Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

[goldenchild]

Hi all!

My quest for the best balanced and natural sounding (to my tastes) gear continues, and I need your help for the pup part of it.

I'm the proud owner of what I consider the best amp for my needs (a VHT Pittbull CL Hundred) which is a really tight, clear and warm piece of gear... In that amp, I found my graal... For the moment... :wink:

I'm also the proud owner of two marvelous guitars: An Ibanez Artist (LP like - Mahogany body and neck, Maple top, Rosewood fretboard, 2 Humbuckers, 2 Vol, 2 Tone, 3 way switch) and a Burny LP Custom (Exact replica of a... LP Custom)

And here lies my problem:
I'd like to use one of my guitars as my number one (the Burny) and the other (the Ibanez) as a Back up.
But the guitars are a little different: One's fretboard is Rosewood (as said a little higher) and the other's Ebony (Exact replica of a LP Custom)

When unplugged, these guitars sound the same way, but with little differences:
- The Burny sounds like a LP is supposed to sound. (balanced, with fat mids, strong bass and bright highs) the overall sound is a little too bright for my tastes, but it's the best guitar i've ever played... And it's mine. OOOHHH YEEEAAAHHH!!!
- The Ibanez shares some qualities with the Burny, but seems a little brighter, with a little more mud in the bass, and less mids. The overall sound seems scooped compared to the Burny

Both have a lot of darkness in the neck position and are more balanced in the bridge with the qualities written above.

To solve this problem, and make both guitar's sounds match, I thought about different solutions, after having read LUKE DUKE's PUP Breakdown for Custom series and Vintage series.

1) An A2P set on the Burny and A CCb+A2Pn combo on the Ibanez... But can the CC be considered an A2P with more mids, or it a totally different flavor?
2) A CCb+A2Pn combo on both guitars.
3) An A2P set on both guitars.

My goal is to bring in more mids in the Ibanez, while taming the highs and sweetening the lows on both guitars.

And my neck pickup of choice for both of them is an AIIPn.

Are there better solutions?

These are the solutions I've found to be the best match, for my tastes, knowing that I've tried ceramic, A2 and A5 mags, and I prefer A2.

I also add that I live in France and it's a pain in the ass to find magnets by themselves... so I CAN'T try swapping magnets.

In the end, I add that my absolute tone Gods in this world are: Slash, James Hetfield, Zakk Wylde, Brian May, Jimmy Page, Angus... Too many to be cited.

I love humbuckers with a lot of clarity (single coil qualities?)

If you want an idea of the tone I play with, you can go there:

http://www.myspace.com/builtinhell

You will hear 3 songs recorded with the VHT and a '05 LP STD Faded. My guitar is in the left speaker. This is mixed but not mastered.

Oh! And If you want to know, I'm the singer.

The tone I'm looking for, is the tone I have on the intro of the song called: "My Own Light". (Though, here, it could be a little clearer)

Thanx in advance, and sorry for my english and this novel-like post.
See ya.
Fab.

 

[goldenchild]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

:2:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

With LP's, PAF's seem like a natural. My approach is a pair of '59's, with 250K pots on the bridge, 500K on the neck. On the bridge, you get softened highs and more pronounced mids.

 

[apj]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

I too am quite fond of 59's, especially in the bridge, they are very capable of handling a lot of tones. I remember a while ago I asked some people about the custom custom in the bridge of a les paul and quite a few people mentioned it would be too round, not enough highs, it's more meant for a super strat I guess

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

1) the A2Ps are PAF-style pickups and aren't anywhere near as hot as the customs, so they're quite different. i liked the A2Pn/CCb combo in my LP (it has an ebony board as well), although many do not.

2) A2Pn and CCb is a good choice IMO, but do you really want the same set-up in both guitars?

have you considered the pearly gates at all?

 

[goldenchild]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

Thanx guys.

I won't quote everybody, but, basically, here's what I 've learnt:

- A pair of A5 pickups with 250k pots on the Bridge and 500k pots on the neck, could be the solution.

- The CC is not a favourite in the bridge of a LP... the 59 seems to have a good reputation.... But the problem is I've already tried it and don't like it.

Basically, what I've tried, as pickups, are:
- Ibanez super 70.
- Gibson Burstbucker pro
- Burny VH2 and VH1.
- Di Marzio D-Activator, Tone Zone, Air Norton, and PAF pro.
- EMG 81, 85, and 60.
- Seymour 59, Jazz, JB and Full Shred.

I've tried all of these and didn't like them...

- The CCb+A2Pn could be a good match, and while I think about it, having the same pair on both guitars wouldn' be that fair.
I've heard about the PG, but never tried one... And it far more expensive than the others, here, in France, but if it can give me what I'm looking for, I will give him a chance. But I heard it could be harsh on an ebony equiped guitar... But, if I have a chance to try one, I'll do.

Thanx again for the replies.
See Ya.
Fab.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

how do the ones you've tried compare to the sound you're looking for?

and do you still have any of them?

 

[goldenchild]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+A2P, or A2P set?

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+A2P, or A2P set?

Well!

I have tried them on other guitars, while I was looking for one.

There was several ones that was close to what I want (59, Paf pro, Air Norton, VH2) but there's still something lacking or too much.

On the 59, the Bass is too heavy, and there's a lack of mids.
The air norton (as seem to be all of the Di Marzios I've tried) is too dry, not fat enough.
The Paf pro is the closest, in the Di Marzio Line, but a little too harsh as gain increases.
VH2 seems to be the closest of them all, from what I'm looking for, but I fear it doesn't match with an A2Pn.

The Pups I still own are:
Super 70 (They were originaly mounted on the Ibanez. The neck one is still on the guitar, but it starts to become microphonic, and is too much bass heavy)
D-Activator (a relic from when I was looking for some metal EMG like tone, without the inconvenient of a battery)
VH1 and 2 (on the Burny).

A short word about burstbucker pros: "Beurarrrrkkkk!!!" Too much fizz and harshness, not enough body, lack of life. In one word: Too thin. I sold the '05 Gibson LP Std Faded they were mounted on, and they're gone with her.

I won't comment on the others, I simply don't like them.

I just add that I tried these Pups on different guitars (all being LP or LP like) through my entire rig (pedals, amp and speaker)

What is clear to me, now, is:
- High Output pickups don't match with my amp. So I need something in the range of a PAF/Hot PAF, in terms of output.
- My amp is really tight, and clear, so I need something to bring in more fat and warmth.
- I play through Celestions G12T75, so I don't need a lot of highs from the Pickup, or, at least, I don't need a lot of highs above 5000 Hz.

If you can, listen to the intros of "Been there Lately", "Mean Bone" and "Speed Parade" from Slash's Snakepit's second album (Ain't life Grand). That's basically the tone I'm after. A tone where the clean sound of the guitar still appears through the overdrive, with brightness, and "weight". I barely can hear the strings and the woods in that sound. It breathes. I love it. I have my amp set for that kind of tone, but still miss something and I think it comes from the pickups.

See Ya.
Fab.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

i think a cc is a risky idea for you because you mention not wanting high output pickups with your amp ... yes, the CC has tons of mids, but seem best suited for super strats as opposed to big ol slabs o' mahogany/maple

for some of the guitarists you mention and the tone you describe, the alnico II pro sounds like a potentially good choice, especially slash - but for others, their tone has involved A5 magnet based pickups ... but you say you like A2 pickups , so there ya go

putting a matched set of AIIPs in both of your guitars will allow you to have a very similar tone from both with only a minor difference due to the fretboard wood, etc ... and yes, looking into the PG could get you closer to some of the tones of those other guitarists you named,

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

you do know slash has used A2Ps since he started playing LPs, right?

from what you're saying, you can't lose if you get an A2P set before anything else; that way you can swap them between the 2 guitars as you try more p/ups. i like the A2P, the only complaint i've heard about them is that some consider them too smooth.

opinions will vary re the CC, probably because guitars of the same make and materials can sound very different; i liked the CC in my LP for that kind of sound (i have the album you're talking about), your results may vary. if you're looking for a fat, warm 'hot PAF' type pickup, that's the CC all over.

what didn't you like about the JB and full shred?

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pickup combo for a LP Custom... CC+AIIP, or AIIP set?

Here is the thing....The CC will not balance the mids in that guitar. The CC is a mid MONSTER. And the guitar lacking mids, what you will have is maximum volume of crappy mids.

I have a CC in an Epi LP Classic. It sounds fantastic for what I do with it. I generally approve the A2P/CC combo as what I refer to as the "Fat City" combo. For fat sounding highs, that combo is just corpulent. But it's going to be peculiar to the guitar, and I wouldn't call it an overall good combo.

I'm going to suggest a slightly different approach. Get the same pup set for both guitars, and a good EQ pedal. The little tweeks you need may just never come out right via any given pup combo.