neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

darthphineas

darthphineas

New member
this is the one with the Floyd Rose. MF is blowing them out for $399 with free shipping, so I couldn't help myself.

uncertain about what I'll do with the bridge...maybe a BKP Rebel Yell or a Suhr SSH+ or a JB with a RCA5 mag or maybe just something else. ...things that straddle the line of vintage-hot to modern, but that's not the concern. I so very rarely find neck pickups that really do what I want them to do.

I shoot for 80s hard rock. amp is an ADA MP-1 w/ BBE going stereo to a pair of 4x12 cabs.

the guitar a mahogany with maple top. mahogany set neck with rosewood. FR Special (I know, I know... there will be upgrades on that part). p/p pots to split each pup....but may re-wire for parallel. a lot of guys rave about the Epi Lesters, but I'm not going to fool myself into believing Gibson lets them use the same quality of wood selection in the Epi line. I'm sure it'll be fine, but I know I'm not sporting a full-on Gibby Lester Axcess here. lol! just something at a great price that looks like fun.

for the neck, I generally put A4 mags in the neck pickups of Duncans, so the Mule and the Emerald made sense. neck models that work for me would include the LiquiFire and the Humbucker From Hell. a Jazz with an A4 is alright. the custom shop Eclair neck is alright. the goal is something that will be good for lead and not be too flabby or woofy in the lows. it will probably be wired to go to split or parallel for clean amp voicings, so something that cleans up nice is helpful.

options that have been thrown around so far include the Jazz (which would definitely get an A4) and the PGn. also looking at the BKP Mule and BKP Emerald. 99.999% of the time, I do not mix the pickups - it's either one or the other - so how it will pair up is also not a huge factor to worry about.


please post/reply with your selection and the reason you made your selection.

thanks!
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

What about the PATB-1n or a PATB-3 in the neck or a Demon?

Me personally i'm really diggin the L90 I currently have in the neck and love the Q-filter in conjunction with it. It has a very good low end that isn't flabby like some PAFs can be prone to when driven too hard. I have to say I like the PGb I had but this pup has what I liked about the PG but none of the bad parts such as the flabby lows.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Nope. Thats what I meant to order and thought thats what I had in my guitar for two years till I found out it was the bridge model I had in the neck.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Epi uses more materials and buys them wholesale in huge quantities that is part of how they make money. Materials and workmanship are not high quality but sometimes one will sneak through and be a really nice guitar. Removing everything on the guitar except the wood and putting it back together using high quality parts and some big ,fat,tall SS frets will make it into a giggable great sounding monster just short of the highest quality . Oh yeah take the paint off the neck and tung oil it too ! Asides from my particular viewpoint on those things you can get a decent sounding and playing guitar that works for you right out of the box, if that is the case don't spend money on it. A big block will improve the Floyd somewhat for 35 bucks or so.Probably should oil that fretboard too , have seen some awfully dry wood in Epis.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Oinkus said:
Epi uses more materials and buys them wholesale in huge quantities that is part of how they make money. Materials and workmanship are not high quality but sometimes one will sneak through and be a really nice guitar. Removing everything on the guitar except the wood and putting it back together using high quality parts and some big ,fat,tall SS frets will make it into a giggable great sounding monster just short of the highest quality . Oh yeah take the paint off the neck and tung oil it too ! Asides from my particular viewpoint on those things you can get a decent sounding and playing guitar that works for you right out of the box, if that is the case don't spend money on it. A big block will improve the Floyd somewhat for 35 bucks or so.Probably should oil that fretboard too , have seen some awfully dry wood in Epis.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I scored it for $399 (66% off) for MF, as I'll never pay what Gibson wants for a LP Axcess. I am looking at it as what it is.

For now, I'm interested in figuring out some options for a neck pickup.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

All the LP guys around here and nobody has any idea of a good neck pup for this one?

Blueman?

Aceman?

What about you, over there...yeah, you...?
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

In the neck I'd go with a good PAF like Seth, WLH, Fralin, or BB1, and wire it for spin-a-spilt.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Been curious about the WLH. Almost seems like it's be sacrilege not to try it in a LP. Have you tried the neck model? What is your take? Could it benefit from a mag swap?
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

The Demon works great in the neck of a LP. Kind of PAFish, but more even EQ and a tad more output (but not much). Sounds great with the stock A5, but an A4 would be beautiful.

Also, that Epi already has p/p pots.

Did you get the honey burst? Gorgeous.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

GuitarDoc said:
Also, that Epi already has p/p pots.

Did you get the honey burst? Gorgeous.
Click to expand...

yes. wired to split. I think I'll be giving them a re-wire for parallel.

yes. it is the honey burst. I ordered the vintage burst, but it arrived with some issues from the factory and was returned. they sold out of the vintage, so I'm getting the honey, which is fine. funny thing is that I stopped by Gestapo Center today to grab some sundry spare parts and saw a Gibson LP Axcess with the Iced Tea finish for $3,999. that's an awesome guitar, but I'm fine with having paid 10% of that amount for the economy version. lol!


another option for the bridge is a PRS Tremonti bridge that I forgot I had. but I'm leaning a little more toward the RY, JB or SSH+.


I am definitely intrigued by the PGn as an option as well.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Lemme throw this at you….

*Caveat - 80's hard rock? They didn't usually HAVE neck pickups, let alone use them!

Put a JB in the neck. Lower it down in there a bit. Wire it for split/parellel.

Searing fat leads in series
Gritty single coil blues tones
Spanky clean rhythm sounds in parallel

ALL with an 80's vibe.

Can't hate on the PG/Demon suggestions though.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Thanks for throwing that out. I have tried the JB parallel in the neck and a JB series in the neck before and it didn't agree with me.

The PGn is interesting, but I've only tried the PGb in the past.

From what I hear in super strats, a JazzA4n with a little more articulate lows would be swell. I'm not clear how that translates to a set neck Singlecut like this one.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

Installed a 59 screw / Jazz slug hybrid w/ A4 in the neck, wired to a p/p for parallel. In parallel on a clean amp tone, it's nice. On a dirty amp tone, it's still a little woofy and boomy.

Rather than go through magnets, I'd like to start with a pup that's closest to what I want and then go from there. Any suggestions for a neck option that's going to be less boomy than this one? Looking for an open and articulate voicing that won't fart out on the low end.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

I just put a PGn in my Epi LP Standard. I dig it. It has some smoothness and sweetness, yet has a little throatynee that gives it a bit of character. A slight aggressive character to it. But more like a sinister smirk than a growl, if that makes sense.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

while waiting for some word back from some peeps within SD, I thought I'd run this past you guys... since this goes off the reservation a bit....


trying to narrow down a neck pup for this one. that 59/J A4 hybrid neck isn't going to make it. makes me feel like I'm trying to walk through quicksand. looking for a neck model that is going to have a voicing like sparkling bright upper mids and highs with punchy tight lows... both through a clean amp and able to take it through a high gain amp.

some things that have popped up have included the BKP Riff Raff, T-Tops, Tim Shaw era Gibsons (who has said he designed his pickups after Seth Lover's spec), and that leads me to the SD Seth model...although I've never thought of them that way.

not for certain if SD is going to have anything quite like that. anyone? anyone? Bueller?
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

The only SD I've ever used in the neck is the DDn. I love it for my applications. I like it for its lows, which arent flabby, and how it's highs are simultaneously smooth and cutting. It's like its singing and screaming at the same time. It's the Chris Cornell of pickups.
 
Re: neck pup for Epi LP Plustop Pro/FX

have also tried that one. doesn't clean up the way I would like...at all. ;)


is there anyone that has tried the Seth neck that has input? or some a T-Top neck?

the Jazz is on the table, but it might be 'settling' for an easy option instead of getting it right.
 
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