Help this guy find a new bridge humbucker for a les paul

[tashiattack]

Yooooo ILF'ers. I need your expertise and advise.

I've recently picked up an 80s el degas les paul custom clone. It has a bolt-on-neck, making it a brighter than other les pauls. In fact, it might be a tad brighter than my tele with p90s (not necessarily a bad thing, but thats why I have my tele, so its time for a change ). I'm looking to replace the stock bridge (I think they are old dimazrio PAF's...not super distortions). Here's what I want:

-Takes distortion/fuzz pedals very well
-Medium output. I don't play modern metal, as this guitars for a 90s-style grunge & post-hardcore band but might also be used for a doom/stoner rock band.
-Clear and full low end and not too overtly compressed. Prob something with A5 magnets? Are Ceramics better for this?
-Not overtly mid heavy

What do I want?! What are your suggestions? I have no idea where to start, I'm new to les pauls & humbuckers in general!

[fever606]

I know that they are "high output", but the Duncan Black Winters are getting lots of love in the Doom Room... Lots of dudes opting for them in place of Super Distortions these days...

[Disarm D'arcy]

If you were in the EU I'd have recommended talking to this guy: http://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk

[digi2t]

Bill Lawrence L500XL.

Swap out the tone pot for a push pull, and wire in a q-filter to one side (one side normal tone cap, other side q-filter).

My main axe is equipped with L500R, and L500XL. The beauty of the q-filter is that I can reduce the heat of the XL down to an L, or really mellow out the R if I want to. They play well with everything, clarity is astonishing, and haven't crossed anything else that covers the amount of territory that these pups can cover. I use the push pull tone pot, so I can use either tone scheme. Hard to see the sonic horizon.

Did I mention that they are very reasonably priced as well? Just beware that there are two different Bill Lawrence pickups (long story). The real deal is wildepickups.com

[DRodriguez]

If you were in the EU I'd have recommended talking to this guy: http://www.creamery-pickups.co.uk

He ships internationally for not that expensive.
Got one that should be coming in soon. Super excited.

[colin]

I used to have an El Degas Les Paul Custom clone with a bolt on neck too. It was also very bright for an LP, largely due to the fact that the stock pickups in mine were actually single coils inside a humbucker cover!

[SteveAlysis]

Duncan Custom SH5

[doommeow]

Take a look at the specials page @ Zhangbucker. One of his mid-output A6 or high output A4 options could be interesting - and unbeatable to beat for a handwound PU

[Nickp]

Thanks for posting this. Have been wanting to replace my stock neck pickup (threw an Invader in the bridge awhile back) and just copped a Black Winter.

[casecandy]

My favourite pickup ever is the Gibson Dirty Fingers like Blink 182 use but those are crazy hot output.

[HeavyXIII]

I used to have an El Degas Les Paul Custom clone with a bolt on neck too. It was also very bright for an LP, largely due to the fact that the stock pickups in mine were actually single coils inside a humbucker cover!

Was just getting ready to suggest this. Anybody got pictures? I just picked up an old as shit bolt-on LP. I swapped the pickups on it... They were also single coils with humbucker covers. No label on the headstock, made in Japan.

[Decibill]

A '57 Classic should rock that guitar.

[Faldoe]

Duncan Custom SH5

Another vote for the Custom 5. Put that in my LP and like it a lot better than the JB.

[tashiattack]

Thanks, you've all been a great help!

Yeah I think this el degas has single coils under humbucker covers as well...would explain the pretty stark difference between this one and my other one! (Yes, I bought two at the same time. I have no idea what pickups are in my other one but it sounds so really good...)

I've narrowed it down to a few options after research went spiralling out of control..hah. For once, I think I don't want boutique pickups.

Super Distortion: Hits almost everything I'm looking for (I think?). Reading that it helps thicken up bright guitars as well. Only concerned about clarity/muddiness.

Black Winter: Demos sound really good on youtube, nice flat eq, even though I've only seen super hi-gain Br00tz metal examples (not what I play...). My concern is they're 17k...

SH-5: These seem really clear, but a little on the bright side, or at least lacking the low end in comparison to the others. Maybe I'm wrong?

Crunch Lab: Seems really cool...reading that they're terrible on Mahogany guitar though.

[Faldoe]

I wanted a Black Winter for my baritone. I ended up getting an Alternate 8 for the bridge and it sounds really good.

I don't like the mid-presence of the SH-4 JB and people online said the SH-5 was a good alternative.

Do you like coil split/ or series/parallel? If the Black Winter is too hot, you could split it for cleaner stuff. Both my guitars have push/pull pots and I get a lot of sound combinations.