Constantly Different Advice

[mkh02]

Hey guys I still need help lol!

I have asked the forum a few times and emailed Tim and the guys in regard to pickup advice.

However, everytime I post of email I get a different recomendation lol! So confused

I am looking to upgrade the pickups in my Gibson Les Paul. My current pickups are too thin and don't have enough gain/ output for my liking.

I do a lot of solos and need something that will give me tons of sustain. I like higher gain however I want to be able to have that classic rock vibe but with the ability to crank it up and really make the solos scream and sing. I want the pickup to help with flow of notes, legato and two hand tapping together with really good pinched harmonics.

In regard to chords I would like a real snarl to the voicing kind of like an overdriven Marshall JCM 800 but with a Gibson vibe.

I don't particularly want a compressed sound nor will I be using the guitar for hammering thick modern/ death metal.

I want a pickup that is not too trebly but will give my solos flow, scream and sustain with a slight traditional classic rock vibe but enough meat to really go for it when the distortion starts cranking up.

Hope this makes sense lol....so difficult to put into words.

I have been recommended for the above sound:

Cold Sweats
Nailbombs
Rebel Yells
Crawlers
Holy Divers

I guess these are in the right area however everyone seems to give me different advice! I am getting to the point where I should of bought these ages ago but everythime I email Tim and the boys or come on the forum I get a different recommendation.

HELP!

[Roobubba]

I had expected to see black dogs in that list...

How about you go on youtube, find a few vids to show us what sort of tone you're after (if doesn't have to be exact, but one man's hard rock is another man's pop). From your description, it sounds as though you play fairly light music (to me), and I'm therefore a bit surprised to see some of the higher output pickups in that list.

Roo

[mkh02]

Yeah you are probably right.

Been looking on youtube, its a bit hit or miss some great stuff but filled with basic guitarists.

On the Les Paul I woill be playing Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Ozzy. That kind of vibe. So you are probably right it may be fairly light compared to what you are doing.

I have other guitars that I use for Steve Vai, Malmsteen, Van Halen and the like but want my Les Paul to really stand out which I feel it doesnt.

Would you say the nailbomb is too heavy then? Another thought was a mule in the neck and a black dog in the bridge but I am hesitant as I have taken the advice of the 'light overdrive, brigade before and been very dissappointed. I do like classic rock tones but I like the modern vibe...higher gain/ more sustain/ better harmonics.

Just dont want a sterile modern/ nu metal tone. Up to about Iron Maiden in terms of sound...no more metal then that lol.

[Ratrod]

Cold Sweats: good option
Nailbombs: too metal
Rebel Yells: another good one but maybe too modern
Crawlers: too compressed
Holy Divers: maybe...not sure....so I'd delete that too

Since it mostly 70's (hard) rock I'm thinking ether Cold Sweat or Black Dogs.

[Telerocker]

I think Rebel Yells, they clean up good too. Steve Stevens works a lot with the vol.knob to go from classic rock to sustaining solo's.

[ericsabbath]

I do a lot of solos and need something that will give me tons of sustain. I like higher gain however I want to be able to have that classic rock vibe but with the ability to crank it up and really make the solos scream and sing. I want the pickup to help with flow of notes, legato and two hand tapping together with really good pinched harmonics.

best bridge lead pup I ever experienced was definitely the Holy Diver

the Holy Diver is perfect for early both early and modern Van Halen and also for Jake E. Lee and Doug Aldrich stuff
not really a classic 70's tone, but it works well for pretty much everything, in my opinion

usually Tim recommends the Nailbomb for versatility, but it's a much hotter and more aggressive pickup

the bridge Cold Sweat is way more stiff sounding, brighter and more focused on both rhythms and leads, specially through a JCM 800
I don't think that's what you're looking for at all

the Black Dog might be a great option, though


I wouldn't go with the Mule for the neck if your priority is the lead tones
it cleans up like no other pickup I've tried, but it has no near the sustain of the neck Cold Sweat on leads, for example, as it doesn't drive the amp as hard (although the neck Cold Sweat is also medium/low output, and quite smooth as well)

[mkh02]

Thanks for the posts guys.

Thats what I was looking for, a kind of....'no this won't work for you', or 'yeah that would be good'.

I know everyones tastes are different but obviously I know very little about the different bare knuckle pickups and your advice is invaluable.

What do you think of a holydiver bridge and a coldsweat neck then?

[Roobubba]

HD/CS would be a great combo, I don't think you'd be disappointed with this!

For reference (and as an aside) on the 'low output brigade' point, I used the black dog in my baritone for quite a while doing nasty heavy downtuned stuff. It could cope with that superbly well! I have since changed to an aftermath (I prefer the more clinical and ceramic side, personally), but the black dog was undeniably capable of brutality.

Roo

[ericsabbath]

What do you think of a holydiver bridge and a coldsweat neck then?

one of the best and definitely the most versatile combo I had in a LP
my first set choice for fluid leads, thick rhythms and still being able of getting clear and sparkly cleans

I'm still waiting for my black dog, so I can't comment about it yet

['Ash' J. Williams]

Don't rule out the Emeralds.

I have them in a LP, they're punchy and harmonically rich, instant late 70's vibe, and they're surprisingly 'easy' to play while not being too hot.
I see them like the brighter and 'straighter' brothers of the Black Dogs which i also own in an other LP.
For classic rock up to Iron Maiden they will be great.
Also, in a dimmed plexi it's instant Thin Lizzy  8)

In fact, if your LP is quite dark sounding, take the Emeralds, if it's bright, the Black Dogs.

But keep in mind that those two pickups are lower in output than the Holy Diver, which is more modern sounding but one of the best humbucker BKP makes imho.

[mkh02]

Never considered the Emeralds.

I think I would prefer a slightly more modern slant on the Les Paul sound.

I do tend to like to rip it up in solos, I do a lot of lateral movement across the fretboard as opposed to pentatonic 'box shaped', lead work.

I feel higher output humbuckers tend to lend themselves better to the flow of notes that lateral playing gives.

May be sacrelige but I do like to modernise some of the classic rock tunes and a modern voicing allows for legatos all the way up and down the fretboard!!

Any one else used Cold sweat neck and Holy diver bridge?

[ev1ltwin]

what about the abraxas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e-vNNMyWMU

['Ash' J. Williams]

I think I would prefer a slightly more modern slant on the Les Paul sound.

Then you'll probably like the HD or the Crawler (PAF sounding with modern power).

[darkbluemurder]

What do you think of a holydiver bridge and a coldsweat neck then?

Love it in my PRS Custom.

[ShredHeadJHJ]

Damn, I really need to start buying guitars so that I can try out more of these BKP pups...

Judging solely by what I hear around here, a Holy Diver bridge and Cold Sweat neck would likely work very very well together.