Gibson Les Paul for... organic but critical sound

[xSweep]

(Bridge pickup)

I've been reading countless reviews all over the place about the BKP's that catch my eye. Listened to sound clips. I've talked it over with Tim. And I've even changed my mind on what I'm looking for. The day approaches though. I'll have to choose soon or go crazy leaving the SD-garbage in my #1 guitar (Duncan Invader, eck).

What I want is open and organic drive. Well balanced. Singing leads but no harshness. Vital open chord clarity with rich harmonic consistency and a savagely tight low end. My guess is that the answer is not what I am initially looking at.

I'm thinking about the Nailbomb. Question is do I want a C-Bomb or an A-bomb? Or what about a Miracle Man? No probably too aggressive even though my playing focus is very aggressive. Holy Diver? Not sure if it's clinical enough. Then there's the Cold Sweat, Painkiller and others I'm still trying to understand fully.

My initial talk with Tim yielded a suggestion for the Rebel Yell. Although after consideration and playing around with other idea's I think I may want a higher output pickup as it will ultimately be more versatile with my style and set up (VHT Pittbull 50CL driven by a TS-808). Now before I get it for going back on Tim's suggestion I did specify a lower output pickup. Now the same all applies but I think I want a medium-high output pickup.

It just needs to get along with the fat Les Paul body.

[MDV]

Vital open chord clarity with rich harmonic consistency and a savagely tight low end

I may want a higher output pickup as it will ultimately be more versatile with my style and set up

Much as I hate to violate rule number one

Painkiller.

[Ben_W]

Any bands as an example of the sound you are going for?

For medium-high, Rebel Yell would be good, or Holy Diver. Although if they're not hot enough (which they may well be), then perhaps a Nailbomb. Not sure how they'd go in a LP, as I have no experience, but i'm sure someone else will come along soon.

And yes, I think the Miracle Man will be too high gain, the MM is more for tight chugging sounds, and it's probably not for you.

You also mentioned Cold Sweat and Painkiller. The cold sweat is very good for medium to high gain, although I have no idea what it would be like in the bridge position, as I only have a neck CS. Painkiller is pretty high gain, but may well work wonders for you.

If you could say some examples of sounds/tone/gain levels etc. then it may be easier.

[sebby123]

My perfect pickup is what you described and farily close to what i described to tim, the Cold sweat delieverd that perfectly!

[syr2012]

I'm not familiar with the Rebel Yell, but they might give you just what you need in that huge slab of mahogany. If you want organic and nice warm (to moderately bright) cleans, then you definitely want AV (or AIV if you wanted a slightly more moderate output) as opposed to ceramic. However, if you're willing to compromise on the cleans, hotter ceramics would definitely fare better in mahog than hotter AV pickups (dheim didn't have a pleasant experience with the holydivers in a mahogany guitar, they were too dark). You might be able to get away with nailbombs, but cold sweats might be better.


Email Tim again, since your wants have changed.

[Zaned]

The phrase 'savagely tight low end' suggests a ceramic magnet, however, Tim suggested you the RY. Now I don't know if you phrased it to him like that or if your objectives have changed.

The RY is a medium, maybe medium-high output pickup. Now if I compare that to the Cold Sweat, the CS is a bit hotter. The RY is more aggressive on the mids and sweeter on the highs, whereas the CS has more biting/cutting highs and has a bit 'tamer' (for a lack of a better word) mids, and a tighter low end that tracks very fast. Both work wonderfully in an LP, the question is what you want from it. If you listen to the clips, you'll hear the difference I described.

You also mentioned the C-bomb, which is basically an overwound CS. The Painkiller is the least known of these pickups for me, but based on the clips I've heard and the things I've read..tighter that a witches ####!!. Clarity and a lot of midrange.

What does your LP sound like? How much mids, highs? And what do you want to emphasize on it?

-Zaned

[gwEm]

the rebel yell has a weaker bass response, and in that sense it will be tight.

[ericsabbath]

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=950856&songID=7575909

that sounds tight enough for me
not ceramic tight, but pretty tight for alnico V

[ericsabbath]

dheim didn't have a pleasant experience with the holydivers in a mahogany guitar, they were too dark

he had it in a SG
the diver didn't work well in my ex-gibson sg neither
but it was awesome in my mij les paul copy and in a brazilian mahogany/imbuya top (very smooth/dark sounding wood) les paul copy
I think it has more to do with the massive sound coming from a big piece of wood than with the lack of brightness, since the brazilian les paul was a very thick and dark sounding guitar
in the SG it just didn't cut before I swapped the magnet for alnico VIII

I'm buying a gibson lp custom and I'll temporarily install the holy diver just to "know" the guitar needs
but I intend to order a camo nailbomb set for her

[Philly Q]

the rebel yell has a weaker bass response, and in that sense it will be tight.

Yeah, that's a good description.  The RY doesn't have a lot of bass.

[xSweep]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rK6V6KqkCl0

The vocals are gonna be too much for most people so just focus on the first 30 seconds or so.

Something with -that- kind of low end tightness. More focused and defined rather than the brootalz.

And I should probably clarify that I want the most open chordal clarity with gain. I don't play clean all too often but eventually the pickup will be paired with a piezo bridge so that's probably important to keep in mind as well.

[ericsabbath]

I think the rebel yell can easily pull that, considering you have a VHT and a booster

this video sounds more ceramic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jboCIU7BPEY

[gwEm]

tim's advice is usually right.. but i think his marketing is often more successful. the idea i built up of a certain pickup from reading the blurb and posts online has certainly persuaded me to ignore tim's advice on a couple of occasions... i've got to say though, tim was right in each case ;)

les paul is the perfect guitar for the rebel yell in many ways.

[ericsabbath]

tim's advice is usually right.. but i think his marketing is often more successful. the idea i built up of a certain pickup from reading the blurb and posts online has certainly persuaded me to ignore tim's advice on a couple of occasions... i've got to say though, tim was right in each case ;)

les paul is the perfect guitar for the rebel yell in many ways.

+1

and les paul is the perfect guitar for every bk humbucker :lol:

[xSweep]

This is where my chaotic decision making skills come in. That clip is really only part of what I'm looking for (if not the most important part). But having a good saturated even order harmonic feel and being able to easily distinguish all notes well in a full chord with plenty of gain is the other section. I'm feelin pretty comfortable with the idea of a RY. I've just never been able to properly judge how much it pushes the pre gain stage.