That was quick Andy - you only left my place at 6pm
Do you think you will swap the pots too - to the 550k ones or just go with the stock ones?
Ah... we don't hang about here at AndyR Towers - even managed to flip the G and Low E saddles on the Nashville bridge (plenty room for intonation now).
On the strength of what I was hearing last night, I don't think I
need to swap the pots - but I haven't played through some of my other set-ups yet (it was all THR10C last night).
However, I suspect I will put the 550s in when the dust has settled and I'm in less of a rush to hear/feel the new pickups! I'm imagining I'll end up with more "range" on the tone controls. With the existing ones - which I'm currently assuming are 300 - the tones are in fact usable all the way down to zero with the SMs on my "stock" amp setting. I was quite surprised by that - and it seems a strong argument for keeping them as they are.
But on the other hand, I wouldn't be using that sound that often... and, on the bridge pickup, "middle ground" on the tone seemed to be around 8/9 last night... it was 5/6 with the 57+ Classic. Not that the 57 was clearer (NO WAY!!), it was slightly "harsher" and I guess I was "taming" it. The SM bridge is full of sweet top-end, leaves you feeling "ooo, I'll have some of that!" so I was leaving the tone wider open. Perfectly usable like this, but I like a bit more travel so I have more in reserve.
This was all low volume, though... And I do have a distinct "hey! if it ain't broke..." feeling about it at the moment.
I'll see how it goes... there is another possible home for three of them at least - and I knew this while I was buying them - my Explorer has just received 57 Classics (those came with my 335 originally), rather liking the "chewy" effect these have had on it. But it could do with a spot more clarity, and I know for a fact that the pots in there are 300. I'm probably going to put the Les Paul's 57/57+ set in there anyway next string change (for sentimental reasons, mainly - when I opened up the Les Paul, I found the pickups were both wound on my birthday in 2012!!).
Anyway... twas a pleasure doing business with you as usual...
Neck pickup isn'tmuch lower in gain than Mule/Riff Raff - just a bit cleaner & sweeter
I find the bridge pickup noticeably weaker than the mule (maybe not so much than the riff raff)
The PG blues or 10th anniversary havea bt more Oomph in the bridge unit
I like the Mule Bridge and Stormy neck combo as a do it all vintage combination
thanks dude....great answer 
Glad you answered that!
I'd have been scratching my head on how to answer - I don't really think in terms of "gain" ... but I think I fully agree. I've yet to directly compare the SM'd Les Paul with my Mule'd 335 and RR'd SG, but I think yes, the Mule bridge does give you a bit more "rarrr!" without you having to try. Needless to say, I shall be trying them all next to each other for the next few days/weeks.
I have to say I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the SM. From all the discussions I've seen before, I was expecting it to be possibly well, not exactly "wimpy", but not as rock and roll as I usually want. I would say, even though I'm expecting my comparisons to show the same as Jonathan says, in no way does "weaker than the mule" put the SM into "oh, a bit weak" territory. I don't do hi-gain stuff, the amp set-up I was using last night is modelling something like a Marshall JTM45 running full tilt - it's set up for my Mules and Riff Raffs - and I felt absolutely at home. The guitar volume was still backed off to 7/8 for my crunch/rhythm, actually sounded good for lead too. Turning it up just got "more" but a lot more touch-sensitive than the Mules.
And where it really stunned me (and this is what I'd been hoping for but had hardly dared say out loud) was in turning down the guitar volume. It goes down to 2/3 and is heavenly! I find the Riff Raffs (and they've been in a couple of SGs and the Explorer) sound a bit harsh down there, and the Mules sound a bit, er, "wimpy"
... not a lot of character. I actually prefer the 57 Classics for that sort of thing... But the SMs, oh bliss, I'll happily play the guitar like that! (And there's not a huge drop in volume from full-open).
They really do fit what I believe their "name reference" to be. Stormy Monday is an old T-Bone Walker song covered by The Allman Brothers. My understanding is that the Stormy Monday pickup is named after the Duane Allman and Dickie Betts sounds on Live at the Fillmore East. If you own or are familiar with that album... and are wondering... like I was... I can confirm that EVERY SINGLE GUITAR SOUND on that album, from sweet plummy clean to biting rasp, all of them can come out of one SM loaded Les Paul and a single channel valve amp with no pedals!!
