Sorry for pickup post no. 1 billion :)

[Wolfi]

Hi guys,

 

sory. I don't wanna bother you with my pickup issues. But I do it anyway

 

Some months ago, I changed the pickups of my H 555. The original pickups were Schallers, with sounded for me far to bright.

I purchased Seth Lovers and I was happy with the results for a while. The neck pickup sounded much warmer than the Schaller. I used it for the jazzy stuff and even for the Moore gain sound it was quite ok. So far so good.

 

Now that I am using the Seth Lover bridge pickup more and more, I noticed that the pickup squeals and it's microphonic (which I knew from the SD leaflet).

 

The funny thing is that the SD guys recommend the Seth Lovers on their homepage for guitars with maple neck, ebony neck (or fretboard), like the H 555.

On the other hand SD did not recommend the Seth Lovers for higher gain amps (more than 50 W). My HOOK amp is 80 W. But I ignored this hint.

 

Now I'm wondering what to.

 

I'm not willing to spent another 500 bucks for Amber pickups, which are great in my H 150. The guy in my guitar shop said, my spare SD 59's would be a better choice for my H 555, than the Sether Lovers. He even said the Seth Lovers are the worst choice for my H 555 ( I play funky stuff, some jazzy stuff, but sometimes it really has to scream (Parisienne Walkways, Still Got The Blues etc.).

 

Any suggestions from your side? Should I give the SD 59s a go in my H 555 ? Or a combination like Seth Lover in the neck position, 59 in the bridge position ?

 

I'm glad with the SD 59s in my H 535 (maybe I will put a pair of Amber pickups in there).

 

Looking forward to your comments and suggestions.

 

Best regards

 

Wolfi

[wingnut1]

You can always pot the bridge pickup and that should settle it down.

[tbonesullivan]

i'd put in the 59s. the seths are great but not if you play anything with gain or a loud amp. I love the 59s in my H150. Then again I also love the schaller golden 50's in my 535, so YMMV. I kinda like the high end of the schallers. they don't seem as boomy as some semi hollows I have played.

[mars_hall]

I haven't tried this but, place a small piece of black felt or cotton between the pickup cover and the pickup ring. The microphonic is caused by a small resonant vibration of the cover/coil combination. The material may damp this vibration and/or change its frequency to the point that the squeal is gone.

 

Just a thought to try that costs next to nothing.

 

Google "damping microphonic pickup" or something to that effect

 

There are several articles on damping methods

 

http://www.300guitars.com/articles/elimina...our-telecaster/

[Millennium Maestro]

You will need something potted in the bridge!

 

My recommendation- A "JB" SH-4 in the Bridge it a little more HOT Rodded, I personally like this pickup.

 

The 59'er is good, buy a 4 conductor version, will add tapping options.

 

 

Duncans description of the 59'er;

 

'59 model SH-1 and TB59

application

Versatile P.A.F.-type humbucker. Great for country, jazz, blues, funk, classic rock and heavy rock.

 

description

Late-'50s, vintage-correct, humbucker sound. Warm and crystalline clean tones. Full and bright distorted tones. Smooth sustain. Classic appointments include plain enamel wire, long legged bottom plate, vintage single conductor cable and no logo. Compared to the SH-55 Seth Lover, the '59 has slightly more scooped mids and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance.

 

complete setup

Available in both neck and bridge models. Often a '59 neck is used together with a hotter bridge pickup like the SH-4 JB or SH-13 Dimebucker for extra versatility.

 

guitars

For balanced and warm instruments. Works especially well with mahogany bodies and rosewood fingerboards.

 

available mods

Four-conductor cable. Trembucker. Nickel or gold-plated cover. 7-string version. Seymour Duncan logo. Available in matched set of '59 bridge and '59 neck. Colors (humbucker spacing).

 

players

Ben Harper (neck & bridge), Robben Ford (neck & bridge), Mike Einzinger / Incubus (neck), Robert Smith / The Cure

[Wolfi]

Hi guys,

 

thanks a lot for your comments which are really helpful.

 

I gues to find the right pickup combination, I have to invest some more work on this.

 

Maybe at the end of the day, I will keep the Seth Lover in the neck position. Than I will check mars_halls hint. If I than like the Seth Lover in the bridge position, everything is fine. If not I'll put a 59 into the bridge position. If that doesn't work I check out the SH 4, which I have still two of them on stock.

 

Again, thanks a lot!!!

[mark555]

I can only tell you that I have Seymour Duncan 59's in my 555 and they sound terrific, and I am very picky about tone. You would not be disappointed at all.

 

Tell us what you do in the end.

[Wolfi]

I can only tell you that I have Seymour Duncan 59's in my 555 and they sound terrific, and I am very picky about tone. You would not be disappointed at all.

 

Tell us what you do in the end.

 

 

Hi Mark,

 

thanks. I will keep you posted. I checked my 535 with the 59s again and I like it. If the 59s support a bit more the mid range of my 555, I'll be glad.

 

The operation: "Pickup Madness" will start on Saturday

 

I wanna avoid ver expensive 500 bucks Amber pickups, like in my H 150. Great if the 59s do the job.

 

 

Cheers

[Poelbaum]

Apparently the 59 in the neck and the JB in the bridge is a popular combo//

[tbonesullivan]

Apparently the 59 in the neck and the JB in the bridge is a popular combo//

definitely. It was the standard combo that Hamer used for years in their FM specials, Studios, etc. ESP uses it in the non-emg equipped Eclipse model. I have a guitar with that combo, and it rocks. Though, the JB is rather high output for a semi-hollow body. I'd usualy recommend going with a set of relatively lower output humbuckers, like the 59s or the Pearly Gates. They are much better at getting a nice classic sound. JB's are more modern sounding.

 

Lets see... i have guitars with:

Schaller Golden 50s

Seymour duncan 59 Neck/bridge

Seymour duncan 59/JB

Seymour Duncan P-90s

Gibson 57 Classics

Gibson 490R/498T

Carvin H22N/C22B

Carvin AP11s

Carvin M22N/M22SD

 

So... i basically have different pickups in every guitar I own. They each sound a little different, but all sound great to my ears.

[SouthpawGuy]

I have 59s, Seths and JBs in a few different guitars. JBs are great for heavy rock, blues and metal and not so great for subtle clean sounds, the Seths are amazing for clean tones and low gain overdrive / distortion, in my opinion of the three pickups the 59 is probably the best all rounder.

 

If I had the choice of a new PAF type tomorrow I would like to try some Lollar low wind Imperials, which are a potted low gain PAF style pickup or similarly some Fralin Pure PAFs. The price of boutique pickups in Europe is astounding however, ( Lollar and Fralin are boutique in Europe). Have you considered DiMarzio 36th Anniversarys ? These are also supposed to be very good indeed ( another model on my radar ! ).

[yoslate]

Not to change the subject...exactly...but.... Mike (slider 313, a cat who knows tone!) put me on to Tom Short, a pickup builder who builds for Marc Ford, formerly of The Black Crowes. Tom's unbelievably responsive, genial, and easy to work with. A terrific guy! He agreed to build a pair of Marc Ford vintage Tombucker p'ups, wound to my spec (thanks Mike), 7.9 bridge, 6.9 neck, with Alnico II magnets, for my new 150. They should be here in about a week. Can't wait to file a tone report. Mike has a pair of Tom's mini-buckers and can't say enough good about them.... Boutique p'ups, and not cheap, but considerably less than the Throbaks I was considering. In fact, after I'd talked to Tom a bit, he put the p'ups I'd ordered back on sale for one day for my order. Just great to deal with!

[Poelbaum]

definitely. It was the standard combo that Hamer used for years in their FM specials, Studios, etc. ESP uses it in the non-emg equipped Eclipse model. I have a guitar with that combo, and it rocks. Though, the JB is rather high output for a semi-hollow body. I'd usualy recommend going with a set of relatively lower output humbuckers, like the 59s or the Pearly Gates. They are much better at getting a nice classic sound. JB's are more modern sounding.

 

You are correct about the JBs. I was kind of joking, as it was a reference to the pickup combo that was mistakenly installed and sent to me in my new 535 25th anni. Check my thread on my 25th anniv in the house. Anyway I totally agree with your comments on the JB. I think good for a modern high output solid body kind of thing. If you are looking for vintage semi hollow, not so much. Hey the JB cant be all bad since its SD's #1 selling unit.

[mark555]

Wolfi, being in Germany you could easliy get some Bare Knckle Pick ups, these are an excellent product and British made, so easy for you to get hold of. They are gaining a good reputation over here.

 

As a buying tip, I bought my pair of 59's on the USA e bay site for $40 each, which worked out at the time £22 each with the exchange rate. In the UKat the time I bought them they were about £90 each new. Might be worth while putting something up on the for sale/wanted board. If you want to save money, there are loads of used pick ups on the market because there are loads of players out there chasing something they will never get and they change their pick ups as often as they change their socks.

 

I personally wonder when you are paying $500 for a name, or something that is priced for the sake of it.

[barrymclark]

install 59 Seth Lovers. That would be a HUGE sound.

[mark555]

install 59 Seth Lovers. That would be a HUGE sound.

 

Every one I know raves about Seth Lovers, but they all say they had to pot them, have you found the same Barry?

[Wolfi]

Wolfi, being in Germany you could easliy get some Bare Knckle Pick ups, these are an excellent product and British made, so easy for you to get hold of. They are gaining a good reputation over here.

 

As a buying tip, I bought my pair of 59's on the USA e bay site for $40 each, which worked out at the time £22 each with the exchange rate. In the UKat the time I bought them they were about £90 each new. Might be worth while putting something up on the for sale/wanted board. If you want to save money, there are loads of used pick ups on the market because there are loads of players out there chasing something they will never get and they change their pick ups as often as they change their socks.

 

I personally wonder when you are paying $500 for a name, or something that is priced for the sake of it.

 

Hi Mark,

 

thanks a lot for your post (and to all others, who replied to me, too).

 

The Bare Knuckles have a good name in Germany and they are easy to get. We can get Kinman's, Lindy Fralin and nearly all other "boutique" pickups quite simply.

I hope I will be happy with my spare SD 59s. I again played my H 535 with the 59s and they sounded great.

My fear is that, (guitar crazy as I am) if I'm not happy with the 59s, I will purchase another set of Amber PAF 59, which cost me 500 EUR. I have these pickups in my H 150 and they really knocked me out. I did not expect such an improvement of sound. Don't get me wrong, my H 150 sounded quite good before.

But before I do this, I'm gonna check out the Bare Knuckles. I know a dealer around, who has a good range of Bare Knuckles available.

 

Again, thanks. I keep you posted. The 59 neck pickup is already fixed, I hope I'll be ready on Saturday.

 

Anyway, I keep you posted.

 

Cheers

 

Wolfi

[Wolfi]

the Seths are amazing for clean tones and low gain overdrive / distortion, in my opinion of the three pickups the 59 is probably the best all rounder.

 

I think you are absolutely right.

 

The Seth Lovers sounded very well when I played the H 555 with my small bedroom amp in a clean mode.

 

My mistake was, I did not read the description on the SD product site very well. The Seth Lover was recommended for guitars with maple/mahagony necks and fretboards. At this point I stopped reading. Later they said, that the Seths are not the right pick ups for high gain amps with more than 50 W

 

My own fault

 

Cheerrs

 

Wolfi

[SouthpawGuy]

I think you are absolutely right.

 

The Seth Lovers sounded very well when I played the H 555 with my small bedroom amp in a clean mode.

 

My mistake was, I did not read the description on the SD product site very well. The Seth Lover was recommended for guitars with maple/mahagony necks and fretboards. At this point I stopped reading. Later they said, that the Seths are not the right pick ups for high gain amps with more than 50 W

 

My own fault

 

Cheerrs

 

Wolfi

 

I've used my '59 equipped 535 at high gain quite a bit, not at high volume levels though. It likes to blow air out the f-holes if I get the volume just right

[Wolfi]

I've used my '59 equipped 535 at high gain quite a bit, not at high volume levels though. It likes to blow air out the f-holes if I get the volume just right

 

 

Hi Southpaw,

 

it's great to hear from you

 

I again agree with you 100 %. I did the same and I had my neighbour knocking on my door

For me the 535 with the SD 59 is a great combo. If I go into high gain, it vibrates and the air seems to move. Great !!

 

Cheers

 

Wolfi

[rooster]

FWIW, I have used Seths, 59s, and Shallers (as well as JB/Jazz) on my H150s to get the right sound for my ears. I ended up with Bill Lawrence (NOT "Bill Lawrence USA", but Bill & Becky's) L-500C in the necks and L-500L in the bridge. For your application, I would recommend an L-500C in the neck and an L-500R in the bridge. I find that the BL pickups are more dynamic and responsive (in that I can really hear the "wood" of the guitar, and every pick nuance, sometimes to my dismay) than anything else I've tried, and I've tried LOTS of pickups. They are my faves, and Bill & Becky have never let me down.

 

My opinion, anyway. I think you will get a good clean humbucking tone that will respond with pretty much any amp that you run your guitar through, and it'll sound, most of all, like your guitar, not like a pickup.

 

rooster.

[mark555]

sounds like you have a winning combination with the 59's Wolfi. Remember, the Gibson pick ups on which the 59's are based would have been what went in those early 335's Gibson were making, so you have probably got the right pick up for a semi solid. I know my 59's are very nice on my 555 and really sound as I would expect a vintage semi to sound.

[Wolfi]

sounds like you have a winning combination with the 59's Wolfi. Remember, the Gibson pick ups on which the 59's are based would have been what went in those early 335's Gibson were making, so you have probably got the right pick up for a semi solid. I know my 59's are very nice on my 555 and really sound as I would expect a vintage semi to sound.

 

 

Hello Mark,

 

thanks for bolstering up

 

I'm confident the 59's will do the job quite well. Tonight I again was very happy with the sound of my 535 with the 59's. Played some "Beano" stuff like "All Your Love", "Hideaway" etc. and to me it sounded right.

 

Cheers

 

Wolfi

[mark555]

Excellent!

[Wolfi]

Hi All,

 

now it's done.

 

I got my H 555 with the SD 59s back this morning and it seems to be very ok for now. The SD 59 PAF supports the mid range of my 555 much better than the Seth Lovers did. As I play quite often with a bit more gain for the heavier blues stuff, the 59s seem to match better with my guitar.

 

I checked it with my old Seymour Duncan Convertible Head with two 1 x 12 Marshalls with V 30 speakers.

If I play clean, the sound is much warmer. Especially when I use the bridge pickup, it doesn't sound as harsh as it did before with the Seth Lovers.

If I use the crunch channel and turn the tone control of the bridge pickup down, I get a wonderful 60's lead sound. Using the neck pickup, the 555 sings like a bird (crunch mode) and the Gary Moore stuff (Pariesienne Walkways etc.) sounds far better than the Seth Lovers.

 

For now I'm happy with the result of the pickup swap.

 

Will I leave the 59's now in my 555 forever ??!

 

Defenitely maybe But I never know if I can resist the next Amber PAF attack.

 

Cheers

 

Wolfi