Please Help Selecting Pickups for Les Paul Standard!!

[shaps6]

Hey,

I'm a bit new to this forum, but I was hoping that I could get some help.

I want to replace the stock 490R & 498T pickups in my Les Paul (Gibson), but I'm having trouble deciding which pickups to go with. I've been looking at the following combinations (neck and bridge, respectively):

1) '59 & JB
2) Pearly Gates & JB
3) Jazz & JB
4) Pearly Gates & Pearly Gates


I'd like my neck pickup to sound "flutey" when distorted and some more defined harmonics in my bridge pickup. An overall PAF-ish tone, yet without being too muddy (I mean, it's the reason I decided to change the pickups in the first place).

Basic setup with effect chain is as follows:

TU-2
Vox Wah
Fulltone OCD
Boss Delay

Into either a Blues Jr or Peavey Delta Blues.


Right. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[classic-rock]

Re: Please Help Selecting Pickups for Les Paul Standard!!

Hey,

I'm a bit new to this forum, but I was hoping that I could get some help.

I want to replace the stock 490R & 498T pickups in my Les Paul (Gibson), but I'm having trouble deciding which pickups to go with. I've been looking at the following combinations (neck and bridge, respectively):

1) '59 & JB
2) Pearly Gates & JB
3) Jazz & JB
4) Pearly Gates & Pearly Gates


I'd like my neck pickup to sound "flutey" when distorted and some more defined harmonics in my bridge pickup. An overall PAF-ish tone, yet without being too muddy (I mean, it's the reason I decided to change the pickups in the first place).

Basic setup and effect chain is as follows:

TU-2
Vox Wah
Fulltone OCD
Boss Delay

Into either a Blues Jr or Peavey Delta Blues.


Right. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bro, I use the same pedals except my wah is a Fulltone Clyde. Are you doing classic rock? If so try the JB and the 59. I really like that combo, but if you want more lower mids I`d go with the Custom Custom in the bridge. Cuts a bit of bass too so you don`t get muddy overloading your amps input with bass bass like that PV might. I believe the tonestack is before the preamp on that one so it will allow you to turn the bass up a bit without getting too mushy. Still does classic rock and anything else good, including blues. So does the JB, Robben Ford uses one. Good luck, and that OCD kills when you get it set right..you argee?

 

[shaps6]

Re: Please Help Selecting Pickups for Les Paul Standard!!

Yea, classic rock/bluesy sound...like the good old days. Forgive my ignorance, but how will adding lower mids affect my sound with respect to the 59/jb combo?

The OCD does sound nicer than the other disto pedals that I've played around with, though I've found that it makes my LP sound even muddier and fuzzier with the stock pickups.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Please Help Selecting Pickups for Les Paul Standard!!

Between the 59N, Jazz N and PGn I'd definately go for the Jazz n over the 59n and I'd go for the PGn over either.

That flutey character you're describing reminds me of the PGn or AIIPro. I think you might like either of those. Those are alnico 2 pickups and they will have less mud in the bass frequencies than the 59n.

Actually, you might like a set of AIIPros...or a set of the Pearly Gates. Both are superb pickup sets in a Les Paul.

If you want a hotter bridge pickup, I'm going to recommend my current favorite: the Duncan Custom.

It has become my favorite bridge humbucker over the past couple of weeks.

It's like a 59 Gibson paf, but with more output and more mids...and the highs are very ear friendly. The JB is a great pickup but some love it and some hate it...it has an edge to the upper mids that some people dislike when used with the 500K pots that come standard on most Les Pauls.

The Custom sounds dynamite with 500K pots...as does the PGn and AIIPro.

I'm going to recommend the PGn and Duncan Custom for a vintage neck and hotter than vintage bridge.

Or a set of PG's if you want to stay vintage for both the neck and bridge pickups. That's the Billy Gibbons set.

Or if you like Slash's tone, he uses the AIIPros in his Les Paul.

Lew

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Please Help Selecting Pickups for Les Paul Standard!!

I agree with Lew's choice. Any of the 3 Customs sound great in the bridge, and the PG always goes good with them. I think of it as Custom for metal, C-5 for heavy rock, and CC for blues rock.