Author Topic: Holy Divers too thick in a Les Paul? (Read 4510 times)

indysmith · « **on:** June 18, 2007, 04:50:57 PM »

Okay I want some new pickups for my Les Paul.
Right now it sounds very weak and trebbly with flubby bass and NO mids. SD '59s are hideous. It's annoying because it resonates so well, and playing unplugged i always expect to plug in and get a nice fat LP tone, and all i get is this weedy shitee.
I want something higher output (just enough to push the amp), with huge thick mids, and a big tight bass.
Basically i want it to sound like a Les Paul - i want it to growl and bite. It's got to sound fat and thick!

Are Holy Divers going to be too thick in a big fat Greco Les Paul? If so what are my alternatives? maybe an abraxas would be my bag?
Thanks.

EDIT: It's got to be quite a tight pickup - it's a big guitar and i don't know why but i want it to sound controlled. I'm happy with my smaller strat styled guitars being a bit chaotic.
I'm even considering the AV warpig - my friend's got one in his ibanez - awesome mids and a nice tight bass, whilst still sounding organic...

Philly Q · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2007, 05:05:42 PM »

Antag will be along to say HDs won't be too thick in an LP.

For classic LP tone, but hotter and bigger, I would say Crawlers. I don't own a set, but they're what I'll be getting for my own Japanese (ObG) LP. The neck is the same as the Abraxas neck (which I do have, and it's perfect), but I think the bridge will be a bit more snarly and aggressive than the Abraxas bridge.

indysmith · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2007, 05:12:42 PM »

good call philly - i hadn't even considered those. I'll listen to some clips :) thanks

Antag · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2007, 05:32:15 PM »

Quote from: Philly Q

Antag will be along to say HDs won't be too thick in an LP.

Am I really that predictable? :)

Canadian Steve · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2007, 05:37:54 PM »

Have you considered the Rebel Yells? They're very fat and thick with a lot of mids!

Philly Q · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2007, 05:41:37 PM »

Quote from: Antag

Quote from: Philly Q
Antag will be along to say HDs won't be too thick in an LP.

Am I really that predictable? :)

As if by magic, a man appeared...

No, not at all. But you are Mister Holy Diver. And Eric Hellstyle is the Holy Diver Kid.

indysmith · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2007, 06:04:13 PM »

Quote from: Canadian Steve

Have you considered the Rebel Yells? They're very fat and thick with a lot of mids!

yeah they were my first thought but i think they'd be too bright for what i'm after

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2007, 06:10:31 PM »

Mules are classic LP tone all over - checkout the clips I've posted in the last week, they're all Mules and I'd say they're pretty beefy.

If you really want something hotter, I'd say Crawlers - they have a more modern feel, more output and more mids (used to have 'em in my LP before the Mules)

:twisted:

gwEm · « **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2007, 07:10:36 PM »

didn't vivian campbell use a les paul for the holy diver album? not that this fact should affect your decision too much ;)

indysmith · « **Reply #9 on:** June 18, 2007, 07:14:30 PM »

Quote from: gwEm

didn't vivian campbell use a les paul for the holy diver album? not that this fact should affect your decision too much ;)

thats what i thought, but everyone says they're too fat in LP stylee guitars...

indysmith · « **Reply #10 on:** June 18, 2007, 07:17:05 PM »

Quote from: HEAVIER THAN HELL

Mules are classic LP tone all over - checkout the clips I've posted in the last week, they're all Mules and I'd say they're pretty beefy.

If you really want something hotter, I'd say Crawlers - they have a more modern feel, more output and more mids (used to have 'em in my LP before the Mules)

:twisted:

already checked your clips dude - AWESOME classic rock sounds. my JCM800 is a whole load brighter than your superbass though, and i'm after something a wee bit hotter - i think the crawler is probably the one for me.
I always like the sound when other people play lower output pickups... but when i do i'm never satisfied - i just want more ooomph. odd :?

EDIT: just checked the Crawler demos on the main site. WOW - they're what i want. Thread over, thanks for your help guys.

indysmith · « **Reply #11 on:** June 18, 2007, 10:39:15 PM »

Just one more thing - how do the crawlers clean up? is it possible to get convincing PAF tones by rolling the volume down??

HTH AMPS · « **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2007, 12:33:00 AM »

Quote from: indysmith

Just one more thing - how do the crawlers clean up? is it possible to get convincing PAF tones by rolling the volume down??

they clean up fine - they're hot but don't feel like a hot pickup in the way the Nailbomb does for instance. so 'yes' (in a nutshell), they do the hot-PAF thing very well indeed.

:twisted:

hunter · « **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2007, 06:05:42 AM »

I don't want to destroy your recently acquired clarity, but just for consideration I'd have a close look at BlackDogs. Mids aplenty and classic rock tone. I'd pair a BD bridge with a Mule neck.

ericsabbath · « **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2007, 06:55:40 AM »

holy diver sounds awesome in my les paul
yes it is too thick, but in a good way! :D

but if you're planning to downtune it the sound will get ULTRA THICK :lol:
it doesn't lose any clarity and definition even if you tune it a lot of steps down
it just gets bigger and scarier :twisted: