Versatile pickups for Les paul

[buffa d]

Hi y'all!

I have a 2014 Gibson lp traditional that doesn't quite sound the way I'd like it to. My instinct is that the problem is with the 57 classic/57 classic+ pickups.
The bridge doesn't have enough kick, clarity or tightness to it when overdriven. However while playing clean it seems to have a strange thin voice to it.

The neck, on the other hand, has a nice creamy & singing tone to it when the tone knob is on 10 but anything lower than that is just mud.
Clean sounds are lovely, though.

What I am looking for is a set of pickups that really sing in a les paul (mostly play modern blues and rock by myself at home).
Though, lately I have been playing a lot of metal and modern hard rock stuff but the 57 classics really don't have enough tightness or punch for more aggressive styles.

I also like to use my vol/tone knobs a lot so the ability to clean up is important.
Basically I am looking for something that can go from Lamb of God & Deftones to Joe Bonamassa and GnR.

...With a twist of a volume knob

I was thinking:
BKP Holydiver set
BKP Rebel yell set
SD 59/custom hybrid & 59 set
Suhr Aldrich set

Also, my amp is an apartment-friendly Blackstar HT-1.

Thanks!
-D

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

P-Rails with Triple Shots is pretty darn versatile.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

I'm going to suggest:

59/Custom b and PG n

or….

JB / 59

 

[Aceman]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

And going from Bonamassa to LOG is about amp and pedals - not pups, IMO

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

And going from Bonamassa to LOG is about amp and pedals - not pups, IMO

Yeah hes not going to get all that out of that blackstar no matter what pickups hes feeds it. No pickup is going to do all that with only the volume.

I say BKP Cold Sweats, Dimarzio Norton, Air Norton, SD Pegasus+Sentient.

 

[buffa d]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

I know what you mean about amps. The 57 classic just doesn't have the tightness or kick for heavier styles.
I am really interested in the Aldrich set and the 59/custom & 59 set right now too.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

ive never played the Suhr pickups so sorry i cant help you there.

The 59/C is a cool pickup that does a great job of sitting right between a 59 and a custom. It does the hard rock thing well and can be backed off for cleans and boosted for heavier stuff. I'm not a fan of the 59 in the neck, I think anything it does the Pearly Gates neck does better.

 

[buffa d]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

The pearly gates has always intrigued me..

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

Pearlys are awesome. Just put a pair into an LP Studio I have.

I'd also recommend the Whole Lotta Humbuckers.

Aceman's recommendation was probably one of the best suggestions based on your description.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

Seth set
AIIP set
Jazz set

Seths are the most versatile, being the lowest powered of the three. You can always beef up a thin pickup with gain and e.q. It's not so easy to do the opposite (thin out a beefier pickup). If you need a wide range from clean to dirty, the Seths are the pickups.

AIIP's are nearly as good in the versatility department, but they are a bit hotter sounding.

The Jazz set is a bit more powerful and less "juicy" than an AIIP set. They are dryer and louder, but still very versatile.

You can also mix-n-match. It's hard for me to recommend anything but a Seth in the neck spot, especially when versatility is the main criterion. They are simply one of the sweetest and most versatile neck humbuckers I've ever heard. Seth neck with AIIP bridge is a very nice set - the best of both worlds: Seth neck wonderfulness, but with a spicier bridge pickup than the Seth bridge. Seth neck with Jazz bridge is also very good if you want an even more aggressive and stiffer bridge pickup.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

Seth set
AIIP set

Two great PAF's.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

Two great PAF's.

A2pros are not PAF's

 

[Mincer]

Re: Versatile pickups for Les paul

I think the lower powered they are, the more versatile they are. You can always boost a signal, but an already-compressed signal is difficult to do anything with. BTW, I gave my answer to this on one of the other forums you posted to.