Epiphone Les Paul Custom : JB/DD ?

[neckcutta]

Hello,

I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom guitar.
I was looking into replacing the stocks with some Duncans.
The main combo I was looking at was the JB/Jazz.
I play a lot of Metal, but not all.

I play stuff like Deftones, Tool, RATM, SOAD... "nu-metal".
Kind of like prog-metal, if you will.
Anyway, which pickup (JB/DD) is the best to put in my epi?

[Jeff5]

I have a JB in my Epiphone Les Paul and I love it. Can do any kind of Metal or rock you want. Cleans are pretty good too, although I'm not too picky about them since I play clean like 10% of the time. Great pup can't go wrong, not sure about the DD, I have to try that out some day myself. (I've heard its awesome too though, just different than the JB, maybe a bit more compressed)

[neckcutta]

Yeah, I really don't use clean's too much myself.
Can you tell me what the difference between the Jazz and '59 models are?
Those are the two that I would pair in the neck with the JB in the bridge.

[Oldslowhand]

Yeah, I really don't use clean's too much myself.
Can you tell me what the difference between the Jazz and '59 models are?
Those are the two that I would pair in the neck with the JB in the bridge.

The jazz has a cleaner more "acoustic" clean tone than the 59' and with the gain turned up it's less woolly I've got both and the jazz just has it over the 59' even though it's output is slightly less this has never been a problem in my Les P

[Nightburst]

Nice guitar man,
I had the JB/Jazz combo in it for a while. Awesome, but I found the Low end to be lacking on the JB. I prefer a lot of bass and PAF in my sound so I got a '59/Custom and couldn't be happier. (well maybe when I'll try an A5 magnet in the Custom. Then again maybe not)

If you want a 'nu-metal' kinda sound you probably would want fat low end and not a midrange focussed kind of sound? The Custom is versatile enough to be used for any other rock style of music too. I would recomment a Custom.

A lot of people like the '59 paired with the JB, I'm not one of those people. I found the difference in tone between the 2 too hard to find a usable setting on any amp that works for both pickups and ended up compromising all the time. The Jazz is a better pair with the JB IMHO becuse it has a similar voicing. (Not as much bass as the '59)

Both the Jazz and '59 will sound great together with the Custom, they are actually quite similar. I prefer the '59 for the same reason as above, similar voicing.

I can't comment on the DD because I've never used it in the bridge position.

[Lewguitar]

I've put new pickups in two Epi Les Pauls and one was a Custom just like yours. Nice guitar...just needed new pickups and a complete set-up, including a little fret leveling. When it was done it sounded as good as my 59RI.

I put a 59N/JB in one Epi LP and the Jazz/JB in the LP Custom. Both sounded great though I prefered the Jazz/JB combo as the Jazz neck pickup seemed to have clearer bass and more upper harmonics than the 59N/JB set.

Seems like guys who play metal prefer the 59N/JB combo though!

I would recommend swapping your tone controls for a pair with push/pull switches so you can split the coils of your new pickups.

Either set splits beautifully in a Les Paul for single coil tones.

Lew

[italic zero]

Both Adam Jones and Stephen Carpenter use JBs...

[neckcutta]

Both Adam Jones and Stephen Carpenter use JBs...

One reason why I'm trying not to give up the JB too quick.
A lot of people say it lacks a low-end but it sure doesn't seem that way when Adam plays.

[neckcutta]

I appreciate all of your comments. Thanks for your time.

[neckcutta]

I would recommend swapping your tone controls for a pair with push/pull switches so you can split the coils of your new pickups.

Either set splits beautifully in a Les Paul for single coil tones.

Lew

What exactly is a push/pull switch and could that be done when I go to get the new pick-ups installed?

[Lewguitar]

What exactly is a push/pull switch and could that be done when I go to get the new pick-ups installed?

They are pots that have a switch built into them. They function like a normal volume or tone control, but pulling up on the knob engages the switch and you can use them to split the coils of your humbuckers for more of a Fenderish tone. About $10 - 12. each and well worth it. Just replace each tone control with one. Lew

[flank]

yea, it effectively "splits" the coils of the humbucker, so that one coil is shut off and the other becomes a single coil........ but it doesnt really sound like a real single coil......however it is a unique sound and i find it to be a very useful tone (especially when both humbuckers are split and combined in the middle position)

[Lewguitar]

yea, it effectively "splits" the coils of the humbucker, so that one coil is shut off and the other becomes a single coil........ but it doesnt really sound like a real single coil......however it is a unique sound and i find it to be a very useful tone (especially when both humbuckers are split and combined in the middle position)

Well....it sounds like a real single coil, just not the same as a real Strat or Tele single coil.

[the guy who invented fire]

I've put new pickups in two Epi Les Pauls and one was a Custom just like yours. Nice guitar...just needed new pickups and a complete set-up, including a little fret leveling. When it was done it sounded as good as my 59RI.

I put a 59N/JB in one Epi LP and the Jazz/JB in the LP Custom. Both sounded great though I prefered the Jazz/JB combo as the Jazz neck pickup seemed to have clearer bass and more upper harmonics than the 59N/JB set.

Seems like guys who play metal prefer the 59N/JB combo though!

I would recommend swapping your tone controls for a pair with push/pull switches so you can split the coils of your new pickups.

Either set splits beautifully in a Les Paul for single coil tones.

Lew

After new pups it really sounded that good???

[Lewguitar]

After new pups it really sounded that good???

Yes! My nephew brought his Epi LP Custom to me and I pulled all of the electronics and put a whole new wiring harness and new Duncan pickups in it.

I also did a fret level and recrown, spent some time filing the nut and spent as long as I needed to set it up to play as perfectly as possible.

The Epi LP Standard I worked on was a cheapie. The neck joint was awful and there were a number of other issues...though it sounded very good when I was done.

But the Epi LP Custom is a whole other thing. Well done Gibson style neck joint, very nice neck shape and a very professional and resonant guitar all in all.

It really did compare very favorably with my LP Historic when I was all done with it.

Lew

[flank]

Well....it sounds like a real single coil, just not the same as a real Strat or Tele single coil.

gaaaaah! you knew what i meant!

[neckcutta]

So by pulling up on the knob it splits the humbucker into one-coil and then you use the knob like you would normally to adjust the tone of the single coil?

[Lewguitar]

So by pulling up on the knob it splits the humbucker into one-coil and then you use the knob like you would normally to adjust the tone of the single coil?

Yes.

[neckcutta]

Alrighty then. Sounds good...

[neckcutta]

One more question...

Where's a good place to purchase a push/pull knob?