Vintage/lower output pickups

[SlideAway]

As my music tastes have mellowed out in my later years (40's) I've grown more into playing warmer, vintage Les Paul tones instead of the modern high gain heavier styles (I'll still love and play them of course, but I'll probably want another guitar to play it on).

As of now my Les Paul has a BKP Cold Sweat in the neck, and an alnico Nailbomb in the bridge. It sounds great for the higher gain stuff and has a lot of power and sustain.

However for stuff like R&B clean tones and the more middle-of-the-road rock (Oasis, Guns N Roses) stuff its a little too harsh and aggressive so maybe I'm better off with a PAF type pickup with perhaps an alnico 2/3/4 magnet. Moderate output (no more than 9k I'd say).

Rolling down the volume knob does tame it a bit but you can still hear it drives the amp a bit too hard, and there's a bit of loss of top end sparkle.

I'll probably want to get another Les Paul to put these pickups in.

So far BKP Mules, The Seymour Duncan Alnico 2 Pros and the Tonerider PAF Alnico 2's have been shortlisted.

 

[LeonC]

Don't overlook your wiring and pots too. 50s wiring and some great Centralab A2 taper pots help if you can find some. The CTS "vintage taper" pots are okay...not great...but better than many other pots I spose, at least they're a lot closer to 500K DC resistance...

 

[SlideAway]

It has the BKP 550k pots in which might be why its very bright sounding, also the tailpiece is an aluminium one which is lighter so it improves sustain.

Perhaps a resistor for the bridge might be the way forward? I've done this before in a strat with very bright single coils.

 

[NickiC]

Try a brass or zinc tailpiece next string change first.

 

[SlideAway]

I think I still have the original tailpiece that was swapped for the Faber one. So I could swap it back in just to test but don't think it'll make much difference to be honest.

 

[NickiC]

It’s worth giving it a try. I found the Faber tailpiece played slightlysimilar results. Though, quite a drop off of lows, low mid. Lost its punch. I tried a Gohto zinc tailpiece and it brought out a robust evenness, lost the overbearing
empty “plink”. I like the way it kept the bright attack of the unwound strings, less strident, metallic highs. Not soft, less. Different guitar went a complete 180*. The Faber opened up the top end congestion,and mid to low mud; clarity. Piano like wound strings with strong lows.

 

[SlideAway]

I managed to find a used LP going for less than £300GBP at a local guitar store so I went to try it out. Its a 60's 2006 standard. Good condition for an old guitar and played really well. Intonation good and no fret choking on the higher frets. Slight buzz around the 7th fret unless that was due to a brand new set of strings were thrown on before (I put down a deposit to reserve it as I knew it'd sell quick).

I compared it with an Eastcoast L1 also and that was also very good but the neck felt a bit too chunky compared to the Epiphone. Not bad guitars at all though.

I went for the Epiphone as I traded in an old electro-acoustic I never use anymore so got a really good deal. Very happy.

Took it home and played it, the stock pickups (Probucker Alnico 2's) are actually decent. Definitely less top end zingy-ness and output which I didn't want with this guitar. I'll keep it as it is for a bit, the only thing I'll probably change are the pickups in due time, I'll keep the tailpiece bridge which I think is the zinc one and the nut cos its cut well.

Maybe some alnico 4 pickups to give it slightly more edge.