NGD and looking for a pickup swap :) Also anyone experienced with NB neck?

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Just traded myself a a nice Gibson Les Paul Standard, but not keen on the p/ups. After spending some time with them, I'm finding them a bit boomy, loose, and not as powerful as I'd like.

What I'm looking for is something that will give a good Hard Rock tone, that roars. Versatility is a must, but I'm not expecting anything like Alnico II sweetness. Splitting would be a great bonus, as well as being very effective with the volume controls. I also really like it when sustained noted turn into nice harmonic feedback. Neck pickup wise, I like something that has clarity and bite. Also something that doesn't sound lost in the mix when playing either clean, or shredding fast. Whilst having these attributes, I want it to still kind of retain a classic vibe - hard to explain. But I'd like a pickup that works well with a Marshall to be heard in the mix when playing live

Thanks all :)

[Slartibartfarst42]

Normally I feel sure I know which bridge pup will work and then I work out the neck pickup from there. In your case it was the other way around as I immediately had a stronger feeling for the neck. Both the Holydiver and Emerald neck pups are sublime and both offer a great balance between vintage sweetness and modern cut. For the bridge, as it's a Les Paul, I'd bet plenty people will suggest a Rebel Yell bridge. This would be a fine choice in my opinion but instead I'm going to suggest an Abraxas bridge. It's a very versatile pickup that splits well, has a lovely sweet tone and works on anything from Blues to early Metal. There's been a lot of love on the forum recently for the Abraxas bridge and I think that with an Emerald or Holydiver in the neck you'd have a very versatile guitar indeed.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I had the Emerald, but I felt it was lacking the cut I needed. I'm ot familiar with the HDneck, so I guess that's a thought.

My primary instinct were screaming out the Rebel Yell. I'm thinking the Abraxas will be too polite for me. I need something with a bit of an attitude, but not so much it lacks personality.

I had a Rebel Yell set, and I remember loving them in my thin ESP Eclipse. But then I had them moved to a Full Thickness ESP, and it was wired different. So I've forgotten what to expect from them now as it was a while back.

It's a shame they don't have an Alnico V Mule, as I'm up for trying something different. But I really want to know what I'm getting rather than going blind

[Telerocker]

I thought Rebel Yells would fit your demands. Or slightly more vintage Emerald/HD-neck.

[Slartibartfarst42]

If you need more cut than an Emerald neck you're certainly talking something that's moving away from the 'classic vibe' thing you mentioned. The Holydiver is a light wind and that allows it to retain some PAF character but the magnet and wire are modern so it certainly has modern cut. I absolutely loved the Holydiver neck, probably even more than the Emerald, though it was close. Other than that I'd maybe look at a Coldsweat neck. It's more modern and is a real shreddy pickkup. Not so much 'classic vibe' any more but a bit more versatile than you'd expect. The bridge pickup presents you with a similar problem because the more 'attitude' you get, the less versatility you'll have. I suggested the Abraxas because you said versatility was essential with good splits and that's the Abraxas but if your focus is more 'attitude' with a bit of versatility then you could do worse than a Coldsweat set. The Coldsweat bridge is surprisingly versatile given its ceramic. It may not have the cleans or splits of the Abraxas but it will roar and shred and covers both Hard Rock and Metal really well.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Out of interest, how bright are the Mules? And wouldn't the Abraxas be a little too dark for a Les Paul without that top end?

[Slartibartfarst42]

The Crawler (which is the next step up from the Abraxas) can be too dark in a Les Paul but lots of people seem to love the Abraxas in them.

[Dave Sloven]

Yeah a Cold Sweat set is very versatile for rock and metal tones.  The CS bridge has a great bottom end to it

Depending on the specific LP the Rebel Yell and Emerald bridges can be too bright and thin.  It needs to be a dark, heavy LP for those to work well.

[Telerocker]

Out of interest, how bright are the Mules? And wouldn't the Abraxas be a little too dark for a Les Paul without that top end?

Mules can do many styles. Even some metal-styles. Nolly (Periphery) demonstrated that a few years ago. Mules are classic PAF's, balanced, detailed, crisp, with a good topend, but not shrill at all. I have them in a bolt on all mahogany Saint Blues and play all kinds of blues, bluesrock, rock and hardrock with them. Great pickups, genuine PAF59's.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

I've never really warmed to Cold Sweat. I think I'm just a lover of thick mids. But I like karate punch to chest. Seems to stand out in the mix better without sounding boomy, or to piercing. Will have to have a think. It's just neck pickups I'm thinking about.

[Slartibartfarst42]

If you're just thinking neck pickyups now and you like something versatile that's a great shredder, you really need to look at the Coldsweat.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Well I was told the Rebel Yell neck was pretty much the Cold Sweat neck, but brighter and more articulate. And I loved the Rebel Yell neck. But that was a thinner mahogany body and Ebony board. So if what Ben told me about the CS being warmer than the RY, it might not cut it for me. I much prefer neck humbuckers to be more focussed. One that really got my attention was the Nailbomb neck. Has anyone had experience with this one? I like how it says woody, and tightens up with gain?

[Slartibartfarst42]

Never tried the NB neck but I think you might like the Holydiver neck. It's somewhat brighter that the Coldsweat and has a really beautiful tone that covers PAF tones as well as shredding. For me the Holydiver just pips the Emerald as my favourite neck pickup.

[Dave Sloven]

The Nailbomb neck is not fluid like the Cold Sweat.

Given everything you have said for the neck I would look more closely at the Holy Diver neck.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Never tried the NB neck but I think you might like the Holydiver neck. It's somewhat brighter that the Coldsweat and has a really beautiful tone that covers PAF tones as well as shredding. For me the Holydiver just pips the Emerald as my favourite neck pickup.

That's interesting after knowing how much you liked the Emerald neck and said it's your all time favourite p/up. The HD must've really been good to tip it in the HD's favour :)