HELP !!! Mules Calibrated set or Mule + Black Dog ?

[billou_35]

Hello,

I'm a real newbie in the Les Paul & Gibson World. I used to play Fender Strat and I've always been a fan of Free, Led Zep, Guns, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Joe Walsh/Don Felder, Lenny Kravitz, Gary Moore : almost all Vintage LP tone...

So I bought a Les Paul Classic from 2000 with 496R + 500T (well I guess)

Now, all I want is Vintage sound, what to choose ? My amp is an Hiwatt DR103 + Hiwatt 4x12.

Tim told me about the Riff Raff for early Page, AC/DC... But I didn't mention that I'd like to be able to play almost all of them...

I love "Since I've been loving you", "Stairway to Heaven" solo tone, Slash tone in general, well, all VINTAGE sound I guess...

Now, my question is : what is the best choice for me (I need versatility) ?

1/ Mule IV Calibrate Set
2/ Mule IV Neck + Black Dog Bridge
3/ Riff Raff Calibrated Set
4/ Stormy Monday II Neck + Black Dog IV Bridge ?

Please help me on this very difficult quest... I'm really looking forward to buy BKP pickups quickly now, I want VINTAGE, please, VINTAGE !  

Thank you to all of you !!!  8)

[Twinfan]

Greetings   :drink:

You missed option number 5:

5/ Stormy Monday II Neck + Riff Raff (V) Bridge

This is popular with a lot of guys on the forum.  Personally, I'd recommend option 1.  Mules are the great all rounders  :D

[Philly Q]

Based on my own experience, I'd go with Twinfan's:

5/ Stormy Monday II Neck + Riff Raff (V) Bridge

I prefer the Riff Raff to the Black Dog but (unhelpfully) I can't really put my finger on why.  But bear in mind my own pickups aren't in Les Pauls.  And I haven't tried Mules.

Actually I don't think you'd go far wrong with any of those options you listed.  I personally wouldn't go with option 3/ because I prefer an AII or AIV neck pickup to AV.

[Simon D]

Welcome.

I've currently got option 1 - Calibrated Mule Alnico IV set in an Epi LP. I'm confident that if you go for this option, you woun't be disappointed. The Mules cover all the tones you mention very well, but excel particularly at the Free, AC/DC and Guns tones.

They also do a mean Mark Knopfler - listen to the solo at the end of this track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTEU4i0Dyn4 for an example of the kind of tone you can get clsoe to with a Mule neck. (Just to be clear - MK is not using BKPs here, I'm merely using this as a tonal illustration).

Hope this helps you out, good luck.  :)

[billou_35]

Excellent, thank you so much for your answers...  :drink:

Now, I got to choose between option 5/ and option 1/

I read in the forum and so many threads that option 1/ with Calibrated Mules  is "without any risk" but I'm wondering what about 5/ ?

Option 5/ is still versatile ? Stormy monday at neck position seems to be the "Slash option" and Riff Raff at bridge "early Page album option" (or all period Page period ?), will it still be possible to play other classic rock, is it not a too particular sound... ?

Sorry for all these questions but I really want to have the good option to my taste !  :D

Again, thank you for your help !!!

[Twinfan]

The Riff Raff is better at giving a more defined sound (e.g. Angus Young) and the Mule is a sweeter sound (e.g. Slash).

Which would suit your ears better?

[JamesHealey]

Mules.. can't go wrong.

[gwEm]

in your position i'd personally go for a set of calibrated mules. riff raffs and mules are both very versatile, but IMHO riff raffs are a little bit more specialist. i bet riff raff bridge + stormy monday neck would work excellently though. i have both riff raff and stormy monday neck pickups, and they are very similar, with the stormy being more mellow (obviously).

imagine the riff raffs being like the vodka of PAFs, the mules the best bitter, and the stormy mondays like mountain spring water with a slight peaty flavour. hmm... not sure if that was a great metaphor :? anyway...

[Philly Q]

imagine the riff raffs being like the vodka of PAFs, the mules the best bitter, and the stormy mondays like mountain spring water with a slight peaty flavour. hmm... not sure if that was a great metaphor :? anyway...

Hmmm, is mountain spring water with a slight peaty flavour a good thing?   I'm imagining a slight brownish colour and bits at the bottom of the glass... :?  

Lacking gwEm's poetic spirit   , I'd say the Mule (from what I've read) has a "hump" in the midrange which the Riff Raff doesn't.  The Riff Raff is edgier, quite dry and bright without being at all harsh.  But it's still a variant on the PAF (or Patent Number) sound, I don't think it's too specialised to cover a wide range of classic rock tones.

I'm not disagreeing at all with everyone who's suggested Mules, but if (like me) you like a contrast between the neck and bridge pickups, the AII Stormy Monday (or maybe even AIV Mule) will give you a nice sweet tone in the neck (Slash, Dickey Betts) and the Riff Raff will give you a clear but slightly more aggressive bridge tone.

Again, that's my own preference, it all depends on the "sound you hear in your head" really.

[PhilKing]

Both TO and myself have the Riff Raff with AIV Stormy Monday.  The difference between the AIV and AII is pretty subtle, but the AIV has a little sweeter sound and is a bit more Fenderish when played clean.   The option no one mentioned was the PG Blues set, but I am guessing you are looking for more poke in the bridge - not that the PG blues doesn't have it!

To make your head spin even more, my original set of BK's for one of my Les Pauls, was Emerald Bridge and AIV Mule neck.  I told Tim I that I loved the tone of Thin Lizzy's 'Still In Love With You', and I am a massive fan of Paul Kossoff and Peter Green.  The mix nails it with lots of power when you crank up the bridge pickup.

[Philly Q]

To make your head spin even more, my original set of BK's for one of my Les Pauls, was Emerald Bridge and AIV Mule neck.

That's what I have planned for my maple-topped V, in due course.  :)

I suppose the Emerald's getting away from vintage territory, though.

[billou_35]

Arggghhhhhhh, it's really too difficult....  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

I spend my time changing between option 1/ and 5/ (and even 5/ with IV stormy monday now)...  

Ok :

1/ With option 5/, I'll excell in Slash, AC/DC, Page sound, Free, am I right ? Is it really the "Since I've been loving you" tone ?

It is also very hard for me to hear a song and only hear the harmonic content and not take attention to the music itself means : Page plays like God so It's very difficult for me to hear the sound without the music and ask myself if the sound will be ok for another song...

2/ Which option would be the best for example for the solo of "One of these nights" from the Eagles ?

Again & again, thank you to all of you for your comprehension and help... Sorry for my english mistakes too...
 

[808]

I have a 2002 LP Classic. I put a calibrated AIV set of Mules.

I'm happy with the tones I get with the mules. I'm gonna go with mules again in my standard. I play rock and blues.

Here's a blues clip of my neck mule.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjySx80WMWk


I've been meaning to make more vids but I've been really busy with work.

[billou_35]

Hi all,

Ok, I've been spending some time listening to my albums from Led Zep, Free and looking at YouTube clips... : Kossof, Page, AC/DC, Slash, ...

I now think I understand well what is the Riff Raff sound : typical AC/DC, Page, Kossof... I hear the brightness, the edge side of the sound, .... Not necessary very versatil but I like it very much... :mrgreen:

Hearing Slash sound, I understand the Stormy Monday....

But I still cannot figure out what is the Mule sound ? What is for you the artist or album or song which highlights the typical sound of the Mules ?

Today, I'm more Riff Raff + Stormy Monday till....  :lol:

[Philly Q]

But I still cannot figure out what is the Mule sound ? What is for you the artist or album or song which highlights the typical sound of the Mules ?

Try Warren Haynes - Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band (although I think it'll take more than a pickup to be able to play like that!   )