Which Pickup Combo

[RorySRV]

Hey Everyone,

Just posting because hopefully soon I will be purchasing a cheap Epiphone to customise completely and obviously one of the first things you customise are the pickups...

So I was wondering what would be the best BKP combination to get a those Classic Rock and Hard Rock sound like Led Zeppelin, Cream, Deep Purple and the thick creamy blues sounds of Gary Moore and Guns and Roses (Slash).

Your help would be very much appreciated,

Look forward to your suggestions with reasons,

Thanks alot in advance   ,

RorySRV,

[_tom_]

I asked pretty much the same thing for my Epi LP and was recommended Mules. They do sound great in the Epi and when you get to crank the amp you can really hear the detail and clarity in them :D

Then again, if you prefer the more agressive Page sound, you might prefer the Black Dogs, but I've never played em so I cant comment.

[Twinfan]

I take it we're talking about an Epi Les Paul here, rather than an SG or a 335?

In that case, without a shadow of a doubt, you want a set of Mules.

[carlaz]

This question should be in the FAQ! :)  

Yeah, for classic PAF-style hard rock sounds, I think 99.9% of contestants will answer "Mules".  And it's a pretty good answer that is extremely unlikely to steer you wrong!

[Twinfan]

Just realised I forgot to add reasons!

Mules are Alnico IV and I find mine has a very sweet sound - plenty of mids and smooth trebles with enough grunt for rock.  This is a great basis for all classic humbucker sounds.  It's not too far in any one direction, so with amp tweaking or an EQ pedal you can make the Mule suit whatever style you want.  I think the name says it all too - a real workhorse that just gets the job done.

As you stray away from the Mule you get more specialised - which is good if you're after a particular tone but it will affect your versatility.  For example, to get a more treble biased sound from a Mule you can cut mids using amp or pedal EQ.  If you're using a Riff Raff, which I find has more treble bias than a Mule, you can't get the midrange fullness back in using EQ.

You can easily remove frequencies you don't want, but you can't put in what you didn't have to start with

So for all round PAF-style rock goodness, it has to be Mules.

[RorySRV]

That sounds great  :)

May I ask 3 questions...

1) Will the buckers be alright with the standard Gibson/Epi Volume pots of 500k assuming they are in the Les Paul

2) How bad are the standard electrics in Epiphones. Specifically the Epi Lp-100?

and 3) I am assuming the colour Lp in the picture on the link below is Heritage Cherry Sunburst... right? Just wanted to check because the one in the picture is the colour I would like to get

The guitar I am talking about regarding all these questions is the lp-100:

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/lp-100/858

As this is probably the one I will get to customise, as its cheap  

And just out of interest does anyone know why they call this a lp-100 and not a Les Paul 100. And why it doesnt have the normal Les Paul signature on the headstock???

Anyway thanks alot,

Help is much appreciated ,

Thanks again,

RorySRV,

[TwilightOdyssey]

I'm doing something very similar in an Agile LP clone I have, and I went for a Riff Raff/Stormy Monday combo.

[Twinfan]

RorySRV,

The LP100 is the cheapest LP that Epiphone make, and it has a bolt on neck.  Personally, if you're after classic Les Paul tones, I'd go for a set neck with the correct woods.  The LP100 is a bit too cheap.

The colour of the one you gave a link to is Heritage Cherry Sunburst.

Epi electrics are OK, but their selector switches in particular are very cheap and they break quickly.  They're easy enough to change if you can use a soldering iron, and a new set of pots/wiring isn't dear either.  If I were you I would:

* Get a better quality Les Paul (set neck, mahogany/maple)
* Get the BKPs you want
* Re-wire the entire guitar (new pots/switch/input jack)

This is what I did with my '65 reissue Epi SG and I'm very happy with the results  :D

[RorySRV]

Trouble is that means a lot of saving...

What Epi Lp would you recommend that isnt too expensive?

And how much money do you reckon would it cost to buy the les paul and get a tech to replace the pots, switch and input jack (I am not too confident with a soldering iron and dont currently have one anyway   )

[rahnooo]

Another vote for The Mule. I have a calibrated set in my Epi Les Paul and they're bang on - really nice shimmering cleans, and enough grunt to get really tasty dirty sounds too. Whats more being a reasonably low output pickup you retain note seperation and can really hear picking action even at high gain.

As for Epi electronics, they're functional but could do with replacing. My selector switch died a death very early on, but gold plated selector switches are pretty cheap. I'm planning on replacing all the wiring and pots too, but thats partly because the shop that fitted my Mules apparently employs blind monkeys instead of proper guitar techs and the soldering job is enough to make a boy weep.

I'd also vote for the set neck Epi, much nicer feel and better sound imho.

But get the Mules for sure, I cannot tell you just how delighted you will be with them.

*Rahnooo*

[Philly Q]

I don't know how much techs charge (and I wouldn't want to put anyone out of a job) but I definitely recommend the DIY approach.  

Soldering takes a bit of practice, but it's basically easy enough and you can do most of the work outside the guitar so there's not much risk of destroying anything.  And it's a real buzz when you put everything back together and see (or hear) the monster you've created!

[RorySRV]

Ok thanks alot everyone.

Can anyone recommend a good not to expensive Epi Lp for me?

And also what does everyone think of a Black Dog in the Bridge for higher gain or more modern stuff such as Gary Moore, Slash and Pages more high gain stuff and a Mule for the more vintage tone  :roll:

Thanks again,

RorySRV

[carlaz]

And also what does everyone think of a Black Dog in the Bridge for higher gain or more modern stuff such as Gary Moore, Slash and Pages more high gain stuff and a Mule for the more vintage tone

Black Dogs are good for Page, clearly, but Slash doesn't use particularly hot pickups.  I'd say Mules, or even Stormy Mondays (!) are good for Slash.  Probably Mules are good for Gary Moore, or maybe Crawlers (which are markedly higher gain, but still have a PAF-like feel).

The Mules, generally, are good all-rounders for classic hard/blues rock stuff.  You can tap your amp for gain; Tim uses Mules when playing in his Ozzy tribute band! :)

(I say all this as a satisfied Crawler customer, too :)).

[RorySRV]

Ok thanks alot.

So I have all my questions answered expect 1  :P

Can anyone recommend me a good Epi thats not too expensive.

Say preferably the £200 - £400 area.

And one that looks Jimmy Page Les Paul like preferably, or just damn nice  

[Twinfan]

Used Epiphone Standard gets my vote.  Easy enough to pick up from eBay or your local guitar shop.

Or how about one of these Vintage LP clones - they're getting good reviews.  Go for the worn relic style one for £300!

http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

Edit:

Check out this little bargain!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VINTAGE-V100-ELECTRIC-GUITAR-GLOSS-BLACK_W0QQitemZ220034282956QQihZ012QQcategoryZ106457QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem