New Guy Wants Pickup Advice!

[skydog958]

Howdy fellas! I've had my H-535 for a few years now, but just joined the forum a couple days ago. Now, I've always loved how the guitar has played, but she often had issues with feedback. Lo and behold, I finally check to see what the pickup make is, and they are Seth Lovers and not '59s as I previously thought (I knew they were SD's). So given this opportunity, I'm looking for boutique, high-gain friendly PAFs. Right now I'm bouncing between Lollar Imperials, WCRs, or perhaps Bare Knuckles. Any thoughts?

[skydog958]

Attached is a pic of the old gal:

[Patrick]

Attached is a pic of the old gal:

 

That's a nice guitar. I like the trap' inlays, the bound head stock and the inlayed logo. Did you order it new?

[peteraltongreen]

Hi 'skydog958'

Firstly,if the 958 in your site name refers to Sept,1958,I'd been playing guitar exactly 1 year ! Now,serious matters. Your 535 looks great.I have a Gibson ES335 from 1982,which I bought in San Francisco.I'm not sure if it was the last of the 335's made in Kalamazoo,or whether it was made in Nashville.Both sites are mentioned on the label.I'm not sure what the pickups are,but at higher volume,I do get an interaction between the guitar & the amp.It's not feedback,but sustain.It performs great at this level,as the notes just sing ! I had Seymour '59's fitted to my Heritage CM140 (1986 ),and these were a definite improvement on the Schallers.I've also got a Guild Bluesbird with these on,and as it's chambered,it's like a single cut,smaller body 335.This also sounds great at any volume.As an older player,I tend not to add too much distortion or high gain to my sound.It usually happens naturally in my set up.Hope this doesn't confuse the issue .

Peter Alton Green

[skydog958]

Patrick: I got it off of eBay, of all places. There's also binding inside the f-holes, which I really like.

 

Peter: heh the numbers are a funny story...they were chosen randomly, but incidentally they are the three different digits in my birthday (in order, too!). Just add one more 8 and a couple of backslashes...

 

Anyway, I should have been more specific. I like musical feedback, but the kind mentioned below is microphonic feedback due to the pickups not being wax potted. My main amp is a Dr. Z SRZ-65 (think a really good JCM 800), and I like to crank her up pretty loudly. The neck pickup is particularly problematic--I can't even have the guitar volume up all the way without full-on howl.

 

Btw, really like the simple, elegant look of your 335. I'm pretty sure it was made in Kalamazoo--I don't think Gibson shut down there until '84. And you happen to share a name with one of my favorite guitarists! You're not from Britain, are ya? lol

[peteraltongreen]

Hi skydog958'

Yes,I'm from Britain,and you're not the first to think 'Fleetwood Mac' Peter Alan Greenbaum is that guy,and a great player too.I'm a little older than he,Peter Alton Green is my real name.I've have been a jobbing/session guitar player,which means I don't specialise in anything,just usually' get away with it !'. I do quite a nice version of 'Albatross',without the other 2 guys that also played on the record. The Alton in my name is an Americanism.Glenn Miller was 'Alton Glenn Miller',and he hated it.I did too,until I was paged at an Airport with a billboard,and thought it looked good.The exact origin of my name came about thus : I had a great Grandaddy,who was a ships engineer.He sailed between Britain & America around 1860/80's .He had a very good American friend called Alton.It's been in our family ever since. Sorry I'm not THE Peter Green.

PAG.

[big bob]

Super distortions..

[Thundersteel]

Nice git--and welcome!

 

By the way--you're the third Skydog on this forum!

[FredZepp]

I'm looking for boutique, high-gain friendly PAFs. Right now I'm bouncing between Lollar Imperials, WCRs, or perhaps Bare Knuckles. Any thoughts?

Hello, skydog958 ..and welcome

 

I play just at the edge of high gain at times.. and the SD '59's do this rather well, I think. But those aren't really boutique .... the others that I have are mostly unpotted, and while they work for the high gain stuff you are right to think that potted ones will have less feedback issues..

 

We've had players here that like all three that you mentioned.. quite a few like the Imperials, I believe that Brent had some WCR's for a while, and I remember the mtpatty is a Bare Knuckles fan.

I know that Bare Knuckles makes vintage/ vintage hot/ contemporary styles .. probably a vintage hot or contemporary style would work for what you want.

 

But almost all manufacturers will make a potted contemporary pickup.. and I think that you'd find a lot that would do a great job.. even the '59's ..

 

(Super Distortions are a blast for a hot sound.. I haven't seen those in a semi -hollow )

[FredZepp]

Hi 'skydog958'

Firstly,if the 958 in your site name refers to Sept,1958,I'd been playing guitar exactly 1 year ! Now,serious matters. Your 535 looks great.I have a Gibson ES335 from 1982,which I bought in San Francisco.I'm not sure if it was the last of the 335's made in Kalamazoo,or whether it was made in Nashville.Both sites are mentioned on the label.I'm not sure what the pickups are,but at higher volume,I do get an interaction between the guitar & the amp.It's not feedback,but sustain.It performs great at this level,as the notes just sing ! I had Seymour '59's fitted to my Heritage CM140 (1986 ),and these were a definite improvement on the Schallers.I've also got a Guild Bluesbird with these on,and as it's chambered,it's like a single cut,smaller body 335.This also sounds great at any volume.As an older player,I tend not to add too much distortion or high gain to my sound.It usually happens naturally in my set up.Hope this doesn't confuse the issue .

Peter Alton Green

Hey Peter... if you want to know where your 335 was made ... the last three digits of the serial number will tell you where your Gibson was made.. .

The pattern is as follows:

YDDDYRRR

YY is the production year

DDD is the day of the year

RRR is the factory ranking/plant designation number.

Prior to 1984 when the Kalamazoo, MI factory was closed, the numbers 001-499 indicated Kalamazoo production. Ranking numbers 500-999 continued to indicate Nashville production through 1989.

 

Sorry for the hijack.. back to your regularly scheduled program...

[mtpatty]

I have 4 sets of Bare Knuckle pickups...Black Dogs (very J Pagey in an SG); (Miracle Man's in a Heritage H 150- high gain); (Mules in an Epi LP- good solid bluesy classic rock tonality); and (some VHII's in a Carvin CS4- think high gain PAF/Brown sound)...I am satisfied that BK pups are not only awesome, but some of the best on the market...Now, I do want to try the WCR Fillmore's and was going to, until I received my latest addition to the family (an H150 w/ HRW's)(they rock-Brent was right)... Maybe a set of Mules or Miracle Man's???

[zookroo1]

Welcome Skydog958. That's an awesome guitar, pretty much exactly as I'd custom order one from the factory if I could! (Maybe with blocks instead of traps, depends on the day you ask...) I don't have much input on your pickup dilemma, but I'll be interested to follow what you come up with. Good luck!

[Kuz]

Tom Short 'Marc Ford' buckers are priced reasonable, potted, and if Marc Ford with the Black Crowes is your definition of "high gain", then you can't get a better PAF to high gain pickup (IMHO)!

 

I have two sets in two of my 150s and they are just stellar.

 

I will start a new thread tonight or tomorrow with a "SHOOT OUT" comparing my four 150s, so you can listen to them then!!

[brentrocks]

here is my H 357 with the Tom Shorts in it.....listen to the clip

 

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_de...4?play_now=true

[skydog958]

Thanks for all the input, guys!

 

Kuz: The Tom Shorts have really piqued my interest. First off, I love the Crowes. I just wonder if the Marc Ford set comes off more of a single coil sound than full 'bucker. If it does what it says on the website (humbucker tone at full volume, single coil when rolled back) and with the 25% sale, they look like winners.

 

Thanks for the clips brentrocks, and I'm jealous of your 357! I have a '63 Firebird, so you can say I'm partial to the shape.

[koula901]

here is my H 357 with the Tom Shorts in it.....listen to the clip

 

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/song_de...4?play_now=true

 

Brent - that's a nice looking guitar!

[Rude Dog]

I'd try 1) taking the covers off those Seth Lovers before swapping PUs, 2) while they're out of the guitar, gently tighten the screws on the base plate to see if they're loose at all - as that may solve your feedback problem - IF you really like the way your guitar sounds now.

 

I have no experience with wax potted pickups, so can't help there.

 

As a side note to pickup swapping in general:

 

Before doing that, I would

 

1) measure my pots to make sure they're not too out from 500K as this can have a pretty big effect on tone.

 

2) Buy some different magnets to swap into my pickups - MY personal experience has been that magnet swaps CAN impart a bigger change in tone than pickup swaps.

 

Like taking out the A2 mags in the Seth Lovers and putting in some A4s or A5s, and or ones that are degaussed or not.

 

... and magnets are cheap - like 2-4 bucks each + super easy to swap in and out.

 

Brent, that 357 sounds BAD-ASS!