Hi, I'm new to this forum and my question may seem a bit odd to those of you who have debated this for some time now. I own a '95 Standard plus in which I plan to change pickups. In my search for good replacement pickups I've found the SD Seth Lover, Antiquities or maybe the 57 classics. All of these pickups have one bridge and one neck model. If i remember right (maybe I don't???) the original PAFs where the same pickup in both positions, no neck and bridge model? Any oppinions?
-
THIS IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE LES PAUL FORUM! PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US AND SUPPORT US WITH A DONATION TO KEEP US GOING! We've made a large financial investment to convert the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and recently moved to a new hosting platform. We also have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!
PAF vs "new PAF"
- Thread starter DagK
- Start date
EdA
New member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2001
- Messages
- 311
Yes original PAFs were all the same, they just varied in output because of variations in the number of windings. Basically thats exactly whats going on with the new ones youre using. There is no difference in the neck and bridge model, other than the # of windings. All Duncan is doing for you is separating them so that you have a hotter one in the bridge. The same thing can be done with original PAFs but Gibson didnt bother...
Last edited:
roadrunner
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2001
- Messages
- 6,835
pickups...
You're correct about the old days and pickups, Gibson used to wind them and put them in a bin, then the person installing the electronics would reach in the bin and pull out two pups per guitar (or three if it was a Custom). There was no delineation between "neck" and "bridge" pickups back then.
The reason pup manufacturers make a "bridge" and "neck" pup now is that some of those guitars from the old days had neck pups that sounded really loud, making it hard to adjust the two pickups to sound equal. A little research into why that occurred yielded the fact that the guitars that had a balanced sound, ie: both pups sounded the same, (one wasn't louder than the other) had a bridge pickup that had a little more output than the neck. Strings occilate (move) more over the neck pup, they don't move as far over the bridge pup because they are closer to the... bridge! The more the string moves, the more signal the pickup sees and this equals more volume.
Pickups are like women, we all like the ones we like for our own very personal reasons. Some sound sweet, some nasty, some are "chimey", some dark, bright, "woody"... there's a million words to describe the tone a pickup makes.
What kind of music do you play? If your into blues, you might want to try a pup with a slightly lower output, if you're into metal you might want the opposite and get a pup with alot of output.
As you can see, it's all very subjective.
The pickups you mentioned in your post are all very good pickups. Just remember tone is a product of a lot of things. Tone is basically in your hands, the wood of your guitar, the strings you chose, the amp you chose... what I trying to say is this: give Keith Richards any guitar and in a few minutes Keith will find "his" sound on it... and knowing Keith, it'll be a hell of sound! :dude
Good luck, and keep visiting this forum as there is alot of great info. here.
You're correct about the old days and pickups, Gibson used to wind them and put them in a bin, then the person installing the electronics would reach in the bin and pull out two pups per guitar (or three if it was a Custom). There was no delineation between "neck" and "bridge" pickups back then.
The reason pup manufacturers make a "bridge" and "neck" pup now is that some of those guitars from the old days had neck pups that sounded really loud, making it hard to adjust the two pickups to sound equal. A little research into why that occurred yielded the fact that the guitars that had a balanced sound, ie: both pups sounded the same, (one wasn't louder than the other) had a bridge pickup that had a little more output than the neck. Strings occilate (move) more over the neck pup, they don't move as far over the bridge pup because they are closer to the... bridge! The more the string moves, the more signal the pickup sees and this equals more volume.
Pickups are like women, we all like the ones we like for our own very personal reasons. Some sound sweet, some nasty, some are "chimey", some dark, bright, "woody"... there's a million words to describe the tone a pickup makes.
What kind of music do you play? If your into blues, you might want to try a pup with a slightly lower output, if you're into metal you might want the opposite and get a pup with alot of output.
As you can see, it's all very subjective.
The pickups you mentioned in your post are all very good pickups. Just remember tone is a product of a lot of things. Tone is basically in your hands, the wood of your guitar, the strings you chose, the amp you chose... what I trying to say is this: give Keith Richards any guitar and in a few minutes Keith will find "his" sound on it... and knowing Keith, it'll be a hell of sound! :dude
Good luck, and keep visiting this forum as there is alot of great info. here.
Thanks!
Agree with Roadrunner on tone being a multi-variabel thing. I'm also aware of the fact that pickups today have different windings in response to the balance between the different positions on the guitar.
Do the forum members have unlimited funds in the hunt for perfrect tone? In my hometown, Bergen in Norway, I have to pay $300 for one Antiquity pickup. The others; about $200. I'm a real big fan of the tones Gary Moore got on "Blues for Greeny". Knowing he played his Peter Green Les Paul through a Bluesbreaker (+ being Gary Moore), which of the pickups do you feel capture the vintage vibe the best? Are the Antiq's really a $100 better (pr. pickup) than say the Seth Lover???
Great site! Nice pictures in the gallery!! Maybe I should sell my car and get a 59 reissue? They only cost around $10.000 in my part of the woods......
Agree with Roadrunner on tone being a multi-variabel thing. I'm also aware of the fact that pickups today have different windings in response to the balance between the different positions on the guitar.
Do the forum members have unlimited funds in the hunt for perfrect tone? In my hometown, Bergen in Norway, I have to pay $300 for one Antiquity pickup. The others; about $200. I'm a real big fan of the tones Gary Moore got on "Blues for Greeny". Knowing he played his Peter Green Les Paul through a Bluesbreaker (+ being Gary Moore), which of the pickups do you feel capture the vintage vibe the best? Are the Antiq's really a $100 better (pr. pickup) than say the Seth Lover???
Great site! Nice pictures in the gallery!! Maybe I should sell my car and get a 59 reissue? They only cost around $10.000 in my part of the woods......
DagK,
geez ! things aren't cheap to buy in Norway....
do you have a friend in the US that could send those !@#*& pickups at a reasonable cost ?
...yes "moded" Antiquitys are way better than Seth Lover's, in my humble opinion, if you want something really exeptionnal, but all this is so subjective, you could ask to other guys here and have a completely different opinion. But geez !, it seems to be so expensive in your part of the woods !
BUT I also agree with you and Roadrunner, the Main Tone Variable IS THE PLAYER !
I like much better to hear a player with good soul on a (let's call it that way) average guitar, than a player that has nothing to communicate, on an exeptional guitar.
geez ! things aren't cheap to buy in Norway....
do you have a friend in the US that could send those !@#*& pickups at a reasonable cost ?
...yes "moded" Antiquitys are way better than Seth Lover's, in my humble opinion, if you want something really exeptionnal, but all this is so subjective, you could ask to other guys here and have a completely different opinion. But geez !, it seems to be so expensive in your part of the woods !
BUT I also agree with you and Roadrunner, the Main Tone Variable IS THE PLAYER !
I like much better to hear a player with good soul on a (let's call it that way) average guitar, than a player that has nothing to communicate, on an exeptional guitar.
Last edited:
Yelly
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2001
- Messages
- 1,534
I also own a 95 Standard Plus. I've replaced my stock pickups with Classic 57s. It did exactly what I wanted and I have no intention of trying anything else now! Expensive but no regrets.
I changed because I didn't like the stock bridge pickup as it was far too strong - even lowering it as far as it would go couldn't get what I wanted, which was identical peak output from both pickups into a clean amp. The 57s got it easy and are warmer and clearer - "it does exactly what it says on the tin". My sonic reference was Paul Kossoff/Gary Moore (first solo album, track "Don't believe a word"). The 57s are of similar output to the stock neck pickup. They come potted in their covers with just a signal + braided screen lead. The covers are nickel plated (unlike stock) which wear pretty fast but in a great looking way.
Gibson do make a Classic 57 Plus which is marginally more powerful for use in the bridge but I figured if you want the old sound then 2 identical pickups make sense.
I changed because I didn't like the stock bridge pickup as it was far too strong - even lowering it as far as it would go couldn't get what I wanted, which was identical peak output from both pickups into a clean amp. The 57s got it easy and are warmer and clearer - "it does exactly what it says on the tin". My sonic reference was Paul Kossoff/Gary Moore (first solo album, track "Don't believe a word"). The 57s are of similar output to the stock neck pickup. They come potted in their covers with just a signal + braided screen lead. The covers are nickel plated (unlike stock) which wear pretty fast but in a great looking way.
Gibson do make a Classic 57 Plus which is marginally more powerful for use in the bridge but I figured if you want the old sound then 2 identical pickups make sense.
Dag -
Check http://www.torresengineering.com/ for low prices on Duncan pickups.
For used prices, check Harmonycentral.com & check out the classifieds.
I've bought a few pickups via ebay, for example, duncan humbuckers for about $40.
New '59s are $66 at torres. He's get any duncan pickup, and will ship international, but:
"At present a bank transfer is the preferred method for making an overseas purchase."
Check http://www.torresengineering.com/ for low prices on Duncan pickups.
For used prices, check Harmonycentral.com & check out the classifieds.
I've bought a few pickups via ebay, for example, duncan humbuckers for about $40.
New '59s are $66 at torres. He's get any duncan pickup, and will ship international, but:
"At present a bank transfer is the preferred method for making an overseas purchase."
I have a new pair of 57 classics out of a new historic. $100 for the pair shipped. E-mail me at fl_799@yahoo.com if interested
roadrunner
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2001
- Messages
- 6,835
Money honey
I think guitars are cheaper here to make up for the women
... I got a high maintainence babe right now, man, that girl can go through some cash :eek... God Bless her heart (and her 34D's :dude)
I think guitars are cheaper here to make up for the women
... I got a high maintainence babe right now, man, that girl can go through some cash :eek... God Bless her heart (and her 34D's :dude)
roadrunner
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2001
- Messages
- 6,835
Modded magnets
Hey Toni... she's got stock :boobs :wow... no mods!
I sold the my last old 'burst to cover divorce :bonk expenses a couple of marriages ago :lol2 Oh well, sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield :lol
Hey Toni... she's got stock :boobs :wow... no mods!
I sold the my last old 'burst to cover divorce :bonk expenses a couple of marriages ago :lol2 Oh well, sometimes you're the bug and sometimes you're the windshield :lol
Dave Paetow
Les Paul Forum Member
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2001
- Messages
- 13,524
Dag
Go here for Antiquities, he has great prices, tell him you are from the LP Forum:
http://www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com/
Go here for Antiquities, he has great prices, tell him you are from the LP Forum:
http://www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com/
B
BlackRose
Guest
Pickups ..
Dag,
Yes, feel free to contact me on anything you need ......
Antiquity Humbuckers ... $97.50 each
Seth Lovers (Nickel Cover) ... $78.00 each
SD Original Series HB's .... $61.50 each
Shipping would be whatever the actual USPS postage is to get them to you. If I don't have what you need in stock I will be happy to order it for you.
John
www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com
e:mail: blackrosecustom@home.com
Dag,
Yes, feel free to contact me on anything you need ......
Antiquity Humbuckers ... $97.50 each
Seth Lovers (Nickel Cover) ... $78.00 each
SD Original Series HB's .... $61.50 each
Shipping would be whatever the actual USPS postage is to get them to you. If I don't have what you need in stock I will be happy to order it for you.
John
www.blackrosecustom.emerchantpro.com
e:mail: blackrosecustom@home.com