Stuck on deciding which pickups for my 3-pickup LP

[f12]

Hey everyone,

I’m currently trying to decide on the right pickup setup for my 70s LP Artisan. It’s a triple pickup configuration, and right now I have a pre-74 T-Top in the neck, a Series VII Tarback in the middle, and a Super 70 in the bridge.

The T-Top needs a repair, and I’ve talked to a few people about it, but I’m unsure if it’s worth fixing or if I should just go for something new. I’m also not certain how it’ll sound once repaired. Are there any pre-74 T-Top fans here who can share some insight?

For the middle, I plan to keep the Series VII Tarback. I like how it sounds when blended with the bridge.

I’m not entirely sold on the Super 70 in the bridge. I have a set in my Ibanez Rocket Roll SR and it sounds totally different there, so I’m open to switching it out.

As for mods, I’m thinking about rewiring the toggle to control all three pickups with the middle on a blend, and swapping the stock CTS 300k linear taper pots. I’ve always liked how push-pull pots work on my Yamaha SG3000, but I’m wondering if that would complicate things on a three-pickup Les Paul.

When it comes to pickups, I’m still undecided. Recommendations have been all over the place, and I find it hard to judge tone from YouTube demos. I’ve been considering Bare Knuckle Nailbombs for the neck and bridge. That said, a few friends think I should stick with the T-Top and just find a hotter PAF-style pickup for the bridge.

For context, I play a wide range of styles; jazz tones like Wes Montgomery, sludge and doom in dropped standard like Sleep and Acid King, and older hardcore like Leeway. My amp setup includes a Rockerverb 100, a 5150, and a Helix Floor into a Powerstage 700 when I’m touring (lately, I’ve been relying more on the modeler for portability)

So here’s where I need input:

1. Should I go with the Nailbombs, repair the T-Top, or try something else entirely?
2. Any recommendations on pots or should I stick with the stock 300k? I’m also looking into push-pull options.
3. Any thoughts on a triple pickup setup with the middle pickup on a blend control?

Appreciate any advice!

 

[Brazilnut]

Sounds kinda complicated. How much knob-twiddling and push-pulling do you want onstage?

More upper midrange will become available if you change out the pots to 500K. Your tone will widen.

Steve Stevens has been working with BK to produce a hotter version of their Mule, i.e., an unpotted, but more powerful, PAF style pickup. The review I read in Guitar Player mag about the Knaggs they were in was very positive. The pickups were mentioned over and over.

 

[f12]

Sounds kinda complicated. How much knob-twiddling and push-pulling do you want onstage?

More upper midrange will become available if you change out the pots to 500K. Your tone will widen.

Steve Stevens has been working with BK to produce a hotter version of their Mule, i.e., an unpotted, but more powerful, PAF style pickup. The review I read in Guitar Player mag about the Knaggs they were in was very positive. The pickups were mentioned over and over.

I use the push/pull a bunch on stage with my Yamaha. When it's on another guitar without splitting, I turn on parametric EQ/compressor. It's not necessary, just a thought as I love the versatility.

For tone, I barely touch this on stage; I'm usually adjusting if I'm playing jazz/bossa.

I'll have to check out this BK pickup. Is it the rebel yell?

 

[Dilver]

I’m in the process of a three pickup build. Since a Les Paul is what I’m used to, I’m wiring it like a regular Les Paul on a 3 way switch (up = neck, middle = both, down = bridge). Each pickup gets its own volume and there’s one master tone. This allows you to blend in the middle pickup in any position of the switch.

I’ve had other guitars with push-pull pots or mini switches for splits and I rarely used these settings. If I want a single coil sound, I use a Strat or a Tele and they’re better tools for the job.

 

[Brazilnut]

I use the push/pull a bunch on stage with my Yamaha. When it's on another guitar without splitting, I turn on parametric EQ/compressor. It's not necessary, just a thought as I love the versatility.

For tone, I barely touch this on stage; I'm usually adjusting if I'm playing jazz/bossa.

I'll have to check out this BK pickup. Is it the rebel yell?

They're called Bare Knuckle SSCs, I believe.

 

[LPTDMSV]

The T-Top needs a repair, and I’ve talked to a few people about it, but I’m unsure if it’s worth fixing or if I should just go for something new. I’m also not certain how it’ll sound once repaired. Are there any pre-74 T-Top fans here who can share some insight?

Yeah I am a fan. I think they’re great and versatile pickups, brighter and tighter than what most people think of as the Patent Applied For sound, but still very much in the vintage Gibson family. IMHO 100% worth fixing, that’s a collector’s item now!

@ReWind James knows these pickups really well and did a great job of replacing a mangled cable on one of my ‘74s. He will give you an honest appraisal (if he’s not too snowed under with work).

 

[Acey]

1. Should I go with the Nailbombs, repair the T-Top, or try something else entirely?
2. Any recommendations on pots or should I stick with the stock 300k? I’m also looking into push-pull options.

1. Put in a Dimarzio PAF Pro. Cheap and it has a good bite that would help maintain clarity in the genres you like.

2. 500k CTS pots are great, and if you don't like the extra brightness, you can just roll them down. Get push pull if you intend to twiddle and push and pull on stage (which it looks like you do).

 

[freefrog]

Hey everyone,

I’m currently trying to decide on the right pickup setup for my 70s LP Artisan. It’s a triple pickup configuration, and right now I have a pre-74 T-Top in the neck, a Series VII Tarback in the middle, and a Super 70 in the bridge.

The T-Top needs a repair, and I’ve talked to a few people about it, but I’m unsure if it’s worth fixing or if I should just go for something new. I’m also not certain how it’ll sound once repaired. Are there any pre-74 T-Top fans here who can share some insight?

For the middle, I plan to keep the Series VII Tarback. I like how it sounds when blended with the bridge.

I’m not entirely sold on the Super 70 in the bridge. I have a set in my Ibanez Rocket Roll SR and it sounds totally different there, so I’m open to switching it out.

As for mods, I’m thinking about rewiring the toggle to control all three pickups with the middle on a blend, and swapping the stock CTS 300k linear taper pots. I’ve always liked how push-pull pots work on my Yamaha SG3000, but I’m wondering if that would complicate things on a three-pickup Les Paul.

When it comes to pickups, I’m still undecided. Recommendations have been all over the place, and I find it hard to judge tone from YouTube demos. I’ve been considering Bare Knuckle Nailbombs for the neck and bridge. That said, a few friends think I should stick with the T-Top and just find a hotter PAF-style pickup for the bridge.

For context, I play a wide range of styles; jazz tones like Wes Montgomery, sludge and doom in dropped standard like Sleep and Acid King, and older hardcore like Leeway. My amp setup includes a Rockerverb 100, a 5150, and a Helix Floor into a Powerstage 700 when I’m touring (lately, I’ve been relying more on the modeler for portability)

So here’s where I need input:

1. Should I go with the Nailbombs, repair the T-Top, or try something else entirely?
2. Any recommendations on pots or should I stick with the stock 300k? I’m also looking into push-pull options.
3. Any thoughts on a triple pickup setup with the middle pickup on a blend control?

Appreciate any advice!

1-In the neck slot, I'd keep the T-Top.

2-A pair of 500k with the tone pot lowered can shape the sound as a pair of 300k would do when they're full up, then give more brightness / upper mids at higher settings. The contrary is not true: one can't mimic 500k's with 300k's. Now, there's an alternative solution. See the note below*.

3-I have several guitars with blenders. Works well albeit it's difficult to use rapidly.

In this case, I'd consider the idea to have one volume pot per pickup and a general tone control.

*NOTE - In order to open to other ideas, I'll state that "no load pots" are easy to obtain from normal pots and extend wiring possibilities.

How To Make A No Load Tone Pot

In this guide we demonstrate how to modify a standard log (audio) taper pot to make it function as a blender pot (similar to a no load pot). Blender pots are most commonly used in the popular Strat blend wiring mod which replaces the second tone control on a typical Strat with a blend control -...

sixstringsupplies.co.uk

A no load pot can give an excellent blender, putting the 3rd pickup totally out of the circuit when full up and enabling it progressively from 9.5 to 0 (yes, it works in a reverse way but once the trick understood, it's easy to use. I've that for the neck PU on my Strats number 1 and 2).
A no load tone control is also totally out of the circuit once full up. That's why I've changed in a no load control the 300k tone pot of the 3PUs Norlin Custom whose head can be seen in my avatar. It opened its sound in a very interesting way (and is the only mod that I've done to this guitar). As a matter of fact, it rises the resistive load to 300k when the no load tone control is full up. So it gives more brigthness than a pair of normal 500k, whose overall resistive load would be lower (250k).

No opinion on the bridge pickup: I've two dozens of guitar here and each one hosts different pickups, specifically selected for it.

But with vintage instruments, I tend to stick to original recipes. In this case, I'd consider another T-Top in mid position and the TarBack in the bridge slot...

For the record, I've played anything with the 3PU's Custom in my avatar. It has still its three original T-Tops and just sounds classic. Same thing with my Flying V: it has hosted at least three other (boutique) sets but sounds "right" to me only with patent sticker T-T's.

Now, if you're subject to GAS, the only way to avoid frustration is to try all the options evoked... It's not that hard to resell pickups if needed. ;-)

Good luck in your quest.

 

[six-string]

StewMac make 6 position toggle switches which are not expensive.
I put one on my 3 pickup LP Black Beauty.
Also replaced just 1 tone control pot with a push-pull. And the others with 500K pots.

I can now play each pickup individually or in any combination of 2 or all 3 at once.
I didn't bother with coil-splitting but that is also possible if you want to wire it that way.
Good luck!

 

[Blues_Verne]

Goodday,
First of all let me ask about your SG3000 - isn't she equipped with PUSH-PUSH pots (like listed here in my service manual)??
Rather than clumsy PULL-push I use PUSH-PUSH pots in all my guitars since the day they became availlable - my very first ones I bought from Yamaha as spare parts. And since they install them as TONE potentiometers those are even NO-load!
Now, as mentioned above, I recommend stick with the T-Top AND the Tarback together with 300K Volume and NO-load TONE potentiometers. And before you change your bridge HB try to dial it in with its pole screws and string distance.
And wait, til your repaired T-Top works again.

 

[f12]

Goodday,
First of all let me ask about your SG3000 - isn't she equipped with PUSH-PUSH pots (like listed here in my service manual)??
Rather than clumsy PULL-push I use PUSH-PUSH pots in all my guitars since the day they became availlable - my very first ones I bought from Yamaha as spare parts. And since they install them as TONE potentiometers those are even NO-load!
Now, as mentioned above, I recommend stick with the T-Top AND the Tarback together with 300K Volume and NO-load TONE potentiometers. And before you change your bridge HB try to dial it in with its pole screws and string distance.
And wait, til your repaired T-Top works again.

ah yes, I meant push-push (haven't had coffee when I wrote that )

I think I'm going to go that route of getting the T-Top repaired, and potentially even look at another T-Top for the bridge, just not sure which? Might be a silly question but would I be able to use the T-Top that's in the neck position on my bridge?

 

[f12]

Yeah I am a fan. I think they’re great and versatile pickups, brighter and tighter than what most people think of as the Patent Applied For sound, but still very much in the vintage Gibson family. IMHO 100% worth fixing, that’s a collector’s item now!

@ReWind James knows these pickups really well and did a great job of replacing a mangled cable on one of my ‘74s. He will give you an honest appraisal (if he’s not too snowed under with work).

I might try the repair option. I chatted with James not too long ago and he's in the process (or done) with moving and has a big backlog. I was thinking of checking out a few others for refurbishing, like
Throback or Brandonwound?

 

[Acey]

I might try the repair option. I chatted with James not too long ago and he's in the process (or done) with moving and has a big backlog. I was thinking of checking out a few others for refurbishing, like
Throback or Brandonwound?

Don't know enough about Brandonwound, but the guys at Throbak are great from what I've heard.

 

[f12]

1-In the neck slot, I'd keep the T-Top.

2-A pair of 500k with the tone pot lowered can shape the sound as a pair of 300k would do when they're full up, then give more brightness / upper mids at higher settings. The contrary is not true: one can't mimic 500k's with 300k's. Now, there's an alternative solution. See the note below*.

3-I have several guitars with blenders. Works well albeit it's difficult to use rapidly.

In this case, I'd consider the idea to have one volume pot per pickup and a general tone control.

*NOTE - In order to open to other ideas, I'll state that "no load pots" are easy to obtain from normal pots and extend wiring possibilities.

How To Make A No Load Tone Pot

In this guide we demonstrate how to modify a standard log (audio) taper pot to make it function as a blender pot (similar to a no load pot). Blender pots are most commonly used in the popular Strat blend wiring mod which replaces the second tone control on a typical Strat with a blend control -...

sixstringsupplies.co.uk

A no load pot can give an excellent blender, putting the 3rd pickup totally out of the circuit when full up and enabling it progressively from 9.5 to 0 (yes, it works in a reverse way but once the trick understood, it's easy to use. I've that for the neck PU on my Strats number 1 and 2).
A no load tone control is also totally out of the circuit once full up. That's why I've changed in a no load control the 300k tone pot of the 3PUs Norlin Custom whose head can be seen in my avatar. It opened its sound in a very interesting way (and is the only mod that I've done to this guitar). As a matter of fact, it rises the resistive load to 300k when the no load tone control is full up. So it gives more brigthness than a pair of normal 500k, whose overall resistive load would be lower (250k).

No opinion on the bridge pickup: I've two dozens of guitar here and each one hosts different pickups, specifically selected for it.

But with vintage instruments, I tend to stick to original recipes. In this case, I'd consider another T-Top in mid position and the TarBack in the bridge slot...

For the record, I've played anything with the 3PU's Custom in my avatar. It has still its three original T-Tops and just sounds classic. Same thing with my Flying V: it has hosted at least three other (boutique) sets but sounds "right" to me only with patent sticker T-T's.

Now, if you're subject to GAS, the only way to avoid frustration is to try all the options evoked... It's not that hard to resell pickups if needed. ;-)

Good luck in your quest.

Very helpful! Thank you for the info. I think the 500k may be useful for the higher gain stuff that I play.

As the tarback is a series vii, they run a bit hotter with the bridge being at 8-9k and the middle/neck a little lower. Think it would sound okay with it being in the bridge?

Also just realized that my rd artist has t-tops and I really like the tone of those pups too (with moog turned on or off). I might end up going t-top route!

 

[LPTDMSV]

… would I be able to use the T-Top that's in the neck position on my bridge?

I would say yes, I don’t think they were made different for bridge/neck in the early ‘70s? T-tops sound great in bridge too, almost Telecaster-like at times.

As the tarback is a series vii

I am not familiar with the variants of Tarback - if it’s a “hot” one might be worth trying in bridge? Would a Series VII be original to an Artisan?

 

[Acey]

As the tarback is a series vii, they run a bit hotter with the bridge being at 8-9k and the middle/neck a little lower. Think it would sound okay with it being in the bridge?

I would probably get rid of the tarback. In the ones I've played, the highs are really compressed, and the lower mids were bloated. You would need 1M pots to make the roll of usable.

I would get a Tim Shaw, which imo is like a more open tarback/P.A.F. hybrid. Ymmv.

However, like @LPTDMSV said, try it out. Mine may have been a dud.

 

[Dazza]

Three pickups with 4 knobs always presents a compromise whichever wiring scheme used. I experimented with every option I could find for my LPC B3.

2 pickups sharing a vol pot (as stock) to me had the most detrimental effect: Loading, causing dramatic loss of highs lowering the vol below 10. The most obvious option is 3 vol / master tone but not liking the shared tone pot I opted for 2 vol / 2 tone as a typical LP, but my neck vol is a push pull pot. When down it controls the neck, when pulled up it controls the middle. I get the typical B / BN / N options plus BM / M alone via the stock 3 way switch. Always with individual pickup volume pots for blending to taste.

I also kept my middle pu in phase. There's already phase cancellation between pickups due to proximity, like a strat position 2 or 4. Out of phase was just too thin in my case. But that result is totally dependent on the relationship between any 2 pickups, how similar / dissimilar they are.

I'd definitely suggest 500k audio pots and 50's wiring over the stock for increased clarity and 'better' overall control. Saying that I've used a 300k pot in the bridge of a LPC where 500 was simply too bright. But pots value / taper depends on how you use them. If you're an 'all on 10' type player then it's a bit moot.

Daz

 

[BluesDudeAK]

I assume you know your way around a soldering iron and wiring diagram. So it would depend on how much time and disposable income you have. I replaced the pickups in a Nashville tele I bought many years ago. The bridge was easy - Peter Florance TE50. I tried out pickups as a hobby and had probably 20 singles in the parts box, and went through most of them, and ended up using Strat pickups in the middle and neck, but forgot to make note of what I ended up with. Sounds great so that's what counts. I bought all the singles used and eventually sold them for what I had paid or close to it.

 

[f12]

Three pickups with 4 knobs always presents a compromise whichever wiring scheme used. I experimented with every option I could find for my LPC B3.

2 pickups sharing a vol pot (as stock) to me had the most detrimental effect: Loading, causing dramatic loss of highs lowering the vol below 10. The most obvious option is 3 vol / master tone but not liking the shared tone pot I opted for 2 vol / 2 tone as a typical LP, but my neck vol is a push pull pot. When down it controls the neck, when pulled up it controls the middle. I get the typical B / BN / N options plus BM / M alone via the stock 3 way switch. Always with individual pickup volume pots for blending to taste.

I also kept my middle pu in phase. There's already phase cancellation between pickups due to proximity, like a strat position 2 or 4. Out of phase was just too thin in my case. But that result is totally dependent on the relationship between any 2 pickups, how similar / dissimilar they are.

I'd definitely suggest 500k audio pots and 50's wiring over the stock for increased clarity and 'better' overall control. Saying that I've used a 300k pot in the bridge of a LPC where 500 was simply too bright. But pots value / taper depends on how you use them. If you're an 'all on 10' type player then it's a bit moot.

Daz

Hey Daz,

Thanks for the info. I'll have to do a bit more research on the wiring - here is what I initially had my mind set on trying out: https://hazeguitars.com/blog/a-more-flexible-3-pickup-gibson

Do you have a wiring diagram for your setup with the push/pull?

Thanks!

 

[Peter Mac]

If you're chasing great vintage tone, I can thoroughly recommend Montys UK pickups. They provide some of the best tonal choices for half the cost of Thro-Baks and arguably have a variety of bobbin choice.