2013 Gibson Traditional 57 Classic Pickup change

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steinmetzify
  • Start date Start date
Steinmetzify

Steinmetzify

Well-known member
Mules, Riff Raffs or Holydivers.

FourT6and2 is selling a nicely aged set of Riffs in the Classifieds. They look badass.
 
Dimarzio 36th Anni's or Wolfetone Marshallheads. The Dimarzio's are a little crisper sounding than the Wolfetone's but I love them both. I also bought an old (late 70's or early 80's) Super Distortion from a repair shop that is night and day better than current SD's. No cocked wah, mid spike and just an amazing raw grunt that's not overkill and still rolls off nicely on the volume. The older SD's are still priced very reasonably from what I've seen on ebay. I like that it doesn't scream Ceramic pickup to me, even though that's what it is.
 
I like the WCR Godwood (around 8.5-10K) but I've lately been using a BareKnuckle Rebel Yell. What's funny about the RY is that it's so articulate and tight yet the 14K feels like a PAF. It's not over the top at all and when using it with my 71', I have all the gain I'd ever need.

FWIW, I think SS said that the RY pickup was designed with Les Pauls in mind.
 
MCP 2nd Degree Blackbelts, Regular Blackbelt (A4) or the Detroiter.
 
Aristocat":cx6u5xgp said:
I like the WCR Godwood (around 8.5-10K) but I've lately been using a BareKnuckle Rebel Yell. What's funny about the RY is that it's so articulate and tight yet the 14K feels like a PAF. It's not over the top at all and when using it with my 71', I have all the gain I'd ever need.

FWIW, I think SS said that the RY pickup was designed with Les Pauls in mind.


RYs smoke in Les Paul style guitars!!!
 
skoora":204g2qj3 said:
Dimarzio 36th Anni's or Wolfetone Marshallheads. The Dimarzio's are a little crisper sounding than the Wolfetone's but I love them both. I also bought an old (late 70's or early 80's) Super Distortion from a repair shop that is night and day better than current SD's. No cocked wah, mid spike and just an amazing raw grunt that's not overkill and still rolls off nicely on the volume. The older SD's are still priced very reasonably from what I've seen on ebay. I like that it doesn't scream Ceramic pickup to me, even though that's what it is.


I played/eard a 36th Anny installed in a Charvel Custom Shop and it sounded great played through low to medium gain Marshall so I imagine that is would sound really good in a LP.
 
danyeo":3mlclbjq said:
Those Rebel Yell's sound DAMM good.

I hated them at first because I was so used to my Godwood. BareKnuckle pups are very unforgiving so I had to step my game up quick. My Godwood is collecting dust and I plan on using it in my next guitar.
 
hey, I picked up an 08 traditional plus, and it came with a wolfetone dr vintage and there could not be a better match for this guitar. I am playing it through a ccv and it is amazing, total clarity, super tight and punchy, and it is great classic les paul tone also. I have tried a ton of the antique pups and this one rules for les pauls. you wont regret it, trust me.
 
mooncobra":f7vwufwb said:
hey, I picked up an 08 traditional plus, and it came with a wolfetone dr vintage and there could not be a better match for this guitar. I am playing it through a ccv and it is amazing, total clarity, super tight and punchy, and it is great classic les paul tone also. I have tried a ton of the antique pups and this one rules for les pauls. you wont regret it, trust me.

I've heard good things about those pups.

Cool combo too. Got any clips?
 
For lower output pickups, I've been very happy with WCR's and Detroiter's. I'd say the WCR's I have(Icebucker set) are more clear and have greater harmonic content. ymmv.
 
I've heard others get good sounds from 57 Classic's but I couldn't gel with them either from some reason...
 
Rezamatix":3r2kiage said:
prefer lower output pickups that have plenty of harmonics.
The Duncan Pearly Gates is my go to for those attributes...great sounding pickup across all gain levels and cleans up nicely with the volume rolled back.
 
RiffRaffs are pretty hard to beat, Reza. Slightly higher output, more balls than the Mules, but not overkill.

Keep us posted.
 
Shiny_Surface":2s12u79k said:
I've heard others get good sounds from 57 Classic's but I couldn't gel with them either from some reason...

Me either. I have a JCM that needs the extra output pushing the front end. The high end was very harsh. And, I can make just about anything work. I still use the 57 classic in the Neck of my LP though.

As far as Gibson pickups go, I much prefer the 498T. Not very popular here, but in the right guitar they sound great. Good chunk and great string to string clarity.
 
I think I could have lived with the 57 in the neck position. After a while the bridge tone started to bug me...I couldn't put my finger on describing it but it has a wonkiness I didnt like after about a week or so.

I put a ToneZone I had laying around in the bridge position. I swapped the neck pickup for a DiMarzio 36th anniversary bridge pickup but installed in the neck position. I would have probably kept the 57 in the neck but I wanted dual cream and the 57 was a zebra
 
i've put Aldrichs in the last 3 LPs i've had, they just work perfectly for me, awesome for classic rock, awesome for high gain and still a lot of dynamics like a lower output PAF
 
When I had my Historic I went a little crazy with pickups. Rebell Yells, Cold Sweat, Mules, Abraxis, and several others. I was blown away by an Amalfitano Barrybucker Bridge lightly potted and the best neck pick I ever played was the Skatterbrane BenWahBrane. This set will knock you out.
 
Back
Top