Metal Pickups in Les Paul?

[neptoess]

Bill Lawrence L-500R/L-500XL. Make sure you order from Bill & Becky at www.billlawrence.com. Try them, you won't regret it. If you don't like them for w/e reason(the only ones I can think of is being mentally retarded or deaf), he'll refund you.

[MadRyan]

You'd really like the Duncan JB and Jazz. The JB is kind of upper mid/high voiced and works incredibly well in Mahogany guitars. I had a set in my LP standard and it rocked. I too went through the EMG stage back in the mid 90's and had a set in my LP and an ESP. What got me away from them was one day I was plugged into a Matchless at a local store and the dude who owned the place grabbed a USA Hamer off the shelf and said he'd bet me that the Duncan's were hotter than my EMG's. I of course bet lunch and was astounded when he plugged into the same amp and POW! Fat chunky tone with drive and tons of nice overtones. I quit playing EMG's after that and haven't gone back since.

It's all what you like dude.

[RockGuitarX]

Originally Posted by MadRyan

You'd really like the Duncan JB and Jazz. The JB is kind of upper mid/high voiced and works incredibly well in Mahogany guitars. I had a set in my LP standard and it rocked. I too went through the EMG stage back in the mid 90's and had a set in my LP and an ESP. What got me away from them was one day I was plugged into a Matchless at a local store and the dude who owned the place grabbed a USA Hamer off the shelf and said he'd bet me that the Duncan's were hotter than my EMG's. I of course bet lunch and was astounded when he plugged into the same amp and POW! Fat chunky tone with drive and tons of nice overtones. I quit playing EMG's after that and haven't gone back since.

It's all what you like dude.

haha ya I did that same thing with an SG! My friend and I compared and the Duncans took EMG's hands down. My concern is the pickups had a really bass tone on my amp and I keep thinkin that a LP would be to much bass and create mud?! but im not sure that's why I'm debating..

[MadRyan]

Originally Posted by RockGuitarX

haha ya I did that same thing with an SG! My friend and I compared and the Duncans took EMG's hands down. My concern is the pickups had a really bass tone on my amp and I keep thinkin that a LP would be to much bass and create mud?! but im not sure that's why I'm debating..

Actually, in a LP you have a maple cap which brightens up the sound a bunch. I'd try it out and if you don't like it you can exchange them within 14 days.

[neptoess]

LP's really aren't that dark. It's when you use very "colored" pickups like PAF styles that they sound dark. L-500s would be pretty balanced tonally and give you that bite/snarl you'd want for arch enemy and other extreme metal sounds. JB is good too but I think it's a bit too bright and isn't that great with the harmonics compared to my L-500s(I've only used the JB though not the Jazz)

[RockGuitarX]

Originally Posted by neptoess

LP's really aren't that dark. It's when you use very "colored" pickups like PAF styles that they sound dark. L-500s would be pretty balanced tonally and give you that bite/snarl you'd want for arch enemy and other extreme metal sounds. JB is good too but I think it's a bit too bright and isn't that great with the harmonics compared to my L-500s(I've only used the JB though not the Jazz)

Holy **** I've tried out that pickup before and I didn't even know it. I tried it on a used Dean Dimebag ML body. That thing did sound sick!

[screamndemon69]

Originally Posted by RockGuitarX

I dunno though only because I tried the JB/Jazz in a SG and it sounded amazing but it was really bassy on my amp... so it makes me think of my Les Paul which = more bass

+1 on the JB/Jazz combo. If you lower the neck pickup a little you can decrease some of the bassiness and make sure you flatten the bass setting on your amp (12 o'clock).

I'm interested in trying the Liverwire (DM) JB/Jazz versions with the 18 volt mod.

Does the 18volt mod work with the SA's too? I have an ESP with an 81 and two SA's and want to give it a shot.

[screamndemon69]

Originally Posted by neptoess

JB is good too but I think it's a bit too bright and isn't that great with the harmonics compared to my L-500s(I've only used the JB though not the Jazz)

You can put a cap (?) on your volume or tone pot. I haven't done this but it is something that has been recommended to me a few times from those who have far more experience than me. The added cap supposedly takes a little off of the brightness without sacrificing the tone of the pup/guitar relationship.

[neptoess]

yea but when you do that you're also taking away from the pickups overall output which is only like 8.8 Henry on the JB. L-500XLs have 9.6 Henry. JB is good for some but not for me(it's basically the fact that it's so bright yet pinches don't come through as easily as my L-500s which aren't as bright, i can do pinches on my neck pup with the plexi setting on my VOX AD30VT)

[screamndemon69]

I have an L-500 in my N6 but I am really wondering if Washburn used 250k pots to smooth it out. Next time I change strings I'll pull the pickguard and check it out.

I like the sound of the BL and can't wait to see if the changed pots (if they are 250k) bring out that pup even more.

[neptoess]

if you take the pot off and wire it straight to the jack i bet you 5 bucks your skin melts

[Devnor]

Put a set of WCR Herc pickups in that LP: http://www.crcoils.com/

[Holy Katana]

Originally Posted by neptoess

yea but when you do that you're also taking away from the pickups overall output which is only like 8.8 Henry on the JB. L-500XLs have 9.6 Henry. JB is good for some but not for me(it's basically the fact that it's so bright yet pinches don't come through as easily as my L-500s which aren't as bright, i can do pinches on my neck pup with the plexi setting on my VOX AD30VT)

Holy crap, that's awesome. I can't do that with the 81 in my Epi SG. Personally, I think the Plexi model doesn't have enough gain for a Plexi.

[neptoess]

i think its just too bassy, but the weird thing about the VOX is that it has a sweet spot like an all tube amp, it's about half volume. When you're there the pinches really fly out, even on the neck pup with the plexi model. It might be your technique, an EMG 81 should be able to do that, I've seen people do it with PAF neck pups

[RockGuitarX]

The Les Paul is gonna get the Duncan Distortion and 59 combo! I'll put the X2N and Tone Zone in my SG!