Quick review: '57 Classic vs Seth Lover HB's

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VonBonfire

Well-known member
I have to say after much use of both of these pickups in both bridge and neck positions in a few different guitars they are both really great and I still can't really say one is better than the other. I have done many many gigs and recording sessions with both of these and would say the better choice for you would be guitar/rig specific.

The Seth has a good reedy bite to the tone and will definitely brighten up a dark sounding guitar. Seems like a more immediate attack. There is a good clarity there that the '57 can't quite get to. I would say it's a bit more in your face, a bit more quack on the high end than the '57 but is still a smooth and sweet sounding pickup overall. Much brighter than the '57 IMO. More articulate but less smooth than a '57. Not that it isn't smooth, just not as smooth as the '57. I found I generally liked the Seth better in the neck than I did in the bridge.

The '57 has the sweeter sounding high end. It just has THE neck tone for those singing edge of breakup and mid OD leads. It's also less quacky and more honky than a Seth if you use it on the bridge. Two '57's set to the middle position is superior for the BB King sound than two Seths. I have a Seth neck and a '57 bridge in my main player now and it's a good combo but it doesn't quite BB the way two '57's can. I love a standard '57 in the bridge, seriously underrated IMO, and would definitely prefer it to the Seth for that position. A '57 in the bridge with the tone rolled back is more honky than a white man at a klan rally.

I probably would pick the '57 set if I had to make a choice on the spot unless I was choosing for a very dark guitar but the Seth is a great pickup. Admittedly I have been back and forth in my LP neck position with both of them and haven't made a permanent decision there yet. Just thought I'd share that way if anyone on rig talk is considering these sets there is some reference point for you. Best-VonBonfire
 
I have looked at both of these for a while, specifically an older set of 57s vs the Seth Lovers. Did you happen to crank the gain using either? Seth Lover concern is because they aren't potted not sure how much they'll squeal, but I have a set of Brandonwound t-top replicas that aren't potted and they're manageable with high gain.
 
Mr. Chainsaw said:
I have looked at both of these for a while, specifically an older set of 57s vs the Seth Lovers. Did you happen to crank the gain using either? Seth Lover concern is because they aren't potted not sure how much they'll squeal, but I have a set of Brandonwound t-top replicas that aren't potted and they're manageable with high gain.
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Ah man I have been looking at those Brandonwounds to try in the bridge but I've spent way too much on guitar stuff lately!!!! How do you like them?

I am plugging into a cranked Twin but using an OD as a mild boost. I do not have any squealing problems with the Seth but I usually don't have my guitar volume dimed out either. Usually riding it between 4-8 on the guitar's volume knob. Clean, edge of breakup, and mid level OD is where I make my money so I'm not really qualified to comment on high gain playing.
 
VonBonfire said:
Ah man I have been looking at those Brandonwounds to try in the bridge but I've spent way too much on guitar stuff lately!!!! How do you like them?
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I really enjoy the Brandonwound t-tops. I've not had real t-tops to compare, but for the price they sound great. I think I like them more than the Shaws that they replaced in my '85 LP Custom, and without any changing of pots. The guy that put them in for me was asking me what they were as he liked them quite a bit as well. I think someone in the classifieds was selling a pair.
 
napalmdeath said:
I hate '57 Classics in a Les Paul, but like them in an SG.
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I have a classic in the neck of my LP copy now. I pulled the Seth out to try it. You gotta lower it down close to the ring and raise the pole pieces. It's a dark LP but I do that with pretty much every PAF guitar I have. With the Seth in there I find myself rolling the neck tone down a little bit so the Seth is substantially brighter than a '57. With the wrong amp the '57 would definitely be a mudbucker in that LP. With the Celestion loaded amp I wasn't having any issues but with my recent speaker swapped Twin it was too dark. I still need to work that situation out.....
 
VonBonfire said:
I have a classic in the neck of my LP copy now. I pulled the Seth out to try it. You gotta lower it down close to the ring and raise the pole pieces. It's a dark LP but I do that with pretty much every PAF guitar I have. With the Seth in there I find myself rolling the neck tone down a little bit so the Seth is substantially brighter than a '57. With the wrong amp the '57 would definitely be a mudbucker in that LP. With the Celestion loaded amp I wasn't having any issues but with my recent speaker swapped Twin it was too dark. I still need to work that situation out.....
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I dig it in the neck, just found it too woofy and dark in an LP.
 
Excellent review, VonBonfire! I agree that both pickups are great, each in it's own way.

Side note: Jim Gaustad is using a 57 Classic with a short Alnico 5 magnet in his Frankie copy (with the black and white paint job) for Van Halen 1 tones. He talks about it at the 13:30 mark in the Metropoulos demo video.

 
Great thread. I am a huge fan of the 57 classics. I keep "pickup rolling" in my R9 and keep going back to the 57 classics. Seth Lovers (and Antiquity's for that matter) are nice as well and honestly, I don't think either sound like the 57 Classic - the latter has this characteristic "growl" that I love. The Seth's remind me more of the Fralin Pure Paf's I have.
 
johnny q said:
Great thread. I am a huge fan of the 57 classics. I keep "pickup rolling" in my R9 and keep going back to the 57 classics. Seth Lovers (and Antiquity's for that matter) are nice as well and honestly, I don't think either sound like the 57 Classic - the latter has this characteristic "growl" that I love. The Seth's remind me more of the Fralin Pure Paf's I have.
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I found, like with the 490r, they are similar enough for me to get the job done with to the point where it's mostly not worth fooling with (to me) except for I have both sets already so why not? I'm not super particular I just need something with a decent lead sound that retains some string separation for chord work. Both the '57 and Seth deliver that for me. Hearing you talk I have no doubt a Fralin pure PAF would fit the bill for me as well. Thanks for sharing.
 
Man, to each his own, but I have to say I cannot stand any of the 57 classics I’ve played.
Compared to a Shaw or an old T-Top, the 57’s sound cheap and plastic like. Just my opinion. I’m surprised many of you seem to enjoy these.
 
gtrwun said:
Man, to each his own, but I have to say I cannot stand any of the 57 classics I’ve played.
Compared to a Shaw or an old T-Top, the 57’s sound cheap and plastic like. Just my opinion. I’m surprised many of you seem to enjoy these.
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What exactly does a plastic pickup sound like?
 
gtrwun said:
Man, to each his own, but I have to say I cannot stand any of the 57 classics I’ve played.
Compared to a Shaw or an old T-Top, the 57’s sound cheap and plastic like. Just my opinion. I’m surprised many of you seem to enjoy these.
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Well almost any pickup I’ve tried made in the 25-30 years will sound sterile and cheap vs good vintage pickups like a Shaw PAF or T-Top. It’s almost like taking candy from a baby. Those Shaw’s are really great. I’ve got an unusual Shaw paf set where the bridge is almost 16k and the neck 9k. I’m more surprised guys don’t just try more vintage pickups. I’ve yet to try any bad ones. Some of them aren’t even expensive or at least not any more than the boutique ones made today and sound so much better
 
VonBonfire said:
What exactly does a plastic pickup sound like?
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I could be wrong, but I think he just means that those vintage pickups he prefers sound more organic and have a warmth or maturity/complexity to the sound that the vintage pickups excel at

Just my opinion, but I can’t go back to recent made pickups I used to use since going deep down the vintage pickup rabbit hole about a year and a half ago now. After all the countless comparisons in the same guitars most just come off comparatively bland/less flavor, less inspiring for me to play
 
braintheory said:
Well almost any pickup I’ve tried made in the 25-30 years will sound sterile and cheap vs good vintage pickups like a Shaw PAF or T-Top. It’s almost like taking candy from a baby. Those Shaw’s are really great. I’ve got an unusual Shaw paf set where the bridge is almost 16k and the neck 9k. I’m more surprised guys don’t just try more vintage pickups. I’ve yet to try any bad ones. Some of them aren’t even expensive or at least not any more than the boutique ones made today and sound so much better
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I right there with ya. Hard to go back once you’ve heard some good old Gibson pickups.

That 16k Shaw isn’t a Dirty Fingers? That’s really unusual if not. Pretty cool find.
 
gtrwun said:
I right there with ya. Hard to go back once you’ve heard some good old Gibson pickups.

That 16k Shaw isn’t a Dirty Fingers? That’s really unusual if not. Pretty cool find.
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Not just Gibson, there are so many vintage pickups I enjoy in their own way just as much or some even more like my ‘50’s and 60’s Gretsch’s, ‘60’s Guild’s (probably my 2 favorites), then ‘70’s/‘80’s Bill Lawrence’s, ‘60’s Hofner’s, Schaller’s, Hagstrom, Vox, Japanese ones and I mostly play metal with them. They just make recent pickups very inspiring to play once I go back. Like the fresh squeezed vs from concentrate oj analogy I always use lol

Yes, I have 5 or 6 vintage Dirty Fingers as well and those are completely different animals. This Shaw paf set is just as hot, but literally just sounds like a much hotter, over the top version of their PAF’s, which I’ve also had. It still very much has has the round bluesy, squishy paf flavor, just hotter and more compressed, while the dirty fingers have that ceramic tightness and sharpness to the sound and 2 screw rows (just one for my hot Shaw PAF’s). Awesome pickups

One my friends also has a fluke real ‘50’s Gibson PAF that measures almost 12k and he says sounds monstrous. Very jealous of him for that one
 
braintheory said:
I could be wrong, but I think he just means that those vintage pickups he prefers sound more organic and have a warmth or maturity/complexity to the sound that the vintage pickups excel at

Just my opinion, but I can’t go back to recent made pickups I used to use since going deep down the vintage pickup rabbit hole about a year and a half ago now. After all the countless comparisons in the same guitars most just come off comparatively bland/less flavor, less inspiring for me to play
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I mean that's cool and all and I don't doubt any of what you are claiming. But it's like NOS tubes. I'm not bringing vintage collectibles to the gig. I guess that's why I like my plastic sounding '57's and my knockoff jap guitars and unwanted Twin Reverbs. I just need gear that gets the job done. I'm not a collector, I'm a player so I need stuff I can replace easily and is cost effective so I guess that's where I base my gear choices. I guess I'm not really a connoisseur. The only gear I own is stuff I am willing to wear out doing 100-200-300 bucks a man gigs. JJ tubes and shitty Gibson pickups, lol.
 
VonBonfire said:
I mean that's cool and all and I don't doubt any of what you are claiming. But it's like NOS tubes. I'm not bringing vintage collectibles to the gig. I guess that's why I like my plastic sounding '57's and my knockoff jap guitars and unwanted Twin Reverbs. I just need gear that gets the job done. I'm not a collector, I'm a player so I need stuff I can replace easily and is cost effective so I guess that's where I base my gear choices. I guess I'm not really a connoisseur. The only gear I own is stuff I am willing to wear out doing 100-200-300 bucks a man gigs. JJ tubes and shitty Gibson pickups, lol.
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I get it and was just trying to clarify, not knock or talk down on other products. I normally just wouldn’t have said anything in this thread. Fwiw, there are also some great, very under appreciated vintage tubes, pickups and speakers that can be had sometimes for similar prices to JJ’s or recent Gibson pickups. I would probably choose some of those if I were to gig, but my performances have just been with classical guitar

Also, I love some of those vintage Japanese guitars, pickups and tubes. I’ve got quite a few myself. I got the other week a 1986 Made In Japan all rosewood Fender Telecaster that might even be among my favorite guitars I have. The vintage Japanese stuff is a great example of great sounding gear that can be had much more affordably
 
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