Pickups

[guitarbob123]

What pick-ups would you suggest for a Les Paul Custom?

I play Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Randy Rhoads, Aerosmith, Boston, Def Leppard

Essentially 70's Rock and 80's Hard Rock/Metal as-well as sometimes blues stuff (Gary Moore style stuff)

I need something that gets an aggressive but thick tone on leads (think Gary Moore on Oh Pretty Woman or Scott Gorham's solo on Bad Reputation or Emerald) and crunch like John Sykes/Doug Aldrich (Still of the Night, Cold Sweat etc.)

I'd also like a neck pick-up that can do cleans well, bright and not muddy but not jangly like a strat.


I was looking at a Crawler bridge and neck, but I was also looking at Holy Divers as I was worried the the Crawler bridge wouldn't be aggressive enough and the neck wouldn't be tight enough.

What is the best combination for these tones?

Thanks
Bob

[Transcend]

I think a cold sweat set would do wonders for you

[guitarbob123]

I think a cold sweat set would do wonders for you

I'm not sure it would have enough mids and attack . I listened to the sound clips and felt it was too smooth in leads (they may have been recorded on the neck). Generally I boost the mids for solos, don't really like the scooped mids thing (Metallica, Djent stuff etc.)

I liked the clean sound which sounded like the neck pick-up, but then it was too twangy on the bridge, thin.

[Transcend]

I think a cold sweat set would do wonders for you

I'm not sure it would have enough mids and attack . I listened to the sound clips and felt it was too smooth in leads (they may have been recorded on the neck). Generally I boost the mids for solos, don't really like the scooped mids thing (Metallica, Djent stuff etc.)

I liked the clean sound which sounded like the neck pick-up, but then it was too twangy on the bridge, thin.

Hmm theyre made to give off that john sykes kinda vibe.

I personally don't go by the soundclips on the main site as i don't find they represent the pickups very well personally and you can clearly hear that they are done with a modeller rather than an amp.

I always judge by the offical soundclips here on the forum but i don't think there are any of the CS set.

However when i owned the CS i didn't find it scooped and it has plenty enough mids and attack.

Maybe you would be more suited to something like the emerald?

I was just thinking more from your listed bands though

[Nolly]

+1 for the Emeralds. Should work great for what you've listed

[Philly Q]

I'd also like a neck pick-up that can do cleans well, bright and not muddy but not jangly like a strat.


I was looking at a Crawler bridge and neck, but I was also looking at Holy Divers as I was worried the the Crawler bridge wouldn't be aggressive enough and the neck wouldn't be tight enough.

The Crawler (neck) won't give you the bright neck tones you're after (IMO).  I think the Crawler (bridge) could do some of the stuff you've described, and it has the mids you want, but from other comments you've made you might fight it a little dark.

Can't really comment much on the Holydivers, never tried them.  From what I've read I believe the neck HD is relatively bright (that could be wrong!) so maybe it would suit.

Cold Sweat neck has an awesome singing tone, the bridge is much brighter, I like the contrast between the two but the bridge may be too bright for you.

The suggestion of Emeralds seems a very good one, but I'm going by what I've read, not from personal experience.  And maybe throw the Abraxas into the mix, another set with vintage tones but a little more muscle?  This thread has some good discussion about Abraxas, Crawlers, Emeralds and a couple of others too:

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=24150.0

[darkbluemurder]

The Crawlers are pretty dark sounding pickups. For the tones you listed I would recommend a Holydiver for the bridge and a Cold Sweat for the neck.

Cheers Stephan

[kevinr]

Holydiver set!

[Slartibartfarst42]

I would agree with the Holydiver 100%. I can only comment on the bridge version as I haven't tried it in the neck but the bridge HD will absolutely nail the tones you're after. I actually find the Holydiver to be better at getting the John Sykes tone than the Cold Sweats I used to own.

[Telerocker]

Emeralds or Abraxas for a bit more mids.