Hotter '57 classic-like pickups?

[mr11]

So I'm trying to decide what pickups I want in a custom guitar I'm getting built. It'll be a tele shape, ash body, maple top. I'm thinking maybe something slightly hotter than the '57 classics which I have in my SG. I'm looking for neck and bridge pickup suggestions.

 

[esizer]

Maybe a 57 Classic + in the bridge?

 

[mr11]

I was thinking of getting away from the gibson pick-ups for this one. Any experience with dimarzio PAF pros or the 36th anniversary?

The internet seems to be really high on BKP's, I can't imagine them being worth that much more money than a good set of dimarzios or duncans. With that said the black dogs intrigue me....

 

[Strat+Marshall]

The 57 classic/classic+ recommendation is spot on. The more output you add the further you are getting away from what makes the 57 classics special.

Paf pros don't sound anything like the 57s and I don't think the 36th anniversarys are hotter.

 

[mr11]

Thanks guys,

I was under the impression that all pickups with PAF in their name ('57 classics being gibson's PAF) were relatively comparable, at least compared to non-PAF pickups but I'm discovering that is not the case.

I'm really looking for something versatile but centered over hard rock tones

 

[taildragger]

I like a Seymour Duncan '78 in the bridge of my guitars. A little hotter than a Classic 57 but tight, harmonically rich without being too bright.

 

[rcm78]

The 36th anniversary's are great pickups. They aren't hotter then the 57 classics but they are clearer. String separation, clarity, and harmonics are this ones specialty.

I have a '78. It's very mid heavy and dry. It needs a guitar with a scooped sound so the Ash tele you're building might suit it just fine. It's probably a bit hotter then the 57. Clarity isn't the 78's thing. The notes smear together in a very cool way...

The SD Custom Custom will also work well in an ash body guitar but that one is getting away from the paf vibe...

 

[skoora]

I never cared for the Classic +. It just has a slightly cocked midrange to it, not necessarily any louder or hotter than a Classic. I'd rather keep the EQ curve of the classic and just turn the gain up in the amp. I have some 36th Anni's in a Burny LPC and they are definitely aggressive pickups. A pickup I came across by chance was an older Dimarzio Super Distortion. It's a single braid from the the late 70's or early 80's. Hotter and meatier than a 57 classic but not obnoxiously "ceramic" in it's sound. Right now the V it's in has become my #1 because of how versatile the Super D is. I just need to find a good match for the neck. I play anything from Bad Company to Judas Priest to Metallica with it.

 

[chumbucket]

I think that the 36th Anniversaries sound a little hotter and are the perfect next step up from the 57's. They certainly sound better to my ears too.

 

[Ventura]

BKP RiffRaffs to maintain a vintagey vibe, or straight up no bullshit BKP BlackDogs. Those puppies knockout!!

I'm a BKP kinda guy.

Hope y'all well... Been a while.
Peace,
Mojo

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

36th anniversaries are sweet pups. Neck is fantastic. Bridge will depend on your guitar, can sound a little thin on the upper string for leads depending on the neck / body choice. Be aware of that, might need to roll back vol pot or tone pot a tad to shave off some of the highs. Great sounding crunchy pup though. Great on rythms.

 

[Crunchity]

I just bought my first LP ever last weekend ('12 Trad Premium @ 9.2#, weight relieved)...and after a week of messing with them, I finally yanked the 57/57+ and settled on the Super Dist in the bridge and the 36th in the neck. Definite upgrade in both positions!!! The 57+ was just too damn hot and sizzly (borderline too bright) for my amps. The 57 classic was ok once backed WAY off the strings as well as tweaking the pole pieces...but still not 'there'...kinda murky on the low end, not a great match with the 57+ anyway.

 

[nigelpkay]

Never liked the 57 classics, they sound muddy and bright at the same time with more gain.
BKP Black Dog is a really cool pickup, sounds amazing at low gain, and excels at high gain when you pile it on. One of the few BKPs that I think that's worth the price (better to look for used though)
Super Distortion works but it's very hot, and although it's one my faves, I got a little tired of the lack of nuance, it's a sledgehammer.

 

[mr11]

Great stuff. I am really tempted by the black dogs... They're just sooo much more expensive and I doubt the price increase is proportional to the increase in tone. I have been looking for a good alternative to these that aren't bkp in terms of output and clarity. I also got a little off track and started thinking heavily about the dimarzio dominions. They are on the low end of higher output pickups and have a nice mid punch. From what I've gathered they can handle cleans and coil tapping well. Seem pretty versatile, but definitely still handle my high gain tones.

 

[nigelpkay]

I might as well pipe in about the MCP Detroiter as well because I have that too in my other Les Paul.
It is fairly close to the Black Dog in terms of voicing and gain (both are around 9.3k), but where the Black Dog is bark and grunt, the Detroiter is teeth and snarl. The Detroiter is slightly hotter and as a lot of people say about it, it has got some P90 nastiness to it, where the Black Dog is more thick and smooth.

Again, they are pretty similar to each other and I like them both for slightly different sounds.

 

[mooncobra]

I have the 57 classic+ in my neck and a wolfetone dr vintage in the bridge and it sounds great!!

 

[mr11]

Nice, I hadn't heard of Motor City Pickups before. I'll check them out.

 

[siggy14]

I have the 57 classic+ in my neck and a wolfetone dr vintage in the bridge and it sounds great!!

My friend just had wolfetone make him a PAF style pickup for a bright les paul and damn does that thing sound sweet, and this is coming from me that tends to like hotter pickups, now I want a set of those.

 

[blackba]

It really depends on how hot you want to go. I am actually a big fan of huge '57 classics. They get ragged on a lot, hey just look at many of the responses in this thread.

I would probably go with the dimarzio 36th anniversary. Mostly seen good reviews on those. I am actually looking for a set of nickel paf type pickups for a friend, if you decide to sell the '57s let me know.