Recommend some "high output" pickups that don't suck with all maple L/P

reignman454

Active member
Custom build

-24.75, rosewood fretboard.
-maple neck
-maple body
-maple cap
-flamed maple verneer....

In other words... What pickups (knowing I like the JB, Distortion etc) in LP''s aren't overkill in a maple body one? Have zero experience hearing any.
 
Like dan said, ironman is awesome. If you are looking for over the counter, seymour duncan 59/custom hybrid.
And tone nerd pickups knocked the ironman out of my bridge, but it is an awesome pickup for sure. High output but musical
 
Like dan said, ironman is awesome. If you are looking for over the counter, seymour duncan 59/custom hybrid.
And tone nerd pickups knocked the ironman out of my bridge, but it is an awesome pickup for sure. High output but musical

Ironman, godwood, and then tonenerd Roxy and Psykes are my favorite pickups by far for lp scale anything

As far as OTC stuff you're right the 59 hybrid is legit. I also like the OG burstbuckers and 57 classic, but imo they pale in comparison to the Wagner and tonenerd stuff - even when $ is in the equation

I have clips of all these if anyone's curious
 
Ironman, godwood, and then tonenerd Roxy and Psykes are my favorite pickups by far for lp scale anything

As far as OTC stuff you're right the 59 hybrid is legit. I also like the OG burstbuckers and 57 classic, but imo they pale in comparison to the Wagner and tonenerd stuff - even when $ is in the equation

I have clips of all these if anyone's curious
I completely agree. Wicked 8 and ironman are best i have used
 
I'd go BKP Warpig as the maple will be bright, the higher output nature of the pig has a bit fuller and a tad darker vibe (alnico mag)
 
IME maple body guitars are bright, but not in the way guys expect. The highs are still smooth and they still usually still sound pretty thick overall since it’s denser than most typical body wood choices, but have lots of uppermid presence and not as much tonal complexity as other woods (especially vs mahogany or rosewood)

I find a pickup with good growl works very well to fill in the richness that maple generally lacks, so that’s the logic behind my recommendations above and for lower output pickups would say the vintage Japan or Tim Shaw PAF copies or some vintage Gretsch pickups (my personal favorite). I find BKP’s and some of the other recommendations too sterile/2D, especially for a maple body guitar that already isn’t the best in that department
 
IME maple body guitars are bright, but not in the way guys expect. The highs are still smooth and they still usually still sound pretty thick overall since it’s denser than most typical body wood choices, but have lots of uppermid presence and not as much tonal complexity as other woods (especially vs mahogany or rosewood)

I find a pickup with good growl works very well to fill in the richness that maple generally lacks, so that’s the logic behind my recommendations above and for lower output pickups would say the vintage Japan or Tim Shaw PAF copies or some vintage Gretsch pickups (my personal favorite). I find BKP’s and some of the other recommendations too sterile/2D, especially for a maple body guitar that already isn’t the best in that department

LP scale means a dark pickup like an invader or warpig would be mud city. Maple or not lol
 
LP scale means a dark pickup like an invader or warpig would be mud city. Maple or not lol
I forgot its scale length, but I have as one of several examples an all maple body/mahogany neck LP scale 1964 Guild Polara (awesome guitar btw), which as always with my guitars I tried tons of different pickups in and IME I could get away with dark pickups in it better than with darker wood body guitars I have. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend Warpigs or Invaders in any guitar lol. For dark, big low end pickups I’ve liked most my vintage Schaller Hex neck’s (yes in the bridge position), dirty fingers and a fluke ~16k Tim Shaw PAF (it’s incredible)

I also have an all rosewood body Schecter Strat and a Padauk body/all ebony neck Barlow, both stret scale bolt-on’s and those 2 are dark sounding guitars where those types of pickups are no-go’s in IME. Very boomy in those guitars
 
I forgot its scale length, but I have as one of several examples an all maple body/mahogany neck LP scale 1964 Guild Polara (awesome guitar btw), which as always with my guitars I tried tons of different pickups in and IME I could get away with dark pickups in it better than with darker wood body guitars I have. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend Warpigs or Invaders in any guitar lol. For dark, big low end pickups I’ve liked most my vintage Schaller Hex neck’s (yes in the bridge position), dirty fingers and a fluke ~16k Tim Shaw PAF (it’s incredible)

I also have an all rosewood body Schecter Strat and a Padauk body/all ebony neck Barlow, both stret scale bolt-on’s and those 2 are dark sounding guitars where those types of pickups are no-go’s in IME. Very boomy in those guitars

The vast majority of LP scale guitars are naturally darker, no matter the wood :dunno:

I'm sure there's 5 exceptions out there in the world, but its a rule of thumb for a reason
 
LP scale means a dark pickup like an invader or warpig would be mud city. Maple or not lol
Scale has little to do with it. My full-maple Carvin is 25" scale with an ebony board, and it has the basic EQ profile of a jcm800 lol. It is anything but muddy even with an Invader, which only on the internet is a muddy pickup.

On a shorter scale just bump up the gauges by a notch and there you go. Instead of 9's just use 10's. Tight and authoritative lows.
 
Scale has little to do with it. My full-maple Carvin is 25" scale with an ebony board, and it has the basic EQ profile of a jcm800 lol. It is anything but muddy even with an Invader, which only on the internet is a muddy pickup.

On a shorter scale just bump up the gauges by a notch and there you go. Instead of 9's just use 10's. Tight and authoritative lows.

I believe you if you say your guitar is bright - but it's just an exception to the rule

scale has everything to do with it the vast, vast majority of the time
 
Back
Top