Is this pickup combo good?

[Iam74Gibson]

Hi Everyone, I am a beginner guitar player, and this is my first post on the forum... I have had a guitar in the closet for quite a few years I got from an old roomate, and finally going to break it out and start learning.

I am 57 years old, so have no inclination of ever gigging or becoming a rock star Just want to learn well enough so I can play after retirement for the pure enjoyment of it. (Blues/Classic Rock, to some hard rock)... I like all kinds of music, from Jimmy Buffet to Disturbed

My Guitar is a 1974 Les Paul Custom.... Mahogany back with Maple Neck and Fretboard... Gold Hardware.... My old roommate had changed the pickups... It currently has a SD Custom/Custom (SH-11) in the Bridge, and an SH-9 SilverBird in the neck.... There is lots of info on the Custom/Custom, but the Silverbird is rather Obscure and not a lot of information... (took me a while to cross reference the number 9n J....)

Are these 2 a good matchup? I read one post somewhere that a guy "operated" on his Silverbird and changed to a ceramic magnet, and that now it sounded "incredible" .... well, Incredible to him maybe, but to anyone else, who knows? I wouldn't even know how to do those kinds of Mods.

What little info I found on the silverbird is that is better suited for the bridge....

Would anyone recommend a better neck pickup to match the custom/custom (SH-11) that is in the bridge?

Any info and advice is appreciated

74Gibson

[J E C]

Welcome to the forum 74Gibson. Can't help you there, but I'm sure some one here can. Would love to see some pics of that LP.

[Rockstar216]

I would first ask what type of amp do you have? That is really the important factor in getting the sounds you want.

[misterwhizzy]

When you say you have a Custom Custom in the bridge, and you like Blues and Classic Rock, immediately I think 59 neck model. It ought to be the perfect answer.

[richard parker]

For a beginner that's a pretty good guitar to start on. Do you own an amp ? If so, what is it ? I'd be inclined to work with the pickups you have unless you find that you really don't like the sound. If the guitar's been sitting in a closet for years I'd suggest you invest in a set-up.

Welcome to the forum.

[blueman335]

Welcome aboard!

Most of us find CC's to ne too warm in LP's and have an overly rounded high end, but some LP's are brighter than others. One of this forum's favorite PU's is a CC with an alnico 8 magnet, which gives it more cut in the high end, more output, and a tighter low end.

I'm not a fan of ceramic magnets, but they work well for some kinds of music. I find them kind of harsh and stiff-sounding, but then I'm a blues player. If you pau an A5 or A4 in that PU, you might like it.

So a couple cheap and easy magnet swaps may give you much better tones (like $10). There's online videos instructions on how to do it.

If you want to replace the PU's, I'd recommend a good set of PAF's, as they're always nice in LP's.

[wolf5150]

Sorry mate but stop worrying about pickups and learn to play. The net is full of total idiots eager to show off their latest piece of gear but can't play a note. Your guitar is leagues ahead of my first guitar. Stop worrying about unimportant stuff and focus on the impotant.... becoming a player.

[Aceman]

Welcome!

First of all, with that sort of range of tastes, the amp will make a lot more impact than the pickups. Need to know what you are playing this through.

Second, gotta agree wolf5150. If you can play the songs, and they still don't sound right, then get a different amp. After that, move to the pups. I have to concur. For a new player, less time futzing with gear and more time with fingers on strings.

Too warm? Seriously Blueman? Ever hear anyone accuse Duane Allman of sounding too warm? I know he didn't play a CC, but you can totally cop that tune with a CC. Or Blues Breaker era Clapton, or early Zepp, etc...Be aware we all have our tonal preferences. Blueman, for instance, has a great dislike of the A2 Magnet in a CC. Many of us totally dig it however. All a matter of taste, and our ears all hear things differently. [Mag swap to an a8 for a beginner player who likes Blues, seriously, really Rick? You may have a problem...there is a group called compulsive C8 recommenders you might look into]. You want fat? You want Blues? Get a pup with an A2 magnet.

I played an Epiphone Les PAul in a classic rock band and the CC was excellent for Blues, Southern, and the occasional hard rock tune! It is also recommended for some VH as a goto pickup.

But honestly, for a wide range of tatses, I'd say just get basic set of 59's, or Pearly gates if the guitar itself is on the darker side of Les Pauls. Les Paul + 59's + flexible amp/fx should do it all and well - assuming you can play.

I'm still sticking with play until you can play for a year or two, then a flexible amp and some fx will do way more for you than the pups.

[Iam74Gibson]

Sorry mate but stop worrying about pickups and learn to play. The net is full of total idiots eager to show off their latest piece of gear but can't play a note. Your guitar is leagues ahead of my first guitar. Stop worrying about unimportant stuff and focus on the impotant.... becoming a player.

I understand your point about learning to play, but calling me an "idiot eager to show off my latest piece" Well, I didn't brag about nor post any pictures (even though I have had one request to) So lighten up! I was just stating the kind of guitar I have so proper advice could be given. I can't help nor don't care what your first guitar was. I am a 57 year old man who is just trying to make sure it is something I am going to be happy with, and considering I am a beginner, I don't have a lot of experience to compare this guitar to. So opinions on this forum are valued.

For the rest of you who actually offered answers to the question I asked... thank you for your feedback.

I haven't actually bought an amp yet... but I would like something versatile, It would be just for playing at home in my media room... for my own entertainment...

I am looking at Marshall Haze 40 or a Blackstar (HT 40) or maybe the new ID series... (I know, no Valves, I am sure that will set some folks off :-) A couple of these model have effects built in, and while they are not primo, they may be all I ever need.

Thanks again everyone

[wolf5150]

I wasn't calling you an idiot but nice attitude you have there. Not. I can see you're going to join the club though. Excuse an experienced player from attempting to steer a beginner away from the all too common mistake that gear makes you a better player.

[AlexR]

Wolf, you're acting a bit of an idiot, calm down.

op - I started off after a long break using a modelling amp. This allows you to cop the rough tones of a whole heap of amps through history while I learned to play again. It was a Vox Valvetronix, and they're well worth looking at.

[Rockstar216]

You cant go wrong with the HT 40 but that might be too much amp for you unless you have a huge practice space. If you don't plan on gigging get the ID series stuff to help get you tones faster and more versatile. But as far as swapping pups you might find you like the pups you already have in their. I say first invest in a proper setup by a QUALIFIED luthier because a good set up will do you better then any swapping of pups can. If you find that you don't like the sound of the pups even after you have adjusted the EQ on the amp once you buy one then figure out what is it you don't like about your sound and tone what do you want to change, what do you want more of, what do you want less of and then come back here and we can help you even more. I will say that practice is the best way to cure most tone issues. What I mean by that is the more calloused your finger tips are and the more your fingers are accustomed to the finger board the better your tone will get.

[richard parker]

Wolf - I don't understand your attitude. The guy is new here, he didn't brag about anything, just asked a few questions. How would you have reacted if he'd asked for advice about pickups without describing his guitar or the kind of music he wants to play ? Lay off.

[blueman335]

Please excuse some of the bickering and the less-than-friendly welcome. They normally act better than this.

I play mostly blues, I like C8's (CC's with an A8 magnet), so don't put too much stock into Aceman's dissertation, after all, Ace Frehley? There's been a number of guys here over the years that find CC's too rounded on top in their LP's; it usually does better in bright woods. The Custom platform is very verrsatile and very good in mahogany. Duncan makes three official versions of it, with an A2, A5, and ceramic magnet. Users here have created one with an A8 magnet, that many think is the best of the bunch, and it's very good for many genres. Worth a try; you already have the PU.

Logical progession: go from simple and cheap first, than work your way up. That means adjust you set up (action, PU and pole piece heights), then mag swap, then new PU's. A lot of times your existing PU's will give what you want with a different magnet. Each magnet is made of a different mix of metals, which changes it's magnetic field, and it 'reads' string vibrations differently. There are about 10 alnico magnets commonly available, each one creates a 'new' PU with a different EQ; if you only try the stock magnet, you don't know what that PU has to offer. If you can get nice tones for $10 and 10 minutes, you may not need a new PU.

Think about it.

[LonePhantom]

I understand your point about learning to play, but calling me an "idiot eager to show off my latest piece" Well, I didn't brag about nor post any pictures (even though I have had one request to) So lighten up! I was just stating the kind of guitar I have so proper advice could be given. I can't help nor don't care what your first guitar was. I am a 57 year old man who is just trying to make sure it is something I am going to be happy with, and considering I am a beginner, I don't have a lot of experience to compare this guitar to. So opinions on this forum are valued.

For the rest of you who actually offered answers to the question I asked... thank you for your feedback.

I haven't actually bought an amp yet... but I would like something versatile, It would be just for playing at home in my media room... for my own entertainment...

I am looking at Marshall Haze 40 or a Blackstar (HT 40) or maybe the new ID series... (I know, no Valves, I am sure that will set some folks off :-) A couple of these model have effects built in, and while they are not primo, they may be all I ever need.

Thanks again everyone

I think you misunderstood Wolf5150. They were just trying to say not to listen to the people out there who spend too much time bragging about new gear and showing it off, whilst not really being able to play that great. That was not aimed at you.

Some people these days with the advent of the Internet think that they need all this gear and upgrades to play better. The old-fashioned way of practicing until you've got it still is the best. Wolf was trying to tell you not to fall into the trap that the so-called "idiots" lay for others, and just concentrate on practicing and getting your chops down.

I tend to agree with this too. Practice practice practice, get a reasonable low wattage amp that'll give you the sounds you want, and worry about the pickups if there's still something that's not quite working tone wise for you.

I hope you understand now what was being said, and good luck with your learning.

[gibson175]

to the op: welcome aboard!

Im sure your axe sounds great. Dont worry too much about pickups until you have an amp - maybe a nice low wattage toob amp will do the job like a blues junior or something along those lines. Anyway, after you play plugged in for a while you might not even need new pickups.
If you do, then maybe either get a pair of 59's, or just one neck 59 to go with your cc in the bridge. You can tailor the sound of the cc by putting in an alnico 5 magnet (turning it into a custom 5) to blend nicely with the 59 neck, or you can put an alnico 2 magnet in the 59 neck to blend with the CC bridge.

[Iam74Gibson]

Wolf, no worries and no hard feelings... the thing about forums and emails and such, is that they often don't convey intent. I agree I need to get my playing going, and going soon.

I can also get my setup where I like while learning to play, doesn't have to be 2 separate things....

Here is the purpose of this whole thread... SD Silverbirds were a short production pickup... there is hardly any information to be found about them... So, I don't know if I have a Gem or a Dud... and I don't know if they match up well with what I have.... If I take the Les Paul around to try out different AMPs to buy, how will I know if it is the AMP I may not like, or the Pickup? I don't have the experience to know. So I am asking opinions from experienced folk who may be more familiar. I am concerned about the Silverbird "because" it was such short production... maybe cause they weren't that good...

Someone asked what kind of music I would like to play.... well If I had to choose... Joe Bonnamasso, Gary Moore (his bluesy stuff mostly) and at the risk of sounding like a lot of other people...SRV.... I am not delusional enough to think I will ever be able to play like them... but that is the kind I would "like" to play.

Again Wolf, it's all good :-) But since someone asked, here is a picture of the Les Paul

[gibson175]

nice looking axe.
Don't worry too much about pickups when you start amp shopping. The amp is the biggest determinant of tone, not the pups. You can plug any humbucker equipped guitar into an amp and get a pretty good idea of what it is capable of.

[0v3nm4n]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/music-instr...-227397420.htm

Might I suggest a black-star amp? It's got an ISO on it and an attenuation knob

http://www.harmonycentral.com/t5/Ele.../td-p/23370983

[Aceman]

Hey - even I usually give a set of pups in any guitar a couple of weeks - couple of months to get acustomed to my ears before making pickup decisions. And !am74 - NEVER forget this:

If it sounds good to you, it is good. Remember - everyone here has different ears and tastes. Some are better at being objective, some are going to put forth their opinions as if they are facts supported by all, or that are right for your specific guitar. At the end of the day, your ears need to decide. Just make sure your ears aren't blaming problems in your hands on your gear.

As for the Amp, 40 watts is a lot of noise. I have a Fender 15 watt Pro Junior and it is too loud often. I use a ROland Cube 30 a lot, because I can go from a Fender Blackface clean blues tone, to a Dirty Fender Bassman for Classic Rock, to a MArshall Or Mesa for Metal with Delay really quick. Sounds good, easy to control at any volume, quick to set.

I've never heard of the Silverbird. I'd like to know more about it.

And the guitar is AWESOME!!!!!! Speaking as an owner of a 73 Les Paul....