kspeed Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I've got a 2007 LP Ultra which I love everything about with the exceptions being the pickups. The guitar plays and looks great, everything is built well, and I really WANT to enjoy playing it more than I do, but the tone is a bit too muddy and lacks some clarity. All those chambers add a lot of low and mid response that overpowers the highs a bit more than I'd prefer, so I was hoping some of you more familiar with this particular axe might be able to help. What I'm looking for is are pickups with less low and low/midrange response with more highs and greater articulation throughout. My theory is to let the chambers provide the bottom end and let the pickups do the singing. To avoid ridiculous feedback I was going to stick with something of a more medium or low output, like a set of SD Jazz. Of course, I'm open to any suggestions (especially since choosing pickups for this model is a little different given the acoustics). Thanks in advance for the help you guys are so great at providing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 You might want to check out the Alnico Pro II as well, especially for the bridge. A little hotter than the Jazz (great neck pickup) but not as extreme as a JB. Seymour Duncan provides tone charts on their site that will let you compare the tonal balance of their various pickups BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kspeed Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Thanks for the quick reply! I checked out SD's tone charts and sound demos and that's how I landed on the Jazz, but I was thinking more for the bridge. Might that be too tinny? Haven't really looked at DiMarzio yet since I tend to use their relatively high output models, like EVO's...but in this application I don't think I could control the feedback. Maybe their lower output models would work well for this guitar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotcanX Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Nah, it should be fine. However the Jazz is almost at the bottom of the output scale, comparing with the '59 or the Dimarzio PAF and udually people like something with a little more 'bite' in the bridge position. However that's not to say that one won't work just fine there, especially if you aren't necessarily looking for a 'hot' sound, and I believe the bridge version of the Jazz is a tad hotter than the neck version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyelcrrt1281733995 Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 I've had a Jazz/Jazz pair in an LP Standard for several years now. Really nice combo, not as bright and airy as the 59/JB combo, but not as dark as many other combinations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MI_Canuck Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 maybe try Jazz neck/59 bridge, or AIIP neck/59 bridge the 59 bridge is slightly hotter than jazz, but nowhere near JB levels... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperChrist Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 The tones going to have a lot of low end with the chambered body, so I'd go with something with a little more bite than the Jazz. '59 set maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smd24fan Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I have a set of Duncan 59's in one of my LP's and it sounds so awesome, the neck in particular. The bridge is just what you are looking for, lots of clarity but not too much output. I have a set of Alnico II Pro's in my other LP. I like the neck position allot, but the bridge is a bit weaker than the 59 in the bridge. That's not a bad thing, let your amp do the work for you. I would not recommend DiMarzio Evolutions for your LP. They are nice, IMO are geared more for metal and are very high output. I have them in an Ibanez, they are very articulate and will expose your mistakes. That's good in that it will make you play better, but the are not even close to the above mentioned Duncans when it comes to tone. If you want to try DMarzoio's, try the PAF Pro's. They are a medium output pickup that produce really buttery tones, especially the neck version. A super distortion bridge and PAF Pro neck is one of the great all time combos. Hope this helps, good luck with your choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfsboy Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 try Tonerider Rocksongs first .Sound great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kspeed Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Thanks everybody for all the tips! Given all of the 59 and Jazz love I think I'll try a Jazz/59 neck/bridge combo to start with. If it's not my cup of tea it doesn't hurt to have a few spare SD's laying around. I'm definitely not going for high output, just a more vintage tone with the added resonance of the Ultra. Should be an interesting experiment as it's the only chambered electric I own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyelcrrt1281733995 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Let me add one more to the confusion! My all time favorite humbucker combination is '59/Pearly Gates in my Telecaster. With the right amp, it is celestial and unholy all at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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