banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

looking for a new seymour duncan pickups for my guitar

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • looking for a new seymour duncan pickups for my guitar

    Hi everyone hope youre doing fine,i have a gibson les paul traditional with jb/jazz neck set for now but i want to try other pickups, so i have in mind the seth lover set, the custom 5 with jazz neck or the slash set; i like to play blues, jazz and rock as whitesnake, iron maiden i agues we can say the classic rock.
    in your experience which of te three option do you recommend me

  • #2
    Man, that's a good question, and one which plagues us all, constantly. I'll apologize in advance for getting long-winded.

    If you were to say, in a general sense, that lower-wind/output humbucker offers certain tonal characteristics that a high-output pickup doesn't deliver, there's one dilemma.
    Consider Ace Frehley ca. '74. Les Paul into a Marshall with only a cable between the two. What's going to get you the best uumph and grind? A dimarzio super distortion. Will that give you the best bluesy sound? no. Will it give you the quintessential KISS sound? Damn right.

    Consider a Brad Gillis/Warren DiMartini type of guy in the early 80's. Amps aren't a world away from the 70's vibe, but a little grittier. Pedals are becoming more prevalent, but power-rock still needs powerful pickups. Hence the JB/Duncan distortion or a Dimarzio Super distortion being preferable to a PAF style output.

    Now consider Vito Bratta from White Lion. I think he used a strat with a duncan 59 in the bridge. I'm not saying he had the most aggressive tones, but he had GREAT tones on Pride. he also was using higher gain amps/effects, so he didn't need the souped-up humbucker that was necessary a decade prior.

    Basically, it's a balancing act of who is doing the work for your gain: your pickup or your rig? Nowadays we have the option of both. So if you're Dave Murray in '81, you really need a Super Distortion to get the most aggressive sound. If you're Slash in '90, with a high-gain amp (for the time) a Duncan Alnico II Pro does just fine. Today, with the availability of cheap pedals, multi-effects, and modeling technology, I personally think that a highoutput pickup is less important. But I still use them for the sheer girth of sound that they have (I'm fortunate enough to have a number of guitars).

    So having said all that, a set of Seth Lovers will sound KILLER no matter what; unbelievable pickup. But, if you're plugging a seth lover straight into a tube amp with no pedals and turning everything up to eleven to get a high-gain sound... that's not the best setup. A JB/Duncan Distortion/DiMarzio Super would be better.

    If you have a few pedals and a good rig, a moderate pickup like a 59, PAF Pro, or a Screamin' Demon would suit you well, and still be able to "tone down" and do a great mellow sound.

    If you're happy enough with the JB but want a mellower vibe, I like the 59/Custom Hybrid and a 59 neck (or the jazz neck you have would be pretty similar). I think you'd find it a refreshing change of pace from the JB. Or even a straight up 59 bridge model. And when you need to juice up the gain via a pedal or a high-gain amp (or modeler) it'll deliver the goods if you can play that aggressively. me personally, if I were to transport myself through space and time and play through Fast Eddie's rig - i couldn't play "ace of spades" convincingly to save my life.

    Comment


    • #3
      I'd pick the Seth set for everything just short of metal. I think with more preamp gain (and volume), I'd go for potted pickups. The Custom 5 would be great if you just don't like mids, or your guitar is mid-heavy. I think a regular Custom & a 59 would be good for the styles you want, though.
      Administrator of the SDUGF

      Comment


      • #4
        A few clarifying questions:

        What Amp/FX?
        What kind of Blues?
        What Kind of Jazz?
        And how much of Blues/Jazz/Metal do you play relatively speaking?

        Based on...
        Maiden - Super Distortion
        Blues - Seths or the A2P's
        Jazz - A2P's or the Seths

        Seths - would suck at Whitesnake
        Super D - would be terrible for most Jazz except some blazing fusion (Although split / Parallel is a whole other deal...)
        A2P's might do some fat sweet blues really well like BB or Robben Ford, but just be trash for Buddy Guy or Freddy King

        The best solution is another guitar. That makes this so much easier.
        Originally posted by Bad City
        He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Aceman View Post
          A few clarifying questions:

          What Amp/FX?
          What kind of Blues?
          What Kind of Jazz?
          And how much of Blues/Jazz/Metal do you play relatively speaking?

          Based on...
          Maiden - Super Distortion
          Blues - Seths or the A2P's
          Jazz - A2P's or the Seths

          Seths - would suck at Whitesnake
          Super D - would be terrible for most Jazz except some blazing fusion (Although split / Parallel is a whole other deal...)
          A2P's might do some fat sweet blues really well like BB or Robben Ford, but just be trash for Buddy Guy or Freddy King

          The best solution is another guitar. That makes this so much easier.
          I have an EVH amp, Roland Jazz Chorus, a Carving Legacy 3 , a GT 1000 fx, an also a pedalbord that it is almost complete just a few more pedals jejeje.
          I play texas blues mostly, as for jazz right now i studying the basics and playing the classic jazz standards, and i agues i play more jazz and blues than rock; i have a Dangelico semi hollow body for jazz, a Fender Stratocaster and DGT PRS guitar and with that guitar a play rock too with the stock pickups and that guitar has a great sustain

          Comment


          • #6
            Having never played the Slash set, I'd suggest the seths would be best of the remaining options.

            I also disagree with Aceman regarding seths and Whitesnake, I think they would be great for what you're after.

            If you need potted pickups, maybe the Slash set or some other option may be more to your taste.

            Comment


            • #7
              Pearly Gates may work well all around. That would be my pick for that guitar and those styles.
              The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.

              Comment


              • #8
                The Slash set would be my pick of the three. It softens and cleans up well and is aggressive when it's time to turn the gain up.

                I like the Custom 5, but it's the scooped pickup of scooped pickups. It's high output with a hollow midrange. Mean low end, which I want in any bridge pickup. (Thick root 6 power chords)

                The Seth Lover option can work if you're willing to risk using unpotted pickups. I wont after having microphonic pickups before that rendered my guitar unplayable. I usually play with enough gain to require a potted pickup. The Seth is low output, but it's a great pickup.
                Epiphone Les Paul Tbte Plus (SD custom shop humbucker & SH2b neck)

                Comment


                • #9
                  To cover everything the OP wants to cover I would go with a Custom / 59 Hybrid and 59N setup .

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    With that rig, a single coil will do metal...

                    Since it appears you mostly play Texas blues, I recommend a PG set.

                    If you want a wider ranging guitar, get an A2P in the neck and a PG in the bridge. Jazz neck, blues bridge. PG > OD into 5150 will be more than metal enough.
                    Originally posted by Bad City
                    He's got the crowd on his side and the blue jean lights in his eyes...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Mincer View Post
                      I'd pick the Seth set for everything just short of metal. I think with more preamp gain (and volume), I'd go for potted pickups. The Custom 5 would be great if you just don't like mids, or your guitar is mid-heavy. I think a regular Custom & a 59 would be good for the styles you want, though.
                      Some Seth Sets can be a little weak. Still within vintage specs but weaker than what modern players are used to. I have a set of Seths where the bridge pickup reads 7.94K and the neck 7.45K. I like a little more oomph from the bridge pickup than that which is one reason the Antiquitys are my favorite set of Duncan humbuckers.
                      “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Another Vintage set I like with a little more bite for the blues than a A2 pickup is a set of Unpotted 59's with degaussed roughcast A5 magnets .
                        Basically a Antiquity 59 PAF set , but you would have to have SD custom shop make them for you or do it yourself .
                        I did it by taking my Antiquity A5 degaussed roughcast magnet out of my Ant JB and putting it in a Unpotted 59B as my experiment , you will be surprised what a difference it made compared to a set of regular 59's .
                        Last edited by JB6464; 11-02-2020, 08:58 AM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by JB6464 View Post
                          Another Vintage set I like with a little more bite for the blues than a A2 pickup is a set of Unpotted 59's with degaussed roughcast A5 magnets .
                          Basically a Antiquity 59 PAF set , but you would have to have SD custom shop make them for you or do it yourself .
                          I did it by taking my Antiquity A5 degaussed roughcast magnet out of my Ant JB and putting it in a Unpotted 59B as my experiment , you will be surprised what a difference it made compared to a set of regular 59's .
                          Me too. Love the 59 set modded with roughcast A2 magnets.
                          “Practice cures most tone issues” - John Suhr

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Lewguitar View Post

                            Me too. Love the 59 set modded with roughcast A2 magnets.
                            Awesome , I will have to try that as well .
                            For the life of me I can't understand why SD won't offer an ANT 59 set , I know it would sell like hotcakes if they did .
                            Are you listening Seymour Duncan !

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Bogner View Post
                              Pearly Gates may work well all around. That would be my pick for that guitar and those styles.
                              Pearly Gates will be my choice!!! and i just discover the existence of this pickups jajaja; but i have a doubt, see there's a billie gibbons custom humbucker set, is there a lot of difference in the sound between both pickups set?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X