Ok, the Cold Sweats are in my LPC!!! Review...

[LP_LOVER]

Well, I don't know how to start... :lol:


At first my luthier only installed the CS neck, to see if it sounded better combined with the HD bridge. Well, the CS sounded a lot stronger, clearer and way more 'even' than the older HD neck. The HD neck sounded bassy, dark and loose in comparison with the CS neck. The HD bridge was still louder, it was a serious problem. Then I finally decided to get rid of the HD bridge too, to see if the CS bridge would be as great as the neck pickup. It was! A HUGE improvement over the HD bridge. Much more clarity, power, dynamics, it just has everything. Again: extremely well balanced.

Verry happy!

[Zaned]

Win  8)

-Zaned

[Antag]

Nice review & glad you found the right pickups in the end (& that they were BKPs! :))

Your experience matches mine with my LP Std Goldtop which weighs ~11lbs.  The HDs were too dark, loose & lacked clarity.  NBs were an improvement but CS is what this guitar needed.

Slightly off topic, but the HD set that I took out ended up in my LP Std VB which only weighs ~8½lbs & the difference is astounding.  They sound absolutely wonderful in that guitar.

[LP_LOVER]

That's cool to hear Antag!

Honestly I think it's kind of funny: most people find the CS neck to be darker and warmer than the HD neck, or even darker than most other 'medium hot' neck pickups. Well, I find the CS neck to be the clearest neck pickup I've ever tried in my LPC. The HD was definately darker. My other Les Paul Standard (chambered) has a calibrated set of Mississippi Queens, which sound great in that guitar, but still not as clear as the Cold Sweats sound in my heavy LPC. It's kind of amazing. I can even hear that middle position 'quak' with heavy overdrive (when both pickups are on); it's pure madness.

[Dr. Vic]

Very interesting review : nice to see how you started with that harsh- thin-quite-unexpected-issue on both Mule and RY, to finally end up with a CS in that 11lbs guitar with no swiss cheese holes.  :lol:

Anyway  thanks mate ! And have fun !  :guitar4:

[LP_LOVER]

Well, it's justice for me personally and for my # 1 strange LPC (Silverburst).

[sebby123]

Had the same experience with my les paul! I dont think theres a better pickup for les pauls!

[LP_LOVER]

Well, I don't believe in 'the best pickups' for Les Pauls, since every Les Paul is different. It's still the individual piece of wood that makes the tone, character and sustain. Even a 3-piece maple top can make that little difference in the overall tone or take the differences between a rosewood board and ebony board...there are lots, lots of other factors that influence the tone of a Les Paul. No two guitars are the same.

Like Antag said, the Holydivers sound great in his LP Standard VB (which weighs 8,5 lbs). I believe they do, if Antag says it. BKP's are great, if they're in the right guitar.

I've had a dog once (a cr@ppy LP Studio) that never came alive, even not with BKP's. It was just a dull piece of wood. Sold it.

My SB LPC has always been great; very full, rich, thick, bassy tone with great sustain. The Cold Sweats just seem to be the right fit for that guitar, without sounding harsh or trebly. The guitar still sounds thick, warm and bassy.....just extremely well balanced with the Cold Sweats  :lol:

I love the guitar even more than I already did before.

[AndyR]

That's a great story - glad you found the pickups for that one :D

[LP_LOVER]

Thanks AndyR  :)

I'm as happy as a baby!

[ericsabbath]

I second everything

but the holy diver was also AWESOME in my les paul (for different purposes, of course) and clearer on high gain non-palm muted chords
and definitely NOT dark on near standard tunings

[LP_LOVER]

That's interesting Eric. The HD's were good in my lpc, but never great. Too much low-mids, lack of real clarity.

[PhilKing]

I have a few LP's and have gone through the same issues with some of them.  I didn't find a good home for the Abraxas set until I put them in my Hamer Sunburst where they just came alive.  My lightest Les Paul is the original 53 conversion, this loved the black dogs so much that I've never thought of changing them.  My goldtop had an Emerald/Mule set in it but when I changed to the PG Blues it became jsut what I wanted in a blues/rock way (the Emerald/Mule set works great in my Zemaitis metal front clone).  My chambered standard was OK with the Emerald/mule set but when I went to a Riff Raff/Stormy Monday set then sounded even better.  My latest LP has a full Emerald set in it and I will be picking it up next week (it is a custom build from Will Scott in Pembrookeshire, and is a mahogany body with a custom neck and wrap around bridge and 25.5" scale).  Another set that I really like is an AV Mule/Stormy Monday.  I have this in a Zemaitis Pearl top and it sounds great for classic rock.

[Zaned]

 

That's interesting Eric. The HD's were good in my lpc, but never great. Too much low-mids, lack of real clarity.

The Cold Sweats really feel like they're custom-made for my lpc. It's the tone I had in my head, both clean
and distorted. The guitar sounds big, bassy and thick by nature, but now it's 'clearer' and even more powerful
than before....

It can't get any better than this.

Ain't it just wonderful when things come together?  8) My guitar with CS set is warm by nature too, no peaks in the high end. No mud though..which all leads to a very articulate yet thick outcome. With aggression!

-Zaned

[LP_LOVER]

Absolutely!  8)

0,0% mud.