jerund Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 I have an H-170 with SD '59's, and am generally thrilled with my guitar. I see that Musician'sFriend has Gibson '57's on sale for $99, and '57 plus for $129. I like the idea of '57's on my Kalamazoo Beauty, but I'm not convinced I'll hear a significant difference. Any thoughts on this? http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x130/Jerrocity/H170-1.jpg[/img]
brentrocks Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 Welcome to the Club...NICE 170!!! i would stick with the Duncans....just my 2 cents.
slider313 Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 I have tried more than a few sets in my H 140 and the '57's are one of the best sounding in it, and I had Duncan '59's in it for years.
Thundersteel Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 If you want a nice vintage tone, try some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in it.
big bob Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 If you want a nice vintage tone, try some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in it. +1 love the lovers!
OldCrow Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 I've found that pickups are about the last thing you can predict tonally. For example, my first 150 came with '59s and immeaditely after my first band practice with it I ripped it out and eventually a Bare Knuckle Black Dog made it's way in there, freaking fantastic sounding pick up in that guitar, just the right amp of bite and bottom end and an aggressive grind-y midrange. Fast forward about a year, I get my second 150 (what can I say I love the 150s) this one came stock with '59s and I was already running under the assumption I was going to rip them out and drop something new in there, why wouldn't I think that it's the same type of guitar right? Well I'll be damned, the '59s in the second Heritage sounded every bit as huge and full as the Bare Knuckle in the other 150, no need to swap 'em out. My point is that you'll never know what a pick up will sound like in a guitar until it's in there, it takes all of 30 minutes to swap pick ups and if I can figure it out so can you! Worse case scenario you're out an hour with the original pick ups back in the guitar.
wingnut1 Posted January 25, 2009 Posted January 25, 2009 Don't discount the fact that the pots and caps in the guitar will change how the pickups sound as well.
jerund Posted January 25, 2009 Author Posted January 25, 2009 An update, I just tried an SG '61 reissue at a local branch store, on the same amp I have at home (Fender Blues Jr.) and while it was interesting to play a newer Gibson that didn't have a 2x4 for a neck, I would have to say my 170 sounds a little beefier. But to be fair, the store amp is new, and mine is American made. The other thing to add is that I am not disappointed with the '59's, just more or less curious. I had an ES-135 and I think it had a little woody-er sound, but I suspect the semi hollow has a LOT more to do with that than any electronics. Overall the H-170 is clearly my favorite guitar in my small corral, the second place being a Frankenstein strat; all built from parts. I had a '93 Standard (Mexican), put in Texas Specials after a year or two, and then a couple years ago replaced the neck with a Might Mite (ebony, MOP dots), then did the same with the body (solid ash, quilted maple deck in saphire blue), added Sperzel tuners, a Wilkenson vibrato bridge (V300g I think) which I had a local shop install. So from the original '93 I think I've got the neck plate, and... that's about it. And as the wife suggested, I got the cheapest set of electronics I could find, a pick-up set prewired on a plate from Mighty Mite for about 25 bucks, slapped all the old parts together with the cheapy pups, and sure enough, this thing actually sounds decent! I think the output on the Mites is higher that my Texas Specials!
shook494 Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 Welcome to the club! Nice 170. I like Duncan's myself. Good luck.
tulk1 Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I think '57s would sound fine in that guitar. However, Marv has always suggested the guitars be left stock. Not sure if the 170s will ever reach collector's status. But as Marv put it, "who knew the LPs would ever be worth anything?"
ingeneri Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 For what it's worth, I swapped Seth Lovers for Gibson 57's in my 1975 Les Paul. I was disappointed with the Gibbies and missed the Lovers. So I sold that guitar and got a Heritage and now life is 8)
pressure Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I put Seth Lovers in my 140 and am extremly happy. But what you're looking for is a personal thing. The sound you want depends on a lot of things (room, amp and your own ears and expectations). Don't even get me started on strings or the way you attack them.
fxdx99 Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I've no experience w/57s, but share 'ol crows opinion in general. Just really wanted to post to say what a great looking 170 that is - one of the nicest I've seen.
big bob Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I had a 59 in my stat dlx and replaced it with a dimarzio pro paf. I found the 59 muddy. love the dimarzio but might end up swaping it for the super distortion I have in another guitar..
Spectrum13 Posted January 26, 2009 Posted January 26, 2009 I third Old Crow! Everything depends on everything. Have Lovers in two guitars and they sound completely different!
plexirocker 68 Posted January 27, 2009 Posted January 27, 2009 I've used both these pups. Both good but a bit different. I don't think there's a super big difference. Here's what I know they both do tonally. SD59's are rawer and edgier to me, has that Alnico 5 magnet thing goin on, More aggressive with Big low end and slightly mid scooped 57 classics and plus are smoother - creamier with some high end rolloff. Not as open sounding or real articulate like a killer PAF or clone would be. Alnico 2 magnet sounding thing, I don't know if that is what is used but sounds like it. For me the 57 plus was too creamy in the bridge, I had wolfe rewind it to Marshallhead A2 specs and it kills. The regular 57 classic I like for the neck better than the SD59. Hope that helps, it's really what YOU want. For a more accurate true vintage PAF tones there are others that would fit the bill better. plexi
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