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Best Les Paul pickups?


porschemunkey

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Stopped by the GC in Tempe, AZ and A/B'd my LP Standard and Pearly Gates setup against an LP Classic with the 500T. Anyone want to buy a 500T, slightly used? The difference wasn't really in the gain, but in the QUALITY of the tone. The 500T was big, rough, and powerful, with a lot of bass, while the Pearly Gates had awesome drive and gain, but had much better note definition in chords. Simply put, it rocked.

 

Now I need to know if the "TB" spacing for Seymour's pole pieces is the same as Gibson's bridge humbucker spacing. I have an "SH"-spaced Pearly Gates right now, but that's the same as Gibson's neck humbucker spacing. Grrrrrrrrr. I didn't want to have to buy another pickup, but not having the strings directly over the pole pieces is a major bummer! LOL

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Too bad I didn't have her long enough to get to know her completely.

 

 

You'll have one you'll love even more in the future man... count on it.

 

 

I like BB pros very much, and the 57 classic, the 500 and 498... hell I think when talking Gibson pickups theres no "bad" pickup, as AXE said, you can tweak the tone with your amps controls.

 

Dont care much for SDs but like DiMarzios a little...

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Now I need to know if the "TB" spacing for Seymour's pole pieces is the same as Gibson's bridge humbucker spacing. I have an "SH"-spaced Pearly Gates right now' date=' but that's the same as Gibson's neck humbucker spacing. Grrrrrrrrr. I didn't want to have to buy another pickup, but not having the strings directly over the pole pieces is a major bummer! LOL[/quote']

 

No, you don't need the Trembucker spacing. You want SH-PG1B for bridge and SH-PG1N for neck. Mine lineup perfectly.

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Here's the reply from Seymour Duncan's customer service:

 

"I believe you will need the trembucker version for you les paul. To be sure measure your string spacing from high e to low e. Just over 2in is the trembucker; just under 2in is the standard version. The sh-pg1n and b have the same spacing."

 

My measured string spacing is just over 2". The measurement they're talking about is from center-to-center on the outside two pole pieces. My SH-PG1b is too freakin' narrow. No one at two stores in Phx had "TB" spaced humbuckers in stock. Guitar modifying is a lost art...

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Well, the reality is...the BEST LP pickups are the ones YOU like!

There are (really) so many Good/Great pickups, nowadays, it's mind boggling!

So, how does one determine, what's best? By what sounds "best" to you...that's it!

Try as many as you can! After you're totally confused, ;>) there will still be "one" set,

that stands out, in your mind, I'm sure. Of course, even the same kind of pickups,

can sound different, in different bodies...so...it's a challange, for sure.

 

Good luck!

 

CB

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I guess I'm in the minority' date=' but I love the 490 & 498 in my guitar.[/quote']

 

I'm a part of the minority. I love the "modern PAF" 490R and the hard and heavy tone of the 498T. The 498T was able to give me all the crunch I needed without completely stealing the Les Paul's soul. I always favored ceramics on Stratocasters more than Les Pauls. The Les Paul needs to be completely soulful and womanly, and I can't imagine it being a thrash guitar. But my favorite of all time has to be the '57 Classic/Classic Plus. That's pure PAF tone.

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I guess I'm in the minority' date=' but I love the 490 & 498 in my guitar.[/quote']

My double neck came from the Custom Shop with them.

I was ready to yank them out and install 57 Classics when the guitar came in - until I played it....

 

No way in HELL I'm pulling anything out of that guitar!

Heavenly.

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I've tried a few Studios in the past I could play very convincing 80's rock on very easily. I think the Swamp Ash Studio is sometimes one of the best models on the wall, plugged into a Marshall amp. The body has less mids than mahogany, and with the 498T, it pumps out a nice sound.

 

I know pickup selection is subjective, which is why I wanted to hear more from users on this board concerning what they'd tried over the years.

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