Bridge Pickup Advice, Gibson Les Paul

[SweetPickleSalad]

I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard 2002, 50's wiring, RS Guitarworks pots and Luxe BB caps. I love the sound of my neck pick-up (both pickups are stock) but my bridge pickup sounds way too thin and trebly. I have tried to adjust the pickup height but that doesn't do the trick. Maybe I should switch back to a 300k pot on the treble volume to cut back on the trebly sound, I don't know. Do you guys have any good advice?

I am thinking maybe I should look into the possibility of changing that pickup for something else. I've had my eyes on Tom Short's Pickups (the dude that makes the pick ups that Marc Ford uses):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Ei06fI4RQ

but I also like the sound of Bareknuckle pickups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-6Q293ZA5U

Any tip or trick is more than welcome
/Fredrik

[fillmore nyc]

I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard 2002, 50's wiring, RS Guitarworks pots and Luxe BB caps. I love the sound of my neck pick-up (both pickups are stock) but my bridge pickup sounds way too thin and trebly. I have tried to adjust the pickup height but that doesn't do the trick. Maybe I should switch back to a 300k pot on the treble volume to cut back on the trebly sound, I don't know. Do you guys have any good advice?

I am thinking maybe I should look into the possibility of changing that pickup for something else. I've had my eyes on Tom Short's Pickups (the dude that makes the pick ups that Marc Ford uses):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Ei06fI4RQ

but I also like the sound of Bareknuckle pickups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-6Q293ZA5U

Any tip or trick is more than welcome
/Fredrik

I dont think the 300k pot is gonna do it. It wont make THAT much of a change. Did you try checking the resistance of the pickups with a DVM? Its VERY common for those assholes (sorry... I meant Gibson) to put a stronger pickup in the neck and a weaker one in the bridge, cause they have NO QUALITY CONTROL WHATSOEVER... (ahem... sorry)
I cant tell you the number of new Gibsons I've seen with a 7.1k in the bridge and a 8.2k in the neck... out of balance as a mo-fo.
Other than that, I think a pickup change is in order. Either of the pickup mfr's you mentioned are good, and one of our esteemed Metro members (Jim from WCR) makes killer pickups, as do some other guys here.
If you want to stay strictly stock with a pickup made by a bunch of assholes (DAMMIT!! I keep saying that!! I mean GIBSON... GIBSON pickups is what I meant), then probably a Burstbucker III, or a 498T would do it.
That 498T is a really nice, fat, strong pickup, considering its made by... well you know...

(But check the pickups you have now. Its a total crap-shoot as to whether they're in the right positions, and if so, reversing them will usually do it. I had this very thing happen with a reissue SG, and reversing the pickups (thankfully they had enough excess wire to do it) made all the difference.)


PS--Great forum handle... SweetPickleSalad. Good one!! /

[SweetPickleSalad]

Did you try checking the resistance of the pickups with a DVM? Its VERY common for those assholes (sorry... I meant Gibson) to put a stronger pickup in the neck and a weaker one in the bridge

No I haven't done that yet, I guess I kind of took for granted that the pups where in the right positions and assembled correctly before shipping out of the Gibson factory. Hmmm I'll check the resistance today but I don't think I'll be able to switch positions, if I remember it correctly I didn't have that much slack on the braided wires coming from the pups when I re-wired my guitar

Either of the pickup mfr's you mentioned are good, and one of our esteemed Metro members (Jim from WCR) makes killer pickups, as do some other guys here.

Checked out WCR and to my ears them Fillmore pups sounded sweet indeed

PS--Great forum handle... SweetPickleSalad. Good one!!

SweetPickleSalad is, or was would be more accurate, a side project band back in the days so I can't take credit for making that name up

Sweet Pickle Salad
Chris Robinson (Black Crowes) - vocals
Marc Ford (Black Crowes) - guitars
Craig Ross (Lenny Kravitz) - guitars
Jimmy Ashhurst (Ju Ju Hounds) - bass
Andy Sturmer (Jellyfish) - drums
Roger Manning (Jellyfish) - keyboards

[fillmore nyc]

Either of the pickup mfr's you mentioned are good, and one of our esteemed Metro members (Jim from WCR) makes killer pickups, as do some other guys here.

Checked out WCR and to my ears them Fillmore pups sounded sweet indeed

I have a set of Fillmores currently in a LP, and at one time they were also in an SG. Absolutely smokin'... Killer sounding pickups.

[Guitar Adjuster]

I have the Godwoods and they also sound great. I have owned 3 different BK's and they just don't do it for me, they are just OK nothing great, considering the high price you can do much better IMO. These guys make great pickups as well:

http://www.manliusguitar.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://motorcitypickups.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.genesispickups.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[electricskychurch]

is it some burstbuckers pro or 498T in your bridge pu ?

i tried some 2004 or so les paul standard with those burstbuckers pu's and found they were really bright and the guitar had no low end.

how is you unplugged tone ?

if it's balanced , with good low end , resonance and not scooped, then it should sound better with a better pickup.
if not, some pickups can complement the type of tone of your guitar and you should choose them searching for that.
many pickups will sound different from , say, a les paul to another (even with guitars made with the same specs)

[SweetPickleSalad]

is it some burstbuckers pro or 498T in your bridge pu ?

I have Burstbucker V pickups w/Alnico magnets (stock)

how is you unplugged tone ?

My unplugged tone sounds fine to me, balanced good sustain etc, maybe a bit thin but that may be due to that I am using 9-42' strings, Gibson Vintage Reissue by the way, which I like even though they wear out pretty quickly

Did you try checking the resistance of the pickups with a DVM? Its VERY common for those assholes (sorry... I meant Gibson) to put a stronger pickup in the neck and a weaker one in the bridge

Done,

Neck 7,50k
Bridge 7,83k

Don't know if that is good or bad though...

[electricskychurch]

i like vintage reissue gibson strings as well but use 10/46.
if you have a good unplugged tone in your guitar and if you are totaly sure about it , then you should be able to find some pu's for your guitar even if it might take some time depending on your level of satisfaction.
i have to say i bought several PAF clones but still have to find the one that totaly pleases me.
the seymour and duncan seth lover SH55 bridge is for me a good one and after i tried some more expensive pu's, might the ones i will put back in my 97' les paul 59' ri (don't know in an sg) even if it doesn't totaly pleases me, at least until i find a better one (it is warm, with rich mids, but not as focused and articulate as some other ones i tried, still with a good bark. can be a bit in your face but not harsh ).
but a pickup might make a guitar sound good but may do not sound that good in another one depending on your guitar frequency response and on the pu's frequency response.
i think the best it to find the good complement better than to buy this one or this one as they are the most well known or hype; they might not work that well for you unfortunately, although some are definitly better than others.
and it depends on the tone you want as well !
i tried WCR's , skatterbrane, classic 57, just ordered some 7,5k/8k fralin set (but haven't received the fralin yet )....
i might try Tom holmes, WB , throbak, high order...
i have several guitars with patent pending 60's Gibson pu's as well but haven't got any 50's PAF pu's for the moment (nor heard some in direct yet) .
it's also a matter of taste and depending on the amp and speakers you use !

[ohmygodtheykilledkenny]

To date, the only aftermarket pickups I've tried were Wolfetone Legend/Dr.V, and I've been very happy with them to date. I have them in both positions of my 82' Les Paul Custom, with the same wiring upgrades you have installed (only difference might be that I have them wired out of phase).

The throbak are really intriguing to me, since they are wound on the original machines, which would seem to me to be a key ingredient of what makes real PAFs tick. Anyone heard these in person?

Travis

[jcmjmp]

I like Gibson T-Tops. Nice and smooth top end and tons of crunchy mids.

[electricskychurch]

yes, Ttops are nice but i could deal with a touch more output ! LOL
throbak seem interesting but haven't heard them.
there are so many, that it's not easy to find teh ones you love without spending much money trying several ones unless you don't ask too much or you are happy with the first or second set you try !

[fillmore nyc]

Did you try checking the resistance of the pickups with a DVM? Its VERY common for those assholes (sorry... I meant Gibson) to put a stronger pickup in the neck and a weaker one in the bridge

Done,
Neck 7,50k
Bridge 7,83k
Don't know if that is good or bad though...

Well, that bridge pickup is kinda weak as far as the resistance is concerned, and though ohm resistance doesnt tell the entire story of a pickups punch, with Burstbuckers, its a good (and really the only) indicator. There's no magic to those pickups... they're pretty basic.
A 498T would wake that bridge position up a LOT. They read out somewhere around 12-13k, but still manage to retain "some" vintage characteristics, just way stronger. TONS of bottom end, powerful mids, and they're still crispy with nice harmonics on the top... like a PAF on crack.
I've used 'em in various guitars over the years and always liked the results... never heard a bad one!!
For a relatively inexpensive pickup, they're very hard to beat.

[yngwie308]

PM sent Fillmore!
yngwie308

[fillmore nyc]

Fill, do you still have your Johnny Winter 'replica' Firebird?? There is a way cool thread on the Gear Page about this guitar and the guy actually resets it up and re-frets it, making it a killer axe. I have saved some pics in my Photobucket, but I think the forum is locked, if you're not a member let me know and I will show the goods!
Regards
yngwie5150308

That would be great if you could post that, Yng, thank you!! They wont let me join Gear Page cause I have a free email account (Hotmail).
Yeah, I still have the JW Firebird. It needed to be set up REAL badly, but it didnt need any fretwork at all. Thats the one aspect of it that IS excellent... it plays like a monster.
The thing Im wrestling with now is changing the pickups. The stock pickups suck to say the least--Ultra Ice-Pick in the forehead models . I already have an Antiquity set of Firebird pickups which might go in there if I cant locate a set of actual '63-'65 pickups, but they're REAL hard to find, super expensive, and easy enough for somebody to bogey a set using Antiquities if they could locate a patent number decal.
I'll probably go with the Antiquities. They already look the relic part, and sound VERY close to originals, much more so than Duncans regular Firebird pups.

I was not so kind with the review I posted on Harmony Central, but I WAS honest.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... ebird/10/1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its an unpolished gem... a "potentially" excellent guitar if a person is willing to do whats required to get it that way, which IMO includes changing those pickups... unforgivable on a guitar THAT expensive.

[NY Chief]

fill, have you seen this yet???
http://www.amazon.com/Live-Through-70s- ... 458&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Johnny Winter Live thru the 70's. Not bad. I've seen him better but cool none the less. First song is Frankenstein with a still wet behind the ears little brother on keys and drums. Interesting take, very different than the studio cut.