Les Paul for Metal

[bluetahoe]

What is the best Les Paul for metal genre?

I am looking at Les Paul Custom as I hear Custom is a good choice for heavy tone (Trivium singer/guitarist Matt Heafy plays black beauty), and according to my homework, Custom '57 RI is solid mahogany, but current Custom model has maple top. I do not know which one of the two or anything else is better for metal.

Also, minor questions:

Fingerboard: Current Custom has strange Richlite fingerboard... which I am not happy with... Is ebony the best for metal tone?

Pickup: What is best Gibson pickup (no EMG, no Duncan, etc.) for metal tone if you suggest to replace the stock pickup in the Custom?

 

[wheelsdeal]

Any Les Paul will do metal.Depending what type of metal you play you may need to change pickups.If you looking for the latest Trivium sound (they used 7strings for a while) you need EMGs or high gain passives and most important a good amplifier.

 

[TheZeppelinKid1991]

Any Les Paul will do metal.Depending what type of metal you play you may need to change pickups.If you looking for the latest Trivium sound (they used 7strings for a while) you need EMGs or high gain passives and most important a good amplifier.

+1

any LP will do as wheels said. look at all the metal players that use LPs. there is buckethead, randy rhoads, zakk wylde to name a few off the top of my head. they use lp customs but i use a studio with the stock burstbucker pros and it seems fine to me.

 

[adamsvok]

For pickups I'd say Dirty Fingers or Burstbucker Pros.

 

[AngryHatter]

Silverburst, obviously.

 

[Alligatorbling]

a black one, with pentagram stickers

 

[Stealthtastic]

Metal tones require more thought in terms of pickups. Your guitar will contribute less to the tone because of the gain levels.

Personally i love bareknuckle aftermaths in mahogany. Insanely tight and punchy. Duncan distortions are similar and cheaper.

 

[crapthatsloud]

I have a stock 2011 Studio Satin (498T/490R) which is run through a boosted 5150. Does the job quite well. Insanely chunky. I also have a standard with the same pickups but it sounds totally different. More tight, less "gushy."

Edit: Important to note that Matt Heafy loads his LPs with EMGs. You could probably grab an epiphone or a low end gibson studio (I vote the gibby), swap some EMGs into it, and you'll be more than halfway there.

 

[CapeRR]

The 496R and 500T in the Classic Plus will def get you into metal heaven.

 

[MiniB]

Get this one....

...you'll scare the shit out of everyone.

 

[BWOTW]

If you need a Gibson pickup, go with the 500T, though EMG's would probably suit you more. All mahogany vs maple cap is a subtle difference at best, so don't get too hung up on that, either would do. Fingerboard material makes no difference whatsover in sound, but they change a little in feel.

 

[Aymara]

I was pretty impressed with the open coil 57 Classics in my Signature T, when I tried it for Metal.

But as always .. a matter of taste ... I for myself e.g. hate EMGs.

 

[dspelman]

Get this one....

...you'll scare the shit out of everyone.

On the money. They'll figure that if you're badass enough to rock a pink Hello Kitty guitar in a metal band and survive, you may not be someone to be messed with.

 

[dspelman]

For pickups I'd say Dirty Fingers or Burstbucker Pros.

That's an extremely wide range. Dirty Fingers are like Invaders; all output and little finesse. Burstbucker Pros still *think* they have connections to PAFs.

 

[nicklee13]

Lot of youngsters this morning.

 

[Ides of March]

Heafy also has just put out a line of Epiphone LP Customs which are cheaper than the Gibson's he uses, there is a video on you tube about him promoting it. It also has EMG's for pickups. You may want to check those out.

 

[jlb32]

The Les Paul Classics with the 496R/500T are awesome for hard rock/metal. The stock 498T/490R in most Les Paul Customs are really good also. Most of the stock pickups in LP's will do the job with ease and wouldn't need changed out. No need for EMG's or Duncans if you have a high gain amp.

 

[Ozzy]

You don't really need a Les Paul custom with all the fancy pants additions, (binding, inlays, etc.) You can purchase any regular Les Paul like a Standard, Traditional or a Studio. But you WILL want to end up changing the pickups for something more appropriate.

 

[Brutalisateur]

I've been using Les Pauls for metal for more than 10 years. The trick is to find one that has a lot of bite in the tone, if you have a more mellow-sounding example, you'll get a lot of mud. No pickup in the world can fix that.
My favorite is my LPC 57 reissue, it's made from light mahogany that gives both bite and a massive low-end. But most LP's will do, the only bad examples I've tried were cheaper models like studios etc.

Ive tried most of Gibsons pickups and none of them does a good job at metal ryhtm. Stay the **** away from dirtyfingers or 500's. I know people who love the 498T, but they dont play a whole lot of palmmuted stuff so they never experience the lack of definition you get with it.

What you need is a high-output humbucker with a ceramic magnet, alnico is too mellow and lacks bite and definition. Dimarzio makes some good ones like the superdistortion and the deactivator, duncan has their distortion and bareknuckle makes some killer pickups.

And then you have Lundgren.se | Guitar Pickups - Stratocaster® - Telecaster® - P-90® - Humbucker - Bas | | Lundgren.se | Guitar Pickups - Stratocaster® - Telecaster® - P-90® - Humbucker - Bas that makes the killer M6 that Meshuggah and others use. He's also got the 'The one' pickup that's similar with a fat midboost for a more 80's lead sound.

 

[theycallmegio]

I like EMGs but I really wouldn't want one in a les paul. I prefer passive pickups on these guitars. Then again I have a mesa recto, so I don't have the need for ultra high output pickups if I want to do metal. I really love seymour duncans. I currently have a duncan custom in my LP and it's great, but I think I would prefer a JB in there. I LOVE Jbs