Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: AH^DK on October 30, 2007, 10:01:12 PM

Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on October 30, 2007, 10:01:12 PM
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard comming soon and of course those BB Pros are gonna get killed off.

The only thing is, that the new standard are hollow, and I want it to sound like a good old 70s custom like Robbos or Sykes Les Pauls.

A real ballsy hard rock sound.

I am looking for something like Vivian Campbell on Holy Diver, especially the lead sound on Rainbow In The Dark is one of my favorites. Sykes on Thunder and Lightning, and Whitesnakes 1987 record are great tones. Thin Lizzy Jailbreak is quite similar in a low gain version, and of course, Gary Moores 80s sound with a bit of Ball To The Walls era Accept Wolf Hoffman and no more tears era Zakk Wylde in there.

In short, a real ballsy hard rock sound with lots of warm low mids and aggressive high mids, and highs with a good but not farty bottom.

I was thinking Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but what would I want for this guitar?

My setup:
Marshall JCM800 2203 head.
Boss DS-1 for lead (might get changed with Mad Professor Mighty Red Distortion)
MXR Distortion III.
MXR Distortion+.
Boss SD-1 for lead.
Rocktron Tsunami Chorus.
Morley Wah.

I hope you can help me.

Thanks.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 10:15:33 PM
painkillers or cold sweats. some might say rebel yell, but in a LP that isnt too good i believe. by the way; is a brand new one? a 2007-lp? if so, it has the tonechambers, and then I'd recommend the miracleman aswell, but overall your choices screaaaam for the cold sweats or painkiller. I'd start off with the CS though.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: HTH AMPS on October 30, 2007, 10:24:39 PM
Sounds like you want Crawlers to me - anything ceramic would be to hard/cutting imo for those 70s rock tones you're seeking.

 :twisted:
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 10:27:02 PM
Quote from: HEAVIER THAN HELL
Sounds like you want Crawlers to me - anything ceramic would be to hard/cutting imo for those 70s rock tones you're seeking.

 :twisted:

I dont think so. If you have a pickup with a ceramic magnet, but with a lot of DC's, just put it in parallel mode, of just tweak your amp, and you will get a rather neat, to real great, 70ies tone. but if you like stuff like zakk wylde, john sykes and campbell, I absolutely would go with cold sweats or painkillers (but they might be a bit too agressive; thats why I would go with CS's initially)
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Yamhammer on October 30, 2007, 10:28:05 PM
Nice
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: sgmypod on October 30, 2007, 10:34:16 PM
Emeralds
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 10:35:50 PM
Quote from: sgmypod
Emeralds

I've had the emerald, and I'm afraid the emerald wont be tight enough for the heavier stuff. It muds out too fast...
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on October 30, 2007, 10:41:42 PM
Quote from: Orpheo
painkillers or cold sweats. some might say rebel yell, but in a LP that isnt too good i believe. by the way; is a brand new one? a 2007-lp? if so, it has the tonechambers, and then I'd recommend the miracleman aswell, but overall your choices screaaaam for the cold sweats or painkiller. I'd start off with the CS though.
Cold sweats was what I thought of aswell.
It is a brand new 2007 with the chambered body.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 10:48:39 PM
Quote from: AH^DK
Quote from: Orpheo
painkillers or cold sweats. some might say rebel yell, but in a LP that isnt too good i believe. by the way; is a brand new one? a 2007-lp? if so, it has the tonechambers, and then I'd recommend the miracleman aswell, but overall your choices screaaaam for the cold sweats or painkiller. I'd start off with the CS though.
Cold sweats was what I thought of aswell.
It is a brand new 2007 with the chambered body.

cold sweats, absolutely!!the chambered body is almost begging for them.another sweet pickup would be the nailbomb, but that pickup has issues (imo!) with pinch harmonics. you have to tweak a bit with pickuphight and polepieces. but the nailbomb would be nice too (I have it in a chambered warmoth LP with rosewood neck). but the cold sweats have more 'grind' and 'tightness' to them, which makes them scream more, compared to the 'roar' of the nailbomb.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Yamhammer on October 30, 2007, 10:57:07 PM
I LOVE my 2007 chambered Les Paul...
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on October 30, 2007, 11:10:39 PM
Quote from: Yamhammer
I LOVE my 2007 chambered Les Paul....and I love hardrock too :twisted:

Just like I said, the neck BB-pro reminds me of the Cold Sweat I had in my 88' LP Standard. It's thick, full and fluid, great for liquid solo's and awesome when playing clean. It does wonderfully high gain, so I won't change it for that reason.

Anyway, for the bridge position I think the Cold Sweat OR Holydiver will be the right pickup for that guitar...
The Cold Sweat would be a bit more agressive and tighter I think (but still warm), while the Holydiver would be a bit darker/smoother and thicker......I think it's great for an already bright sounding guitar like the chambered Les Paul Standard.
I am so going CS... Aggressive is my middle name lol! :D

How does the chambered one sounds? Still like fat midrange monster les paul?
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 11:12:08 PM
yamhammer, wat zwam je nu?! de ene keer vind je de faded juist lekker warm klinken, en moet ie strakker klinken, en nu juist lekker helder?  :roll:


@ 'the non-dutch-speaking guys' sorry for the off-topic
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Yamhammer on October 30, 2007, 11:25:13 PM
Quote from: Orpheo
yamhammer, wat zwam je nu?! de ene keer vind je de faded juist lekker warm klinken, en moet ie strakker klinken, en nu juist lekker helder?  :roll:


@ 'the non-dutch-speaking guys' sorry for the off-topic

whatever
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Orpheo on October 30, 2007, 11:32:42 PM
Quote from: Yamhammer
Quote from: Orpheo
yamhammer, wat zwam je nu?! de ene keer vind je de faded juist lekker warm klinken, en moet ie strakker klinken, en nu juist lekker helder?  :roll:


@ 'the non-dutch-speaking guys' sorry for the off-topic


Je begrijpt me verkeerd. De Faded klinkt waanzinnig warm, juist het halselement -> veel hout, dik, punchy en gewoon een heel goede balans tussen de snaren. Het brugelement daareentegen klinkt verschrikkelijk, veel te schril en iel en heeft naar mijn mening ook te weinig output om echt (moderne) hardrock mee te kunnen spelen. Ik speel voornamelijk solo in de band en ik hou van 'smoother', 'dikker' en 'voller' i.p.v dun en schril. De Faded klinkt van nature vrij helder en sprankelend (unplugged) en dat geeft schijnbaar problemen met het brugelement wanneer deze versterkt wordt...daar moet gewoon een veel vettere, vollere en warmere pickup voor in de plaats komen met hogere output en ik weet eigenlijk nu al zeker dat de HD een grote upgrade zal worden.


hmm. ok. that makes sense. maar toch; je bent soms wat warrig, en dat nemen ze je op gitaarnet niet echt in dank af ;)
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Yamhammer on October 30, 2007, 11:59:07 PM
Quote from: Orpheo
hmm. ok. that makes sense. maar toch; je bent soms wat warrig, en dat nemen ze je op gitaarnet niet echt in dank af ;)

whatever
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Mr Ed on October 31, 2007, 12:17:28 AM
An angry ferret with a switchblade.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Iron Horse on October 31, 2007, 05:57:05 PM
Maybe Cold Sweat or Holy Diver bridge with CS neck? I think that would be good for Thin Lizzy, Dio (Campbell) and Sykes-like neck tone
Oh, and I almost forgot: Hi, haven't we met at thy SDF?  :D
2* Forumbro: remember that, if the JCM doesn't suit you, just send it over here, if ya don't like it  :twisted:
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Will on October 31, 2007, 06:23:36 PM
Wasn't Sykes' neck pickup stock however? so it would be a PAF type thing to get his sound on the neck
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: ericsabbath on October 31, 2007, 06:41:50 PM
cold sweat neck IS a PAF
just a bit brighter and has more sustain and output
but the mids are very close to a regular PAF sound
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Will on October 31, 2007, 06:49:00 PM
I have a dirty fingers set (that I shall upgrade someday) and although the mids are the same, there is no way that I would say its like a PAF.

my point being here, to get a JS neck sound, would a mule not be better?
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on October 31, 2007, 10:58:17 PM
Hey Iron Horse, we have met yeah :D

Well I think I have decided, Cold Sweats it is.

But how would they work for a eurometal sound like early 80s scorpions or Accept?

Kinda like this
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YPWhgcAL4jg
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: ericsabbath on November 01, 2007, 01:18:19 AM
Quote from: Will
I have a dirty fingers set (that I shall upgrade someday) and although the mids are the same, there is no way that I would say its like a PAF.

my point being here, to get a JS neck sound, would a mule not be better?


dirty fingers are ceramic and high output, cold sweat neck is alnico and sounds nothing like any ceramic pickup
think of a dimarzio air classic kind of voicing or a hotter version of duncan jazz model
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Iron Horse on November 01, 2007, 12:57:12 PM
Quote from: AH^DK
Hey Iron Horse, we have met yeah :D

Well I think I have decided, Cold Sweats it is.

But how would they work for a eurometal sound like early 80s scorpions or Accept?

Kinda like this
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YPWhgcAL4jg


Well, Michael Schencker has used Duncan Custom/'59 set in his Flying V, and Custom should be somewhat like CS, so I guess it would work great for Scorps too. It's also somewhat bright-y, so it must be great for 80's stuff. And really, do you even care about that Scorps tone in the LP you install them into? because you can't really fully get all the tones. Of course some of the pups get more of the tones copped better, but still.

CS should work well for any hard rock tone that's not overly dark or bright or middy (and I said OVERLY)
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 02, 2007, 07:29:21 PM
Personally, I think you have the potential to have issues getting a very focused tone from a chambered body, depending on how hollow the body is.

Bearing that in mind, I think you're gonna need the extra push from a ceramic magnet.

My vote:

No 1 choice, Cold Sweat set
No 2 choice, Cold Sweat bridge, Stormy Monday neck
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 02, 2007, 07:32:16 PM
Quote from: Iron Horse
Well, Michael Schencker has used Duncan Custom/'59 set in his Flying V, and Custom should be somewhat like CS

Not even close, actually.

The custom is a JB with a ceramic magnet slapped on it, and sounds quite cr@pulent. The Cold Sweat is inspired by a Gibson pickup.

I do wonder what era Schenker used that setup on, as his tone was quite tizzy on some tracks (Desert Song comes to mind) and I wonder if they are somehow related ...
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on November 02, 2007, 07:33:28 PM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Personally, I think you have the potential to have issues getting a very focused tone from a chambered body, depending on how hollow the body is.

Bearing that in mind, I think you're gonna need the extra push from a ceramic magnet.

My vote:

No 1 choice, Cold Sweat set
No 2 choice, Cold Sweat bridge, Stormy Monday neck
Well it is chambered inside. Here is a picture http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb206/RareFormMusic/146632.jpg

But it is completely closed on the outside, and I tried some yesterday. And they sound tighter than before IMO.

Cold Sweats, would they work for the Jake E. Lee type tone, I told you about?
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Davey on November 02, 2007, 07:37:17 PM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: Iron Horse
Well, Michael Schencker has used Duncan Custom/'59 set in his Flying V, and Custom should be somewhat like CS

Not even close, actually.

The custom is a JB with a ceramic magnet slapped on it, and sounds quite cr@pulent. The Cold Sweat is inspired by a Gibson pickup.

correction, the Distortion is a JB with a ceramic magnet. same goes for the invader. same thing just with different pole pieces.. confirmed from inside the SD fold

and that's the new standards? that's half a hollowbody already :P what happened to the weight relief holes? lol
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 02, 2007, 07:42:40 PM
Quote from: Davey
correction, the Distortion is a JB with a ceramic magnet. same goes for the invader. same thing just with different pole pieces.. confirmed from inside the SD fold

and that's the new standards? that's half a hollowbody already :P what happened to the weight relief holes? lol

Thanks for the correction.

The Custom is still cr@pulent, tho.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 02, 2007, 07:43:16 PM
Quote from: AH^DK
Cold Sweats, would they work for the Jake E. Lee type tone, I told you about?

In a word, yes ... and that body is REALLY chambered!
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on November 02, 2007, 07:44:59 PM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: AH^DK
Cold Sweats, would they work for the Jake E. Lee type tone, I told you about?

In a word, yes ... and that body is REALLY chambered!
Yup.

But the ones I tried still have the classic growling Les Paul sound, so all the best  :D

I will get cold sweats then :) I am just constantly split between Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but they should work fine for a Rainbow In The Dark tone, shouldnt they? (The CS's)
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Iron Horse on November 04, 2007, 12:02:51 AM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey


The Custom is still cr@pulent, tho.


No, it's not. The Custom is a great pup, although it does have just a bit too much highs. It's very much like a PAF, with the same midrange thing.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 04, 2007, 02:57:40 AM
Quote from: Iron Horse
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey


The Custom is still cr@pulent, tho.


No, it's not. The Custom is a great pup, although it does have just a bit too much highs. It's very much like a PAF, with the same midrange thing.

Is this where I'm supposed to say, "No , you're wrong" ?!

This thread isn't about the SD Custom. If you want to promote your SD fanboy-ism there are lots of other places you can do so.

Your opinion varies from mine ... wow, it's a wonderful, varied world!
Can we move on?!!
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: TwilightOdyssey on November 04, 2007, 03:10:30 AM
Quote from: AH^DK
I am just constantly split between Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but they should work fine for a Rainbow In The Dark tone, shouldnt they? (The CS's)

There's guitar playing on Rainbow In The Dark?? PDT_008
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: blue on November 04, 2007, 04:19:16 AM
John Sykes has been mentioned repeatedly here, and his Les Paul Custom is loaded with Gibson Dirty Fingers.  These are genuinely fabulous pickups and i got mine off e-bay for f**k all!!!!! but if u want the BKP equivalent i do believe Cold Sweats are the answer.

i'm about to buy a set myself, although i'm putting them in a superstrat, not a Les Paul.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Henk on November 04, 2007, 09:26:13 AM
Its a shame this thread has gone bad.  :(

Everyone is just shouting his preferences and making some up along the way. John Sykes has a dirty fingers in the bridge and a '57 classic paf in the neck of his LP Custom, or at least the John Sykes Model LP has, im pretty sure he used different pickups along the way. There is NO dirty finger set. And by the way, many artists are endorced by certain companies and are bound to use their products. Since dirty fingers are simply the highest output pickups in a certain era, do the math. Im sure most of these artist have their 'dirty fingers' custom wound and voiced for their guitar/music.

I have heard the magnet swapping story of SD and since i didnt like their pickups anyway (well exept the jazz model) i dont use them anymore. I think a good pickup is voiced and optimized for a specific sound. Obviously with alot of fumbling i could make any pickup sound good, but that says something about me and not about the pickup. I think some of you forget this.

Since people are bold enough to compare SD or Gibson pickups to BKP's let me say that none of these other manifacturors offer a handwound, specially voiced and optimized pickup with this many options. Sure SD and Gibson use good parts, but if its about details, the last yard, BKP is the pickup.

Now, please forget your personal preferences and please help this guy decide on the right BKP pickups for his LP. If he wanted pickups from another manifacturor he wouldnt be posting here.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on November 04, 2007, 03:58:37 PM
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: AH^DK
I am just constantly split between Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but they should work fine for a Rainbow In The Dark tone, shouldnt they? (The CS's)

There's guitar playing on Rainbow In The Dark?? PDT_008
Hehe, naah how close would the Cold sweats come to that tone? I use a JCM800 2203 and a Boss OD-1 just like Campbell did.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Henk on November 04, 2007, 07:09:04 PM
Quote from: AH^DK
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: AH^DK
I am just constantly split between Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but they should work fine for a Rainbow In The Dark tone, shouldnt they? (The CS's)

There's guitar playing on Rainbow In The Dark?? PDT_008
Hehe, naah how close would the Cold sweats come to that tone? I use a JCM800 2203 and a Boss OD-1 just like Campbell did.


Doesnt Tim just nail that tone with the Nailbomb clip sticky? Were talking DIO, or am i really confused?
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on November 04, 2007, 07:11:29 PM
Quote from: Henk
Quote from: AH^DK
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
Quote from: AH^DK
I am just constantly split between Holy Divers or Cold Sweats, but they should work fine for a Rainbow In The Dark tone, shouldnt they? (The CS's)

There's guitar playing on Rainbow In The Dark?? PDT_008
Hehe, naah how close would the Cold sweats come to that tone? I use a JCM800 2203 and a Boss OD-1 just like Campbell did.


Doesnt Tim just nail that tone with the Nailbomb clip sticky? Were talking DIO, or am i really confused?
We are talking dio yeah.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: AH^DK on November 04, 2007, 07:17:39 PM
I just heard that clip. That tone is way too modern to be close to the Dio sound

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5bV0KUEOlFI

Also at about 2:00 in this clip, you can see them record Hear N' Aid live in the studio.. Abit more of the same tone, its more ballsy on Rainbow In The Dark because he was using a Les Paul.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gHfwdUS5m7Q
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Henk on November 04, 2007, 07:33:19 PM
youtube has really bad audio but this ones better.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LmSt1oEIshE

Campbell uses less distortion and Tim used a Tubescreamer, with those things in mind i cant think of anything closer.

You definately need an Alnico 5 pickup IMO.
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Henk on November 04, 2007, 07:39:09 PM
Quote from: AH^DK
Also at about 2:00 in this clip, you can see them record Hear N' Aid live in the studio..


Ah ok i was too quick, well ok still like a bomb to me, but anyway you should choose which sound you like best right.

EDIT: Those Hear'n Aid clips are great! Check this one out, wish i was back in the 80's......

http://youtube.com/watch?v=g7C4KMJGPJM
Title: What should I put in my Les Paul?
Post by: Prawnik on November 05, 2007, 02:39:58 PM
Quote from: blue
John Sykes has been mentioned repeatedly here, and his Les Paul Custom is loaded with Gibson Dirty Fingers.  These are genuinely fabulous pickups and i got mine off e-bay for f**k all!!!!! but if u want the BKP equivalent i do believe Cold Sweats are the answer.

i'm about to buy a set myself, although i'm putting them in a superstrat, not a Les Paul.


I've always been fond of the Dirty Fingers myself, but the originals are no longer cheap.  Too bad, there was a time when they could be had for a song.