New Pickups For My Les Paul - Monty's PAF Pickups
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Decided to get some new pickups for my Les Paul and i couldn't be happier. Thought it would be cool to do a comparison with the old pickups and new ones. Should note that I didn't realise my reverb in my amp had gone so there isn't much reverb going on when I'm playing with the new pickups.
Be thanks to Darren from Daniel's Guitars for installing them:
/ danielsguitarsuk
Pedals used:
Big Foot King Fuzz
Into my Hamstead Artist 20RT and 2x12 cab
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Mike has been playing the guitar since he was 12 years old, and from that first moment his love affair with music and the instrument began. Fresh out of school at the age of 16 he attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford and completed a year-long Diploma course.
After finishing the ACM his life as a full time musician began, playing in numerous bands and touring up and down the country playing iconic venues such asThe Shepherds Bush Empire, The Astoria, The Underworld and London’s Jazz Café. He’s also been fortunate enough to support industry legends Paul Weller, Blondie and Katie Melua.
Mike’s session work has led to his working on a variety of projects - from performing with stars such as Ricky Wilson and Diana Vickers, to appearing in many TV shows and adverts. Mike loves being on stage performing, but is equally at home recording in a studio - where he has worked with Alex Von Soos (All Saints, Seal, Atomic Kitten), Mike Horner (The Prodigy, Shakira, Bloc Party), and Mike Chapman (Blondie, Suzi Quatro).
For those wanting to know the background music is one of my songs called The Devil's On Side :)
Nice tune!
have you tried brown hatters?
The pickups packaging looks like a Oscar Wilde era cigar gift box of sort.
Really nice music!
Love the style. Good original man 👍👏
You said at the beginning of the video that you preferred the sound of the 59 replica because yours was brighter, by fitting the new pickups I think you have made it even more bright. The Monty's sound thinner, brighter, don't have as much texture or growl as the originals, less output, but with a touch more clarity. If this is the sound you set out to achieve then great, it certainly isn't a bad sound, but my personal preference would be the original pickups.
Face is hairy with original. Face is clean with new. Kinda the same with the pickup output. Original is thicker and perhaps a bit louder. New is cleaner/brighter and perhaps a bit quieter.
I put the difference in tone down to more facial hair when playing the orginal - clearly changes the impedance and grounding of the player which affects the catalytic conversion of the electrons through the strings and pickups.
Well done comparison demo. Side by side really gives a good idea of the differences. Monty's are quite brighter. More clarity.
The Monty's pickup's actually sound thinner and quacky sounding than the original Gibson's. Honestly if you want a great vintage sounding pickup go with the Gibson Classic 57's neck and bridge and you'll have a great sounding guitar.
I had the 57 Classics in a Gibson Historic 57 Gold Top Les Paul. Great guitar with a huge neck. Killer guitar.
I've heard some great things about Monty's pups, but not hearing it in this vid. I'm heading to the Throbak website..
New pickups are more articulate, sound smoother and have higher output as well.
New pickups seem less harsh, smoother. Maybe lose a bit of the lows or low mids. Seem more articulate and vintagey for sure. A lot of old pickups are very bright. I think they sound better and I usually prefer more dark sounding tones. Good stuff.
So, no real difference. Will you be putting the old ones back in? ;-)
The original sound much better, in all aspect. Which are the original pickup?
Subscribed because somehow I end up watching one of your videos every month or so. Google's algorithm is trying to bring us together so let us stay together.
hahaha thats great to hear, and yes its obviously a sign! :)
Definitely cleaner and more "hi-fi" to my ears. A little less output as well maybe? Both sound very nice just different. It doesn't hurt that you play pretty well also.
Thanks Nick, appreciate it.
I have to say I preferred the originals mate. They sounded warmer and thicker and overall more 'chewy' than the Montys. Honest opinion, which did you prefer?
Honestly I prefer the new ones, couldn't be happier.
Mike Bradley made up you're happy with them mate. It's all subjective after all. Love the vids. Keen 'em coming 👍
The Monty's sound a lot better . There is more clarity in the tone . Today's pickups have too much bass and it causes a muffled sound . A lot of so called guitar players on here like the originals cause of the "low end" . Too much low end is bad for a mix . You want the guitar on the mid/treble side of the mix . This is why Martin guitars are great by themselves and Gibson acoustics are great for a band . Martin's have a good bass response and a Gibson has a lower bass response .
Also the way they wire lp's today makes them more bassey.if you go back to the 50's wireing style the tone is a lot les bassey when you role of your volum. So maybe try that before buying new pups. Also caps make a huge differance. I put a 15 paper and oil in my neck pup and changed the world. Where as in my sg there is a .047 orange drop and i like it. So i fool with that stuff first. That said ive bought lots of pups
Much more clarity and detail!
Awesome demo ! They seem to be warmer and fatter than the BKP The Mule set or the BKP warmer Abraxas ? Am I wrong ...I need warmth , bass not too muddy but no harsh pickup set ? I am between those 2 sets....I play clean with fingers or pick, blues and classic rock in a Deluxe reverb 65 RI ! Rhythm and solos too...which ones will be rounder , with warm bass without being too muddy ? The Mule seems TIGHT in the bass, no ? My Bacchus Les Paul seems to be slightly Britten.Thanks a lot for your answer and help..Cheers from France
Hi! Which one have you decided? I also stuck between these two?
The new ones sound like they are missing the "oomf" the old ones had. either way, great guitar playing mate!
the new ones are more defined and with more character in my opinion, but not thaaaaaat different, its more like a difference between and a sedan and a hatch, both are cars but have different characteristics. Great video man!
Should try really nice Wizz pickups..sounds like real 59 pickup...
I need some new pick ups too, saving up :D
Las originales 👍🏻
I prefer the original ones.
Well there's not much in it to my ears and I'm listening through expensive studio speakers and high end audio interface. But if you believe the new pickups are better (it's all relative), then I'm sure you will be inspired to play better.
Love the song & the pickups!
Well, your original pickups were more preferred To my ears. Not that the new ones were not good, But your hands , as you know, are 90 percent of your tone. Your Attack and feel responded better with the original pickups than with the new ones.
I recently installed Throbak pickups. Night and day difference. Its difficult to adjust them because they sound so good . I have a 2019 Les Paul classic Sunburst. It came with Burstbukers and board mounted Pots.
I am also thinking to replace the burst bucker pro. Did you keep the board. How did you found the Throbak?. Please answer love to hear from you.
Hey Mike. Get some proper 550k pots in there. Be a night and day difference. In fact, the stock pickups would have seen a huge improvement with the newer pots. Give it a try. They aren’t too expensive. While your at it, have your tech friend change out the caps for pio. Holy shit I’m commenting on a 5 year old video.
Yeah you’re not the first to say that, might have to explore that route.
Must say, I prefer the originals. They had more output, and sounded a little hotter. Although the vintage (59, & 60 LP’s) were a little lower output, they had a thickness that has yet to be imitated.
I have a Les Paul Studio with the same problem with the pickups. Sitting in the room they are just too bright. They record very well though. I was thinking about swapping for some pearly gates, just can’t make up my mind.
My studio sounds quite a Lot better with BB pro than the 490/498
The Monty’s are much brighter, or more clear? I’m personally used to warmer and fatter sounds from a les Paul so I prefer the originals. It’s a preference thing really
If you didn’t tell anyone you changed the pups, would anyone notice....I don’t think so.
Also in a live band scenario on stage will anyone in the audience notice a difference... I think not.
Cool videos as always though Bradders
I get the feeling that the new pickups just have less output, something a volume knob could have just about done. A lot of the pickups Gibson is putting in are quite harsh to cater to the hard rock crowd but the original ones you had sounded nice especially sounded better with both pickups on and seemed to have more sustain. A les Paul to me should have some growl to give it character.
Cool, but I like the original best.
i prefer the Monty's. What were the original pickups? If unknown, what year and model is the Les Paul, and I should be able to figure out what came in it.
Burstbuckers, The guitar is a 2002 standard.
@@MikeBradleyofficial Thanks Mike!
Good and fair video with lots of clean playing. Thanks for the effort you put in. I am quite surprised by the results.
I couldn’t get the Burstbucker Pros out of my 2005 Standard fast enough. Hated them. Thought they were unsubtle, too bassy and at the same time harsh on they top end. Replaced them with some Alnico 4 Fralin Moderns. They were more balanced and subtle.
However in this video I think the Burstbucker Pros are much better. The Montys sound characterless and the Burstbucker Pros are lively and rich. Not sure what went wrong with the Montys here though, to be honest, I’ve been previewing Montys videos all morning because a guy is trying to sell me some…and I haven’t been that impressed. They all seem lifeless to me, in each video.
I’m not convinced that an Alnico 2 in the bridge and 5 in the neck makes much sense as a pair. It doesn’t seem to gel.
Thanks for your feedback Andrew. All I can say is that the Montys are still on my Les Paul and I’m very happy with them, especially on the bridge pickup. As with anything from online you won’t really know unless you’re able to try for yourself, and of course with pickups that’s a bit tricky! Best of luck on the tone journey.
@@MikeBradleyofficial That’s great to hear. All that matters is what works for each of us!
Thanks for sharing the journey of their installation as well. It was obviously a big deal for you to change them.
I suspect the Montys have a subtlety and naturalness that doesn’t always come across well on videos but in person would be a very pleasing sound. I was just so surprised because I hate Burstbucker Pros but you made them sound great in this video.
I sold my 2005 Standard as I didn’t bond with it even after the pickup change but have acquired a 1998 Classic and will be picking it up soon. The guy I’m getting to instal a ‘50s wiring harness and some Mr Fabulous Underbuckers is the same guy trying to sell me the Montys. I’m sure he’ll convince me to try the Montys!
@@MikeBradleyofficial Mike, since my last post I’ve now heard some Monty’s in person, in a R9. The owner had flipped the magnet in the neck pickup. The guitar sounded wonderful. The middle position was superb. There was an openness and breath to the Monty’s that I hadn’t previously heard in videos. Just goes to show…
I bought a pair to try in my Classic at some point.
I have read quite a bit on those Monty paf replicas they say that they are very close to originals in sound are they expensive?
They're not massively expensive, but they're not cheap either. as always you pay for what you get.
Honestly, I didn't hear any difference 😅 Except that the Monty bridge pu sounds weaker than the stock one. So, is it worth the money and work to swap the pickups here??
How old were the strings on the guitar with the old pickups compared to the new ones after you changed pickups?
Stock old pickups sound better to my ears.
yo me, the new pickups sound brighter... both sound good though
Well, they're brighter, but not glassy. Vintage voicing, but not a hell of a lot different from the original PAFs.
Certainly got a slightly less aggressive tonality, I'm impressed. I swapped my Burst Buckers for OX4s recently, however I found that I got greater impact from swapping out the pots to. Do you know if your pots are 300k, 100k or 500k?
I've been debating about doing the pots. At the moment I think I will leave it as it is.
Mike Bradley well Mike, you know the golden rule 'If you like it, you're happy, leave it alone!' 😊
what capacitors are you using inside..022s or 047's?
You should have left the tonepaper in the cavity!!
The Monty’s sound great but....You need to throw some orange drops or bumble bees in there otherwise you’re only getting a portion of the tonal improvement.
So ya forked out so much money to get that teeny weeny bit of a change in sound? Oh, I forgot, you got such nice packaging ...to throw away. What a goofy business, that kid Monty got it right! Ha, ha, ha.
I never understand why players seem to jump to new pickups without working with the ones they have as far as pickup height, pole screw adjustments etc. Rig and playing styles affect how the pickups translate sound. Unless they’re some really shitty magnet, shit wire , microphonic pieces of shit ( which I’m sure Gibson pickups are not) I always go the rout of adjustments first.
I’ve had this guitar for 15 years, after 14 years of playing it I decided to change it up and still very happy with it.
Old ones sound better.
Monty pickups sound better so that was a good call
The Originals Sound Better...
sounds like you took out the old pickups and put them back in again
The difference is so slight that it could be from pickup height.
Anyone with an ear for tone can hear the difference quite plainly. Yeah, they both sound like humbuckers. But the original pickups sounded dark and fat while the new ones sounded brighter and with a shimmery high end, almost like a Tele on steroids.
Yeah, it's weird but you are correct... at least to my ears. Maybe in person it sounded different. The 59 he played first though did sound warmer than both of the pickups in his original guitar, so it might have just been the wood of that guitar or the wiring and pots perhaps? I know, the debate about wood... but in my own opinion and owning several of the exact model guitars, they do sound slightly to moderately different. Of course in many cases you can adjust it with the amp but if I want a brighter sound fast, why not just grab the guitar I know will be brighter.
The new pickups sounds a bit brighter like 3% any pickups with overdrive distortion is gonna sound much louder and powerful.
@@Dagger_323 My ears are telling me the new pickups are more 'open' or 'airy' sounding. Not substantially, but still noticeably so and primarily when playing clean. The originals sound a bit flat, in direct comparison. To my ears, that's the principal difference and a difference that makes me definitely prefer the newer set.
You have to remember the fact the stock Gibson pots on them metal boards are 300k (I know this after testing mine) and the pots in the 59’ will be 500k which the pickups will favour WAAAAY more, you’ll get more output and bite and mojo if the pickups see 500k, not sure anyone has said this on here yet, great playing and tone man! All the best
@macauley Fox - Spot on Mac, and Matt uses NOS Oilpaper Caps wired in a particular fashion that exactly replicates the old wiring to those potentiometers. My 59 with Monty’s PAF doesn’t sound anything like the OP’s in his vid. It’s all related.
I didn't hear much difference, except that the Monty's pickups sounded thinner, and had less character to them in my opinion...
Nice review,but I still prefer the original,I think they sound more vintage bite with more mids focus and more output less cleaner
The Monty's sounded even brighter to my ears
5:30 It was really interesting to see how thick the maple cap was on the guitar when the pickups were out.
do they make the caps thinner on the newer models?
looks same as Epiphone custom and Santander Les Paul guitar.. have some picture on facebook
To clarify :) I'm just surprised how thick it is in general, not in comparisons to other Les Pauls. I'm used to things with a thin veneer.
even with veneer, maple is thick...just not that beautiful, so they put veneer
on the epi's you mean? yeh i heard they put veneers on their tops. Truth be told though, I have a LP with a non-veneer flame top and a friend has an epi which i suspect (only because the flame is so good) is a veneer. It's impossible to tell which is real and which isn't
Bro, if you did not do it yet after six years, put the originals back (and get yourself a klon drive) Those originals will respond much better wit nice pedals. (a comment after six years, just for the fun😀, but nice playing that's why the comment.)
I can't believe you spent that amount of money on new pick ups and then re-wired all that crap back in there. Get back to your tech and get decent pots and caps and proper shielded wire inside that guitar. Spend 50 quid and then you will really hear a difference. Seriously, get it done now.
hahaha yes sir!
Honestly, you'll be doing yourself a big favour putting some decent kit in there. 500k Pots with good tapers, and decent paper in oil caps. Ask any of us old guys, those four knobs are the best pedals you will ever use! Ask Monty!
Bull fucking shit the electricity doesn't care what capacitors you put. Oil my fucking ass and great video man I loved it.
macgrory I have a 2009 standard-chambered -that I want to make brighter. I’ve already put some better pickups in there than the original bust bucket pros.
To get the brightness I want, should I just get a quality harness for 80 odd quid, or invest over £250 in the Montes?
This is not a trick question, I really do want your opinion because my guitar is fab as it is, it just needs that little extra brightness and if I can get it from the harness, then I won’t need to shell out big bucks for the Montys. Thanks in advance.
@@stripedpants1668 That’s true but that guitar will likely have 300k volume pots which Gibson put in to deliberately dull the tone on cheaper models. Changing those is the first thing to do.
It's easy. Alnico 2 + 3 will have this mid honkiness. Alnico 5 will be hollowed out mids. What do you need is the real question + what is better for your amp(s)
Well those Monty's sounds weaker than the original (bb pro?). I prefer the Gibson pickups, more bite, power and that creamy thing ;)
Hmmmmmm................. I like the originals more. The new pups are just a bit thin.
Neither sound as full/rich/detailed as that 59 Fake guitar. Too bad it has a counterfeit decal on the headstock. ;-)
Such a downgrade in my opion, original Gibson pickups sound fuller, Montys sound like a cheap imitation lacking in every aspect.
THE MONTY PYTHON PICKUPS ARE THINNER THAN YOUR ORIGINAL PICKUPS (SOME PINTO BEANS SAY; "MORE OPEN AND AIRY" - WHAT THEY ARE HEARING IS "THIN") - I THINK WITH A BIT OF TWEAKING YOUR ORIGINAL PICKUPS WOULD BEAT THE MONTY PYTHON PICKUPS. BUT TONE IS SUBJECTIVE - IF YOU LIKE THEM, IF THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLAY, WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT, THEY ARE THE PICKUPS FOR YOU. BUT I SURE DID NOT KNOW MONTY PYTHON MADE PICKUPS - LMAO!
PS - GOOD VIDEO!
Hmmm thanks for doing this...but a tweak on a 10 band EQ would get you better results and a LOT let expense and soldering... I prefer the originals personally.
me as well
me to
Interesting, hard to say what sounds 'good' in a comparison like this. But it was weird what you were saying about the reissue being brighter and that's the reason you did it. The new pickups sounded brighter and more harsh to me and the originals sounded fatter to my ear. Maybe better for your style like others have commented.
New pickup's seem to be brighter and a bit thinner sounding. Personally I like the old ones, but on utube u can't tell shit anyway. With a band you usually can't even hear these subtle differences. They both sound good.
I like the original ones better, thicker tone, more balanced. Just my opinion.
You are in the room with them, so you have a much better take on it of course, but over YT I thought the Monty's, while clearer, had bit less "oomph" to them... less punch. What I have found in experimenting with boutique PAFs (I've had several in my LPs) is that they all seem to be very sensitive to pickup height (more so than the stock Gibsons) and I always end up raising them (particularly the bridge) up a bit. I have a feeling if you raised the Monty's you'd get the punch back... and since the Monty's are clearer it'd probably sound even better. Just my 2 cents. Good vid.
Cheers buddy, I will experiment but happy at the moment with them.
Old ones sounded better to me
The montys kind of sound brigher and warmer at the same time lol
It's funny cause your original pickups are definitely warmer and the new ones are definitely brighter... which you said you didn't like. But the PAF sound is suppose to jangle
They sound great mike that neck pickup sounds awesome!!! Montys our the best!!😉
Congratulations! Those new pickups do sound nice. I recently built new, slightly modded PAF style pickups for my Epi SG. Couldn't be happier, myself.
Pickups are only one part of the picture but, sometimes, they're the part you need to look at.
So the pickups included a free razor?
Give it a month and they’ll be on eBay! The originals every time ( get ya mate back over with his tool kit)
Nope, it's been quite a few months now and I really like them.
My guitar is called Monty. Surely this is fate? #starcrossed
(they sound far less nasal and less muddy but you lose some of the LP bottom end. Sound very vintage to me, a bit like the SD Antiquitiies)
The originals sound better and fuller to me.
New pickups are more vintage PAF-like. Better clarity, definition and treble. If its worth the money is a tougher question 😀
I enjoyed jamming with you and I hope to do it again. I'm 72 and my hands shake, but with a few pints I'm good to go. I've been playing rock and blues since I was 12 so I've seen Peter Greene with the original Fleet Wood Mac and so many more from your country. Rory Gahllager and so many others don't get enough attention I hope guys like you keep feeling those blues notes in your soul.
Aww thank you Stephen, and that’s so cool you saw Peter with Fleetwood Mac.
I juste changed my pickups on my 2016 Goldtop les paul too ... For some OX4 paf pickups aged (as the old PAF 57 were made eventually)... Do you know those pickups ? My LP sound wayyyy better now... :D
Haven't heard of them i'm afraid.
They are really great :) check out if you have the time .. Thanks for allllll your videos... I'm learning a lot on each of it ! Keep on rocking and we'll be doing great as always ...
The originals sound great, but so do the Montys.
All a matter of personal preference, I suppose.
I prefer the original pickups. The new ones seemed very weak.
Theres so many aspects to get paf tones. This demo certainly shows some authentic sounds. Thanks for the upload.
the originals sound way better
I think I like more the originals
Good video thanks for doing it, But I have to be honest, I like the original pickups more than the replacements. I don't really care for the sound of the replacement pickups I thought they sound flat, Neither of the sets brought the upper mids of the guitar out it sounds all top and bottom, but honestly the original pickups have more balls, If you want more tone I would use a set of Seymour Duncan Hot rod-ded, Humbucker sets, the tone difference is stunning with those pickups. Honestly you could have used a EQ to boost the upper mid and highs take out some at 250Hz and call it good. Good job on the video.
Not impressed. Hardly an improvement. Try Arcane Triple Clones, or Bare Knuckle PG Blues or Mississippi Queens, Whiz or Tom Holmes. However best bang for your buck are either the Arcanes or either of the Bare Knuckles I mentioned. Seriously you will be blown away!
Have you actually tried monty's PAF pickups? There one of the if not the best boutique PAF's you can get.
Doyle 500k XL ✌❤ MY LP🤘
prefer the old ones in all honesty
Hope you enjoy your new Monty's. It's a pickup thing :)
I would keep the originals and sell the Monty's ASAP while they're fresh. Listen to this video once or many times, the ears dont lie amigoh
Liked the originals more--that middle position was fat (maybe the reverb helped though). Not a change I woulda made but it ain't my guitar so who cares! Keep rockin' Mike.
beautiful guitar might i point ya at a 90s japan Orville gibson les paul built in the 59' way amazing i did lots of side by side comparisons play n feel n look in stores and could never bring myself to spending double the cost of the rare 9 year run of the orville id take 2 over one 2000s gibson
Hm, there is no difference in tone. So you could save the money. It's all the same with such PU gurus. They tell you funny stories about how awesome their pickups are, you spend a lot of money, and after all it's more ore less the same.
they both kinda suck. there is no real difference through the PC speakers. certainly not worth an upgrade. There on the muddy side , dull!
I prefer the Monty's. They are more open and airy sounding and, to my ears, more single coilesque, as were/are 50's LPs. Not sure how others aren't hearing the difference. Whether you prefer one or the other is a matter of taste.
The difference is just a little tad, hardly to mention..
The new pickups sound more articulate to me. Nice upgrade!
I preffer the Gibson ones
They don't sound bad at all, but IMO they don't sound anywhere near as good as a set of Duncan's Antiquities!
This was VERY well done in that you played the exact thing on all comparisons. I have subscribed.
I agree with some that the volume on the Monty's didn't sound as loud but they were brighter and seemed to have a faster attack. The volume issue could simply that the volume control was just a hair off of where the first sample was done. With LP's (and tele's for that matter) there are generally no pointers so the exact position of the volume knobs unless marked is a guess. I have an (HOLD YOUR EARS) Epiphone LP Custom that I have been upgrading through the years. All the electronics have been swapped and I've redone it in '50's style wiring and oil caps (on later reflection the oil caps were a waste of money, capacitance is capacitance) I recently installed a new nut etc. My next move is to break the original Epiphone pups out and get some PAF's type of pups in it. I have been considering Monty's, Gibson and (Hold Your Ears again) Stew Mac's Golden Era Parson Street's.
It was difficult to tell if this guitar has the '50's wiring in it or not from the vid. That simple wiring change can make a HUGE difference in the way the pups perform. I do like the way they sound, and the attention to packaging and presentation is in a league all it's own; I'm not hearing enough difference in this video to justify the $370.00 U.S.D. plus shipping for these pups. Even if I owned a $2000 Gibson these new pups would be approximately 1/5th the cost of the total guitar. And where the packaging is VERY cool...you don't play the packaging and unless I'm crumpling the brown paper into a mike while I'm playing, it does not affect the sound at all. The bragging rights are there (as they are in the oil caps I used) but for me there is just not enough difference to justify the cost. I'm thinking that it makes a STRONG case for the StewMac's. I get the work and effort that Monty's has put into these and I applaud him for it. But I am a Worship team musician that plays a few services per month and for my own enjoyment. $370 buys a ton of strings, picks, and other stuff my family needs. If I was a pro giving for a living maybe but for me...not enough of a difference.