New Set for a Les Paul = Solved= PG Blues rule the world!!!

[frama78]

Hi there,

I´m looking for a Set of HBs for my home-made Les Paul. The Guitar weights just about 3,5kg, is made of massive mahagony (body and neck) with a 17mm mapletop.
Faber Hardware and Kluson Tuners, Pots are 500k CTS and 1978 NOS  PIO-Caps are already here.


Well, so far I´m almost ready. Just re finishing is left, but one component is still missing. The Pickups!


I´m looking for fine, woody clean tones, as well as some Hardrock-Grit to it. No Metal, please, but 80´s Hardrock, Blues, Bluesrock should be possible, too!

What i really DONT want is a dark Neck Pickup wich is too bassy! I´d like a nice, clear, more trebely/high-middy Necksound, but well balanced with the Bridge PU. To darken it, I have a Tone Knob. Too bad, I have never hered a Neck Humbucker I like very much. Duncan SH1, Gibson P4hundredsomethingB, EMG 80, 89, 85;  Dimarzio Air Norton...
 
Tonewise I´m thinking about the Slash or Gary Moore territory, so maybe a little more drive and Sustain should be possible if needed.
I play some modded Marshalls, a Brownface Princeton and a Soldano, so I do want to be able to hear the characteristcs of both the Amps and the Guitars. I´d like to have this typical Les Paul sound. For other Stuff, I have quite a few other Types of Cigars...

Should I go more for the Mule or the PG-Blues? I think, a 4 conducter PU for out of phase would be nice for the Mule, but they have Alnico 4s. The PG Blues has a traditional Alnico II

.... I´m just not 100% sure.
 

[Kiichi]

Hi and welcome.

I would think that the PG Blues would be your best choice here. I mean it works great in Les Pauls, has the right flavour of magnet, and obviously does the Gary Moore territory really well, so Slash is not far, cause he is a lot Alnico II and Marshall. It is a bright and sweet set that has a lovely organic distortion, you know that old school goo-y goodness. ;)

So while there are other choices which would also work, from Mule to Emerald, I think this is a great place to put a PG Blues set.

[darkbluemurder]

I´m looking for fine, woody clean tones, as well as some Hardrock-Grit to it. No Metal, please, but 80´s Hardrock, Blues, Bluesrock should be possible, too!

What i really DONT want is a dark Neck Pickup wich is too bassy! I´d like a nice, clear, more trebely/high-middy Necksound, but well balanced with the Bridge PU. To darken it, I have a Tone Knob. Too bad, I have never hered a Neck Humbucker I like very much. Duncan SH1, Gibson P4hundredsomethingB, EMG 80, 89, 85;  Dimarzio Air Norton...

The neck pickups you mentioned are not known for being bright. The brighter pickups from these companies would be the SH2 (Jazz model), EMG 60, DiMarzio Humbucker from Hell.

From the BKP line up I would also think PG Blues would be a solid choice. A bit more power from the bridge = Black Dog.
The brightest BKP neck humbucker I played was either the Holydiver neck or the Black Dog neck. Don't know for sure since I have not tried them in the same guitar. The Riff Raff neck is also one of the brighter ones but has more mids than the Black Dog neck. This works better in a dark guitar.

However, none of them are as bright as a mini humbucker or anywhere near a Firebird type of pickup. 

Cheers Stephan

[gwEm]

The EMG-60 is a good neck choice if you're into EMGs indeed - its good and bright. Based off a mini-humbucker I believe.

You should try parallel wiring for the neck pickup. I often do this and you get a very usable sound - not too bassy like most neck pickups.

The strat neck is great of course, as are mini-humbuckers. Enough cut to be usable.

[Kiichi]

You should try parallel wiring for the neck pickup. I often do this and you get a very usable sound - not too bassy like most neck pickups.

This is a very good piece of advice from our dear gwEm. A switch for series / parallel wiring, like a push pull poti, would be a good idea to try.

I´ll convert more of my guitars to add it to my split options too, or in some cases replace that. Some pickups take one better than the other, but with the PG I would definetly go parallel over split.

[Telerocker]

PG Blues will do most what you want. For classic rock/hardrock I would prefer the Mule. They both have tons of mojo.

[frama78]

Wow! Much Input for me. Thank you very much!!   

I´m really into the PG Blues and think, I´ll give them a try. Too bad, the guitar is still in the finishing-process, so I have never heared, how it will Sound like. im pretty much excited!

[darrenw5094]

Almost sure Gary Moore had them in his Les Paul for the Phil tribute video just before he died.

Check out the show on youtube.

[frama78]

I´ve heard this many times. Too Bad, the Sound is not the one I like best; at least from Mr. Moore! To me, It´s a bit too fuzzy und driven and with the delay (or reverb) in front of the crunchy amp, it´s sometimes a bit muddy. For me, the best tones are the live-sounds around 90-92/93. Maybe, that´s because I love the Soldano-Crunch.

Anyway: I´m sure, this PG-Set will fit pretty good to my taste. I can report back, when I´ve finished the Guitar and installed the Pickups:
I´ve just ordered a pair :-)




Thank you so much for now :-)!


Frank

[gwEm]

thats a lovely looking finish!

I hope you enjoy your PG Blues set :)

My favourite Gary Moore tone is when he did Monsters of Rock, where is just played a stock DSL and a stock Explorer. That doesn't make too much sense I know, except just to say, I think alot of his tone is in his fingers - like that old cliche!!

[frama78]

like that old cliche!!

I don´t think it´s a cliche; I think that´s a matter of fact! His tone is...was... the same as in the old days. The SOUND on "the loner" (Wild Frontier) is absolutly not my world, but the TONE is just awesome.

Hey; I´ve heard that the Greeny-LP is now owned by Kirk Hammet; So, does the the PG Bles Set sounds like Metallica, now....? brrrrrr... just kidding ;-)

[darrenw5094]

Hey; I´ve heard that the Greeny-LP is now owned by Kirk Hammet; So, does the the PG Bles Set sounds like Metallica, now....? brrrrrr... just kidding ;-)

I am sure Kirk will just click on the wah and it will sound just the same 

[frama78]

woohoooo:


But still a long way to go:

[darrenw5094]

Looks like the aged set dude. You might have to deface your new LP to match.

[frama78]

Well, I´ve installed the PG Blues Set a while ago; Lots of testing, adjusting and just playing. These Pickups are so f%&"§( badass!

They do EXACTLY what I expected to do. They sound awesome, when played clean. The Bridge isn´t ear-piercing and the Neck-PU is not muddy at all. Cool jazzy and classic ringing.

To me the Overdrive-Sounds are the highlight, though!! The react so nice to the pots. My boosted JMP2204 fits the bill perfect: all pots open: cool hardcore sound like Gary Moore (obviously!) or Slash, but also a little Zakk Wylde and Classic tones like LedZep, Eagles,...

The Out of Phase Sound is cool and pretty useful when another tone-color is needed. This cuts great in the mix. If the volume-pots are setted differently, there is a kind of "in-phase" mid-position, too!

All in all; This Guitar has become great Instrument; a classic les paul which can sound a bit like a blackguard 50´s Tele as well. For a Les Paul, it´s pretty twangy!

Thank´s for your advices Pickup-wise