind the SD 59's and the Hot Rodded set.

What do you guys think?

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Duncan 59's or Seth lovers will get you there. You can buy Gibson pickups aftermarket, but they are often out of stock and on backorder.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Seths, Antiquities, 59s, Pearly Gates, etc are in the ball park. The JB is hotter than vintage and the Jazz is much more modern sounding. Your choices depend on how bright or dark your guitar is naturally. PAF pickups are all over the place from bright to muddy. Many vendors have different opinions on a PAF should be. Go with what sounds good to you.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Definitely not the hot rodded set. I love the JB and the Jazz, but they're not really 50's-sounding at all.

59's, Pearly Gates, Seth Lovers, Antiquities, Whole Lotta Humbuckers could all work.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

What do you guys think?

I think you need to settle down, relax, and talk to us a bit.

What do you THINK a 50's tone is? The tone illuminati here will tell you there is no such thing as 50's Grail Tone because of the high variability in Gibson Quality Control. Could have been overwound, underfund, and used an assortment of magnets.

And a 59? While the name might suggest it, it is anything but that!

The Hotrodded set, again - absolutely NOT the 50's tone. Whatever that is...I think the "50's" tone is a Strat with stock pickups honestly...That set is more like the 80's shred metal tone. except not if it's in a Les Paul.

What are you listening to?
What do you play?
What are you playing through?

What guitar are we even talking about. I suspect Les Paul....but you didn't really say.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

I was able to play a '60 burst a few weeks ago, un-potted Seth's are the closest thing to that set of PAF's I've heard.

 

[daenius]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

What kind of 50s tone are you looking for? The tone achieved by Les Paul the man himself? Ricky Nielson Summer Time kinda sound?

What pickups do you have in your LP right now? What I would suggest you do before dropping cash and time to install new pickups is to get your amp setting to the general ball park of tone that you want. Then you fine tune it and try to get it as close as possible to what you hear in your head. Now once you've done that, you can EASILY figure out what's not working with the current pickups! That will help a whole lot when pickup shopping, because you can listen to demo clips and read reviews and descriptions and everything all day all you want, but everyone records differently with different amps and everything, so you may hear a clip that sounds exactly what you want on YouTube, then you buy the pickup, and go "heyyyyyy that's NOT what I expected!"

Hope that helps

 

[Aceman]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

I was able to play a '60 burst a few weeks ago, un-potted Seth's are the closest thing to that set of PAF's I've heard.

Which set of PAF's were you comparing the 60's to? Seriously - specifically...

 

[Mincer]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Seymour duncan makes a lot of vintage-type pickups (not the Hot Rodded set, at all), so in order to suggest ones, we'd have to know what issues you are having with the guitar (when you have it) and what you would need to get more clarity, smoothness, dynamics, etc. Even among 50s-type pickups, there are a lot of choices, so you are going to have to listen to the guitar, and decide what you want to hear and what your guitar is incapable of giving you with the current setup.

 

[EmiAba]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

I was wondering, the Gibson Les Paul Standards Traditional/Reissue seems to come with Custom Buckers pickups, right?

No, they don't. Only few models come with custom buckers: the true historic 58, 59, 60; the standard historic (I guess they are the new version of the Reissues); the Mark Knopfler 58 and a couple of CC. Moreover they are slightly different if compared each other because some of them are overwound. If you need further details check the gibson website.

Anyone knows if they're available to be purchased (Gibson Web Store doesn't seem to have them publish),

The Custom Buckers are not available to purchase separately but limited to 2013 Gibson produced a aftermarket version of custombuckers: livebuckers. Basically they are a slightly overwound variation of the Custom Buckers: they have more windings and a little stronger output. They are A3 and were sold in zebra coils version or with a nickel cover. And obviously like all gibson boutique pickups are expensive.

or in any case... What SD pickups would give my LP a 50's tone. I've got in mind the SD 59's and the Hot Rodded set.

ok. the question is: what do you want for your les paul?

 

[oilpit]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

The JB, while it is a fantastic pickup, doesn't really work that well in Les Paul's, and certainly won't get you a 50's tone. If you just want a set of PAF style pickups then 59's, Seth Lover's, Pearly Gates and Alnico 2 Pro's (to a slightly lesser extent) all sound great in Les Paul's and all offer various takes on PAF tones; which as others have mentioned in this thread are really all over the place as far as tone goes. If you want something higher output in the bridge the Custom 5 is a good medium/high output option. The C5 has a V EQ with strong bass and treble with scooped mids, so don't put it in a bright or thin sounding LP (rarely an isssue).

And while it is not a PAF, and not a traditional sounding pickup, I recently put a C5/Jazz set into my Les Paul and I am totally in love with the Jazz. It's actually my new favorite Les Paul neck pickup. It's scooped and *really* clear, much more so than a PAF, but honestly it works so well in a LP. Because of the big mahogany body the neck position still sounds creamy and fat, so the clarity just adds this dimension to the neck tone that, with the tone and volume knob, is just so cool sounding.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

I'd go with Pearly Gates bridge - Seth Lover neck combo and call it a day.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Which set of PAF's were you comparing the 60's to? Seriously - specifically...

I'm having him check to box. It was in one of my dad's guitars. He has a set of '59s, antiquity greenies, an unpotted seth neck, and I had a set of PG's. I haven't heard all the flavors of PAF sd makes but that particular set of PAF'S in the 60 were real close. If you A/B them at the same time you could tell, but I thought the unpotted seth neck sounded the closest of the pickups I've personally played. I'm not looking to start the debate of the century, just my opinion.

I have a ultra short video clip of one chord on the 60. Your ears may here it differently than mine though.
https://youtu.be/OrSo4nynHUU

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

I'd go with Pearly Gates bridge - Seth Lover neck combo and call it a day.

That would be nice.

The PGn is just as good as the Seth neck tho. I might even prefer the PGn.

So I'd do a set of PGs.

But I own and use both sets.

I have uncovered Seth Lovers in two guitars, and covered PG's in another.

I think of my A2 Seths and PGs as excelling at overdriven blues and boogie tones (Gary Moore, ZZ Top, etc.).

And my A5 59's as excelling at 60's Clapton Cream tones, Santana tones, BB King tones and clean 60's jazz tones like Wes Montgomery.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

He said it was just a standard production Seth.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

He said it was just a standard production Seth.

So are mine. I just removed the nickel covers.

 

[Darkyal]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

Thanks for all the answers! I know I wasn't really specific. The pickups will be for an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, a replacement for both pickups.

I'm not really trying to "achieve" some specific sound. But I'm trying to get some kind of "vintage" or P.A.F sound for some early 70's Hard Rock/Garage Rock type of sound, and I already own a Gibby LP Jr with a P-90, so, I'm just looking for something else.
That would be for the bridge, and I'm betweet the SH-1 59's or the Antiquity HB.

And for the neck, I would love to get some "creamy" clean tones. And I was thinking to add a coil split in there just in case that I need it. I also considered the SH-1 59's or SH-2 Jazz for those tones.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: Humbuckers for a Les Paul.

59s work in just about any guitar I own. That said, it can be creamy in a the neck of a heavy Gibson Explorer or biting in the Bridge of a Tele. It can go from great harmonics to mud depending on the guitar. I have not personally experienced mud. It is one of my favorite SD pickups. The Jazz is also a cool pickup. Seths have not worked in all my guitars.