your fave 'bucker for a Les Paul?

[riffmeister]

I have a brand new R8 with Burstbuckers. I'm not convinced that these are the best pickups for my taste. They have plenty of top and bottom, but could use some more in the middle.

Suggestions??

[Two-Octave]

What kind of music are you playing? There are many options.

[Shovelhead]

I have Fralins in one of my R7s, and I REALLY like them too. They sound great for clean stuff as well as crunchy/gainy sounds.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Two-Octave
What kind of music are you playing? There are many options.

Clean & dirty Classic Rock type tones are what I seek.

[retrospex]

I gig for a living in a classic rock cover band... my guitar is a Gibson Les Paul w/ Duncan Pearly Gates pickups. They are great for classic rock..

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Shovelhead
I have Fralins in one of my R7s, and I REALLY like them too. They sound great for clean stuff as well as crunchy/gainy sounds.

what are the Ohms for each in your R7?

I have a 8.6K Ohm Fralin (sans cover) at the bridge in my '75 Custom and like when the treble is rolled off a bit.

[Shovelhead]

Originally posted by riffmeister
what are the Ohms for each in your R7?

I have a 8.6K Ohm Fralin (sans cover) at the bridge in my '75 Custom and like when the treble is rolled off a bit.

Mine are 7.4K ohm on the neck, and 8.3K ohm on the bridge pickup. I got them from RS Guitarworks, and installed one of their pots/caps kits with the pickups. It made ALL the difference in this guitar.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Shovelhead
Mine are 7.4K ohm on the neck, and 8.3K ohm on the bridge pickup. I got them from RS Guitarworks, and installed one of their pots/caps kits with the pickups. It made ALL the difference in this guitar.

How does the volume and tone roll off with their kit? I want an immediate rolloff of both from the max position. As it is on the stock R8, noticeable rolloff only occurs beginning at about "4" on the knobs.

[cocheese]

Riff,

The Jason Lollar Imperials are hands down the best humbuckers I've ever heard. They do the clean and dirty stuff so well it's friggin' unbelievable!!! :D

[ahellam]

Duncan seth lover might be what you are looking for riff.

[Motorhed]

gibson '57 classic. it could be a tad hotter for distortion, but otherwise its everything i love about les paul tone.

[george4908]

>>gibson '57 classic

+1. Not the booteek flava of the month, but still a fine pickup.

[gitarzilla]

Riff, get yourself over to the LP forum and search up Tim White or timbuckers and get on his list. THen get yourself a set of Seths to tide you over because it's a long wait for the Tims. Tims are absolutely incredible. I don't know what kind of magic dust he's sprinkling on those things, but they just plain amaze me every time I play my R8. Played this gig tonight with my blues band using my R8 and my little TR Club Royale. I just flat-out owned the place tone-wise. It was silly. I couldn't get a bad sound. A couple of weeks ago I did this quick and dirty demo with this other band (classic rock/bloozerock) I recently hooked up with. Used my R8 into a stand-alone tube reverb unit into my Super Deluxe and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It's the closest I've come to duplicating the best sounding bridge PAF I've ever heard: fat, warm and singing, yet with that cut.

I actually only have the Tim in the bridge spot because that's the pickup I seem to be the fussiest about. It's always been difficult to get that balance between fat and cut. Seems like most pickups are either to bright down there or too overwound and too dark. So I'm running a Seth neck with the Tim bridge in my R8, and I love it.

Another fantastic neck pickup that I have running alongside a Seth bridge in my R9 is the Voodoo 59 with the Alnico III magnet. Very warm yet articulate neck pickup -- great clarity.

I think the ultimate setup would be the Voodoo 59 neck and Tim in the bridge spot -- I've been mixing and matching around for a bit now, and I think I'm going to set up my R9 like that to be my #1. This is not to say that the Tim neck pickup isn't great either. I just haven't heard it first hand. No matter what, I'd get on Tim's list for at least a bridge pickup. I may even have an extra Seth bridge pickup I could cut loose (I'll give you a screamin' deal -- I owe ya' one; email me).

Take it from a fellow LP/TH player.

[riffmeister]

Fralin
Lollar Imperial
Timbucker
Voodoo 59
Duncan Pearly Gates, Seth Lover
Gibson 57 Classic

and then there are those WCR's which everyone is talking about.....

Great to have choices!! :) Now, how to decide what to try first....

P.S. I have Fralin, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates in other guitars....guess I should try a Lollar/Voodoo/Timbucker first! :p

[Blueser]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Fralin
Lollar Imperial
Timbucker
Voodoo 59
Duncan Pearly Gates, Seth Lover
Gibson 57 Classic

and then there are those WCR's which everyone is talking about.....

Great to have choices!! :) Now, how to decide what to try first....

P.S. I have Fralin, Seth Lover, Pearly Gates in other guitars....guess I should try a Lollar/Voodoo/Timbucker first! :p

Riff,

Trust me on this please....pick up the phone and call Peter Florence (VooDoo). Tell him exactly what you're looking for, and he will wind them for you. I have not tried the Lollars, or the Fralins, and I'm sure they are all great pickups, but Peter is right in your back yard, and will wind them to your taste. You could probably even set up a time to go to the shop where he can swap different stuff in and out for you. He is a luthier of the highest order as well (not many people know that), so there is no risk of him boogering up your R8.

My VooDoo pickups kill in my Historics.

B

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Blueser
Riff,

Trust me on this please....pick up the phone and call Peter Florence (VooDoo). Tell him exactly what you're looking for, and he will wind them for you. I have not tried the Lollars, or the Fralins, and I'm sure they are all great pickups, but Peter is right in your back yard, and will wind them to your taste. You could probably even set up a time to go to the shop where he can swap different stuff in and out for you. He is a luthier of the highest order as well (not many people know that), so there is no risk of him boogering up your R8.

My VooDoo pickups kill in my Historics.

B

Bloozah,

Yes........this is VERY tempting cuz he's nearby.

Maybe he can do some work on my older Les Pauls, too........esp some neck/fret issues which have emerged in the last year with the "Old Yellow" '75 Custom.

[Dave Paetow]

Original PAFs
Tim White and Jim Rolph for repros.

[fjs1962]

My R7 came with 57 Classics and I've had Fralin 8/9s, Seths and finally Burstbucker 1/2s in it, so I can probably help. I like the Burstbuckers best myself, but I can see where you might want more mids.

You definitely don't want Seths. In my guitar they had the weakest mids of all. I put them in my 335 Historic and they sound great in it, but I mostly use it for clean and blues anyway.

The Fralins were nice, very full mids but a little too much for my taste. They were the darkest of the pickups I tried in my guitar, but did have a very rich tone.

The 57 Classics had a nice kick to them and may be just what you're looking for. They sounded great for classic rock but to me didn't have the upper mid honk of the Burstbuckers, and didn't sound as "vintage". The 57 Classics could be a little harsh on clean tones too but I think that was the price you paid for the extra kick they had in the mids. If I only played classic rock they would have been my favorite.

Hope all this helps.

[Southbay Ampworks]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Bloozah,

Yes........this is VERY tempting cuz he's nearby.

Maybe he can do some work on my older Les Pauls, too........esp some neck/fret issues which have emerged in the last year with the "Old Yellow" '75 Custom.
Riff,
Not sure what the wait time is for Voodoos, but to give you a sample of their tone, I did all of my original ampsite soundfiles with them. You can also get a dose of what a bunch of different speakers sound like with them at the same time. Here's the link, let me know if you like them, then contact me and I can tell you the exact wind rating, magnets, etc.
http://www.scumbagamps.com/Speakers/speakerlist.html

They are not his standard wind, just a little less hot in the neck, and a little more hot in the bridge. But take a listen first, then go from there. I've also got Wolfetone pickup, Fralin pickup and Wagner DarkBurst pickup files I can point you to as well, if you're interested.

I'm here to help!
Jim

[BattleAngel]

The Lollar Imperial pickups Tyler gave me to check out are really spinning my head around atm. Such an improvement over my classic 57s that it's really not even funny.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by BattleAngel
The Lollar Imperial pickups Tyler gave me to check out are really spinning my head around atm. Such an improvement over my classic 57s that it's really not even funny.

Improved in what way?

[BattleAngel]

Tyler and I agree that they are both very "lively" pickups any way that you slice it- I think they are pretty well balanced, but always sound alive and feel interactive- and never lifeless and flat, like my 57's did, even though they were considerably hotter pickups.

[bjm007]

Seymour Duncan Custom Shop...

Call Maricela Juarez and tell her exactly what you want. Very short wait, excellent quality... You can go with Seths or Antiquities for a few weeks if you want to try something different.

That said, the Tims are supposed to be the best PAF clones. I was on his list, but when my name came up I was too busy with work to figure out what I wanted! Think I might be working a bit too hard............... ;)

[cocheese]

BattleAngel,

Glad you are diggin' them. They are a pretty huge leap above the 57's. That's what they replaced in my Les Paul and the guitar just came alive with those pickups in there. Jason will also wind them however you like. He's the pickup guru! :)

[riffmeister]

I'm gonna try WCR Goodwoods, Lollar Imperials, and Voodoo '59s.

May the best pickup win!!!! :dude

[mainsale]

Let us know who wins!

[Babaji]

...JM Rolph...Simply the best repro PAF out there(IMHO). A pair of them, fresh CTS 500K's, some N.O.S. .02 caps that I stumbled upon, and my R9 is all the way into the zone!
Regards,
Bill

[RevolutionMan]

Diggin the Tom Holmes in my LP, a bit hard to find, but worth the search

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by riffmeister
I'm gonna try WCR Goodwoods, Lollar Imperials, and Voodoo '59s.

May the best pickup win!!!! :dude

Well, I certainly could not earn a living as a guitar tech--it took me about 5 hours to remove the burstbuckers and stock pots & wiring and install two new Lollars and the RS Vintage pots & wiring kit (Houvel caps). But I must say, I did a real nice, neat job! :cool:

Brief noodling at very low volume thru a Roland JC120 sounded purdy dern good. Nicley balanced was my first impression. A more thorough testing at Rock 'n Roll volumes through several tube amps will follow............:)

[screamingdaisy]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Clean & dirty Classic Rock type tones are what I seek.


Oh.


My favorite is EMG 85/81.


But I don't think they're what your after.....:(


:D



(Sorry, I'm bored.)

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Well, I certainly could not earn a living as a guitar tech--it took me about 5 hours to remove the burstbuckers and stock pots & wiring and install two new Lollars and the RS Vintage pots & wiring kit (Houvel caps). But I must say, I did a real nice, neat job! :cool:

Brief noodling at very low volume thru a Roland JC120 sounded purdy dern good. Nicley balanced was my first impression. A more thorough testing at Rock 'n Roll volumes through several tube amps will follow............:)

I had about 30 min with the Lollars in the R8 through a Tophat Super Deluxe this afternoon.

My initial impression was right on, these pickups have a nice a "balanced" sound to them.

I especially like the neck pickup (7.6K Ohm) which lacked excessive lows and muddiness that I've heard in some other neck pickups. Awesome, I like it lot!

The bridge pickup (8.4K Ohm) really did sound very nice and balanced, with tight lows and an articulate but non-shredding top end. Might not be the right one for me......I think I need a bit more "character" in the bridge pickup........whatever that means, LOL!

Overall, the Lollars are really great sounding pickups and for my taste, represent an improvement over the stock Burstbuckers.

[Jon C]

My R8 came with Classic 57s: they sounded pretty good as is. I replaced them with Voodoo 59s and they are a definite improvement (not that the 57s are bad, it's a noticeable but not night & day difference), slightly better though in the same league as my Fralins (7.5/8.5 set).

I prefer Classic 57s in semihollows (they are stock and have remained in my ES-175 and ES-335 '59 Historic) but the Fralins or Voodoos sound better to me in a Les Paul.

Cheers,
Jon

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Jon C
My R8 came with Classic 57s: they sounded pretty good as is. I replaced them with Voodoo 59s and they are a definite improvement (not that the 57s are bad, it's a noticeable but not night & day difference), slightly better though in the same league as my Fralins (7.5/8.5 set).

I prefer Classic 57s in semihollows (they are stock and have remained in my ES-175 and ES-335 '59 Historic) but the Fralins or Voodoos sound better to me in a Les Paul.

Cheers,
Jon

I'll probably play the Lollars for another week or so.

Voodoo 59's are sitting on the bench and will be the next ones to go in! :)

[spikeRI]

another vote for the Voodoo 59's. The ones in my R8 are the tone I had in my head for years.....

[mailman]

A +2 or +3 for '57 Classics for the original LP sound.

[riffmeister]

Got a new R8 very recently. Had Burstbucker 1 & 2's in it (7.9K Ohm and 8.3K Ohm). I didn't care for the taper of the pots, and the burstcuckers were "okay" sounding, but for my taste they were a bit too big/loose in the lows, glassy on top, and in need of a bit more midrange. I'm a Classic Rock kind of player.....uh......geezer. ;)

So I first replaced the pots/caps (bumblebees) with the RS "True Tone" wiring kit which comes with Hovland caps. Much better taper on the pots, and the caps sound great (transparent).

Then I got in three sets of replacement pickups: Lollar Imperials, Voodoo 59s, and WCR Goodwoods. All are supposed to be similar to PAF's, but the Goodwoods are overwound. Here are my completely unscientific and biased conclusions on how they sound.

Lollar Imperials with nickel covers, 7.6K Ohm and 8.4K Ohm. Very nice!! The nicest balance across frequencies and balance between neck and bridge output. I like these alot. Definitely not too heavy in the bass on the neck pickup, bridge pickup had no icepick whatsoever yet was nicely articulate on the top end. Great stuff!! Maybe a bit "too balanced" though--I need a bit more "character" in the midrange.

Voodoo '59s with nickel covers, 7.9K Ohm (Alnico III) and 8.2K Ohm (Alnico V). Also great stuff! No mudiness in the neck pickup, and the bridge pickup has some real top end sizzle to it! A "good top end sizzle", meaning it had the mids right below it so that it didn't sound thin. Definitely brighter bridge pickup than the Lollar, neck pickup similar to the Lollar.

WCR Goodwoods without covers, 8.6K Ohm and 9.4K Ohm. ZING!!!!!!! These are the ones for me!! Higher output overdrives the front end of the amp easier, fat & hot sound to both pickups. The bridge is a tad bright, but a slight rolloff on the tone control brings it right where I want it. Actually, this brightness is good, because when I roll back on the bridge volume, the natural "darkening effect" can be counteracted by bringing the tone all the way up. This is exactly how I am used to working the vol/tone controls on my P90 guitar when I play with my band. I was skeptical that the extra output of the Goodwoods would compromise the clean tones, but these pickups sound GREAT played clean. Probably the extra bit of brightness because they lack covers is what makes the difference here. Yes, these are a GREAT GREAT sounding set of pickups for my Classic Rock bones......clean and dirt, it's all there, with fat juiciness and great "character" in the midrange. AWESOME!

So long, and thanks for all the fish! :dude

[riffmeister]

here's the simple rig I was using to test these babies:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=8798326

TopHat Super Deluxe with a little pedal action up front is a ROCKER!!!!!!!!! :)

[riffmeister]

Had some more time with the R8 + Goodwoods and a couple more amps and cabs.

Yeowie Zowie........this is a GREAT sounding guitar now! Lots of everything that makes for a distinctive Les Paul sound!! :D

[Erik]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Had some more time with the R8 + Goodwoods and a couple more amps and cabs.

Yeowie Zowie........this is a GREAT sounding guitar now! Lots of everything that makes for a distinctive Les Paul sound!! :D

Plus, dealing with Jim is a pleasure.

(Can't wait for my order to arrive!!!)

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Erik
Plus, dealing with Jim is a pleasure.

(Can't wait for my order to arrive!!!)

Yes he is.....down to earth no nonsense kind of guy!

Which ones do you have on order?

[Erik]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Yes he is.....down to earth no nonsense kind of guy!

Which ones do you have on order?

I've got the Hercs on order...should be here any day. I'm also going to order a set of Goodwoods in the next month or so. (It was between them or the Fillmore's.) Based on my conversation with Jim, the Herc's make more sense for the band I'm in...the Goodwoods will be for my personal enjoyment. :D

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by Erik
I've got the Hercs on order...should be here any day. I'm also going to order a set of Goodwoods in the next month or so. (It was between them or the Fillmore's.) Based on my conversation with Jim, the Herc's make more sense for the band I'm in...the Goodwoods will be for my personal enjoyment. :D

Hercs? Heavy, heavy, heavy......:D

[Erik]

Originally posted by riffmeister
Hercs? Heavy, heavy, heavy......:D

Man...like you READ ABOUT!!! I installed the Herc in my bridge last night...forget everything you know about high output pickups, these are perfect. I usually hate high output pickups, but these are amazing. I instantly noticed a much more percussive vibe, notes became very rich and stayed articulate. The thing I noticed most was how easily you could control the pickup via volume knob or pick attack...so easy to manipulate.

Bottom line is that Jim Wagner knows what he's doing...I'm definately going to order a set of Goodwoods for the more traditional Les Paul sound as well.

[katuna]

Originally posted by Erik
Man...like you READ ABOUT!!! I installed the Herc in my bridge last night...forget everything you know about high output pickups, these are perfect. I usually hate high output pickups, but these are amazing. I instantly noticed a much more percussive vibe, notes became very rich and stayed articulate. The thing I noticed most was how easily you could control the pickup via volume knob or pick attack...so easy to manipulate.

Bottom line is that Jim Wagner knows what he's doing...I'm definately going to order a set of Goodwoods for the more traditional Les Paul sound as well.

Nice description. These sound very nice. I have my first, full fledged humbucker guitar now (a Les Paul R7) and I have a set of Timbuckers (I think ED A wind, I bought them used) in it. I really like the pickups quite a bit, but unfortunately really can't compare them with much else, since I've always been a single coil person. I really am getting into the vibe of the 2 humbucker guitar, though. I like using both pickups for most sounds and then switching to the neck or bridge and turning up the volume for a lead sound. Pedals? Who needs em!

[illinimax]

After reading Riffmeister's thoughts on the WCR Goodwood set I finally took the plunge. Ordered them, got 'em in no time (great service Jim!). Finally had the opportunity to put them in my #1 guitar last night (McNaught VDC), and I can honestly say the guitar was transformed. As happy as I was before with the stock Rio's, the Goodwoods do it all. I stayed up too late, and I'm paying the price for it at work today, but what the heck? What a great product! It was hard to spend that much dough on a set of pickups, but I'm glad I did. I can't wait to get home and play tonight! :)

[Mike Hansen]

I've had a set of Goodwoods in an R7 for about a year, and I like them more every time I play them. :dude

[Shemp]

Originally posted by Jon C
My R8 came with Classic 57s: they sounded pretty good as is. I replaced them with Voodoo 59s and they are a definite improvement (not that the 57s are bad, it's a noticeable but not night & day difference), slightly better though in the same league as my Fralins (7.5/8.5 set).

I prefer Classic 57s in semihollows (they are stock and have remained in my ES-175 and ES-335 '59 Historic) but the Fralins or Voodoos sound better to me in a Les Paul.

Cheers,
Jon

+1 - Voodoo 59s in my 57 GT RI and 57s in my ES 135. I also have a 94 LP Studio with a Rio Basytard/Fat Bastard set of HB sized P90s in it... fantastic change of pace.

I also slapped a Voodoo 59 in the bridge position on one of my strats.... really a rawking pickup.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by illinimax
.........As happy as I was before with the stock Rio's, the Goodwoods do it all. I stayed up too late, and I'm paying the price for it at work today, but what the heck? What a great product! It was hard to spend that much dough on a set of pickups, but I'm glad I did. I can't wait to get home and play tonight! :)

And dat, folks, no matter what your favorite piece of gear is, is what it is all about!! :dude

[the_Chris]

Honestly, Jim's pickups are my favorite.

I have WCR SR single coils and Dark Burst humbucker in my #1 (the Grosh) and with the blend knob, I can get amazing tones.

The humbucker alone blew away both the clean and dirty jobs that a set of Antiq. were doing in my Gibson Les Paul Standard (sold it to fund the Grosh).

The SR single coils blow away Kinman, Barden and Fralin IMHO. They are the best I have ever heard... SRV and Jimi in spades. Beautiful tone!

If I ever get another guitar, Jim will be the man I will go to for pickups because he has incredible taste for tone and I know I'll be happy with the outcome. He's a fellow Allman Brothers fan as well ;) (almost want to buy a Les Paul just so I can put AB pups in it).

[cr8z4life]

I have a set of Wagner philmors I really like.....the guitar they are in I will probably sell, but the pickups will stay! Not sure what I will put them in.....I have a Les Paul Historic 57 Brazilian but it sounds so good I dont think I will mess with it- and a Namm edition Baker B1...also sounds great and dont want to mess with it....I will just have to get another guitar! Damn that gass@@

[PiRaSSiC]

No-one mentioned the Rio Grande pickups which are supposed to be great replacements for Les Pauls / PRS Singlecuts. Never tried one on Les Pauls, but many luthiers here in Europe uses them and they are fat, singing and ballsy.

[illinimax]

Originally posted by PiRaSSiC
No-one mentioned the Rio Grande pickups which are supposed to be great replacements for Les Pauls / PRS Singlecuts. Never tried one on Les Pauls, but many luthiers here in Europe uses them and they are fat, singing and ballsy.

Check my post above concerning replacing the stock Rio Grande pickups in my McNaught VDC with WCR Goodwoods. The Rios are good pickups, but the WCRs are in another league.

[jbright44]

I've been happy with the newer burstbucker pros that are comming in the new standards. I love mine.

[GuitarsFromMars]

I like the DarkBurst wind a lot...I just got a set of newly minted German nickel-silver covers from Wags and put them on...man,even better than they were uncovered...there's a little sizzle on the top end that wasn't there before-still getting double tone and incredible string separation out the wazoo...I have been using them on the gig for about 3 months and do not see these ever coming out of the guitar(R7 Stinger/60 neck).Jim definitely knows PAF tone! Been doing every type of classic rock/blues on the gig I can think of and now I am convinced he sprinkles magic dust on every set.:D

[PiRaSSiC]

I've just ordered a set of HERCs for my PRS Singlecut! :dude
Hope they clean up well too when rolled off :D

[Erik]

Originally posted by PiRaSSiC
I've just ordered a set of HERCs for my PRS Singlecut! :dude
Hope they clean up well too when rolled off :D

Please give a detailed review when you get them in!!!

[PiRaSSiC]

sure i will!

[riffmeister]

Played the R8 with new Goodwoods with my band two nights ago. I was using a Harry Joyce Custom 50 (think Hiwatt) and a Two Rock vertical 2x12 and a couple of pedals (including a TIM OD pedal, nice!).

The absolute best Classic Rock Les Paul sounds I have ever heard, bar none, were coming from my amp!!!! :eek:

Thanks Jim, your pickups are tops in my book!!! :dude

[mkaran]

no-one seems to have mentioned the tom holmes PAF repros or the harmonic design PAFs. is that a lack of visibility on the part of the pickup manufacturers or has everyone tried those and found them lacking? i have a set of holmes PAFs in my '61 SG les paul that are beautifully clear, silky smooth, warm but plenty of top, very balanced... etc... and i have a pair of harmonic design PAFs in my '52 converted goldtop. they are more... "hi-fi" and less vintage authentic, but still a great fir in that guitar. i'm curious about the lollars and the crossroards/fillmore etc series... any more info/opions on those? or others less talked about? thanx! MK

[heinz]

I like the Duncan Custom 5 or Custom Custom in the bridge for rock stuff, or the antiquity with alnico V magnet in the neck slot.

[riffmeister]

Originally posted by mkaran
no-one seems to have mentioned the tom holmes PAF repros or the harmonic design PAFs. is that a lack of visibility on the part of the pickup manufacturers or has everyone tried those and found them lacking? i have a set of holmes PAFs in my '61 SG les paul that are beautifully clear, silky smooth, warm but plenty of top, very balanced... etc... and i have a pair of harmonic design PAFs in my '52 converted goldtop. they are more... "hi-fi" and less vintage authentic, but still a great fir in that guitar. i'm curious about the lollars and the crossroards/fillmore etc series... any more info/opions on those? or others less talked about? thanx! MK

I have Harmonic Design p/u's in my P90 Les Paul! They are great!!

[suhrstandardman]

Duncan JB or 59 in the bridge.
Jazz in the neck position.
:dude

[swankmotee]

Just wanted to weigh in on the discussion that I as well took the plunge and put a set of goodwoods in my R9 03' and well, it was about as close as it gets to the "REAL DEAL"! I've owned many original PAF's through the years and put them in many different gtrs and these are the best,closest to my ultimate "PEARLY" tone dream. I also had the pleasure of recording quite a bit of the amps at Tonefest 04' with this 03' and it is quite evident that these pups work with a wide variety of amp types to get all the classic tones. Also finally had the chance to hear some "crossroads" in a R59'V Rick Beringi had and am tempted to get some of those as well, in a word they were BITCHIN'!! We cranked them through quite a few exceptional old Marshall's and it was like going back in time for me. Best thing was we had a REAL 59' SB there to A/B against and these PUPS held their own beautifully! There were also great gtrs there loaded with other great sounding pups like Voodoos,Antiquities,Tims, and others and they are all great but it is just a personal thing as to how each one sounded better or worse. I will say this though, the WCR's sounded right no matter who was playin' em! I think that says alot!:dude

[davidp158]

I recently bought a 57 Goldtop, and I'm digging it a lot, but I'm not sold on the 57 Classic pickups. I play a mix of roots rock, power pop, blues and alt-country, and do most of my playing with single coil pickups. For the Les Paul, I'd like a brighter neck pickup and a fatter bridge pickup that is still clear. The 57 Classic bridge is pretty good, but a bit lacking in the low midrange. The neck pickup I have a real problem with; too much lows and low mids, and the upper mids are soft. I can dial in my amp to favor one pickup or the other, but not both. I like being able to blend the two pickups together, but the Classics don't seem to have as many combinations as I'd like (the mix tone shifts from one pickup to the other too fast as I dial the two volume knobs).

Any suggestions? How would the Burstbuckers work for my needs, and which ones would you suggest?

I've heard people change out the pots and caps, but would like some info on this. Is there a thread posted here, or a web page that describes this in detail? I'd like to keep most of the high frequencies when rolling back the volume knobs, but I don't want to thin out the sound too much.

Last question: The serial number on the guitar is 7 1525, so would that make this guitar a 1997 build? If so, is it correct that the pickups for that year are the Classic 57s?

thanks in advance for any/all replies,
Dave

Originally posted by fjs1962
My R7 came with 57 Classics and I've had Fralin 8/9s, Seths and finally Burstbucker 1/2s in it, so I can probably help. I like the Burstbuckers best myself, but I can see where you might want more mids.

You definitely don't want Seths. In my guitar they had the weakest mids of all. I put them in my 335 Historic and they sound great in it, but I mostly use it for clean and blues anyway.

The Fralins were nice, very full mids but a little too much for my taste. They were the darkest of the pickups I tried in my guitar, but did have a very rich tone.

The 57 Classics had a nice kick to them and may be just what you're looking for. They sounded great for classic rock but to me didn't have the upper mid honk of the Burstbuckers, and didn't sound as "vintage". The 57 Classics could be a little harsh on clean tones too but I think that was the price you paid for the extra kick they had in the mids. If I only played classic rock they would have been my favorite.

Hope all this helps.

[DRAGON523]

Originally posted by davidp158
I recently bought a 57 Goldtop, and I'm digging it a lot, but I'm not sold on the 57 Classic pickups. I play a mix of roots rock, power pop, blues and alt-country, and do most of my playing with single coil pickups. For the Les Paul, I'd like a brighter neck pickup and a fatter bridge pickup that is still clear. The 57 Classic bridge is pretty good, but a bit lacking in the low midrange. The neck pickup I have a real problem with; too much lows and low mids, and the upper mids are soft. I can dial in my amp to favor one pickup or the other, but not both. I like being able to blend the two pickups together, but the Classics don't seem to have as many combinations as I'd like (the mix tone shifts from one pickup to the other too fast as I dial the two volume knobs).

Any suggestions? How would the Burstbuckers work for my needs, and which ones would you suggest?

I've heard people change out the pots and caps, but would like some info on this. Is there a thread posted here, or a web page that describes this in detail? I'd like to keep most of the high frequencies when rolling back the volume knobs, but I don't want to thin out the sound too much.

Last question: The serial number on the guitar is 7 1525, so would that make this guitar a 1997 build? If so, is it correct that the pickups for that year are the Classic 57s?

thanks in advance for any/all replies,
Dave


Your goldtop would be a 2001. The first number, 7, indicates that it is a '57 reissue. The second number is what year it was made, i.e., 1=2001, 2=2002, etc. And the 525 means it was the 525th '57 reissue made that year. As far as wanting a brighter neck pickup, I wouldn't suggest a Burstbucker. I find it to be too muddy. And I can't make any recommendations for a replacement. I'll have to leave that to someone else.

[Kenster]

Originally posted by davidp158
I recently bought a 57 Goldtop, and I'm digging it a lot, but I'm not sold on the 57 Classic pickups. I play a mix of roots rock, power pop, blues and alt-country, and do most of my playing with single coil pickups. For the Les Paul, I'd like a brighter neck pickup and a fatter bridge pickup that is still clear. The 57 Classic bridge is pretty good, but a bit lacking in the low midrange. The neck pickup I have a real problem with; too much lows and low mids, and the upper mids are soft. I can dial in my amp to favor one pickup or the other, but not both. I like being able to blend the two pickups together, but the Classics don't seem to have as many combinations as I'd like (the mix tone shifts from one pickup to the other too fast as I dial the two volume knobs).

Any suggestions? How would the Burstbuckers work for my needs, and which ones would you suggest?

I've heard people change out the pots and caps, but would like some info on this. Is there a thread posted here, or a web page that describes this in detail? I'd like to keep most of the high frequencies when rolling back the volume knobs, but I don't want to thin out the sound too much.

Last question: The serial number on the guitar is 7 1525, so would that make this guitar a 1997 build? If so, is it correct that the pickups for that year are the Classic 57s?

thanks in advance for any/all replies,
Dave

Hey David

I am Ken your local neighbor who wants to test drive your Two-Rock. :D I have a 2003 Les Paul Std that I did the CTS Pot
replacements to 500K's Audio Taper and also replaced bridge
pickup with Lollars Imperials. The front pick up is the standard
Burstbucker that came with the guitar. I am real happy with
how the guitar sounds. I can set my amps (usually Aiken Invader MKI) to my tastes and get what I want for tone on both settings. I do have a 220pf cap on the front pickup volume pot and a 100pf on the bridgepickup vol. pot ,though I could almost go without that one but just needed a little more bite when I roll the volume pots back. When I play the front pup is usually
set to about 7 on volume and anywhere from 5 - 10 on the bridge.
When in the front pickup I can get anywhere from Little Wing clean to all out EVH drive in the bridge pickup and everything in between without doing any amp adjustments.

I did all the parts/pickups install myself which is fairly easy.I also
wired the guitar to 50's style.When we hook up I was going to bring the Les Paul so you can judge for yourself and if you like I'll show you whats involved.. Dont get much better n that.:dude

Also check the Les Paul forum, there is a ton of info on mods for these guitars.

http://www.lespaulforum.com/base.html

Ken

[davidp158]

Dragon - Thanks for clarifiying the year of this guitar. I presume that would confirm that the pickups are the Classic 57s.

Kenster - Hey, neighbor. Thanks for the info on the electronics in your LP. When we meet up we can compare guitars, as well as amps. My amp arrived at TwoRock on Friday, and I'll check with Joe and Bill on Monday to get an update.

talk soon,

Dave

[centaur]

Anybody have the links for order the Timbuckers ?

Thanks

[Hackubus]

Centaur

Goto
http://www.lespaulforum.com/base.html
and run a search on Timbuckers, then you'll find his email surely. Waiting list is approaching 2 years now I hear.

[shinebox]

I just had some WCR Goodwoods installed and man these things just float my boat:dude

[centaur]

Originally posted by Hackubus
Centaur

Goto
http://www.lespaulforum.com/base.html
and run a search on Timbuckers, then you'll find his email surely. Waiting list is approaching 2 years now I hear.

2 years ! :NUTS

[Tuberoast]

WCR Goodwood with Crossroad bridge or Lollar Imperials

[clothwiring]

I'm not much of an LPer but my favorite (and one of the few other buckers I've purchased) is a Voodoo Humbucker 59. I think they sound great.

[Sean French]

Wolfetone Dr. Vintage
WCR Crossroads

[* velcro-fly *]

Wolfetone Dr. Vintage
WCR Crossroads

+1 :AOK and no two year wait....

Steve E

[gapple88]

highorder?

[Araw]

has anybody else experienced the Voodoo 59s (which I own) being brighter than the Lollar Imperials?

I am looking for a second pair of normal output PAF-type humbuckers, that are as open/bright or brighter than the Voodoos 59s Should I go with the Tom Holmes buckers with the Timbuckers? How do they compare to the Voodoo 59s?

thank you.

[cugel]

i have a HO in a tele neck position. its a good pickup but i would like to hear it in an lp someday
for the dough the guy is hard to be and he's friendly and very helpful