59 Bridge, Custom 5 and Saturday Night Special Magnet Swaps

Ronnie_Snow

New member
I thought I would post my recent opinions regarding a few magnet swaps.

Custom with a Polished Alnico 8 - I tried this first as I have a RCA8 in a 59/Custom and love it. But here the A8 seemed to give it more midrange, close to the midrange that a JB produces, which what I was trying to avoid. Nice but not quite what I was looking for. I think I preferred the stock A5 compared to this.

Custom with a Roughcast UOA5 - Really nice. It took away the sound of it sounding really hot like a JB. It smoothed out the top end sizzle and it seems to generally feel fuller and blended mids with nothing spiking. Bass is still quite chunky. Generally well rounded. Staying in a Les Paul for now.

Saturday Night Special - I thought I would have liked this pickup having 42AWG plain enamel and being hot at 9.75k. I feel 43 and 44 to my ears give too much high end sizzle to pups that cant be EQd. I swapped for a Stock polished A5 and it sucked. Really bad. It went from having this really pronounced midrange to sounding flabby/hollow. I gave up at this point. Put the A4 back in and onto the marketplace. Was not really my cup of tea.

59 - I didn't bother! This would have to be one of the best stock sounding pickups ever produced. It definitely has that vintage rock vibe but handles more gain for harder rock really well. I keep going back to this guitar since installing it. Can't get enough.

At this stage I have Bridge wise

Les Paul - 59
Les Paul - Custom w/ RUOA5
SG - 59/Custom w/ RA8
 
I'm not surprised that the SNS didn't like the A5. It might have been better with a UOA5 or even A8. Also not surprised at the RCUOA5 sounding great in the Custom. As much as you like the stock 59, consider trying a UOA5 of some sort in it, you might be surprised at the result. Personally I would use a polished one.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
 
These kinds of magnet swap reviews are wonderful to have. Thanks for your contribution...it is sure to help others going down the same road.
 
I Love the 59's with a roughcast A5 and unpotted .
I think SD should offer a Antiquity 59 set with this setup ., it would sell like hotcakes . :D

This is the missing piece from the Antiquity line. I'd buy a '59 Antiquity set in a heartbeat
 
This is the missing piece from the Antiquity line. I'd buy a '59 Antiquity set in a heartbeat

To make this even more interesting I am going to pull the Degaussed Roughcast A5 magnet out of my Ant JB I have laying around and put it into my Unpotted 59B to give the pickup a true Antiquity build like SD would .
I'm betting it will be even more vintage sounding .:D
 
To make this even more interesting I am going to pull the Degaussed Roughcast A5 magnet out of my Ant JB I have laying around and put it into my Unpotted 59B to give the pickup a true Antiquity build like SD would .
I'm betting it will be even more vintage sounding .:D

After you do, give us a solid field report and let us know what you think.
 
cool post. what is it you didnt like about the stock sns?

The midrange. There was just too much for my liking. I loved it when I first got it but once I got use to the sound, as soon as I picked up other guitars, I noticed I was back at my amp EQing...
 
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