How to tell if your guitar is bright or dark?

[ventura]

To the OP,

You're right in thinking the EMGs aren't going to give you a true report on your guitar's inherent tone and 'colour' for lack of a better word.  But there's a good way to start - give us the woods involved:
Body - mahogany, correct?
Top - either mahogany or maple, which one?
'Board - Rosewood?
Neck - Maple or Mahogany?
Any mods to the nut? 

Knowing these woods and details can determine the 'colour' of a Les Paul within some degree of accuracy.

Cheers,
V.

[Tiny_Hats]

Mahogany body with maple top. Neck is supposed to be maple with an ebony fretboard. I'll have to double check tomorrow about the neck material. Looks to be a synthetic nut.

If it is of any use, I've tried a SD 59' in the neck and SD Custom in the bridge. Both seemed very thin sounding. Playing the guitar unplugged, it seems pretty well balanced and, as someone mentioned, it might be that if I can't tell if it is darker or lighter, maybe it has a good balance already?

After some more thought, it seems the best description of my dream clean sound would be a telecaster neck, though I know that is not achievable with a les Paul. Is there a way to get somewhat close to that warmth while still having the power and clarity for metal?

[Zaned]

Maybe it's time to introduce you to one of my favourite BKP videos :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaqEET376-I

I have one, in a bright LP. I have a feeling you'd be most at home with a 'vintage hot' pickup. Once you have a pickup that lets out a big-but-biting tone, you can do pretty much everything with it. That's for me.

But Nailbombs would most probably work very well for you too, check out the videos of Sam Coulson:



He's got a bunch of videos with an LP and Nailbombs, and he's a fantastic player.

-Zaned

[Tiny_Hats]

The Sam Coulson nail bomb videos were amazing. The bite in the bridge in those videos kind of hits the spot to me. The clip with the slide just sizzles. The neck positioned seemed like it got a little muddy though, but maybe I am just sleepy. The nail bomb in the bridge certainly works for the hotter blues that I play and I would be interested in finding some metal clips that highlighted the pickups as well as the Sam Coulson examples.

I was originally considering the black dog set but wasn't sure if it had the output for the heavier stuff. In the first video, they sound great but I was more drawn to the riff raff in the neck. There was another demo from the same guy where he describes the riff raff bridge as almost being "straty" and I can't help but agree. I am enjoying that throaty sound in the neck. Would the riff raff compliment the nail bomb in the bridge?

[Tiny_Hats]

It would appear that I was mistaken about the maple neck. It would seem that it is a mahogany neck to go with the mahogany body. Would this change anything as far as pickup choice?

[ericsabbath]

yes, an 86 should have a mahogany neck

the neck nailbomb is very bright, scooped, much more strat-like than the riff raff, but also a lot hotter

the bridge nailbomb will probably overpower a neck riff raff
the neck vhii should work well (it's similar to the bridge riff raff, but sounds thicker and more throaty in the neck)
nothing wrong in matching a hot bridge pickup with a lower output neck model, anyway

I've paired the mule with much hotter pickups, like the holy diver and the aftermath