20 Best Humbucker Pickups For Les Paul (2022 Updated)

Sound: “Vintage” output level, balanced low and high end with a slightly scooped midrange, somewhat “spongey” or “loose” feel – pretty much how they describe it on their site, but that’s not really the whole story.

I got this to replace the Dimarzio Air Norton S (another single-coil-sized humbucker) in my Ibanez Xiphos’s neck slot, and I REALLY like the upgrade. It’s great for smooth, articulate neck-position soloing; clean, overdriven, and heavily-distorted rhythm across a range of styles; and really nice coil-split or out-of-phase tones using the 4-conductor wiring (I go with coil-split).

I paired it with a Black Winter Trembucker in the bridge (and reviewed that one on its page here on zZounds), and believe it or not, they’re an EXCELLENT match. The combined coil-split sounds with that one do an awesome Strat or Tele imitation, depending on whether you split to the inside or outside coils.

And as you’d expect, the Little ’59 is spot-on for jazz with the volume and tone controls rolled back a bit. NOTE: A lot of folks will tell you that this pickup doesn’t sound EXACTLY like the full-sized ’59, and that’s true – it’s a little sharper and more “single-coil-y”.

That’s to be expected; this version is narrower, so it picks up less of the string and thus less midrange, and the ceramic magnet that they use to get a comparable output level sounds a touch “harder” than the Alnico V in the standard model.

Again though, Duncan adjusted the coil windings and output to get as close as possible to the full-sized version, and most listeners who don’t play (not to mention plenty of players) would have a hard time telling the difference in a blind A/B comparison.

Features: Very customizable with the 4-conductor wiring and two rows of adjustable pole-pieces, excellent build quality and it looks great too. Ease of Use: Like with any pickup, you’ll want to adjust the height below the strings to get the best response.

The aforementioned 4-conductor wiring gives you tons of options for different tones, and you can fine-tune each string’s response with the dual rows of polepiece screws. Quality: I think the name “Seymour Duncan” says it all here – countless professional players all over the world use this brand because they’re durable, reliable, and they sound great.

This unit is no exception. Value: DEFINITELY worth the price, and then some! It sounds great, looks great, and lets players with single-coil routes in their guitars get that classic P. A. F. sound without having to cut bigger holes in their guitar.

Manufacturer Support: I’ve never had to contact Seymour Duncan for any mechanical or quality issues, but I did reach out with a wiring question some years ago – they were prompt, helpful, and responsive, and I don’t expect that that’s changed since then.

The Wow Factor: Much like the bridge pickup I got to match with it, “tone” is a very subjective thing – some people might like other pickups better. But if you want that old-school humbucker sound without having to route extra wood out of your single-coil-equipped guitar, I can’t imagine how you could beat this one.

A+ Overall: It’s. Well, it’s a Little ’59! Single-coil-sized version of Duncan’s original “P. A. F. ” style pickup (they have a few others with slightly different tones and cosmetics), and it’s very close to a regular ’59 in the sound and response.

The way they approach it is totally different of course – this one uses a ceramic magnet instead of the Alnico V in the full-sized ’59, as well as a different winding and DUAL polepiece screws – but that’s expected when trying to get a P.

A. F. sound out of a single-coil housing.

These pickups are amazing for someone who wants to run with one bass and wants pickup options. The different voicings are truly different and can change the sound quite well, also considering they can be coil split.

These are perfect for the guy who has one bass or wants to use one bass and is a session guy. The voicings and ease of change on the fly make it ideal for studio work. I would say though, if there’s a specific tonal sound you are going for, I would buy the pickups that beat give you that tonal sound.

Are there better single coil jazz bass pickups? Yes. Are there better active soapbar pickups out there? Yes and no, depending on what you like. But what this does is give you very good pickup sounds for the different styles and voicings it offers, and pretty much puts 6 basses into one bass (if you consider the coil splitting).

If you already own multiple basses, this may not be for you as it may not add to your Arsenal unless you’re looking for a singular bass to travel with. But if you own a single bass and are wanting more tonal options, this is the way to go.

One thing to note, I did have to route out just a little bit the pickup cavities in my Jackson JS3VQ bass, so do check your pickup cavity size. I didn’t need to remove much though and they fit.

Very disappointed but I knew better. These sound like EMG81 pickups. They are not my thing. I love Killswitch engage and had high hopes but those awesome clean tones are post production for sure. High they do great but like I said you’ll sound the same with EMG81/85 pickups.

Just my opinion. Other guitars I own that I play daily to get an idea of the sound I go for. Tom Anderson Drop Top with factory passive pickups(blow these fishmans out of the water) 1969 Les Paul Custom Shop factory Gibson pickups ESP Viper Camo(had EMG81s that now has these fishmans) Dean ML Slime factory dimebucker.

Opinion online seems very divided on Fishman Fluence pickups, but then opinion on anything to do with guitar tone online is always very divided. For myself I have to say that these pickups blew me away.

First off, they look amazing with their high gloss black finish and the signature Fishman dividing line running across them. Second, installation was fairly easy for me with numerous wiring diagrams available for various combinations of volume and tone pots.

It is solder based so not as straightforward as the EMG Hetfields I previously installed in another one of my guitars as those use all push fit connectors. Consequently I would not recommend installation to someone inexperienced.

Third (and most important!) is how they sound. They are quite high output but remain very quiet when not being played, a key feature of the Fluence line. I have found the EMG Hetfields to be over sensitive and very noisy to things like lifting your hand away from the strings after palm muting them.

No such problems with the Fluence, they respond beautifully to picking with each note ringing out clear and unaffected by the others but don’t produce any other unwanted noise from what your hands are doing unless you are particularly heavy handed.

They are also fantastic chuggers, sounding brilliant when palm muted. Depending how you set them up with your controls, they have multiple voicing options. The Ibanez SZ I installed them in has a three position selector switch, two volumes and one tone.

The Fluence set comes with two standard pots and two push pull pots. For my purposes I purchased and additional push pull put so all three on my guitar have a function. Volume 1 push/pulls between voice 1 and voice 2.

Volume 2 when pulled engages the high frequency tilt mode which rolls off some of the higher frequencies as some pickups would when using very long cables. The tone pot when pulled turns them from humbucker to single coil mode.

So, not only do they sound great but you get all these options to change their voicing making them one of the most versatile pickups out there. Fishman Fluence are now my pickup of choice and I will be installing them in more of my guitars, can’t really give a higher recommendation than that!.

These are awesome!!! I’ve put off for the longest time getting EMG’s because of the premium price and the use of batteries, but a recently failed neck pickup in my Dean V prompted me to give em a go.

I was not disappointed in my decision! The 81 is hot yet very meaty, lots of sustain, bite, & clarity. The 85 is surprisingly loud, even set all the way flush with the pickup ring, but it had that deep rich “woman” tone you’d look for from a neck positioned pickup.

They both are very quiet, and you seem to have a lot more control over them, especially if you love using feedback to your advantage. A happy surprise is that they shine just as nicely with clean tones, adding more depth & sustain than was expecting.

They’re aimed at hard rock & metal, I’d be willing to bet you can use em for any style. I installed them myself, and you don’t need much more than some simple small hand tools. Installation was fairly easy, and the instructions are fairly easy to follow if you’re any way mechanically/technically inclined, giving options on setup depending on your volume/tone/selector switch arrangement.

The solderless layout was a big selling point for me since I’m not the greatest at soldering, and the “plug n play” setup is well thought out. My only gripe is that the kit does not give a short shaft pot option, and the cables for the output jack could stand to be a bit longer, but that’s as far as the complaining will go.

Aside from that it’s a Grade A upgrade for those who love humbuckers and rock n roll, SOOO worth the price, can’t believe I waited so long. I’m not one to tell people what to do, but I definitely without a doubt recommend these🤘🏻😎.

EMG is a love or hate relationship with guitarists. I was once in the hate camp until I bought an ’86 Rhoads w/ the classic Jeff Beck / Jazz configuration. I had a set of EMGs molding in a box so I busted them out and installed them.

Being a metal player, and mostly stupid most of the time, I reasoned it a temporary fix to quell the ultra noisy Duncan pickups until I could decide on something better. Serendipity. My guitar came Alive! Not being much of a mystery, I wondered how I could’ve been so wrong, and predictably stupid about the 81/ 85 set.

They’re extremely agressive (little Kreator reference there hehe), quiet and grab all the signal. I own 12 guitars ranging from Jackson, ESP, 2 Les Pauls, 2 Ibanez, a strat, a neck thru Warlock blah blah blah.

all of them have undergone reconstructive EMG surgery. The only divergence in tone is relative to the wood of the particular guitar. People argue this but having 12 guitars all loaded with the same pickups tells the tale.

The cheapest, crappiest Ibanez I spent $700 between a new neck, Shaller Hannes bridge, Grover tuners. all because it sounded the heaviest of all my guitars. This set is exceptional. It’s right there with the ZW 81/85 sets in terms of tone, clarity and silence.

Don’t Tell the Wife Guitars did me a supersolid deal on these. Highly recommend for people who’re going to shred. If you’re going to play Grandpa music (Roy Clark is exempted here), go buy some boring, Vanilla pickups.

If you want to melt your face off, buy these.

I received a Fleor M00074-4 wrapped in tin foil with 2 screws and 2 springs. If you do a search for this brand, you’ll see nothing but good reviews. I replaced the original single humbucker in my Peavey Rockmaster with the Fleor.

The Fleor is quieter than the original (silence—no hum at all!). Plus, all the poles are adjustable. Sounds really good and just as loud! I suspect Fleor probably makes pickups for the other major brands.

At this price, it is worth experimenting. They say you could a lot of money for a bad sounding pickup, so I recommend you start with this one.

Arrived very quickly, as described, I haven’t metered the output yet but it seems right. Plays dynamically, sounds good. Installed in my bridge position, taps nicely. Moderately quieter when tapped which I imagine is probably normal.

Just haven’t ever tapped a humbucker before. Retains the same tonal character when tapped though. Nothing to complain about other than excess wax on the top I needed to remove.

These pickups are a significant upgrade to stock pickups on my Affinity Squier Telecaster. Split coil setup, treble bleed. It quacks or thunders through.

Gnarly yet warm set of alnico pups! Great chrome finish and decent quality shielded wire. Unit was wax potted and is near silent when not playing. I highly recommend trying out this set. and oh yeah, the price.

remarkable!.

If you are looking for a cheap but better replacement for your poor stock pups, this is a really nice choice. Nice build quality, richly waxed, little crunchy hot sound. Thumbs up!

they were not full sise pickups, they are minis.wrong for replacement on les paul. change your add.

Swapped out some stock PRS humbuckers for these. I typically gig with two guitars, a PRS in standard tuning and a tele tuned a half step down. The PRS pickups were too hot, so when I had to switch from the tele to the PRS, my amp set at edge of break up for the tele would be way too dirty when I plugged in the PRS.

The PRS pickups were A5 magnets and I was afraid the A2’s would be too wooly. Overall, the result was more even output between the two guitars, A2 magnets weren’t too dark at all, and middle position has much more quack than the stock PRS pickups.

I play mostly jazz standards on hollow body guitars but occasionally stray into territory occupied by some of rock’s greatest lead guitar solos. I play clean with just a bit of reverb and the Seymour Duncan SH-55n pickup is absolutely outstanding for the purposes to which I put it.

I have never used the SH-55b bridge version of this pickup, so I cannot comment on it. The SH-55n is an absolutely exquisite neck pickup. It’s clarity, string-to-string tone separation and complex harmonics make it an outstanding pickup at any price, and a real bargain compared with the cost of many boutique pickups.

Be prepared to be surprised by the power of this Alnico 2 magnet pickup as well. It has plenty of volume to feel through a pedal chain where you can do additional sound shaping. The only application for which it might be ill-suited is heavy metal and/or high distortion applications.

Then again, would you really want to enter a Lexus in a mud bog race?.

This pair of Seth Lover PAFs by Seymour Duncan were installed in a 1995 Hamer Studio with a rosewood fretboard, mahogany body and a flamed maple cap so I am not about to describe how they sound in a Les Paul by Gibson or one of the LP clones.

I have tried the standard Duncans that came with the guitar (JB and a ’59) and was never happy with the JB though the ’59 was decent. I have tried other pickups by Duncan and Gotoh and Manilus in this guitar but none were going where I wanted to go.

The Seth Lover’s were my last hope. The dislike with all the PAF style pickups I tried was they helped to make the guitar sound brighter and this Hamer Studio does not need help like that!! From what I read about the Lovers I was afraid they too would brighten an already bright guitar.

NOT THE CASE. From the first instant I was pleased with what I heard and now several weeks later I am really loving what they do. The neck is very articulate and clear but warmth is available at all times.

Rolling off the tone control just opens up more possibilities from this pickup and it remains useful throughout the range of tone settings. The bridge is likewise useful at all tone settings but it really can give a nice bite and brings to mind some sounds from Bloomfield and Clapton way back when.

The Hamer volume controls are interesting beasts and when fully open they really let some high end frequencies come through. Playing with the volume and tone together just keeps revealing more and more great sounds.

I am presently playing all kinds of music except metal through a ’65 Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue with stock Jensen speaker and a Vox AC15C1 with the Celestial greenback speaker. The guitar sounds great through both.

I am not at all sure how these Lovers would sound through a high gain amp but maybe someone else has tried that and can address the situation. I am really pleased with the Lovers and would have paid more for this sound if I had to.

Frankly they sound better than more expensive pickups I tried in this guitar.

I tried several pickups before finding this one. The Dimarzio Titan bridge ROCKS ImI It’s the best sounding, tightest bridge pickup I’ve ever played. This pickup is so tight that you have to be careful not to get too heavy handed with your palm mutes – it’s nearly like having an on / off switch! Before getting this pickup, I tried the Seymor Duncan Pegasus but it has too much upper mids for my liking.

I also tried the SH-4 (JB) which has great crunch but lacks clarity. I also tried the SD Pearly Gates bridge pickup, stock Gibson humbuckers, and the new Dimarzio Illuminator. All the pickups I tried are good pickups, but the Titan beats them all hands down for heavy, palm muted music while maintaining good clarity, and a well balanced tone.

The EQ of the Titan accents the low to middle midrange, and has a much more pleasant sound to my ears than anything I’ve tried from Seymour Duncan. With the Titan, you get nice crunchy palm mutes without harshness.

The pickup also sounds awesome clean and it sounds great when used in combination with my Seymour Duncan ’59 neck pickup. I know the amp rig and guitar make a huge difference – so here’s my rig – for my full distortion sound I use a Maxxon OD808 driving the Lead1 channel of a Marshall DSL50, 4×12 cab with V30s.

My guitar is a Fender FMT Tele (carved maple top, mahogany body) This pickup is the perfect compliment to my rig. For progressive rock, modern rock, alternative, or metal, I don’t think you will find a better pickup! Try it! You’ll like it!.

This is the pickup you need for tighten your baritone up. I have installed this monster in my Prs se 277 baritone and it’s just awesome. I have tried Sd Jb and Nazgûl before in the same guitar and as much as I love them they didn’t work as good as this TITAN.

The sound you get out of this pick up has no equal. Affordable and huge.

I wired this in for coil splitting and sounds fantastic over the Duncan Design bridge I had in place. Very clear separation and articulation in both humbucker and coil split modes. Overall, this bridge sounds great for progressive metal/djent sounds and event twangy clean sounds when in single coil.

Very wide range of tones.

If you enjoy the sound of 80’s shredders, then look no further. The Gibson PAF has been one of the most cherished humbuckers for decades. I honestly think that this is the best pickup made by Gibson, and I’ve tried them all.

In my case, I’ve installed Classic 57’s in both a 2013 Gibson SG and in the bridge position of an old ’79 Fender Strat. Well, the SG sounds incredibly punchy and the Strat sounds exactly like Eddie Van Halen on the first two VH albums.

I have tried all sorts of pickups over the years. DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, EMG, Bill Lawrence, you name it. I have never heard a better pickup for shredding than the Classic 57 Plus. Excellent balance, great attack and fantastic tone is what this pup offers, without being so hot that your nuances get buried under a pile of gritty mud.

Harmonics are perfect. This is my favorite humbucker.

These pickups are the best. I bought an Ibanez AF95 from GC in Chicago about a decade ago. I fell in love with the guitar, it was my first hollowbody, though it was my first experience with humbuckers.

Up until that point, it was always the single coil strat sound and I didn’t “like” humbuckers. Still, the more I played the Ibanez I realized I needed a better sound from the neck pickup. I was inspired by Wes Montgomery and the beautiful Gibsons he played back in the 50s and 60s.

I’ve changed pickups on that guitar several times and have always gone “back” to the original 57 Classic I bought for the neck all of those years ago. The sound is big, airy, elegant, and very rich. I wish I could put them into all my archtops.

Also, a sincere tip: I’ve heard people talk about how “muddy” these pickups are. For years, I was at a loss: I always rolled the tone off to try and take off some of the bright edge. A few years ago, I had some new pots put on the guitar and, low and behold, I heard it: mud.

Long story short, it took me over a year and a half to realize what was going on. If you want your Gibson 57 classic to sound bright, make sure you have a linear pot (500k “B”) pot for the volume, and an audio pot (500k “A”) for the tone.

You’ll retain clarity with a linear pot. Then your 57s will shine.

Nice calmed down version of the PAF Pro. Despite a mirange bump, which helps in a band mix when used in live performance, the reaction to legato and staccoto picking styles is very forgiving. Perhaps not as crystaline as a Duncan ’59, this pup has it’s place.

Especially when overdriven. Clear response. Pups are definately subjective and depend on what you want out of your sound as well as your technique. I have used this model periodically since 1995. Works great in a higher gain soloing situation; more complex harmonics than the PAF Pro.

I normally use the Duncan ’59, but wanted to contrast my sound and use a newer version of the Air Classic. The midrange ‘honk’ that was mentioned is not dramatic enough to not regard this pup. In a live performance, that honk, which I overlook, is a benefit to your sound in the mix.

Mostly, DiMarzio’s such as this have great note to note response. Hey, if Shawn Lane used it in his custom guitars, that should be testament enough.

I recently rewired my Epiphone Les Paul with Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF pickups. This wiring job included NEW Bournes 500k Audio taper pots and Orange Drop caps. I used a Sprague Orange Drop. 015 uf for the neck PAF and a.

022 uf Orange Drop cap for the bridge PAF. I firmly believe that using the right pots and caps are critical when getting the correct tone that you are looking for. I am extremely happy with the (clean and over-driven) tones that I get out of this guitar.

At the heart of this vintage sound are the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF pickups. The 36th Anniversary PAF pickups provide a full spectrum, vintage sound. I have tried the Duncan 59 neck humbucker and it just seemed to have too much bass, it even sounded boomy.

I have heard the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF pickups described as sounding more compressed than the Duncans. I do not feel that compressed is an accurate term to describe the 36th Anniversary PAF pickups.

The 36th Anniversary PAF pickups seem to produce more even Bass, Mid and Treble tones than some other pickups, this is very reminiscent of what I have heard and expect from a vintage (sounding) Les Paul.

Dimarzio has done a good job at reproducing a vintage sounding Les Paul Pickup. I recommend the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF pickups if you are trying to get a tone reminiscent of an Old Les Paul.

I put these in a 1988 Les Paul Custom that I have owned since new. I have experimented over the years with different wiring; push/pull, full Jimmy Page, etc. , but never with the pickups. The pickups that were in there were pretty hot and would never really play clean.

I decided that I would try the DP103 in both the bridge and the neck position and I am very satisfied. They balance together really well. At the same time I pulled all of the JP wiring and put in a 50’s wiring harness from a guy named Huddy on the Bay.

I can now play much cleaner, but still get plenty of dirt when engaging the fuzz, distortion or overdrive pedals. They just create a cleaner canvas to work from. I am one that doesn’t completely buy into the whole “boutique” hype.

I enjoy great products at affordable pricing and these fall into that category. I am happy with the purchase.

Based on the description and very few online demos, I was expecting this pickup to be an evenly EQ’d, mid-high output bridge pup that’s better than your average OEM stock pickup but not great. However, once installed, it was clear that this pickup can hang with the other aftermarket modern metal pickups.

It’s definitely not mid-honky like a Titan/Nazgul/Jugg, but the mids are still very present and cut through a mix. Big chords ring out very clear, and heavy palm mutes are tight and aggressive. I haven’t tried this with cleans yet, but I’m sure it will excel there as well.

Money well spent.

If your guitar produces a bit of a thin or scooped tone in the bridge position, then I highly recommend the Breed. This is the 2nd one I’ve installed. The 1st was dropped into an ’89 Ibanez RG560. With a Floyd Rose style bridge, I found that the Dimarzio Breed gave it the body and mids that was missing.

In fact, I was so impressed that I just put another one into my Kiesel Delos. Fantastic guitar, but the light swamp ash body did give it a thinner sound with the stock Kiesel Bridge pickup. Now I have a fat bridge hum bucking tone! It also cleans up nicely.