Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

[mfisher]

Hi All,

Need some advice from the high timers around here.

I have settled into my Gibson '61 Reissue SG (stock '57 classic humbuckers) for about 4 months and really like the sounds thru my Marshall DSL50 > Hotplate > 2x12 V30 Carvin cabinet.

I bought my first Les Paul (Classic) recently and found the stock ceramic pickups harsh and not at all acceptable (and I had been warned by reading many posts on the topic). After doing a lot of homework (most of it was here on this board) I put a Pearly Gates in the neck and a Custom Custom in the bridge. I was excited that this would bring me into the zone.

The guitar sounds better but still kind of thin and harsh in the first three strings and as little bit "honky" or "quacky" in the lower strings. I am pretty certain I did the install correctly and have tried tweaking guitar tone and amp tone but it just isn't creamy and warm and nearly as full and brown as I expected / wanted. The killer for me is that as hard as I try to adjust it to sound "right" to my ears, I'll just plug and play the SG and I am so there.

I really want this guitar to make the sounds I hear in my head (very subjective idea huh?).

Any ideas (from my rather vague descriptions) what my problem might be and which pups I might try next?

Thx,

Mark
San Antonio.

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Why not go with another set of '57 Classics?

 

[mfisher]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Yeah. That's my easy out but I guess I want some sort of comprimise. My SG and my 335 have the '57 classics and they are so buttery and sweet thru an overdriven tube amp. Hard to get enough of that for me. Maybe I have just grown to love that sound too much. I want some variety but not at the cost of having an LP that doesn't sound good to my ears.

Thanks for the suggestion. Not sure what I am going to do but I am not in a hurry. I am curious about the Burstbucker and BB Pros. Lots of guys pull them right away and put SD's in. Sound is a personal taste.

Mark

 

[saladin]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

I had 57 Classics in my LP Studio and they sounded excellent! I would go with them in a heartbeat!

 

[mfisher]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Ya know......there is something to be said for going with what you know and like..........maybe I am avoiding the obvious. Might be a killer combination with the '57 classics in there. Good to know you tried it and liked it.

Hm......

 

[Mike D]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

The '57 classics weren't bad, but I swapped them for Antiquities in my R9.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Maybe my advice if finally proving useful...

I just swapped out a Custom custom and a Pearly Gates neck from my SG today, in favor of a set of Seths. I know what you mean by quacky with regards to the CC but I didn't see the PG as being quacky at all. Anyways I'm finding the seths to be very full and natural, I haven't tried '57 classics, but personally I wouldn't want the same thing in every guitar.

Something I definitely would try first though is just taking the pickups out of the SG and trying them out in the LP, that way you'll know if they're atleast a good fit first. Theres no sense buying pickups that you already have if you're not sure you want more of them.

 

[mfisher]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Maybe my advice if finally proving useful...

I just swapped out a Custom custom and a Pearly Gates neck from my SG today, in favor of a set of Seths. I know what you mean by quacky with regards to the CC but I didn't see the PG as being quacky at all. Anyways I'm finding the seths to be very full and natural, I haven't tried '57 classics, but personally I wouldn't want the same thing in every guitar.

Something I definitely would try first though is just taking the pickups out of the SG and trying them out in the LP, that way you'll know if they're atleast a good fit first. Theres no sense buying pickups that you already have if you're not sure you want more of them.

Good idea about the SD pickups in the LP for tryouts. I am a rookie at soldering and I kind of hate to bungle up more than one guitar. Maybe I'll get a set of Seths and try them.......then sell the PG and CC. Have to think on this one a while. Kinda bummed that my LP isn't living up to my dreams yet.

 

[Toejam]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Try a set of '59s!

 

[Mike M.]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Kinda surprise that you found the CC to be thin on the high end. I have one in my LP Standard, I also have a DSL 50 (use a 4X12 with mine) and I don't find the high end to be thin at all.

There's alway a possiblilty that something went awry with the wiring. I say this because the exact opposite happened to me when I first wired my CC up in a Strat that I had. Don't know what happened, but that pickup had twice the power. Even lowered it flush with the pickguard and it still sounded like my speakers were going to blow. Refered back to the schematic and all was correct. I unsoldered it, resoldered it.....and it worked properly! Still don't know what happened. That same pickup is in my LP and I love it.

What channel are you using on your DSL? I only use the Classic channel on mine, as I find the Ultra channel to be to buzzy and thin for my liking. Got the Classic channel set to clean and I use a few pedals for my OD sounds. Works and sounds pretty good, IMHO.

 

[SkunkWorks]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

The '57 Classic "Plus" version is an amazing true PAF sounding pup. I tried a regular non-plus Classic and to me there is a huge difference. I found the regular classic (in my SG Special Faded) has an ice pickishness to it on the unwound strings that I just couldn't dial out to save my life and I thought to myself "this is not the tone a PAF is famous for." I had put the ''57 Classic in the bridge based on an email I got back from the producer/engineer of a band I'm currently listening to whose gain channel tone makes me salivate. Upon being sort of disappointed in the regular '57 classic I thought he possibly might have meant the "plus" version, his email was a little vague in this regard. I sent him off another email and at the same time headed off to buddy's place to grab a spare classic plus he's not using. I got home, stuck the plus in the bridge, fired her up and immdiately thought "that's it!" About 15 mins later I checked my email and my suspicions were confirmed... he said they were '57 classic plus (custom wound). When distorted, the "Plus" version of this pickup definitely has the classic PAF warmth with sizzle on the top end, not piercing, clucky, or ice pickish in any way like I found a little bit in the regular Classics. It sounds very "familiar" when I'm listening to it and I'm sure it's a regular studio "go to" pickup with the genres of stuff I'm listening to and writing which is pop punk, alternative, guitar based more aggresive pop, hard rock, and even some modern rock. I'm sure it would obviously do alot of classic rock very well, but that's not even what I got it for.

I guess this is probably not the forum to say so, but I truly don't understand this thing about ripping the stock pups out of Gibsons being the first thing you need to do when you get one. I'm a big fan of alot of Gibson pups and they are definitely the "now" sound in commercial recordings or at least in those genres I mentioned. I have written either band members or the engineers/producers of countless bands I listen to to ask what gear was used in the studio on the albums I'm listening to and not once have I been told the pups were anything other than various Gibson or PRS.

 

[evh_slash]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

I dont know what muisic you play ... but if you like slash/ guns n roses how about trying seymour duncan alnico II pros or in other words APII's
they are great for blues and classic rock / hard rock. and if youve heard of sweet child of mine , alnico pro neck pickup in a les paul will get you BANG ON!! im not even joking, if you have a powerful amp and like warm, creamy pickups you could give them a try. im going to get some for my sg, but most people put APII'S in les pauls. (get neck and bridge)
If you prefer higher gain stuff , then perhaps get something else but these can still handle hi gain. they quite medium/ low output though, but providing you have a good amp theyll sound great and wont be thin!
hope this helps
stav

 

[SonofaMitch]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Deffinatly Try a Set of Seths, and/or a Set of '59's..I have a set of '59's and they are AMAZING through an overdriven tube amp.

~Mitch~

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

Hi All,

Need some advice from the high timers around here.

I have settled into my Gibson '61 Reissue SG (stock '57 classic humbuckers) for about 4 months and really like the sounds thru my Marshall DSL50 > Hotplate > 2x12 V30 Carvin cabinet.

I bought my first Les Paul (Classic) recently and found the stock ceramic pickups harsh and not at all acceptable (and I had been warned by reading many posts on the topic). After doing a lot of homework (most of it was here on this board) I put a Pearly Gates in the neck and a Custom Custom in the bridge. I was excited that this would bring me into the zone.

The guitar sounds better but still kind of thin and harsh in the first three strings and as little bit "honky" or "quacky" in the lower strings. I am pretty certain I did the install correctly and have tried tweaking guitar tone and amp tone but it just isn't creamy and warm and nearly as full and brown as I expected / wanted. The killer for me is that as hard as I try to adjust it to sound "right" to my ears, I'll just plug and play the SG and I am so there.

I really want this guitar to make the sounds I hear in my head (very subjective idea huh?).

Any ideas (from my rather vague descriptions) what my problem might be and which pups I might try next?

Thx,

Mark
San Antonio.

I've never heard the PGn and Custom Custom sound the way you describe them sounding. The CC is super creamy and warm sounding.

Les Pauls have more bass and lower mids than an SG does...probably you have a real nice and resonant SG and you just prefer that resonance.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

The 3 guitars of yours there are totally different beasts that all sound different. All they share is the same manufacturer. The '57 Classics will sound different in all 3 of them. +1 for taking them out of the SG and tossing them in the LP for a test run. I'm a big fan of those pickups too.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Les Paul / SG Pickup Tone Question for the Gurus

I have two LP Classics and put Antiquitys in one and the MF 50th Anniv. Seth Lovers in the other. Huge difference from the Gibson Ceramics. You CAN get good tones from the 496R/500T set, but I think they work best with non-master volume amps like Marshalls and BF Fenders.

I would think a PG, '59, Antiquity, Seth or A2P set would sound great in a Paul--as do a lot of the mixed sets, like the '59b-Jazzn, or JBb-'59n. If you're sure the wiring is right, then I might try your '57 Classics in your Paul.

Bill