Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

[manza]

Hello everybody,

I'm looking for a low output pup to substitute the bridge 498T in my Gibson Les Paul Custom, the 498T sounds good but with my Mesa Road King, expecially in the hi gain channels

it sounds a little muddy, even if I lower it...

In my other Les Paul standard I've got a Duncan 59 bridge and it sounds perfect into my Mesa for Hard Rock/Metal tones..

Any suggestion?

THX

Foste

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

how about something alnico II based to give you an alternative sound to the 59 in the other axe? Perhaps a pearly gates - not muddy at all and full of character.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

Hello everybody,

I'm looking for a low output pup to substitute the bridge 498T in my Gibson Les Paul Custom, the 498T sounds good but with my Mesa Road King, expecially in the hi gain channels

it sounds a little muddy, even if I lower it...

In my other Les Paul standard I've got a Duncan 59 bridge and it sounds perfect into my Mesa for Hard Rock/Metal tones..

Any suggestion?

THX

Foste

I always found my LP Custom to be a bit bright due to the ebony board and the maple top...I think I called it "pingy" on more than one occasion. Anyhow, any of the A2 based pickups help your problem. The Pearly Gates is going to be the "sassiest" of the regular line Duncans. It's going to have approximately the same output as the 59. That said if you would like more power than the 59 but less than the 498T he Custom Custom keeps you closer to power level you've got...you're going to have a looser low end by much more pronounced mids and smoother highs.

All that said, you've got a very nice guitar and I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you to call the Custom Shop and talk to MJ or Derek about a 78 or Brobucker. You're only going to pay 45-50bucks more, but you'll get EXACTLY what you want. Here's a quick rundown on the 2 pickups.

78-Vintage hot chewy Alnico 2 sound think Van Halen 1 or 2 for an approximation with lower gain. It's going to clean up well and cut through the mix like a champ because of its aggressive EQ curve.

Brobucker-Vintage hot yet aged midrangey thick sound. Think of it like your 59 with the holes filled in I explained it like this the other day:

'59
999999999----------Highs
55555--------------High Mids
4444---------------True Mids
55555--------------Low mids
999999999----------Lows

Brobucker
88888888------------Highs
666666--------------High Mids
55555---------------True mids
666666--------------Low mids
88888888------------Lows

In certain guitars it CAN sound congested, in other guitars it can be the GRAIL.

 

[manza]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

how about something alnico II based to give you an alternative sound to the 59 in the other axe? Perhaps a pearly gates - not muddy at all and full of character.

Hi,

thanks for your reply.
I really like the Pearly Gates in the neck position, but in the bridge I'm afraid to have too much mids with the Mesa, because the Road King has a lot of mids itself.. mids that you can cut, but if you cut them too much you also cut some "tone"

Foster

 

[manza]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

I always found my LP Custom to be a bit bright due to the ebony board and the maple top...I think I called it "pingy" on more than one occasion. Anyhow, any of the A2 based pickups help your problem. The Pearly Gates is going to be the "sassiest" of the regular line Duncans. It's going to have approximately the same output as the 59. That said if you would like more power than the 59 but less than the 498T he Custom Custom keeps you closer to power level you've got...you're going to have a looser low end by much more pronounced mids and smoother highs.

All that said, you've got a very nice guitar and I'm going to go out on a limb and tell you to call the Custom Shop and talk to MJ or Derek about a 78 or Brobucker. You're only going to pay 45-50bucks more, but you'll get EXACTLY what you want. Here's a quick rundown on the 2 pickups.

78-Vintage hot chewy Alnico 2 sound think Van Halen 1 or 2 for an approximation with lower gain. It's going to clean up well and cut through the mix like a champ because of its aggressive EQ curve.

Brobucker-Vintage hot yet aged midrangey thick sound. Think of it like your 59 with the holes filled in I explained it like this the other day:

'59
999999999----------Highs
55555--------------High Mids
4444---------------True Mids
55555--------------Low mids
999999999----------Lows

Brobucker
88888888------------Highs
666666--------------High Mids
55555---------------True mids
666666--------------Low mids
88888888------------Lows

In certain guitars it CAN sound congested, in other guitars it can be the GRAIL.

Hi,

thank you for your accurate reply!!

From what I understanded I think the brobucker could be an option.. I have an EVH 78 Trembucker but I found it to be on the middy side and I prefer to start with a more balanced scooped sound and
let the Mesa amp give the right mids.
If there are no other option I think I'll try the brobucker and the 59..

THX

Foster

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

You could try the WLH bridge. It's a little higher output than the 59, but uses a variant of the A5 magnet (forget which) that gives a more even response across the tonal spectrum, and definitely doesn't have the pronounced mids present in something like the Slash AII Pro.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

how about something alnico II based to give you an alternative sound to the 59 in the other axe? Perhaps a pearly gates - not muddy at all and full of character.

+1

I too had a dark sounding LPC. The PGb was the ticket. I now have a set of PG's in it and it sounds great. I am not a fan of the 498T, so for lower output the PG should brighten up the guitar. The miss on the PG are more upper mid, than fatter mid, so you will be ok. I also like the Screamin Demon (alnico5), but the mid on the Demon is even higher than the PG. (For example, just hypothetical: if the PG has a mid bump at 1.5Khz, than the Demon has a bump at say 2.5Khz. Does that example make sense?)

 

[chadd]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

The demon remains articulate, even when you crank the gain. It's probably my favorite for high gain tones.

 

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

I was going to suggest the WLH

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

I was going to suggest the WLH

Those may be to fat in an already fat sounding LP. The Demon on the other had would definitely brighten things up in a really good way too.

 

[njstoehr]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

Those may be to fat in an already fat sounding LP. The Demon on the other had would definitely brighten things up in a really good way too.

In my experience, the WLH bridge is not particularly fat. Yes it has nice lows and is a little looser than say a Distortion, but it is very well balanced having great articulate highs. Maybe it is "fat" but being so balanced it makes up for by not sounding "blanket over your amp" if that make sense.

If you want to stay with SD PUPs, I would suggest what has already been suggested, a PGb or a WLHb.

If you wouldn't mind trying out other Gibson PUPs, I have had pretty good luck with the '57 Classic Plus and the Angus Young Signature. Look around on "the bay" and you can find them used for a decent price.

 

[SFW]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

Screamin Demon or Slash bridge.

 

[audiocheck]

Re: Low Output bridge pickup for a Les Paul Custom

Hello everybody,

I'm looking for a low output pup to substitute the bridge 498T in my Gibson Les Paul Custom, the 498T sounds good but with my Mesa Road King, expecially in the hi gain channels

it sounds a little muddy, even if I lower it...

In my other Les Paul standard I've got a Duncan 59 bridge and it sounds perfect into my Mesa for Hard Rock/Metal tones..

Any suggestion?

THX

Foste

also a 498T is no where near a '59. The '59 is one fantastic pickup. so if you like that but think you would need something brighter, than the PGb is great (but A2 magnet), Screamin' Demon (A5 Magnet). I love my LPC with Pearly Gates in it, but to me an A2 responds way different than an A5. I love the attack of an A5, the A2 always seem to be a bit spongy. And by the fact that I have 2 PGn in two LPs proves that sometimes that is what I am looking for. For High gain though, ya can't beat an A5. I have no experience with the WLH, and could be totally off with saying that may be too fat. I mean the Screamin' Demon is wound to 10K and it is not muddy at all.