SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

[HJR]

Hello, first post!

I recently picked up 2013 Gibson Les Paul Standard that I really enjoying. Previous owner had changed out the PUs to 490/498 Gibsons. I wasn't planning on doing anything to it anytime soon, but came across a good deal on some Seymour Duncans, so I would wanted to get a feel for people's thoughts on the combinations.

For background, I am definitely a late newbie, having tried to learn in college and failing after a few months as school and life got in the way. Now, as a mid-life crisis I jokingly tell my wife, I have been committed to doing this now for nearly a year, and self taught, so can't say my preferences are fully formed, but I definitely lean classic hard rock.

So the SDs I saw locally for sale are Seth Lover Neck and either Jazz or APHIB for the bridge. They are 4 conductor.

As I have read about them, I thought my ideal would probably be Seth Lover in both. But with the Alnico, having similar specs to the SL but just potted, I thought maybe that would work well. In reading about the Jazz, a lot of forum comments talk about combining it with a SL but in an opposite configuration, Jazz in the neck and SL in the bridge.

Anyways, any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[AlexR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

The seth is much more open than the a2pro. I think the seth N and A2pro bridge would be a good option as some find the Seth B a bit bitey. The jazz is simply an A2pro with an A5 magnet.

 

[daenius]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

Welcome aboard!

If you're new to guitar playing though, I would actually suggest that you don't swap the pickups. This is a great opportunity to learn about and develop your preferences and feel for the guitar and the pickups. The 490 series pickups aren't terrible and they are perfectly fine for classic rock. It's a journey in itself to try to make your guitar and pickups do what you want it to do by just your playing technique and amp settings alone. After playing for a bit longer you form playing habits and that's when you can really feel whether a pickup is holding you back or inspiring you to play more.

Side note, this isn't really a huge concern for most, but Gibson pickups are worth a lot of money and most of them cost more than Duncans new, so it's not like you're getting much of an upgrade in terms of money. Now personally I MUCH prefer Duncans over Gibsons anyday, but that's just me.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

All of those pickups are great in the neck but have too little output to shine in the bridge. The Jazz and A2P are nice and clean but the Seth is just awesome. Right amount of bass and bite with some Gibsony quack to it. I'd say just get the Seth neck if you want and leave your Gibson in the bridge as none of these pups would improve the bridge.

 

[HJR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

The seth is much more open than the a2pro. I think the seth N and A2pro bridge would be a good option as some find the Seth B a bit bitey. The jazz is simply an A2pro with an A5 magnet.

Oh that's interesting. I had read on an older forum post that the A2pro was similar to the SL just potted. What's the biggest difference that magnet makes? And sorry I that is an obvious newbie question.

 

[HJR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

Welcome aboard!

If you're new to guitar playing though, I would actually suggest that you don't swap the pickups. This is a great opportunity to learn about and develop your preferences and feel for the guitar and the pickups. The 490 series pickups aren't terrible and they are perfectly fine for classic rock. It's a journey in itself to try to make your guitar and pickups do what you want it to do by just your playing technique and amp settings alone. After playing for a bit longer you form playing habits and that's when you can really feel whether a pickup is holding you back or inspiring you to play more.

I appreciate this, as I was thinking that maybe I was a little too anxious because I'm so excited about the new guitar. But I figured one way to learn is to also try different pickups, learn how to swap them myself, etc. I figure I can always put them back if it doesn't work for me.

 

[HJR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

All of those pickups are great in the neck but have too little output to shine in the bridge. The Jazz and A2P are nice and clean but the Seth is just awesome. Right amount of bass and bite with some Gibsony quack to it. I'd say just get the Seth neck if you want and leave your Gibson in the bridge as none of these pups would improve the bridge.

Hadn't thought to do that. Actually I like this idea. If you had your choice what would you team with the Seth in the neck and why?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

I too think that if you're a beginner you may not be ready for new pickups.

But I have Seths in two guitars.

I'd recommend a full set.

And they do sound more "rock n roll" without covers.

 

[Mincer]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

I think a full Seth set or a Seth/Alnico II Pro combo is going to be wonderful in an LP. If the sound of the guitar is inspiring, you will play more. Those are all inspiring pickups.

 

[AlexR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

Oh that's interesting. I had read on an older forum post that the A2pro was similar to the SL just potted. What's the biggest difference that magnet makes? And sorry I that is an obvious newbie question.

The way the wire is wound on has a lot more importance as a single aspect than any other factor of the pickup's construction. Some ways the wire is wound on gives more importance to the magnet type used than other ways. But having done a lot of magnet swaps in pickups I have found that the tone of the pickup is still very similar in most cases, but with a slight eq shift.
So the K rating and magnet are not a guide to very similar sounding pickups.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

Hadn't thought to do that. Actually I like this idea. If you had your choice what would you team with the Seth in the neck and why?

I have a Seth in the neck with a JB in the bridge. Both uncovered. I like this combo because I can get classic Gibson humbucker quack in the middle and full sounding, high output, rockin tones in the bridge. If you split them you increase your classic rock bluesy tones even more.

 

[AlexR]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

As an addition.....many people do quite fine with vintage output bridge pickups too.
For nuance you can't take a higher output pickup and simply turn it down to get what you have with the vintage output at full.

It all depends on what you want out of the pickups.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: SD Les Paul Pickup Combos

Previous owner had changed out the PUs to 490/498 Gibsons.

Did I read that right? Someone swapped in a 490/498 set?? What was in it before?

So the SDs I saw locally for sale are Seth Lover Neck and either Jazz or APHIB for the bridge. They are 4 conductor.

Alnico 2 Pro would be fine with a Seth neck. Would sound better and more like a vintage Gibson Les Paul than a 490/498 set. However, if you have difficulty getting good rock and roll sounds out of a 490/498 set, you might want to hang with them for a while and play around changing amp settings, raising/lowering the pickups and making yourself at home with what you have first. Then if you do swap pickups, you will have gotten to know your amp and guitar really well so if you don't like what you're hearing you'll know where it is coming from and not just blame the new pickups.