What's your favourite pickups for a Les Paul?

abw1989

Iron Gear Tesla Sharks, have them in two of my Les Pauls and they are spot on for what I want.

TINMAN82

Very happy with the custombuckers in my R8. Loads of good pickup options though.

meltedbuzzbox

P90s all day long

If it had to be a mudbucker probably dimarzio pad pros for the cheap option and mojo pafs for the win

brooom

Greco Dry Z so far.

fretmeister

SD Pearly Gates 

timmypix

I've got Bare Knuckle Emeralds in my Les Paul and adore them. Nice thick neck and biting bridge that loves open chords. I've got Mules in my PRS Bernie and they are the Les Paul sound in my head - clear and versatile.

markr76

Would have to be Monty’s paf’s for me. Love them in my r8. I loved the ox4 pups I had in my old standard too. They did this telecaster on steroids thing really well. The Monty’s bridge pup in my r8 doesn’t do the telecaster on steroids thing as well. It doesn’t have that bite on the top. That could be the guitar though. It’s a beast!

spirit7

BKP Nailbomb. 

Deadman

It was Classic 57's until I got Creamery 59's in my recently purchased PRS SE BM. The sound at any volume is articulate and just incredible.

historyisjunk

Some weird old Maxons maybe they're U1000s or U2000s

I also really like the old Super 70s & I agree with @jonnyscaramanga ; the 500T  is great. I can't play metal, or shread, it's just really full & "harmonic" if that's the right word, I have a 498T its alnico relative which I need to try sometime.

There, I have no credibility whatever. Go me!

Dominic

Wizz or Dry Z

OilCityPickups

A pickup winder's view ... of course I don't buy PAFs I make them ... and so I can make any spec I want ... but
Should I not be a pickup winder ... my choices of my top PAF models would be:

1. Original 1970s DiMarzio PAFs ... before Larry changed the formula to wind them hotter (I have a couple salted away for my retirement).

2. Original Ibanez Super 70s ... people should get over worrying about them being alnico 8 ... they sound glorious

3. Iron Gear Blues Engines. If I was money cramped ... I'd go for these: as well made as most US mass market pickups, and for less dosh than a good evening down the pub. 

Schnozz

OilCityPickups said:

A pickup winder's view ... of course I don't buy PAFs I make them ... and so I can make any spec I want ... but
Should I not be a pickup winder ... my choices of my top PAF models would be:

1. Original 1970s DiMarzio PAFs ... before Larry changed the formula to wind them hotter (I have a couple salted away for my retirement).

2. Original Ibanez Super 70s ... people should get over worrying about them being alnico 8 ... they sound glorious

3. Iron Gear Blues Engines. If I was money cramped ... I'd go for these: as well made as most US mass market pickups, and for less dosh than a good evening down the pub. 

Ahh - I'd like those Dimarzios. Shame Larry changed them up, as the Bass Models are still great IMO.

OilCityPickups

Schnozz said:

OilCityPickups said:

A pickup winder's view ... of course I don't buy PAFs I make them ... and so I can make any spec I want ... but
Should I not be a pickup winder ... my choices of my top PAF models would be:

1. Original 1970s DiMarzio PAFs ... before Larry changed the formula to wind them hotter (I have a couple salted away for my retirement).

2. Original Ibanez Super 70s ... people should get over worrying about them being alnico 8 ... they sound glorious

3. Iron Gear Blues Engines. If I was money cramped ... I'd go for these: as well made as most US mass market pickups, and for less dosh than a good evening down the pub. 

Ahh - I'd like those Dimarzios. Shame Larry changed them up, as the Bass Models are still great IMO.

There seems to have been an very early eighties watershed ... perhaps caused by growing demand ... prior to this DiMarzios were more or less hand made. Perhaps with less demand for bass models they just let them be. Sadly the PAF's output went up, and it's clarity went down ... just as the Super Distortion took a nose dive in tone at the same time. 

rlw

Stormy Monday set is v cool in an LP.

riffpowers

Bill Lawrence " the original" HBL/HBR 

WiresDreamDisasters

I have a custom wound Blackbird from @OilCityPickups and I am very happy with it. I also like Seymour Duncan's, the Duncan Distortion particularly. Also have a soft spot for Bareknuckle Nailbombs.

OilCityPickups

riffpowers said:

Bill Lawrence " the original" HBL/HBR 

I'm glad someone mentioned Bill Lawrence, there's barely a pickup maker out there who hasn't been influenced by the late Bill Lawrence ... he was in many senses the first 'pickup guru' and a pioneer who largely pre-dated the replacement pickup revolution started by Larry DiMarzio, and Seymour Duncan.  

bodhi

Some real PAFs compared to various modern clone attempts - I thought it was quite interesting at the time, especially how some which people always rave about didn't seem to compare very well to others, to my ear.

http://thedougandpatshow.com/chasing-oscar/

Boromedic

TINMAN82 said:

Very happy with the custombuckers in my R8. Loads of good pickup options though.

Same here, whether it's the guitar itself or the Pickups I don't know, but they sound perfect in my R8.