What pickups should I get for my les paul!?

[billybilly]

BG buckers with an overwound bridge, just slightly. Awesome.

[newbuilder]

I just added two hand-wounds to my artcore that are alnico V magnets with an 8k bridge and a 7k neck that are the best sounding pickups I have owned in a guitar. Bryan from BG pickups or Ken from Rose pickups, or probably anyone else who can wind you a set can get you to that tone. The two guys I mentioned here are regulars here and have good reviews.

What I like about the alnico Vs is that I have crystal cleans, brighter than alnico IIs, and can use the tone knob to adjust it to the right warmth. The lower resistance is also good for the clean playing although these sound great with high gain as well, and my lead tone is through the roof!

[Spudro]

I'm not a big pickup swappy guy.

 

My replacement humbuckers: only one of my 'bucker guitars has had a pickup swap- My '91 ES335. I replaced the '57 Classics with a set of Lollar Imperials. BEAUTIFUL!! They sound like fantastic Gibson pickups from years ago. They just sound very right, like a non-gimmick real deal honest humbucker should sound. IMHO they are a benchmark humbucker sound. Great humbucker cleans and ability to smack and sting when the amp gets dialed up past the courtesy zone. They sound fantastic when the volume knob on the guitar gets rolled back... which is no easy task.

 

I don't have lots of experience with dozens of pickups, but to me Lollar Imperials catch that golden moment in history that is a high point in humbucker tone. Nothing gimmicky, not one but. Real, good and nonfiction. Satisfying.

 

That's my opinion. Hope this helps.

[jrbirdman]

I second the Lollar Imperials. I took out the SD custom customs (terrible pups) out of my Hamer and put in a set of Imperials, I actually play that guitar now.