Les Paul Pickup suggestions for high gain leads

[RnR]

Hi,

My Les Paul currently has low output Antiquities...fine pickups in themselves, but the manual for the MKV specifically says the amp responds best to high output pickups. I am looking to get an articulate high gain lead sound with good note definition. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[mikebu]

http://www.suhr.com/suhr-guitar-pickups/humbucker-pickups-from-suhr/aldrich-humbucker-pickup.html are supposed to be really good. Or take the active path like Zakk Wylde and get some EMG's.

Although some people would disagree about using high output pickups. Listen to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-duj8uNLdjs

 

[talltxguy]

The best alnico humbucker I've used through Boogies is a JB.

The best ceramic humbucker I've used through Boogies was a Dimebucker.

Right now I'm a Strat dude, but if I get a humbucker guitar, it will have one of those two sitting in bridge, with the other one on the bench ready to come in at a moment's notice.

 

[ryjan]

You're going to get about a million different suggestion on this one. :lol:
Wait until the BKP guys chime in.

My latest pick up swap was an EMG Het Set. Forget anything you've heard bad about active pick ups or EMG's. These pickups flat out rock. If I had to describe them in a word it would be thick. Everything sounds fatter and chewier but the note definition is vastly improved over regular EMG 81's.
Playing my Roadster with these pick ups is almost ridiculous. Almost. 8)

 

[fr0sty]

I like the rio grande bbq bucker with my v. It not a high output pickup. I have it in two guitars.

 

[lesterpaul]

You're going to get about a million different suggestion on this one. :lol:
Wait until the BKP guys chime in.

My latest pick up swap was an EMG Het Set. Forget anything you've heard bad about active pick ups or EMG's. These pickups flat out rock. If I had to describe them in a word it would be thick. Everything sounds fatter and chewier but the note definition is vastly improved over regular EMG 81's.
Playing my Roadster with these pick ups is almost ridiculous. Almost. 8)

8) no doubt....!you don't have to look far to find pickup makers or pickup advice...
since I am a BKP dude, I will throw the rebel yells into the mix...they do it all...a great all rounder, unless you are just interested in ultra heavy stuff
-put it this way...I have yet to play my LP Standard/Rebels without another guitarist asking me about them-great clean,mean, and in between

...now get ready for about 300 more suggestions!

 

[ryjan]

I'm ordering a set of BK Riff Raff's for my EC1000 this month.

 

[nocluejimbo]

Don't rule out something lower output, like a Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF. Lower output humbuckers typically have a lot more clarity, which is always good when playing with a lot of gain.

 

[Heritage Softail]

BKP's are great, and expensive...

I have 2 LP's right now and have sold 4 or 5. My favorite LP is an 81 Standard with Motor City Nasty Nasty pups. I have done the JB Jazz combination, various Distortions, no actives though.

I have ran them thru a variety of Marshals, JVM, DSL100, and like passives of any output. For blues capability, the higher output pups don't work as well to my ears.

For my old MKV I liked passives as well, I can use a clean boost to get more output, but I could not undo the compressed sound I heard with EMG's. I have not owned the Het Set that others love so no comment on those.

My Recto cranked could give a crap less what pup I'm using. I run it loud and proud like the angry can of bees it is. :lol: Just gets down to the flavor I want.

I have a Rhodes Gemini high gainer that is my favorite high gain amp. It does well with any pups, but to play what I like, which at times is a more dynamic Dire Straits type of bluesy vibe, I need lower out put pups. The uber gain amps, and availability of great boost pedals and noise gates, Decimator, have let me get away from actives.

With a boost and an EQ in the loop, it isn't too hard to make most any decent guitar with a mid range output pup sound like 20 other guitars.

YMMV.

Good luck on the tone quest!

 

[Timius]

I have a les Paul std and I have a set of suhr aldrich pickups in it. They sound killer! They cut but have a nice thick lead sound. Let me know if you have any specific questions about em.

 

[Burn]

I've tried a ton of pickups with my LPC, running through my Mark V. Many Duncans, DiMarzios, and EMGs. I've actually ended up going back to the stock 498T/490R set. These aren't perfect either, but I find them to be the best fit to this particular LP.

I've also tried the Aldrich pickups, but they were a bit meh. I feel that they may be a bit over-hyped, although they were in a different, brighter LP, through another amp. They were too hot and they lacked the grit that I like.

If I was doing the really fast, modern metal kind of stuff, I'd probably stick with the EMG 81/85 set. I find them to be a bit too tight and stiff for my style of playing though.

 

[exbest182]

I really dig the EVH wolfgang pickups... I have them (obviously) in both my wolfgangs, but direct mounted one to an old 76 LPC, and it was killer, pretty hot, and super clear.

 

[RnR]

I've got an EVH Wolfgang special tht I really dig with the amp. I'm thinking maybe exploring a little with overdrive first with the LP before scrapping the pickups...I have a bunch of distortion and fizz pedals, but no pure overdrive...so I'll hit it with my Naga Viper and if that doesn't do it maybe order a Wylde OD. I'm in Detroit visiting erelatives for a few days so will have to wait until I return to Misery, uh Missouri. Not that bad really

 

[cradlefish]

There are more and better pickups out there, not to mentioned pricier as well. From my experienced I like the JB the best for my style. I went through plenty of brands. models and boutique pickups. I came back to the JB and I'm sticking with that. Great cleans and distorted tones and it's also very cheap.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Hi,

My Les Paul currently has low output Antiquities...fine pickups in themselves, but the manual for the MKV specifically says the amp responds best to high output pickups. I am looking to get an articulate high gain lead sound with good note definition. Any suggestions? Thanks.

The guy who wrote the manual uses an Anderson superstrat with an Anderson H3 in the bridge. Sometimes it's best to take the manual with a grain of salt. I wouldn't choose which pickups I put in a Les Paul based on the opinion of a guy playing an 80s shredder.