Looking for a cleaner neck pickup tone

[SlappyTappy]

Guitar currently has 2 Duncan 59s. I love the bridge pickup tone, wouldn't ask for anything different. The neck is a little too creamy/bassy for my tastes. I can't lower it any more because of those darned long-legs. Guitar also has the 50s wiring mod which helped overall but I'm considering a swap.

 

I'd like to stay in the Seymour Duncan realm and the vintage PAF territory. I've already tried Alnico II Pros in this guitar and the result was way too dark. I guess that leaves the Pearly Gates, Seth Lover, and new Whole Lotta Humbucker. None of which I've ever personally played, and I'm usually pretty leery of buying things I've no experience with but Duncan usually makes a quality product and if anybody has some personal playing experience here I'd love to hear some input.

 

Looking for something cleaner with more attack, like a humbucker version of a Strat neck pickup.

[H]

I had a similar issue with the Burstbucker Pros in my 150.

 

Step one was to remove a little more wood from beneath the pickup leg area. This is a straightforward job with an electric drill and a chisel. I only needed to remove a few millimetres of wood to drop the pickup where I wanted it.

 

Step two, when I determined I still needed a little more of the higher frequencies coming through, was to swap the stock .022 cap for that pickup to a .015. That cleaned up the sound to where I wanted it.

 

Caps, etc, cost little in comparison to pickups. Experiment with things at the cheaper end first, it'll save you money.

[SlappyTappy]

I'm not going to chisel out wood from the guitar when I could just buy short-leg pickups. I have, however, considered disconnecting the tone pots from the guitar for a sort of "hot rod" mod.

[SouthpawGuy]

My 150 has Pearly Gates, bought it used and the sound was too thin for my taste, pickups were set low so I cranked them up closer to the strings, fattened it up nicely. Maybe that pickup might suit your needs more.

 

The '59s do sound fuller, I have them in a 535 and a Hamer Studio, and I like the bigger tone in the neck.

[High Flying Bird]

SD Phat Cats.

[GuitArtMan]

Don't forget the Antiquities. The Antiquity neck is especially nice.

[tsp17]

totally agree about 59s. Nice and creamy, but if you want crystal clean, they are not going to deliver.

 

HRW if you can find it.

 

Seymour Duncan Jazz neck might be good. And .... i have one sitting around that you can buy very reasonably. it was in a 575 i bought and was too hot and bright for me.

[big bob]

have you considdered a mini Humbucker, or a t.v. jones...

[hinesarchtop]

Try a Duncan alnico 2. They sound great and I believe they're a bit cooler than a 59. You can read about them on his site.

[58super]

Klein 58 humbuckers or Lollar Low Wind Imperials. Both available with short legs and both are brighter and cleaner than the Duncans.

[SlappyTappy]

My 150 has Pearly Gates, bought it used and the sound was too thin for my taste, pickups were set low so I cranked them up closer to the strings, fattened it up nicely. Maybe that pickup might suit your needs more.

 

The '59s do sound fuller, I have them in a 535 and a Hamer Studio, and I like the bigger tone in the neck.

 

Pearly Gates does have a reputation for being bright...might be what I'm looking for.

 

have you considdered a mini Humbucker, or a t.v. jones...

 

I have Filtertrons in my Cabronita, I'd like to stick to a PAF style bucker in my 150. I would be looking for a similar tone though...the Trons have the kind of bite I need.

 

Try a Duncan alnico 2. They sound great and I believe they're a bit cooler than a 59. You can read about them on his site.

 

The Alnico 2 I mentioned I tried...too dark for this guitar. Maybe it was the soft attack of the magnets, which is what I'm slightly concerned about with the Pearly Gates being that it also uses Alnico 2 mags.

 

Budget is somewhat of a concern and I don't want to go boutique builder here. I also prefer not to mix-n-match brands. The Antiquities are more aged than the Seth Lover which sounds to me like it would yield a softer attack.

 

The Jazz I've only tried in Jackson guitars, and I wasn't really a fan...however those were all 24 fret double cutaway guitars so take that with some salt.

[GuitArtMan]

Pearly Gates does have a reputation for being bright...might be what I'm looking for.

 

 

I have Filtertrons in my Cabronita, I'd like to stick to a PAF style bucker in my 150. I would be looking for a similar tone though...the Trons have the kind of bite I need.

 

 

The Alnico 2 I mentioned I tried...too dark for this guitar. Maybe it was the soft attack of the magnets, which is what I'm slightly concerned about with the Pearly Gates being that it also uses Alnico 2 mags.

 

Budget is somewhat of a concern and I don't want to go boutique builder here. I also prefer not to mix-n-match brands. The Antiquities are more aged than the Seth Lover which sounds to me like it would yield a softer attack.

 

The Jazz I've only tried in Jackson guitars, and I wasn't really a fan...however those were all 24 fret double cutaway guitars so take that with some salt.

I found the PG bridge to be on the bright side, not so much so the neck. In fact, I found the neck rather dark clean. Distorted it really sang well and ended up with some bite, but clean was really dark in my guitar (Les Paul). I ended up with an Aniquity neck and a PG bridge and played that guitar that way for many, many years.

[mtpatty]

might want to try a Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell- despite its name, it sounds like what you may be after...read about it and listen to it on Dimarzio's site or youtube...I just bought one and am putting it in my OSB H150CM Classic...( I just received the bridge pickup today- an Air Classic Bridge) and should receive the HFH by Friday- Dimarzio also has a pickup picker that may help on their site-

[Joey]

I put Fralin Pure PAFs in my H555 and love them. I really took note that the neck pup was the cleanest, most articulate I have ever heard.

[Kuz]

Not to sound like a broken record, but I live on the Neck pickup and Throbak is as good as they get. I have tried a slew of others but Throbaks are the best.

 

If you are on a budget, then Seth Lover's neck pup is probably my second favorite.

[SlappyTappy]

So my tech just informed me that when I had the 50s wiring done he measured my pots and they all hovered around 200-300k.

 

I think a set of 500k pots is in order before I go for pickups. That might be the real source of the problem.

[tulk1]

So my tech just informed me that when I had the 50s wiring done he measured my pots and they all hovered around 200-300k.

 

I think a set of 500k pots is in order before I go for pickups. That might be the real source of the problem.

What year is your 150? Seems there was a run when they used the 300k pots. Was all that was available, I believe was the explanation when asked at PSP. The 500k may just be your ticket!

[H]

So my tech just informed me that when I had the 50s wiring done he measured my pots and they all hovered around 200-300k.

 

I think a set of 500k pots is in order before I go for pickups. That might be the real source of the problem.

Be careful you don't lose the bridge tone you like.

[SlappyTappy]

What year is your 150? Seems there was a run when they used the 300k pots. Was all that was available, I believe was the explanation when asked at PSP. The 500k may just be your ticket!

I believe it's a 2003.

 

As for losing the bridge pickup tone I like, I'm considering just changing the neck pickup pots.

[Blunote]

SD Seth Lovers or Antiquities were mentioned earlier. Heres a demo of an H150 with Antiquities that was listed today in the for sale section. These can provide good creamy tone that is not muddy at all.

[pressure]

Have you changed the pole heights ( the visible poles with screwdriver slots)? Screws down, lets the hidden slug coil which is the bright half of the humbucker, dominate giving the brightest and clearest sound.

Conversely screws up will let the poll screw coil dominate for a slightly mellower sound, this lets you tame the treble on an overly bright bridge pickup.

[JohnCovach]

Klein 58 humbuckers or Lollar Low Wind Imperials. Both available with short legs and both are brighter and cleaner than the Duncans.

 

I agree about the Lollar Imperials. Even the normal wind is brighter than any of the Duncan pickup I have. You need to be sure you have 500k pots too.

[H]

Have you changed the pole heights ( the visible poles with screwdriver slots)? Screws down, lets the hidden slug coil which is the bright half of the humbucker, dominate giving the brightest and clearest sound.

Conversely screws up will let the poll screw coil dominate for a slightly mellower sound, this lets you tame the treble on an overly bright bridge pickup.

I've learned something new - thanks for this info!

[MichYank]

I put in new 500K pots and an A2 magnet in the neck slot of my Duncan '59's and I'm very pleased with it. The p'ups you noted all have A2 magnets so it makes sense to me. Magnets are like $4.00 ppd from Addiction FX (ebay vendor, Google it). There are several on-line tutorials for changing out the magnet. I had my luthier do it because I'm not good at that stuff. Anyway - cheaper than a new pickup and the '59 is a great pickup!

 

There was a thread on the Duncan Forum that indicated a '59 with an A2 is tonally equivalent to a Seth. I don't know, but I love mine!