Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

ArtieToo said:
I had one once. Got rid of it. :D

Seriously though, don't rule out the PATB series. Super sweet and clean. Almost "hi-fi". I have the PATB-3b/1n in my Les Paul Custom, and love 'em.

I get my "dirt" from pedals and/or amp.
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Haha! Well played ;) I am glad you got rid of it–that Walnut San Dimas is my number one guitar now! :headbang:

I do want to give the PATB series a try someday, just have too many irons in the fire right now.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Well, I tweaked and tweaked on the SH-5. I could really never get what I wanted. It just seemed to be lacking in just about everything I was after.

I've always heard good things about these pickups. Maybe the one I have just sucks. I've tried it a couple of guitars and it just never sounded right. I checked the DC resistance, it was 14.2, which is correct for that part of the equation. That's as far as my testing skills go. It just seemed kinda "brittle", didn't hit the preamp like I would expect, and didn't have a heavy bottom for the chugga chugga dept. But, it was really good at squealing out some harmonics.

I snagged a zebra Gibson 498T off ebay for 40 bucks the other day, so I went there. I've tried that same model in Studios and another Standard before and wasn't really happy, but today I was instantly gratified.

Really sounds great in Traditional Pro. Nice heavy punch for palm muting, clear highs and squealies sound right (maybe they aren't as effortless as w/the SH 5, but overall, it just kicks the Duncan's ass). Maybe my ears just prefer an Alnico V to a ceramic?

The DC ohms on the 498T are also 14.2, but it really seems to push the preamp a little harder. Overall, just way better in tone and feel. It has just a little harshness that might not work for some people or some amps. I was able to just dial the highs and mids on my amp back ever so slightly to alleviate that though (maybe some better caps and pots would help as well).

I went ahead and ordered a Zebra Perpetual Burn which should arrive this week. Of course, I'll be out state on a short tour when it arrives. Whenever I get back, I'll get it a whirl too. Right now, I could totally live w/the 498T though. The stock Gibson neck pickup sounds great to me and works with the 498, in my opinion.

I'll give the Perpetual Burn a try soon, and I'll keep my eyes open for another zebra SH-5 as well. If I can find a deal, I might try one again. Just feel like I might have possibly got a lemon on that one.
 
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Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

jc74868 said:
I'll give the Perpetual Burn a try soon, and I'll keep my eyes open for another zebra SH-5 as well. If I can find a deal, I might try one again. Just feel like I might have possibly got a lemon on that one.
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Hey there, any news on this pickup swap?
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

LazNovak said:
Hey there, any news on this pickup swap?
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Well, yes. I finally did get around to slapping in the Perpetual Burn. It's personally not what I'm looking for. It's very good at picking up the little squealies and harmonics I sometimes like to do. And, on most barre type, chugging power chords, it's pretty beefy. It has a strange, quacky midrange that I really don't like though that is especially noticeable on open strings. For now, I think I will probably go back to the 498T I got off ebay recently.

I have to reiterate that my favorite pickup in any recent time is the Whole Lotta Humbucker. I haven't tried it yet in the Traditional Pro, but man, in my LP Gothic, I have found nothing better. It has bite, chug and just way more aggression than I'd expect from a pickup going by that moniker & having a lower output as it does.

Honestly, no pickup I have tried really has the sound I'd like out of the Trad Pro. Starting to wonder how much different pots, etc... would help or this thing just would've been better off as table instead of a guitar. I dunno. I'm not the biggest tone tweaking guy around, but so far everything I've tried in this guitar just doesn't make me wanna play it & I don't have this problem w/any of my other guitars.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Im a JB guy all the way myself. the 35th Anniversary sounds nice, so does the production one. I have both.

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Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

You kids will just believe anything you read on the internet, won't you?

What you seek is an Invader young man….
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Invaders are to much in Les Pauls I think. Thats just me. The JB is perfect, ask Gary Rossington. Seymour got it right the first time.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Uncle Fred said:
Invaders are to much in Les Pauls I think. Thats just me. The JB is perfect, ask Gary Rossington. Seymour got it right the first time.
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Yeah. A few years ago I would've been all about Invaders. I really like tamer, but not too tame pickups now. I've got a JB in a Studio and I really like the way it sounds. Especially in a band situation, where it counts. Oddly, I don't care as much for the tone when I'm playing alone, but in a loud band mix, it really cuts through and shines
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Well, here's something I should've tried from the first. Just on a whim today, I rolled back the tone control (that's something I've never had to do, usually tone on "10" sounds jsut fine for my needs...well, there it was: all the nasally honk was gone.

So, what I think this means to me is that the little blue cap in the Traditional Pro needs to be swapped. It's just making everything too freaking bright. I assume the little cap is a .22, I don't know though. I guess it's possible the coil tap pot might be adding to this trebly situation too, I don't know. I've got a drawer full of all kinds of caps and Gibson stamped and CTS pots.

Until I get around to doing some soldering, I'll just enjoy it with the tone rolled back. When I get a chance, I'll do a cap swap, and if that doesn't sound quite right I'll yank the push/pull pot too.

I think the problem is solved. Now that I have that squared away I just have to decided which pickup I like the best, but I have a feeling they'll pretty much all sound great. It's just unreal how terriblly it sounds unless you cut the tone to at least between 5 and 7 or so
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

jc74868 said:
Yeah. A few years ago I would've been all about Invaders. I really like tamer, but not too tame pickups now. I've got a JB in a Studio and I really like the way it sounds. Especially in a band situation, where it counts. Oddly, I don't care as much for the tone when I'm playing alone, but in a loud band mix, it really cuts through and shines
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I just installed a 35th Anniversary JB in my 2014 signature that I totally redid. The picture was a production grade JB. The 35th Anniversary is amazing. Hard to find.

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Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

jc74868 said:
Well, here's something I should've tried from the first. Just on a whim today, I rolled back the tone control (that's something I've never had to do, usually tone on "10" sounds jsut fine for my needs...well, there it was: all the nasally honk was gone.

So, what I think this means to me is that the little blue cap in the Traditional Pro needs to be swapped. It's just making everything too freaking bright. I assume the little cap is a .22, I don't know though. I guess it's possible the coil tap pot might be adding to this trebly situation too, I don't know. I've got a drawer full of all kinds of caps and Gibson stamped and CTS pots.

Until I get around to doing some soldering, I'll just enjoy it with the tone rolled back. When I get a chance, I'll do a cap swap, and if that doesn't sound quite right I'll yank the push/pull pot too.

I think the problem is solved. Now that I have that squared away I just have to decided which pickup I like the best, but I have a feeling they'll pretty much all sound great. It's just unreal how terriblly it sounds unless you cut the tone to at least between 5 and 7 or so
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Luxe Bumble Bees are awesome or Astron .022 PIOs
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Cool. I might add some to the collection. Right now I've got a few stock ceramic discs from Gibsons, some kinda pio caps and some orange drops too. I really think I'm gonna yank the coil tap pot, at least on the bridge pickup, also and replace it with a good old fashioned volume pot.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

jc74868 said:
Cool. I might add some to the collection. Right now I've got a few stock ceramic discs from Gibsons, some kinda pio caps and some orange drops too. I really think I'm gonna yank the coil tap pot, at least on the bridge pickup, also and replace it with a good old fashioned volume pot.
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Actually those pots are high quality its those little blue caps I replaced them on two sig t and it changed my world.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

I put orange drops in one and bumble bees in the other lit both of them up. Those blue caps are $.15 Radio Shack specials.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Well, went ahead and installed an orange drop. Problem solved. Sounds like a totally different guitar. Interestingly, I barely touched the little blue cap to remove it and it completely broke in half.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Uncle Fred said:
Invaders are to much in Les Pauls I think. Thats just me. The JB is perfect, ask Gary Rossington. Seymour got it right the first time.
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Bah - you're too old.

Lower it a bit and rock on. JB is exactly the tone/EQ curve you want. Wussies.
 
Re: Opinions on Bridge Upgrade in a Les Paul Traditional Pro

Aceman said:
Bah - you're too old.

Lower it a bit and rock on. JB is exactly the tone/EQ curve you want. Wussies.
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Im not the only Les Paul player that thinks those pole pieces just cause that pickup to puke all over the tone.

This guy did too.


1660937_3979670266910_1989238094_n.jpg


We are the real deal and we tried them loud

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