Pickup recommendations

[Danuda]

I have a maple neck with maple body Les Paul style guitar with humbucking neck and bridge pickups.  Any recommendations on a set of pickups that would work well for this setup?  I am looking for a more modern rock tone, but I want to be careful that the guitar isn't too bright considering all that maple.

 

[dmraco]

I have a maple neck with maple body Les Paul style guitar with humbucking neck and bridge pickups.  Any recommendations on a set of pickups that would work well for this setup?  I am looking for a more modern rock tone, but I want to be careful that the guitar isn't too bright considering all that maple.

I have used a duncan '59 with great success in an all maple guitar.  DiMarzio Breeds would work too..  EMGs are almost uneffected by wood...

 

[pabloman]

Buy my Ivory EMG 58's! :headbang1:

 

[kboman]

I always recommend starting with PAF/vintage voiced pickups and then picking the variation based on the guitar. In this case, a mellower version.

 

[dNA]

I don't know what your definition of a more modern rock tone is, but I think the modern sounds have more to do with amps than pickups. I think classic style humbuckers into the right amp will do.
But if the guitar is exceptionally bright (it sounds like it will be exceptionally HEAVY) I would go for heavier strings first, and a set of fatter medium-output pickups. The DiMarzio Air Norton sounds great in a bright guitar, both neck and bridge positions.

 

[Danuda]

I don't know what your definition of a more modern rock tone is, but I think the modern sounds have more to do with amps than pickups. I think classic style humbuckers into the right amp will do.
But if the guitar is exceptionally bright (it sounds like it will be exceptionally HEAVY) I would go for heavier strings first, and a set of fatter medium-output pickups. The DiMarzio Air Norton sounds great in a bright guitar, both neck and bridge positions.

It isn't too heavy.  Pretty standard for a Les Paul.  The rosewood top Les Paul I am building is quite the chunk though.  I will have to look into the Air Nortons since I have no experience with DiMarzio.

 

[Danuda]

I have a maple neck with maple body Les Paul style guitar with humbucking neck and bridge pickups.  Any recommendations on a set of pickups that would work well for this setup?  I am looking for a more modern rock tone, but I want to be careful that the guitar isn't too bright considering all that maple.

I have used a duncan '59 with great success in an all maple guitar.  DiMarzio Breeds would work too..  EMGs are almost uneffected by wood...

So you were pretty happy with the Duncan '59?

 

[Strat Avenger]

For a LP, I like the Duncan '59 Bridge, Duncan Jazz Neck.

But when you say "Modern", that implies you want a hot pickup that's loud,  produces lots of compression, and distorts the amp more easily.

In which case you may want to look at something ceramic, like the Duncan Distortion, or the Dimarzio Crunch Lab for the Bridge.

 

[brandonr]

For rock I love the classic combination of a JB in the bridge and Jazz in the neck. Beautiful cleans and sweet distortion.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Talk to TroubledTreble, Ken, at Roadhouse Pickups.  He made a set for me that does a great modern sound.  Similar to a BKP nailbomb, but it has a little something different to it.  I think they have more depth and ability to play better with relative changes in picking intensity.  Anyhow, I repeat, talk to TroubledTreble.
Patrick

 

[Heavy Rock]

For bridge:
Bare Knuckle's Warpig and Holydiver are good choices. Maybe  Abraxas too?
DiMarzio's Super 3, Breed, Air Zone and Tone Zone.
Seymour Duncan Invader, Parallel Axis PATB-1 and Custom Custom.

For neck:
I don't know...maybe an Air Norton or a SD 59...

 

[lafromla1]

Talk to TroubledTreble, Ken, at Roadhouse Pickups.  He made a set for me that does a great modern sound.  Similar to a BKP nailbomb, but it has a little something different to it.  I think they have more depth and ability to play better with relative changes in picking intensity.  Anyhow, I repeat, talk to TroubledTreble.
Patrick

+1 on talking to Ken at Roadhouse.  He wound some P-90's for me exactly the way I wanted them to sound.