Hello all - new member/first post, so please bear with me!
I have been playing off & on for quite a few decades, almost exclusively with Fender SC guitars.....and a few Gretsches. Back in 2000 I bought a new Honeyburst Les Paul Classic but used it very little. Like I said, Fenders were always more familiar and I just didn't care for humbuckers I guess so the LP has been in its case, essentially forgotten for years.
That all changed recently when I purchased a new Gibson ES-335. I absolutely love that guitar - it is flawless and really inspires me to play.....and I have developed a new appreciation for Gibson. I'm finding way more sounds than I ever thought possible from a 2 Humbucker guitar!
Back to my 2000 Les Paul Classic.......
It really is a beautiful instrument, in new condition and like my 335, flawless construction. My research indicates that the LP Classic from this era is generally well-regarded in terms of materials and construction. It has the stock 496R and 500T high output ceramic pickups and I think those pickups are just not my thing and are why I lost interest in the LP. Having said all this, I would like to change out the pickups to something more traditional. I play mostly clean or cleanish/edge of breakup. Often play thru my vintage SFSR or SFDR , and sometimes through 57 Custom tweed champ. Since I just play at home now the other amp(s) I use frequently are a pair of Vox Pathfinder 15R's. Although the latter may seem like an unlikely choice (and its ok to laugh), I actually like them quite a bit - especially in stereo!
Anyway, I have read a LOT about pickup choices and watched many videos but still don't know what to try. At this point, I only want to change the pickups and keep the existing pots (300k vol & 500k tone I believe) and circuitry. I want pickups that have clarity, sensitivity to picking dynamics, and NOT dark or harsh. For reference, I really like the calibrated T Type pickups in my 335. They have a wide tonal range for me , from plenty bright to plenty jazzy via tone controls.
I originally considered installing Gibson 57 Classic neck and 57 Classic+ bridge, but concerned they might be too dark with my stock pots. Same with Seth Lover styles. Maybe that's not correct though. Have also thought Duncan 59s might be a good choice - played a Heritage H-535 with those and thought they sounded pretty good but have no idea what value pots were in it. What do all the experts and more experienced LP folks think would be a good choice for my LP Classic?
Thanks for reading - I really appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, guidance etc. you can offer!
I have been playing off & on for quite a few decades, almost exclusively with Fender SC guitars.....and a few Gretsches. Back in 2000 I bought a new Honeyburst Les Paul Classic but used it very little. Like I said, Fenders were always more familiar and I just didn't care for humbuckers I guess so the LP has been in its case, essentially forgotten for years.
That all changed recently when I purchased a new Gibson ES-335. I absolutely love that guitar - it is flawless and really inspires me to play.....and I have developed a new appreciation for Gibson. I'm finding way more sounds than I ever thought possible from a 2 Humbucker guitar!
Back to my 2000 Les Paul Classic.......
It really is a beautiful instrument, in new condition and like my 335, flawless construction. My research indicates that the LP Classic from this era is generally well-regarded in terms of materials and construction. It has the stock 496R and 500T high output ceramic pickups and I think those pickups are just not my thing and are why I lost interest in the LP. Having said all this, I would like to change out the pickups to something more traditional. I play mostly clean or cleanish/edge of breakup. Often play thru my vintage SFSR or SFDR , and sometimes through 57 Custom tweed champ. Since I just play at home now the other amp(s) I use frequently are a pair of Vox Pathfinder 15R's. Although the latter may seem like an unlikely choice (and its ok to laugh), I actually like them quite a bit - especially in stereo!
Anyway, I have read a LOT about pickup choices and watched many videos but still don't know what to try. At this point, I only want to change the pickups and keep the existing pots (300k vol & 500k tone I believe) and circuitry. I want pickups that have clarity, sensitivity to picking dynamics, and NOT dark or harsh. For reference, I really like the calibrated T Type pickups in my 335. They have a wide tonal range for me , from plenty bright to plenty jazzy via tone controls.
I originally considered installing Gibson 57 Classic neck and 57 Classic+ bridge, but concerned they might be too dark with my stock pots. Same with Seth Lover styles. Maybe that's not correct though. Have also thought Duncan 59s might be a good choice - played a Heritage H-535 with those and thought they sounded pretty good but have no idea what value pots were in it. What do all the experts and more experienced LP folks think would be a good choice for my LP Classic?
Thanks for reading - I really appreciate any thoughts, suggestions, guidance etc. you can offer!
