neck pickup for les paul??

muttonchopsrule

muttonchopsrule

New member
i've got my les paul studio (100% mahogany), which i'm unsatisfied with the neck pickup tone. i've got a jazz in there right now, but in that guitar i find it way too muddy and boomy with not enough on top.

anyone have any suggestions for a less bassy, more trebley neck pickup that'll have a more balaced tone in an all mahogony LP?
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Too muddy and too boomy with not enough top end......from a Jazz???? :eek13: That doesn't sound like a Jazz at all. Have you tried lowering it in the pickup ring?

The only neck pickup that I can think of that might help is the Pearly Gates neck.
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Are you using the stock 300K pots? If so, try swapping them out for a set of 500K pots. If that doesn't work you might try a PGn as Erik suggested. Another option, though I haven't tried it in a LP neck, is the screamin demon. Some guys swear by that as a neck pickup, and when I tried it in a Mockingbird was anything but boomy, muddy, and weak on the top end. It is a very aggressive neck pickup though... doesn't work well for those sweet, buttery neck tones.

Just out of curiousity... what year/model Studio didn't have a maple cap?
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

The only other neck pickup i can think of is a '59, but it's not as bright in my opinion. The Jazz is usually bright. Me, I set the bridge 'bucker at the SD recommended height and then tune the neck pickup so it's just a tad lower in output than the bridge. The jazz might be scooped, but I've never had a problem with it being muddy....
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

The PGn will have less bottom than the Jazz, but will also have less real treble, though the upper mid spike might be to your liking.

If that doesn't work, you might want to consider the Phat Cat.. It's not a 'bucker, but it will definately clear up the neck slot on that Paul.

Mike, the current Faded Studios are all mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Its a cool axe if you want something close in tone to the old LP Customs (no ebony 'board, though).
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

This may be too far out of a suggestion but, the Dimarzio Evolution neck would solve your problem.
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

The only real good advise here so far is about the pots...if you're running the stock pots they are 300k and they need to come out and you need to put in 500k pots...that will open the top end up a lot, after that then decide if you like the Jazz.
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Jazz no good - check that setup.

Also - you sure that's an all mahog slab??? Should have maple top...

Then...maybe 500k pot

Finally: PG neck
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Aceman said:
Also - you sure that's an all mahog slab??? Should have maple top...
Click to expand...

it's definitely all mahogany. it's one of those "worn mahogany" or "vintage mahogany" studio's that they're selling for $8-900.

i figured the wood might be why it sounds weird, but the stock pickup sounded 10 times better. problem is, i like the way the stock pickups from this LP sound in my SG :laugh2: .

i have messed with the pickup height and just can't find a sweet spot. i'll have to give 500k pots a shot, becuase it still has the stock ones.
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

500k pots will help a lot with the top end...get new pots in that beast then report back, it it's still to dark we'll go from there.

Have no fear, forum Bro Matt (Bada Bing) had a all mahogany LP (57 Custom reissue) and we dialed that puppy no problems...those guitars are gonna be a tad darker/thicker than a typical LP but that can still have plenty of cut!
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

the guy who invented fire said:
Have no fear, forum Bro Matt (Bada Bing) had a all mahogany LP (57 Custom reissue) and we dialed that puppy no problems...those guitars are gonna be a tad darker/thicker than a typical LP but that can still have plenty of cut!
Click to expand...

That was a sweet Lester. What did you dial it in with?
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Jeff_H said:
That was a sweet Lester. What did you dial it in with?
Click to expand...

Jeff, Im gonna be honest...I forget what Matt ended up with in that guiatr but I do remember he was happy with it when he sold it he just decided he was more of a maple top/RW fingerboard kind of guy...I really wanted to get that 57 Custom but just couldn't swing it...I'll talk to Matt soon enough and I'll ask him. That said Im pretty sure we went with some kind of alnico II pickup...
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

muttonchopsrule said:
i've got my les paul studio (100% mahogany), which i'm unsatisfied with the neck pickup tone. i've got a jazz in there right now, but in that guitar i find it way too muddy and boomy with not enough on top.

anyone have any suggestions for a less bassy, more trebley neck pickup that'll have a more balaced tone in an all mahogony LP?
Click to expand...

Get rid of the 300K factory pots and install 500K's!!!!

Dont go ditching the pickups for one of someones suggestions that they like for themselves until you change the pots and try it. The Jazz should work great with 500K's in that guitar.
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

muttonchopsrule said:
...the stock pickup sounded 10 times better. problem is, i like the way the stock pickups from this LP sound in my SG :laugh2: .
Click to expand...

How about another neck pickup exactly like that stock one then? Or at least figure out what the model, specs and characteristics are, and use that as a starting point in looking for another that is more to your liking?
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

yegbert said:
How about another neck pickup exactly like that stock one then? Or at least figure out what the model, specs and characteristics are, and use that as a starting point in looking for another that is more to your liking?
Click to expand...

you know what...going out and buying another burstbucker actually didn't occur to me. whenever i even start thinking about swapping pickups, i ask myself "so what duncan pickup is it going to be next?!" :laugh2:

about the pots. i'm fine with the brigde pickup and i like the tone i get from it. but if i switch to 500k pots, will that fly if i keep the 300k's for the bridge pickup? they don't have to be the same, do they?
 
Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Benjy_26 said:
Mike, the current Faded Studios are all mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Its a cool axe if you want something close in tone to the old LP Customs (no ebony 'board, though).
Click to expand...

Thanks... I never noticed that the "Les Paul Vintage Mahogany" was considered part of the studio line until I just checked out a detailed photo of the headstock and saw the Studio truss rod cover. I'm either blind or it's not on the Gibson site (which I guess means it's a GC/MF exclusive?)

Muttonchops, my first reacion is to say that if you liked the BB Pro then put that back in. If you want to give the Jazz another shot, then the first thing you should do is check and make sure the pots are 500K. Because volume and tone are completely seperate you can run 500K on the neck and 300K on the bridge. You could also swap them all and if you want a little less top end out of the bridge pickup then all you have to do is give the tone knob a little twist ;)
 
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Re: neck pickup for les paul??

Most complaints about boominess in a neck pu come from the low E-string. Bury the polepiece under the low E and it should clean up nice.
 
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