Pickups

[Jak0lantern01]

So I've got my Epiphone Les Paul loaded with a EMG-81/85's, but I want to go back to passive pups. I generally play hard rock music, but I don't want to mud up my sound. Can anyone recommend a Seymour Duncan combo I might like? I'm talking bridge and neck.

 

[scottieL]

SD '59 in the neck
SD JB Trembucker in the neck (note: these are super bright and responsive, neither of the pickups are very forgiving as far as masking mistakes are concerned) but they are a great combo for hard rock.

 

[JOEY B.]

I use the SD Pearly Gates (SHPG-1) in the neck and the SD Custom Custom (SH-11) in the bridge of my Les Paul.

 

[Chadd]

I really like the screamin demon for rock. I use the single coil size model in one of my strats.

 

[TheCapstan]

Use Alnico Pro II bridge and neck, they are very bright, would go well with your Epiphone

 

[user 16490]

There's nothing wrong with any of the suggestions you've received so far, but why do the pickups have to be Seymour Duncans?

 

[Turumbar82]

There's nothing wrong with any of the suggestions you've received so far, but why do the pickups have to be Seymour Duncans?

+1

 

[Jak0lantern01]

I have Seymour's in my Schecter and like the sound. My other guitars have either EMG's or DiMarzio's in them and I just wanted to try something different.

 

[Turumbar82]

cool.

Personally I'm not a big fan of the JB's. I have an old Epiphone SG that I put a Custom in the bridge and a 59 in the neck. I prefer the Custom over the JB. Yeah they have less output but I like their tone better. The 59 is really nice in the neck.

 

[ryjan]

SD dunacn distortions are a good high output pup. However for half the price you can go to carvins website and get a c22b or an m22t. The quality is just as good or better.

 

[yem]

when it comes to pickups I'll spend as much as I have to in order to get the best tone. My recommendation will be complicated, because pickups are complicated. they are each unique in their own way and have certain characteristics and such. So I can't tell you what to get, just a general reference about what's good for what and what I like. It's definitely a trial & error process.

as far as duncan goes:
a distortion combo is great overall for metal sounds.
BRIDGE:
for metal/heavy ****
standard high output: Custom
For high output but with big midrange punch: Custom Custom
For use in a very dark guitar: custom V
overall versatility: JB

for regular old rock:
overall versatility: '59
meaty sustain/midrange: Pearly Gates

NECK:

bright, articulate, best cleans ever: Jazz
a little more midrangey, awesome cleans: alnico II
for thick midrangey sustain: pearly gates
overall generic choice: '59

My favorite metal/heavy combo: Dimarzio Super Distortion/PAF Pro. That'll give you that Adrian Smith type hardness.
My personal favorite combo: though is a Dimarzio FRED/SD Alnico II pro. Both sound great split and have incredible cleans and articulation. Both are very quiet and can handle as much gain/compression as you could throw at them.


So you know: a jazz and alnico II pro are the same pickup with Alnico V/II mags respectively. The distortion and JB are the same with ceramic/A5 mags respectively. A cool combo I really like is taking a JB and a distortion neck and changing the ceramic mag for an alnico V bar. Then you have a JB combo even though the JB neck isn't a production model.

 

[Guitar GeeK]

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey,
butane in my veins so I'm out to get the junkie
with the plastic eyeballs, spraypaint the vegetables,
dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose,
kill the headlights and put it in neutral,
stockcar flaming with a loser in the cruise control,
baby's in Reno with the vitamin D,
got a couple of couches, sleep on the love seat,
someone came sayin' I'm a saint (I'm insane)
to complain about
a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt,
don't believe everything that you breathe,
you get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve,
so shave your face with some mace in the dark,
saving all your food stamps for burning down the trailer park,

yo, cut it
Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me,
double barrel buckshot,
Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me,

forces of evil on a bozo nightmare,
ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
cause one's got a weasel and others got a flag,
one's on the pole, shove the other in the bag,
[ Lyrics found at www.mp3lyrics.org/aCG ]
with the rerun shows and cocaine nose job,
the daytime crap of the folk singers slop,
he hung himself with a guitar string,
a slab of turkey neck and it's hangin' from a pigeon wing,
I can't write if ya' can't relate,
trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate,
and my time is a piece of wax, fallen on a termite,
who's chokin' on the splinters

Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me
get crazy with the cheez-wiz,
Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me
drive, by, body pierce
yo bring it on down

Soy

(em llik uoy t'nod yhw os ybab resol a m'I, rodedrep nu yoS)

I'm a driver, I'm a winner
things are gonna' change I can feel it

Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me
I can't believe it
Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me

Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me
Sprechen sie deutsch, baby

Soy un perdedor, I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me
You know what I'm sayin'

 

[moodyedge]

So I've got my Epiphone Les Paul loaded with a EMG-81/85's, but I want to go back to passive pups. I generally play hard rock music, but I don't want to mud up my sound. Can anyone recommend a Seymour Duncan combo I might like? I'm talking bridge and neck.

i also have a epiphone lp custom and have sh 59's neck and bridge set. They are great, say no more

 

[Jak0lantern01]

Hmmmm....I just tried my other guitarist's Epi Les Paul with Alnico Pro II's in it, I was amazed at how 'Slash' the tone was through my Stiletto and it's got me thinking that it may be the way to go. We were jamming Nightrain and I thought the sound was pretty sick. I'm just a bit worried about playing heavier styles with those pups loaded, but I do have other guitars that can handle that. Decisions, decisions........

 

[GD_NC]

I've got a Gibson LP with Duncan JB/Jazz set. Great combo.

 

[gonzo]

cannot go wrong with a set of Bill Lawrence pickups.

there are a lot of variations, you have to do homework to decide which model is just right.

 

[rocksalt7]

After months of scheming on this, I went with a '59 in the neck and a Pearly Gates in the bridge on my PRS SE. This combo does it ALL for me!! The PG really has some good grind to it with the Stilletto :twisted: .... good luck with your quest! :mrgreen:

 

[Jak0lantern01]

I'm pretty positive I'm going with the Alnico II Pro's. Playing an unforgiving Stiletto Deuce has improved my playing drastically, and I think these pups are going to further the need to good technique. That, and they sound great. I also rationalized that I have three other (working) guitars, two of which have hot pups installed for tunes that may require more dirt and aggression. Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

 

[yem]

The necessity of high output pickups is only crucial when playing through an amp without master volume. if you're playing through an amp with a gain channel or are applying it with pedals, any output of pickup can "handle" it. its just a difference of tone. but if you're turning up a plexi to 11 a vintage output pickup might not be capable of making the amp break up as much as you'd like.

 

[Nitrobattery]

http://motorcitypickups.com/products/afwayu.htm