Anybody else hate the SD '59?

[TX6Strings]

Recently I've not been jivin' with the EC-1000 with the SD JB/59 combo into my Nitro so I decided to try tweaking the heights a little.

I dropped the JB a little and really love it now. The 59 has always sounded too smooth, dark and mellow so I tried raising it a little and it still sounds overly smooth, dark and mellow to me. It's good for cleans but that's about it. Any suggestions on a replacement neck pup with a little bite but will still do good cleans?

 

[mrp5150]

I love how smooth the '59 is. The Jazz is kinda similar, but has a bit more bite to it. You may like that one more.

 

[Subclavian]

maybe it's the way I EQ stuff, but I always thought the '59 was a really boomy pickup in my Les Pauls

 

[nbarts]

How about burstbucker or 490?

 

[guitarslinger]

Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell

 

[skoora]

Gibson 57 classic is a great neck and bridge pickup. I've got a Flying v with a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge and a Burstbucker 1 in the neck. The neck sounds awesome.

I also think the SD 59 is a boomy pickup. Don't like it in a les paul.

 

[vchizzle]

I love the Jazz in the neck. I think it sounds great clean and distorted. Haven't played a '59, so I can't compare.

 

[thenine]

another vote for jazz/jb combo.


9

 

[glpg80]

Recently I've not been jivin' with the EC-1000 with the SD JB/59 combo into my Nitro so I decided to try tweaking the heights a little.

I dropped the JB a little and really love it now. The 59 has always sounded too smooth, dark and mellow so I tried raising it a little and it still sounds overly smooth, dark and mellow to me. It's good for cleans but that's about it. Any suggestions on a replacement neck pup with a little bite but will still do good cleans?

link to sound clips! I MUST HAVEEEEEEE

i love this amp. i cant decide over the nitro or someone drunk enough to sell me an insane aldrich modded marshall

 

[Stratboy151]

yeah i put a 59' in a brian moore i had, i and i didnt like it either. i thought i would love it cause scott henderson gets amazing tones from a pair of 59's

 

[TX6Strings]

Thanks guys! I'll check out the Jazz and the other two suggestions. I tried some more after posting this last night and I just can't get along with this damn 59'.

 

[TX6Strings]

[/quote]
link to sound clips! I MUST HAVEEEEEEE

i love this amp. i cant decide over the nitro or someone drunk enough to sell me an insane aldrich modded marshall [/quote]

I would but I'm pretty bad at recording on the set up I have at home. You might want to check out "shredhead34" on HC. He's got several clips of his Nitro on his sig. I can't remember what his SN is here at RT.

 

[Gainfreak]

The 59 is a weird pickup. What I mean is that it can sound killer in some guitars and like ass in others....well I gues that can be said for just about any pickup lol!

With that said, I think that there are many better PAF type pickups out there these days, so that particular Duncan would not be my first pick.

I also agree with Dave that the newer duncans do not sound like the older ones. Im not sure if its just because the pickups of old have aged over time but I have 4 older JB pickups and they all sound totally different from the newer ones. Theres about 10db more bass on athe new ones compared to the old ones that I have.

~R~

 

[peaveyT60]

i love the '59s, but the diMarzio Air Zone is one hell of a neck pup for darker guitars. the Air Zone has sooo much more personality. the bottom end is very tight like a single coil, but has a fantastic mid bite to it. it doesn't distort much; it is a little cleaner, but the lack of just smashing the gain into oblivion and having a more clear sound lets the pickup's character really come through.

their noiseless strat pups are awesome too (have a virtual2 set). the more and more i am exposed to diMarzio, the more and more i like them.

 

[jkdsteve]

I'm glad I saw this thread and I'm not alone...put a '59 in my Epiphone at it's to bassy/boomy (as I posted a little while back but I think I might have used the wrong adjective ).

It seems like it's really quite difficult to set the right pickup height to try and optimize this away too....so I guess it's just there whether I like it or not...I definitely don't *hate* it...but it's not optimal....maybe try messing with pole piece height :-/

...thinking about switching it to a Jazz because of this...thx. guys.

 

[kannibul]

Recently I've not been jivin' with the EC-1000 with the SD JB/59 combo into my Nitro so I decided to try tweaking the heights a little.

I dropped the JB a little and really love it now. The 59 has always sounded too smooth, dark and mellow so I tried raising it a little and it still sounds overly smooth, dark and mellow to me. It's good for cleans but that's about it. Any suggestions on a replacement neck pup with a little bite but will still do good cleans?

I love em...bridge and neck position...tasty/chewy...makes you want to dig in more

 

[Anonymous]

A bit off topic, but I gotta say I'm pretty blown away by the Dunacn Custom 5 bridge pickup I put in my Musikraft/Jamerson blood guitar. It is basically a Duncan Custom with an Alnico 5 magnet. Very versatile - sounds really good for high gain sounds and lower gain PeaceMaker tones... I highly recommend it...

Steve

 

[Gainfreak]

A bit off topic, but I gotta say I'm pretty blown away by the Dunacn Custom 5 bridge pickup I put in my Musikraft/Jamerson blood guitar. It is basically a Duncan Custom with an Alnico 5 magnet. Very versatile - sounds really good for high gain sounds and lower gain PeaceMaker tones... I highly recommend it...

Steve

I love that Pickup for sure!! I have it loaded in my Maple bodied GMW's and it kicks ass. Its still a relatively new pickup so there is no need to worry about the older ones sounding better lol

 

[Telephant]

Theres about 10db more bass on athe new ones compared to the old ones that I have.

~R~

That is very interesting you say that... Because I just got my new pickups for my LP, and that had a JB/59 combo in it... And the first thing I thought when I heard the new bridge pickup was, "Man is this thing lacking low end?!?"

And I think its just because the JB had so much of it.

The '59 in the neck was just a tad boomy, but it was very smooth. I actually liked playing lead on it, but its not nearly as cool as the one I replaced it with.