Outfitting my working guitars...major advice please!

[mkh02]

Hey guys

Put a post on last week regarding my first venture into changing the pickups in my strat. Decided on Trilogy's to get a Deep Purple vibe with a bit more gain.

I have some spare cash and want to upgrade my whole working guitar rig your advice would be very much appreciated as to be honest I am unsure as to what will work best.

My other band is a classic rock covers band and my goal is to get the most varied sounds from my rig so here goes...

1- Fender Stratocaster (Trilogy Suites) already decided lol!

2- Fender Stratocaster (Sinners)

3- Gibson Les Paul (Nailbombs)

4- Ibanez Jem (War Pigs)

Our set list ranges from Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Ozzy, Van Halen, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, Malmsteen, Iron Maiden, UFO, Gary Moore...you get the idea a mix of classic rock up to semi Modern Metal ...not going to be playing any modern Thrash/ Detuned stuff.

Do you think this selection will be versitile enough to get me the tones relative to the stuff I am playing.

At first thought I realise I have kinda gone more towards the Hi Gain end of the spectrum but I prefer a higher gain sound with more sustain. I feel I can control it well enough to really let the notes scream out when needed.

Also do you think these pick up selections match the guitars?

My thought was to have my Strats hot, my Ibanez to have a killer metal sound and the Les Paul a little more traditional for the Zep Stuff.


All your help is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Mark

[Doadman]

I'd have gone a slightly different direction if I were you:

1) Fender Stratocaster - Trilogy Suites

2) Fender Stratocaster - Slowhands (I just don't think you need anything more powerful than Trilogy Suites and Slowhands will give greater variety in your guitars.)

3) Gibson Les Paul - Either an Emerald or Rebel Yell for the bridge. Both are some of the best pickups I've ever heard and are ideally suited to a Les Paul. If you went with a Rebel Yel in the bridge, I'd use a Cold Sweat in the neck. If it was an Emerald bridge pickup, I'd either use an Emerald calibrated set or use a Mule in the neck.

4) Ibanez Jem - I think Nailbombs would be better in the Jem, not because the Nailbombs won't work in a Les Paul, but because I just think that a versatile pickup like a Nailbomb is better in the Jem and either the Emerald or Rebel Yell are too good in a Les Paul to miss out on the opportunity of using them.

OK, now everyone can disagree with me but that's what I'd be inclined to do  8)

[Nolly]

If I were in your position, I would choose the following:

1) Trilogy Suites, with zinc baseplate on the bridge and neck, RWRP middle

2) There's an "off the menu" Dave Gilmour style set that BKP do combines the middle and neck from the '59 slab boards with a rather overwound bridge (I've nicknamed the set the "Crazy Diamonds"). Don't be put off if you're not a DG fan, because what you get is a fantastically versatile set, especially with an RWRP middle - absolute classic strat tones from the middle and neck, smooth woody "hollow" sounding positions 2 & 4, and a punchy bridge that can bring the rock without overpowering the other pickups and that can also roll back for more polite sounds.

3) Black Dog bridge, Mule neck. There's basically no Les Paul sound you can't do with that set - the Black Dog will take you all the way from Led Zep to modern metal, while the AIV Mule neck is an absolute masterpiece.

4) Nailbombs. Perfect all rounder set for a guitar like a Jem.

[Telerocker]

- Sinners in a strat is far away from a trad. stratsound, but if you want real balls in the plank, they are the way to go. I think what Nolly´s suggests is interesting. I didn´t know there´s a secret DG/set.
- For a Les Paul there are many options, like Crawlers, Mules, Black Dogs, Abbraxxas. Since you fav heavier tones the Black Dog is good choice. Read it will do lower tunings with authority. Hunter posted some nice clips with the Black Dog.
- In the Jem, Holy Divers or Nailbombs

[ericsabbath]

nolly, the great, nailed it  :D

[hunter]

I will only comment on the LP and agree with Nolly, that either Black Dog or Mule would be a great choice to cover all the classic rock up to 80s metal you gotta deliver.

[mkh02]

Thanks for all the advice so far guys.

Agree on the strat pickup selections and the ibanez!

I am a little hesitant with the black dog and mule for the les paul to be honest.

I am a little worried they may not have enough gain or power for hard rock or metal...

Wouldnt a more contemporary one be better? Say a cold sweat or warpig to get that Gibson snarl?

Again I do tend to find a more distorted hi gain sound to play better and sound better for rock....

I may be missing the whole point so forgive me but I have usually found it it better to have huge amounts of distortion and gain available then you can bring it down if need be however it is impossible to go the other way!

[Nolly]

This is a Black Dog in a Les Paul:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/790683/Black%20Dog%20solo.mp3

[mkh02]

Wow ok that is way heavier than I would play....confused lol!

What is the point of the hotter contemporary pickups if you can get that sound with the more retro ones?

[Nolly]

Well, there are lots of different opinions on the subject, check out this recent thread: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=22747.0

[Doadman]

Nailbombs seem the popular choice for the Jem and while I still think a set of Slowhands would sound great, I confess that the 'Crazy Diamond' set that Nolly mentioned sound fantastic. The Les Paul simply gives you loads of different options that are all good. The Black Dog certainly has a good reputation and I think that you're right that a Cold Sweat set would work well. I think when I bought mine Tim said that one of his Les Pauls had a Cold Sweat set in it. Nevertheless, I'd still check out the Emerald and the Rebel Yell as they really are fantastic sounding. Here's some links:

Emerald

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=20188.0

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=19610.0

Rebel Yell

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3433.0

[Alex]

The black dog doesn't have that much output, but it can sound very heavy. I wouldn't worry about it not being loud enough unless you want balls-out metal.

[roland_rat]

Hi,

First thoughts were that they were all  rather high gain and quite modern sounding.  Nothing wrong with that but to cover all bases I think the odd pickup from the vintage range would not be a bad thing. 

For the gibson I think Mules is a great shout, that a few people have already said.  It can do just about everything form a nice clean tone  to great overdrive /distortion  rocktones.

The other strat I would be tempted to look at one of the lower output ones.  I have not found  a bad one, though  for me it would be mothers milk.

Has for the jem I am not really sure. I think I would do the other two first and then have a good play and a think on just what is missing.

[Telerocker]

This is a Black Dog in a Les Paul:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/790683/Black%20Dog%20solo.mp3

Sounds really tight with a lot of grind.  :) I wonder why a lot of players think they can't play heavy rock/metal with vintage(hot)pickups, unless really heavy grunt is required. I heard so many good clips with ballsout tones from the Black Dog, Mules, Abraxxas. Even my Crawler can provide these kind of tones. With the right amp.

[Philly Q]

2- Fender Stratocaster (Sinners)

As far as I know, the Sinner is only sold as a bridge position pickup.  You could probably custom-order some underwound ones for neck/middle, but I suspect it would be overkill!