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Best Les Paul pickups?

porschemunkey

By porschemunkey
in Gibson USA

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porschemunkey

porschemunkey

Posted
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Okay folks, it's opinion time! What pickups sound best with a Les Paul, and why?

 

I'm leaning towards installing a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge of my 08 Les Paul Standard. I've also got a Gibson Super Ceramic set (500T and 496R) but I find that I enjoy (perhaps "savor") the feel of the Alnico II magnets. There's a "softness" to the pick attack and a wonderful upper midrange/lower high presence which makes for a huge increase in tone.

 

Has anyone experienced something similar with other pickups?

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RichCI

RichCI

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There's a "softness" to the pick attack and a wonderful upper midrange/lower high presence which makes for a huge increase in tone.

 

Has anyone experienced something similar with other pickups?

 

Yes. With the custom pups in my Strat.

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matiac

matiac

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Again . A preference call .

You can make a 57 p'up sound Metal Or Mellow .

 

500t Same . All those knob thingies on the amp ' date=' pedals , and guitar can make it sound different .[/quote']

 

I must wholeheartedly concurr. My Classic I had could make traditional Les Paul tones by simply backing off the volume to say...2 on both pots, back off on the tone a smidgeon. That guitar taught me to use the controls on both amp and guitar, I got some pretty sweet tones out of that guitar. Too bad I didn't have her long enough to get to know her completely.

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SRV-Zeppelin

SRV-Zeppelin

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someone pointed me toward the 57's. im thinking about looking into those

 

Good choice. 57 classic and a 57 classic plus are my favourite pups for any les paul or sg. (they come standard in the 61 reissue and I believe in the Classic antique.) bb pros are a bit too mellow for me. the alnico 490r and 498t's are pretty good as well, i just prefer the 57's vintage tone. (very low output.)

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NeoConMan

NeoConMan

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Good choice. 57 classic and a 57 classic plus are my favourite pups for any les paul or sg. (they come standard in the 61 reissue and I believe in the Classic antique.) bb pros are a bit too mellow for me. the alnico 490r and 498t's are pretty good as well' date=' i just prefer the 57's vintage tone. (very low output.) [/quote']

 

100%!!!

 

Opinion time?

Ceramics suck ***.

If all you play is Pantera, you may do just fine with them.

 

 

BB Pro's in my Classic, I think I neutered the guitar. Needs a little more balls.

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Silverbursted

Silverbursted

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Good choice. 57 classic and a 57 classic plus are my favourite pups for any les paul or sg. (they come standard in the 61 reissue and I believe in the Classic antique.) bb pros are a bit too mellow for me. the alnico 490r and 498t's are pretty good as well' date=' i just prefer the 57's vintage tone. (very low output.) [/quote']

 

...and the Traditional. Love the sound. eusa_clap.gif

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porschemunkey

porschemunkey

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I just put in my Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates with a Gibson nickle-silver cover and it's got a VERY good sound. It's very sensitive to pickup height though as I don't think the cover sits all the way flat against the pickup. It's smooth and balances well with the neck BB Pro (which is still a little too muddy for my taste). I might try an Alnico II Pro at the neck also. I find that the Pearly Gates has a little more "burn" than the BB Pro bridge 'bucker, but less bass and muddiness. That comment about notes "blooming and breathing" was spot on. I don't care for the compression (fat attack) of the Alnico V magnets in the BB Pro pickups. The Pearly Gates sounds more like the regular BurstBuckers in the VOS series (and I REALLY like those guitars!).

 

I've got to hit a Guitar Center in Phoenix when I'm over there next week and see if they've got a TB-spaced Pearly Gates. This one has the "SH" spacing, and it's a little too narrow. Fits the Gibson Authentic neck pickup cover though!

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charlie brown

charlie brown

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i personally love the minihumbuckers that came with my les paul. of course my LP is 35 years old so i wouldn't change them even if i wanted to. over the years they have developed their own sound.

 

Hi, I have a '76 LP Deluxe, that has mini-humbuckers, too. I had to have them

rewired and wax potted, recently, because the had gone "micophonic" on me,

after 32 years. It was the best thing, I could have done! The tone is back to,

if not even better, than it was, new! Awesome sounding pickups! P-90 edge,

with humbucker warmth, and sustain.

 

But, since the original poster has the regular sized pickup routings, I'd recommend

either the '57's, or the "Burst Buckers!" BB+ (maybe) in the bridge position.

 

CB

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marble_deluxe

marble_deluxe

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Hi' date=' I have a '76 LP Deluxe, that has mini-humbuckers, too. I had to have them

rewired and wax potted, recently, because the had gone "micophonic" on me,

after 32 years. It was the best thing, I could have done! The tone is back to,

if not even better, than it was, new! Awesome sounding pickups! P-90 edge,

with humbucker warmth, and sustain.

 

But, since the original poster has the regular sized pickup routings, I'd recommend

either the '57's, or the "Burst Buckers!" BB+ (maybe) in the bridge position.

 

CB[/quote']

 

 

yeah, when i first got the guitar (my uncle GAVE it to me, needless to say i was happy) i went online and did a search on the pickups because i haven't had a guitar with minihumbuckers before, and thats one thing a read about. so i've been watching for it, but so far there hasn't been any sign of it.

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NeoConMan

NeoConMan

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Heard nothing but good on the Pearly Gates, Duncan & Company know their sh!t.

I've never played 'em myself.

 

I think I made a mistake with the BB Pro's, just a little too mild for my taste.

My plan is to eventually go balls to the wall on my Classic, cost be damned!

 

I'm thinking 57 Classic Plus/57 Classic, with the RS Guitar works wiring & pots.

Nothing wrong with anything in the guitar now, but I wanna see for myself what all the buzz is about.

 

At that point, I figure nothing further could be done to "improve" the sound of the guitar.

I'll either have the ultimate Les Paul or a $500 disappointment.

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porschemunkey

porschemunkey

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Well, I'm also a-gonna try my 500T with a Gibson nickel-silver cover on it in the bridge too. I did like the sound of that pickup in an Epiphone Ultra I had, though it was much more chambered than my 08 LP Standard. Say what you will about the Super Ceramics, but isn't that what Jimmy Page runs in his Les Paul? Tony Iommi in his SG? I do like that big, bright, powerful sound coupled with the natural midrange of the mahogany. I just have to find the time to swap them before I run over to Phoenix later this week. There's a nice Guitar Center in Tempe which usually keeps a good stock of Seymour Duncans... My current Pearly Gates has the "SH" spacing, and I HATE it when the string don't align with the pole pieces! The sound is awfully good, but I think that pickup might have worked better in the cooler-sounding strat copy with the maple neck and ebony fretboard. In fact, if I could find a good Kahler bridge for that thing, I'd call it "finished"!

 

The pickup search continues...

 

BTW-you DO have to use the volume control with the Super Ceramics. I found when they were in the Ultra that I could get a VERY convincing BurstBucker sound with the volume rolled back to about 5. Above that, it gave me the heat necessary to play any modern rock I wanted. Of course, the Pearly Gates is pretty damn good at that too.

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