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I'm sure you probably get these questions from new people all the time. I have a '97 Les Paul Standard that I've owned since new and is completely stock. It plays like a dream, but is somewhat lacking in tone. I feel the level of output to be somewhat excessive and the tone rather unremarkable. It really feels like your listening through a haze on the bass notes and treble on the bridge can be a little piercing. I've really been spoiled by my '74 LP Custom. I've had the tone of that guitar described as quot;fartyquot; It has a rather low output, VERY well defined bass and and clean, but not shrill highs. Very growly and mean, almost like a Duane Eddy or Johnny Horton sound. You can take my LP Custom and do some Scotty Moore style finger picking and everything in the room will jump when your thumb hits a bass note. Take the Les Paul standard and you might get some vibrations when hittin a bass note, but you literally don't feel that punch. There's no deep, hard hitting, definition, just a thumpy mush. (I'm sure Ebony fretboard makes some difference).

Any suggestios on something close to what I've described my Les Paul Custom as. I play out of Sun stuff, 50's country, and CCR with a '67 Deluxe Reveb and a Vibro-King. I would really like to have something with a nickel cover. I have no objection against a Phat Cat either (played a '55 gold top and feel in love). Its kinda hard to describe tone through text, but I hope you can see what I'm after.

Ellum - for what you described, I recommend a seth lover brige and a jazz neck. The seth lover has lots of definition and it's nickel covered. I also like the a2pro bridge. It's similar to the seth lover, with a little more bite on the top and and slightly more punch.

The phat cat neck will definitely clear the mud also. It is a single coil pickup that will hum though. I had one matched with a seth lover for a while. That is a great sounding combo.

Seth bridge/jazz neck
Seth bridge /Phat Cat neck
A2Pro bridge/jazz neck
A2Pro bridge /Phat Cat neck

I have a '96 Les Paul Standard and had the same issues with it (woolly neck, harsh bridge) when it was stock. I made the following modifications and the guitar sounds superb now:

1 - Change all the pots to CTS 500K audio taper. The stock volume pots in that guitar are most likely 300K linear. Your guitar will sound brighter and clearer and you will have better control over the volume. This really makes a huge difference!

2 - Optionally, while you are in there you could also change the tone caps - I put .022 Orange Drops in mine, and I'm sure the tone controls are more useful since.

3 - Pickups. I put a pair of SH-55 Seth Lovers in. They are clear and bright yet smooth and warm all at once. They are a replica of a 1950s PAF and have a wonderful responsive quot;vintagequot; sound that works great for all classic blues, rock and jazz tones. I think they will do what you want. If you want the tone and look of aged (40-50 year old) PAFs go with a set of Antiquities - I'm more than happy with the Seths.

Good Luck!

Simon, I'm glad to hear you're still loving your Seths. I thought I had read somewhere that you had switched to something else, but I guess I was wrong. I don't remember which of us put them in our Lesters first, but we both did it within a couple of weeks. Those pickups are great in a Lester through a Marshall!

Make sure you have 500K pots, try the 50's mod with regard to your tone controls, and switch to some alnico 2 pickups which have less bass than ceramic or alnico 5 pickups.

Uncovered pickups:

1. Pearly Gates
2. Alnico II Pro

Covered pickups:

1. Seth Lover
2. Antiquity

Personally, I think the Pearly Gates are some of the best pickups ever created for a Les Paul guitar. They have the 50's sound too.

BTW, how do your two guitars compare when they are played unplugged? A great electric guitar should have a nice resonant tone and clear lively bounce to it even unplugged. If your Standard doesn't and your Custom does, maybe it's the guitar.


Originally Posted by DrewBSimon, I'm glad to hear you're still loving your Seths. I thought I had read somewhere that you had switched to something else, but I guess I was wrong. I don't remember which of us put them in our Lesters first, but we both did it within a couple of weeks. Those pickups are great in a Lester through a Marshall!

The Seths are my favourite pickups of everything I've played. I think I gave the Custom/'59 combo another try in the Standard (I love the Custom for hard rock), but the Seths just had to go back! I have a '91 Classic now too and that has just received a set of APH-1s. They are great pickups too, but I think the Seths have the edge! Now I need another guitar to put the Custom/'59 set into.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I just bought a pair of .022 orange drops, four 3/4quot; 500k CTS pots, and most importantly, a set of Seth Lovers. Maybe I'll actually be able to record with this guitar. It really sounds muffled if I hook it up to my Alesis mixer for recording on the computer. Reminds of the teacher on Charlie Brown cartoons, haha.


Originally Posted by LewguitarPersonally, I think the Pearly Gates are some of the best pickups ever created for a Les Paul guitar. They have the 50's sound too.

Agreed. I'm still on my boutique 'kick' with pickups, but I believe that in the end my R8 with have a PG set of some sort - either stock or custom shop. The neck pickup is just so smooth and nice that is impossible to escape its draw if you like sweet sustain and round tone.


Originally Posted by EllumThank you for all your suggestions. I just bought a pair of .022 orange drops, four 3/4quot; 500k CTS pots, and most importantly, a set of Seth Lovers. Maybe I'll actually be able to record with this guitar. It really sounds muffled if I hook it up to my Alesis mixer for recording on the computer. Reminds of the teacher on Charlie Brown cartoons, haha.

You should see a SIGNIFICANT difference in tone. You won't even recognize the guitar when you are done with those mods.

The orange drops and CTS pots will make a world of difference! The seths will warp you back to 55. I was going to suggest the A2P's but you're already halfway there so good luck!

Luke

Well, everything finally showed up and is installed now! You're guys were right, I don't recognize the guitar. It's like I just bought a new one. Well, with $400 invested, it had better be. Went with the Seth Lovers, .022 orange drops, 500k CTS pots, converted to a tone-pro's AVR-II (MUCH happier with it) and a Gotoh aluminum bridge with locking studs.

This was my first time doing this and it actually came out alright. Solder may not be 100% perfect, but was way ahead of Gibson's job, everything measured out perfect, looks shinny, and holds firmly. Thanks alots for all the suggestions. I ended doing more things that I never would have thought of. I took some pics, but if I down size them to the 100k limit, they're pointless to look at.

FYI, I think the best neck HB for a clear but still a2 PAF kinda neck tone is an 7.50K antiquity neck with an a3 magnet.

B