Pickups For Black Beauty?

[Chistopher]

I got a chance to play an Epiphone Black Beauty the other day. I didn't buy it, but the guy runnin' the store says it's been around for a while, so I don't need any quick answers. But anyway, what pickups would you guys recommend for one? I'm thinking moderate output bridge, Phat Cat middle (with a possible magnet swap, I have no experience with one in the middle position) and a PAF in the neck.

What I have so far is Seth Lover neck and A2 JB bridge. I'm almost certain that the magnets will need to be swapped in the Phat Cat to get it to match well with the other pickups. I am definitely open to other options.

Question #2, how will 4 full sized bar magnets affect the sustain? And will the pickups magnet fields interact with each other?

Final question: I read from multiple sources the middle pickup is traditionally out of phase on a BB, anyone try this with a P90?

I plan on keeping the wiring stock, but I'd like to hear some of your ideas.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Are there any tonal problems you want to correct with pickups? and...what kind of music are you going to play?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Magnets and strings interact badly only when the pickup is too close. This extends to 3 pickup guitars, but unlike the strat where the magnet is at the top of the pickup, a humbucker/p90 mag is at the bottom.
In short you will need to be careful, but its not an impossibility for such a setup to work.

Typically all pickups in the originals were the same vintage type output, so if you keep vintage strength (or maybe low magnet gauss) to n & m that would work - as they are the more crucial spots.

As to the OOP, there is conflicting info - even within the same threads. My take on it is that unless you fluke it, the tone is usually not something most players like. I had a pickup set that worked well when I had accidentally swapped a mag in wrong.....but then once that pair was fitted in another guitar it was back to being unpleasant.

I would check out the 'free-way' switching which gives you more options - might give you some pause for thought about the options

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

The stock neck pickup is quite hot and way too bassy.
The bridge is okay, but if I replace the other two, I should replace that one as well. And I just don't care for the middle position with the current setup.

Tonewise, I'm just going for a good "frowny face" eq for the neck and bridge, and the OOP middle position to have a happy face.

I want a clear, articulate neck. My go-to neck pickups on Fenders are the PG or Jazz pickups. I don't care for the PG in Les Pauls and the Jazz is too modern sounding for this build. So I thought possibly Seth Lover.

For the bridge I want a hot PAF type deal, maybe an A2 JB or a Saturday Night Special.

And the P90 has to be a HB sized P90, so there's a Phat Cat. I don't know what magnet combo, so maybe someone will step in on that. But I want a good hollow lead sound. I don't have any experience with out of phase bridge/middle on a Les Paul so I don't have much info on that.

I'm trying to stick pretty vintage, think around the time people started using volume for distortion. This will be going through a Marshall DSL100 with a 412 cab.

Any pickup combinations that don't meet my requirements but you think are really good are also appreciated.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

As to the OOP, there is conflicting info - even within the same threads. My take on it is that unless you fluke it, the tone is usually not something most players like. I had a pickup set that worked well when I had accidentally swapped a mag in wrong.....but then once that pair was fitted in another guitar it was back to being unpleasant.

I was talking to the man that runs the store he and he was saying that the Epi isn't out of phase in the middle, but he played a vintage Gibson BB that was. He said he thought it was a neat sound, so I thought I'd try it out.

Edit: I was just thinking, since the Phat Cat isn't in any other positions and has two whole magnets to play with, I might be able to get it to work in the OOP position.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I got a chance to play an Epiphone Black Beauty the other day. I didn't buy it, but the guy runnin' the store says it's been around for a while, so I don't need any quick answers. But anyway, what pickups would you guys recommend for one? I'm thinking moderate output bridge, Phat Cat middle (with a possible magnet swap, I have no experience with one in the middle position) and a PAF in the neck.

What I have so far is Seth Lover neck and A2 JB bridge. I'm almost certain that the magnets will need to be swapped in the Phat Cat to get it to match well with the other pickups. I am definitely open to other options.

Question #2, how will 4 full sized bar magnets affect the sustain? And will the pickups magnet fields interact with each other?

Final question: I read from multiple sources the middle pickup is traditionally out of phase on a BB, anyone try this with a P90?

I plan on keeping the wiring stock, but I'd like to hear some of your ideas.

Cristopher, you should be looking for this toggle to have good p'up combinations:

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Free-Way_Pickup_Switch.html

The standard Epi BB wiring is to have each p'up by itself.

HTH,

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Cristopher, you should be looking for this toggle to have good p'up combinations:

http://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Components_and_Parts/Free-Way_Pickup_Switch.html

The standard Epi BB wiring is to have each p'up by itself.

HTH,

I was thinking about that, but I don't trust myself to not bump it into the wrong position on accident. I would hate to accidentally find myself in middle pickup alone when I meant for bridge and middle, or something of that nature.

 

[gregory]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

My 1976 Black Beauty stock wiring:
Bridge/Bridge+Middle/Neck
All in phase
Bridge and middle share 1 volume and tone.

My long-time pickup combination:
SH-5 and two period correct T-Tops.

I keep promising to switch to an SH-16 with an RUA5 or just put an RUA5 in the SH-5.

Toggle swith in the middle position with the SH-5 + T-Top is money (the reason I'm reluctant to mess with the bridge PU). The T-Top in the neck spot is money too.

The one thing I like to do with Les Pauls is to move the neck to the furthest volume and tone controls.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I've heard a Gibson 490R with a short RCA5 is pretty similar to some T-tops. Is this true? I might consider one in the neck.

 

[gregory]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I have no idea. Unlike some of my other axes, my LP has never caused me to go on any quests chasing tone.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I've heard a Gibson 490R with a short RCA5 is pretty similar to some T-tops. Is this true?

No.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Its a bit too hot and potted to really be there....but it has some tonal elements that you could say are similar if you're not being too anal.

If you want a cheap t-top and for it to be somewhat right tonally then Vineham pickups offer custom wound pickups cheaper than Duncan.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I think I'll try the Seth Lover and JB A2 combo when I get around to buying the guitar, then if those work right, I'll start worrying about the magnets in the Phat Cat. I think I have a spare one laying around.

I might consider the Vineham if the Seth/JB combo doesn't work. Even as cheap as Vineham is a used JB is easily half that.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I'd go with something in the Custom series, rather than any kind of JB. Customs work very well in Gibson-design guitars, with a variety of magnets.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I'd go with something in the Custom series, rather than any kind of JB. Customs work very well in Gibson-design guitars, with a variety of magnets.

Which would you recommend? I got quite a lot of magnets and a Custom lying around.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Which would you recommend? I got quite a lot of magnets and a Custom lying around.

To go with a Seth neck, a Custom with an UOA5 would be nice; less in-your-face, and more vintage texture.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Would you happen to have any advice on the Phat Cat? I'll try it stock first, but what magnets do you think will respond best to out of phase? My friend has a SG Custom with a A4/A4 bridge Phat Cat in the middle and it sounds great. Don't know how it would sound out of phase though...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

I'd do three Seth Lovers or three Pearly Gates.

Maybe two neck models and then a bridge model for the bridge.

Guess you could do a neck model and two bridge models.

But I'd probably do two neck models and a bridge model.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Given the position of the switch, why would you be concerned about accidentally knocking it out of place? For myself, I've always found lp switches quite awkward to change while playing and can't imagine accidentally hitting it.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickups For Black Beauty?

Given the position of the switch, why would you be concerned about accidentally knocking it out of place? For myself, I've always found lp switches quite awkward to change while playing and can't imagine accidentally hitting it.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

I meant when I do hit it I think I'd hit it into the wrong position. Sometimes even on a 3-way I'll hit it into the wrong position.