True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

alanfc

alanfc

New member
As I pace around the living room unplugged, practicing and singing as I do, I find my Les Paul (1993 Standard) has such a great tone acoustically.

I'm looking for a Bridge pickup with the most faithful representation I can get of my unplugged tone. Not acoustic, not clean, I don't mean that. When I hit chords playing unplugged, there is overdrive of sorts. I can hear it. Theres no string buzz or loose pieces in my bridge, thats not what I'm hearing. But I do need heavy rock !

Right now I've got a RioGrande BBQ in the bridge with a 300k vol. pot and the tone disconnected. I think its ALnico 5. Not sure how it rates on the output scale. My neck pickup is a Fralin Unbucker. I find it to be overly bassy and out of control in this guitar, no matter how I adjust its height or polepieces. I only use the bridge position for everything for now. For live playing I really like using the volume knob instead of toggling between pickups within a song.

** So what am I looking for? balanced, flat, low output? ALnico 2? Scooped mids?***
***(I already searched Honest, Faithful, with no answers)

Thanks for your help- if you can figure out what I'm trying to ask :scratchch
 
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Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

Custom 5. From my limited experience, that'll do it.
 
Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

I've used the Custom, C5, CC, JB, Demon, PATB-3, 59, APH, and the Pearly Gates in my own LP. The one that best translates the natural tone of my LP through an amp is the Pearly Gates. It's bright compared to the BBQ, as well as having less output.

As far as the neck, I've used a Phat Cat, 59, APH, and PG. The 59 was too boomy in the lows, had anemic mids (to my ears), and was too spikey on the treble. The APH is smooth, thick, chewey, with nice sparkle and string seperation. It was a bit too smooth for what I do, but it was nice overall. The Phat Cat was cool, with nice high end and plenty of cut, but it was missing some mids to my ears. If your LP is extra boomy in the neck, this is the one to get.

My fave though is the PG. It has plenty of mids, a pulled back low end (which keeps it from getting muddy), and present highs. It also has this really cool uppermid snarl that makes lead lines pop right out of the mix.
 
Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

I thought the full shred was supposed to be neutral and open.
 
Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

Thanks guys..I really like the Pearly Gates in the sound samples..

with that "9" treble rating- what pots/caps are you using for volume and tone?

thanks
 
Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

I forgot to mention I have Graphtech saddles on this guitar (which I will never remove). And a Rivera amp, fairly lo-mid heavy by nature, atleast mine is.
thanks

/edit/
one more thing,
we tune down to D ( to save my voice) and I have size .011 string gauge. These may contribute to the murky live loud sound
 
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Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

I use 500k's all around save for a bridge tone pot at 300k, 50's style wiring, and .022mfd Orange Drop caps.

BTW, I just got a Rivera R100 Duo Twelve with the 85 watt Celestions and my PG loaded LP sound massive through Channel 1 and sparkly and tight throug channel 2.
 
Re: True-est most faithful, plus overdrive (not a trick question)

Benjy_26 said:
I use 500k's all around save for a bridge tone pot at 300k, 50's style wiring, and .022mfd Orange Drop caps.

BTW, I just got a Rivera R100 Duo Twelve with the 85 watt Celestions and my PG loaded LP sound massive through Channel 1 and sparkly and tight throug channel 2.
Click to expand...
OK cool/thanks
 
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