3 pup Lesters

[Grenade]

OK I bought one, an Epi. I'm thinking a Custom Custom bridge, and a set of Seths for middle and neck, or ? Anybody have opinions? I play blues, classic rock, and a little country.

[Aceman]

As much of a fan of the three pickup paul that I am - I don't own one.

That said - I really don't know about that combo for those types of music. What is in it now?

A Seth is a pretty balanced low-key pickup. The CC is a TON of personality in some extreme ways. People love it or hate it. It isn't for everyone, and I really don't see the match with the Seths.

Blues, classic, and a Little country? Maybe a 59 and a couple of Seths. General opinion is a Phat Cat in the middle is a way more flexible sounding 3 pup LP. Maybe a Seth/Phat Cat/59...

The Phat Cat would likely be very cool for Blues and Country stylings (total chicken picker!), isn't out at all for rawk, and makes an interesting combo for the humbuckers. Might want to get different wiring. What is the switching setup?

I'd personally go with a PG, a Distortion neck, and a Custom...but in all honesty, I'm just gonna play the bridge mostly...and I'm not playing blues or country on that guitar.

[orpheo]

Custom custom is too warm in a les paul. If you want an alnico2 pickup there, pearly gates. If you want something hot in there, alternative 8, full shred, distortion. Those would be my picks.

[Aceman]

Custom custom is too warm in a les paul. If you want an alnico2 pickup there, pearly gates. If you want something hot in there, alternative 8, full shred, distortion. Those would be my picks.

A Custom Custom is NOT too warm in a Les Paul anymore than a PG is too bright! People need to stop saying both of those things!!!!!


Number one, it depends on the guitar. But if the guitar is dark, and has any mud about it, a CC is going to be loose in the bottom, and super super fat / round in the highs, and the mids are nearly off the chart relative to the bass/treble. That said, I have one in an Epi Classic (fairly bright guitar) and have tweeked the treble poles, and it sounds awesome. KILLS on classic rock like old Clapton, Zepplin, ZZ Top, and especially Skynrd/Allmans.

When you need some uber-fat corpulemnt lead bridge tones, and mids that can punch through a brick wall, the CC delivers. But again, it does do best in floyded superstrat for 84 era VH tones...

[Grenade]

I played a Les Paul with Pearly gates and them seemed too bright for my tastes. I do like the Seths, but I've never had a three humbucker guitar before. So, if I went with all Seth's should I use a b or n in the middle. I'm thinking three vol., master tone, with the switch for b and n. 500k cts pots. It has me a little confused as far as choices go.

[Aceman]

Consensus is a neck in the middle. But I have seen a bridge model at least a few times.

[orpheo]

@aceman I tried it in over 30 les Pauls. In all of them it was too warm.may I, with that in mind,generalise?

[tonello]

I just bought an Epi G-400 Custom (3 Hum SG), and I was going to put in a Custom 5 in the bridge, a Phat Cat in the middle and a 59 in the neck. I ended up liking the Alnico 2 pups in there, but I still think that that would be a sweet setup.

[tonello]

Consensus is a neck in the middle. But I have seen a bridge model at least a few times.

The pups in my G-400 has a bridge pup in the middle.

[NewWave]

I played a Les Paul with Pearly gates and them seemed too bright for my tastes. I do like the Seths, but I've never had a three humbucker guitar before. So, if I went with all Seth's should I use a b or n in the middle. I'm thinking three vol., master tone, with the switch for b and n. 500k cts pots. It has me a little confused as far as choices go.

Man.. If you find you like how PG acts as a pickup but it seems too bright for you, you can always roll down the tone a bit.. And when you need some kick you know that you can get them from the PG with all set at 10 and you might not be able to get them from lets say, antiquities..

Usually people use neck pup in the middle of 3 hum guitars but If you want some more array of tone, you can use vintage-med output pickups in neck + mid and hot bridge pup..And push pull pots for even more sound you can get.. variatone too if you want to get many guitars sound from 1.

[Grenade]

Well the LP I played had a maple top and the one I bought is supposed to be all Mahoghaney. Maybe a PG bridge would do it with a couple Seth Lover necks. Or should I use a Seth bridge in the middle? Damn , am I making this too hard on myself?

[blueman335]

A Custom Custom is NOT too warm in a Les Paul anymore than a PG is too bright!

Yes it is, you're outnumbered. And PGB's are pretty bright, a fact often commented on here. Please sit down and behave. You acted up on another thread. Did they change your medication?

I have a couple HHH guitars, and like you play blues and classic rock. Seth's for the neck and middle would be nice, as would a Seth in the neck and a P-90 middle. As Todd Rockfield once told me: "You always want a bridge PU in the middle slot." Good advice. The middle location sits under a weak string node energy-wise, and you need all the horsepower you can get to have a decent sound there. A neck PU there can be pretty lame.

For the bridge slot, I'd go with either a PAF of some sort, or a variation of the Custom, with either an A5, A8, or UOA5 magnet.

[NewWave]

If it's an epi I doubt its "mahogany" that is used by gibson/ other great brands. From my journey in finding the best beater mahogany guitar and tested many (chinese) epis unplugged and plugged 2/3 will sound metallic and not woody like mahogany. and maple top doesn't add much brightness more like adding complexity to the tone which makes a les paul, a les paul. (I describe it as woody but lively) before telling me maple makes guitar brighter, I believe that but not maple on top of the body but neck with maple material.

I never own a HHH guitar but from many HHH guitar pics that I saw the middle position is a neck pup. (even jimmy page use that setup) and my strat which is SSS the middle is clearly not weak energy wise and I flush my middle position pickup down the body. But now, what do I know about string energy?

If I have a HHH guitar later in my life, I'll stuck in seymour duncan custom line humbucker and vintage-med output pickups in the neck and mid.

Don't think about it too much.. lots of the time over thinking leads to regret and mistake

[Grenade]

OMG, I wonder if Seymour can wind me one big 6 coil pickup. But seriously, Blueman 335 I totally understand your point about the middle position. That being said, your thoughts on a PGb and a 59 matched set please. Also, what kind of HHH guitars do you have?

[Condemned soul]

Just sold an old 3 pup Lp that was custom ordered and finally delivered in 1974. It was mahogany with a maple top. The pup selector came wired neck, middle and bridge, and bridge.
Did not like the spongy bass of the orginal pup's - T-tops. That sent me on a never-edning quest for a tighter bass.
I went thorough many different pup's over the years from Gibson and DMZ.

I finally settled on the following combination and it went to the new owner with these pup's. It had a 59 n in the n, 59b in the middle, and a JB in the bridge. The 59's were not boomy, but they had a solid bass and smooth highs. The bridge 59 matched well with both the neck and bridge JB. THe JB had a smooth bass and the bright spike was bright but still usable for hard rock.

Also gave the new owner two [ have no idea where the third pup is - that was 20 years or more ago] of the three orginal T-tops that came in the guitar.

[darthphineas]

I use full sized bridge hums in three different guitars and its a nice alternative. Little more sizzle and a little more definition than the neck slot. Little more throaty than the bridge slot but still articulate. I like a JB, but my style is a little more 80s high gain high output rock.

What is it about the stock pickups that aren't working for you? Too much of what and not enough of what?





Sent from my armored battle station using Tapatalk

[Grenade]

To my ears the stock Epi pickups sound thin. Not overly bright, but thin more like single coils.

[tubecrunch]

If I ever had a 3 hum guitar, I would consider getting a traditional single housed in a hum cover. And wire it to an on/off or phase switch.

[Aceman]

Yes it is, you're outnumbered. And PGB's are pretty bright, a fact often commented on here. Please sit down and behave. You acted up on another thread. Did they change your medication?

I agree that I'm outnumbered. No doubt the CC takes some effort to get a brighter tone out of a Les Paul. IF that's what you want, probably not the right pup. But you can, and the bass can be tightened, and there is NO Duncan with more/crunchier mids than the CC. And PG's are pretty bright. I think it is you though, has said on numerous occasions that NO humbucker is too bright? I may look that up.

An Epiphone is a far cry from a Les Paul, often. Could be Alder and Maple, could be mystery wood, particle stuff, or formica table top. You never really know. So I might ask about the tone of the guitar first....especially for an Epi LP.

And I only act up when people act like a bunch of know-it-all absolutist @$$es. :smile: I just try to help people find what is best for them, not present my opinions as fact so everyone will do what I like.

As Todd Rockfield once told me: "You always want a bridge PU in the middle slot." Good advice. The middle location sits under a weak string node energy-wise, and you need all the horsepower you can get to have a decent sound there. A neck PU there can be pretty lame.

String node issues aside...yeah, but is that 80% or 20% of the issue? Volume goes up A lot as you move away from the bridge. What you want there, IMO is not a neck or a bridge pup, but something in the 10-12k range, as opposed to say 14 or 7k. But I'd GENERALLY go lower than higher, as the increase in volume based on vibration away from the bridge FAR out weighs the physics BS of the nodes. Again - I said Consensus, which is a general, but not absolute support. And some people want the neck pup tonal curve...yet another reason. I could go on...I reserve the right to be wrong about that. But show me some facts and not tone mojo voodoo opinion BS.

For the bridge slot, I'd go with either a PAF of some sort, or a variation of the Custom, with either an A5, A8, or UOA5 magnet.

I'm OK with this.

[Aceman]

If I ever had a 3 hum guitar, I would consider getting a traditional single housed in a hum cover. And wire it to an on/off or phase switch.

I'd get a neck pickup that billowed smoke.