bimmermanshane

I completely agree with the comment about their entire setup, a mesa boogie with some kind of metal distortion pedal is for sure going to sound different than a Marshall with two or three tube screamers that's being pushed by emgs. Oh yea with the kids turned way down lol. I guess I should say what setup and guitar I typically use. I've had a couple of different Les Paul's, a custom shop, and a standard with the non covered humbuckers. Actually, I'm confused as to what those humbuckers were in the standard. I also have a couple ibanez rg guitars I'm working on, for 60 bucks you either get bad electronics or a bad neck lol. So lots of parts swapping between those two. I have an ibanez solid-state amp, and am replacing the tubes (ugh) in a line 6 dt50. I don't plan on using solid-state forever and I don't like using too many pedals, just distortion, delay, maybe compression or chorus if I need it for a particular song/set. Also when the mahogany is mentioned yes absolutely. I put an invader in one of the ibanez bodies to test the differences, and when it's in the maple body it seems to have more treble. Maybe I'm just crazy. But the rg sounds somehow like an rg, both amps, the tube maybe slightly more warm and dynamic. And the Les Paul also sounds a bit like a Les Paul, even through the solid-state. For myself I would absolutely just make or build several different guitars for different purposes, it became difficult when I started having to build one that two entirely different people will both see something they like in. Certainly makes it more difficult. Y'all had several suggestions on pickups and I will definitely be checking those out, may even have to order a couple sets and just try them honestly.

So I've browsed the internet, watched 100+ YouTube videos, and none of them really tell me the answer to a simple yet highly debated topic. I'm building a Les Paul style guitar, I love Les Paul's, however I'm changing the neck profile and number of frets in search of playability and sustain. I love the warm mellow Les Paul tone, and I would like to incorporate some of that as well as adding some more modern clarity and attack, hopefully without going active. Everyone says super distortions, or jb. But YouTube sound clips don't show me good quality sound in most places. I would like some high end clarity similar to Jon petrucci on dream theaters newest album, but to also have a slightly more traditional warmth and decent sustain. I would say Slash's guitar is almost too warm/muddy, on the other end would be 80s and early 90s Metallica with almost piercing treble and high gain sustain. So...something in the middle if that exists... If you want a nice mellow, but clear/non muddy tone, what brand or direction should you go for pickups? Even thought about a good high gain/high output bridge pickup, with a more traditional neck pickup. Matching volumes would be slightly difficult though. Sorry for the long winded question, I know I'll have to compromise on either top or bottom end most likely, but I'd like a balance of both if I can to make the guitar more versatile. So I could gift it to someone who plays blues sometimes, and metal other times, or use myself for recording. Thanks for the help