Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

[dp100]

Hi guys. I'm new here, looking for some honest feedback from people who own this bridge pickup, or have heard it in person. I've got a Marshall DSL-100, with a Gibson SG standard, and a DiMarzio super distortion in the bridge. I've had the pickup in for almost a year. I like it, but don't love it. It's beefy, thick, pushed mids etc, but it's not crisp or snappy enough. Then today, I accidentally came across this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ72VKJo9b4

Although the demo is titled "'59/Custom Hybrid Pickup Demo" the player starts with the Duncan 59 bridge, then the JB (but doesn't say which JB), and finally the custom hybrid. I really like the spank and upper mid thing he gets with the Duncan 59 bridge. It seems, cleaner, spanky, not too thick, and definitely not muddy.

Is this accurate to what the pickup actually sounds like through a Marshall?

Is this bridge just referred to as, "The Duncan 59 Bridge"? I get confused with the SD site. On the Duncan 59 page, it shows 2 "59's", The SH-1 & the TB 59 1-B. I have no clue which pickup is the Duncan 59 Bridge like in the video above.

Also on the site, they say that "Compared to the SH-55 Seth Lover, the '59 has slightly more scooped mids and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance."

And, if I wanted this kind of 59 bridge tone, but wanted more in the mids in the eq, is there another SD model to look at beyond the 59?

Thanks.

 

[ex-250]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Can't help you as to whether the 59 really sounds like that, I've never owned one.

But what I do know...
Difference between SH-1 and TB-1 is simply spacing. Same pickup, the SH-1 has the poles spaced to line up with the strings on a tune-o-matic or similar bridge and the TB-1 is spaced to align on a tremolo-equipped guitar (strat, floyd rose, etc). Although modern Gibson bridges tend to be on the wide side, so either pickup would suffice here.
If you want a 59 style pickup with more mids, the Whole Lotta Humbucker is getting a lot of praise lately for being exactly that. Its next up on my to-try list.

 

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Super D not crisp or snappy? Never heard of that. I def wana checkout that link soon tho as i LOVE my 59/Custom

 

[dp100]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Thanks guys, I may just try that whole lotta humbucker. Inder, I know what you're saying.. It can be crisp and spanky, depending on how you set the amp. But, I think my SG might be a warmer type of body. I've heard the DP100 in a Dean Z Time Capsule, and it spanked HUGE, much differently than in the SG, through the same amp.

I find the DP100 saturates too early, and I might need to go with a lower output pickup, but wound slightly hotter than "traditional PAF", and wound for more mids. With the DP100, I find there's a kind of "QUACK" eq thing, and this is an accepted trait of the pickup. Don't get me wrong, it rocks, but I think my ears want to hear a bit more snap, and spanky in the mids... more of that "POWNK" tone like in the video I attached. The DP100 is more gruff, and pushed, more... BOWNK I suppose? It's just an EQ feel thing. Example, I kind of liked the Gibson 57 classic plus in the bridge, until I heard it beside my DP100. I guess I want that same spanky feel as the Duncan 59 bridge tone in the video, just with more mids. In the video through that Marshall, it almost sounded single coil-esque a few times, just on a hefty dose of steroids - and yet the sound wasn't too thick.

 

[Scott Olson]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Hey there, yeah the '59 bridge is just the b of the Sh-1b or TB-1b. It does have some of that vintage upper mids; I tried to find more demos for you but the only I could find was with this semi-hollow:

I like the suggestion of the Whole Lotta Humbucker, it basically does sound like a slightly hotter PAF. Seymour winds them with a special pitch and with sand-cast magnets and the result seems to be more dynamics and a bit more output.

 

[CountFeedback]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

those videos are a fair representation of the 59

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

f I wanted this kind of 59 bridge tone, but wanted more in the mids in the eq, is there another SD model to look at beyond the 59?

If you just take that '59b and change the magnet with an A4 or with a relatively "new" type of magnet called "Un-Oriented Ceramic 8", you'll get exactly what you're asking for. With an A4, the highs will be sweeter, though.

HTH,

 

[dp100]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Thanks Kojak. I'm not really knowledgeable enough to swap magnets. But maybe I can buy a custom wound pickup with those traits. So basically, I'd want an unoriented ceramic 8 magnet, wound to what kind of DC range? This where I don't understand pickups. I know the Super Distortion I have is about 13.7K, ceramic. So I have a reference for what its output is like, but DC tells you nothing about tone. I like the basic underlying tone of the DP100, but it compresses easily, and doesn't snap enough in upper mids.

Having said that, with an un-oriented ceramic 8, what kind of "hotness" range am I looking for? 9-12K? Or somewhere in between? I found these Golden Age Overwound Humbuckers Stewmac:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Overwound_Humbuckers.html These are "overwound" with and A5 magnet to 12K. It says, "powerful midrange", I like that idea. But there are no clips of what they sound like.

I really liked that upper mid spanky snarl of the Duncan 59, I just want more mids. Is there a range of "hotness" and magnet type I should look at, type of wind, type of wire etc I can look for in a pickup that'll get me there, without having to swap magnets? Thanks again.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Thanks Kojak. I'm not really knowledgeable enough to swap magnets. But maybe I can buy a custom wound pickup with those traits. So basically, I'd want an unoriented ceramic 8 magnet, wound to what kind of DC range? This where I don't understand pickups. I know the Super Distortion I have is about 13.7K, ceramic. So I have a reference for what its output is like, but DC tells you nothing about tone. I like the basic underlying tone of the DP100, but it compresses easily, and doesn't snap enough in upper mids.

Having said that, with an un-oriented ceramic 8, what kind of "hotness" range am I looking for? 9-12K? Or somewhere in between? I found these Golden Age Overwound Humbuckers Stewmac:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_Overwound_Humbuckers.html These are "overwound" with and A5 magnet to 12K. It says, "powerful midrange", I like that idea. But there are no clips of what they sound like.

I really liked that upper mid spanky snarl of the Duncan 59, I just want more mids. Is there a range of "hotness" and magnet type I should look at, type of wind, type of wire etc I can look for in a pickup that'll get me there, without having to swap magnets? Thanks again.

If you're in Europe, I can do it for you.

Let me know.

 

[CountFeedback]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

go for the 59 or the Whole Lotta Humbucker
or maybe an SH-5 Custom if you do more Hard Rock & Metal but still want a hint of PAF.
try a few stock pick-ups before getting caught up with magnet swapping :11:

 

[dp100]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

Countfeedback, just curious, is the SH-5 Seymour Duncan's interpretation of the super distortion? I really don't play metal at all. I'm basically just a basement rhythm hack, mainly chords, some noodling and riffing.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

I've never played the Super Dist, but from what I hear, there isn't much similarity between it and a SH-5. The SH-5 has more highs and clarity. Hopefully someone with actual experience will chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

But if you are used to the Dmz Super D with its beefy mids, the '59 is a huge departure from that. Yes it has clarity and chime, but the mids are way scooped and it doesn't have near the beefiness or push that the Custom has. It sounds like you would rather have the mids and sparkle of the Custom rather than the brightness of the '59. Don't get me wrong, the '59 is a great pup and very versatile, but you have to consider the amp settings in the vid you watched. As Frank mentioned, the '59 has a scooped midrange. The beefiness you hear is from the very strong lows. The Custom also has good lows, but it has a much fuller midrange. It has a very strong/bright high end (a bit too brittle for my taste...I prefer it with an alnico 8 magnet) and is very versatile and loved by many guitarists. It will sound like the Super D with more clarity and sparkle and more bite.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

whole lotta is the bizness.

 

[CountFeedback]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

dp100, I haven't played a Super Distortion in years, I just recently auditioned an SH-5, but I don't feel I can make an in depth comparison. Vague memory of the Super D is that it's much more brash and chained to it's personality, where as the SH-5 is a little bit more of a chameleon.

The impression I'm getting from your descriptions is that you should go for a vintage output alnico pickup: 59, WLH, or maybe go Angus SG with Pearly Gates.

 

[dp100]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

CountFeedback:

The impression I'm getting from your descriptions is that you should go for a vintage output alnico pickup: 59, WLH, or maybe go Angus SG with Pearly Gates.

Count, what is a WLH? I've heard of the Pearly Gates, but never played one. I keep going back that 59, to me it sounded the snarliest of all 3 pickups. The one thing I'm a bit concerned about, is ending up with a pickup that sounds like the JB. My brother in law has 3 JB's in different guitars, 2 Kramers, and I think a tele. They all had that 80's hair metal, "KUNK-KUNK-KUNK midrange, which I didn't like at all. It sounded like an Eddie Van Halen guitar sound to me, but cheaper sounding, if that makes any sense. I hate all this hair splitting, but it's an expensive road to "try pickups".

There's this springy, snarly upper mid thing with the Duncan 59 that sounds really appealing to me, not sure why. It lacks the thickness of the super distortion, but it's so refreshing to hear that classic spank.

Last question, if we're talking about Alnico 5, bridge pickups, where does "vintage" output starting becoming "hot"? 9-12K? I guess I'm trying to figure out if a lower output PAF is the way to go, or hotter, and how much hotter?

 

[CountFeedback]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

WLH is short for Whole Lotta Humbucker
the JB can do more than hair metal, I've found it to be capable of a wide range of sounds (classic rock, alternative, ethereal), but you can be a Master of Metal with it \m/
Duncan Vintage output humbuckers generally use Alnico 2 or Alnico 5 and are wound between 7k to 9k. I believe there is a certain gauge of wire all the vintage pickups use that's thicker than what's used on high output pups.
I have a set of 59s, they're great, they sound pretty much like those videos.

 

[Bfeeney]

Re: Duncan 59 bridge, some guidance please.

I'm not really knowledgeable enough to swap magnets. ...Wound to what kind of DC range?

Generally speaking, and there are exceptions to everything, the lower the ohms the better it will do clean stuff but the heavy metal distortion stuff suffers. I have a set of PAF's that are wound to ~8k and they do an incredible job with cleans but it wont do Metallica to save it's life. I have a Super Distortion and others in the 13k range and they will metal all day but the cleans aren't the greatest (compared to the 8k). I comes down to what you want to do with the guitar.

You should get on Youtube and look up videos on how to do mag swaps, it's super easy and the payoff is fantastic. I had a pickup that was 13k and had an A5 in it. The pup was good but it wasn't 100% what I wanted for that guitar so I took the A5 out and put a ceramic in it and now it is one of my favorite pickups, only took 1/2 an hour. If you have a crappy stock pickup laying around you don't want you can practice on that.