Les Paul Pickup Suggestions

[HeavyXIII]

Not to continue to jack the thread, but my GAS has gotten the better of me: Has anyone played a Dimarzio D Activator? Are they responsive to dynamics? Do they retain high end and clarity? I've been using a set of Super 2's in the bridge and neck, and the bridge is clear and gets nice and sparkly when rolling off volume and whatnot, but I feel like it's a little thin in the low end department.

Thoughts?

[Harry_Manback]

I've used a JB, Duncan Distortion, and Dimarzio 36th Anni...which is my favorite. JB was a bit too honky, DD a bit too hot for my use of dirt/fuzz pedals. The Dimarzio is perfect. I've never been happier with my setup.

And yes, pair them with the Elements.

[FuzzHugger]

I actually had a full sized Tone Zone, but it was in a mahogany super strat guitar. Yuck. I never understood why I didn't like it until very recently. It's a high resistance pickup (~17k), which means it's very bottom focused. On top of that the pickup is supposedly voiced very dark.

I hear ya. I think it depends on uses/needs, and wiring. I use mine in a VERY bright guitar. It does just what I needed it to do.

Also, being so high gain, it splits better than many humbuckers, so the single sounds pretty good. And switching it into parallel really ups high frequencies.

[HeavyXIII]

I actually had a full sized Tone Zone, but it was in a mahogany super strat guitar. Yuck. I never understood why I didn't like it until very recently. It's a high resistance pickup (~17k), which means it's very bottom focused. On top of that the pickup is supposedly voiced very dark.

I hear ya. I think it depends on uses/needs, and wiring. I use mine in a VERY bright guitar. It does just what I needed it to do.

Also, being so high gain, it splits better than many humbuckers, so the single sounds pretty good. And switching it into parallel really ups high frequencies.

Yea, it sounds like it would be ideal in a brighter guitar when you want to add a humbucker someplace and still be able to split the coils and have that single coil tone be nice and full. I'd still probably prefer something like the Super Distortion for that, but that's just me. Adding presence and treble on my amp tends to increase hiss and white noise, so I tend to use brighter humbuckers. Even so, like I said, the Super 2 in the bridge I've been using sounds a little thin occasionally. Mostly on distorted settings when I really want to retain low end with palm mutes and stuff.

I don't want to change and sacrifice too much clarity, but more low end would be nice, and it's not the kind of low end that I can just add with the preamp for whatever reason. I guess it's low end from the input or something.

That super strat though, I ended up putting in the 36th Anni PAF set to replace the TZ and Air Norton I put in. The change was night and day. They retain a nice round low end with plenty of clarity. I guess it's what a decent LP might sound like, but in a configuration that I find more comfortable. Those are definitely a good set.

[t-rey]

All I've done to my Epi LPC is put a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Phat Cat P90 in the neck, get a decent setup, and proceeded to tune it to drop A. It slays. The Distortion is really great and affordable.

How do you like the p90 in the neck? I want something kinda bright and clean in the neck, especially if I put something aggressive like a Distortion in the bridge.

Speaking of the neck - they sell Distortion/Jazz sets saying that the Jazz is really bright and does cleans in the neck really well. Anybody care to weigh in on that?

I put a Duncan Distortion in my Standard and it sounds great. Can't go wrong with it. I wanna get a Pearly Gates for the bridge or another PAF style pickup. I have PAFs in my Custom and like them too.

What has you leaning more toward the PAFs over the Distortion?

you could get Avedissian to wind you custom stuff for a nice cost.

Does he have a website or facebook to check out?

Some GFS stuff is good...a little hit or miss overall at GFS, but I was pleasantly surprised with one of their mini-humbucker pickups. Rude, full-body...

My current favorite is BG Pups, cause I like supporting one-man shops...and they're not priced like US-made pickups. I have a couple of his pickups, and I really want to try his Lizard humbucker.

I had a pair of P-Rails in an LP style guitar that I really liked (for sheer versatility, but they sounded good all-around).

I've never tried the full-size Dimarzio Tone Zone, but I have a couple of the strat-sized versions in guitars, and I love that pickup in any position! (I wire them with 3-ways for series, parallel, split).

Forgot about BG - do you know how long his current wait times are?

I've used a JB, Duncan Distortion, and Dimarzio 36th Anni...which is my favorite. JB was a bit too honky, DD a bit too hot for my use of dirt/fuzz pedals. The Dimarzio is perfect. I've never been happier with my setup.

And yes, pair them with the Elements.

The Dimarzio is a PAF, right? And an Elements will be my next gear purchase or I'll punch myself in the dick. I've put it off for far too long now - there must be consequences if I don't do what must be done.

[pelliott]

I like the Phat Cat in the neck, cleaner is exactly what I was going for when I got it and it works perfectly in that capacity. Nice and twangy clean.

[new05002]

check alex out here

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Avedissi ... ts&fref=ts

[t-rey]

Thanks - I'll check it out.

[dazedbyday]

i just ordered a bridge gfs loudmouth
it was an impulse buy
was gettin new knobs
and i dont know
i just did it
without consulting
im sorry
what the hell are they
fuck it

I have loudmouths in my ibanez baritone. I love them in there. They sound nice and big but still have a lot of articulation.

[crohny]

A lot of people are using Lace pickups these days and for good reason. Can't wait till I can afford to put some in my V and SG. I have the drop and gains in my Prestige and they are fucking crushing. want to try out the dirty heshers in the SG and put some nitro hemis in the V. The hemis sound like they'd be up your alley considering the pickups you've mentioned. Was told the regular hemis are for Gibson esque where as the nitros are a more modern high out put pickup. Considering how much push the drop and gains have they clean up wonderfully. I can only imagine the others do the same. I honestly didn't like the SD 59 with lower tunings. That plus a JB in the bridge. Not a fan of that pickup at all. Has a nice bottom end to it but sounds like a cocked wah. Definitely can achieve some hair metal tones with those pickups which was an atrocious surprise. Friend of mine got a guitar that had dimarzio pickups in it that sounded pretty good. Only had the bridge pup but it sounded good. gfs makes some rad pickups. have yet to use their high out put stuff though. Kent Armstrong makes good shit as well. I bought a cheap distortion pickups from him that wasn't half bad. Actually want to try the pricier one.

i just ordered a bridge gfs loudmouth
it was an impulse buy
was gettin new knobs
and i dont know
i just did it
without consulting
im sorry
what the hell are they
fuck it

hahaha I've wanted to try one of those forever, its supposed to be pretty beefy and hot. Like a SD Invader, but not as overdone. Please report back after you get some time with it.

I had a neck version I never used and gave to a friend. He digs it in the bridge position. I have yet to hear it sadly.

[benjuro]

All I've done to my Epi LPC is put a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Phat Cat P90 in the neck, get a decent setup, and proceeded to tune it to drop A. It slays. The Distortion is really great and affordable.

How do you like the p90 in the neck? I want something kinda bright and clean in the neck, especially if I put something aggressive like a Distortion in the bridge.

Speaking of the neck - they sell Distortion/Jazz sets saying that the Jazz is really bright and does cleans in the neck really well. Anybody care to weigh in on that?

I put a Duncan Distortion in my Standard and it sounds great. Can't go wrong with it. I wanna get a Pearly Gates for the bridge or another PAF style pickup. I have PAFs in my Custom and like them too.

A Duncan Distortion was one of my first aftermarket p/ups, mostly b/c that's what my friend was selling dirt cheap
MANY years later and I still have it, actually currently in my main project's #2 axe. It can be a little hotter than I'd like sometimes, but it meshes well with a lot of different guitars I've had and a lot of different neck p/ups...and when you want snarl and sizzle, hells YEAH.
I've used it with a GFS Mean 90 in the neck (which is also an excellent p/up for the $$.) I've found I'm starting to gravitate towards the lower end of the gain spectrum for doom, relying more on pedals and amp gain, and a P90 in the neck does a really nice job of being super beefy and clear. The GFS isn't quite as articulate as the Sheptone P90 I have in the neck of another guitar...
I'm a big SD Jazz fan but DEFINITELY would not consider it really bright. I've had a few darker sounding guitars where it just sounded like absolute mud. I've had much better luck with a '59 in the neck if I wanted a more even and balanced tone from the neck position.

[ryan summit]

i just ordered a bridge gfs loudmouth
it was an impulse buy
was gettin new knobs
and i dont know
i just did it
without consulting
im sorry
what the hell are they
fuck it

I have loudmouths in my ibanez baritone. I love them in there. They sound nice and big but still have a lot of articulation.

i got lucky again
startin to think
either my hearing is so bad
that im easy to please
or im just so tonally inexperienced
everything new sounds good
but ive heard some stuff that sounds like complete ass
just havent bought alot of lemons yet
a few things but not much
the loudmouth was a good score
not sure i would dig it in the neck
but at the bridge
its like you do whatever you want with it
mean or dainty
whatever your feelin

[samzadgan]

so...T-Rey...what did you end up getting? or are you still looking?

i've got an Epi LP that could use a good set of humbuckers.

[t-rey]

Nothing yet. Still looking at things. I have a bad habit of planning waaaaay ahead and/or when I have no gear fundage.

I am leaning toward a distortion or 59 in the bridge and a p90 in the neck.

[new05002]

I popped in the A8 HB from Avedissian, very pleased with it.