KVL Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I have an 05 MIK Epi LP Classic. According to the Epi wiki page, they're the "Open Coil Alnico Classic & Alnico Hot Humbucker" pickups. This seems kinda vague. and I always hear very specific pups mentioned all the time, like 57 classics or 490R/498T or burstbuckers or whatever. I don't have the time or budget to replace p'ups constantly to chase a sound, and there's a plethora of p'ups out there from almost as many makers, but Is there a comprehensive list somewhere that breaks down which Epi or Gibby p'ups have which kind of sound? Like p'up A is good for jazz, while p'up B is better for blues, or if you want crunchy metal, then go with p'up 3.... I really love the fat, warm, rich, classic tone that guys like Warren Haynes get. Granted, his Les paul is custom built with custom PRS amps and such, but you get my general drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iankinzel Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 This is about as close as you're going to get: http://rowbinet.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/gibson-epiphone-pickups2.jpg Generally speaking, the higher the output, the raunchier, heavier, and possibly more "modern" and/or "metal" the sound; the lower the output, generally the brighter, the more "vintage" the sound. That's in general, though, and there are bound to be exceptions - plus, to some extent, you can use many pickups in situations that their designers didn't necessarily intend them for anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPNfan Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Warren's signature Les Paul has the Burstbuck 2 in the bridge and the Burstbucker 1 in the neck. Warren's Natural ES-335 has the Burstbucker 1 and 2 also. I think the Burstbucker Pro is a wax potted version of the Burstbucker 1 and 2. So I don't think you can go wrong with any of those when your trying to get close to a Warren Haynes like tone. In my opinion the 490R/498T combo has a bright tone that is even a little hot for my taste, well at least the bridge is. My Flying V has the 496R/500T combo and I would say these pickups are closer to a Warren Haynes like tone. I also think the 496R/500T combo has a more open tone I guess you could say than the 490R/498T combo. I'm not sure I'm describing that in a way that makes sense. Plus it could have to do with the type of guitar the 496R/500T combo is in also. Billy F. Gibbons signature Les Paul has the Seymour Duncan: Pearly Gates pickups which are a overwound version of the Seymour Duncan: 59' Pickups. And the Seymour Duncan: 59' pickups are based on the original Gibson: PAF pickups. And DiMarzio has thier own version of the Gibson: PAFs called the 36th Anniversary. And as you said KVL there are many different pickups out therethat cover many different tones. Personaly I would go with the 57' Classics, Burstbucker Pros or the Burstbucker 1, 2 or 3 is I was looking at Gibson pickups only. If I was gonna go with a different brand I would probaly go with the Seymour Duncan: Pearly Gates but I also like what I've heard of the Dimarzio: 36th Anniversary pickups in demo videos and from guitarist who use them. Go to You Tube and look for videos where people are using the pickups you like just to get an idea of what they sound like and go with the pickups you think you would like best that fits in your budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigneil Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 there are sooooooo many factors in what shapes the sound and output of a pickup, it is very difficult to get an idea just from looking at the spec. However, some general rules of thumb would be, that Alnico ii magnets give the pickup a softer sweeter more vintage sound, alnico V gives more oomph and a more modern sound, and ceramic magnet give a tight defined bass and searing highs and plenty of oomph, lower values of dc resistance give a lower output sound but retain more highs and clarity, high dc resistance gives a higher output pickup but tends to loose definition and top end. so we can start to get an idea that if a magnet is paired up with a low dc resistance we are likely to end up with a harsh sounding pick-axe or if we combine Alnico V with with a very high dc resistance we loose definition on the bottom and the whole thing starts to get muddy. we also have to take the quality and gauge of the wire into consideration, and also the quality, shape and size of the magnets. then there are other types of magnet to consider and the build quality of the pickup of course....then there are other factors too +:-@ I find that "Wilkinson Zebra" pickups work nicely for most almost any style of music, they sound good and are a nice upgrade on an epi and they can be found on ebay sold as a matched pair for very cheap. they are pretty much a hot set of PAF clones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Septic Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Before spending cash on replacements, it's more important to experiment with setup to see what variation you can get from the pickups you already have. You can contour the sound profile in so many ways but without practicing for yourself, you'd be lucky to find the sound you want with any pickups, because you'll have terrible trouble dialling them in... It takes me quite a while usually and I did my first setup on a brand new Nashvill SG many, many years ago. Changing the selector, Connecting wire, pots and trebble bleed for good quality components can also make a very big difference in many cases, as does the cavity shielding, because the biggest problem I and many other experienced "tweakers" come across is the enormous variation in quality... To be blunt, Epi electrics often let the pickups down badly in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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