Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

[Streetsleeper]

Hi there

I've got a 57 reissue Goldtop, it originally came with the stock Gibson pickups but I replaced them with SD Alnico II Pro's. It sounds alright but isn't quite as cutting as I'd like and is a bit 'Woody' sounding.

In case you don't know it's mahogany body with maple cap, rosewood fingerboard. I play with 11 - 54 strings.

Any suggestions as to what would sound good? (JB maybe?) I play rock but don't go for a saturated metal sound & sometimes downtune. Usually play through an Orange Rockerverb Mk II 50W combo amp.

Cheers!!!!

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Sounds like you want something with A5 magnets. Try the 59 or the Whole Lotta Humbucker. How do you like the current neck pickup?

 

[chadd]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Some flavor of Custom and a Jazz or 59 neck.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Brobucker.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

SD Alnico II Pro's. It sounds alright but isn't quite as cutting as I'd like and is a bit 'Woody' sounding.

Slash Set. Thats pretty much what you are describing.


...oh yeah. and make sure you have 500k pots, rather than the 300k pots that come stock in most gibtones.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

What year is your reissue? Early ones came with the '57 Classics, then the BB 1&2, and now the Custom Buckers.

Bill

 

[Streetsleeper]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

What year is your reissue? Early ones came with the '57 Classics, then the BB 1&2, and now the Custom Buckers.

Bill

It's a 2004 (Serial 74451) and no I don't know/ can't remember what pickups it came with originally. I do remember they were quite prone to feedback. I still have them stashed away in a box somewhere.

Thanks!

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Those would probably be the BB 1&2s. Potting would be an inexpensive way to solve the feedback problems.

But other than going back to the stock pickups, it sounds like the WLH set would be a good one for you. Perhaps the Jazz/JB or '59/JB; or the PG neck with one of the various Customs.

My personal favs in my Les Pauls are the BB 1&2, Seths, and Antiquitys, in no particular order. But, I'm not sure those will give YOU what you're looking for.

Good Luck!

Bill

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

I bet if you put an A5 in the bridge, maybe roughcast, you would be pleased with the overall sound. It would turn that bridge AII pro into a Jazz. Put a UOA5 in if you want a bit more mids.
If the neck needs tightening up, put in an A4. If you want it just a bit fatter, go with the UOA5.

 

[lordraptor1]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Hi there

I've got a 57 reissue Goldtop, it originally came with the stock Gibson pickups but I replaced them with SD Alnico II Pro's. It sounds alright but isn't quite as cutting as I'd like and is a bit 'Woody' sounding.

In case you don't know it's mahogany body with maple cap, rosewood fingerboard. I play with 11 - 54 strings.

Any suggestions as to what would sound good? (JB maybe?) I play rock but don't go for a saturated metal sound & sometimes downtune. Usually play through an Orange Rockerverb Mk II 50W combo amp.

Cheers!!!!

classic 57 set (Gibson)
stock set have no idea what they are ( epiphone)
slash set
( could go 81/85 but i personally didn't care for that setup)

also note your caps i find that a .015 Sprague orange drop on neck pup and .022 Sprague orange drop on bridge to be the ideal combination.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

The A2 pro is a nice thick pickup, but it is potted and the wind (like its wind partner the Jazz) is flat and even - this more controlled tone is less vibrant that others that are about.

The Seth Lover would be an A2 pickup with much more liveliness....pickups aren't solely tonally defined by their magnet types. It is a design and wind based on what Seth Lover did for the PAF application. It will be much more along the lines of what a good a2 pickup can do.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

To get more "cutting" you need some P-90 goodness in that goldtop.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Sounds like you want something with A5 magnets. Try the 59 or the Whole Lotta Humbucker.

Definitely WLH, maybe on the '59. '59N's have a tendency to be boomy/bassy in LP's. That's fixed by putting in an A4 or A3 magnet. If you don't want to change magnets, then a '59N isn't the best choice.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

if you dont want woody then id stay away from alnico II magnets and paf type winds.

is the output ok or do you want more? if the output is basically ok, id swap alnico V magnets into what you have to get a pair of jazz pups as some one else mentioned. they are very clear and tight and handle gain really well

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

Besides being prone to feedback, what did you not like about the originals? What were you trying to improve by replacing them?

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

I might be tempted to go for a Whole Lotta Humbucker set or a Pearly Gates Set. The WLH set is a heavier tone, kind of thumpy. The PG set is spicy and stinging at times, but still somewhat smooth. Both are good for classic blues rock and classic/early heavy metal - i.e. overdriven, but not a ton. They cover the same "genres" well. The WLH's just have a more percussive, meaty sound, while the PGs are more singing.

A JB is very thick and growling pickup, not bright or snappy sounding. Not a good choice if you want a lot of brightness or articulation in chords. It's probably too hot for what you want. However, it does split or play in parallel very, very nicely. You could wire it normally in parallel or split, and have a switch to give you the full series output when you want it.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

WLH set for a more vintagey sound. Sounds tight enough for faster metal stuff, has more mids and doesn't sound as woody as like a '59. Overall throaty, meaty sound.
For a more modern articulate sound I'd go for the Jazz neck and either a Custom, Custom 5 or Screamin' Demon bridge.

 

[elelpe]

Re: Pickup suggestions for Les Paul Goldtop 57 Reissue

+ 1 for Screamin' Demon bridge and Jazz neck.