Author Topic: Same Question Again! (Read 2760 times)

Sorbz62 · « **on:** November 01, 2007, 02:53:08 PM »

Hi guys, new here but if you're on the Boss GT8 Central forum, I am on there.

Anyway ...... I have had a Les Paul Custom for 20 years - solid body, metal parts just aging nicely etc but the pickups always sounded boxy, ie quite powerful but with no real bite to them - hollow even.

I play all music from Blues to balls out metal and need a set of pickups which are very powerful but can quieten down to very warm for the cleans.

I have deliberated and lurked on this forum for ages but CAN'T DECIDE!!!!

Please help me.

Cheers,
Jim

PS: I have just moved to the Hereford UK area and want to join/ form a band playing rock classics and more modern metal stuff ... Any offers?

MDV · « **Reply #1 on:** November 01, 2007, 02:58:06 PM »

Crawlers or nailbombs

Crawlers are the hotest PAFs you've ever heard. They do the old school blues and rock brilliantly, and thats where their emphasis is, but they can let loose and play as much metal as you like, too. When I had them I used them for free-esque blues, mono-esque post rock and origin-esque death metal 8)

Nailbombs are more metal: thats where they lean, but they have a vintage vibe that can pull of the old school stuff very well too.

Depends whats prrority for you.

Crazy_Joe · « **Reply #2 on:** November 01, 2007, 03:00:58 PM »

Mules, the most versatile, check out _tom_'s clips he shows how great in loads of different styles, and they are also in a les paul.

ilÿti · « **Reply #3 on:** November 01, 2007, 03:14:00 PM »

If you want something powerful and versatile but still with a true Les Paul sound (I'm assuming you do since you've played that one for 20 years), that's the Crawlers for ya.

carlaz · « **Reply #4 on:** November 01, 2007, 03:56:51 PM »

I'll add my voice saying that Crawlers are an excellent and versatile choice to cover a wide range of styles. They're rather hotter than PAFs, and the bridge pup has a bit of a midrange bump over what a true "hot PAF" (like the Abraxas) would have, though that helps you cut through the mix. They've got that vintage vibe, when you want it, but will take you roaring into Metalland, too.

Tellboy · « **Reply #5 on:** November 01, 2007, 09:09:37 PM »

My Les Paul Standard is roughly the same age as your custom (1989) and I replaced the pickups with Crawlers. Great pickups - powerful and versatile. The Gibson pickups were the HB-L and HB-R "original" which used a printed circuit board to mount the coils and connect the leads. I believe they were designed by Bill Lawrence when he worked for Gibson and were used for a while before they started using 498/490s in Les Pauls.
I've also wired the Crawlers with a push pull pot for coil splitting which makes the guitar very versatile.

Sorbz62 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2007, 08:42:05 AM »

I've been reading the forums again and I think I may go for either a Holy Diver set or a Crawler set. (I had thought about a Rebel Yell set but a lot of people are saying they are quite trebly)

The HD seems to offer what I need - loud, grainy, and able to cover all the posts I need up to modern Nu-metal stuff.

........... but so does the Crawler

Remember I am going to put these in a Les Paul Custom Mahogany body which weighs about 2 ton! I don't suppose anything I put in it could be described as thin or trebly.

Cheers,
Jim

Henk · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2007, 09:13:23 AM »

I would suggest you email Tim with your question, he really knows most about his pickups and i know he will do his best to advice you in the best way possible.

If you want to play metal with a gibson custom i think you will need quite a bit of bite to your pickups since you need it to cut trough the huge sustain. All in all it might be a better idea to focus on a great blues/rock sound. Getting a great metal sound out of any good rock sound isnt that hard IMO.

Another thing to consider would be the GT8 and amp you play, IMHO digital effects do make a guitar sound muffled and artificial or even hollow.

What amp do you play?

carlaz · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2007, 03:37:16 PM »

My gut feeling is that the HD will be a little more "metally" and the "Crawler" a little more bluesy. Both are great pups, and either might suit!

(I've got Crawlers in my LP Std, but I like the clips I've heard of the HDs. I've got an old Charvel Charvette tucked away that I'd love to take out and dust off with a HD for the H in its HSS config .... some day! :))

FELINEGUITARS · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2007, 05:00:00 PM »

I'm tempted to say Cold Sweats in a Les Paul.......or even a painkiller
Ceramic magnet will keep some bite whilst an alnico would be darker sounding .

Both offer some nice warm clean sounds too

Suspect Nailbomb will be too dark and muffled in an LP for some styles

ilÿti · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2007, 05:09:04 PM »

I can't imagine you'd need more bite than the Crawler. It has such a kick in the mids (without being nasal) that its bite will cut through Blackwind, Fire, and STEEL!