Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Docrock

Docrock

New member
I have a 3 pickup Gibson custom, mahogany/maple cap

I have a 59/custom hybrid for the bridge and looking for opinions on mates for it

I have a 59N as well...

The center pup will be lower as it tends to get in the way, so Im going to use a thin ring and get it as low as I can

What would mate up well in this configuration?

I have another LP with 59 in the neck and another with jazz in the neck...wouldnt mind using my 59 in the middle an getting a new flavor for the neck of the 3 pickup LP

thanks
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

IMO the "Classic" 3 pickup LP uses Dimarzio Pickups (Super Distortion and 2xPAFs (36th anniversary work really well) but then I am an Ace Frehley fan and recently completed a "Black Budokan" build for a customer.

Using the same pickup for the middle position as you do for the next, but wired out of phase is a really good combo IMO.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Thats funny because I almost said...it needs super d's.....lol

I thought 3 cream supers would be a classic config, the top is finished in walnut

but I have grown away from ceramics and prefer more vintage tone pups
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

I was going to suggest a Custom for the bridge, Hybrid in the middle, and 59 neck, but that may not be especially vintage toned. Custom 5 in the bridge maybe?
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Maybe put a humbucker sized P'90 in the middle OR put a P-rail with a triple shot ring.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Mrkensei said:
IMO the "Classic" 3 pickup LP uses Dimarzio Pickups (Super Distortion and 2xPAFs (36th anniversary work really well)
Click to expand...

+1, with a 36th bridge instead of the Super Distortion

Or you could go the Steve Clark route and stick three '59's in it
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

The middle slot doesn't work out as well for HB's as it does for single coils. It doesn't catch the string nodes as well, and there's probably issues from magnetic field overlap (from 6 coils lined up like sardines). A HB in the middle slot sounds nothing like it would in the bridge or neck; to me they sound neutered. Since you already have an HHH, they work best with either a P-90 (HB-sized) in the middle, or a higher output HB. The middle slot doesn't get the string energy the other positions do, so bridge PU's work best there. I'd recommend using coil cut on all the HB's (with push-pulls), as that way you can mix and match coils and get more usable tones. If you wire it so that the middle HB has the slug coil active in coil cut (instead or the screw coil), you can get a 'virtual HB' when you combine it with the screw coils in the neck or bridge. To do that for the middle you make the red wire hot and the white ground, instead of the normal black hot and green ground.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Great info...thanks

What about a JB in the middle, but only using the screw coil as a single?

I could run 59/custom hybrid > jb single > 59
Im not really wanting to get into complicated wiring schemes with push pulls and switches, Im going to run
3 volumes and 1 tone so I can mix

I have a JB in another LP and have been considering a swap to a ceramic custom...so that would be a win win
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Im right there with ya, man. Im in the process of doing a 3 pup Paul myself. Got so sick of thinking what to put in the middle that im just gonna drop a 59 in the bridge, a Pearly Gates in the neck and leave the middle one dead. 3 pup Pauls look EXTREMELY cool but i don't know how much good that middle pickup really does.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

LOL...Ive thought the same thing...however, I want it to be fully working for OCD reasons
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Docrock said:
Great info...thanks

What about a JB in the middle, but only using the screw coil as a single?

I could run 59/custom hybrid > jb single > 59
Im not really wanting to get into complicated wiring schemes with push pulls and switches, Im going to run
3 volumes and 1 tone so I can mix

I have a JB in another LP and have been considering a swap to a ceramic custom...so that would be a win win
Click to expand...

I'd keep both coils on in the JB (except when you mix it with the bridge or neck) as it's a low output slot. You want the full horsepower.

Yeah, that's the thing about HHH guitars: they look great with all that gold, but a lot of players don't really use a middle HB, and for many guys, they have to change where they put their right hand, as it usually hits the middle HB cover or pole pieces. Plus it adds weight, which most LP's don't need. But I have a alpine white SG Custom with maestro that is a gorgeous guitar. I put an HB-sized P-90 in the middle slot.

My SG Custom has 3 volumes and 1 tone, but each volume pot is a push-pull: 2 for coil cut (for the neck and bridge), and 1 for phase (for the bridge). I think I get a couple dozen different PU combinations that way.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

I came across the 3 LP by sheer luck, wasnt a guitar I would choose, it found me. Was in dire need of a refin, which I have completed and the stock pups were badly worn gold and one was dead (epoxy back gibsons)

I decided on black pickups rather than gold, and was originally just doing the bridge/neck/unhooked middle, so i bought my pots and 3 way, as well as the hybrid/59 pair
then i discovered the 3 volume 1 tone and want a middle pup. Yes it does get in the way, hence the lowered height for me

Using the JB is great as I can upgrade my other lp...

what about running the jb poles together as a single coil? Possible? Just as a different tone...I agree switching options would be cool, but at this point not something Im going to do
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

I would go for the Peter Frampton circuit.

N + B to selector switch then lower vol and tone pots.
C to upper vol and tone pots.

Use the upper vol pot to blend the centre pickup with the three normal sounds. If the centre pickup is a Phat Cat or P-Rails, it would offer some interesting tonal variations. P-Rails in Triple Shot mounting surround could prove especially useful.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Another thing I recommend is recording the bridge pickup before and after the middle goes in. The orientation of the middle also matters.
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Put anything in the middle just for the looks and don't wire it to the circuit.

Easy peasy! ;)

HTH,
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

3 P-Rails with triple shots! P-Rails Hot in the bridge, P-Rails B in the middle and P-Rails N in the neck. Maybe with 3 vol control and 1 tone control for middle and neck position. I have no idea about the wiring though. Well, just a wild idea :firedevil

ps: or hb in the bridge with 2 Phat Cats ...
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

Funkfingers said:
I would go for the Peter Frampton circuit.

N + B to selector switch then lower vol and tone pots.
C to upper vol and tone pots.

Use the upper vol pot to blend the centre pickup with the three normal sounds. If the centre pickup is a Phat Cat or P-Rails, it would offer some interesting tonal variations. P-Rails in Triple Shot mounting surround could prove especially useful.
Click to expand...

I like this idea, except for the p-rails, it has to have a regular humbucker in there for me
 
Re: Looking for opinions for 3 pickup les paul

This is interesting, really makes that much of a difference?....maybe I should have filled the hole before the refin......
I actually played it with the stock ceramics in it before taking it apart. Though the neck & mid were disconnected, they were still magnetically present
 
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