Hooligan Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I have nearly completed the planning of my Lester remodel. I've got some chrome back plates on the way and have picked out the knobs I want which will replace all plastic parts with chrome. I have also settled in on the vendor for replacing the pots, switch and jack. The one remaining missing peice of all this completely unnecesary meandering are the pick ups. I know the korean pick ups in this guitar are ok, but I don't want to be an ok guitar player playing an ok guitar. So here's my question to you guys. (I know this is just an Epi and what I have right now is just fine. This post is not about that. I'm replacing the pups at some point so............................................) I like the sound I hear from folks like Angus of course, Slash, and Incubus. There are many options in humbuckers to choose from and they are kinda expensive so I'd like to get this right the first time. I'm thinking along the lines of the Seymour Duncan 59's, Burstbucker I & II's or classic 57's. But then again there are two pup positions and it seems kinda pointless to have identical pick ups in both areas. Let me hear your opinions or if you could have the ultimate set up what would it be. I am looking to have clear, powerful, creamy, punchy tones. I play CCM elusively but this ain't your daddy hymms, we rock out pretty good. I play through a Line 6 X3 Live straight into the house PA (42 track Mackie) When our sound man is doing his deal we bring dust from the rafters, it's so awesome! Sorry, I get excited ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Seymour Duncan's own favorite combo: ''Jazz'' in the neck and ''JB'' in the bridge. I like this combo also, once owned a Epi Les Paul i upgraded with them. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooligan Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Interesting........Keep'm coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Some forum members like the combination of a bridge humbucker with a single coil P90 replacement for a humbucker (Seymour Duncan Phat Cat) in the neck position. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron G Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 GFS has a nice line of pickups at very reasonable prices. Lots of us have them and are quite satisfied. A lot of players like a PAF type pickup, not too hot, getting a nice range of sounds. Because of the position, tidentical pickups will sound different at the neck vs the bridge - 335s and Dots are thus equipped, for example. GFS Humbuckers (Click) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I use Kent Armstrong 12 pole humbuck in the bridge, and Kent Armstrong P90 in the neck. I'm nuts about P90s in general, but I looove 'em in the neck. Yes, it's not a quiet. For me the highs are better balanced and the lows are cleaner without going missing. I'm gonna try a Razor Humbucker pretty soon, just because I'm curious. But I really love the hum/p90 combination. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I'm about to the point in my "career" where I see pup pros/cons as minimal overall and the tail-chasing endless. My advice: select a pair of quality pups based on the general tone you seek -- then do this: Install a 5-way rotary switch in place of your pup selector, and push/pull pots and wire those pups to roll over, heel, single-coil, howl, reverse phase, out-of phase, and just about any other combo that the greats like Jimmy Page use. I haven't done it yet (I do have have push/pulls in my humbuckered strat) but I will before I ever go chasing the proverbial (and potentially very costly) pup-tail again. Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I'm new to the pickup arena, but I've noticed that if you find a bridge pickup you like, there is usually a recommended match for the neck and vice versa. Of course, this isnt the only way to go, obviously, but it can be a good starting point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I put a set of duncan pearly gates in my sheraton. Couldn't be happier. They sing man, very dynamic pickup IMO. I have Gibson 57 Classics in my Les Paul Classic-a very good match...I like the Duncans better though. Also have a set of Duncan '59 Classics in my Telecaster, and I also like the Gates better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiram Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I'm with lostindesert on this one, I'm sure there are better sounding PU's. But if you want to play country, blues a little jazz, rock, just about everything but metal, it's hard to beat a SH2 in the neck and a JB in the bridge for versatility. If you want to specialize on a particular type of music there are better PU's. My 2 cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooligan Posted February 5, 2009 Author Share Posted February 5, 2009 Install a 5-way rotary switch in place of your pup selector' date=' and push/pull pots and wire those pups to roll over, heel, single-coil, howl, reverse phase, out-of phase, and just about any other combo that the greats like Jimmy Page use. [/quote'] Whoa hold on there whats all this. Tell me more, I'm like sponge Bob.........................More Input! Do I already have these capabilities with my X3 Live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
custer Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I like a vintage sound and have always been happy with DiMarzio PAF's. In fact thats what I will be installing in my Dot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generation zero Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Duncan 59s for the win. I've had the jazz/JB set before too, both in a Les Paul, and IMO the 59s are more... musical. Fuller tone, warmer... You know how it is, I could use 37 different meaningless adjectives to describe the tone. Let's just say I like the 59s better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 Whoa hold on there whats all this. Tell me more' date=' I'm like sponge Bob.........................More Input!Do I already have these capabilities with my X3 Live?[/quote'] Here's a humbucker/5 way rotary wiring diagram to start you thinking: http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WD1H5R11_00/Guitar_Wiring_Diagram_1_Humbucker1_Volume1_Tone5Way_Rotary_Switch.html I have found that particular company's diagrams to be accurate (not so with many others) so search their site for more info. Then if you do a Google search on say "Jimmy Page wiring diagrams" there are any number of site that will return showing you exactly how to obtain re-wire your LP to hone in on Page's sound. Page, Frampton, Gibbons, Townsend most of the "guitar heros" use one or more of these combos to achieve signature tones. I recall reading that there are over 20 different combos possible using 2 buckers/3 or 5 way/push-pulls. And last year some other members and I posted quite a few links for wiring diagrams mods (I did for the split coil mod b/c that's the one I used), so you may find something by searching the forum also. The thing is, despite all of the hoopla about pup X or pup Y, time after time A/B comparisons show that most quality pups in the same category of tones (hot, overwound, PAF, etc.) sound so near alike that even experts cannot identify one from another. As a fine example, I have a $35 GFS Vintage '59 that I would put up against and take over most $200 big name brands. But take any bucker, split the coils by tapping into the junction where the two coils are joined and controlling the coils separately with switches then you can acheive realms of tone that is not possible running any bucker straight up. Plus the switches allow you to still keep/return to the straight humbucker by the flick of the switch. After a little reading you may find this is really what you are looking for (pots/switches/wire are cheap and you already have pups). As for your POD, I'm not sure what your question was -- but yes, you'd still use it the same as you do now for modelling and effects. Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooligan Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Mr. Lister my new best friend ! Thank-you Sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulsaslim Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I have personal experience with every pickup mentioned here except the Kent Armstrong & believe them all to be very good choices. For me, however, the best humbuckers I've ever had are the burstbuckers. Expensive, yes- but worth it. The only 'downside' of the BBs is that they are 2-conductor so you can't coil tap them, which is a very good feature to have IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiberna Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Lace Alumintones, are great. They sound great, weigh almost nothing compared to other buckers and look the part too, i just got some for my riviera VT SF since the electronics in it are boned. heres a link http://lacemusic.com/electric_pickups/alumitone/alumitone_specs.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaredrum Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 here's a great example of what the jimmy page wiring mod Lister describes can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooligan Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, thanks dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinb Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Definately get some type of Seymor Duncan for and Angus/Slash sound. Slassh himself uses Alnico II pickups. Ive played those and they sound pretty good. They have alot of highs on the which would be perfect for Angus and well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I know the korean pick ups in this guitar are ok' date=' but I don't want to be an ok guitar player playing an ok guitar. So here's my question to you guys. (I know this is just an Epi and what I have right now is just fine. This post is not about that. I'm replacing the pups at some point so............................................) I like the sound I hear from folks like Angus of course, Slash, and Incubus. There are many options in humbuckers to choose from and they are kinda expensive so I'd like to get this right the first time. I'm thinking along the lines of the Seymour Duncan 59's, Burstbucker I & II's or classic 57's. But then again there are two pup positions and it seems kinda pointless to have identical pick ups in both areas. Let me hear your opinions or if you could have the ultimate set up what would it be. I am looking to have clear, powerful, creamy, punchy tones. I play CCM elusively but this ain't your daddy hymms, we rock out pretty good. I play through a Line 6 X3 Live straight into the house PA (42 track Mackie) When our sound man is doing his deal we bring dust from the rafters, it's so awesome! Sorry, I get excited ![/quote'] You can hear pickup audio samples at www.seymourduncan.com Be sure and use headphones to listen or they will sound so close to the same that you won't get the true tones. Our church started a CCM service about 2 1/2 years ago and attendance immediately increased about 100 members in the total of all the services. Most of the new members were in our CCM service. We have about 200-250 people in the CCM service and I think that it's proof that today's generation wants to hear something more than the "clap on 1 and 3" music. I'd classify what we do as light rock, blues, and some modern type tunes. Church is definitely more fun than it ever was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooligan Posted February 6, 2009 Author Share Posted February 6, 2009 No kidding. here is a You Tube video of the Churh band I play in. I'm not playing in this particular video and what you get in this video is 10% the sound you get in the house. I actually played that song (Acoustic) last weekend infront of about 650 folks. It was incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Great to be able to provide some relevant info again. I have the Seymour Duncan "hot rodded" set w the Jazz in the neck and the JB in the bridge on two guitars, one is an Epiphone LP std. They sound great; however, I also have the separately purchased and more expensive combination of the SD '59 in the neck and the JB in the bridge on two other guitars, one of them being an Epiphone Std plus top. To my taste the '59 in the neck and the JB in the bridge sounds way better. The "59 is clearer with great note definition in chords and great for leads. The JB is just an awesome pickup. I could easily be happy with JB's in both positions and they would definitely sound different because of the difference in string amplitude. I also have a 'lil '59 in the middle on a strat with a SD "hot rail" in the neck and a JB Jr in the bridge. The SD tech helped me pick out this set up to get to the sound I was desiring. It worked out great. These are all single coil sized humbuckers but they don't sound like their full sized humbucker counterparts. Seymour Duncan did an outstanding job of retaining a definite "strat" tone to these humbucking pickups. They are really neat. Not everyone would want my particular set up, but I love it. I have the tone pots wired to the neck and the bridge and the notch positions are very different and add versitility. The 'lil '59 in the middle is wide open and is great for clear twangy leads and blends well with the JB in the bridge when in the notch position. The JB in the bridge with the tone control gives that incredible pickup super versitility. It is really fun to play and is a great guitar. I think you'd really enjoy a full sized SD '59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge for some powerful pickups with super tone and versitility. You need to do what you want to do, but I'm fairly sure that you'd like this little bit more expensive alternative. Hope this info is of some value to you from an amateur that has replaced a lot of pups and experimented with a lot of different pickups in general. Peace, Duffy Winfield, Pa. "Somethin's happenin' here; what it is ain't exactly clear......." BS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarxBros Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Coil tapping, shutting off a coil, phase reversal are all fun with humbuckers but if you do go the route of shutting off a coil you will have a lot of hum to deal with. I have a set of triple blade motherbuckers in my Hagstrom Swede wired with all available coil options, the "Page" setup has nothing on this thing, the only problem is is can be a daunting task to remember all the settings when you have 6 seperate coils to deal with. As far as a good set of buckers, look for a set of used Burstbuckers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffy Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Haven't tried any Gibson pups but would love to try a set of Burstbuckers someday. Peace, Duffy "Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, like I'm tied to the whipping post......." as by D. Allman, +/-. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.