Got some new pickups

[Lungo]

I've been chasing a certain tone since I bought my Les Paul just over a year ago. If my memory is correct I've gone through 5 different pickup changes! I heard about the different custom pickup winders and spent quite a bit of time researching them and finally settled on WB Gregwinds. I found some used and they came in last week. I installed them on Friday and now this guitar is DONE. Here's a pic I took right after I finished installing:

[surfnorthwest]

What did you have in there before? How are these different? And I can tell you that your Les Paul has one of the best looking flamed Ice Tea tops I've seen.... Or is that Bourbon Burst.

[LivewireBlanco]

Could you tell us a little bit more about how those pickups sound compared to some of the other ones you've tried?

[Lungo]

I'll do my best to describe the tone and make some comparisons. Sorry I didn't do it earlier. When I'm at work I usually have to "hit and run" post.

Surf: This guitar is actually a Standard Faded model and the color is Tobaco Sunburst. You're right about the top I've never seen another Faded model that looks this good. The tone and playability are all there as well. I think this is tuely one of the special guitars where everything just came out right.

I've tried a number of combinations of pickups.

Came with Burstbucker Pros and somewhere along the line I installed a modern RS rewire kit.

1. Swapped out neck pickup with a Dimarzio Humbucker From Hell
2. After a week, put BB Pro neck pickup back in and swapped BB Pro bridge with a Rio Grande BBQ Bucker
3. Found some used Dimarzio 36th Anniversary pickups w/nickel covers and installed those
4. 36th bridge pup was too weak so put the BBQ Bucker back in with a nickel cover
5. Replaced the BBQ Bucker with a Gibson Reissue Dirty Fingers and put the BB Pro neck pickup back
6. Swapped the BB Pro neck pickup out with the Dimarzio 36th

And it stayed that way until I put the WB Gregwinds in on Friday. Compared to everything else the WB Gregwinds are versatile to say the least. At bedroom volumes through my 2266 I am playing pretty much anything you'd want humbuckers for. Blues, Rock, even Slayer and Rammstein riffs sound killer. The output on these are 8.4 neck and 14.95 bridge. They clean up using the guitar volume knob and push the amp very well on 10. They have a balanced EQ voice and you don't have the urge to change settings on your amp after swithing between pickups. None of the combinations I tried before had a usable middle position (both pickups) tone. Single note lines aren't lacking in warmth or bite. Fast alternate picking stuff is clear and articulate and responsive to pick attack.

These are simply the best all around pickups I've ever tried. I'm definately a believer in skatter wound pickups now. I can't wait to get to band practice tonight and play cranked up with the band.

-- Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:18 pm --

Had band practice last night and got there a little early to set my amp's EQ to suit the new pickups. (I use my Laney VH100R with the band and it stays at the practice space with my g-Flex cab).

Initially my thoughts were that they had too much of a classic tone and sounded too "woody" for some stuff we play. Clean channel sounded great, didn't touch it. I tweaked the amp's EQ just a little and quickly found a great rock/metal tone. Not as great as what I get with my Vintage Modern but good. We started the first song on our set list which is STP - Interstate Love Song. I was smiling the whole time. My tone was cutting through so much better with less volume and less distortion. At the same time the tone was warm, full, and beefy with just enough bite. From then on it was a great night of jamming and practice. Hendrix, Black Crowes, Collective Soul, AC/DC, Alice in Chains, everything from clean to mean sounds great with these pickups.

We'll probably be playing out soon if we keep making improvements like we have lately. When that happens hopefully I can get some video for you guys. In the meantime, here's a couple youtube clips that got me gasing for these pickups.