Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

[bloomfieldriffs]

Can't transmits WLH covers to gold and found another home for them anyhow. So want make the 59s work. Have had them in my Gibson Lee Paul for years but the latest project requires more mids.
Apologize as this must be redundant but search failed.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

Can't transmits WLH covers to gold and found another home for them anyhow. So want make the 59s work. Have had them in my Gibson Lee Paul for years but the latest project requires more mids.
Apologize as this must be redundant but search failed.

If you're looking for more mids, I hear that swapping the polished A5 for roughcast helps. If you're after more kids, I'm not sure how to help...

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

As father of 5, I may have some pointers... But since we are in a family friendly environment, Ill just start by saying, I dont remember a pair of 59s being anywhere in the process. Wish I could say I wooed her with my playing...but..

Anyhow.. roughcast may be your best bet to open things up alittle, and set the poles up higher in under the middle strings. A2 mag would def bring out mids, but would alter the entire tonality of the pickup.

 

[bloomfieldriffs]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

If you're looking for more mids, I hear that swapping the polished A5 for roughcast helps. If you're after more kids, I'm not sure how to help...

Hilarious!!! auto spell fix got me in a fix again.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

If you need more mids and dont want to swap pickups look elsewhere in your chain

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

Use 1 meg pots and daddario nyxl strings. The nylxs have the best detail I've heard, including the mids.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

The '59 set works best with an A4 in the neck and an A8 in the bridge.

Your can play practically anything with such a modded set.

HTH,

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

The '59 set works best with an A4 in the neck and an A8 in the bridge.

Your can play practically anything with such a modded set.

HTH,

Some posts and threads should just be stickies by now.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

Ever since the company stopped using a roughcast A5 magnet in the 59, people have complained about its lack of mids.

That's a shame because with a roughcast A5 magnet it's a terrific PAF style pickup.

The new version is still a nice pickup but no longer sounds like a 59 or early 60's Gibson PAF.

Anyway, Addiction FX sells a nice roughcast A5 magnet for about $4 and its a very easy fix.

It'll warm up the excessive treble, remove some of the woofiness from the neck pickup , and restore some of those mids.

I've put them in new 59's and also in the Seth Lovers in my own guitars.

If you want something other than a 59 A5 Gibson PAF, then try some other magnets (A2, A3, A4 A8...) too.

I was after a very specific sound. The sound of an alnico 5 humbucker from 1959 or the early 1960's like Clapton used in his SG and ES-335 when he played with Cream.

Soon as I plugged in my 59's modded with roughcast A5 I heard that familiar sound again.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

#1. Has the OP tried tweaking the amp or any outboard EQ?

#2. I know Addiction became engrained into the psyche around here years ago, but they have had more than one spell of service issues. Are they back on top of things? If no, Mojotone provided materials to pickups makers, has magnets, and processes orders quickly.

 

[JarickL]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

I've had two orders from addiction in the last few months and they both arrived within a few days. No problems here.

I'd also look at the rough A5 of an A4.

 

[bloomfieldriffs]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

#1. Has the OP tried tweaking the amp or any outboard EQ?

#2. I know Addiction became engrained into the psyche around here years ago, but they have had more than one spell of service issues. Are they back on top of things? If no, Mojotone provided materials to pickups makers, has magnets, and processes orders quickly.

Don't have or want onboard contraptions on my Les Paul..psh pull pots extra switches and buttons turn it into a Lexus...my problem. Saw a YouTuber had a Telecaster with a button on it LOL! Greg Koch from GP was doing his usual awesome playing but kept pausing an pushing that button. Talked a bit about it, interesting but I just feel like putting a button on a Tele is sorta violating something.
Have tweaked the amp and can't get it, clipping doesn't cut it, the frequencies have to be in the signal to start with.
Seems as I get older my hearing, in regards to get subtle tone, is improving. I mean not just a tad but a lot. Anyone else experiencing this?
I did a little research, something I mostly avoid as it makes me feel like an associate, found "PAF" tone was to a large extent brighter than today's Lester tone even to some extent a Telecaster tone...can you dig it.?

Thanks for the suggestion.

Ordered A5 rough, A4 and A8. Thanks to all, am confident both configurations will solve the issue curious as to which one yields most preferred tone. Hope neither ends up in coaxing more kids.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

Ordered A5 rough, A4 and A8. Thanks to all, am confident both configurations will solve the issue curious as to which one yields most preferred tone. Hope neither ends up in coaxing more kids.

Keep us posted. I'd like to know how it turns out. Stay away from the kids.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

I was after a very specific sound. The sound of an alnico 5 humbucker from 1959 or the early 1960's like Clapton used in his SG and ES-335 when he played with Cream.

if Seymour had only been putting humbuckers in Clapton's SD and 335 instead of single coils in Jimi's strat.

Don't have or want onboard contraptions on my Les Paul..psh pull pots extra switches and buttons turn it into a Lexus...my problem.

good thing I didn't suggest that. lol!

but... who suggested that P/P pots or switches or buttons on a guitar would/could affect the mids? were they talking about throwing some caps or resistors into the onboard wiring? some people are big on that sort of thing.

 

[bloomfieldriffs]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

if Seymour had only been putting humbuckers in Clapton's SD and 335 instead of single coils in Jimi's strat.






good thing I didn't suggest that. lol!

but... who suggested that P/P pots or switches or buttons on a guitar would/could affect the mids? were they talking about throwing some caps or resistors into the onboard wiring? some people are big on that sort of thing.

What is the story on "throwing some caps or resistors into the onboard wiring"?

 

[vinnie1971]

Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

More mids, I would swap the ALNICO 5 magnets for ALNICO 2 works for me. More pronounced upper mids, softer bass, so even though the treble is more rounded still sounds bright.

The stuff about caps and resistors, well have a look at a varitone with inductor. I have a home made one, 0.003 cap in line with hot signal with 220k resistor to ground cuts bass and then if you swap out the cap in your guitar to 0.01uF and roll it back, instant midrange resonant peak.
Or using the varitone with an inductor a 0.003 cap to ground in series with the inductor will cut bass and highs giving the upper mid range a noticeable focus.

But I think magnets is the way to go.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

What is the story on "throwing some caps or resistors into the onboard wiring"?

I only asked if anyone had mentioned that? cannot see it anywhere in this thread, so I guess they didn't.

otherwise, I don't see how P/P pots and switches and so on could have any impact on the mids of a pickup. but if you want to copy Clapton's early 60s SG tone, you're on the right track.

 

[TRex]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

A3 in the neck, A2 or UOA5 bridge

My 59 neck sounds much better with an A2, but im about to try an A3 myself to get a tad more brightness

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

Yah, I was going to suggest that if the rough A5 didn't give you enough of what you want, UA5 would be a good next step to try before going to A2.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Any tips on how to coax more kids out of a set of 59s?

What is the story on "throwing some caps or resistors into the onboard wiring"?

There's a simple experiment to do:

1-find a cap measuring between 1n and 10n (IOW: from 0.001µ to 0.01µ);

2-connect it temporarily between the hot point of your output jack and its ground. Soldering it is not necessary: you can use alligator clips;

3-play and listen.

What you should hear is how the resonant peak of any passive pickup is shifted down by a low value cap and ends somewhere in the high mids.

It's an old trick inherited from Bill Lawrence, who recommended 2,2n caps for that (0.0022µ). I'd start with a lower value with a HB (and I'd remember that higher values = more drastic effect = less natural tone).

A capacitor is not expensive, mounting it as described above requires two drops of solder: it's not a big deal and shouldn't lead you to feel ripped off if you dislike what you hear.

FWIW (= my two cents, almost the price of a cap)... :burnout:

EDIT - to complete my answer to the question quoted, resistors can be used to soften the effect of such a cap if necessary and what I've described is almost the same thing than the Varitone evoked by vinnie1971 above, but without the inductor. )