“New” pickups for my Les Paul

[JB_From_Hell]

I have a “replica” Les Paul Standard that’s been relic’d to look like a ‘59 burst. Haven’t really been playing it heavily until the past few days. It had an Epiphone 57 Classic in the neck, and a Duncan Designed JB in the bridge. Sounded great for hard rock, and the middle sounded almost like a P90.

I’m redoing a friend’s SG he’s selling, and he lent me the pickups that came out of it. They’re an HB-102n and what I think is an old T Top. Put them in my Les Pail, and wow... The 102 is clear as a bell, sounds awesome clean and overdriven. The T Top is bright and aggressive, but balances with the same amp settings. This is the closest sound to what I want to hear from a Les Paul I’ve ever heard.

What pickup set should I get to mimic these? If the neck had just a little more of the T Top’s complexity in the mids, I wouldn’t be mad, and they need to have aged or raw nickel covers.

 

[formula73]

I’d say a set of 59s will do what you describe.

Que up Aceman trash talking T Tops in 3...2...1...

 

[playas]

Wasn't it Aceman who suggested that the Saturday Night Special neck - or possibly the set - was based on / similar to a T-top?

...I'm pretty sure someone did.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

I don’t know how much is the guitar and how much is the pickups, but I’m much happier with this sound than the real PAFs in my ‘62 LP/SG. I should’ve measured the Gibson pickup prior to installation, but it sounds infinitely more balanced than those did.

 

[Lewguitar]

T-Tops use a short roughcast alnico 5 magnet. 2 3/8".

A cool sound is using a short magnet in the neck and a standard 2 1/2" in the bridge.

Or if you want the sound of a set of T-Tops use a short 2 3/8" magnet in both.

Duncan 59's take that mod well.

As do Antiquitys.

I prefer the roughcast magnets like Gibson used in the 50's and 60's. AddictionFX has them.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

For simplicity’s sake, I think a set of ‘59s and some magnets is the way to go.

 

[Lewguitar]

For simplicity’s sake, I think a set of ‘59s and some magnets is the way to go.

Yep.

 

[Leon Of Late]

Or, there are some custom winders out there who make some KILLER T-Too Clones, Re-Wind being the very top of the list that I am aware of. James is fantastic if you are really in love with that sound you have right now, he can get you there.

If this is the closest to the sound you’ve ever been to what you want from your Lester, it would be worth a look.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Or, there are some custom winders out there who make some KILLER T-Too Clones, Re-Wind being the very top of the list that I am aware of. James is fantastic if you are really in love with that sound you have right now, he can get you there.

If this is the closest to the sound you’ve ever been to what you want from your Lester, it would be worth a look.

Thanks. I’m looking him up now.

 

[beaubrummels]

LtKojak once posted that a short A5 in a Jazz neck is the closest to a T-Top Duncan has. Also, IME, a 59 neck in the bridge makes an excellent, clear T-Top bridge - the tubbiness of the 59 neck helps keeps notes solid in the bridge. I have an Electric City T-Top replica and the 59n has the same tone profile but is clearer to me. I used a 59n bridge / Seth neck as a poor-man's Jimmy Page set for quite a while. A 59n bridge / Jazz neck would make a reasonable T-Top-ish set without doing anything custom or modifying anything.

 

[Securb]

WLHs.

 

[Aceman]

For the life of me, I can't imagine why anyone would want T-Tops. Thus, I have no earthly idea how to recreate one, or what is close to one. If it is close to one, I likely don't like it. I have heard people say get a Jazz, so try that. Which makes sense. I'm not really a Jazz fan. If mag swaps will do it better for you, go for it.

Depending on the brightness of said LP...I say ust get a JB and a 59 and call it a day.

*Full disclosure: I have a T-Top in my #1 that I am never removing. It can get a killer Slash Sweet Child tone as well as an Awesome "Keep on loving you" Richrath rhythm & Lead tone as well. But as a 70's LP guy...lose them!

But apparently they work for you, so rock on. Only opinion that really matters is yours, and feels good, sounds good blah blah blah.

 

[Aceman]

Wasn't it Aceman who suggested that the Saturday Night Special neck - or possibly the set - was based on / similar to a T-top?

...I'm pretty sure someone did.

Not me.

 

[Lewguitar]

Lots of great guitarists used T-Tops or Gibson pickups with roughcast short A5 magnets. Larry Carlton for one. Most of those great Steely Dan solos were done with his 68 or 69 ES-335 which has T-Tops. The pickups in Clapton's SG that he used with Cream probably had short A5 magnets too.

T-Tops have a nice clarity and sense of spaciousness and breath to them. I like them in the neck position.

They're more articulate and nice if you're playing cleanish chords and chords with more harmonic interest than the power V chords most kids play when they crank up the distortion and just buzz and grind away.

I was under the impression that the Duncan Jazz used a thinner gauge copper wire than 59's, Antiquitys and real Gibson humbuckers from the 50's and 60's.

Maybe I'm wrong about that. Maybe it's the same gauge but a different insulating coating? I don't know. I've owned the Duncan Jazz but it didn't stay in my guitar long and was never been a pickup I used much.

Jolly used to like them and use them a lot for overdriven rock styles. He sounded good using them.

 

[Aceman]

Lots of great guitarists used T-Tops or Gibson pickups with roughcast short A5 magnets. Larry Carlton for one. Most of those great Steely Dan solos were done with his 68 or 69 ES-335 which has T-Tops. The pickups in Clapton's SG that he used with Cream probably had short A5 magnets too.

- And lots and lots of guitarists replaced them with DiMarzios and Duncans.
- And we are talking about Les Paul's; Not 335's, Not SG's. Why do you make non-relevant replies to OP's?
- I'm taking about a Les Pauls only. Now - noted that these are 70's LP's and not current Mahhogany neck things.

T-Tops have a nice clarity and sense of spaciousness and breath to them. I like them in the neck position.

- If that is what you want, good for you. I want power, punch, sizzle and shriek.

They're more articulate and nice if you're playing cleanish chords and chords with more harmonic interest than the power V chords most kids play when they crank up the distortion and just buzz and grind away.

- I'm 53, not a kid
- I'm not playing cleanish cords. I'm rocking somewhere between rock and metal and all places in between. I don't want 7th's, 8ths and 9ths turning my sound into chaos - as we know you hate. - I want smooth, cutting lines that are thick, and crisp tight rhythms. Without mud.

I was under the impression that the Duncan Jazz used a thinner gauge copper wire than 59's, Antiquitys and real Gibson humbuckers from the 50's and 60's.

- I'm concerned about the tone, not the construction

Maybe I'm wrong about that. Maybe it's the same gauge but a different insulating coating? I don't know. I've owned the Duncan Jazz but it didn't stay in my guitar long and was never been a pickup I used much.

- I generally don't comment much about pickups I don't know much about personally

Jolly used to like them and use them a lot for overdriven rock styles. He sounded good using them.

- Jolly makes anything sound good. Jolly isn't JB.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

They're more articulate and nice if you're playing cleanish chords and chords with more harmonic interest than the power V chords most kids play when they crank up the distortion and just buzz and grind away.

I appreciate your knowledge of various PAF-style pickups and magnets that compliment them well. The pickup purchase for me LP will probably start with a set of '59s and a stack of magnets. When it comes to your feelings on anybody who's using more gain than the guys from 50+ years ago... we get it.

I started playing in 1993 or so, when bands like Nirvana and Metallica were all over the radio. I'd ask my dad to show me how to play something, and he'd usually figure out the chord progression to whatever song, but not without telling me how awful the singer was, how they used too much distortion, or some other way it was inferior to the music he liked. This kept up until I was able to figure out how to play the songs myself, at which point I stopped seeking any musical interaction with him. He'd given up electric music by this point, and was 100% bluegrass. Most of the lessons about how terrible Metallica was were accompanied by how superior 3 part harmony singers were. Occasionally he'd ask me to play rhythm guitar so he could work on a mandolin lead, and was genuinely surprised when I didn't want to.

Lew, we get it. You don't like high gain guitar sounds or heavy metal. If someone starts a "What do you think of root-V chords and high gain?" thread, that's a great place to share that. Otherwise, shoehorning it into every other thread is what makes people my kids' age go, "Ok boomer," roll their eyes, and ignore everything you say after that.

 

[Lewguitar]

I appreciate your knowledge of various PAF-style pickups and magnets that compliment them well. The pickup purchase for me LP will probably start with a set of '59s and a stack of magnets. When it comes to your feelings on anybody who's using more gain than the guys from 50+ years ago... we get it.

I started playing in 1993 or so, when bands like Nirvana and Metallica were all over the radio. I'd ask my dad to show me how to play something, and he'd usually figure out the chord progression to whatever song, but not without telling me how awful the singer was, how they used too much distortion, or some other way it was inferior to the music he liked. This kept up until I was able to figure out how to play the songs myself, at which point I stopped seeking any musical interaction with him. He'd given up electric music by this point, and was 100% bluegrass. Most of the lessons about how terrible Metallica was were accompanied by how superior 3 part harmony singers were. Occasionally he'd ask me to play rhythm guitar so he could work on a mandolin lead, and was genuinely surprised when I didn't want to.

Lew, we get it. You don't like high gain guitar sounds or heavy metal. If someone starts a "What do you think of root-V chords and high gain?" thread, that's a great place to share that. Otherwise, shoehorning it into every other thread is what makes people my kids' age go, "Ok boomer," roll their eyes, and ignore everything you say after that.

Thanks. I'm getting tired of the SD Forum anyway. It's gotten really boring and uninteresting. EDITED OUT

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Thanks. I'm getting tired of the SD Forum anyway. It's gotten really boring and uninteresting. And Aceman and Securb are both #ssholes.

Unlike Aceman, I’m not a psychologist, but does their being assholes coincide with comments looking down on high gain players that derail threads?

For real man, your knowledge about all things Clapton Cream-era is a great addition to this place. Maybe just take it for granted that everybody knows you’re not into heavier stuff than that?

 

[formula73]

Thanks. I'm getting tired of the SD Forum anyway. It's gotten really boring and uninteresting. And Aceman and Securb are both #ssholes.

What about me?

 

[Leon Of Late]

Merry Christmas.