Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

STRATDELUXER97

STRATDELUXER97

Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Hi all...I've had this 335 Ibanez copy for quite awhile.Has a Jazz N and a 59B w/UOA5 in the bridge.Having played this guitar again last night(had been awhile) I feel that bridge pickup is just too toppy for my tastes.I have 500k pots throughout the volume and tone pots..A .02 cap is on the bridge pickup and 50s wiring in this one.

My question(s) for you all...This one is a pain to work on..

Should I go 250 to 300k on the bridge pot...Increase the cap size?
I'm really having to roll the tone pot way off to get the warmer tone I want once I get my amp set.

I do use the tone pot,but I Like most of the change to be within say the 10 down to 7 range.

What do you guys think I should try first? Thanks for some advice...

I'd experiment,but a 335 isn't the easiest one to work on! ;o(

The Jazz N is stock and great,no issue there!
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

Yeah, try a 300k or 250k volume on the bridge. that'll warm it up quite a bit.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

First I would say mess with the pup height. Next would be to mess with the treble on the amp. After that I would say then try the 300k pots. Or try switching between Log and Audio pots. Also have you ever thought about Flat wounds or half Rounds or Pure nickel strings?
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

Rockstar216 said:
First I would say mess with the pup height. Next would be to mess with the treble on the amp. After that I would say then try the 300k pots. Or try switching between Log and Audio pots. Also have you ever thought about Flat wounds or half Rounds or Pure nickel strings?
Click to expand...

Currently the guitar has EB Rock N Roll strings...Messed with the pickup height..Amp isn't the issue...Bridge pickup just a bit too bright for my tastes currently.If I darken the amp up too much,then my neck pickup is too muddy! Can't have that!
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

CTN said:
Yeah, try a 300k or 250k volume on the bridge. that'll warm it up quite a bit.
Click to expand...

Now does this mess with the middle position neck/bridge tones? I'm a strat guy and believe me when I say I Know what too bright is..And I don't like that! ;o)
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

Or you could just sell it and try out the new Perpetual Burn humbucker. That's what I'm doing this week.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

the guy who invented fire said:
I hate 250k pots on buckers. If it was me I'd get away from. 50s wiring to start.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Normally I'm also against the 250k pot with buckers. ...I've used modern wiring in the past,but with a treble bleed,then ended up liking the 50s wiring because of retaining some brightness while slightly voluming down and sans the treble bleed..Maybe that the 59B is just the wrong pickup in this one?
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

Try a different magnet instead of the A5. Maybe an A2 or something like that would sweeten up those bright highs.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

I like the magnet swap idea due to all the good experiences I've had with weaker magnets in general.

Another thing to try instead of a weaker pot would be a trim pot and a capacitor in series from the pickup's positive to ground in order to bleed away some highs, that way it's not all or nothing on the pot value. You can tweak it to taste and still have your knobs at full 10 for easy operation. I have a veritone type of setup that lets me use lots of cap values on the fly, and I find that cap values between .01 and .001 uF are better an trimming off the top than the usual .04 - .02, because with those larger caps, it's like by the time the tone is dark enough to sound right, you've lost a lot of upper mids as well. A semi permanent second tone knob with a lower value cap basically.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

chadd said:
Try a different magnet instead of the A5. Maybe an A2 or something like that would sweeten up those bright highs.
Click to expand...

I had an A2 in there and it made the pickup have lower output and I didn't care for it..Normally I Love an A2 in the bridge..Have Seths in my LP and love em,but different animals.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

DreX said:
I like the magnet swap idea due to all the good experiences I've had with weaker magnets in general.

Another thing to try instead of a weaker pot would be a trim pot and a capacitor in series from the pickup's positive to ground in order to bleed away some highs, that way it's not all or nothing on the pot value. You can tweak it to taste and still have your knobs at full 10 for easy operation. I have a veritone type of setup that lets me use lots of cap values on the fly, and I find that cap values between .01 and .001 uF are better an trimming off the top than the usual .04 - .02, because with those larger caps, it's like by the time the tone is dark enough to sound right, you've lost a lot of upper mids as well. A semi permanent second tone knob with a lower value cap basically.
Click to expand...

Great info and post..Thank You!
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Now does this mess with the middle position neck/bridge tones? I'm a strat guy and believe me when I say I Know what too bright is..And I don't like that! ;o)
Click to expand...

I'm a tele guy and I disliked '59 in the bridge of my Epi Dot for the same reason like yours. I replaced it with A2Pro which gives right amount of high and bite. It pairs well too with Jazz in the neck (had '59 too previously and it was boomy).
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

I'm kind of in the same boat John. I have just received a custom 335 that is all carved maple. It has Alnico 5 magnets in the guitar & I feel it is too bright. I am planning on dropping in a set of 57 Classics hopefully tonight. I decided on the 57 classics mainly because I have a Gibson 359 and they sound great in that so I am hoping this should tame some of the highs. I too have to roll the tone way back & then I can't seem to get a good "women" tone with this. So the swap; if all things align will get done tonight. You could just replace the magnets in the pickups (I am pretty sure the 59's are A5) with Alnico II.
 
Re: Advice/Opinions 59B Still Kinda Bright

Bludave said:
I'm kind of in the same boat John. I have just received a custom 335 that is all carved maple. It has Alnico 5 magnets in the guitar & I feel it is too bright. I am planning on dropping in a set of 57 Classics hopefully tonight. I decided on the 57 classics mainly because I have a Gibson 359 and they sound great in that so I am hoping this should tame some of the highs. I too have to roll the tone way back & then I can't seem to get a good "women" tone with this. So the swap; if all things align will get done tonight. You could just replace the magnets in the pickups (I am pretty sure the 59's are A5) with Alnico II.
Click to expand...

The stock 59 is A5 and I have tryed A2 and didn't like it...The UOA5 is supposed to be kind of the best of both worlds bewtween A2 and A5 and thats what is currently in this pickup...In this guitar,just seems the 59B is just not the right pickup...I had a 57 Classic + in a guitar once but hated those and sold them.Funny how one person's trash is another person's treasure! I'll figure something out.I Much prefer working on LPs,Teles,Strats,My SG etc.then these guitars! :9:

Dave let us know how that 57 Classic does in your axe and thx for posting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

OceanTurquois
Strat Metal/Blues Best Set up
Replies
6
Views
535
Artie
Artie
M
Wiring diagram needed
Replies
5
Views
260
jeremy
jeremy
D
Doubleneck Tele wiring
Replies
3
Views
66
switchman
S
B
Could 250k tonepot with humbucker be why sound is so dark in HSS strat
Replies
14
Views
462
Mincer
Mincer
NoOnesFang13
Need a wiring guru to double check my diagram
Replies
4
Views
144
NoOnesFang13
NoOnesFang13
Back
Top