Vintage Style HB to darken a bright Gibson R9 ?

[copernic304]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a humbucker set that would darken a bit the sound of my Gibson 59 Reissue, which has lots of presence in the upper mids with the stock burstbuckers. No harshness in the highs, just some touch of agressivity, if you see what i mean.

Please note the guitar has some brightness itself, as i like quite much the burstbuckers in the other historics I own. But that just doesn't make it on this R9 for i'm looking for.

I am definitely digging the mark knopfler/led zep/ Clapton Beano thick type of tones.


Any clues if the mule may be sufficient in that, or should i give a look at black dogs also ?

Thanks !!

[darkbluemurder]

If you want to replace both pickups, then Black Dog bridge and Mule neck should do what you want. The Black Dog neck is a fine pickup also but not necessarily vintage voiced.

Cheers Stephan

[copernic304]

Yeah, thought this could be pertinent. I thought that the rich mids of the black dog would bring the focus to the mids rather than top end.

[TheyCallMeVolume]

Black Dog. Or if you want more of a vintage-y feel, maybe the Stormy Monday's.

[copernic304]

Thought the stormy monday was more on the brighter side ?

[Telerocker]

Stormies would brighten up things too much, unless you change potvalues. I would look at (already recommend)  a Black Dog for the bridge, and - like Stephan suggest - a Mule for the neck. I think the Mule-bridge is brilliant too, very balanced but maybe in your guitar it would require different pot and capacitors. The Mule sounds more vintage then the BD (to my ears).

[richard]

Aren't most vintage PAF types kind of bright ?

[bandmaster188]

abraxas!

[darkbluemurder]

abraxas!

I thought of that as well but the OP did not say he wanted more output.

Cheers Stephan

[Twinfan]

Aren't most vintage PAF types kind of bright ?

Yes.

I am definitely digging the mark knopfler/led zep/ Clapton Beano thick type of tones.

Just roll the tone controls back on your guitar and keep the presence on your amp lower, that's what the guys above do/did.  A bright Les Paul, as long as it's not thin sounding, is a good 'un just as it is.

[HTH AMPS]

The R9 has a lightweight tailpiece right? - I never like how they make the guitar sound brighter.  Put on a normal bag standard heavy stop bar - that would help.

Also, like people have said already, using your tone control will help and maybe putting in lower value pots.  You can put in a fixed resistor in parallel with the existing pot to lower the value and it'll shave off the top end a little.  For instance, a 500k pot with a 1M resistor in parallel gives a total resistance of 330k.  A 2.2M fixed resistor would give a total of 400k.  Its a cheap mod and might just work for you.

Also worth looking at cables too - sometimes you can go TOO hi-fi with these modern low-capacitance cables.  The stuff we hear on old records didn't have any such 'special' cables, it was just bog standard stuff.

[FELINEGUITARS]

I suggest the PG Blues - ask to have it 4 conductor though - so you have the in-phase option avalable.
Great PAF sound but rounded and sweet - a bit darker than the stormy monday