Pair replacement for Les Paul

[JDLM]

Howdy!

Decided to remove the Gibson Burstbucker 3(b) & 57 from my 2009 Les Paul Traditional Pro. These are sweet pickups but quite average; recently had a high end studio session and they couldn't keep up. I was disappointed.
I want to get the bridge to be a bit more raw, gnarly and the neck to have a more singing, throaty character. My music is kind of like classic rock/hard rock with a modern twist. Kind of in between hard rock and metal.

I just put Suhr's Dough Aldrich on it and they didn't impress me. Really high output, but lacks personality; and the neck pickup is so bright it sometimes sounds kinda of like a stratocaster (go figure). These don't work for me.

I love the Custom Custom (b) & Pearly Gates I have on my Fender John 5 Mexi telecaster, but don't know if the Custom Custom would be too dark on a Les Paul with mahogany body and maple cap. Any suggestions? Somebody suggested Rio Grande's BBQ and TX, but I rather stick to Duncans as I always try a lot of pickups and always end up going back to Duncans.

Cheers!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

What amplification and/or pedal effects do you use?

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

The Distortion Bridge and The Pearly Gates Neck is my goto set for everything.

The Distortion is very clean, so you can get a ton of versatility out of it. It sounds great through my Fender Blues Deluxe, my Mesa Blue Angel , All my rectifiers, my marshalls and my Mark IV.

If you can try one, I recommend it (try it if you are on the fence though because it might be more power than you want.)

If you are looking at hot low output, have to thought about a Slash set?

 

[chadd]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

With 500k pots you shouldn't have any problem with the CC being dark. Worst case, you throw an A5 magnet in it and it becomes a custom 5.

 

[JDLM]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Pretty much guitar into my Marshall Silver Jubilee and Orange Rockerverb 100. Sometimes a tube screamer or booster in front, but nothing crazy. Yeah, pots are 500K. Thankx!

 

[Nacho8807]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

The Distortion is a great hard rock/metal pickup in a Les Paul, both bridge and neck. That's what I use and recommend first.

Any pickup in the Custom family would be a great option also, because if you don't quite like something it takes magnet swaps really well. I would start with the SH-5 ceramic version to start with and work from there if you feel like tweaking.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

I love the Custom Custom (b) & Pearly Gates I have on my Fender John 5 Mexi telecaster, but don't know if the Custom Custom would be too dark on a Les Paul with mahogany body and maple cap. Any suggestions? Somebody suggested Rio Grande's BBQ and TX

As you suspected, a CC/PGN pair would definitely be warmer than in your Tele. CC's are too dark for many players here in LP's. Some guys think PGN's are good in LP's, others (like me) think they're a bit too warm and rounded. The BBQ/TX set is also very warm; I have them in an SG, but wouldn't consider putting them in a LP.

A Duncan set members rave about is the WLH.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

It sounds like you want Custom - A2Pro.

 

[allbutromeo]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

The slash neck pup is amazing.

 

[JDLM]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Just came from a studio session where I used somebody's Les Paul loaded with a Tom Anderson H2+ in the bridge. Pretty sweet; that's pretty much what I was looking for, but better stick to Duncan. What'd be the closer Duncan to the H2+? Tghanks a ton!!!!

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

I could never get along with the stock pu's in the Trad Pro. Can't blame you for wanting to replace them.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

What'd be the closer Duncan to the H2+?

No such thing. They make different pickups. Just go with Custom bridge and A2Pro neck.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

pgb/pgn
aph/aph
aphII/aphII

any of these would deliver what you are asking.

 

[PizzaMaker]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Nobody has mentioned it yet and for some reason I think it's falling out of favour on the forum here, but I still can't get past the Jazz/JB combo in my LP.

I have no problems playing anything from Jeff Buckley to Led Zep to Pantera on these, although to be fair I can only get the real Led Zep sound through some 6 switch wiring trickery.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Nobody has mentioned it yet and for some reason I think it's falling out of favour on the forum here, but I still can't get past the Jazz/JB combo in my LP.

Not falling out of favor, but there are better choices for LP's, that are more consistent in fat slabs of mahogany. In bright woods, the JB/Jazz are a top pick. In mahogany and especially LP's, they can be all over the map: sometimes very good, sometimes a let down.

 

[PizzaMaker]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Not falling out of favor, but there are better choices for LP's, that are more consistent in fat slabs of mahogany. In bright woods, the JB/Jazz are a top pick. In mahogany and especially LP's, they can be all over the map: sometimes very good, sometimes a let down.

Fair call.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

Distortion bridge is at it's best in an LP imo, I think a Demon is pretty gnarly in an LP neck...

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: Pair replacement for Les Paul

With 500k pots you shouldn't have any problem with the CC being dark. Worst case, you throw an A5 magnet in it and it becomes a custom 5.

+1