Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

[squiredogs]

First timer here - I've been addicted to reading the forums after stumbling onto them a few weeks ago.

I need some help with a "life-altering" pickup change. To make it a little easier, here's a little history:

I just got back into playing with some guys, after a good 8 year layoff. Back in the day, I played out often enough to justify buying lotsa gear. Now I'm old, and cheap. So I'd like to get some input before I spend -

All of my guitars had Jackson j-50BC bridge pickups with the je-1200 active mid-boost. I became addicted to them when I got a Charvel in the 80's that made my solid state Marshall sound great. It alway made playing leads seem easier with that boost on. I left it on 24-7... I only rolled the boost back when laying down rythym tracks.

I kept the same pup/tone set after I got into tube amps (I guess I made my first Marshall my "reference" for life, with the Jackson pups).

Anyway, my stuff was like alternative hard rock - always distorted, with lead guitar and simple power chords. I haven't gotten any better!

I'm sick of the battery changes and active stuff. Oftentimes, the tone seems really good drive-wise, but a little mushy. I have a really bright amp (a Marshall JCM900 dual reverb), and I'm going to start using my Marshall Studio 15 more often. I never used effect pedals, and really would prefer not to, but the Studio 15 may necessitate using an OD pedal.

I play bridge pickup all the time, on a 1992 Gibson Standard, and a custom Explorer as well. Style-wise, Ace Frehley all the way for lead, love Cheap Trick and the Ramones too. I'd like to get a little more clarity, but still need some drive, since I'm a stinky lead player. Rythym is actually most important now. I think that makes me "classsic/hard rock", I would've thought "metal" 15 years ago, but that seems to mean the mesa/speed metal sound, right? I'm moving more to a Social D/Matthew Sweet/Cheap Trick sound, if that makes any sense... I'll use the whole bar chord and open chords more in my middle age! I roll back volume for clean. May get one of those Vox 50 watt fake amps too...

I'm thinking Dimarzio Super Distortion, Duncan Custom, and lately, a bridge '59. Maybe ceramic pickups were the "mushy" part? I've played a custom and a JB. I hated the JB. I felt like I was wrestling the guitar to get the same feeling as the jackson pups.

I think the J-50BC is a vintage ceramic design. I don't know the specs though. Anyone here play them before? I'm not 100% off of them, but would love some "double creme" on the standard again.

Custom seems like the safe choice, Super D the impractical but fun choice, and the '59 a slight risk of lacking drive without pedals.

Sorry for the hughe 1st post. Is it true that I have to have the duncan logo on a new purchased pickup? BTW, I have a Jazz in the neck, but really never use it.

Help!

Thanks

Dan

 

[gtg10k]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

for classic/hard rock im thinking either a distortion or a custom would work great in your case. if you play any clean leads or rhythm id try using your jazz. the distortion should work great in your case and if you dont like it ( which probably wont happen) you can always return it within 30 days and try a custom. good luck and welcome to the forums

 

[squiredogs]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Thanks for gettin' back so fast -

Do you mean the Duncan Distortion or the DiMarzio? If I went DiMarzio, I might pick up a Humbucker from Hell for the neck - I actually liked that one.

I've seen a few guys on here that like the Duncan Distortion - is that good for the distorted open chord stuff, clarity-wise?

 

[gtg10k]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

i mean the duncan distortion. imo duncan's sound brighter and more clear in a les paul than dimarzio's do. The distortion is very popular on this forum and with seymour duncan users. dimarzios tend to have more bass and a thicker sound than duncans. the distortion works good with open chords. ( for distorted open chords id suggest using less distortion and roll back the pickup volume a little to get more clarity and that " vintage rock" sound). if youve already got a jazz in the neck id save the money and hassle and get a duncan pup. the distortion or the custom would work great in your situation. id keep the jazz , you wont find many neck pickups better than it

 

[squiredogs]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Thanks! Maybe I'll try the distortion first, then go custom if that falls through. Can you get new distortions without the logo on them?

 

[gtg10k]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

i usually am proud of the duncan logo, but it may look better without it. im not sure if you can order them without the logo maybe an administrator or someone more experienced could answer that one. you could always get a chrome or gold cover for it.

 

[squiredogs]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

I just listened to the tone samples -

The distortion is pretty sweet, but the seth lover, custom and '59 sound pretty good too. The seth really stood out on the samples, but I want uncovered pickups, so I guess I'll try see if anyone has compared a '59 with a distortion for the cheap trickish sound with my type gear.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Hey man WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

I'd also suggest the Custom, or Distortin if you are trying to deliver maximum drive to your amp without pedals. I am not a JB fan either and ended up going with an Alnico 2 Pro. Nice and warm, but fat and thick....anyways.

Dbl. Creme. I have a Jazz/A2P dbl. creme set in my Heritage 150 (LP build and look) To get them you have to order them with pup covers with dbl creme underneath. Either John or Kevin at Blackrose Custom, or Lew at Lew's Guitar's will know what you're talking about.

Hope that helps man!

Luke

 

[squiredogs]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Thanks Luke -

What made you pick an Alnico II? I've always had ceramics in dozens of guitars, not always on purpose...

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Thanks Luke -

What made you pick an Alnico II? I've always had ceramics in dozens of guitars, not always on purpose...

It was actually a few things, first I'd always thought the sound clip sounded good, I also liked the sound of the custom custom, but after the JB "incident" I decided to try vintage in this guitar.

When I spoke to Kevin at blackrose he said I should try the A2P because it is fuller sounding and even, John said I might want to look at the CC to keep the output, well I decided to go to the A2P and if I wasn't satisfied output-wise I'd go to the CC. The sound was so sweet I just couldn't pull it out, great sustain and very even sounding. I would like a hotter version and might try to wind one on User Group Day, but I wonder what I would sacrifice?

Hope that helps!

LUke

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Didn't Nielsen use mostly Hamer Standards with Dimarzio PAF/Super Distortion combos on the early Cheap Trick stuff?

BTW, I love the Duncan Custom for hard rock. :burnout:

 

[squiredogs]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

Didn't Nielsen use mostly Hamer Standards with Dimarzio PAF/Super Distortion combos on the early Cheap Trick stuff?

BTW, I love the Duncan Custom for hard rock. :burnout:

He played a bunch of les pauls along with the Hamer Explorers. I was wondering if he was a Super Distortion or PAF guy then. I love the sound of the 1st 5 albums of his. Does anyone know what kind of pickups he was using? I don't have to have exact tone, but that ballpark would be pretty cool.

 

[lex666]

Re: Newbie Help with ideas for Les Paul pickup

I'm a big fan of the C5. I think this is one of the most versatile and best sounding pups SD makes. I have no problem recommending it for most styles. I've tried a few other SD pups and went back to the C5. If you don't like it, SD has a really good xchange policy...