Pickups for a 2010 Les Paul Traditional

[kunal]

Hello there! I need help choosing a set of pickups for my 2010 Les Paul Traditional. It’s all mahogany with a maple top and rosewood fretboard. I want to replace the existing Classic 57s with something more aggressive. I intend to play in C# Standard or Drop B, so the pickups should handle the low notes. I want to play big distorted chords with clarity across the strings and thrash style riffing. I also want a great clean tone for arpeggiated chords, fingerpicking and some lead lines. The pickups should hold the dirty sounds without compromising the cleans.

Some rhythm tones that I really like are kind of mid-driven like those of Jerry Cantrell (his guitar sounds massive on the last 2 AIC albums), Dave Mustaine, Lamb of God, Breaking Benjamin (nice cleans there as well). Also I’m excited about the clarity and note separation that is associated with BKP. The pickups aren’t easily available in my country, so I’ll have to get a set without trying them out unfortunately. From the samples that I’ve heard on the website, the Alnico Nailbomb sounds close to what I’m going for. Any other pickup suggestions? Should I get a matching set or a different neck pickup? I would love to get some advice on this. Thanks! :)

P.S. What kind of pickup cover would suit my guitar, Chrome or Nickel? It’s a Cherry Sunburst. Sorry I don’t know what the existing covers are.

[Alfi27]

First of all, is your Les Paul a bright or dark instrument naturally? It depends a lot on your amp as well, but If it is a bright Les Paul most of the usual Les Paul recommendations will not apply in the same way; at least it didn't for me. Bright Les Paul + bright pickup (usual Les Paul recommendation) + bright amp = easily way too bright... However, if it is on the darker side, like I would guess a Traditional might be (even though I have never tried one), I would like to recommend a Rebel Yell or Ceramic Nailbomb for the tones you are mentioning! The C-Bomb just smokes for any metal genre, but it can do much more as well! The Rebel Yell is a very bright pickup that needs a dark Les Paul to tame it properly, and is more aggressive than I remember the C-Bomb. Also a very versatile pickup nevertheless, and the neck Rebel Yell is one of the best neck humbuckers I have ever heard!

[JimmyMoorby]

If you want a 'tighter holy' diver that describes the juggernauts.

EDIT- sorry wrong thread!

[ericsabbath]

I always love the holy diver in les pauls (had it in 4 les pauls), even in very low tunings, although it's not a bright pup

but if you want something brighter, consider rebel yells

[JimmyMoorby]

I always love the holy diver in les pauls (had it in 4 les pauls), even in very low tunings, although it's not a bright pup

but if you want something brighter, consider rebel yells

Well Cantrell, Mustaine and Adler all used a JB in Les Pauls or at least mahogany guitars.  I read on this site Bill Killiher from Mastodon even tried a Holy Diver in one of his les paul Customs.

What is it you like about Holy Divers in Les Pauls?  Seems a combo many stay away from and warn against and yet many of my very favourite guitarists use the JB/Les Paul combo and of course the holy diver will be a better jb.  Adam Jones, Skolnick and Cantrell have awesome guitar tone.

[ericsabbath]

I always love the holy diver in les pauls (had it in 4 les pauls), even in very low tunings, although it's not a bright pup

but if you want something brighter, consider rebel yells

Well Cantrell, Mustaine and Adler all used a JB in Les Pauls or at least mahogany guitars.  I read on this site Bill Killiher from Mastodon even tried a Holy Diver in one of his les paul Customs.

What is it you like about Holy Divers in Les Pauls?  Seems a combo many stay away from and warn against and yet many of my very favourite guitarists use the JB/Les Paul combo and of course the holy diver will be a better jb.

yeah, Bill Kelliher recorded most of the last Mastodon album with a holy diver in his old cream les paul custom, before he switched to laces (not a fan of that albums tone, anyway)
the holy diver was my first bkp and I had and it just happens to sound good in every les paul I had this pup
I even had it in a very dark sounding poorly made les paul with top brazilian woods (mahogany, rosewood and imbuya top)
the guitar was pretty resonant but a lot darker than the usual les paul sound, and it sounded absolutely great with the holy diver (even better than my gibsons)
I feel that the holy diver actually sounds better with massive bodies than with thinner guitars
iI feel like it just gets pushed harder in full spectrum, which is good
I hate it in SGs
I tend to prefer it in rosewood board les pauls, but it also sounded good in my 73 lp custom and my new short hydra (basically a lp custom) sounds amazing with it as well

[JimmyMoorby]

I remember reading or watching Bill get interviewed once and he said that Jerry Cantrell had the best live tone he'd ever hard so that to me means Bill tries to get close to it so the holy diver could be a good shout...can't speak from personal experience though.

I like the cold sweat which in my les paul custom it's mega versatile but I cant help but want a little more 'thud' and 'juice' and I wonder if they holy diver might work better.  Can't really say the cold sweat is bad though I'm very happy with it

[ericsabbath]

I remember reading or watching Bill get interviewed once and he said that Jerry Cantrell had the best live tone he'd ever hard so that to me means Bill tries to get close to it so the holy diver could be a good shout...can't speak from personal experience though.

I like the cold sweat which in my les paul custom it's mega versatile but I cant help but want a little more 'thud' and 'juice' and I wonder if they holy diver might work better.  Can't really say the cold sweat is bad though I'm very happy with it

well, Jerry Cantrell definitely has the best live tone I ever heard
I've seen him with the motor city afwayu and his old friedman marshas and he was godlike
I had that motor city pup, but it sounded more like a clean boosted alnico nailbomb, with a shiteload of bass and output, than like a duncan JB
the holy diver gets much closer to the classic Alice In Chains tones
I just sold a 2002 bogner shiva that was instant Cantrell with my diver loaded Short Hydra 

I loved the cold sweats in les pauls too, and they sounded just as good as the holy diver for my ears, but completely diffferent
the holy diver doesn't sound as hot, crunchy and edgy as the cold sweat, but has other qualities
I prefer both over nailbombs