Greetings fellas!
After I got my Gibson Les Paul R0 a few weeks ago, I figured out very soon that: this axe is just way too good to not have BKPs! This is definitely the best Les Paul Standard I have ever played, the weight is just perfect (3770 grams) but it is still not a bright LP like many of the light ones are. The tones were a little dark, a little loose in the low end but overall not bad at all with the stock pickups and electronics (Burstbucker 1 & 2). I could absolutely enjoy this guitar with the stock pickups and an electronics upgrade for instance.
About one year ago I sold a guitar quite similar to this one (at least on paper), a G0; basically an R0 with a plaintop. However, the playability was not even close to the R0 and it was more than 0.5 kg heavier. One thing I really loved about it though, one thing alone that was almost worth keeping it for: the epic tone! Produced by what? An RS kit and a Rebel Yell in the bridge position (and Cold Sweat in the neck position)! The moment the guitar went out, I decided that at some point I am going to get the Rebel Yell set.
So I totally did! And this time I went reverse zebra! Not that it is a totally unique look, but at least more unique than the very common (and of course classy) nickel cover look. And it looks extremely cool as well! More rock n' roll imo. I also think that uncovered pickups sound better, more open, less mellow and just "more of everything". Please do not turn this thread into a discussion about covered vs uncovered, start a new topic if you have something you want to express on that matter
Like always I will focus a bit more on the bridge pickup (with drive), because I use it a lot more and never clean. This pickup is really hard to describe the tones of, but if I had to use one or two words it would be: (Just) right! It just balances really well with the guitar, and even though this is certainly not a bassy pickup the bass is huge! Probably more from the guitar than the pickup though. The famous upper mid spike was not very present either, again: probably because of the guitar. The upper frequencies have a really distinct «harmonic growl» to them, very hard to explain with words. Even though it really shines with harder rock tones, it can do much more! That was actually one of my concerns, considering that I have almost exclusively used vintage and vintage hot output pickups for quite some time now. However, I find it very close to the Abraxas regarding versatility. The Abraxas might take the edge because it is not quite as aggressive, but for any type of rock the difference is minor. It also cuts through the mix like a knife in hot butter!
The neck model was the one that really surprised me though! Outstanding, and I really mean outstanding clean tones! I think the guitars are to blame for this, but I prefer the clean tones to the Abraxas neck pickup. It is bright, but full and detailed at the same time, never sounding brittle (I do not think that is even possible in the neck position though). I can see why some people describe it as having some single coil qualities, but it sounds much fuller and rounder. I have never been a really huge fan of the Les Paul clean tones, and have always preferred the quacky and snappy tones of a good strat neck pickup and neck + middle. However, I play with drive more than 75% of the time, so it never made sense to me to have a strat around due to the very weak and inferior tones with gain. However, this one really turned me around and I think I can dig this one, at least close to as much as a strat! With heavy gain tones it is never muddy, and it can sound very fluid and smooth for some fast lead runs. It also cleans up very well, which is very important to me because I never change the channels on my amplifier when I play.
If you have a Les Paul that you would not consider bright, and you have already tried the Riff Raff/Mule set and decided that it was not quite for you (like me), or you for some other reason want to pass on them, this is
the set for a Les Paul! Tim made this for the Les Paul Standard and that is something you really feel and hear when you try it. One thing that have twisted my mind for a while though, that I could not find any answer for here: Is the Abraxas and Rebel Yell pretty much the same pickup except for the magnet and slightly hotter wind of the Rebel Yell? They both use the 43awg wire and the Abraxas has less offset coils than the Mule at least. The Rebel Yell is not as contemporary as it might seem, so it would totally make sense.
However, here is a pic of the beauty! When I get my new Silver Jubilee 2553 stack next week there will be more eye (and ear) candy
