It's new pickup time again!

[JonnyScaramanga]

Hi guys,

I'm a noob; please check out my introductory post on the Players board. I'm just looking for some pickup recommendations, please.

[Edit because my original post was insanely long!]

Short version of post: I'm a rock player with a Les Paul, loaded with the Gibson 496R and 500T pair. I'm looking for more tone and dynamics. I'm thinking something with a lower output and an alnico magnet.

Long version of post: I like the tight, hard-edged crunch I get from the 500t, but it's a bit all or nothing. I'd like to get more versatility and what David Lee Roth calls "girl friendly" tone!  :D  I think I should grow up and get a more musical pickup...

I really like playing big, extended chords like Aadd9 +#11 and stuff. It’d be awesome to be able play those chords through high gain without becoming a total mess.

I am obsessed with pinched harmonics, but I don't want an overly bright tone. I love Steve Stevens' Rebel Yell demo; it's very close to my tone. I'm worried it will be too bright in my setup though.

My influences: Favourite guitarists are Joe Perry, Eddie (of course!), and Michael Schenker. I love massive, OTT lead tones like Zakk, Gary Moore, and John Sykes.

The stuff I write is a bit more pop/rock/indie... it sounds more like the Wildhearts, the Killers, Cheap Trick, and Lostprophets. It'd be good to be able to get a vintage/ indie kind of tone too. Am I asking too much?!

Thanks for reading!

[TwilightOdyssey]

Hi ... is there a question in there somewhere? :)

[JonnyScaramanga]

lol!  :oops:
Hang on, I'll edit it down and then someone might be able to help!

(The question was: Could someone offer me some pickup suggestions?!)

[gingataff]

If you want something lower output and not too bright the everpopular Mule will probably be a good bet, check out the clips in the Players room, _Tom_ and Steve have posted some great ones recently. For something more powerful but keeping the vintage vibe you've got the Crawler. I don't know much about Emeralds and Black Dogs so maybe some of the other guys can help out there?

Slightly off topic, what settings do you use on your AOR50? I've got an AOR30 combo back in the UK and keep fiddling trying to find a decent sound but I find the drive too soft in the bass- maybe it needs servicing/retubing/a new speaker/to be played at a decent volume or all of the above 8) I use a DS-1 with it as well and that's a good combination for a really fat sound.

[JonnyScaramanga]

Slightly off topic, what settings do you use on your AOR50? I've got an AOR30 combo back in the UK and keep fiddling trying to find a decent sound but I find the drive too soft in the bass- maybe it needs servicing/retubing/a new speaker/to be played at a decent volume or all of the above 8) I use a DS-1 with it as well and that's a good combination for a really fat sound.

When I was taking the degree at BIMM, someone told me the best way to setup an amp is to set the EQ so that everything's at 2 o'clock, and use that as your basic tone. That's what I always do. On the Laney, I have to back the treble and presence way down. I find there's plenty of gain on the "clean" channel, to be honest. The amp does really start to sound good once you turn it up past half way. It's always damn bright though!

I am considering the Mule, but it seems a bit... boring! I'm not sure I want to be THAT mature yet. Are there any recordings in the Players section of it being played through a good, mic'ed up valve amp doing the hard rock stuff? Tim said he could use it for everything, so I guess I should take his word for it!

[Philly Q]

I am considering the Mule, but it seems a bit... boring!

Ooh, sacrilege!  :o

But I know what you mean.  When you keep reading about how something will do "everything", it begins to sound like a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.

With a Les Paul, you've got a lot of choice.  If you don't want to go all Victor Mature and vintage, I reckon you should consider everything in the "Vintage Hot" category, plus the Crawler and RY.  Cold Sweat too, if you like Sykes.  That doesn't narrow it down much though, does it?  :?

[TwilightOdyssey]

Sorry if I am sounding redundant these days, but ... COLD SWEAT.

[Antag]

With a Les Paul, you've got a lot of choice.  If you don't want to go all Victor Mature and vintage, I reckon you should consider everything in the "Vintage Hot" category, plus the Crawler and RY.  Cold Sweat too, if you like Sykes.  That doesn't narrow it down much though, does it?  :?

I try to avoid recommending something I don't have myself, but:

He said he wanted something "with a lower output and an alnico magnet" so that kinda rules out Cold Sweat, Crawler & Rebel Yell.  If he doesn't like the idea of a Mule then he's pretty much left with Emerald or Black Dog.  If it was me I'd take a gamble on the Emerald - partly because there don't seem to be that many people on this board that have one & I like the idea of having someting that nobody else does :)

[JonnyScaramanga]

He said he wanted something "with a lower output and an alnico magnet" so that kinda rules out Cold Sweat, Crawler & Rebel Yell.  

Well, I meant lower than the 500T, which is a really, really high output pickup. I have a DiMarzio Super 3 in an Ibanez somewhere, and I think the 500T is louder again.

I just want it to have tone and warmth, and great, musical harmonics.

I think I'm probably looking at Mule, Rebel Yell, VHII... or Nailbomb?!

[Antag]

Well, I meant lower than the 500T, which is a really, really high output pickup.

Ah, OK.  Perhaps my memory is at fault - I seem to remember taking a 500T out of my Flying V & the Duncan Custom I replaced it with was approx same output (it was >12 years ago :))

... or Nailbomb?!

Yes, why not the Nailbomb?  It's extremely versatile, hot but not OTT, certainly does "tight, hard-edged crunch" but also wonderful cleans.  I'm on more solid ground here because I actually have Nailbombs in Les Pauls :)

[_tom_]

I am considering the Mule, but it seems a bit... boring! I'm not sure I want to be THAT mature yet. Are there any recordings in the Players section of it being played through a good, mic'ed up valve amp doing the hard rock stuff? Tim said he could use it for everything, so I guess I should take his word for it!

It is a pretty even, balanced pickup but if you listen to all the clips youl see its pretty versatile. I know what you mean though about it seeming boring, definately isnt though, I play blues rock up to thrash with my LP fitted with em and I think Tim said he uses em a lot in his Ozzy tribute band..

I really liked the VHIIs I tried in the PRS at the BK stand when I played em at music live, sounded really nice and crunchy without being too hot.

[Philly Q]

He said he wanted something "with a lower output and an alnico magnet" so that kinda rules out Cold Sweat, Crawler & Rebel Yell.  If he doesn't like the idea of a Mule then he's pretty much left with Emerald or Black Dog.  If it was me I'd take a gamble on the Emerald

Yeah, I was taking "lower output" to mean relative to the 500T, which is Gibson's highest output pickup.  I just thought that would exclude the WP, PK and MM (for a change!   ).  The CS is ceramic, but I mentioned that because of the John Sykes reference.

But go on, get an Emerald!  Then post some clips, because there seem to be so few of them around that hardly anyone knows what they sound like (although there's a nice clip by Chris O'Donnell somewhere).

[Absolue_Zero]

"Girl friendly" tone, from DLR ought to equal VHII... I would've thought.

[FELINEGUITARS]

My thoughts are as follows

The 500T has a similar output to the Cold Sweat but the Sweat seems to have more dynamics and breathes more. It is ceramic but it does the John Sykes and Michael Schenker thing really well.

As Antag mentioned it is also in the same ballpark as the Duncan Custom output wise (Schenker used to use the Duncan Custom as did Queensryche)

Stepping down slightly the Rebel Yell is a great contender. You may not notice too much difference in percieved output though as the RY has a big midrange response and is strong in the 1K region. It was designed that way to allow Steve Stevens to cut through a wall of keyboards that seem to eat up a lot of frequencies live. It was also designed with a Les Paul in mind - so it will sound great in one.

Another choice that I like is the VH2- nice and open sounding with a wide frequency response but its also got that Brown Sound too. It seems to be a pickup that cuts through in all frequency ranges. Think Eddie on that first VH album.

The Black Dog may work for some nice Joe Perry type stuff-it has a little more grind in the midrange - not unlike Seymour Duncan's Screaming Demon

One final thought - an Earvana nut can help when using extended voicings, as it corrects the sharpness seen on most of the notes from the 1st to 8th frets and therefore helps the guitar seem more in tune - good if you are using distortion!

See chart below for info on that:

[Tricalibur]

def go with a vintage series Bucker, which one I cant suggest since I dont kno any of them exceot fir the mule :)