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Author Topic: New pups for LP.  (Read 11040 times)

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« on: April 01, 2006, 09:39:32 AM »
I recently bought a Les Paul that came with some 80s Gibson pickup and a Duncan JB.  I'm not thrilled about the Gibson pup, and I hate JBs.

I play through a Boogie MkIII and Laney GH100TI, so I have plenty of gain and thus no need to push the amp.  I play primarily doom/sludge metal with a good helping of Grunge, Stoner, and Punk.  I don't want compressed pickups.  I spend alot of time in C#.

In the neck I'm looking for something that's low output yet smooth.  I guess you could say that I'm after a blues rock tone that's sort of Santana-ish, but with more top end.  I'd like the treble strings to sound more solid/piano-ish rather than thin/raspy.

In the bridge I'd like enough output to balance the neck.  When overdriven I'd like a pickup that chunks rather than crunches, yet has a fast/articulate attack.

Just for reference, I have and like a Duncan 59/Custom 5 set in another LP, but I find them to have a somewhat harsh/scratchy top end.  My favorite neck pickup is an EMG 85.....I would love that sound in a low output passive.  I have a DiMz Super Distortion in one guitar and find it a bit too bassy for what I'm going for, and way too compressed.

Thanks.
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_tom_

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2006, 11:22:59 AM »
I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.

Ratrod

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2006, 11:23:19 AM »
I think you just despcribed the Crawler set. They're very good with lower tunings. There's a very nice clip of that in Player section.

http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2988

The neck Crawler does an excellent Santana and certainly isn't raspy.

These pickups have plenty of chunk. They're not crunchy like the VHII, for example.

Crawlers were designed as a bluesrock pickup but there's so much more to them.
BKP user since 2004: early 7K Blackguard 50

Peterku

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2006, 11:38:00 AM »
That's a tough one... I'd e-mail Tim with this just to be sure. He knows his stuff perfectly.

There's an exchange warranty (maybe 14 days, but I'm not sure), if you don't like the pickups, so you can be sure to find the ones that suit your style.

Finally, welcome to the forum. :)

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2006, 12:10:10 PM »
Hmmm.

The Mule is the set I'm looking most seriously at.  I was also interested in possibly using a Crawler in the bridge.....not too sure what I'd think of that one in the neck.

I'm assuming that the Mule more or less sound like an early Gibson PAF?

How open is the Crawler?  Is it very compressed sounding?  Is it a scooped or middy sounding pickup?

I'll shoot Tim an email later, but I figured I'd get the easy questions answered here first.
Les Paul -> Orange

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2006, 12:10:50 PM »
P.S. - They'll be going in this bad boy ('69 Les Paul Deluxe (modified));

Les Paul -> Orange

Johnny Mac

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2006, 12:32:51 PM »
Nailbombs might be your thing? Best ask the man himself!
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froglord

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2006, 12:34:41 PM »
The Mules are very open and articulate. They're designed to give you less mud in the neck and less harshness in the bridge than many of the Les Paul pickups made by Gibson. What's impressive is that they don't go too far - the neck is still rounded and fruity; the bridge still has plenty of bite.

In my Eggle (which is a 24 fret guitar, so the pickups are closer together than on a 22-fretter) the tonal range between the two Mules is just massive - you really have a great palette of tones just by using your three-way toggle switch.

When I e-mailed Tim he said the Crawlers sounded like a higher output version of the Mules. I'm guessing they're a little more compressed as a result, but others may prove me wrong.
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Skybone

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2006, 05:32:09 PM »
For the stoner/sludge/doom type sound, I would HIGHLY recommend a set of Black Dog's (mid city) or Emerald's (brighter but punchy) in an LP type guitar...

But then again, I would say that... ;)
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sambo

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2006, 05:40:17 PM »
wow AWESOME guitar dude

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2006, 09:40:37 PM »
Quote from: Skybone
For the stoner/sludge/doom type sound, I would HIGHLY recommend a set of Black Dog's (mid city) or Emerald's (brighter but punchy) in an LP type guitar...

But then again, I would say that... ;)


Those Black Dogs seem kinda interesting.....probably not as compressed as the Crawlers.  I'll have to find some soundclips on them.
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sambo

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« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2006, 09:43:43 PM »
one of the most recent ones was black dogs in the players section... - 'hunter' did em.... if you keep looking through the thread theres like 4 more clips after the initial one... all excellent tone

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #12 on: April 01, 2006, 10:02:19 PM »
Quote from: _tom_
I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.


Those clips in your acidplanet account;

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=357940&T=5312

Were they all done with Mules?


I was checking out this thread;

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873

And that's exactly the sort of clean I'm looking for.  I'm assuming those were done with your neck pickup?
Les Paul -> Orange

_tom_

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2006, 12:01:17 AM »
Quote from: screamingdaisy
Quote from: _tom_
I'd go for a Mule. Its the classic LP sound. I have a pair in my Epi LP and they sound amazing.


Those clips in your acidplanet account;

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=357940&T=5312

Were they all done with Mules?


I was checking out this thread;

http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=873

And that's exactly the sort of clean I'm looking for.  I'm assuming those were done with your neck pickup?


Yeah, they were all done with Mules, and yeah the Tool one was done on the neck pickup for cleans, and bridge for the distorted bit. Trust me they sound much better through a real amp :D Also got some newer clips on my soundclick: www.soundclick.com/tomrogersuk

screamingdaisy

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New pups for LP.
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2006, 12:18:56 AM »
Yup.....that's exactly what I want.

Though I'm thinking about putting a Black Dog or Crawler in one of my Strats now, but I can only afford so much at a time.    :?  :)
Les Paul -> Orange