Pickups for Gibson LP classic

Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

I might get a deal on a 57 classic for neck and 500t for bridge. Would give a opportunity for more vintage neck, but do anyone have an idea about how the balance of the volume would turn out? I think the 496r are a little lower in volume than my 500t in the V anyway.

The distortion could be interesting. The consensus according to searching the forum seems to be that 500t and this one is quite similar though.

I'm pretty sure about trying the 500t now, but not about what neck. 57,496 or 490r. I think I will go for 57 classic + 500t.
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

DonP said:
This has got to be the stupidest thing I've heard.

The Classic was an upgrade to the Standard when it first came out in 1990, and it was a better guitar until the 2002 Standard came out.

Here, go educate yourself.
http://www.lespaulforum.com/finalframes/frameset.htm
Click to expand...

Don - I'll admit I'm a player, not a collector. But I play only Les Pauls. Now - maybe I'm missing something from the original post. But I have played quite a few of these. They are a decent price performer LP. The end. All LP's will appreciate (unfortunately), but there is not a thing about these that will make it a sought after prize in 20 years or ever. The stupid yellow frets will likely make them nunsellable and cause them to go for bargain prices compared to solid LP Standards. And the pup set is meh period. Individual pieces may vary, course.

And the Les Paul forum is a wealth of info both rare and obscure. But it is also the land of Les Paul fanbois who might sing the praises of the Les Paul Custom turdwood...I've been there.

If you are gonna play it, then let's play it and not make an investment based decision on a working class instrument.
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

Aceman said:
As for the keep it 'original' - it's a classic (read junk) it is not an investment LP in any way shape or form. And who cares, if it sounds like crap who would want it anyway!!!!
Click to expand...

This is a little over the top - the Classic is a decent instrument. Not a collectors item, but certainly not junk.

I agree with a previous poster - 500T in the bridge is the way to go. The 496r is kinda "ehh" for me, but the 500t will rock all night for ya.
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

Aceman said:
And the Les Paul forum is a wealth of info both rare and obscure. But it is also the land of Les Paul fanbois who might sing the praises of the Les Paul Custom turdwood...I've been there.
Click to expand...

Agreed... but it IS a Les Paul forum after all...
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

I have two of the LP 1960 Classic Plus guitars. One is a 1996 in HCSB with the Duncan A2 Seth Lover 50th Anniversary pickups. The other is a 1997 Honeyburst with Antiquitys. Both have other upgrades: Gotoh LW aluminum tailpieces, metal jackplates and Schaller straplocks. The inlays look nicely aged, not the greenish-yellow of some of the later guitars.

These are better guitars than the Standards of the day, and more expensive. They were more expensive than Standards, with nicer tops. Mine look very authentic, ala the tops seen in "Beauty Of The Burst". The workmanship on both of my guitars is excellent. Blue book prices on mine have jumped about $700 over what I paid for them in 2003.

They may not be great collectibles, but these are very fine guitars; with about 90% of the vibe of my Historic LPs.

It's too bad that Gibson cheapened, and then discontinued this line.

Bill
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

The Dali said:
This is a little over the top - the Classic is a decent instrument. Not a collectors item, but certainly not junk.

I agree with a previous poster - 500T in the bridge is the way to go. The 496r is kinda "ehh" for me, but the 500t will rock all night for ya.
Click to expand...

I apologize for the junk comment - a little too much response to the "keep it original" line.

Yes - decent LP. But not worth 'keeping original' in any sense.
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

I was a little misunderstood with my writing of keeping it original. I guess I should have written something like "go back to a pup that Gibson actually decide to put in their LP's" or something. Keeping it original is impossible when somebody already changed to duncans isn't it? Last owner also put on a nice nut made of bone in place of gibson's white plastic so I can not fool anyone to believe it's original by changing the PU's back.

I view buying guitars as an investment in me as a guitarist. Playing guitar is for me one of my ways of self-realization, even though it could turn in to consumption if I get to many of them. Being bought on the aftermarked, they do not drop that much in the price either, and that justifies getting nice ones like Gibson.

Boogie Bill, what's the antiq's selling for used in USA? I live in Norway, and prices are pretty high here on guitars and PU's. Don't know if anyone want anitq's over here though. Small country..
 
Re: Pickups for Gibson LP classic

Funny Story about my Classic..
I bought it from a lawyer, you has played out localy for probebly 20 years..
I seen his add in the paper wanting to sell it, and a friend who was buying tradeing, and selling amps and guitars had 9 LP's for sale at the time, two ,1960 Classics..
So I already knew what I could get from him, for what price..
When I picked up the guitar I bought, I doodled with it unplugged a bit..
You can feel a good guitar in your hands almost better than you can hear it after you have played a few..
I asked him why he wanted to sell it, because I seen nothing at all wrong with it.
He said he bought it looking for a beefy clunky tone, and it just did not seem to have it.
And he was not happy with it playing out.
I knew what my friend wanted fror his,, and I had played them enough..
We plugged it in to a little tube amp,, it was not bad, but not great..
I offered him 200 bucks less than he was asking..
He turned it down..
I left figuring I would probebly go back to my friends and decide on what one of his two I would buy..
The next day I get a call,, hey,, you still want that guitar for what you offered? I got one I want and have to move on it quick..
See ya in a few..
Went and picked it up..
Decided to use the 200 bucks I saved and put it into some decent pickups for it..
Wanted to set it up different than my Eppi,, so the Antiquitys looked like a good way to go...
When I popped the cover to un-solder the PU's,, I found the lead running to the tone pot from the neck PU, just setting in a ball of solder, not connected...
Its probebly a good thing he did not look there, or send it back to Gibson for a checkup.. ;)
My dad and his 15 brothers and sisters grew up in Allegan County Michigan..
One of his brothers worked in the Gibson plant in the 1960's..
Historicly they had there ups and downs just and any business has had..
The later 60's and especially 70's & 80's were not very good years for them.
When they scuttled the plant and moved to Nashville, they only took a handfull of craftsmen..
It probebly took them near 20 years to get even started to build a decent guitar consistantly..
If you dont deleive me,, play a bunch from those years , say 77-90, and see what you think.
In 1959 they hand built about 735 Les Paul Sunburst..
Its why they are worth a pretty good chunk of change..
I dont know there numbers today, but thats likely a daily figure.
In 1996 when I bought my 50th Aniversary Strat..
Fender was makeing 1,100 Stratocasters a day..
A few good ones do slip threw.. ;)
I was playing a few weeks ago with a friend and his 78 LP Custom..
His action is lower, he uses lighter strings, and Dimarzio's..
He liked the tone of mine ,and the way it plays..
But we both noticed mine is probebly weighs about a pound more..
My tone is nice, but on an ageing back,, I have to wonder..:D
http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2009/08/legendary_guitarmaker_left_mar.html
 
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