Duncan 59 to R9 LesPaul worth it?

[fortuneteller]

Duncan 59 Neck and Bridge Pickups install to R9 Reissue Les Paul.
It is worth it? or Direct to go ThroBak or Kloppmann PAF Humbucker Pickups?
R9 Les Paul Reissue's original stock pickups are Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2.
These are too single coil pikcups sound to me.

[Sgt. Pepper]

14 hours ago, fortuneteller said:

Duncan 59 Neck and Bridge Pickups install to R9 Reissue Les Paul.
It is worth it? or Direct to go ThroBak or Kloppmann PAF Humbucker Pickups?
R9 Les Paul Reissue's original stock pickups are Gibson Burstbucker 1 & 2.
These are too single coil pikcups sound to me.
 

Its your guitar. You have to like how it sounds not us. But since I'm not spending the money, yes sounds good.

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[NighthawkChris]

Reissues today have Custombucker sets installed, and these are one of my personal favorites that I also believe are one of Gibson's best sets they've ever come up with.  Depends on the sound you're targeting though, because if you go Seymour Duncan, most get 59 in the neck and JB in the bridge - hot-rodded humbucker set.  Not very "vintage" but probably will work well with LP. 

Anyhow, give Custombuckers a look if you're into the "vintage"/PAF tones.  Expensive, but really nice set IMHO.  You already have a guitar (R9) that's worth a few thousand, so investing into pickups that cost as much as they do scale somewhat well as compared to guitar's price.  Some might agree with this logic. 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CBNC2-SET--gibson-accessories-custombucker-humbucker-pickup-matched-set-nickel

Not trying to sell you anything necessarily, but link to what I'm referring to for Custombuckers above. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by NighthawkChris

[Twang Gang]

I will never understand why anyone would spend thousands of dollars on an R9 reissue if they didn't like the way the pickup sound???

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 7/21/2023 at 6:30 PM, Twang Gang said:

I will never understand why anyone would spend thousands of dollars on an R9 reissue if they didn't like the way the pickup sound???

Chasin' that tone man, chasin' that tone.

But as me and others have been told. Not your guitar, not your money. 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[clayville]

My two cents... I'm of the view that you can get as much or more benefit from adjusting your existing pickups as you can from changing them. Assuming you've exhausted amp adjustments already, then simple "Screwdriver mods" are your friend if you're hoping for "more" or just incremental improvement from the guitar.

At least try adjusting pickup and/or pole piece heights through a wide range to see if you can find a sound you like better than what you have now - being careful to accurately measure where you started or even counting screwdriver turns as you go so you can get back if need be. Ignore "factory specs" and do this by ear. Lower than spec often helps. If that fails, and you're starting with an R9, I'd consider a more boutique pickup than an SD before you start snipping wires and de-soldering. ANY change will devalue the guitar for resale in some minds, but a higher-end change *might* be considered an "upgrade" to others. Few pickup changes provide a magic bullet though, since there are so many other factors involved in the sound you're getting now: amp, pedals, the guitar's wood, nut, bridge, strings... and height adjustments.

[merciful-evans]

Good job on the translation guys

[NighthawkChris]

On 7/21/2023 at 6:30 PM, Twang Gang said:

I will never understand why anyone would spend thousands of dollars on an R9 reissue if they didn't like the way the pickup sound???

This...  I am believer in this camp.  But to each and to their own, their guitar, their money.  The thing I dislike about pickups is that you have to pay for them and once installed, you probably have a difficult time returning to store for the most part - especially if wire cuts, burnt insulation, and poor solder job is performed.  I could suggest what I've tried in terms of pickup choices given the OP is hell-bent on this decision after setup adjustments to the best of their ability has already been employed.  Yes, try pickup height, pole-piece adjustment, proper setup, etc. first before putting pickups into a guitar that is set up like garbage to begin with.  And I am personally in the camp that you need a good amp to get "that tone".  Most of the time, I get pickups where they work for the most part, and the amp starts to take over.  I've never been finicky with pickup adjustment.  I digress...  So yes, it is hard to figure out why someone can purchase an R9 and think that pickup swap is in order.  Just haven't personally had this situation happen to me.  I like my R9s just how they are.  The best LPs I have ever put my hands on. 

[IanHenry]

17 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

This...  I am believer in this camp.  But to each and to their own, their guitar, their money.  The thing I dislike about pickups is that you have to pay for them and once installed, you probably have a difficult time returning to store for the most part - especially if wire cuts, burnt insulation, and poor solder job is performed.  I could suggest what I've tried in terms of pickup choices given the OP is hell-bent on this decision after setup adjustments to the best of their ability has already been employed.  Yes, try pickup height, pole-piece adjustment, proper setup, etc. first before putting pickups into a guitar that is set up like garbage to begin with.  And I am personally in the camp that you need a good amp to get "that tone".  Most of the time, I get pickups where they work for the most part, and the amp starts to take over.  I've never been finicky with pickup adjustment.  I digress...  So yes, it is hard to figure out why someone can purchase an R9 and think that pickup swap is in order.  Just haven't personally had this situation happen to me.  I like my R9s just how they are.  The best LPs I have ever put my hands on. 

Absolutely correct, but the thing I struggle with in regard to changing the pickups is that it really is a leap in the dark, you've no idea how they will sound on your guitar until you've handed over a lot of money and fitted them and once you've done that, you're stuck with them, you can't send them back if they're not what you were looking for.

And as Chris has pointed out, most people underestimate how much influence the amp has on your tone, it's easily half of the equation. 

[Rockabilly69]

On 7/31/2023 at 9:25 AM, NighthawkChris said:

This...  I am believer in this camp.  But to each and to their own, their guitar, their money.  The thing I dislike about pickups is that you have to pay for them and once installed, you probably have a difficult time returning to store for the most part - especially if wire cuts, burnt insulation, and poor solder job is performed.  I could suggest what I've tried in terms of pickup choices given the OP is hell-bent on this decision after setup adjustments to the best of their ability has already been employed.  Yes, try pickup height, pole-piece adjustment, proper setup, etc. first before putting pickups into a guitar that is set up like garbage to begin with.  And I am personally in the camp that you need a good amp to get "that tone".  Most of the time, I get pickups where they work for the most part, and the amp starts to take over.  I've never been finicky with pickup adjustment.  I digress...  So yes, it is hard to figure out why someone can purchase an R9 and think that pickup swap is in order.  Just haven't personally had this situation happen to me.  I like my R9s just how they are.  The best LPs I have ever put my hands on. 

you could alligator clamp them in to test them without solder

[NighthawkChris]

53 minutes ago, Rockabilly69 said:

you could alligator clamp them in to test them without solder

Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the suggestion!