Mics for my Les Paul?

N

Nikos

New member
Hey guys! I'm new in the forum! I've been doing a lot of reeding though. But still, i'm not sure about what pickups should i buy for my guitar.
Im trying to find the one for de bridge, and then, according to my sellection, the one that goes best with that for the neck. (for example, i've been told that if I choose the JB for the bridge, then for the neck, the APH-1 woudnt be the best choice..., but the '59 would)

So, the possible pickups for the bridge IMO, would be:

SH-4 JB
SH-5 Duncan Custom
SH-11 Custom Custom
SH-14 Custom 5 (?)

I don't play heavy-metal, but i deffinitively like distortion a lot. (thats why, i throw away my first option, even before i bought the Les paul: APH-1 neck and brigde,==> like slash, he he)
So, couse i think Aph1 bridge wouldnt be "strong" or "hard" enough (correct me if im wrong) i've put my aim on those pickups ive wrote before.
So distortion is first:headbang: , but still i use clean tones as well. I bet aph1, '59 or pearly gates has good clean tones in botch neck and bridge positions.. but i think, in order to have more powerfull dist. i have to sacrifice good bridge clean tones... and for that task, let the neck pickup "do the job".

Some of my influences my be usefull for you guyz, i think: NIRVANA, Bad Religion, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Tool, GN'R, AFI

Ok, i hope you could help me with this!.

Thanks in advance

niko

P.S.: I'm from south america, so i hope my english is ok. :rolleyes:
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Get a duncan invader and wire it to split. Love the split tone of mine, around 7k output which is perfect for a bridge single, it's fatter than a bridge single coil also.

It'll certantly be strong and hard.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

I've neve considered that model before. I'm not pretty sure, but i'll check it out meanwhile more opinions came along.
thanks man!
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Unless your LP is bright, the Custom Custom will probably be too warm. The JB will sound more like a non-descript rock guitar, with that upper-mid spike that you either love or hate- its supposed to be good for live playing because it cuts well. Singing leads, but a looser bottom. If you know My Chemical Romance, one of their guitarists uses a JB in his Les Paul on all of their albums but the newest one. The Custom will sound more like a Les Paul, just beefier. It's versatile, round, PAFish, high output but doesn't sound too compressed. The Distortion sounds more compressed, more aggressive, but less like a Paul. The C5 is another love it or hate it pickup, it has more of a scooped/neutral mids sound, but is still tight. So I guess its up to you if you want a scooped type sound, a straight up rock type sound, or a ballsy PAF sound.

Custom/C5/Custom Custom same pickup but with ceramic/A5/A2 magnet
Distortion/JB same pickup but with ceramic/A5 magnet (right?)
just for some comparison
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

For you I probably wouldn't go with the APH-1 in the bridge, its doesnt go "Chug-chug-chug" like higher output pickups, I have 2 APH-1's in my guitar (bridge and neck), they sound awesome and I dont need that heavy palm mute sound so they're perfect for me.

I tried the JB and I hated it, that upper mid spike annoyed me to no end.

For a les paul, I'd get something with lots of treble cos thick/heavy mahogany sounds too muddy to me. I'd try a Jazz in the neck, and maybe a Screamin Demon in the bridge. Another intersting one would be the Dimarzio Humbucker From Hell in the neck position.
 
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Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

I'd go with the Custom in the bridge and either APII or Pearly Gates in the neck (depending on how dark your guitar sounds). I like the APII in the bridge just fine, but it isn't as tight on the bottom end as other pickups.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

I've played and owned many of the SD buckers and the best all around combo for everything from clean to metal in a Les Paul is the CC and a Pearly Gates in the neck.

Any of the Customs are nice though and a 59n or APH-II are both good choices depending on what you like.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Robert S. said:
I've played and owned many of the SD buckers and the best all around combo for everything from clean to metal in a Les Paul is the CC and a Pearly Gates in the neck.

Any of the Customs are nice though and a 59n or APH-II are both good choices depending on what you like.
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Wouh. it seems you know what your talkin about. :)

When you say "Custom", you mean "Duncan custom sh-5", right?

And, btw, no one likes the JB it seems...lol, cuz here in my country, its quite popular.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

I'm pretty sure Melvin from NOFX uses a Custom, and the guitarst from BR uses either a custom or a distortion.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Nikos, I know what I like but not nessessarily what I'm talking about.

When I said "Customs" I was referring to the Custom series of pickups which includes the Custom, the C-5 and the CC. All three work well in Les Pauls depending on your ear, amp and playing style. Then again, that could be said for any Seymour Duncan humbucker.

The Custom is the most agressive with the tightest bottom end, a good dose of mids and a searing top end under gain. The clean tone is very good but might sound a little stiff to someone that is used to a pickup with a more traditional PAF type of output.

The C-5 is also quite agressive under gain and has a big bottom end though it isn't quite as tight as the Custom. It still works quite well for palm muting. The C-5 doesn't have the strong mid content of the Custom but I would hesitate to call it scooped. The C-5 is probably the brightest sounding of the 3 Cs because of this but it is defiinately not as bright as a 59 or other 8K - PAF modeled pickups. The top end is strong without sounding brittle and the clean tone is exceptional.

The CC is the warmest sounding of all three pickups. The bottom end is ample but not as strong as the other 2 Cs. It still does palm muting/metal stuff with ease but it has that "squish" or "give" that is typical of alnico II magnet pickups. Van Halens "Unchained" drop D chug is the closest example I can think of. The CC has strong mids and sounds very musical under gain but still has tons of attitude. The top end is strong and has a creamy and smooth voice that really sings more than screams. The clean tone is warm and round but still has nice definition.

I like the PGn because it is just slightly hotter and warmer than the 59 and has a killer tone clean for jazz/blues type stuff but still solos with plenty of balls.

The trick is finding the right pickups for you. After trying 59s, a Jimmy Page set, a JB and Distortion set, an Antiquities set, Phat Cats and all three Cs in my Les Pauls I found the CC/PGn to be my favorite all around combo for my ears but that doesn't mean that they are right for you.

At least you have a starting point.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

I can't say anything else, but THANK YOU! I really meant it when i said that you know what your talkin' about.
If is not to much to ask, can I ask for your opinion about the JB. As you did with the "CCs" familly.

tks u all guyz!
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

No problem Bro.

The JB is a little hotter than the Custom but it had very nice cleans. I dont think that the JB is quite as tight in the bottom end as the Custom because of the difference in magnets but there is still plenty of bottom end. The JBs highs are present but they aren't quite as agressive as the Customs, again because of magnet types and the 16k+ JB has a somewhat lower resonant frequency.

The JB does have an upper mids hump that some players love and others hate. If you want a pickup that nails 80s metal then the JB is the perfect pickup but it really does do a lot more than that.

I have a JB in my Strat and another in an RG550 and I love the tone I get from both of those guitars.

The JB also sounds very good both split and in parallel but I prefer those options in combination with other pickups.

It's hard to find a guitar that the JB doesn't work in but it may not be the tone you are nessessarily looking for. Check out some clips if you can of all 3 Cs and the JB to see which one might be best for you.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

tkans a lot! you've been really hepfull. and btw, i've been listening some Failed Grace to see how your Les paul with CC and PGn works.. and I gotta say.. YOU GUYS ROCK!!
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Thanks Nikos. World With A View was done with the CC but the others (or most of them) were done with a C-5. Same pickup, different magnet. The CC and PGn I used are the double creams with gold posts and studs on the LP in my profile.

Its a cool guitar..............
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Nikos said:
And, btw, no one likes the JB it seems...lol, cuz here in my country, its quite popular.
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Oh, it's popular in this country too. But it was one of Seymour's first, and while it works very well in many guitars, he didn't stop there. He kept making others that do this, that, or another thing better. Since this is the SD Forum, most of the guys here have tried many other Duncans and have found they prefer this or that. That's the beauty, and the problem, with so many choices! Myself, I still like the JB the best.

BTW, crunching the first tube of the amp with a hot pickup is not always the best way to get a heavy sound, as Slash proves. Don't rule out the lower output pickups if your amp has what it takes, or you have a good pedal.
 
Re: Mics for my Les Paul?

Ive heard alot of these pups in a paula a bandmate plays and the thing with all these are the kinda sound a bit too metal and 80's. Especially the JB. He is a bit of a gain freak seeing as how he plays a through a GT8. The pups ive heard that sounded the best were the Pearly gates and there is a pearly gates plus that keeps that good clean tone and has a bit more output so it works for a bit more gain. And in my opinion the invader may sound too muddy in the paul. Try the duncan designed detonator.That pup rips. Keeps the agressive style of the invader is famous for, but a bit brighter and you can split that one too. Ive had people come up to me and ask what neck pickup i was using one of the songs I would switch from heavy to clean and I replied the invader in the bridge. So its versatile.
 
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