comparing my gib and epi pickups

[guitargoalie]

Hey everyone, ever since getting my trad faded with bb pros, I have played that as my main guitar. I notice that on my marshall dsl50, the gibson is very bright, and the high strings have a very trebly, cutting clarity. I find that the attack on the strings is very punchy, but doesn't hold together well for heavier stuff say slayer. Now when i switch to my epiphone les paul classic, i have to add some treble and presence back on the amp, but the tone itself is interesting, Its more mellow and warm, with less shrill highs, and sounds very mid heavy like im using a tubescreamer. It seems to handle metal tunes better :s

I'm just a bit confused, the gibby NAILS classic rock tones, but somehow my cheaper epiphone seems a bit more versatile, any one else know what I'm talking about for the burstbucker highs and vintage slightly mushy character

 

[River]

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Like comparing my Antiquity P-90 to my Phat Cats to the over-wound Bolt in my Melody Maker.

I never figure I won't have to EQ my amp between guitars. They're, like, different guitars, kwim?

What's your question, and what is "slayer"?

 

[guitargoalie]

I'm just asking if its normal for my epiphone to seem more versatile than my gibson, and if anyone else thinks the burstbucker pro's are a bit high treble and mushy bass. upon reading the seymour duncan forums, other people feel that way too

its also my hottest pickup, among the epiphone and a jackson with active pickups

slayer as in, the thrash metal band lol

 

[rjshare]

i dont see how what you are describing makes the epi more versatile.

i'm not being condescending here but do you know how a tone control works? you can't ADD treble to the signal unless you are using an active circuit which means that if your gibson has too much top end you can turn it down with your tone knob and it will be more 'middy'. conversely, you can't make your epi more 'trebley'. for me that makes the gibson the more versatile as it does things that the epi cant.

the other way of looking it is maybe bb pros just arent the right pups for you. the chances are that bbs were never designed with a modern 'thrash' sound in mind. they wouldnt work for a 'metallica' sound either as that was famously created using emg actives. also, people change pups all the time and no two people ever agree on - or want - the same sound. for every person who tells you bbs are great someone else will say they dont like them. try looking up 490r/498t on google and see just how much love/hate/argument there is for that combo.

bottom line is - its your guitar, if you dont like how it sounds try and make it sound like you want it to.

 

[MeKevin]

I notice a little different sound on my trad pro on the treble side, but I like it. It is not shrill, but it seems like it has a "ledge" on the treble side. But that is with the '57 and bb3.

Anyway, the same pickup will sound different on different guitars. I have the 490r/498t on both my classic and my newest aquisistion, although I haven't played the classic in 3 years. With the classic though, they were pretty harsh, but I liked how they drove my amp, so it was okay, I just adjusted my guitar and amp. My newest guitar is super lightweight, I don't know if that's why, but I like them a lot better, as they sound more "normal" and less harsh. I play this guitar with the knobs on all 10s, which is how I like it.

So, I guess that I am saying is there is probably variations within particular models of pickups, and those pickups sound different in different guitars, and those guitars sound different with different amps. The only way you might be able to find what you like is to play the junk out of as many guitars as you can before you buy one, or be prepared to do some serious mods, just like RJ said.

You could start by swaping the pickups between the EPI and LP. It is not normal for and Epi to be more "versatile". It is possible that the pickup amp combo is not good, I don't think that I have ever played on a Marshall, but aren't they a little shrill? The BB are a little more traditional, so on an amp with less bite, they might sound better.

 

[Lil Big Guy]

I agree the BB Pros can be a little bright. But I don't have any problem adjusting them with either the amp or tone knobs. These pups are in my Gibson LP faded studio, that I can get a wide range of tones from.
I have a 2010 Epi LP standard that always seemed a little "muddy" with the stock pups no matter how I tried to adjust the amp/amps or tone knobs. I replaced those pups with a SD 59 in the neck and SD JB in the bridge. Huge difference for the better! Really like the sound I get from this guitar now.
But I still believe my Gibson with the BB Pros is more versatile. I can get a wider range of tones from the Gibson than the Epi (probably due to pots/wiring/pups).
Just my experience with my guitars mentioned. All are different.
Like River stated earlier, when you switch guitars you'll need to EQ the amp.
Bottom line...I like both guitars and play them equally.

 

[MeKevin]

Maybe "bright" humbuckers, like the 490r/498t or BB doesn't bother me because I played mainly strats for 7 years. I've been on this lester kick for atleast 4, but I guess maybe everything is relative. I used to own some expensive acoustics, but went for a year where I didn't have access to them, I only had a cheapo. Now, I don't care too much for the overtones and the rich mids of an expensive acoustic. If I was going to record, yeah. But for just playing some blues or whatever, I LOVE cheapos.

Hey guitargoalie, what pickup do you play out of? Maybe if you are close, you could go try out a trad at a shop, bring your epiphone for reference, and if you can't figure it out, maybe you could talk with a customer there about it, if it's a GC, I probably wouldn't ask the staff. But yeah, what pickup? What you are describing would maybe sound like a peter green mod, the phasing, but I wouldn't describe that as shrill. But, my BB3s? on my old studio never left me wanting any more mids, maybe the opposite.

 

[budg]

I have bb pros on my LP and I would describe them as punchy and bright with plenty of clarity.I have had the stock pickups before and would say they might work good with higher gain stuff, but lack definition when pushed at louder volumes.The BBPros are part of the PAF group of pickups and may not be to your liking as someone pointed out , but for sure eq your amp and use your tone knobs to give you the best benefit.I never run the BBs on 10 in the tone knob even when playing clean.They can be very bright.

 

[old mark]

Very interesting. I have 2 Epiphone Dot guitars, one with stock Epi humbuckers and one with Gibson 490 whatevers, the same as those on my Gibson LP Special. I like them both, but they are a bit different. My all Epi Dot is Black, made in 2002 in Korea, and has a smooth jazzy tone, while my 2011 Natural is made in China, and has a mahogany neck compared to the maple neck on the '02. The tone is more raucous...it is a great rock n roll guitar.

I am not one to belittle Epiphone pickups...I have really liked their tone quite a lot. They are NOT Gibsons, but they are not "lesser" pickups, just a bit different, which is a GOOD thing. I'd like to see someone transplant Epi pups into a Gibson body and see what results from that...it might be good!

mark

 

[acstorfer]

Now the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you, may not be right for some. A man is born, he's a man of means. Then along come two who got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

Everybody's got a special kind of story.
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got not alot
So what, they'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine.
And together we'll be fine....

Because it takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.
Yes it does.
It takes, Diff'rent Strokes to move the world.

 

[rjshare]

I am not one to belittle Epiphone pickups...I have really liked their tone quite a lot. They are NOT Gibsons, but they are not "lesser" pickups, just a bit different, which is a GOOD thing. I'd like to see someone transplant Epi pups into a Gibson body and see what results from that...it might be good!

no, they ARE "lesser" pick ups. they might suit your (or anyone elses) purposes perfectly well and therefore they are not necessarily without use, but they are lesser. epiphone guitars are "lesser" than gibsons but still people (including myself) play them.

people generally dont transplant epiphone pups into gibson guitars for a very good reason.

i dont want to start a gibson v epiphone and are-they-worth-the-money? debate here as its already been done to death, but: epis are good but they are not on a par with gibsons. not the wood, not the craftsmanship and definately not the electronics.

 

[MeKevin]

Hey gutiargoalie, you should post the youtube video of you doing a demo of the guitar one this thread! That's some mighty fine playing.

 

[guitargoalie]

thanks kevin, actually i'll post a comparison i have of two videos, one of the gib and one of the epi

gib with the dsl
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFTr3eKCFcA&list=UUOUiB_XAvd7adL4_ggYj2Mg&index=5&feature=plcp[/ame]

epi with the l6
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_BWWPHrNZ4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL]Beggars and Hangers On - Slash's Snakepit cover - YouTube[/ame]

best comparison i could find

 

[MeKevin]

YEAH!! You rock! That's some amazing technique. I can't watch the EPI video, a lot fo the videos are blocked over here.

"Unfortunately, this UMG music-content is not available in Germany, because GEMA has not granted the respective music publishing rights"



Alright, time to get off the internet and work on some technique, I guess. Nice video!