Pickups for LP Axcess stop tail

[nkay]

I recently got a Les Paul Axcess hard tail version. Really love it, I currently have the Cold Sweat set in there (replacing the 498t/496r combo that came in it).
The Cold Sweats are great, but from my experience, I think they would benefit more being in a darker full-size Les Paul (like a custom). The Axcess is very light, and with the Cold Sweats already being a little hollowed out in the low mids, I don't think it fits the guitar as well.

I've tried a Holydiver in there, but that didn't work (believe the description when they say the Holydiver prefers to be in a bright bolt-on superstrat, it's true, I've done multiple experiments now! They just don't sound right in mahogany, even in this slim guitar).

I have a Les Paul Traditional that has a Black dog, and it's just awesome, so I'm thinking of getting the Black Dog for the Axcess to give it some girth, but at the same time, I like to have different pickups in different guitars.

I'm thinking about the Crawler... no experience with it, but wondering how it compares to the Black Dog? The Rebel Yell is another option but that seems to bright and high-mid for this guitar.

I play a bit of everything, primarily classic rock, hard rock, metal.

[Kiichi]

Bit tricky this. If you donīt like the CS the RY might indeed be not right too. The Crawler...could work, but similar to the HD in terms of preferances.

You might want to have a look at the Abraxas here I think. Covers the styles you want and should sit nicely in the axe.

[ericsabbath]

never had a problem with the holy diver in les pauls
had it in a regular maple top/rosewood board, imbuya top/brazilian rosewood board and in maple top/ebony board
it sounded amazing in all of them
a friend put it in an epiphone bob marley, which is basically an all mahogany lp special and had great results too
it sucked in a gibson SG faded I had, though

just bought my third holy diver from our old fellow WITH FULL DISTORTION for a short hydra, which is also a les paul custom based singlecut

[nkay]

I guess I should clarify that there really is nothing wrong with the Cold Sweats in this guitar, I'm quite happy with it, just wondering if there was something better suited to this style of guitar in the BKP range.

About the Holydiver, I find it sounds very dull and flat in most Les Pauls, tried it multiple times. The best one was a Les Paul Custom Lite which is actually similar to the Axcess, but it had a ton of resonance and top end which helped the notes jump out better.
For a Les Paul I much prefer a Black Dog or Cold Sweat.

[Johan Allard]

I've tried the Mules, Abraxas and Rebell Yell's in my Les Paul Axcess stoptail. I love the Rebell Yell's.

[nkay]

I've tried the Mules, Abraxas and Rebell Yell's in my Les Paul Axcess stoptail. I love the Rebell Yell's.

I've had this recommendation more than once now so I think I wil go for the Rebel Yell. How's the Rebel Yell neck? I've heard it's similar to the Cold Sweat neck and I already have that.

[nkay]

So I retried the Holydiver in my Axcess, and I must have screwed up something with the wiring the first time before because now it sounds really good :)
I still don't think it's the first choice for Les Pauls, but in this slim one (it's even lighter than my strats), it's actually really good, the low mids of the diver really help fatten the guitar up, whereas in a full weight Les Paul they kind of bog it down.

[Slartibartfarst42]

My faith in the universe is restored    I used a Holydiver in a PRS SE Custom 24 so while no Les Paul, it was mahogany and the pickup worked a treat. I was reading on another thread that the Black Dog is like a PAF-style version of a Holydiver so it makes sense that you like both. I'm unsure what to suggest that might be better. The Rebel Yell is a very different and rather brighter proposition. I can see the logic in an Abraxas as that's something of a PAF moved in the direction of a Holydiver in a way as it can be thick with more mids but whether you'll find it the ideal solution I'm not sure. Either way, I doubt you'll find a better option than the Black Dog, Holydiver or Abraxas.

[darrenw5094]

The Abraxas would be my #1 choice, it sounds full and rich in my Gibson Les Paul Standard and warm in the top end.
It wouldn't be a million miles from the HD that you have in there though, so maybe the HD is the keeper here.

[nkay]

Yeah now that I seem to have installed it properly  (the Axcess has the push-pull split tone knobs), the Holydiver works great here now.

[darrenw5094]

Yeah now that I seem to have installed it properly  (the Axcess has the push-pull split tone knobs), the Holydiver works great here now.

Great result then. I've always wanted to try the HD in a Les Paul.