Help With My Pickup Decision

[MrB]

Greetings from a (soon to be) new Heritage owner,

I recently placed an order for a custom Millennium DC:
Vintage Wineburst color, rosewood fingerboard, dot fret markers, thin profile neck, no binding on head. I can hardly wait!
I'm concerned that the maple body might make the sound too bright for my taste,
(I like a well rounded sound: full tight bass, rich woody mids, clear but not brittle highs)
I thought Seymour Duncan APH-1 Alnico II Pro's might be the pickup solution.
But they have a 'spongy' bass. The SH-1 '59's have a punchier bass, but have weak mids and a brighter top end.
My solution is:
APH-1 Alnico II Pro's in the bridge position, to warm up the usually brighter bridge pickup sound,
The SH-1 '59 in the neck position, to tighten up the bass, thinking this location will make the highs less bothersome.
I'm hoping these two pickups will balance the sound, and each will cancel out the weakness of the other.
Any thoughts or suggestions? I still have time to make a change.

Thanks in advance,
Mr B

[mark555]

I would ask myself "what tone am I really after?". Then research all pick ups on the market that might suit your needs. The problem is that you just can't try before you buy on your guitar. Sounds like you know what you want already, you can always go with them for a few months then change them as you feel the need to do so for your personal taste.

 

Good luck, and welcome to the cult - I mean club....

 

By the way, pics are a requirement here in order that we can all drool over your new guitar and compliment you on it! Looking forward to seeing them!

[Spook410]

If you want an even sound, I would avoid pickups that seek to color the sound. Gibson 57 classic or Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers would be where I would start.

[DetroitBlues]

Seth Lovers. You'll want a more vintage PAF style that will darken up the maple.

 

On a side note, I think the DOT inlays would look odd. I suggest no markers or split block...

[SouthpawGuy]

To my ears the Millie sounds and feels more like a solid body than a semi, I'd also go for the Seths.

[smurph1]

Seths are Great..They sound very "Old School" to me..Reminds me of the recordings from the 60s and 70s..Welcome to the Club!!

[PunkKitty]

I just installed a set of Seths in my H-170. Now I understand why they are so well liked. I vote for Seths.

[MrB]

Thanks for all the thoughts & welcomes to the cult.

 

Doesn't anyone like the Seth Lovers? `,:-)

But seriously, I didn't consider the Seth Lovers because they:

'have a softer bottom end', and 'a slightly honky microphonic quality'.

From the comments, that doesn't seem to be an issue. Or is it...

Unfortunately I do know the sound I want, but the short sound clips on the S.D. website, and the lack of good youtube videos, and the inability to hear them on a guitar that doesn't exist yet, makes the decision difficult.

Of course, I will post photos, when the guitar arrives.

And I'm sticking with the dot fret markers. The standard Millie (block markers, binding on the head, gold hardware) is a bit fancy for my style. Picture a Millie body with a Prospect neck and nickel hardware.

 

Thanks,

Mr B

[smurph1]

Thanks for all the thoughts & welcomes to the cult.

 

Doesn't anyone like the Seth Lovers? `,:-)

But seriously, I didn't consider the Seth Lovers because they:

'have a softer bottom end', and 'a slightly honky microphonic quality'.

From the comments, that doesn't seem to be an issue. Or is it...

Unfortunately I do know the sound I want, but the short sound clips on the S.D. website, and the lack of good youtube videos, and the inability to hear them on a guitar that doesn't exist yet, makes the decision difficult.

Of course, I will post photos, when the guitar arrives.

And I'm sticking with the dot fret markers. The standard Millie (block markers, binding on the head, gold hardware) is a bit fancy for my style. Picture a Millie body with a Prospect neck and nickel hardware.

 

Thanks,

Mr B

Yep some people have mentioned this microphonic tendency..I've never experienced it personally with my 535, but I think feedback is my friend!!

[SouthpawGuy]

One of the best demos of Seth Lovers on youtube, the pickups are not wax potted btw. I have them in a Prospect and also in the neck position in a G&L Bluesboy. They're great for cleans and od tones.

[TalismanRich]

And I'm sticking with the dot fret markers. The standard Millie (block markers, binding on the head, gold hardware) is a bit fancy for my style. Picture a Millie body with a Prospect neck and nickel hardware.

 

 

I was just playing mine with the Seth Lovers. I have APH1s in my H140. They are different, but not so much that I can't dial in the sound I want. Sometimes I like the APHs better. Its more of a mood thing.

 

On the other hand.....

A Mille with binding and gold hardware is just... LOVELY. Too bad you can't order hollow traps anymore!

 

[Blunote]

I have Seths in an h-150 and really like the honky overtones with a litle gain. Played clean they're quite clear and articulate.

 

But if you don't like that vintage honk, then you'll want to find something else.

 

Have you thought about putting single coils in it? Something like Lollar P-90s?

[smurph1]

 

I was just playing mine with the Seth Lovers. I have APH1s in my H140. They are different, but not so much that I can't dial in the sound I want. Sometimes I like the APHs better. Its more of a mood thing.

 

On the other hand.....

A Mille with binding and gold hardware is just... LOVELY. Too bad you can't order hollow traps anymore!

 

That's a BEAUT!!

[MrB]

Needs To Get Out More: Thanks for the video, very helpful.

Heir Apparent: Sweet Ride!

 

I wonder if it's possible to get a Seth Lover that's potted?

 

Mr B

 

ps: how do I change my title? I'm not a distant relation...

[JeffB]

Needs To Get Out More: Thanks for the video, very helpful.

Heir Apparent: Sweet Ride!

 

I wonder if it's possible to get a Seth Lover that's potted?

 

Mr B

 

ps: how do I change my title? I'm not a distant relation...

Ha!! Thats funny.

The "needs to get out more" and "distant relation" are not screen names. They are indicative of post count. You are MrB

[JeffB]

I really like the Seths in my H150 though sometimes I wish the bridge had a bit more nads for a bit heavier rock.

[tulk1]

I have a set of Tom Short pickups in my '08 Millie DC NFH. Good PAF pickups.

 

[Blunote]

I wonder if it's possible to get a Seth Lover that's potted?

 

Mr B

Popular wisdom here is that the SD 59's are essentially potted Seth Lovers.

[Guest HRB853370]

This might sound cliche, but pickups are pickups. You have humbuckers and you have single coils. Chose among those two categories based on what you can hear online, at stores, peoples opinions and websites. Once you made your decision, use your tone controls and amp eq to dial in what you want. I cannot see how you could possibly go wrong.

[pressure]

On a new build you never know how it will turn out. I'm putting Stephens Design pickups in my Mille build and hoping for the best, actually hoping for the bestest best.

[DetroitBlues]

This might sound cliche, but pickups are pickups. You have humbuckers and you have single coils. Chose among those two categories based on what you can hear online, at stores, peoples opinions and websites. Once you made your decision, use your tone controls and amp eq to dial in what you want. I cannot see how you could possibly go wrong.

 

That is true to some extent. Many humbucker companies today are so close in tone, you have to have really good sense of tone to tell the difference. Virtually all of them are just trying to recreate a pickup from the 50's to the 70's...

[mtpatty]

 

That is true to some extent. Many humbucker companies today are so close in tone, you have to have really good sense of tone to tell the difference. Virtually all of them are just trying to recreate a pickup from the 50's to the 70's...

 

I dunno- I hear very different tones, depending on the magnet used...A2's sound a lot different than A5's and Ceramic sounds a lot different to my ears than Alnico's...some are really close, but I think you can tell...

certainly, potted vs. unpotted is different too...lately I have been digging Burstbucker's (go figure)!

[DetroitBlues]

Burstbuckers Pros are my favorite...

[mtpatty]

Burstbuckers Pros are my favorite...

 

I have not heard them yet- I have heard the BB1, BB2, and the BB3...and liked them all

[DetroitBlues]

 

I have not heard them yet- I have heard the BB1, BB2, and the BB3...and liked them all

 

The Gibson LP Studio Faded in Cherry and Brown has them as well as some of the Standards from a few years ago. Best sounding in my opinion. When I had them in my Epiphone LP, I had a choice between the Epi and a Gibson LP Studio with 496R/498T's and gave up the Gibson....