What pickups do you like for LP Customs?

[edro]

Love the TTops in my Custom too... Not one bit of urge to change them...

Tech at my shop put an old T-Top he had in his stuff box in a First Act "Lesterish" guitar that was given to him after we dressed the frets, tweaked the neck... Oh my homey jeebus that guitar plays and sounds incredible... He plays it now more than his much more expensive guitars including his Lesters... Damndest thing I've ever heard or played... That single humbucker guitar screams with the TT and sounds great clean.

 

[bblooz]

Shaws or T-tops should tame that 'board and maple top, IMHO

 

[jestremera]

I put a Gibson Dirty Fingers in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck of my LP Custom. I use a lot of gain and that combo works really well. The funny thing was that I took the stock 490/498 out because I wanted higher output pups and went sifting through a box I have full of pickups. I decided to try the combo mentioned above as an interim set until I got what I wanted (either a Suhr Aldrich or a Bare Knuckle Cold Sweat set) but this sounds really good for now. I get that nice John Sykes-ish tone that I like so much. I like a bit more tightness on the low strings and so I'll eventually get a set of the ones I mentioned but I'm happy for now.

 

[jestremera]

Right now my Custom has a Shaw era Dirty Fingers in the bridge and the the original 490R with an alnico 4 magnet in the neck. 80s Sykes tone all the way

I didn't see this response until after I posted mine. Another Sykes fan The Dirty Fingers sounds so damn good. I only have a slight problem with note definition on the lower strings when playing solos. Chords sound absolutely killer. I suppose I could turn the gain down a bit but I don't really want to do that LOL

 

[Phusion974]

Totally depends on the guitar, and sound your looking for.
I like Tom Anderson pickups personally.

 

[rjwilson37]

For Customs, my favorite is 57 Classics, but the 490R/498T are very good as well.

 

[ehamady6]

I load my Custom with active EMGs. I go for a Cannibal Corpse tone and they work! IMO, the hotter the pickups the better. I can always tone them down with my Fractal AX8 but never do. Pickups are so subjective.

 

[crazytrain513]

I have a Slash set in my Custom and I'm pretty happy with it! A little hotter than your typical PAF but loads of midrange and dialing the volume on the guitar back a tad gives the pickups a nice, girthy crunch that my Standard with the same pickups & wiring can't get.

 

[LpCustom2007]

I´m gonna try to find a cheap 498T and see if that works.

 

[kakao]

Since I started the thread four years ago, I guess I could fill you guys in on what I´ve had in the guitar in the meantime
I´ve had a few different sets of Sheptones in there. Tributes, AB Customs and the Heartbreakers. Possibly also the Blue Sky´s, I don´t remember. Didn´t really like any of em, although the Heartbreakers did stay there for quite a while. For the last year or so I´ve had OX4s. They´re good, but haven´t managed the solve the harsh attack I get from the ebony board. I have another OX4 lying around, which is a overwound, I´m gonna try that one as well.

Don't waste your time with clones, attempted copies and the like.
Just get the real thing and you'll be all set - T-Tops

 

[Kris Ford]

Don't waste your time with clones, attempted copies and the like.
Just get the real thing and you'll be all set - T-Tops

He's right!

 

[LpCustom2007]

Guess you all didn´t read this?

I did try a early 70´s T-top in it, and it was not the right cure. It just made it harsh. It sounded great in my Laney Klipp, which is a super dark amp, but I mostly play my Marshall 2203, which is way brighter.

 

[bradley707]

Bill Lawrence "The Original" HB-R & HB-L

I have t-tops in my 74 custom right now, but I'm looking to put in a set of these - I love them so much in my 89 studio. I believe they came standard in the 88-89 customs. A lot of people don't care for them - but that's true for every pickup I guess.

 

[Kris Ford]

Guess you all didn´t read this?

I am a 2203 owner that uses T Tops successfully..
What EQ settings and tubes do you use?

MAYBE 57 Classics would do the trick then?

 

[LpCustom2007]

Had those, didnt like em. Too sterile/hifi for me.

Bill Lawrence "The Original" HB-R & HB-L

I have t-tops in my 74 custom right now, but I'm looking to put in a set of these - I love them so much in my 89 studio. I believe they came standard in the 88-89 customs. A lot of people don't care for them - but that's true for every pickup I guess.

 

[LpCustom2007]

I am a 2203 owner that uses T Tops successfully..
What EQ settings and tubes do you use?

MAYBE 57 Classics would do the trick then?

57 classics, That was what I started with!!

Eq, usually presc and treble around 11 o clock, bass and mid 15 o clock, preamp gain 15 o clock, master 11 o clock.

 

[C_Becker]

From your description, I'd go with a pair of Pearly Gates.
No experience with them in a Les Paul, but the bridge pup sounded REAL nice in a Strat I tested once.


From the Seymour Duncan website:

Summary
Imagine a P.A.F. with extra midrange sizzle that’s been dipped in Texas hot sauce. That’s the Pearly Gates.

Description
The Pearly Gates bridge captures all the mojo of the original bridge pickup from Billy Gibbons’ 1959 Les Paul. Seymour discovered the pickup had slightly more output than most P.A.F.s, which helped to give it the extra drive that makes this pickup so special. The Alnico 2 bar magnet keeps the high end sounding airy but focused, and the midrange emphasis gives it a unique Texas sizzle.

 

[Zoobiedood]

Custom Custom & Alnico II Pro. Mids for days, and they both tame that bright ebony. Plus, they sound great in any LPC I've tried them in.

 

[Kris Ford]

57 classics, That was what I started with!!

Eq, usually presc and treble around 11 o clock, bass and mid 15 o clock, preamp gain 15 o clock, master 11 o clock.

Pretty sure I know what the issue is, but we'll get to that in a sec.

My EQ is like this:

The difference here is that my pre-amp is maxed..which takes the BRIGHT CAP out of the circuit..yours is still fully engaged..

2 options..either unsolder one leg, or experiment with different values..(lots of reading to do..grab a cup of coffee and google "bright cap removal 2203", you'll see various opinions)
But 100% certain it is the bright cap..which is THIS in your circuit:

Either a snip, or a different value will probably cure your woes, or just CRANK IT UP..that's probably why I have never had the issues some have had with brightness...my pre-amp is ALWAYS on 10.

 

[LpCustom2007]

Pearly gates and the other duncans seems like good options, I might try some of those. Or put an A2 in my OX4.

Kris, its not the amp. I know all about the bright cap, but I have four other LPs that sound great in it. I know the problem is the ebony board, and I want to fix the guitar, not the amp.

Thanks for trying though!