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Les Paul Classic 1995 What pickups did come with and what are the best replacement

R

Richard Russell

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2001
Messages
334
Hey guys, any thoughts on modding my newly repurchased Les Paul Classic to
bet a better sound? Pups mods? new bridge? It just sounds so God awful dull and dead.
thanks. Especially the bridge pup. I have some replacement pups in the shop.
A "JBJ" Duncan, 1981 Shaws, a 57 Classic. Duncan Sh-4?, 72 T Top, Demarzio Super Distortion "DD",
Duncan Seth Lover Antiquity, and finally a vintage Duncan Screamin Demon.
thanks
 
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Elmore

Elmore

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Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,858
My advice - 500K CTS audio taper pots all around. Jensen paper-in-oil caps. Pickups? Seth Lovers would give that vintage sound.
 
T

thejaf

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Joined
Oct 27, 2006
Messages
527
Replacement pickup choice will depend on your other equipment, favorite tone, etc. I've had several of those you've mentioned over the years. For mainly hard rock (late 60s classic rock up to 80-90s metal) you can't go wrong with JB or DD - especially with a guitar->cable->amp setup. Add some pedals and whatver else in the signal chain or a modern high gain amp, then you can get away with lower output pickups.

I also love the 57 Classics, but they're much more of a polite and balanced pickup.
 
El Gringo

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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5,668
As mentioned above swap out the harness for 500k pots and ditto for the pickups as the Classic came with those awful ceramic magnet 500 T pickups .My choice as I already have them in 3 Gibson's would be the 57 classic in the neck and the 57 classic + in the bridge .Get rid of the control plate in the control cavity as I will be doing to my Les Paul Classic Premium Plus in the coming weeks .I already have my Les Paul Custom out for the wiring harness swap and I can hardly wait .
 
S

sandimas

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Dec 18, 2016
Messages
5
I put a Burstbucker in mine, can't remember if it was a 2 or 3 - 3 I think. So much better. A friend put the '57s in his, he's not so keen on them but I quite like them. We both play hard rock.

I left the neck pickup as I quite like that.
 
Elmore

Elmore

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Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,858
You could also swap magnets in your existing pickups.
 
Kris Ford

Kris Ford

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Jan 6, 2007
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4,003
NOTHING at all wrong with the plate..nothing..fully functional, and causes zero tone loss. So what if it isn't 50's correct... it's not a 50's guitar! I would recommend the 500Ks though. You can install a long shaft pot easily in the plate..stock caps are MORE than adequate too..they only serve to roll treble off to ground..and very silly to spend big bucks on a cap.


Knowing what musical style you're after is paramount here..a metal player would tell you something other than a jazz or blues player might..

IF it were me..for more {classic} metal, I'd do the Super D and a T Top..OR if you don't want the distortion type pickup..I'd do the T top in the bridge and Shaw in the neck...and if that didn't do it, I'd try the Shaw set.
 
Doc8405

Doc8405

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Joined
May 15, 2017
Messages
34
A matched set of number coded - Tim Shaw pickups; you can't go wrong with these.
 
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G

GeraintGuitar

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Aug 28, 2017
Messages
115
If you do have the 500t ceramic magnet type pickups then i strongly advise switching the magnets for alnico magnets , its easy ,quick and cheap to do. Swap to alnico 3 for blues and subtle clean tones , Alnico 5s will drive the amp a bit more for classic rock like ac/dc led zep type tones and get Alnico 8 for high gain metal tones. magnets are cheap so this way you get the tone you want from your exsisting pickups and can keep those other pickups for something else . Also like others have said get 500k audio taper pots and 50s wire the harness it give you more control over the tone without turning it to mud.
 
Elmore

Elmore

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Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,858
GeraintGuitar said:
If you do have the 500t ceramic magnet type pickups then i strongly advise switching the magnets for alnico magnets , its easy ,quick and cheap to do. Swap to alnico 3 for blues and subtle clean tones , Alnico 5s will drive the amp a bit more for classic rock like ac/dc led zep type tones and get Alnico 8 for high gain metal tones. magnets are cheap so this way you get the tone you want from your exsisting pickups and can keep those other pickups for something else . Also like others have said get 500k audio taper pots and 50s wire the harness it give you more control over the tone without turning it to mud.
Click to expand...

Good advice here. A few days ago, I swapped magnets in my Duncan Antiquities for a full strength A2 in the bridge and a full strength A5 in the neck. Important: it takes a couple of days for the pickups to obtain their final sound after a swap. Not sure why. Mine sound better now than they did right after I swapped them. There is a good youtube vid on magnet swapping. I got mine fro stewmac. My first magnet swap. It is cool. I am happy with my new tone. The clean tone, especially, I like after the swap. The distorted tone is good too, but it was also good before. Seems like it is driving the amp more.

A magnet swap is a cheap fix with big results. And you can always swap back.
 
Kris Ford

Kris Ford

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Jan 6, 2007
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4,003
GeraintGuitar said:
If you do have the 500t ceramic magnet type pickups then i strongly advise switching the magnets for alnico magnets , its easy ,quick and cheap to do. Swap to alnico 3 for blues and subtle clean tones , Alnico 5s will drive the amp a bit more for classic rock like ac/dc led zep type tones and get Alnico 8 for high gain metal tones. magnets are cheap so this way you get the tone you want from your exsisting pickups and can keep those other pickups for something else . Also like others have said get 500k audio taper pots and 50s wire the harness it give you more control over the tone without turning it to mud.
Click to expand...

There are 3 magnets in the 500t..did you replace all 3, or just the middle?:hmm
 
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