What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

[Luke Duke]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

(78 model)

The one time I took mine the only amp for me was a Mesa DC-5 which sounds a little edgy anyway. In combination with the '78 in the bridge I couldn't get anything pleasant going.

Weird! It must not play well with the DC-5? I haven't had any issues with Marshalls or Fenders.

 

[uOpt]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Weird! It must not play well with the DC-5? I haven't had any issues with Marshalls or Fenders.

No, it's just that the DC-5 is not a good amp to play at low volumes (*) and the 78 model makes it worse. It was in a home with no drums, so...


(*) I suppose you could play better but that's difficult to do on the fly

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Hi Guys! Thot I'd share this video with you of Duane Allman's '57 Goldtop played by Vince Gill. This is my idea of a great sounding Les Paul. The warmth that I hear this guitar having reminds me very much of Seth Lovers or Duncan Antiquity humbuckers. I would opt for a calibrated set with the neck pickup underwound compared to the bridge pickup. But the pickups in Duane's guitar are probably both identical, and being from 1957, both alnico 2. Enjoy!

 

[Aceman]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

It doesn't sound 'like' anything. It IS a Pearly Gates.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Not sure I said I was going for the Page thing. Maybe? I don't believe in going for a particular player. If their signature gear fits me, great. I have a PRS DGT that I absolutely love but I don't listen to David Grissom's music. I will indeed pick up a WLH set at some point because of my love for Zep but I'm not joining any cover bands. At this point, the Dimarzio is it for me. I think it's the mix of Virtual Vintage/Airbucker that "does it" for me. I like elements of A2 and A5 pafs and this thing seems to have the of the elements of both that I like. I'm just having a discussion about tone as well, not really looking for help. I think it's fun to experiment and discover new nuances in tone. Kind of like playing with bunches of amps and what-not but pickups are pretty dang affordable and easy to buy/experiment with on occasion.

The Page thing (at least I thought so) seemed to match your description perfectly - cover band or no cover band. I think you just have similar tastes for an idea but definitely not one of those copy-paste guys. Was the Achilles Last Stand tone kinda what you were looking for?

Let's not get carried away with crazy suggestions.

My Tele (ash/maple/maple) is actually warmer than my Les Paul (mahogany/mahogany/rosewood). I don't get it, I put 500K pots in my tele and used ceramic magnet pickups to brighten it up but it is still very thick sounding and dominates my thin sounding Les Paul that has a C8 in it. Everything is wired correctly, what magnets should I try?

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

I've played with a lot of the PAF variants. To be honest, if have found the the 59s get me where I want to be when adjusted properly.

That said, Peter Frampton gets some of my all time favorite Les Paul tones, and his guitars are loaded with a Classic 57 in the neck and a 500T in the bridge.

Interesting about Frampton, as I dig his music quite a bit.

 

[SFW]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Interesting about Frampton, as I dig his music quite a bit.

Here's a clip where he uses that combo..



He even had them loaded into his original 3 pickup Custom when he got the guitar back.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

I like them there Burt's Buckers. Why? Because I tried everything else and like them the best? No, because I switched to them from stock Epiphones of about ten years ago.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Not sure if I can offer too much to your search, but I really really enjoyed your review of the bonamassa vs slash set as Ive been kicking around tween those and a WLH set for my final LP project!!!

only thing I can add is that I have a PG set in a LP and its a GREAT all around tone from blues to rock to metal. I used to be a big fan of 59b models in the neck but they can be boomy on a shorter scale axe so in my explorer I put in an A4 mag to tame it alil.
Ive not tried seths or ants, but they have alot of favor.

 

[stringbender11]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

My 'LP" is a bolt-on neck Epi Lp jr. I currently have an Epi Alnico Plus in it and really like the sound - it's very full, not muddy at all. I like it much better than the stock PU that came in it, and some others from Epi I've compared it to. It has a very (to my ears) 'classic' rock sound - clean if you want it, but can get crunchy as well. The Stones and Zep would be examples of that sound to me.

I also just picked up a used Duncan Alnico Pro 2 which I have high hopes for, too. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet, but I'll probably put it in my other Jr.

 

[lemonman]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

The best PAF replica in a LP I've found is a Seth bridge with a full strength A5. Antiquity is real good too, a little weaker in the attack but blooms more.

 

[tonaholic]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Not sure if I can offer too much to your search, but I really really enjoyed your review of the bonamassa vs slash set as Ive been kicking around tween those and a WLH set for my final LP project!!!

only thing I can add is that I have a PG set in a LP and its a GREAT all around tone from blues to rock to metal. I used to be a big fan of 59b models in the neck but they can be boomy on a shorter scale axe so in my explorer I put in an A4 mag to tame it alil.
Ive not tried seths or ants, but they have alot of favor.

Thanks! I noticed that there aren't too many reviews out there and wanted to share my experience with them.

I look forward to checking out the PG set eventually.

 

[tonaholic]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Just threw the 36th back in. These REALLY do it for me. All that vintage "electronics breaking up" vibe that the Ants and Bonamassa do but way more clarity and the best of both A2's squishy attack and the presence/tight bass response of an A5. I can only imagine its the airbucker that gives it the mixed mag feeling and the virtual vintage that gives it the antiquity style vintage vibe. They have the right amount of bass, mids and treble without the treble being bright or harsh and the bass isn't boomy. The best part is they're "hollow" sounding. Like you've landed this ultra resonant old guitar and are playing the most acoustically rich, old piece of wood. Honestly, these things just make me happy and will be staying in my H150 (LP style guitar) for a long time.

 

[Lux84]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

I got right now Custom on bridge and Pearly Gates on neck. whatever, i think i'll change Custom on bridge for Pearly Gates on bridge soon.

 

[tonaholic]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

I got right now Custom on bridge and Pearly Gates on neck. whatever, i think i'll change Custom on bridge for Pearly Gates on bridge soon.

What are your impressions? Compared to other sets? What kind of amp do you play through?

 

[SJ318]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

Hi,
I agree with lemonman 1000%! I have a Seth w/a5 mag in 4 of my guitars. Sounds like Mike Bloomfield. Had CS make a nice zebra Seth with a5mag.
Steve Buffington

 

[AlexR]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

I've just been spending some time recently with the Tarbacks that came in my 85 SG. These are a low K wind (7k and 6k I think) and the clarity plus the touch sensitivity is fantastic. Helps that they're in a 335 clone, but they really seem to have some of the subtleties that I've heard only in original bursts.

 

[Lux84]

Re: What's your perfect Les Paul PAF sound like? Which model delivers it for you?

My impressions? SH6 Distortion is better for me as a high output pickup. in my SG. i can really get those thrash metal tones easily with a boost, but if i turn the volume down on a guitar a bit, i get some really nice 80's heavy metal tones. also i have an SH2 Jazz on the neck position of my SG and it's really cool pickup with SH6 on bridge. it is heavy/thrash pickup combo, but it can do modern metal like lamb of god very well too. The Pearly Gates on the neck i really like for that smooth, warm bluesy tones in my Les Paul. but SH5 Custom, for some reason don't sound to me that right. nothing special to say about it. i hate all this output and ceramic sound when i play vintage blues/rock stuff. i think the Pearly Gates on bridge would be much better for that stuff. SGackheart Handsome Devil. it's two different amps. right now i am building some Ceriatone JCM 800 2204 clone of Marshall. i hope that'll be done at the end of the year, if not early... is my main metal axe right now. and Les Paul is my main blues/classic rock axe. so here's the difference between those two. sory, i have ****ed up a post a little, and i don't have a patience right now to repair it. i am lazy . . to repair a little mistake in the post: i really like my SG with Blackstar HT-5 and my Les Paul with Blackheart Handsome Devil right now.