I've had too much time on my hands and have been reading through some old posts, and found info on a set made for Musician's Friend. An overwound version of the Ants or Seths? I'd like to try some of these, just wondering if SD has a version available without making a custom order. An Ant version with the degaused magnets, slightly overwound but without the distressing or cosmetic aging. Something like that sounds interesting.
50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
- Thread starter ajeffcote
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Push to Shuv
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
They were available with both A2 and A5
They were available with both A2 and A5
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
They are not like Ants...they are Seths and they were available in alnico II and V.
They are not like Ants...they are Seths and they were available in alnico II and V.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
In 2005, Musician's Friend had an exclusive run of 250 A2's and 250 A5's, if I recall correctly. I think they were just regular Seths, but MJ's signature was on them, so they may or may not sound different. I think my A2 set could possibly be wound a TINY bit hotter than normal. But they pretty much sound the same as any Seth Lover Model.
Don't think too much about it. Just buy a set of Seths.
At first, I put them in a LP Std Premium Plus, but I think I like them best in my 2000 McCarty in vintage sunburst. I'm leaving them in the PRS. Seths sound great in a PRS.
In 2005, Musician's Friend had an exclusive run of 250 A2's and 250 A5's, if I recall correctly. I think they were just regular Seths, but MJ's signature was on them, so they may or may not sound different. I think my A2 set could possibly be wound a TINY bit hotter than normal. But they pretty much sound the same as any Seth Lover Model.
Don't think too much about it. Just buy a set of Seths.
At first, I put them in a LP Std Premium Plus, but I think I like them best in my 2000 McCarty in vintage sunburst. I'm leaving them in the PRS. Seths sound great in a PRS.
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
Regular Seth's are the way to go, which are one of the world's great PU's. I like them much better than Ant's, as the degaussed mags reduce the little bit of treble that A2's have, and lower the output, which A2's also don't have much of.
Regular Seth's are the way to go, which are one of the world's great PU's. I like them much better than Ant's, as the degaussed mags reduce the little bit of treble that A2's have, and lower the output, which A2's also don't have much of.
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
When I got one of the first run Custom Shop Brobuckers, I put that in the LP along with a Pearly Gates neck. They're a little bit tighter in that guitar.
The PRS guitars have more of a hard attack, so the vintagey Seths go great in it. Seths are relatively smooth sounding, so I like them in stiff bright sounding guitars. The pics look like the strings are practically laying on the pickups, but there's probably a nickel's width between the strings and poles.
After all the years, I like humbuckers like the Brobucker, Custom 5, C/59 Hybrid, 59's, Pearly Gates, Seth Lovers, Gibson Burstbuckers, and 57 Classics.
For singles, Surfers, Jerry Donahue, Ants, and whatever boutique winders make beefy vintage spec stuff.
When I got one of the first run Custom Shop Brobuckers, I put that in the LP along with a Pearly Gates neck. They're a little bit tighter in that guitar.
The PRS guitars have more of a hard attack, so the vintagey Seths go great in it. Seths are relatively smooth sounding, so I like them in stiff bright sounding guitars. The pics look like the strings are practically laying on the pickups, but there's probably a nickel's width between the strings and poles.
After all the years, I like humbuckers like the Brobucker, Custom 5, C/59 Hybrid, 59's, Pearly Gates, Seth Lovers, Gibson Burstbuckers, and 57 Classics.
For singles, Surfers, Jerry Donahue, Ants, and whatever boutique winders make beefy vintage spec stuff.
LtKojak
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
I've finally found my notes:
50th Ann Seth Lover set
neck: 7.68K A5
bridge: 8.48K A5
My Seth Lover set measures as follows:
neck: 7.18K A2
bridge: 7.89K A2
HTH,
I've finally found my notes:
50th Ann Seth Lover set
neck: 7.68K A5
bridge: 8.48K A5
My Seth Lover set measures as follows:
neck: 7.18K A2
bridge: 7.89K A2
HTH,
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
If I recall, you got those specs from my set when I posted it. So I was right....they are a tiny bit hotter.
My rig is the Bogner XTC on top of the Goldtone, on top of any of my cabs. I run them in stereo. It sounds devastating, especially when I use the Strymon Lex Rotary to split the rotor and horn Leslie sound between the two amps. Then, I run the rest of my modulation and delays through the Bogner's FX loop.
If I recall, you got those specs from my set when I posted it. So I was right....they are a tiny bit hotter.
My rig is the Bogner XTC on top of the Goldtone, on top of any of my cabs. I run them in stereo. It sounds devastating, especially when I use the Strymon Lex Rotary to split the rotor and horn Leslie sound between the two amps. Then, I run the rest of my modulation and delays through the Bogner's FX loop.
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the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
But Seths and Ants don't use the same wire...
I just don't know which wire they used on the 50th Anni Seths...
But Seths and Ants don't use the same wire...
I just don't know which wire they used on the 50th Anni Seths...
LtKojak
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
But they do... AWG #42 Single-coated Plain Enamel. They also both use butyrate bobbins.
I couldn't tell you if the actual wire specs are the same; I don't own a micrometer and it's not crucial info for argument's sake.
But they do... AWG #42 Single-coated Plain Enamel. They also both use butyrate bobbins.
I couldn't tell you if the actual wire specs are the same; I don't own a micrometer and it's not crucial info for argument's sake.
LtKojak
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
Those specs are taken from a picture published in a classified announces site in my neck of woods, secondamano.it in november 2009.
I made an offer but the seller never got back to me.
That particular set had the engraved nickel covers but golden polepiece screws... I don't know if this applies to your set, also. I thought those screws looked great, BTW.
HTH,
Those specs are taken from a picture published in a classified announces site in my neck of woods, secondamano.it in november 2009.
I made an offer but the seller never got back to me.
That particular set had the engraved nickel covers but golden polepiece screws... I don't know if this applies to your set, also. I thought those screws looked great, BTW.
HTH,
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
There is more to pickup wire than just size and insulation and trust me when I tell you that Seths and Ants use different wire...
I don't know if the 50th Ann Seths use the same wire than normal Seths use or the wire Ants use...I'd put money on the normal but I don't know for sure...
There is more to pickup wire than just size and insulation and trust me when I tell you that Seths and Ants use different wire...
I don't know if the 50th Ann Seths use the same wire than normal Seths use or the wire Ants use...I'd put money on the normal but I don't know for sure...
Boogie Bill
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
My take is that the 50th Anniversarys sound more like a beefy Seth than an Ant. Just a touch more hair and character. The Ants though, seem to me to have a more complex, liquid-sounding midrange than the 50th. The Anniversarys make the production Seths I have sound a little bland in comparison. Don't get me wrong, bland is sometimes exactly what I need, in that I can do a variety of styles.
I have both, in a 1996 (50th A2) and 1997 (Ants) Les Paul 1960 Classic Plus guitars, and a production Seth set in a Les Paul Supreme. Wonderful guitars, and some of the the first Duncans I ever bought. The Seth set in the Supreme is SO much better than the 490R/498T factory set. And while I loved the Hot Ceramics in the Classics, they were just too hot for my Mesa amps. The Seths and Ants work better for me.
Honestly, I wish I'd bought 10 sets of the 50th Anniversary Seths in both A2 and A5. They are that good.
But all of these are really good pickups--to me the differences are subtle. I love all of them.
Bill
My take is that the 50th Anniversarys sound more like a beefy Seth than an Ant. Just a touch more hair and character. The Ants though, seem to me to have a more complex, liquid-sounding midrange than the 50th. The Anniversarys make the production Seths I have sound a little bland in comparison. Don't get me wrong, bland is sometimes exactly what I need, in that I can do a variety of styles.
I have both, in a 1996 (50th A2) and 1997 (Ants) Les Paul 1960 Classic Plus guitars, and a production Seth set in a Les Paul Supreme. Wonderful guitars, and some of the the first Duncans I ever bought. The Seth set in the Supreme is SO much better than the 490R/498T factory set. And while I loved the Hot Ceramics in the Classics, they were just too hot for my Mesa amps. The Seths and Ants work better for me.
Honestly, I wish I'd bought 10 sets of the 50th Anniversary Seths in both A2 and A5. They are that good.
But all of these are really good pickups--to me the differences are subtle. I love all of them.
Bill
LtKojak
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
Nowadays Plain Enamel is custom-ordered by p'up makers ONLY. And AFAIK, only one wire maker is still willing to make a benzene-based enamel to produce PE like old times. This is the wire used by most PAF repro makers and it doesn't come cheap, that much I can tell you.
Copper wire is the same, it's the insulation type and thickness the variables that give the dialectric characteristics, together with the coil geometry (the way the wire is laid on the coil, TPL and tension) what gives a certain p'up a certain sound, vibe and/or behaviour.
So, knowing first-hand the industrial and production side of the equation, I believe more in my own knowledge than just taking your word for it.
So, do I know the answer FOR SURE? Of course not. But what I belìieve is that most likely IS the same PE. Why? Because it makes no sense economically and/or production-wise to spec for two different PE wires.
HTH,
Nowadays Plain Enamel is custom-ordered by p'up makers ONLY. And AFAIK, only one wire maker is still willing to make a benzene-based enamel to produce PE like old times. This is the wire used by most PAF repro makers and it doesn't come cheap, that much I can tell you.
Copper wire is the same, it's the insulation type and thickness the variables that give the dialectric characteristics, together with the coil geometry (the way the wire is laid on the coil, TPL and tension) what gives a certain p'up a certain sound, vibe and/or behaviour.
So, knowing first-hand the industrial and production side of the equation, I believe more in my own knowledge than just taking your word for it.
So, do I know the answer FOR SURE? Of course not. But what I belìieve is that most likely IS the same PE. Why? Because it makes no sense economically and/or production-wise to spec for two different PE wires.
HTH,
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LtKojak
New member
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
Thank you for chiming in.
From your description I believe that's it. The 50th Anns are an oh-so-slightly overwound Seth set, which put'em into Ant territory specs-wise but not tone-wise.
Darn, now I'm totally GAS'ing for a 50th Ann set.
Those are NOT Custom Shop Floor items, aren't they? :banghead:
Thank you for chiming in.
From your description I believe that's it. The 50th Anns are an oh-so-slightly overwound Seth set, which put'em into Ant territory specs-wise but not tone-wise.
Darn, now I'm totally GAS'ing for a 50th Ann set.
Those are NOT Custom Shop Floor items, aren't they? :banghead:
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
No, they were standard but they are long out of production.
I wish I'd bought a few sets when I had the chance as they bring big bucks now.
No, they were standard but they are long out of production.
I wish I'd bought a few sets when I had the chance as they bring big bucks now.
the guy who invented fire
Fuzzy. Guitars
Re: 50th Anniversary Seth Lovers?
Believe what you want to believe...I know what I know.
Believe what you want to believe...I know what I know.