Alfredkoh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I just bought a Les paul custom white from a store. The guitar is second hand and only sold for $450. No scratches or anything. everything is fine but the pickup is not the same with the original pickup i saw online. The pickup is black and I donno what is the brand. I assume is a very cheap pickup? Please help.. I'm a newbie in electric guitar. The link below is the pictures I post in facebook, because I don't know how to post here. Sorry. Facebook Les paul custom white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Looks like a nice guitar. I can't tell if those are Epiphone pickups or not; obviously they're not the ones usually fitted to Customs, so someone may have upgraded it with better pickups, in which case it seems like good value. Another possibility is that the previous owner swapped the usual cheap gold plate pickup covers, which tarnish easily, for plain black ones. The usual Epiphone pickups are ok but not great, so the previous owner would have been unlikely to swap them for anything worse. They look like a copy of the EMG pickups favoured by heavy rock players. A photo of the underside might help identify the manufacturer. How do they sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 ...I assume is a very cheap pickup?... Don't sweat it. As antwhi2001 said, the standard Epi pickups are not the greatest to begin with, not very expensive, and it's unlikely anyone would take the standard pups out and exchange them for cheaper ones. Don't make no sense. My guess is that the pickups are an upgrade. They do look like EMGs without the logo on them, I would remove the back panel and see if there's a battery in there. If there is, someone upgraded to active pickups. The bottom line, it's a really nice axe, and the only issue with the pickups is whether you like the way they sound. Probably 1/2 the members on this board have replaced their stock Epiphone pickups anyway. Maybe someone saved you the trouble. If you don't like them, you can get a really nice set of GFS pickups that will make that LP sing at a really reasonable price. Do you go to Perdue??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Yeah there are no signs of it being a fake. It looks like you have a nice guitar so don't sweat it just go have fun and play. If you want to know what pickups they are unscrew them and look for stickers under the pickup. if you have questions take pictures of the back of the pickups and we may be able to help. P.S. if you really feel cheated i will take it off your hands for $250. hahaha =D>/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfredkoh Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Thanks guys, I got relief. I don't know whether I like the sound or not because I didn't play any other guitar before. This is my 1st electric guitar. Should I stay with the pickup? I have that thought is because I like blues and jazz sound. But my guitar sound a bit rock, or mayb because of the amp? Or it might be the reason that I don't know how to use an amp. Sorry for being newbie. I usually turned the Mid and Treble to max so I can get more gain for Pinch Harmonic sound and put the drive high. But the sound get too noisy and I don't know how to fix that. Is that because of my pickup too? Haha BlueLesPaul2006, I love that guitar. Yea I'm a purdue student. Thanks again guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfredkoh Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 By the way, I thought if the pickup changed, then It won't sound like a les paul anymore? I assume the sound is depends on the pickup itself instead of the guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Even "real" Gibson les pauls come with a range of alternative pickups and slight differences in sound. Is there a particular players' sound you're trying to emulate? If you want a more mellow blues/jazz sound you need to reduce the treble and gain and just use the neck pickup. You might lose some of the harmonic response as a result. Pick the strings nearer to the neck than the bridge too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msak24cardss Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 I would have to agree with most of the replys here and say your pickups were most likely upgraded. Maybe you should take it by the local guitar shop and plug it into a tube amp and see if thats the sound your looking for. You got a good deal on a nice guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Or.....they may have been downgraded before he sold the guitar. I like the idea of them having different covers on them, but they also look like they could be old stock PUPs from a 90's G-310. Look for stickers or markings on the back - and PLEASE, post a pic so we can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianh Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 They could also be Seymour Duncan Blackouts with the silkscreening removed. That would be an upgrade... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msak24cardss Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 They look like EMG's to me. I had an old Jackason that had EMG's so worn on the front you couldn't see the letters. That being said I have a feeling the owner before was a Black Sabbath diehard, so my vote goes to the Tony Iommi's. And yes I know its not an SG. Lets start a pole on what they are. EMG 81,85's = SD Blackouts = Old Stock Generic = Dragonfire 81,85's = Gibson Tony Iommi Black Sabbath Humbucker = 1 vote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 They look like EMG's to me. I had an old Jackason that had EMG's so worn on the front you couldn't see the letters.That being said I have a feeling the owner before was a Black Sabbath diehard' date=' so my vote goes to the Tony Iommi's. And yes I know its not an SG. [/quote'] Wouldnt any black, solid, covered PUP with no markings look like an EMG? Just sayin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Flick Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 By the way' date=' I thought if the pickup changed, then It won't sound like a les paul anymore? I assume the sound is depends on the pickup itself instead of the guitar? [/quote'] What does a Les Paul sound like??? An early '50s Goldtop with P-90s, or a '59 Standard with PAFs??? Played through a Fender Twin or a Marshall??? Does an LP and an SG sound the same even though they have the same pickups??? Does Les Paul sound like Jimmy Page??? You see where I'm going??? There's a lot of factors that go into the sound of a guitar, but what defines the Les Paul sound is more the construction than the pickups. It's the thick, dense mahogany body / maple top & set neck that provides the sustain associated with the Paul. And the stock Epiphone pickups are not the same as Gibson pickups, fair at best IMO. So don't fret it (sorry), just play the guitar and enjoy. At some point, you'll figure out if those pickups fit your needs. If they don't, swap them out. Chances are you would swap the standard pups anyway for something better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acewarslave Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 love the white customs and the picup selection looks great to me nice guitar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msak24cardss Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Wouldnt any black' date=' solid, covered PUP with no markings look like an EMG? Just sayin'...[/quote'] Yeah they sure would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 The only way to get a real idea of what the pickups are is to pull them out and look at the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alfredkoh Posted May 12, 2009 Author Share Posted May 12, 2009 Thank you guys!!!!! I think I will stick with the guitar and I love it more than last night. Thanks alot. By the way, I don't know how to pull the pickup out even watch some videos in Youtube. I scared I pull some wires off the guitar. So i think I will stick with it. THanks thanks thanks//~~~!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldie Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 The only way to get a real idea of what the pickups are is to pull them out and look at the back. Bingo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted May 12, 2009 Share Posted May 12, 2009 Thank you guys!!!!! I think I will stick with the guitar and I love it more than last night. Thanks alot. By the way' date=' I don't know how to pull the pickup out even watch some videos in Youtube. I scared I pull some wires off the guitar. So i think I will stick with it. THanks thanks thanks//~~~!!!!![/quote'] when you take the strings off you then unscrew the 4 screws around the pickup ring (not the ones in the middle they adjust the height of the pickup). once the 4 screws are off you then pickup the pickup gently. you will not pull the wires out since you will only be lifting them about 1-2 inches. if the wires pull out they were not installed correctly. anyway just lift them gently and you will be fine. then you can see the bottom of the pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinTheHood Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Curious minds want to know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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