Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: geert711 on April 06, 2010, 10:05:32 PM

Title: Help me choose a new set of humbuckers for my les paul
Post by: geert711 on April 06, 2010, 10:05:32 PM

Hi,

I've been reading about all the different pickups BKP offers, and now I'm kinda lost to what to choose.
I've got a les paul copy with an all maple body/neck.
At the moment it is loaded with a set of Schaller golden 50, which don't sound really bad, just a bit lifeless.
I do like however the fact that they're AII.
So now I want to replace them. I'm really after that Clapton bluesbreaker sound!
I was thinking bout the Stormy Monday, but I read such good things about the mules.

Any ideas?

Title: Re: Help me choose a new set of humbuckers for my les paul
Post by: kevinr on April 07, 2010, 02:40:38 AM

I too like Mules, however they may be a little too bright in an all maple guitar, SMs may be a better choice or AII Mules for a little more power!

Title: Re: Help me choose a new set of humbuckers for my les paul
Post by: BigB on April 07, 2010, 10:03:41 AM

Quote from: geert711 on April 06, 2010, 10:05:32 PM

Hi,

I've been reading about all the different pickups BKP offers, and now I'm kinda lost to what to choose.
I've got a les paul copy with an all maple body/neck.
At the moment it is loaded with a set of Schaller golden 50, which don't sound really bad, just a bit lifeless.
I do like however the fact that they're AII.
So now I want to replace them. I'm really after that Clapton bluesbreaker sound!
I was thinking bout the Stormy Monday, but I read such good things about the mules.

Any ideas?

Hi and welcome  :)

First point : an "all maple" guitar is not a Les Paul, even if it looks like one. Maple and mahogany have very different, almost opposite tonal characteristics.

Second point: two planks of the same wood won't necessarily sound the same, and sometimes you find a piece of wood that is very far away from the usual characteristics for this timber.

So to make a long story short, providing a small description of how your guitar sounds unplugged might help :wink:
 
For the record, I more than happy with the Crawlers on my maple going-thru neck / maple sides / rosewood fretboard Vox Custom 24, and they really have something of that bluesbreaker tone when playing on the neck (alnico IV) or neck+bridge positions on a cranked jtm45 or HRDx. But they might be a bit overwound for your tastes - still very lively, but a little more compressed than Mules or SM.

As a side note: you may want to consider PIO caps and 50s style wiring too to get that vintage tone.

Title: Re: Help me choose a new set of humbuckers for my les paul
Post by: geert711 on April 07, 2010, 10:30:12 AM

I know that les paul is mostly a mahagony body type guitar. I tried both in the shop and I just loved the sound of the maple. It has the a more snappy sound than the mahagony, whilst retaining the full bassier sound the humbucker give.

I can't compare the unplugged sound to the mahagony as I dont have one at home, but I do think it sound quite clear and articulate, though it volume is quite soft.

I already hae PIO caps installed, though I have seen a 50th wiring before.
Gonna check it for more details.

Thanks!