Shrill Les Paul with WLH & BB3 in Bridge: Losing Hope...

I have a LP Traditional Pro, 2013, and it came with a BB3, that I felt was very shrill and ice picky no matter the amp, particularly on the treble strings. The wound strings are fine. I play modded Marshalls/Splawns. I replaced it with the Duncan Whole Lotta and I'm now experiencing the same thing. I LOVE the guitar and the way it plays, but I've struggled with this off and on. ...I don't remember the WLH always being like this so I'm wondering if it's something else.

I play 11-56's in EFlat and i top wrap the strings. None are touching the bridge.

Before I throw out the guitar, I want to try some things... I've done the following:

1) Played with pup height. I have it raised, but the treble string poles sunk down.

2) Tone knob barely helps, and i feel it loses clarity.

3) I know how to dial an amp, so please don't go there...

I have read that older strings can get 'shrill' and you need to change them. ...I've had these Elixir's on the LP for a while now. So I will see if that helps, but I can't believe it's just old strings...

Any pup advice or changes are appreciated. It might just be my ears, but...

Thanks!

'57 Classic. That'll warm it up.

Before going nuts, are you able to just go play a few more LPs? You might end up wasting a bunch of money on various pickups or hardware when just trading/selling it for another LP could be the answer.

Last year I ended up with I think three Les Paul Standards at the same time and to my surprise they all sounded remarkably different even though the specs were identical. One was so warm it was a bit boomy and muddy sounding. Another was plinky sounding. One was Goldilocks and was in the middle.

Yup, I think I will do that. Mine is plinky and somewhat piercing. I feel like it comes and goes, though, so again, am wondering if string changes have that much of an impact.

Cheers!

Junk Yard Dog":2i8li3kh said:

Yup, I think I will do that. Mine is plinky and somewhat piercing. I feel like it comes and goes, though, so again, am wondering if string changes have that much of an impact.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

You can mess with new strings all ya want mate, but it might just be the top wood, fretboard, and pups all combined to create a bright guitar. Hard to say - at worst you could try swapping out the harness under the control cavity, but I'd not go down the "let's change pickups rabbit hole" unless you absolutely love playing that guitar and it feels special to you. If it doesn't, and you're just not getting on with it, sell it and get something else.

Just my 2 cents.

Make sure to use CTS 500K pots (you need the long shaft variety) with some .022 uf caps (Orange Drop 715P work fine and are cheap)... as for pickups I'd recommend:

1. SD Black Winter: definitely thick and full sounding (its a modified SD Distortion for reference)
2. BK Warpig Ceramic: doesn't get much darker, thicker
3. Dimarzio Super Distortion: on the darker side with a little less output than the other 2.

Pole heights are generally adjusted carefully to each individual string volume to the next, not to adjust for tone. Raising or lowering the entire pickup will create the tone shifts you may desire. Cocking the pickup up or down on one side slightly is normal to add or remove bass/treble is normal but extreme amounts of this adjustment will whack out the volume balance you setup with the pole heights.

If your neck and bridge pickup are both icepick I'd say you either have the pickups adjusted too high towards the strings, the tailpiece too high off the body, or the guitar is built overly bright through the neck into the cap.

I can't believe you won't be able to sort this out. Lower the pickups and correctly adjust the poles for volume. Maybe slightly raise your action if extremely low.

Roll the tone pot to 5 on the bridge pickup and play the volume pot at 9. (All my LP's regardless of pickups I play the bridge pickup this way) the neck usually leave the tone at 9 volume 9.

The above ^^^^recommendations for pickups are also valid, I'll add the Duncan Custom to that list. The BB and the WLH are not what I'd call overly thick sounding pickups to begin with. The ones listed by Wizz Ozz are nice and meaty.

Have you tried a different speaker cabinet?

Does the amp and cabinet sound fine with a different guitar?

New strings , sink tail piece , lower pickups use your ears as a guide good luck

Turn the tone knob down around 6-7 (serious), top wrap, tighten TP down to the face of the guitar

I had 57's in my trad + and BB's in my 57 RI LPC and I ditched them both. I put in a Duncan Custom in the bridge the 57 LPC and DiMarzio 36th anniversary's in the Trad +.

I noticed the bridge on a lot of LP's are ice picky and rolling down the tone helps a lot. Also you can replace the caps.

Try an older spec Gibson 330K volume pot instead of the 500K, might tame some highs. If that doesn't work try 250K.

Shawn Lutz":3rdti239 said:

Turn the tone knob down around 6-7 (serious), top wrap, tighten TP down to the face of the guitar

I had 57's in my trad + and BB's in my 57 RI LPC and I ditched them both. I put in a Duncan Custom in the bridge the 57 LPC and DiMarzio 36th anniversary's in the Trad +.

I noticed the bridge on a lot of LP's are ice picky and rolling down the tone helps a lot. Also you can replace the caps.

Click to expand...

I'll play with the tone knob. I was also looking at a Custom, Custom Custom, or Custom8.

It's the guitar. BB3 is not an icepicky pickup. Don't get me wrong it's raw, but not annoying in the top end. Especially if it happens with the neck pickup too. I personally don't get the guys who are rolling off the tone pot etc as their "tone". To each their own I guess but I couldn't imagine using those settings on a Les Paul if I want any Kerang or snap to my sound. If I needed to do that to the top end on a Les Paul I'd be shopping for another guitar. On a Junior, I can see/hear doing it.

skoora":2qjvzzz5 said:

It's the guitar. BB3 is not an icepicky pickup. Don't get me wrong it's raw, but not annoying in the top end. Especially if it happens with the neck pickup too. I personally don't get the guys who are rolling off the tone pot etc as their "tone". To each their own I guess but I couldn't imagine using those settings on a Les Paul if I want any Kerang or snap to my sound. If I needed to do that to the top end on a Les Paul I'd be shopping for another guitar. On a Junior, I can see/hear doing it.

Click to expand...

...Well, poop. I'm starting to think it's the guitar, too. I think it may just be my ears. My drummer and bass player love it.

Can't beat a Seymour Duncan JB-4 in the bridge.
I run one in my '03 LP Custom.
Never top wrapped the strings.
I'm in Eb and use 10-52 D'Addario's.

Slam a MCP Afayu set in there bye bye schrill...

skoora":4jvwa3ah said:

It's the guitar. BB3 is not an icepicky pickup. Don't get me wrong it's raw, but not annoying in the top end. Especially if it happens with the neck pickup too. I personally don't get the guys who are rolling off the tone pot etc as their "tone". To each their own I guess but I couldn't imagine using those settings on a Les Paul if I want any Kerang or snap to my sound. If I needed to do that to the top end on a Les Paul I'd be shopping for another guitar. On a Junior, I can see/hear doing it.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I think it's a lot of variables combined to just give this guitar of yours a brighter more glaring character - it happens. Cuts well in a mix and that's likely why your bass and drummer dig. But you have to be inspired by the finger magic... I'd say try on a few other axes and see if any of them speak to you - if so? Buy it and flip your current fiddle. Getting into pots and harnesses and pups and (can't agree on the top wrap as the jingle-jangle of the wire retainer on the TOM can get annoying without the pressure, or the strings just feel too slinky) all these other things. You simply might be trying to make a 10 out of a 6..... Which is usually achieved by alcohol in certain circumstances, but not in this particular case.

Good luck!

Deanmachine":3g2bmkts said:

Slam a MCP Afayu set in there bye bye schrill...

Click to expand...

I think that pup is way too powerful and will likely boost the high end of the guitar due to its inherent output - again - all hypothetical, but more output on a bright guitar?? Unsure

skoora":336ny2ms said:

It's the guitar. BB3 is not an icepicky pickup. Don't get me wrong it's raw, but not annoying in the top end. Especially if it happens with the neck pickup too. I personally don't get the guys who are rolling off the tone pot etc as their "tone". To each their own I guess but I couldn't imagine using those settings on a Les Paul if I want any Kerang or snap to my sound. If I needed to do that to the top end on a Les Paul I'd be shopping for another guitar. On a Junior, I can see/hear doing it.

Click to expand...

I never had a issue with neck (or middle position) on LP myself. Tone is subjective what works for one set of ears doesn't make it universal for all. Some folks like higher output pickups, some vintage, some like top heavy tone, some bottom end. Do/use what works for your ears.