My Les Paul pickup swap journey

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EyesOfTheSouth

EyesOfTheSouth

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I have a Les Paul Traditional Mahogany Satin..............full weight, 100% mahogany, no maple cap, rosewood board. It came stock with a pair of 57 Classics. As much praise as these pickups get, I have never liked them for anything more than subtle break-up/dirt sounds. So I knew they were coming out when I bought the guitar.

I immediately replaced ALL the electronics and put in 500k pots and high quality caps. Then the pickup search began. I don't know why, but this has been the hardest axe to find a great set of pickups for. Here is the order I went in:

Duncan Custom and 59' (Custom sounded too thin and harsh/59' too boomy)
Duncan Custom 5 and 59'
Duncan Custom 5 and Jazz (close to settling here)
Dimarzio Super Distortion and Air Classic (loved the Air Classic !)
WCR Godwood and Dimarzio Air Classic (Godwood extremely bright and "honky" sounding)
Suhr Aldrich and Dimarzio Air Classic (yuck on the Aldrich.........my 2nd time I've tried one and 2nd time failure.......first was in a Charvel)
Bareknuckle Crawler set (cool but WAAAAY too much mids for my setup)
Bareknuckle Cold Sweat and Dimarzio Air Classic (Cold Sweat too stiff and clean)
Rio Grande BBQ and Dimarzio Air Classic (no love for BBQ here.......too fat/muddy)

I was just about to give up when I scored a chrome covered Gibson 498T and Burstbucker Pro neck locally. I have never used the 498T, but I have read plenty of awful comments about it. But for whatever reason these pups just "work" in this guitar. They balance perfectly when adjusted correctly and I can cover just about every style with them. Its not as though I am "settling" as they really do sound great. Goes to show that sucess can be found with other people's trash :rock:
 
I mean, ya gotta figure that Gibson wouldn't *intentionally* create a pickup to make their Guitars sound bad, ya know? haha. I'm glad that the 498T worked out for you.

I've had a similar, long pickup swapping journey with my Les Paul, as well as every one of my guitars. I don't know why it was so hard, because my LP is arguably my best sounding guitar, unplugged. It's just fat and full of sustain.

Just for the record, here's my LP Pickup swap journey:

Stock 490 and 498T: Decent, but the 490R was just so dark for me, and I found the 498T a bit clangy.
Duncan 59 Neck and Custom 5 bridge: Stayed with this for a WHILE, but the C5 sounded very scooped after a while
59 neck, 59 bridge: 59 Bridge didn't have enough push, and too much treble
59 Neck, Brobucker Bridge: Brobucker sounded AWESOME, but it was just too much pickup for this LP. Too fat.
59 Neck, Brobucker Bridge, modded with Alnico II magnets: getting very close... but the BB was even fatter and too mushy

FINALLY settled on: 59 Neck, A2 + Custom Ship 9K "Hot 59" A2: Perfect for my style and ears.

It's satisfying when it's over, isn't it?
 
Try Dimarzio 36th's. They really give up the goods for me.

P.S. RockStarNick loves a different pickup every week.

:)
 
Lublin":c7ce4rr2 said:
Try Dimarzio 36th's. They really give up the goods for me.

P.S. RockStarNick loves a different pickup every week.

:)
Click to expand...

I actually used a set when they first came out in a mid 90's LP Classic. I agree.....they are great. However, I'm mainly using my 2204 clone now and I need more "push" than the 36ths.
 
Good for you man. I really want to like the 498, but cant get along with it under any heavy gain. It just falls apart imo. Havi ng said that most people get rid of the 490 and i like that one...
Ended up with a mcp detroiter. I stopped at 4 bridge pups in this guitar, although i really want to try more of wades pickups. I can always use it my SG lol
 
Great to hear that you've finally settled.

My LP Classic had a great core sound but I couldn't have waited sooner to throw that 498/500T combo out!

My journey wasn't too bad.

498/500T
498/Bill Lawrence L 500
S.D Alnico II/L 500
S.D Alnico II/WCR Godwood (Mine is really warm, punchy and tight)
Sheptone Blue Sky/WCR Godwood (The dream set for me here)

Rock on!
 
I liked the 57 in the neck position and would have kept it if it was dual cream under the p cover. I didn't care for the 57+ in bridge. I went with a Tonezone in the bridge and 36th anniversary bridge version in the neck position and like it but I still may swap some more around.
 
I have a Les Paul Classic, I replaced the stock pickups first with a Duncan Custom. I agree with the OP. It had the output, but sounded thin. I then got a set of Bare Knuckle Painkillers and the search ended there.
 
I had a LP custom with the 498T and that pickup sounded great in that guitar. No other experience in other guitars but I really like it and wouldn't have thought of changing it. It had a really fat chunky tone.
 
The 498T sounds good in my '90s LP Studio but the guitar is a little congested. It's a really beefy axe and gets literally the best clean tones I've ever heard, but the gain is a tad too thick. Might keep the pup and try a 500k pot to brighten it up.
 
I'm now a believer in not forcing a guitar to like a pickup.. it has to just like it. Guys who like one type of pickup only in every guitar.. not sure how you can do that unless all your axes are consistent in tone. The wood is so varied tone wise despite being of the same specie. I have a really bright Michael Kelly right now. Stock pups were a little flat for me. Duncah SH- 5 too hars. Dimarzio 36th anni sound great below the 12th fret but anything higher and again, a tad too thin sounding. I also find these pups to have no gain. Sound good for crunchy chords, kind of a bitch to solo on. Just aren't really gelling with this guitar. So enter the Air Zone. I have one on hand that i rather liked in a bright strat so it could be the perfect match. End of the day, guitars just work with some pups and not with others. Description give you a general idea.. they can never replace your ears and your guitar's tone. Just a frustrating journey at times. :doh:
 
RockStarNick":28tml0zt said:
I mean, ya gotta figure that Gibson wouldn't *intentionally* create a pickup to make their Guitars sound bad, ya know? haha. I'm glad that the 498T worked out for you.

I've had a similar, long pickup swapping journey with my Les Paul, as well as every one of my guitars. I don't know why it was so hard, because my LP is arguably my best sounding guitar, unplugged. It's just fat and full of sustain.

Just for the record, here's my LP Pickup swap journey:

Stock 490 and 498T: Decent, but the 490R was just so dark for me, and I found the 498T a bit clangy.
Duncan 59 Neck and Custom 5 bridge: Stayed with this for a WHILE, but the C5 sounded very scooped after a while
59 neck, 59 bridge: 59 Bridge didn't have enough push, and too much treble
59 Neck, Brobucker Bridge: Brobucker sounded AWESOME, but it was just too much pickup for this LP. Too fat.
59 Neck, Brobucker Bridge, modded with Alnico II magnets: getting very close... but the BB was even fatter and too mushy

FINALLY settled on: 59 Neck, A2 + Custom Ship 9K "Hot 59" A2: Perfect for my style and ears.

It's satisfying when it's over, isn't it?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I always liked the 498 in the bridge as its got nice output yet still has a classic humbucker tone. I think many just repeat the Nonsence they read about them being no good.
 
have you thought about going back to 300k pots with those pickups you thought were too bright? it makes all the difference and in many cases i prefer 250k/300k pots for certain humbuckers myself. i hate annoying high end and lower pot values bring it back in enough to still be clear and stay throaty and mean sounding. 500k aren't necessarily better despite what the internet says... gibsons come with 300k stock IIRC.
 
I am looking for the right pickup for my lp custom, I want something that has enough output to push the vintage type amps I use without being too dark or muddy. I tried a shaw paf but needed more output and less noise, then a sd custom custom that had nice output but was voiced kind of dark or bass heavy. Then I had a motor city blister bucker that sounds clearer and crisper then the custom custom but still want to try something else. Just tonight I got a dirty fingers to try out. I like the 500t Gibson makes and was wondering if the dirtyfingers is similiar? I want to try a super distortion also sometime.
 
Hey everybody, first time poster, long time lurker here, I'm Mike from Sweden. I felt this topic was ther right one for me to start with here on Rig-talk as I've been doing a bit of a journey myself with pickup-swaps on my Les Pauls... I currently have two customs, a 79 and a 93 and they sound very different though both sounds good with the 93 being my favourite. It has a Bareknuckle Rebel Yell in the bridgeposition and it sounds just glorious, my far and away favourite pickup in that guitar.
In my 79 I have tried a Duncan alnicoII(not enough output in that guitar), a Bareknuckle Nailbomb (sounded strangely mid-scooped) and then I tried the original pup from my -93, a 498t and voila, there was the sound! as someone in this thread said earlier it is beefy but retains the traditional sound.
Really looking forward to get to know you people and hopefully I can start contributing to the forum, not just steal your tricks as a lurker:)

Cheers

Mike
 
Welcome Mike from Sweden!

I go nuts trying to find pickups that sound as good as some of the LP's on youtube (I especially like the tone in the demo of the 1959 Pearly Gates reissue LP).

Anyway, I recently saw a Joe Bonnamassa video where he explained how he used the tone and volume controls on his LP's all the time to alter the tone. Just lowering the volume a hair really works to tame the highs, same goes for tweaking the tone knob.

So, the volume and tone knobs can be your friends in the search for the best pickups.
 
I went through a bunch of pickups in my LP studio (mid 90's) I used to have. The 490R in the neck always sounded great, but the bridge always sounded thin. Started with the 498T, then dimarzio Super Distortion, then Rio Grande BBQ, then Motor city Afwayu, and finally back to the 498T right before I sold it. The 498T sounded great when it was back in the guitar, I wonder if I just finally got the height correct or if repotting the 498T did something.

On my '73 LP custom, after a few swaps, I am using a set of BBpros and really liking them. I still want to try a set of '57 classics in there, but I am surprised how much I am digging the BBpros.

glad you found the pickups that work for you in your guitar. :)
 
blackba":1en5m4j1 said:
I went through a bunch of pickups in my LP studio (mid 90's) I used to have. The 490R in the bridge always sounded great, but the bridge always sounded thin. Started with the 498T, then dimarzio Super Distortion, then Rio Grande BBQ, then Motor city Afwayu, and finally back to the 498T right before I sold it. The 498T sounded great when it was back in the guitar, I wonder if I just finally got the height correct or if repotting the 498T did something.

On my '73 LP custom, after a few swaps, I am using a set of BBpros and really liking them. I still want to try a set of '57 classics in there, but I am surprised how much I am digging the BBpros.

glad you found the pickups that work for you in your guitar. :)
Click to expand...
It's sounds funny but I would bet that half the times pickup height and pole piece adjustments could prevent the need to swap pickups for a lot of guys :lol: :LOL: what didn't you like bout the super distortion as I wAnt to try one out in my custom?
 
I am putting an air zone in place of my 36 anni tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it sounds. Rolling back the volume has a more drastic volume than rolling back tone. I was amazed how i was able to soften the highs by rolling the bridge volume back to 9. That's all it takes. John Norum also does this by the way. If you watch more recent live clips, you see him adjusting the volume a lot. What i also found when i did this is that i got a slightly more mid heavy sound because going down from 10 rolled some of that treb off. Personally, couldn't gel with it. I like the cutting tones on 10.
 
John actually talked about that in a Swedish guitarmag, he said he picked it up from watching Brian Robertson.
 
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