New guitar, but it needs new pickups

[Alex]

Hi all!

I posted this here instead of the gear section for one reason: I bought this guitar already expecting to get different pickups for it.



It's a Voodoo LesPaul. It has a massive full thickness swamp-ash body, an ebony fretboard and I believe a mahogany neck (not 100% sure on the neck but I guess it is mahogany). The current pickups are ceramic 490 and 500T. The T means "TERRIBLE" in bold letters. I haven't exactly decided when I will do this, but it is on my list of things to do.

So now I am wondering what to put in there. It sounds brighter and open than my mahogany Eclipse. It lacks a bit of the midrange punch but has deep and clear bottom end. Strong treble and deep bass, subdued mids - does that make sense? What sound am I after? A bit Bonamassa, a bit Albert King, a bit Guns'n'Roses, a bit AC/DC, a good deal Aerosmith. Heavy Blues/Hardrock. I would like this guitar to be able to give some nice blues sounds.
As on all of my guitars I want the low end to be tight however and the sound not muddy when I raise the gain on my amp. And I'd strongly prefer Alnico magnets.
I still have a spare Miracle Man here, which I'm gonna test in this guitar for fun, but as I might start a bluesrock/hardrock band with a friend I don't think it will be a solution at all.

So now I am waiting for suggestions.  :D

[Philly Q]

Don't know what to suggest, but it would be cool to get them rewound and keep the red/black colour scheme.  :D

I wish I'd bought a Voodoo SG before they discontinued them.

[BigK]

Don't know what to suggest, but it would be cool to get them rewound and keep the red/black colour scheme.  :D

I wish I'd bought a Voodoo SG before they discontinued them.

Dito on both counts although your les paul is SWEEEEEEET!!!!!!! I never have any money when they come up on ebay :(

[sebby123]

Rebel yell?

[sebby123]

Rebel yell?

[Zaned]

A nice looking axe!

You're pretty much describing the swamp ash characteristics..it has a strong bottom, and sparking highs. A bit scooped in the mids. The mahogany neck does bring some mids, but the ebony fretboard again emphasizes the lows and highs.

So, compared to your average LP, you do have less midrange there. Seeing that you'd like to stay in the classic/hard rock tonality, I'd go with a PAF-oriented pickup, but on the hotter vintage side, to bring in the mids.

Emerald or Black Dog, I'd say. Higher output PAF-style: the Crawler.

-Zaned

[Will]

+1 on the rewind idea, the colours look good.

I guess you should be looking on the fatter side of vintage hot? Would BlackDogs be that type of tone?

[Alex]

With Rebel Yells my fear would be that the guitar would sound too tinny and trebly. From what I hear, the RY are for full-bodied LesPauls.

• Black Dog
• VHII
• Riff Raff
• Holy Diver

Pros/Cons?

[BigB]

A nice looking axe!

You're pretty much describing the swamp ash characteristics..it has a strong bottom, and sparking highs. A bit scooped in the mids. The mahogany neck does bring some mids, but the ebony fretboard again emphasizes the lows and highs.

So, compared to your average LP, you do have less midrange there. Seeing that you'd like to stay in the classic/hard rock tonality, I'd go with a PAF-oriented pickup, but on the hotter vintage side, to bring in the mids.

Emerald or Black Dog, I'd say. Higher output PAF-style: the Crawler.

-Zaned

Was thinking about crawlers too - they at least work fine with the bright highs of my maple/rosewood/maple Vox, and IIRC they were designed to be equally "at home" on LP and superstrats so they should fit your Voodoo LP. They do have that vintage tone and feel, now with enough output to push the tubes into OD. They really really do a nice job for the whole blues - heavy blues - classic rock - hard rock range IMHO.

[yellowv]

First off that thing is awesome. Second off I would also get a rewind so you can keep the red/black zebras. Personally I would go warpigs, but I am a metal guy. For your needs I would go HD or Crawler. I normally like those gibson pickups, but can see how they wouldn't work in swamp ash very well.

[sebby123]

Steve stevens has the same guitar with RY's its in the gallyer i believe

EDIT: Yes! he does its in the gallery and you should get the same covers they look sick!

[Dr. Vic]

I'd also say crawler for its versality youre after and *maybe* his ability do deal with that slice of swamp-ash...

Can't also a black or a distressed black cover suit that voodoo LP ?

[Spitfire]

im a big fan of the voodoo series.. good buy!!

[Alex]

Well I've done something to the guitar which some people will think is horrible... I've put the nickel Miracle Man I still have in it:




I actually don't think it looks too bad, I like the "self-customised" look anyway. How does it sound? Punchier, tighter on the mids and low end. The top end is surprisingly sweet and articulate. It does have a certain harshness to it though and I also get the feel that the Miracle Man really belongs into a mid-range heavy guitar, mahogany base or similar. It is an improvement over that dreaded 500T though.

I am very busy at work now so I am not sure when I'm really gonna get to do the bluesrock band with my friend (who also has to submit her PhD dissertation until December). But at some point for sure something very low-output and clearsounding will come in this guitar for sure in order for the Voodoo to be even more different from the Eclipse with EMGs.

[downtowndalebrown]

Hey All,

Just jumping in from more of an aesthetic point of view as much as anything, but just to toss it out there, if you were looking for that heavy rock/ blues sound, though I don't know what kind of amp you're using, so follow me, what about either a RY or a BD in the bridge with a p91-wound MQ or RY in the neck, both with black covers w/ allen bolts.

Just thinking...