"go to" pickups for Les Paul?

[zombiwoof]

I have a PAF pro in my ibanez, it screams.. just really smokin'   not too excited about the clean sound though, it's ok but it shines with gain.

PAF Pro is different, though, it's hotter and fatter.  The 36th Anni PAF is as it's name implies a PAF clone, with some little tweaks ("air" technology).

Al

[bloozmahn]

oh i know.. just puttin it out there: it is a great rock pickup, the PAF joe is nice too. 

[CW]

Howdy!
Well the little pic below my name is a 1996 CS '57 LP Custom Reissue done in natural that came with '57 Classics.
They sound just great!
Only mod was going to .01 tone caps (1959 Mallory Plasticaps).
Lots of choices out there, but i don't see a need to change these out...they do everything pretty darn good if I do my part!

V/r
CW
 

[soundmasterg]

wow, 450 bucks for a set of pickups.. thats.. alot.   

Yah they are expensive......I believe I said they were. And because of that, and the waiting list, they aren't for everyone. It gives you a reference point though for what the PAF character is truly like in a modern boutique pickup if you listen to the sound clips and check out the videos on youtube.

If you buy a Duncan pickup, he has a huge operation as far as pickup makers is concerned, so he has economics of scale to fall back on, and his parts are all much cheaper per pickup than someone who is handmaking some parts in the pickup. Duncan also has a huge team of workers, whereas Possum is the only one making his pickups. So to be able to make a Duncan pickup takes a lot less time than making one like Possum's. But the sound you say!?:) Well, I have quite a few Duncan pickups, and have played many others...have played quite a few boutiques in addition to Possum's, and for me, his pickups were the closest to PAF's that I had played, and I wanted to spring for that accurate sound. Thats not to say that other pickups don't sound good, or won't meet your needs. Like I said, I have quite a few Duncans, and I like them and use them. They just aren't really close to PAF's in sound or construction details. I'm sure Duncan can make those type, but he doesn't really in his general product lines because the modern sound is more versatile and appeal to a wider audience.

In the guitar I have Possum's pickups in, I was going for an accurate PAF vibe, and his pickups did it better than the Duncans that I first tried, or the other maker's that I considered. Most people these days don't really know what a real PAF sounds like anyway, so they are used to the T-Top sound, or more modern sound out of a full size humbucker. PAF's aren't particularly powerful, and are clear on the bottom notes and don't mush out, and they are very touch sensitive and have a touch of more single coil character to them than most modern humbucker designs. They are also never harsh on the top end...at least with a good one. For me it was worth it, but others go buy GFS cheapies and call it good. Its all fine as everyone hears different and has different goals.

Cheers!

Greg

[tom pierce]

as mentioned above it's not an epi les paul but an Epi Genesis. Kind of like a double cut LP/SG though...

I've had those.. great guitars

[swiveltung]

well...I got the guitar...it's a beauty! however, those aren't Burstbuckers in it as the seller thought they might be...the pups have two adjustment screws on one end..(like Ibanez etc) I plays real nice. Split coils is cool. Not sure about that neck pup though...pretty bassy and the pots are 500K already...for got to look at the cap when I lubed the pots...

[JAdams]

Swiv - I think you said it earlier in the thread: P92. Paired one (neck) with a Florence HB (bridge) on my Goldtop knock off. Tried several and this is a great combo for me. Been a SC or P90 player for a long time, maybe that's why I like the P92 so much. Really good neck/bridge combo sound as well. The TVJones Filtertrons that fit a HB mount are cool too. I dig the clean tones, but they overdrive beautifully.

Good luck - J

[swiveltung]

Yea..might have to try the P92...gonna lose the split coil ability on the neck,,,but.. Aways wanted to try some filtrons... they are clean but gutsy right?

[bloozmahn]

soundmasterg- yes, i understand the concept of mass production.  It's still one hell of alot of money for a set of pickups, regardless of manufacturing methods.  We are all after a tone, and we all have our limits as to where and how far we will go in pursuit of it.   

[Monroe]

Everyone has their own circumstances, goals, and limits. I personally do not find $400 a huge amount for a pickup upgrade on a $5-6K guitar. There are cats spending that kind of coin on pickup rings.

[JAdams]

"Aways wanted to try some filtrons... they are clean but gutsy right?"

Yeah, that's pretty much how would characterize them. Pretty sure Tom P. uses them in the neck position on some of his Teles. I "Gretsch-ified" a strat of mine. Has a bit smoother bite than a SC Tele or Strat type pup and the neck is smooth. Again, a great combo neck/bridge sound (classic "Gretsch sound" - kinda hollow, plinky, but in a really good way. Great with a little trem arm 'warble'). Mine are the HB sized TVJones Filtertrons. I had a bit a of a time losing highs when I turned the vol down, but since I went to a simpler Vol/Tone set up its been better. And I love them on 10. Throaty without mud.

[swiveltung]

well I spent some time with the new guitar today...Started with it thru my Tweed Deluxe clone. wow sounded pretty good although fat for sure. Bridge pup through the Tweed Dlx was something special for sure...really nice...slide was superb too..I thought Humb's were not supposed to work well with that amp .....well I found out why, plugged into the BFDR and whoa....super clean pups....I mean we are talking plinky clean,  airy clean ...biting highs and filtron clean lows...  go figure... I need to check the wiring..almost like somethings out of phase...I backed the pups off a lot from the strings and things started to sound better... need to get it in a band mix...might be really good.... although it's in Strat SC territory.... Boy the neck and action on this thing are to die for....

[bloozmahn]

450 bucks for pickup rings, now that's "spendy" lol

glad the g-tar is workin out.  I know my next amp will be a tweed era more than likely, it's so much of a shift from the blackface stuff.  I know i have to do some knob tweaking when switching guitars on my super reverb or the tone gets muddy or chimey.  really is amazing how amps are suited to certain guitars, and you don't always know in advance what's gonna work.  i know my ibanez "shred" guitar can really make my SR just scream if it's set just right, which isn't exactly a combination anyone would think of. 

[rdeeno]

Yeah uh, my two go too guitars problably cost me around 500 each to totally build. One is a partscaster tele and the other,  a heavily modded 07 Melody Maker. I guess being cheap and taking my time helps, I buy quality stuff like Warmoth, USACG, Fralin, Van Zandt, etc but I always find it used.  I am looking at those highorder, or whatever pickups mentioned earilier, get some on the cheap while the getting is good, he could take off like some others and get much higher in price.  On a last note, I always though part of the charm of original PAFs is that no two sound the same, so....

[soundmasterg]

The thing with PAFs is that sure, no two sound the same exactly, but they all have the same basic character to them when compared to full size humbuckers since the Ttops and everything after them came out. Just like a Tele pickup doesn't quite sound like a Strat no matter what you do.....same with the PAF sound. That doesn't mean that non-PAF style humbuckers aren't any good.....they are fine. I use lots of different full size buckers, but when you want the PAF sound, its a little harder to come by and they sound different than most buckers. You can't get that sound with a humbucker that was made with standard off the shelf parts these days.

Greg