59 in bridge for metal?

I

Inflames626

New member
Hey guys,
I've been wanting to build a PAF guitar for a while. I've had great luck with a 57 Classic+/498t setup, but I want to try Duncan PAFs in something like a Kramer Assault or Charvel Desolation single cut.

In my DAW, I have pretty much unlimited gain in my plugins. Would a 59 in the bridge be a good metal pickup?

I've looked at the Custom line and most people seem to like the Custom as opposed to the Custom 5 and Custom Custom. My concern is will the Custom sound scooped with a lot of brightness and bass due to the ceramics? I think Aceman put it well when he said the Distortion is for shreddy metal, while the Custom is for thump thump type stuff.

I'm into all the Gothenburg death metal stuff but I've found most of the higher output pups (Distortion, JB, Alt 8) to be harsh/fizzy or with weird bumps and notches in the EQ. Looking for something a little more even.

And, lastly, anyone ever tried a Jazz in the bridge for metal?

Thoughts?
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

The SH5 custom isnt really any brighter than a 59B. The 59 certainly has a more dramatic Eq curve to it. ALmost be better off with a SH12 it sounds like
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

For a studio environment, yeah, the 59B will do fine. It'll give you a nice clean/clear sound to work with. Slight bit of a mid scoop, but nothing unusable.

For live, ehhh. there are many pickups that are more suitable for the gothenberg sound in a live scenario.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

I had a 59 in the bridge of my Jackson SLS3 for a couple months and it wasn't articulate enough at all for metal IMO. It turned to mush and didn't retain tightness in the low end.

It is fine if you are in standard tuning, but I typically play in Drop C or C standard and it just didn't cut it, at least in that guitar.

Cleans were great though, and it is an awesome pickup, just not for the type of metal I play.

You might want to check out the Black Winter. It definitely does the metal thing very well, but it has far more depth than the marketing would lead you to believe. Clean tones are outstanding, even in the bridge position, and it cleans up nicely under gain if you roll back on the volume. It's a very balanced pickup, no major spikes in the EQ.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

I would look at a full shred or screamin demon before a 59. The full shred is a more articulate & balanced custom 5. The screamin demon is very balanced and warm yet clear, if you don't like it it's also great in the neck.

The custom/59 is another great option. I would probably even do a pearly gates plus over a regular 59 bridge.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

Big Flannel said:
How does it compare to the sh-5? I feel like my custom is missing "something".
Click to expand...

The custom is sharper, hotter, tighter, and more compressed sounding. The 59/custom is warmer and sweeter. They both get amazing harmonics and are brighter sounding pickups in general. The 59/custom can actually emulate more vintage humbucker sounds really well while remaining tight. It's more of a lead guitar pickup in my mind but it also handles rhythm really well, while the custom to me lends itself better to rhythm playing, while being great for leads too. Neither are one trick ponies, but the 59/custom is the more responsive, cleaner and more versatile, I also would not call it scooped but some will. It has a surprisingly thick bass but also a lot of upper mid presence and treble. The low mids seem scooped, which gives it it's unique tone but still prevents it from losing itself in a band from lack of mids or when adding gain. It's subtler and has a more vintage flavor than the custom daddy.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

Mark Morton from Lamb of God had a 59 bridge and Jazz neck in one of his dominion guitars.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

qaiso said:
Mark Morton from Lamb of God had a 59 bridge and Jazz neck in one of his dominion guitars.
Click to expand...

Not for quite some time now. He's been using DiMarzio Dominions for several years now. Even though his Sig Jackson used to have '59's he only used those briefly on tour. He went through tons of different pickups before settling with DiMarzio.
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

The 59 will certainly do what you need, and likely do it better. Iy will be more articulate, less muddy and compressed.

Hot pickup + über-gain usually equals farty muddy mess. A Custom is like a super boosted 59 anyway. Yeah, the ceramic imparts a certain scream and kick that a5 doesn't quite have. But through mega gain plugins? Won't matter much, if at all.

Oh yeah -

The Distortion bottom in for Crunch, the Custom is for Thump. I lovem both!
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

Aceman said:
The 59 will certainly do what you need, and likely do it better. Iy will be more articulate, less muddy and compressed.

Hot pickup + über-gain usually equals farty muddy mess. A Custom is like a super boosted 59 anyway. Yeah, the ceramic imparts a certain scream and kick that a5 doesn't quite have. But through mega gain plugins? Won't matter much, if at all.

Oh yeah -

The Distortion bottom in for Crunch, the Custom is for Thump. I lovem both!
Click to expand...
Is that the Custom or the Custom 5 thats the super charged 59?

Cheers, Kie

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 
Re: 59 in bridge for metal?

Mark Morton did pretty will with the 59 in his guitars until he started working on his signature pup with DMZ.
 
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