Pup set for les paul custom

[WICKED LESTER]

hello everyone i am new here and have a question
I have 3 LP's customs one Zakk sig,one black beauty and one wine red.
I love the tone from the Zakk one but is there anyway to not have to use emg's to get the other two to sound as good?
the other two have stock gibson pups
the red one has the 498T/490R and the black beauty has burstbuckers.
looking to get as close to the Zakk LP tone as possible?
thanks

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

Put a set of Alnico II's in one LP.
Put a set of Pearly Gates in the other LP.
Your search will be over.
You will love them.
Try 'em.

This is assuming that you've got a good amp set up and a good distortion pedal.

these will make these other two LP's sound as firey as the zakk LP?
I use a 2203ZW half stack and a mxr zw over drive pedal

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

these will make these other two LP's sound as firey as the zakk LP?
I use a 2203ZW half stack and a mxr zw over drive pedal

They may not sound exactly like Zakk. But they will sound gooood.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

Wicked,

Unfortunately nothing will sound like an EMG but an EMG. The Toad's recommendatin will give you some great tonal optins but it won't sound like EMGs. The best thing I can recommend for some heavy riffing and soloing, while keeping a normal output neck is the Distortion bridge/jazz neck. This will give your guitar/s a heavy bridge tone but articulate and lower output neck tone.

Hope that helps man!

Luke

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

Wicked,

Unfortunately nothing will sound like an EMG but an EMG. The Toad's recommendatin will give you some great tonal optins but it won't sound like EMGs. The best thing I can recommend for some heavy riffing and soloing, while keeping a normal output neck is the Distortion bridge/jazz neck. This will give your guitar/s a heavy bridge tone but articulate and lower output neck tone.

Hope that helps man!

Luke

thanks, i know what you mean about trying to make a cat bark like a dog :laugh2: or visaversa.
anyone here use the distortion/jazz in a lester?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

There are a few guys, you just might have to bump the post to keep it on the front page for a while till they see it, or start a new thread and delete this one. For passives I think this will sound great in your Lester and really crunch with your 800.

Luke

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

fftopic:
This may be a bit off topic but not entirely unrelated
Check out this link to an interview with the Scorpionss ULi Jon Roth.
http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=4&storycode=73

He has some comments about sound and tone that (I think) many player's should hear. What do you think?

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

fftopic:
This may be a bit off topic but not entirely unrelated
Check out this link to an interview with the Scorpionss ULi Jon Roth.
http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=4&storycode=73

He has some comments about sound and tone that (I think) many player's should hear. What do you think?

Ulrich roth is a hell of a guitarist and very underated at the same time.
i have been into him for years now.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

There are a few guys, you just might have to bump the post to keep it on the front page for a while till they see it, or start a new thread and delete this one. For passives I think this will sound great in your Lester and really crunch with your 800.

Luke

maybe i will ask some to post clips of a les paul and duncans over at tips and clips?
I think from reading on the main site that you were right about the distortion
seems like it would be close to the emg at least?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

If you've got the software to do it some guys combine soundclips where they will know what a hybrid pup will sound like, or in your cases a jazz/distortion with both pups engaged. Robert had a Distortion bridge and a 59 neck (I think) maybe he'll chime in.

LUke

 

[MikeS]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

If you want 3 identical sounding axes, then go all EMG.

Now, I'd recommend a little variety. Why not go with the Distortion/Jazz in one, and maybe a JB/Jazz, JB/PG, PG,PG, or C5/PG in the other. Anyone of those sets retains the sizzle to drive the amp but each has a slightly different, more PAF voice.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

If you want 3 identical sounding axes, then go all EMG.

.

well i dont feel they would all have the same exact tone?
the black beauty is all mahogany(no maple cap)
the wine red has a maple top and a mahogany neck
and the zakk has a maple top,maple neck(unfinished) and a mahogany back
all have ebony boards.
I think i may really like the distortion and possible the JB but do these models have the clarity and quietness of the actives?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

well i dont feel they would all have the same exact tone?
the black beauty is all mahogany(no maple cap)
the wine red has a maple top and a mahogany neck
and the Zakk has a maple top,maple neck(unfinished) and a mahogany back
all have ebony boards.
I think i may really like the distortion and possible the JB but do these models have the clarity and quietness of the actives?

You're right these guitars are not going to sound the same. If you have a all mahogany Black Beauty slap in some brighter pups to really cut. The Jazz Distortion would KICK in the Black Beauty. It wouldn't cut as well as it would in the Red one but it would be thicker and creamier. If you want more brightness in the Black Beauty go JB. It has less low end than the Distortion and a large upper mids spike that cuts through like nothing else. Lots of guys like it in maple cap LP's, I didn't though.

If it was me I'd go:

Black Beauty Jazz/JB (If I wanted to brighten it, if not Distortion)

Red Wine Jazz/Distortion

I tried a C5 in my old custom and it sounded like crap I thought. A custom would be another good choice if you wanted a pup with some grind but not quite as much as the Distortion.

Luke

 

[Destructone]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

BILL LAWRENCE L500XL in the bridge and a Duncan 59 in the neck.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

You're right these guitars are not going to sound the same. If you have a all mahogany Black Beauty slap in some brighter pups to really cut. The Jazz Distortion would KICK in the Black Beauty. It wouldn't cut as well as it would in the Red one but it would be thicker and creamier. If you want more brightness in the Black Beauty go JB. It has less low end than the Distortion and a large upper mids spike that cuts through like nothing else. Lots of guys like it in maple cap LP's, I didn't though.

If it was me I'd go:

Black Beauty Jazz/JB (If I wanted to brighten it, if not Distortion)

Red Wine Jazz/Distortion

I tried a C5 in my old custom and it sounded like crap I thought. A custom would be another good choice if you wanted a pup with some grind but not quite as much as the Distortion.

Luke

luke duke i think i will try the distortion/jazz combo in the black one first
and if it is not bright enough try the JB or custom there?
I see the custom has good brightness but more bass than the JB?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

luke duke i think i will try the distortion/jazz combo in the black one first
and if it is not bright enough try the JB or custom there?
I see the custom has good brightness but more bass than the JB?

Yeah man! The Custom is going to be PAF style pups kicked up a few notches. The bass and mids are going to give you more grind and thickness. The treble is going to cut. The custom has found home in MANY LP's. It's not as thick or as brewtal as the Distortion but you've got the 2203ZW to make up for it. After your thread yesterday I've been thinking a lot about a Custom with the distortion magnet, not necessarily for you though unless you just wanted one..

Being there is no maple cap on the black one I'd give that guitar a bridge pup with good cut ability.

Anyways if you don't get what you are looking for you 21 days to return the pup.

Luke

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pup set for les paul custom

You know, the thing I keep hearing is that you like the EMG's. Why not get them? Otherwise, exactly what sort of tones are you looking for?

I have a bunch of guitars & pups, and I keep trying to make them sound like my fav Paul. Take home message: Stop getting other guitars - I like Pauls. If you like active, get active, unless you can articulate exactly what else it is you want...

I'd like to recommend some SD's - but it just doesn't sound like what you want.