Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

[nieveulv]

Just to mention im pretty new in the guitar modification world I just play the guitar without knowing much on details but im learning.

Guitar - Epiphone les paul custom
Amp - Roland 20x, usually microcube and beringer GM108
Effects - none yet, roland amp provides all the effects

Just bought an epiphone les paul custom and not satisfied with the stock pickups so is finding a right combo. Play usually hard, heavy rock (pink flloyd, guns n roses, velvet revolver, metallica) and blues (SRV), very little jazz and lots of brit (radiohead, muse etc). I am more of a lead solo guitarist, but i occasionally do riffs. I like to play solo lead more though

I was adviced of the regular combos but decided on some of these combos. Heard about the alnico 2 pro combo and PG as well but im not too sure on the details as in my area, i cant test much guitars. So here are some choices and questions

1) Seymour duncan sh-2 jazz at neck, sh-4 JB at bridge

2) Seymour duncan sh-1 59, sh-4 JB at bridge

3) For the neck, which is best for my style, alnico 2, 59 or jazz? or other recommendations

5) For the bridge, which is best for my style, SD JB, custom 5, or SH-13 dimebucker? or other recommendations

6) Which combo is recommended (versatility, tone, power etc), any advice is much appreciated


Both 1 and 2 gets very high recommendations, but which is better and why? I know option 1 is seymours favorite combo, however most users in harmony central prefer option 1 and it dows get a lot of good reviews though. Kinda confused now, please give me some advice on the choices or other choices if there is one. I just want Seymour duncan and not other brands.

If possible, also advice on what else to change
-strings
-pots
-nuts etc etc

Thank you for this, im pretty new at modifying guitars so dont laugh at some of my points

 

[jeremy]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

welcome to the forum!!

for those styles on a epi les paul i would go with a 59n in the neck and a duncan custom in the bridge. strings are personal preferance. the pots could be replaced with 500k CTS brand audio taper units, i like to use orange drops for the capacitors in the tone circut, the switch could be replaced with a switchcraft brand, and a new well cut bone nut is always better than a cheap plastic one.


the 59n is a great all around neck pup especially in an epi lp, sounds good clean or dirty. the custom in the bridge is a killer rock pup in the bridge

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Ditto on everything Jeremy said, except that i'd use a Pearly Gates in the neck to get a bit cleaner low end and more midrange push for leads.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Welcome to the forum. We're all learning here, so no need to apologize. Yes, stock Epi PU's are pretty muddy, and you'll soon see how much better American-made PU's are.

I've rewired a few Epi LP's and play similar music to you. I've tried a number of PU's in them and this is what I've found to work best for me:

Pair of '59's - Great PAF tones, for late 1960's Brit blues/rock.

PGB/'59N - PAF combo that gives a warm bridge with a bright, tight articulated neck.

C5/JazzN - High output bridge for Chicago blues & classic rock. Solos pushed into overdrive sooner.

Dimarzio Fred/Bluesbucker - Nice medium output for the bridge, and a bright neck for definition and solos.

Gibson 498T/Phat CatN - I put an A2 magnet in the 498T for warmth. Phat Cats have two A2 magnets, which makes them rather dark in the neck position. If you swap out one and put in an A5 (A5/A2 pair), you get a nice open single coil tone. A Phat Cat in the neck is very nice and a welcome alternative to twin HB's.

Think twice before you get a JB. You'd assume that everyone love's them, but there is a large contingent of disappointed players that have sold theirs. They have a harsh ice pick spike to their tone, and have been accused of sounding like the whine of a dentist's drill. Be aware that many guys love them, many hate them, and even some of their fans say they sound "atrocious" in certain guitars. JB's are a risk. May work, or it may not.

I've tried several different kinds of ceramic magnet HB's and the tone is too bright & sterile for blues for me, and not that good for classic rock. For metal they're great, as their lack of warmth lets them cut through heavy distortion and effects. There are better high output bridge PU's, like the C5 & CC.

LP's tend to have a naturally dark sound, and to some players (like me), A2 magnet PU's are too dark & loose in the neck position. A2's have strong mids, little treble, and a flabby low end. I just don't see that as a good fit on an LP neck PU, but it works for some guys. In a LP, I prefer a bright PAF neck PU with an A5 magnet, like a Duncan '59N or JazzN, or DiMarzio PAF or Virtual PAF.

Where A2's shine is in the bridge position, where they fill in the mids & give smooth, rounded highs. A Duncan CC with a JazzN is using both magnets where they're at their best.

If I can help, feel free to PM me.

 

[theodie]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Custom bridge/Pearly gates neck will do it for sure. My most favorite combo in a LP by far!


Sort of a +1 to what Jeremy and Benjy had to say!

 

[tone4days]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

welcome

yeah, lotsa good advice here - jeremey's post about pots, caps, switch, etc is spot on

i think you'd dig an alnico II Pro neck and custom-5 bridge ... great smoothed, singing lead tones in the neck and plenty of cut/crunch/guts in the bridge

good luck, have fun

t4d

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Ha ha, Blueman really doesn't like the JB! That said, I have no idea how a JB would sound in an Epi LP. I actually don't mind the pups in my own Epi Black Beauty. Yeah I want to upgrade them as soon as the cash is there, but I don't find them too muddy or anything.

 

[nieveulv]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

The stock pups are alright, but not enough bite in my opinion

Thank you so much for the input guys. And also, for the bridge, when you say customs for the bridge, is it the customs customs, custom 5 or just the customs? Which is the most powerful amongst these? For the neck, seems i could not go wrong with the 59s PG jazz or alnico. Ill just do a coin toss
cheers guys

 

[nieveulv]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

So i think ive decided for the customs atr the bridge

So now just the neck
The PG is very hard to get from ebay so mostly is between the 59 and alnico 2 pro. Which is recommended. I loved slash tone but not much is mentioned for the alnico2pro/custom combo and there is alot of rave for the 59/custom and PG/customs combo. So which is more recommended for the paul between the 59 and the alnico 2 pro?

 

[Stuntman Jim]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

I´ve tried a couple of pickups in my Epi LP but nothing sounded REALLY good, until I changed the capacitors! I didn´t think they would do anything really, but they make a huge difference in my guitar, the muddiness is gone!
I settled for a GFS Fat PAF neck and GFS Power Rails i the bridge.

/Jimmy

 

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

I love my APII's in my Gibby LP's but they didn't sound as good in my Epi. Maybe because they have an alder top instead of maple. The best sounding pups I have found for the Epi Customs were WB Firewater Bridge and Reverend Neck. Put the Epi on par with both my Gibsons.

 

[nieveulv]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Thanks for the input however i think im sticking with the SDs Its a definite choice of customs for the bridge. So what for the neck??

-Pgs (hardest to find)
-59n
-alnico 2 pro

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

JazzN is much easier to find: very similar to the 59N but less boomy low strings. Highly recommended!

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

The PG is very hard to get from ebay so

There are dealers on here, which I found out recently....:cool2: Martin6stringcustoms is a dealer, maybe he could get you a PG.
If not, Banjomikez on eBay is the guy a lot of us here use, he'll get you a PG.

 

[jhale667]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Banjomikez on eBay is the guy a lot of us here use, he'll get you a PG.

I've dealt with that guy before, too...

 

[nieveulv]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Ok i just realised that the 59N only have one wire instead of 4..Does this make a huge difference, will this effect on the tone and versatility? For this reason should i just go for the jazzn PGn and APH2 instead?

 

[nieveulv]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Aright got a deal on the PGn However its about 20 dollars more than the 59 and the jazz. Is the 20 dollars worth it for this humbucker? Sorry for so many questions

 

[theodie]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Aright got a deal on the PGn However its about 20 dollars more than the 59 and the jazz. Is the 20 dollars worth it for this humbucker? Sorry for so many questions

Yes, it is worth it! The PG and the Custom match each other better than any 2 pickups I have ever played! You are in for a treat!

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

Ok i just realised that the 59N only have one wire instead of 4..Does this make a huge difference, will this effect on the tone and versatility? For this reason should i just go for the jazzn PGn and APH2 instead?

You mean two instead of 4?
It will only matter if you were planning on using coil split or something like that, I think.

 

[aaronl]

Re: Need help selecting a humbucker combo for EPI LP custom

I just posted this in another thread but I threw an APH1N and a 59 bridge in and was just so happy. The bridge is a little scooped but has a really bright hmm "attack" and to me it just sounds very classic rock

I would like to try a custom or maybe the custom/custom in the bridge because i hear good things but i am pretty happy with it right now as is.

Let me/us know what u pick.

I have never messed much with different humbuckers only single coil strat stuff and man i am just really happy lol.