What pickups work best with Les Paul and Axe FXII?

jiggajewjay said:
... I really dont want to go off of a websites description. i am looking to cut thru the marketing BS and get some real life tested experience from a LP user. my setup is just guitar and Axe FX.
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I've owned a couple of Les Paul Standards...
A good pair of 57s/PAFs are fine and the guitar will sound just like a Les Paul. ;)

OTOH: every guitarist who is using a variant of the stock humbucker have their reasons...and there are a gazillion of them...so be prepared for that.

My suggestion is to first understand what a Les Paul is...with the standard pickups...learn this first...then as you experiment you will have a good frame of reference.
...I dunno, maybe you do, I'm not trying to assume anything here.
 
I think that few of here mentioned pups would get you in the ballpark of your desired sound spectrum. I've built Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell pups in my 7 string Carvin. They are just as advertised, modern & vintage at the same time. They have distinguished middle & treble and a tight bottom end. They sing, have a nice alnico character and they react very well to roll off volume & turning on the master volume on the amp in the Axe FX.
 
My 1980 Les Paul Standard
Had seen a shit load of pickups in it during the 80’s mostly, the pickups for the most part were a bit hot. Lots of good crunch and more heavily driven sounds but cleans suffered a bit, of course I lost or threw out the original pickups, which BTW sounded great already. (But I had to tweak) And back then no internet and a shitload of misinformation. Still a pill of misinformation on the internet just find it a bit easier to sift through.
During the nineties got some Duncan “Seth Lover” recreations problems solved my cleans were back!
A few years ago I got some Joe Bonamassa pickups, which basically are Seth Lover pickups and add about 60 years. The pickups to me sound very similar just the JB’s have a little more of a mellow top end.
2007 Les Paul Custom
Burst buckers, I believe 3’s, and I will never touch them.

Both Paul’s will do anything.

John
 
I got the stock 490R/498T pickups in my Gibson Les Paul Custom.
Never had a real reason to swap them out since they sound great on all my patches, especially the lo-mid gain ones.
 
I have Bareknuckle pickups in pretty much all my guitars. I have one Les Paul standard with the classic combination of The Mule Neck and Riff Raff bridge. If you’re looking for a classic rock setup this is an awesome combination. If you’re looking for slightly more output and the ability for coil splitting, I would go with a calibrated Rebel Yell set. That’s what I have in my Les Paul Axcess and is probably my all time favourite pickup. Really punchy without too much compression, splits really well and cleans up really well. I’m playing mostly classic rock stuff with sounds from AC/DC through to Guns n Roses, Black Sabbath and the likes and both the Riff Raff/The Mule and Rebel Yell will do that easily. Riff Raff/The Mule slightly more traditional and Rebel Yell slightly more modern. Can’t go wrong with any Bareknuckle pickup though.
 
jiggajewjay said:
just to clarify, my current Les Paul has stock pickups... they have a chrome pickup cover so they are likely Burstbuckers. i am not sure what it is but ive had clients come to the studio with lower end Les Pauls (mine was like 3 grand) and i hate how my pickups sound. i think that something probably happened to them. they sound very flubby on the low end and it sounds like something is distorted with them. perhaps i can take them to a tech guy but at this point i dont have the time. i would rather just get pickups that make sense for what i need.
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Try a better bridge. Faber
 
I have Bareknuckle Humbucker sized Supermassive P-90's in the neck and Bareknuckle Black Dogs in the bridge of four different Les Pauls and love them. Big open sound from the P-90's and the Black dogs are very versatile. IMHO
 
JIMMY G said:
I have Bareknuckle Humbucker sized Supermassive P-90's in the neck and Bareknuckle Black Dogs in the bridge of four different Les Pauls and love them. Big open sound from the P-90's and the Black dogs are very versatile. IMHO
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I’ve been really interested in trying some humbucker sized BKP P-90’s. Have you played with Mississippi Queen or any of the others? Thinking of replacing The Mule in my Les Paul standard with a Mississippi Queen, just to get something different from all the humbuckers. And I have a semi-hollow that might be better with a P90 as well. It never ends :)
 
I've using the BKP Blackdog callibrated set. I'm a big PAF lover, and this is among the best PAF tones I've ever heard and the way they respond to dynamics (picking or fingers) is supernatural. They also have the best coiltapped sound I've heard.
I was looking for something that would really highlight the woods of the guitar, and this pickups just breathe life.
I've been digging the new Dimarzio Paf Master in the bridge of my Vigier (totally different guitar) but I think it would shine as well on an LP style guitar.
Medium to low gain pickups is the way to go to get those versatile tones out of an LP.


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I had the same, "flubby" big bottom tones with a couple of the Les Paul's I owned and tried the, "Humbucker from Hell" by DiMarzio. A lower output PU designed in mind to deal with the guitar tubbies. They're alnico 5's and they can also achieve somewhat of a strat spank when coil tapped. They sounded so good in the recommended neck PU position that I thought to try it in the bridge as well... No regrets. Mid range is great with these PU's. Lots of clarity and definition and they ROAR! One of my all-time favorite humbuckers and I am as well a very devout Strat guy for over 30 years.
 
jiggajewjay said:
i asked a pretty Valid question. i need new pickups. not sure what your post adds to the discussion.
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It's simple. It points out that "best" is 100% subjective.

Someone else may like boxers. I like briefs. There's no right or wrong, just what works best for you, and no one can even come close to giving you what you're asking for because, well...we're not you.

As suggested, experiment a bit. I have EMG's in mine and I can tell you they totally dominate for the style of music I play. Sadly, since I'm not you, I don't have your ear, or tastes, or life experiences I have no way of knowing if those pups would work for you.
 
In all honesty I have been able to dial in every set of Humbuckers I've tried! H22r humbuckers, burstbuckers, paf style... For me There has always been single coil issues. Massive feedback and shrill sounds..
I'm sorry if I haven't helped. Just my 2c..

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Every kind. Now, the amps/cabs that will sound good with them, that varies. I have one Les with Alumitones, and the other with Bare Knuckle Warpig in the bridge. From my experience, the Warpig sounds like ass on a Recto/Diezel, but when paired with the Friedman HBE it sounds monstrous. I've found the reverse to be true with Alumitones. Just have to experiment until you find the best Pickup/Amp/Cab pairing to suit your needs.
 
Just a FYI, any "P90" that is made to fit into a cover the size of a humbucker cover isn't even close to a real P90. The Duncan Phat Cat uses 43 awg wire, the Gibson P94 uses a tall, fat, telecaster-like coil. Some others are simply 1/2 a humbucker stuffed in the middle. Why is this? The coil of a P90 is too large, unless severely underwound.
 
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