GeeMan Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I'm looking for some new humbuckers for my LP. It being a basswood body, what seymour duncans should I get? I'm thinking a '59 model for the neck and either the Dimebucker or Pearly Gates in the bridge. I play some metal, grunge, classic rock, and 80's rock. I'm also open to any other suggestions you do have. Thanks for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 A lot of guys on this forum like GFS pickups, cheaper then SD's. If you want SD's go for a '59 neck and a JB bridge bucker. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I did the very same thing, replacing the pups on the Special II. I use SD pups with one Gibson and a couple Epis, they are just terrific. I know they're amazing, real good, but do you really wanna use them with a LP Special II? That's a question for you, but I decided to go with GFS pups for the Special II (restoration project) and I'm glad I did. Didn't have to spend a fortune and they sound just great, real nice. The improvement over the stock Epi pups was dramatic, well worth the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeMan Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 I did the very same thing' date=' replacing the pups on the Special II. I use SD pups with one Gibson and a couple Epis, they are just terrific. I know they're amazing, real good, but do you really wanna use them with a LP Special II? That's a question for you, but I decided to go with GFS pups for the Special II (restoration project) and I'm glad I did. Didn't have to spend a fortune and they sound just great, real nice. The improvement over the stock Epi pups was dramatic, well worth the money. [/quote'] I know that some might say why put SD pups doesn't make any sense at all. But those are the two axes I have at this point. I want a different sound on the Special ll. I already put SD Alnico ll Pro pups on my LP Studio Chameleon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 In that case go for Seymour Duncan ''Phat Cats'', humbucker sized P-90s. That will give you a different sound to your LP Studio Chameleon. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 If you go with the SDs, you may wanna replace the pots too, make sure you're taking full advantage of those new pups! On the Special II, you may have an issue with the tuners too, so you should look into those as well.... I love how my Special II turned out, not bad for a project guitar, love the tone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeMan Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 If you go with the SDs' date=' you may wanna replace the pots too, make sure you're taking full advantage of those new pups! On the Special II, you may have an issue with the tuners too, so you should look into those as well.... I love how my Special II turned out, not bad for a project guitar, love the tone! [/quote'] Thanks Canine and Lost for your input. The tuners are another subject I was about to take on later. Speaking of it, which tuners do you have? I would like to get to some Grovers though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I got grovers too, I did have to drill the headstock but I'm sure you can find diagonal models that fit the existing screw holes. Like I said, my guitar was a project guitar (restoration, improvement) so I didn't mind much, the results are very nice I might add. On top of that, one of the holes was kinda like too big already for some weird reason, and the tuner wouldn't stay in place securely... That was one top issue, the damn tuners, but with the Grovers and a little TLC, the whole thing turned out awesome. My problem was the little annoying out-of-tune thing every now and again, but the main issue was that every single time I replaced the strings, I had the feeling those tuners were about to just break... sometimes they'd snap and the string would go just lose again... it was awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeMan Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 I might just keep the tuners intact, to stay true with the all black hardware. Even though I know it will be a constant annoyance. And to clarify for me, it isn't a project guitar. It's the first electric guitar I bought. So I'm keeping it for sentimental reasons. Plus I already gave her a name, and you don't forget your first love! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I understand your love for your guitar. My first electric was a very crappy strat copy, not even a brand on it, and I modified it and refinished it at least 4 times. I now own what I consider to be nice guitars, but that first one still sits there in its case, cause I can't manage to part with it for good! I'm no expert, but in my experience that LP Special makes for a very nice guitar with just a little TLC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtufguy Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hey guys, just reading the post and wanted to post a reply. I swapped out the tuners on my Special II last Saturday. My special II is the "deluxe" version with the gold hardware. I ended up going with Gotoh tuners. I have to open the holes in the headstock a bit. I actually used a tapered reamer, took my time and I think it came out quite well. The tuners I used had diagonal mounting holes (one on each side). I filled the remaining hole with plastic wood filler and made a touch up with a gloss black paint pen. I will post a couple of pictures here. I didn't have time to take great pics but will get some better ones maybe this afternoon. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Best of luck with your project. I may consider a P/U swap on my SPecial II in the future as well. Back Front Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shark Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Hey Mike, Good to see pictures of your tuner replacement. I picked up one of the same model recently, and I'm thinking about the same tuner replacement job. Actually, if I do replace the tuners, I'll probably replace the pups too.....etc. This is how GAS starts isn't it? Shark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Great job on that Special II. I went with Grovers 'cause I know them well and I had good results using them as replacement. I understand the need to improve and tweak the guitar. The only thing that remains original in my Epi LP Standard is the body. Everything else, from the wires to the pots, tuners, pups and even the jack was replaced with better quality aftermarket parts. Took a while and I'm so thankful to those here who share info on parts and replacement pups, but the results are something that I believe are worth the time and effort. The Epi now sounds and plays just as good as the Gibsons, maybe even better and that's no exaggeration. The Nashville bridge was tough, but it worked real nice and one huge improvement. The pots, new caps and the treble-bleed circuit TWANG suggested also made a difference, at least I think so. The new SD pups now scream and I can actually use the volume and tone knobs and hear the results in a significant way. Yes, it may be tedious and sometimes a bit confusing for those who, like me, don't know much about electronics. But what you get is a completely different, better instrument out of the deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeMan Posted January 17, 2009 Author Share Posted January 17, 2009 I was thinking about this setup so far: Boss DD-3 Digital Delay pedal, Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion, and Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah Pedal. What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GibsonExplorer14 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I'm actually doing a similar project. Repainting, new parts, new strap. After doing a bit of research, and visiting stores, I decided on the Gibson '57 Classic humbucker as my new pickup. It's featured in the new SG-3, and has a sweet tone. Right now I'm very happy with my choice, as it really boosts the sound of the guitar, made of plywood... If you really want a unique guitar, grab a couple of lipstick humbuckers from GFS. They sound great (my friend put one in his Gibson Black Beauty's middle position), similar to a Danelectro with that tubey tone, but with much more power. Dirtyfingers are great too. Really loud though, so you might want to watch how you wire them. My personal configuration for your guitar would be a GFS lipstick humbucker in the neck: http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfsprhugococ.html And a Fender-Style Wide Range Humbucker in the bridge: http://store.guitarfetish.com/visphuclfest.html I'm suggesting the ones from GFS, both because they sound great, and are guaranteed to fit. Good luck with your upgrades! But trust me, get new tuners, Grovers come in black too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I was thinking about this setup so far: Boss DD-3 Digital Delay pedal' date=' Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion, and Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah Pedal. What do you guys think?[/quote'] A good tube amp would be a better choice then a whole lot of pedals imho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 A Marshall JCM along with the MXR Boost/Overdrive.... explosive! :- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emetry Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 My Special II was my project guitar until I got my Standard, but I ran into SO many issues getting parts for it. I attempted to outfit it with Grovers, but the custom tuners that were installed before I obtained it meant that to go with Grovers there would be visible holes in the headstock. I eventually went with new gunmetal pickup rings, and reissue pickups, and a new set of custom tuning keys. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get your parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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