You’re having a great time building your perfect Les Paul, but now it’s time for one of the most critical tonal decisions… What pickups should I use for my Les Paul build?
There are a lot of great options on the market and the pickups you choose will have a major effect on how your guitar sounds. So, let’s go through them, and find the perfect pickups for your dream Les Paul, whether you're building it from scratch or looking for some high-quality replacement pickups, starting with the…
GUYKER Humbucker LP Guitar Pickup Chameleon Pickup
This is definitely the traditional choice for a Les Paul but in a far more interesting color.
The set includes a Guyker GHL-4B, which is a 13.5 K bridge pickup, and the Guyker GHL-2N, a 7.5K neck pickup. They are a great all-around humbucker that will give you the classic sound that so many guitarists crave.
And what really makes them stand out is the color, Rainbow. Chrome, gold, or black pickups on a Les Paul look great, but they are a bit ‘standard’, whereas a quality pickup with a wonderful rainbow finish that catches the light beautifully when playing on stage is a far more colorful option.
Or, maybe you prefer something even more traditional, such as the first pickup ever to be placed on a Les Paul, all the way back in 1952? If so, you’ll love the…
Guyker P90 Double Layer Noise Reduction Guitar Pickup
Sticking with the classic theme, there are not many pickups that will look cooler on your Les Paul than these. A humbucker may be warmer and smoother than a P90, making them a great choice for rock guitarists, but if you want more bite, then a P90 will give you just that. This makes them a fantastic option for many musical genres from blues to punk.
They are available in the classic creamy yellow, my absolute favorite, but you can also get them in black, which is a more neutral color and will look good on basically any guitar.
Or, if you need a bit more oomph, go for the…
Guyker GK601 Humbucker Active Guitar Pickup Set
Les Pauls have much higher powered pickups than a strat or tele, but if you need even more, for example, to drive the front end of a valve amplifier, then you’ll need some active pickups. But active pickups aren’t only about sheer power, they also deliver a more consistent tone and cope with high-gain distortion pedals far better than passive pickups do.
They come in a matt black finish which will look great on any guitar, and all the necessary electronics needed for a complete active installation, as well as comprehensive instructions.
Sticking with oomph, how about the…
Guyker AGHB Inner Six Angle Hot Rail 5-Line Pickup
Hot Rails are a thing of beauty if you’re after sheer power and a cool design, and these humbuckers feature one hot rail alongside a traditional pickup design in both the neck and bridge humbuckers.
Hot Rails don’t have separate pole pieces for each individual string, as found on the majority of pickups, instead, they have "rails" (after which they are named) that fullfils the same function. The combination produces a high-output humbucker that will handle the dirtiest of pedals with ease.
They are available in all-black, or the stunning ‘zebra’ - one black pickup and one creamy white pickup making up the humbucker.
The Guyker GGL 6/7/8 String High Power Guitar Humbucker Pickup Set is also available featuring a pair of hot rails in each humbucker. It’s a solid choice if you are building a guitar with, for example, 7 or even 8 strings.
Or, if you prefer your guitars to look used and rustic, you might prefer the
GUYKER Bronze LP Guitar Pickup LPBR Set With Black Frame
Building a nicely relic’d guitar? Excellent, I love them as well. But you don’t want to be putting some super shiny new chrome pickups on there do you? No, you’ll need some pickups with the wonderful aged bronze finish you will find on this high-quality set.
But they won’t just give you the exact look you are going for, they also have that classic Les Paul sound that will put a smile on your face every time you play your guitar.
Sticking with the bronze theme, but adding a striking design, you might like the…
Guyker Alnico Humbucker Pickup For LP Guitar With Pickup Cover
This features a choice of designs, an evil-looking butterfly with a skull fr its head, a swooping eagle, or a set of gears for guitarists who like all things mechanical. And they are not only available in a matt bronze finish, but also in chrome or gold, perfectly matching your other hardware.
And it’s not all about the looks, these Alnico Humbuckers will also enhance the sound quality of your Les Paul build. Plus, they feature a very simple plug-and-play installation with no soldering required.
Please note that the electronics to go with the humbuckers is sold separately, for more details, check out GUYKER PRO Wiring Harness Push Pull Switch Potentiometers No Welding For LP Guitar.
Wrapping it Up
That’s it for my rundown of six of the best aftermarket Les Paul pickups you can buy. You should now be a lot clearer on which one is the right choice for your guitar. I’d also like to add that pickups are one of the easiest things to change on a guitar, so if you are not 100% happy with your choice, you can easily swap them out for another set.
If you need lots more great recommendations for other parts to build your dream Les Paul, then the Best Guitar Parts to Build a Les Paul is well worth a look.
Or, if you require more great info on all aspects of Lutherie, check out and subscribe to a few of the YouTube Guitar Modification and Building channels. They contain loads of excellent free information which can help you get your build on track and keep it that way. Also, take a look at the 10 Best Online Resources for Learning to Build and Modify Guitars for great tips and info for a trouble-free guitar build.
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