What PU's do you guys recommend for Classic 70's rock tone?

Rio Grande? Duncan JB? What? This 1980 sunburst Greco Les paul PU's are really bad. Gotta get some new ones don't want to spend a fortune. Throw some names at me.

Shop around for some used bargains:

Gibson '57 Classics
SD Seth Lovers
SD JB's
SD '59's
Dimarzio Virtual PAF's

Yeah that's what I started doing those seem like good recomendations thanks. I have some Seth Lovers in my Hamer Artist and I love them for turning down clean but I don't like the buzz on the top end when they are full up. The PU's in my Greco EG 500 Super Power Black Beauty sound WAY better to me. I should sell them and put somthing else in. That BB is a beast. What a great guitar.

Mitch.. I've had great results with used Dimarzio's in my Greco's. Virtual Hot PAF makes for a great bridge humbucker along with a regular Virtual PAF in the neck. My other favorites are the Dimarzio Norton models. They make both a neck and bridge model so you get a calibrated set. Nortons are nice for 70's style hard rock tones as well as old school and modern metal.

Well I'm assuming I have the 1000 pu's in my custom and I love them. I hate what I think are the UD in my standard though so I want to get whatever is made that is closest to the 1000's for the standard. Do you think that's these virtual paf? I have ben recomeneded to get the Rio Grande. I'm going to talk to them on Monday and see waht they say.

I spent a lot of money fidling around with different pickups in my EG800 resently. I tried:
Antiquitys
Pearly gates
SD 59
Seth Lovers
Gibson 57
And a couple more.

And the winners are:

Bridge = Gibson 57 (without cover)
Neck = SD 59 (without cover)

I love that combination and it works really great in a SG too!

I have Seth Lovers in my Hamer artist. I don't like them because I think the high end is fuzzy/buzzy compared to the Custom PU's but they clean up nice, but what don't you like about them? What tone are you after? I'm wondering how to tell if my Custom has the 1000's in it. I just had it super tweaked and I'm not really enthused about digging into it. In fact I won't. I'll ask the tech though if he looked. If that indeed is what's in there that is what I want in the Standard. Can you tell by these pictures what's in the standard?

Are the Gibson 57's like the Ibenez Super 70's?

Mitch Malloy said:

Are the Gibson 57's like the Ibenez Super 70's?

Click to expand...

Not at all, the '70's are a pretty mellow, quite jazzy pickup the Super '58's are apparently more standard PAF like the '57 classics, but have never tried any.

Some bigger pics of the Greco pups might help! Is there anything stamped on the baseplate or just the inked numbers?

Those are the only pics I have of the PU's. None of these pics are mine they were all taken in Japan. Since I'm pulling them anyway I guess I can pull them and take pics of them. I will sell them on Ebay. Seems like Greco MIJ anything sells so I should be able to get somthing for them.

WCR Godwoods or Wolfetone Marshallheads.

interesting I just brought Amplitube up in my studio daw and the Standard sounds better through the fake modeled stuff than the Hamer. The Hamer just sounds fuzzy and buzzy and the PU is pretty low. I just really don't like the seth Lover PU's. Maybe I should keep the crappy Greco's in and use that guitar when I'm useing models. I rarely use models though. hum,,, I just like cleaner PU's. On the clean side so they are articulate and clear while being distorted.

Right you are about the Goodwoods. Nice. Thanks.

Mitch

Hooked up with Rio Grande and have some Texas Barbecue's on the way. I don't know though I realy like these UD PU's for writing through the J station. They don't track well but through th J station they sound better than any other guitar. Probobly cause they are so low output the terrible modeled puke sound doesn't come through as much or somthing. But they don't track as well through my Matchless heads as the other guitars with the other PU's. Strange. So I'm torn do I keep them in and write with the guitar through the models or do I beef it up a bit and make it sound better though the amps? I LOVE this guitar though. I like it better than my 1980 super real JR or my 1980 Super power Black Beauty Custom. It's just more fun to play some how. Probobly cause I set it up myself and I know what I like. I have to work on the other 2. They just came back from a VERY expensive tech set up job and I like the one that never made the trip the best. I am my own tech from now on. Anyone need their guitars worked on? LOL I rule at set up. LOL...

Hello Mitch,
welcome to the Greco insider secret society of Japanese guitar lovers . I saw your posts and it's really cool to have a pro like you on here! Anyway,I had a Rio Grande BBQ bridge before and I really liked that pickup,a little more balls than a Texas....

Thank you it's good to be here. Well I ordered the Texas Barb cause that's what he thought I would like afer hearing what I think I want. I am still struggling with it though cause the PU's in this guitar (standard) sound so good for writing through my J Station I can't imagine anything sounding better for that. But, they are weak through the Matchless heads. The other guitars sound better through the heads for recording. I am so diggin this ******* greco Sunburst that I think it will become my live guitar. I have been told it's a higher end neck with a lower end body. I even suspect the neck was put on after the factory. Maybe. Maybe not. I doubt that though cause it's too good. But I don't care cause it's all great and I paid nothing for it. $450 with shipping. So, I have to put some better PU's in it and hope they still kill through the J station for writing. I think they will as the inhernet tone of the guitar is very bright and chimy. Very nice. I can't stop playing it in fact and have written 7 songs for the new CD on it in the last couple weeks. My Custom Super Power and Super real Jr track better. So I'm just trying to make the Sunburst do all things well. We will see. If I don't like the Texas I'll send um back and get hotter ones. But I like articulation over power. I'm mostly a Rhythm and parts player player. At least I was.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150242318058&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=005

I'm not sure what possed me to pull this trigger but I own it now. Can someone what it might be like?

Hey guys been a long time. I built a mac and lost this address but I found it once again. So yeah I took the PU cover off the Cheap Greco PU and left it in I love it. It kicks ***. I had it Plecked and it's now my favorite guitar. And I played it for my live concert dvd that comes out Aug 1. Is there a way to post a sample on this site?

Gday Mitch, did the plecking make much difference? I have been thinking of doing this same thing to my guitars. Not too sure about the sound samples but i am sure someone else will help with that...

Mick

Yeah it made a big difference. Made it feel more expensive and more vintage. Just a warmer more comfortable feel. It didn't make it sound any better it was all about the feel for me. I think it's worth the money.