new les paul what pick ups

excessive81

excessive81

New member
ok....
first off i have a epiphone les paul classic that i put the slash zebra pick ups in that sound amazing. but yesterday i decided to trade my dean dime shadow ml for another epiphone les paul because i cant my sound that i like out of the dean. it is way to thin sounding even after i did sd dimbucker and big block ect. so i worked some craigslist mojo and swapped it for this one which is a standard plus. so i am here trying to decide if i just wanna grab a black set of slash pick ups or if i want to try something else. like i said i LOVE the way the other guitar sounds but i not agianst trying something diffrent either. and since sd has killer swap policy i am here for input. and if i in the end still want the slash set i will swap to them. that said i had a sd invader bridge pup in my assorted pile of left over stuff so i dropped it into the new one for now. my biggest issue with invader is looks....yeah i know lol but i like vintage look and invader is def not that by any means. and it is not nearly as warm as the slash pickups....here is a pic just for kicks lol
i have had 59's and pearly gates in a gold top and black custom before but that was soooo long ago and my palying was not what it is now.

l_7d8568fa6f5d4c16950f782e90a7a1e8.jpg
 
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Re: new les paul what pick ups

It would be redundant to put a set of Slashes in this LP too. Try something different. You've had some experience with some other good pups and only you know what tonal characteristics you want to achieve in the new LP.

Do you have a particular direction you want to go in with the new LP? A little raunchier, more mellow, lighter more airy tones, heavier high output?

Noone can really give you any suggestions without knowing what you want.

I really like my P-90b/Pearly Gatesn setup. But I also really like the sound of mini humbuckers too (bright, raspy/edgey, full bodied). Kinda sounds like a mix between a P-90 and a humbucker, but with some sizzle.

Very nice looking guitars btw.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

ya i know what you are saying. i needed second axe for playing live so if in the end it sounds the same it ok with me. but i was thinking might do jimmy page set up in this one for kicks and slash pups are not four wire.
but i looking for clean warm sound that can get dirty as well for say metallica, pantera, bullet for my valentine ect. granted i use clean about as much as dimebag but i like the option. i guess what i asking for is a list of sd pickups which where made for less paul.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

Duncan has some great PAF's: PG, A2P, '59, and Seth. In any combination, they're great in an LP. Putting in roughcast magnets will smooth out the top end of the bridges.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

Install a JB in your bridge if you want to push your amp harder, or are using high gain. If you like mad soloing and heavy chording - without the mush (particularly speaking using standard tuning), use the JB and dig in hard!
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

Jackson Distortion said:
Install a JB in your bridge if you want to push your amp harder, or are using high gain.
Click to expand...

Well, not quite. JB's are notorious for sounding unpleasant in mahogany; sometimes it works, usually it doesn't. Mahogany often brings out an 'ice pick spike', a flabby low end, and a tone that has been likened here to the 'whine of a dentist's drill.' This is not the first bridge PU you should try.

What are proven winners in LP's are any good PAF's, and the Custom family of PU's.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

blueman335 said:
Well, not quite. JB's are notorious for sounding unpleasant in mahogany; sometimes it works, usually it doesn't. Mahogany often brings out an 'ice pick spike', a flabby low end, and a tone that has been likened here to the 'whine of a dentist's drill.' This is not the first bridge PU you should try.

What are proven winners in LP's are any good PAF's, and the Custom family of PU's.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I was just going with a suggestion from the Tone Wizard (for a Les Paul) and relating my experience with the JB pickup (one of the TW suggestion's). I wasn't too sure if even the OP played high gain stuff, so I offered help in that area just in case.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

I think a JB would sound better in an epi LP than a gibson one, because dont (most) epi LP's have an alder top vs. a maple one with the gibsons? JB's love alder.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

How do the two guitars differ in tone when played unplugged?

I'd choose my pickups based on that. Even if you do go with another Slash set, I bet both guitars would still sound different.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

Jackson Distortion said:
Honestly, I was just going with a suggestion from the Tone Wizard (for a Les Paul) and relating my experience with the JB pickup (one of the TW suggestion's). I wasn't too sure if even the OP played high gain stuff, so I offered help in that area just in case.
Click to expand...

I don't know that anyone here with much PU experience uses the Tone Wizard. Same with the sound clips. We've already tried a bunch of PU's and have a good idea of what's likely to work from our own hits and misses. The way that many of us are getting the JB to work in Gibson-design guitars is by putting in an A8 or A2 magnet. Then it's a very good PU. I'd highly recommend a JB once it's had a mag swap.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

This may sound like a crazy question...but what music do yo play and what amp do you have?

Also, Slash and Invader? Bit of a range there...

Finally - No Slash pup, just get an A2P. IT'S WHAT SLASH FRICKING USED!
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

A2P/Custom.

You already have an alnico bridge sound than you like, toss a Custom in the bridge for some heavier/tighter crunch.
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

i have a jcm 900 with a 1936 2x12 cab with green backs installed and use a gt6 pedal board
i play
creed
candlebox
guns n roses
bush
pantera
bullet for my valentine
chevelle
ect
 
Re: new les paul what pick ups

I've loved 59's, and the PGb (more sizzle, less bass than a 59, very rockin!), and the Custom 5 is good if you absolutely need a bunch of output to drive the amp
 
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