Gibson Standard Faded Wich BKP pickups

[knucklehead]

Hi All!
I´m new to this forum and would like to have some help from you guys..
I finally found Gibson Standard Faded Tobacco Burst wich i´ve been looking for long time.
But i don´t like the original BBpro´s at all they sound harsh to my ears (i´ve tried to lower them but nothing seems to help. )
So i´m looking for perfect BKP set-up for this guitar.
I have 1980´s Tokai LP with calibrated Mule set as my main guitar and it´s perfect sound wise.
I don´t want to put same set-up to this guitar though, and as you probably know the Standard Faded is chambered and does not have thick coating so it sounds more open acoustic than solid mahogany tokai or gibson.
So what do you guys think should i go to Stormy Mondays or maybe Riff Raff´s or even hotter Black Dogs?
I mostly play 60-70´s rock, southern rock and sometimes bit heavier stuff but not metal.

Thanks for yor opinons in advance.

[Telerocker]

I would be tempted to throw in a set of RiffRaffs. If you're worried they could be on the bright side, then Black Dogs. They would do def. good in an open sounding LP.

[ericsabbath]

are you absolutely sure it's a chambered one?
what's the year? I know they made chambered ones later, but the first production ones were solid
I have a couple friends that own faded standards and they are both solid, just with the old school 9 holes weight relief

the best les paul I ever played was a 60's neck faded std
it's a shame it has 498t/490r pickups, which are even worse than bb pros

you gotta figure out in which direction you want it to sound
riff raffs are usually a safe bet for any situation
stormies should sound more vintagey and less spanky
black dogs sound more dense and VERY middy

[BigB]

So what do you guys think should i go to Stormy Mondays or maybe Riff Raff´s or even hotter Black Dogs?
I mostly play 60-70´s rock, southern rock and sometimes bit heavier stuff but not metal.

SMs or RRs are both safe bets, BD I can't tell but from specs they are a bit on the heavier side. If the guitar sounds "more open acoustic" then I would give the SMs a try - Mules being more than able to cover the heavier stuff - but it really depends on what _you_ think would be a welcome addition: sweeter cleans or heavier crunch.

[knucklehead]

are you absolutely sure it's a chambered one?
what's the year? I know they made chambered ones later, but the first production ones were solid
I have a couple friends that own faded standards and they are both solid, just with the old school 9 holes weight relief

the best les paul I ever played was a 60's neck faded std
it's a shame it has 498t/490r pickups, which are even worse than bb pros

you gotta figure out in which direction you want it to sound
riff raffs are usually a safe bet for any situation
stormies should sound more vintagey and less spanky
black dogs sound more dense and VERY middy

I think it´s chambered made december 2006. weight approx 3,6kg

[ericsabbath]

I think it´s chambered made december 2006. weight approx 3,6kg

hmmm... at that weight, it's definitely chambered
my friends guitars are 2005
in 2006 most les paul models were in fact chambered
I think I never played a chambered one myself (maybe some studio faded)

[Alex]

The weight strongly suggests it's chambered.

I can recommend the Black Dog. I do so anyway all the time (not that anybody ever listens). Great pickup, works for almost everything and still has its own character - and plenty of it.

[fhn_lopes]

As Everyone is saying Black Dog, I'd realize first where is your guitar resonance... Because if this axe is already too middy, the BD could be too much and if you want something more balanced, you'd need a more mid scooped pup.

I'd say a VHII or a Riff Raff are safe bets, with the VHII being hotter and a bit more assymetrical (looser low end and crispier highs, but not trebly.... indeed a bright open tone with some TEETH). Riff Raff is a bit more "well behaved" and ballanced overvall than the VHII.... maybe rounder...

What are your mule specs?? For what you said you play, I think they are a good choice, maybe going from AII to AIV or the other way round (depends on what you have already), unpotted or potted.... I bet they are going to sound different than your tokai...

Too bad you came up too late for the 10th annyversaries, I think they would be the best option for you...

[Alex]

I have the BD in a very mid range heavy guitar and it works... lots of midrange detail.

[ericsabbath]

the vhII low end is big, but definitely NOT loose
it's one of the tightest bkps I had
and I had in my hurricane les paul copy, that had... 22(?) pickups
it has a very percussive response, comparable to the cold sweat

I can see what Alex is talking about
sometimes, a lot of the same character combined can make great matches
I had a bright PRS with a riff raff, a middy Greco with a black dog, and a dark and really low mid heavy les paul with a miracle man
and those were the best pickups for those guitars!
they were some of the best sounding guitars I ever played with those specific pickups
it's like marrying a woman that loves guitars, comics and can get your family guy jokes
she can't cook anything more complex than an egg and can't sew a button, just like you, but she still makes you happier than the average wife  :lol:

[Telerocker]

it's like marrying a woman that loves guitars, comics and can get your family guy jokes
she can't cook anything more complex than an egg and can't sew a button, just like you, but she still makes you happier than the average wife  :lol:

 :lol: quote of the day!

[fhn_lopes]

Reading Eric talking about marriage is making me laugh my guts out  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Try to live 2 months with a wife that can't cook  and then you tell me... you're going to jump all over junky food or learn how to cook  :lol: But what he said makes sense, depends in what you want. Having a pup that has the same character as your guitar is probably going to maximize what it is 'good' ... on the other side, an oposite character in the pup will help to ballance the sound... results may vary of course, no guitar is exaclty the same.

My VHII in my strat sounds way looser in the low end than my old DSD or my 500T or even my old lil' 59 clone... You won't get that tight palm mute (tight IMO is something like djent or chugga chugga, with a lot of punch but holding the sound together) without a nice boost (TS-like to cut the bass a bit). Indeed it has a HUGE bass response, but in my guitar it's not the tightest pup I've tried... Actually I like it that way, it has that low E chunk that the early EVH tone had, but it holds a high gain amp VERY well.. it adatps very nicelly depending in which amp you're playing. Well, look into my review, that's how it sounds in my guitar. Maybe it does sound way different in a les paul.

I hear the riff raff being way more ballanced and rounded.

[JTG]

it's like marrying a woman that loves guitars, comics and can get your family guy jokes
she can't cook anything more complex than an egg and can't sew a button, just like you, but she still makes you happier than the average wife  :lol:

 :lol: quote of the day!

My wife is a massage therapist, cooks some wonderful Korean meals, can sew an Armani suit, watches Futurama with me *sometimes* AND she plays a Les Paul. No comics, though.  :?

With all that said, I think I'm going to order a Riff Raff bridge tomorrow for my own Les Paul. I know clips can't tell you *everything* about a pickup, but the BKP clips of the Riff Raff and Black Dog have the best overall clarity for cleans, classic rock and heavy tones IMO. Seems like the best all-rounders, to me.

[fhn_lopes]

 but the BKP clips of the Riff Raff and Black Dog have the best overall clarity for cleans, classic rock and heavy tones IMO. Seems like the best all-rounders, to me.
[/quote]

Indeed, I beleave you're right. Had an experience with the black dog and it suited very well a cherry LP Classic for anything from classic rock to metal, acording to the amp used (I tried it in a Marshall and a Mesa). BKPs are versatile pups in most cases. Eric tried almost every one and sticked with a riff raff in his custom LP. Bare in mind that the customs are thicker, but I don't think it's going to make a huge difference though.

I prefer low to medium output pups and to use boosters to add extra kick. Most of the low output BKPs hold the pressure for metal tones very well when the amp is pushed up, and the cleans and crunchs usually have more definition. In the end they are more versatile IMO.

[JTG]

 but the BKP clips of the Riff Raff and Black Dog have the best overall clarity for cleans, classic rock and heavy tones IMO. Seems like the best all-rounders, to me.

Indeed, I beleave you're right. Had an experience with the black dog and it suited very well a cherry LP Classic for anything from classic rock to metal, acording to the amp used (I tried it in a Marshall and a Mesa). BKPs are versatile pups in most cases. Eric tried almost every one and sticked with a riff raff in his custom LP. Bare in mind that the customs are thicker, but I don't think it's going to make a huge difference though.

I prefer low to medium output pups and to use boosters to add extra kick. Most of the low output BKPs hold the pressure for metal tones very well when the amp is pushed up, and the cleans and crunchs usually have more definition. In the end they are more versatile IMO.
[/quote]

That's why I bother Eric most of all on this forum. He's very well-versed in everything BKP it seems. :D He also wants to have sexy-time with my Les Paul, so I'm using that to bribe him. ;)

In any case, I used to use the JB/59 combo for a LONG time, but by chance I got a trade offer for another pair of pickups I had lying dormant. I got a set of Duncan Seth Lovers. I had no idea what to expect, and just let things "happen" so to speak as far as how I would try them. Well, I was blown away by how clear they were, especially under high gain. Through the JCA50H I modded for a friend, the OD channel was still totally nasty (in a good way) and aggressive, but SO much more clarity and openness. The cleans were much more crystalline and sparklier. I swapped the JB back in and the tone was just mushy and sloppy. I used to LOVE the JB, but not as much after using the lower output pickups.

So, initially I was looking into getting a Nailbomb or something with similar output. Eric had told me before that with a good boost, or just a strong amp, the RR, Mule, VHii, etc. would work just as well. Since trying the Seth Lovers, I totally agree and have changed my choice to the Riff Raff. So, yeah. Eric kinda rules. Haha.