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Author Topic: Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!  (Read 3298 times)

machine_of_god

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« on: December 15, 2007, 12:47:49 AM »
Yes, it's true!

Ever since I dropped the Nailbomb and MQ in to my apparently-cheesy-but-surprisingly-awesome Epiphone Dot Studio, my LP just has not sounded the same.

The NB bridge (in a semi-hollow, no less!) just CRUSHES my LP stock bridge pup. By comparison, the LP sounds thinner, spikier and not as responsive..... it used to be my beloved  :(

Anyway, pickup gurus unite! I require your expertise to make my LP acceptable once again! (My LP is a Studio from like.. 1990.. so it's solid mahogany).

What I am looking for, tone-wise, is something similar to this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNkRcGISfnE

Now, I want this tone BUT with more balls. More oomph. I want it to level buildings with its power, but not lose too much of its organic-ness   :wink:

And before you say anything; yes, I know he uses stacked humbuckers from DiMarzio. And yes, I know he has more pedals and rack effects than a guitar store. I just want a pickup that will get my LP in the ballpark   :P

For the neck, I'm eyeballing the Cold Sweat for various reasons; apparently, it sounds great for soloing, and has very sexy cleans. Any opinions?

Anyhoo, that about sums it up. I'm very open to suggestions and hot debate.

And yes, don't worry, I'm gonna bother Tim about it too  :)  But I wanna hear the general concensus too   :idea:

Fill me in!
BKP guitars:
Epiphone Dot Studio (NB bridge, MQ neck)
Gibson LP Studio (MM bridge, CS neck)

TwilightOdyssey

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2007, 03:27:27 AM »
There was definitely a thread within the past year that discussed Smashing Pumpkins specifically.

Have you tried doing a search?

I will listen to the clip later and see what my BK-o-meter* registers, but in the meanwhile the search may yield some positive results for you.








* patent pending

machine_of_god

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2007, 04:03:12 AM »
Thanks for the tip - I'll have a peek.

But the Youtube clip I posted is of one of their new songs, and this new album sounds very different from their previous stuff.

And I hope you get the patent on that BK-o-meter soon   :wink:
BKP guitars:
Epiphone Dot Studio (NB bridge, MQ neck)
Gibson LP Studio (MM bridge, CS neck)

hunter

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2007, 05:39:24 AM »
Sounds a bit fizzy to me, so maybe you wanna try Burstbuckers and mic your speakers right on the cone?

Haha just kiddin ... I could imagine a VHII bridge could give you that kind of treble needed for this type of gain but still be fuller and more punchy.

But in general it's not easy for me to recommend you sth for this kind of sound as it's not what I'm after, except in an all mahogany guitar, I personally like P90 style PUs, so I actually would recommend MQs.
Tweaker's Paradise - Player's nightmare.

badgermark

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2007, 08:35:45 AM »
Corgan plays with either P90s or Lace Sensors. The red Lace Sensor is at 14.5k, so something in that rage should work. Could also give a MQ set a try. Ask Tim nicely to wind it hotter for you  :wink:

Just remember the Fuzz pedal...
Mississippi Queens, Holydiver.

Philly Q

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2007, 10:15:49 AM »
Quote from: badgermark
Corgan plays with either P90s or Lace Sensors. The red Lace Sensor is at 14.5k, so something in that rage should work.

I wouldn't use the DC resistance as a guide - a Lace Sensor is a very different pickup from a conventional humbucker.  And even a Lace pickup is going to sound totally different in a Les Paul than in a '57 reissue Strat.

Let's see what Ben's BK-o-meter comes up with.
BKPs I've Got:  RR, BKP-91, ITs, VHII, CS set, Emeralds
BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

badgermark

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #6 on: December 15, 2007, 10:45:55 AM »
Quote from: Philly Q
Quote from: badgermark
Corgan plays with either P90s or Lace Sensors. The red Lace Sensor is at 14.5k, so something in that rage should work.

I wouldn't use the DC resistance as a guide - a Lace Sensor is a very different pickup from a conventional humbucker.  And even a Lace pickup is going to sound totally different in a Les Paul than in a '57 reissue Strat..


I was thinking about that, I guess what I was getting at is that a higher output pickups is the way to go.
Mississippi Queens, Holydiver.

machine_of_god

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2007, 01:19:10 PM »
All fair opinion, thank you  :)

But let me add a little more to the mix - yes, it does sound a bit fizzy, but I don't want to sound like Billy Corgan. I used this song's sound as a basis for what I am after...

I want that sort of saturated, punchy tone, but it still sounds clear (for lack of better words). I mean, in the song I posted, he's playing everything on a single string and it sounds big (yes, multi-tracking, etc).

And that's my point - I want a pickup that will sound like that AND have more oomph, more beef, and won't require multitracking to sound that bad-@ss.

Oh yea, he uses Uberschalls and a Diezel VH4, just for reference   8)   So he's pretty much ditched fuzz pedals in favor of regular ol' tube gain.
BKP guitars:
Epiphone Dot Studio (NB bridge, MQ neck)
Gibson LP Studio (MM bridge, CS neck)

badgermark

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #8 on: December 15, 2007, 01:24:18 PM »
Quote from: machine_of_god
Oh yea, he uses Uberschalls and a Diezel VH4, just for reference   8)   So he's pretty much ditched fuzz pedals in favor of regular ol' tube gain.


What a sell-out...
Mississippi Queens, Holydiver.

machine_of_god

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #9 on: December 15, 2007, 01:44:33 PM »
Quote from: badgermark
Quote from: machine_of_god
Oh yea, he uses Uberschalls and a Diezel VH4, just for reference   8)   So he's pretty much ditched fuzz pedals in favor of regular ol' tube gain.


What a sell-out...


Well color me sold-out, cuz I would TOTALLY hit his setup! If I was rich like a bar-steward... and had the right BKP in my LP   8)

I'm leaning towards the Warpig for that sort of action. Any thoughts anyone?
BKP guitars:
Epiphone Dot Studio (NB bridge, MQ neck)
Gibson LP Studio (MM bridge, CS neck)

Roobubba

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Damnit all! My Les Paul is ruined!
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2007, 02:20:36 PM »
Warpig or Miracle Man, if you want it with more oomph and more balls. Check out the sound in my sig, that's a miracle man in a basswood ibanez. Stick that in a mahogany guitar... maybe too much, I don't know. I'd wait to see what the BK-o-meter says tbh :)

Roo