PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

[riffmagus]

I`m hoping you guys/girls can help me complete my tone quest™!

My main axe is a Gibson Les Paul Studio, with stock pickups tuned to C#. This is coupled with a Peavey JSX amp head and Marshall 1936 Vintage cab. The JSX is loaded with JJ preamp tubes and El34's in the power section.

When cranked, my tone is ALMOST perfect - I`m just left wishing for a tighter low end chunk, and better harmonic response for artificial harmonics/ nailing the Zakk Wylde esque squeals.

This is where the Seymour Duncans come in, I`m looking for a replacement bridge pickup. I have used a Bare Knuckle pickups Nailbomb in the bridge but was not happy with the sound. Here, I`m leaning towards a similar output pu to my existing Gibson stock (490t) - but a ceramic magnet for a tighter response to riffs and great for chugging away on.

Pickups I have been recommended are the Duncan Distortion or the Invader. I have strayed away from the Invader due to the fact I feel the output it too high (like my amp to do most of the gain work) and it may sound too dark for the mahogany body/rosewood fingerboard of the Les Paul. So currently, I only have the Distortion to go on.

What other bridge pickups would you recommed? Tone wise, I`m a big fan of:

Down
Testament (circa Low and The Gathering albums)
The Sword
Black Sabbath
Crowbar
Corrosion of Conformity
High on Fire/Sleep

With a love for vintage and modern tones, I`m hoping to find a pu that can give me the crunch I`m after and tame the high end.

Any info/suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks for reading.

 

[anewdefguitarist]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

distortion would be sick. however i think the custom would be equally as a good, maybe better. the distortion is LOADED with mids and it will hit the front end of your amp HARD. mine will distort on clean with the right settings. but yeah, id say DD or Custom deffinately. ive been told in the past that the customs tone is a lot like zakk wylde - no more tears tone. hope it helps.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

The Custom/JazzB in neck would be a killer combination in your guitar. In my LP Goldtop, it sounds monsterous for Dropped D. Even though Zakk uses EMG's, this is the Duncan combo that nails his type of sound.

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

Custom.

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

Wassup, my brotha of anotha mutha? I am listening to DOWN III as we speak!

Thick and unflinching, The Anderson H3 has been used by Pepper Kennan (as has the Invader) and Billy Howerdal from Tool. Mesa/Boogie uses the H3 as one of its test pickups for its amps.

Down
The Sword
Black Sabbath
Crowbar
Corrosion of Conformity


You could bury in smoke with that list. The H3 is NOT a harmonic poppng monster. I don't really look for harmonics either. I use 6L6's and American tone heavy American tone speakers that quench harmonics anyway.

After two years of being here, it seems the Duncan fans love the SH-5 Custom for the palm-y bottom. It seems the closest of the bunch to the H3.

 

[Sleeping Martyr]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

I had a Custom in the bridge of my Les Paul tuned to drop C and it was okay but I found it kind of loose and too compressed. I MUCH prefer the ANderson H3 or the C-5. C-5 has better harmonics but the H3 is slightly higher output and a littles fuller (and darker) . . . . thats playing through a Mesa .50 Cal+ half stack. Both are awesomely tight but the cleans are better on the C-5, if you want cleans ever. Both have a nice sweeter sounding high end, and Pepper and Kirk both use(have used at some point) the Anderson H3

 

[riffmagus]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

Thanks for all the input guys,
Beacuse of my tuning C# (with a set of 12-58) and the fact that I drop the C# to B for a number of songs I`m still leaning towards the Duncan Distortion. I have been reading the Harmony Central reviews and every LP user rates the PU highly.

Any users care to comment? It might be heresy but do Dimarzio offer any contenders?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

The Distortion and Invader don't clean up very well. The Custom is a good choice, especially if you're mostly playing with heavy tones. I also really like the Custom 5, because it's a little tighter than the Custom and does cleans better. The Custom is a tiny bit warmer sounding than the C-5 though. The CC will be too mushy for what you want.

 

[WhammyBar Allstar]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

If you're using JJ Ecc83s preamp tubes, I would change them out. My experience is that they're a dark tube with mushy lows in new production amps, good if you're amp is overly bright, but you start to lose high end articulation and the low end gets blurry. At least change the first position V? (whatever your overdrive channel is) to a 9th gen Chinese or maybe the new Tung Sol reissue. This would at least help tighten up the amp side of things pretty cheap and easy.

 

[Justice4all]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

Hey there, the DD would be your best choice imo. I have a Bareknuckle set (MiracleMan) in a guitar tuned to D-dropped and thats wicked as well, i think the MM's have a tighter bottom end than the DD which i have in a Bernie Rico custom tuned to C. But the DD imo is a little crunchier.


Both these opinions depend alot on your amp as well.

 

[riffmagus]

Re: PIckup Help - Les Paul and C# tuning...

Ok, it's down to a face-off...

Duncan Distortion vs. Dimarzio D-activator..

Here are the Dimarzio specs..
Magnet: Ceramic
Output: 470
DC Resisrance: 11.41

Having watched the video for the Ibanez Xiphos for which these PU's where designed, I`m convinced they would sound mean in my Les Paul. The Xiphos also has a Mahogany body and Rosewood neck. And although I`m no realy fan of Necrophagist - the articulation and clarity of the tone is amazing.

Harmony Central reviews are positive (again LP players) and Guitar World gave them an award. Considering I`m using guage 12 strings and c# drop B tuning I think it's going to be the one.

Any Distortion users have any advice/ or use the same tunings? It's all about crunch and clarity.

I have a feeling if I go for a D-activator in the bridge I might get a PAF Pro in the neck.

Although I`m swaying towards the Dimarzio, the jury is still out, any like-minded players/ gear users please help me decide!