59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

[Benjy_26]

After having a 59/JB combo in my Lester for a while, I changed the JB to a PG and loved it. The only problem was that it made the 59 sound kind of flat and generic, a serviceable sound, but with no real mojo. Two days ago I changed the 59's mag to an Alnico II I had lying around, and boy, did it make a difference! The highs were clearer, the lows didn't boom like they used too, and I got a nice midrange snarl when overdriven. Call me crazy, but I even got to hear some air and "wood" when playing clean.
I think it's great!

Just one question, though, What is the closest to this in a production version? Is it the PGn, Seth, Alnico II Pro, or Antiquity?

In my experience, the Seth chimes more, growls less, and the Alnico II Pro is much, much more polite. I have not tried the PGn or the Antiquity.

 

[jeremy]

ive never tried a 59 with an alnico II but i love the pgn, the pg set are my favorite non-cs pups

 

[korovamilkdud]

Sounds just like my experience too. I wish I knew how a PGn compared to a A2 59 though...

 

[Jocelyn]

i guess it would be PG n

 

[Marcel]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

Doesn't the PG have unbalanced coils?

 

[MattPete]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

My guess would be a seth.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

wait till you try a 59 with an a3! then it would possess the best sides of both extremes, i.e. a5 and a2.

regarding you question. like a year ago i went mad on this very same question that you are asking. i compared a 7.50 59n with an a3 (and a2) against some of the pickups (of similar K values) i have (with the same alnico grade magnet).

while many including Evan has said that a 59 with an a2 is most similar to a pg of the same resistance value, my findings did not support this. pg's clearly have more uppermids than 59's. (remember that I am talking about the difference with the same magnet, of course using different magnet might create differences.) moreover, against my 7.55k ant neck, the 7.50 59n compared very similar in terms of the eq. YET I believe wax potting makes a huge difference (my humble opinion). ant had much more 3d quality which is to die for!

B

 

[papersoul]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

After having a 59/JB combo in my Lester for a while, I changed the JB to a PG and loved it. The only problem was that it made the 59 sound kind of flat and generic, a serviceable sound, but with no real mojo. Two days ago I changed the 59's mag to an Alnico II I had lying around, and boy, did it make a difference! The highs were clearer, the lows didn't boom like they used too, and I got a nice midrange snarl when overdriven. Call me crazy, but I even got to hear some air and "wood" when playing clean.
I think it's great!

Just one question, though, What is the closest to this in a production version? Is it the PGn, Seth, Alnico II Pro, or Antiquity?

In my experience, the Seth chimes more, growls less, and the Alnico II Pro is much, much more polite. I have not tried the PGn or the Antiquity.

Hi Benjy,

How is that PG compared to the JB? Thicker...clearer? Good for heavy music? I have a Les Paul Standard with stock BB Pros and I am trying to get a used Custom off ebay but wouldn't mind finding a Pearly Gates also.

I would think a PGb and PGn would go hand in hand. No??

Thanks!

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

I love the A2 59 in my Strat, it is absolutely perfect, but my Explorer likes A3 magnets better. I tried the A2 59 in that and just did not have the clarity I was after. The A3 in a Virtual PAF is wonderful in that guitar.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

I love the A2 59 in my Strat, it is absolutely perfect, but my Explorer likes A3 magnets better. I tried the A2 59 in that and just did not have the clarity I was after. The A3 in a Virtual PAF is wonderful in that guitar.

The body wood makes all the differences. Hard Ash or Walnut versus Mahogany difference is almost like a2 versus a5! I don't know about you but I prefer brighter wood with lower alnico grade (generally a3 in the neck) alnico HB in the neck, and an a5 PAF style bridge.

B

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

Thanks for the input, gents. Papersoul, the PGb stacks up very well against the JB. The main difference I noted was that the PG is quite a bit clearer and more airy than the JB. You do lose a lot of output, but if you have a hot amp, the PG is an excellent choice. As far as heavy music goes, In my band, we cover all the styles from smooth jazz all the way to metal and the PGb does it all with aplomb. It's currently my faveorite bridge pickup, followed closely by the CC.

Hey, Doc, I just ordered some A3 mags. :wink:

I can't wait! :32:

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: 59 w/ Alnico II rocks my sox off!!

Hey, Doc, I just ordered some A3 mags. :wink:

I can't wait! :32:

:bigthumb: