Pick up woes!

[LesPaulPlayer02]

Im looking to buy a new bridge pickup because my BB5 isnt cutting it. it doesnt give enough boost and isnt cutting enough, my neck pickup (which is a BB5) is actually louder than it! My pickup replacement choices so far... the SH-14 SD and a Bill Lawrence l-490. what doyou guys think?

 

[hottub]

C5 for sure !! :yay

 

[papersoul]

That doesn't sound right. what year LP and have you made any major adjustments to the pickup height or pole pieces?? makes a huge difference.

I have a 2003 LP Standard with BB Pros and they are plenty punchy and hot. I had the C-5 and it was actually similar but a little smoother and a touch hotter. The BB Pros are very musical p'ups.

 

[modoc_333]

i love my C5. i think it's a little different from the BB pro though. it's something you'll just have to try out. maybe your pups just need to be adjusted. or maybe the neck really is hotter. put a multimeter on them and make sure the hotter one goes in the bridge.

 

[papersoul]

What do you guys think has the thicker tone? C-5 or BB Pro?

 

[LesPaulPlayer02]

my paul is a 02 back when they called the BB pros BB V's or some sales pitch like that. i have adjust both pole pieces and height on both to get the desired sound. but i my bridge pickup is definately not as hot as my neck for some odd reason, it really doesnt boost when i need it for a lead. i need something that is clarified with power that i was hoping the C5 would be. i aws reading about the Bill Lawrence l-490 and was thinking baout putting that into the bridge... any use from that? also, ive searched C5 topics on here and it said C5 is alittle scooped sounding, is that really true? ii just need a powerful clarifity pickup! haha

 

[sickboy79]

Have you considered Fralins?? My HBs for choice! 8k/9k set ROCKS!!!!

 

[el matador]

LP PLayer02

I'd look at a Bill Lawrence L-495 even more than an L-490. IMO, either would be great...but check out the "Sticky Threads" for the L-49X (if you haven't already) on the Wilde-Gate forum.

Good Luck

 

[modoc_333]

a C5 will give you a good powerful ballsy sort of sound. it's thicker than the BB pro (BBV). yeah it's a little scooped. i would really say that it's just got some of the high mids "rolled off" a bit.

 

[Mike McLenison]

Ok I'm a dummy, what's a C-5?

 

[LesPaulPlayer02]

the c-5 is a sh-14 Custom 5, but is the C-5 higher output than the BB5 but sounds the same as it? the specs say that the C-5 is like a boosted '59 SH-1 but with deeper bass, etc. what do you guys think?

 

[modoc_333]

i guess that sounds pretty accurate. i think they have more highs rolled off too. i must confess though that i have not tried the C5 and the 59 or BBV in the same guitar. my C5 is in a SG, while i've tried the others in a les paul.

 

[papersoul]

In the same guitar I don't hear a huge difference between the C-5 and BB Pro bridge. The C-5 actually sounded a bit more scooped to me or vintage. Not sure if I am describing it correctly but I find the BB Pro a touch more aggressive even though on paper it shows as lower output. It actually feels pretty hot and aggressive for it's resistance rating. I also don't find the C-5 much thicker in the same guitar. This was my experience. Now, the Rio grande BBQ in the same guitar was much thicker in the mids.

I noticed that the C-5 really allows the guitar to come through and gives good control of the amp and guitar.

 

[modoc_333]

i guess the C5 is a little lower in what it's putting out, and i did have to adjust for the mids.

 

[papersoul]

This is a quote from another forum concerning the BB Pros and it is interesting:

"Burstbuckers have assymetric windings,(one bobbin has more windings than the
other) so they have some single coil character to them. They are brighter
and have more clarity than a standard humbucker as a result but on the down
side then aren't as totally hum-canceling. They are meant to mimic older
pickups that were wound by hand where this was a common accident. Another
advantage is that when these pickups are split and one bobbin is used single
coil....you don't get the huge drop off in volume because you utilize the
overwound bobbin which is hotter."

 

[LesPaulPlayer02]

hey thanks for the responses guys... but back topic; do you even think that switching to the C-5 is worth putting in if the BB 5 sounds more powerful? what about the sh-5 and the sh-11? ive read some topics on here about them, but everyone points to the C-5.. but if the C-5 is like the BB5, then why get another? also, would the C-5 do well is it was wired for out of phase pu?

 

[papersoul]

From your thoughts I would say you would really like the Rio Grande BBQ in the bridge. I am still puzzled as to how the BB Pro isn't powerful enough. I play very heavy modern hard rock and dabble in metal with no issues.