3 Pick up Les Paul

[blue]

Well, I have gotten my hands on a 3 pickup Les Paul Custom.  The guitar itself plays beautifully, and is light and resonant.  The stock pickups, however, are not really to my taste, much too hot and muddy.  The Gibson 3 pickup wiring is always a rather odd compromise too!  I plan to put in a freeway 6 position toggle switch, which will make many more options available, but pickup wise I'm a little less sure.  My first thoughts were Stormy Mondays or Mules, but I had thought of maybe putting a Mississippi Queen in the middle position, for a bit of variety, and fear that it might overpower those humbuckers.  I'm thinking now of Riff Raffs, with the MQ in the middle.  The question then is, would the Riff Raffs be suitable for coil splitting?  I figure a higer output pickup would give better split sounds, but I don't want to lose the more open brightness of a lower output humbucker.

Any thoughts on my slightly meandering story?

[Dave Sloven]

Honestly given just what you have said I would probably get a Stormy Monday set and a Mule neck, and try the two neck pickups in either slot (neck or middle) and see which works best where.  One of those six position toggle switches might not be a bad idea

[Telerocker]

You don't want to split Mules and RiffRaffs. I'm afraid the result will be thin and weak splitted sounds.  I'd rather would sort out a parallel-series wiring.

The MQ in the middle could easily overpower lower output humbuckers.

My favourite lower to medium output combi's would be:

- Stormy-Blue Note-Stormy
- Mule-Stormy-Mule.
- Mule-Blue Note-Mule
- Abraxas-Mule-Nantucket (a little more rockoriëntated).

[blue]

Hmm, sensible points there.  Of course, as I've pretty much convinced myself of what I want, I may be immune to logic and reason! 

As regards splitting the lower output pickups, in theory I absolutely agree with you.  However, I have a Mule neck pickup which sounds fantastic split.  It is a 7 string version though, which seems to be a bit more more powerful, so I'm still not sure how the 6 string would sound.  I have played some very low output pickups though, Gretch and Danelectro for example, which have sounded really good, and can get pretty mean with a bit of a boost.

I think my main question remains, would a P90 in the middle be overpowering?  I hadn't thought of the blue note.  I have the impression it might have a bit more subdued voicing, which isn't really what I want.  Another point is that, as it's in the middle, I might be able to set a Mississippi Queen a bit lower out of the way, and that might blend it better with the humbuckers.

decisions decisions

[Dave Sloven]

The Blue Note is going to be a much better match for low output humbuckers than a Mississippi Queen.

[Telerocker]

The Blue Note is going to be a much better match for low output humbuckers than a Mississippi Queen.

That's the whole idea behind those four suggested combi's. It's about balance and the MQ is quite powerful and therefore can be quite dominant in the palet. I think with a lower output pickup in the middle you get a better clean and overdriven match between middle/bridge and middle/neck. I find - by example - that the Mule-bridge and neck-combination on my Saint Blues provides a delicious crispy sound that works for Bonamassa-leads as well as for clean funky stuff or fingerpicking parts, rather then splitting the neck-Mule for that sound. With a parallel-series wiring you will have a few other soundsculpting options, one full bore and the other one a little crispier.
But ok, it just my opinion. I never had a three pickups loaded LP so it's drawing board knowledge  . I only had a Yamaha 503 TVL with three p90's (and a clever tonecircuit).

[Dave Sloven]

Telerocker I liked your suggestion of Stormy Monday / Blue Note / Stormy Monday

I would suggest using the Blue Note neck rather than the bridge in the middle position, but I am wondering what you think.

You can hear it here with the Nantucket bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpRRSzYtBZY

[Telerocker]

Telerocker I liked your suggestion of Stormy Monday / Blue Note / Stormy Monday

I would suggest using the Blue Note neck rather than the bridge in the middle position, but I am wondering what you think.

You can hear it here with the Nantucket bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpRRSzYtBZY

That's an option. The neck is little lower output and moving a Blue Note neck to the middle, it might feel even a little underpowered, but will sound a little more open. It depends what tones your after. Personally I would pick a Blue Note bridge for the middle, cause I think it will be a better match with the Stormy neck, but still that's a matter of preference. The OP could ask the BKP-team what they think.

Btw that Blue Note neck sounds georgeous. It realizes me that I need a P90 loaded guitar again.

[blue]

Thanks for the replies, all useful suggestions.  That video does sound really good, makes me wonder about making all three pickups P90's! 

I shall now take some time to ponder on this before making a firm choice.