59's and SG

[vintagecrunch]

I know a lot of people say that the 59's are too boomy, but what about in an SG? An SG is gonna have less bass and lower mids than say a Les Paul so I thought they "boomy" lows might add to the SG instead of hinder it... If not what about something like a Pearly Gates set with more mid's and less bass?
Let me know what yall think

 

[Mr. B]

Re: 59's and SG

I have a set in a PRS SE Standard which has the same wood and similar set-neck construction. They sound fantastic. The neck in the 59 set can be a bit boomy, but there is nothing else like it. If it bothers you, you could use a Jazz neck. I install my 59 sets backward, polepieces toward each other instead of away from each other. I think it makes the neck sound a tad bit less boomy and the bridge a bit less bright and thin.(no scientific proof to back this up though) I love the 59 set, its a great all-round pair. I EQ all the presets on my modeling amp (VOX AD60VTX) for the 59 set, since I consider it the standard from which every other pickup departs.

 

[BRHGM]

Re: 59's and SG

They're both solid choices. I have a 59n in my Tele Special. I have a Burstbucker 3 in my SG. It's sort of like a Pearly Gates, but a little more raspy and chunky. The Burstbucker Pro is in between a 59 and a C5.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 59's and SG

SG's are thin bodied guitars with long skinny necks. The acoustic tone is kind of thin and twangy. 59's sound great in SG's and add some needed beef to the bass and lower mids, IMO. I find the 59n a little boomy in some guitars when I turn down the guitar's volume to get a clear, clean rythym tone...but it's a good fit in an SG. I do not find the 59b boomy at all...just the 59n. But in a SG, a set of 59's sounds great to me. Lew

 

[JacobTM]

Re: 59's and SG

I had a '59n in my SG, and I didn't like it at all. Not enough mids, not defined enough for much but clean playing.

Though I like a good deal of mids.

 

[vintagecrunch]

Re: 59's and SG

Awesome news, thanks a lot guys.I am gfoing to order some 59's then for my Historic. Has anyone tried the custom shop unpotted ones fromn specialty guitars?

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: 59's and SG

'59's aren't boomy, they're just a bit punchy. This works out great in a high wattage tube amp if you back off the volume to maybe 7 and then up it to 10 for solos. But still, if it seems too boomy, back off the bass and mids a bit until it isn't. In my Showmaster, sure, with a tube amp with EQ at all 5's, sure, it can be really boomy in the neck, and sometimes bridge (since the PG+ isn't too much different from an overwound '59), but you can EQ that out, and/or not play with volume at max at all times. However, my Showmaster is basswood, and the '59 isn't as scooped in the mids as a Jazz, for example, so that's part of it.

 

[GURU1979]

Re: 59's and SG

I solved the problem of "boomines" of 59 in a sg disconnecting the neck tone pot...now it's perfect!

 

[vintagecrunch]

Re: 59's and SG

Disconnect the tone pot! As a rock and blues player that grew up listening to my dads Cream albums as well as earning a degree in jazz performance I don't know if I could get by without a tone know to fuddle with... Just too many great tones hidden in that knob, but thanks for the suggestion none the less.

 

[jimijames]

Re: 59's and SG

people also like A4 in the '59, reels in some of that boomy bass

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: 59's and SG

Disconnect the tone pot! As a rock and blues player that grew up listening to my dads Cream albums as well as earning a degree in jazz performance I don't know if I could get by without a tone know to fuddle with... Just too many great tones hidden in that knob, but thanks for the suggestion none the less.

Yeah, disconnect 'em or get the Fender No Load Tone Pots. Which reminds me, I need to mod all my guitars with them....

 

[blueman335]

Re: 59's and SG

'59's work for me in an SG. The thin body gives a new set of options for pickups, pots, & magnets compared to a LP. On the neck, the scooped mids & extra brightness of the A5 offset any boominess for me (using the standard 500K pots). Just not enough body there to be too bassy.

In the bridge I use 250K pots to take off the shrill highs, and that warms the tone similar to an A2. If I didn't use the 250K's on the bridge, I'd want an A2, A3, or A4 magnet.

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: 59's and SG

'59's work for me in an SG. The thin body gives a new set of options for pickups, pots, & magnets compared to a LP. On the neck, the scooped mids & extra brightness of the A5 offset any boominess for me (using the standard 500K pots). Just not enough body there to be too bassy.

In the bridge I use 250K pots to take off the shrill highs, and that warms the tone similar to an A2. If I didn't use the 250K's on the bridge, I'd want an A2, A3, or A4 magnet.

For what it's worth, the '59 isn't scooped sounding, at least not to be (but mine is '59 neck in a basswood body guitar, so I could be wrong). But if you want more scoop than a '59, there's always the Jazz.... I don't think it's necessarily the magnet (look at the JB: the JB's got tons of mids), but a combination of several factors.