Recommend 3 pups for an Epi Black Beauty

[MartinBarre]

I have three main guitars that I really like - a Jackson SL3 with JB and Hot Rails pups, a Jackson RR3 with Invaders and my Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty which has stock pups.
I quite like the stock bridge pup, and the neck one isn't too bad - but the guitar is so incredible to play that I'll keep it for good, so I'm thinking I should maybe get some new Duncan pups to bring it up to the same level as my Jacksons.

It has three pups, with gold covers. The SL3 does rock/metal, the RR3 does very heavy metal - I'm looking for something a little different for the Black Beauty.

I thought maybe an Alnico II for the bridge (for Slash type sounds), a '59 or Jazz for the neck, and a Phat Cat for the middle.
How would that all go together? The P-90 type make things a little more varied? I have to say three humbuckers seems a little less tonally varied than you might think.

[GryphonGuitar]

For the bridge I'd stay with Gibson and go with their 500T pickup. Awesomely good in any Les Paul.

[Rich#6]

do it like frampton
57 classic neck
57 classic plus middle
500t bridge

[Frigo89]

DMZ PAF Pros - Neck & Middle
DMZ Super Distortion - Bridge

[Norton]

DMZ PAF Pros - Neck & Middle
DMZ Super Distortion - Bridge

I agree with that.

[MartinBarre]

I prefer Duncan's to be honest. I'm also not convinced there's any point in three humbuckers - I just dont think the third pickup offers enough tonal options. I'd probably rather just disconnect the middle pup if I wasn't going to change it for a P90 type.
Anyone think the P90 middle or middle and neck would be a good idea? I'm really just guessing, and going on what a couple of guys on the Seymour Duncan forum have told me.

[shobet]

Bareknuckle do a humbucker sized P90, if you're prepared to spend that much. I quite like the sound of P90s in mahogany. I love my LP DC special to bits, it's just a pity that the stock pickups on there are so noisy.

[MartinBarre]

Bareknuckle do a humbucker sized P90, if you're prepared to spend that much. I quite like the sound of P90s in mahogany. I love my LP DC special to bits, it's just a pity that the stock pickups on there are so noisy.

I don't know how much those Bareknuckle pups you mention are, but Duncan do the PhatCat which I'd probably use (since I like DUncans! ). I reckon I can get all three from a guy in the US for around £150. Which is a fair bit to spend. Especially since I'd need to pay someone to wire it all up for me so it offers much more than just bridge/bridge-middle/neck, which is just stupid on a guitar with three pickups.

[toejam]

DiMarzio does a humbucker-sized P90 called the Bluesbucker. They also have the Humbucker From Hell which is like a single coil in humbucker housing.

[rocksoldier]

I would just dissconnect the middle pickup, but if not, use something very single coil sounding like the humbucker fron hell, could be a pretty nice clean sound.

My sister used to have a 3 pickup Epi sg, and i didn't care for the middle pickup to be honest.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

neck-P90
middle-P90
bridge-P90

[Bengal65]

do it like frampton
57 classic neck
57 classic plus middle
500t bridge

+1

[chrisolson]

DMZ PAF Pros - Neck & Middle
DMZ Super Distortion - Bridge

OR...you could go PAF Pro all the way. I've had it in the bridge of a couple guitars, and it's very capable. The Super Dist is GREAT in LP's, but you said you already had guitars for "teh brootalz".