Help honing in bridge pickup

[alex1fly]

I'd like to make some improvements to the bridge pickup of this Santana SE and am hoping for some input!


24.5" scale, mahogany body/neck, maple top. The stock pickups are "Santana S" made by C&B, who also apparently manufactures for GFS. They play fine and give a good tone similar to the 57 Classic+ in my SG but felt kind of flat in response. So I put in the neck a Dimarzio Virtual P90 that has brought the guitar to life. Very responsive to dynamics, round sound, complex mids, lots of bloom, notes feel very "alive", and playing it feels like the instrument and I are having a conversation. As opposed to the bridge pickup where I'm just kind of giving it orders.

So I'd like to tinker with or replace the bridge pickup to make it play similarly. I'd like more warmth, more mids, more sponginess, more complexity and more dynamic range. I'm going for classic tones with this guitar - cleans, cranked tube amp, tubescreamer, woman tone, jazz & blues verging into rock but not a "rock first" approach. So I'm thinking low output is the way to go.

Ideas I've had that seem interesting and would maybe fit the bill based on entirely too much research:
Another Virtual P90 to make a set (but they don't make a bridge version and I wouldn't get more mids or warmth necessarily)
Magnet swap to A2 or A4
Seth Lover
Antiquity
Other mid-heavy PAF/soapbar/HB sized P90

Any thoughts before I think myself to death? Thanks!

[beaubrummels]

Given this "I'd like more warmth, more mids, more sponginess, more complexity and more dynamic range. I'm going for classic tones with this guitar - cleans, cranked tube amp, tubescreamer, woman tone, jazz & blues verging into rock but not a "rock first" approach."

I would say Brobucker

[superpete]

""I'd like more warmth, more mids, more sponginess" i was think custom custom, until

"more complexity and more dynamic range"
maybe an APii/Slash

[Mincer]

The Seth Lover or Antiquity (pick the EQ you want) are pretty much designed to do the things you want to do with that bridge pickup. Thing is, after you hear it, you'll want to switch out the neck for a Seth Lover or Antiquity.

[Condemned soul]

Might fit the need ..... and is working for me.

Swapped out the stock pickups in my Santana SE for a WLH neck and 59 / Custom.

Had the 59 / Custom in two guitars, SG Standard and a LPC , and it didn't excite me in wither guitar. Since I was getting bored with my SE, thought that this would be a good guitar to try it in. This pickup set is a keeper in the guitar.

[eclecticsynergy]

Absolutely second the recommendation for a Brobucker. A nearly perfect bridge humbucker in my book.
The dynamics and sweet airiness of a lower wind, with just a bit of extra body & muscle.

I think the Slash bridge was a very good suggestion too, as long as you don't need split wiring.

One question about the guitar's natural voice - is it pretty midrangey?
Not all are, but the only SE I ever owned had tons of mids and a Custom 5 was the perfect solution.

[alex1fly]

The Seth Lover or Antiquity (pick the EQ you want) are pretty much designed to do the things you want to do with that bridge pickup. Thing is, after you hear it, you'll want to switch out the neck for a Seth Lover or Antiquity.

I think I want to start with the Seth Lover. Sound clips sound great, reviews are great, I'm genuinely curious to try something old school and the Seths seems like a good baseline.

What do you all think - nickel cover or gold cover on the guitar in the original post?

[beaubrummels]

IME Gold covers tend to come with 4-conductor (at least all the ones I've bought to date) and all my gold ones seem slightly brighter than their uncovered or chrome/nickel counterparts.

As far as looks, you'll want to change other parts once you put gold covers on there.

[Clint 55]

I have a spare Seth bridge that I could sell you without the cover and with a double thick (A2) magnet installed. The double thick magnet really helps out the vintage wind sound fuller and less clanky.

[Mincer]

I think I want to start with the Seth Lover. Sound clips sound great, reviews are great, I'm genuinely curious to try something old school and the Seths seems like a good baseline.

What do you all think - nickel cover or gold cover on the guitar in the original post?

Nickel, of course!

[jeremy]

yeah, nickel for sure. i do like the zebra look too

[BluesIsBlood12]

Your description definitely sounds like a PAF with an A2 magnet, though it's not necessarily restricted to that. You listed Seths and Ants, and either one should fit the bill nicely. I like Ants a little more, for old Black Crowes type tone especially, but Seths are very similar and a lot cheaper. You can also do very will with a 59 and an A2 magnet swap. I haven't used the AP2, but I would assume it's right there in the same ballpark as well.

[Mincer]

The Alnico II Pro is probably cheaper than the Seths or Ants, but the EQ is very different- you get a lot more mids. For classic non-master volume amp sounds, the Seths and Antiquities can't be beat.

[alex1fly]

Seth Lover getting delivered tonight. I'll have to resist the urge to ignore my wife's birthday in order to install and rock out.

[Mincer]

Seth Lover getting delivered tonight. I'll have to resist the urge to ignore my wife's birthday in order to install and rock out.

Let us know how it sounds when you've had some time to play with it (don't do it tonight).