Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

S

savage8190

New member
I'm looking to replace the stock pups and electronics in my Epiphone Sheraton. The stock ones aren't terrible, but they're not good either and I need more clarity. I have a 59/custom 5 combo in my Les Paul and I am EXTREMELY happy with it...I don't need as much gain as my custom 5 gives me in the Sheraton; I'm wondering how a set of 59's would sound in it?

I have considered some Seth Lovers as well, but the unpotted pups would likely pose a problem. I like to dabble with some wild distortion fairly often (Silversun Pickups and Smashing Pumpkins type stuff).

That said this will also be used for Jazz quite a bit as well....
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

i think 59's would be great in that guitar. classic gibsony tones that could cover lots of ground and sound good while doing it
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Howdy,

'59s can deliver clarity, alright. I had them in my 335 for years. Good luck!
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

My buddy has a Sheraton with a Jazz in the neck and a Distortion in the bridge. Funny combo, but it works well in that guitar.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

jeremy said:
i think 59's would be great in that guitar. classic gibsony tones that could cover lots of ground and sound good while doing it
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+1. Great in 335's! If the '59N is a little bassy, just raise the pole pieces and lower the bass side of a PU (same thing you'd for for a neck HB in an LP). Lots of clarity.

I use two 250K's on my bridge PU's, (to get a rich, full tone) and if you're playing jazz, you might want to consider it.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

blueman335 said:
+1. Great in 335's! If the '59N is a little bassy, just raise the pole pieces and lower the bass side of a PU (same thing you'd for for a neck HB in an LP). Lots of clarity.

I use two 250K's on my bridge PU's, (to get a rich, full tone) and if you're playing jazz, you might want to consider it.
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+1 i found the bridge 59 a little too bright in my sheraton. 250k pots fixed that
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

In my Epi B. B. King Lucille, I fitted Brobucker and Pearly Gates neck humbuckers.

Sound-wise, think Larry Carlton, John Schofield and, for your wild distortion moments, Ted Nugent! The Lucille control circuit includes a Stereo Vari-Tone PCB. With nicely saturated valve amplifier overdrive, VT position #3 gives a nice Michael Schenker cocked wah pedal honk tone.

EDIT - I was going to post a photograph of an Epi '57 Classic N that I decovered but I cannot find the file. For the moment, try to visualise a block of wax with a cheap humbucker hidden inside it.
 
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Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

The '59 neck sounds awesome in my Epi Dot . . . great for clean and overdriven sounds. It sounds like a lot of classic rock / blues recordings you've heard.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Cool thanks guys. I'll keep that tip about the 250k's in mind.

I already knew about balancing out the bass, I had to do that in my LP.

Now I have to wait for it to come back from the shop (fret leveling) just to rip it apart....
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Damn it, I'm already second guessing....

Now I'm thinking maybe I should go with a set of A2P's to keep it closer to that A2 sound.... I don't want to alter the sound too much, I still want it round, but clearer. Hmmmm. Maybe an A2P in the neck and a 59 bridge? I dunno. I guess I have a little while to decide.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

savage8190 said:
Damn it, I'm already second guessing....

Now I'm thinking maybe I should go with a set of A2P's to keep it closer to that A2 sound.... I don't want to alter the sound too much, I still want it round, but clearer. Hmmmm. Maybe an A2P in the neck and a 59 bridge? I dunno. I guess I have a little while to decide.
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I've got an extra A2P-b that I'd part with if you decide to go that way (nickel covered).
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

savage8190 said:
Now I'm thinking maybe I should go with a set of A2P's to keep it closer to that A2 sound.... I don't want to alter the sound too much, I still want it round, but clearer. Hmmmm. Maybe an A2P in the neck and a 59 bridge? I dunno. I guess I have a little while to decide.
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A2P's can be kind of dark in the neck. I'd put a '59 in the neck, and go for a warmer PAF in the bridge, like an A2P, or a '59B with an UOA5.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

savage8190 said:
Damn it, I'm already second guessing....

Now I'm thinking maybe I should go with a set of A2P's to keep it closer to that A2 sound.... I don't want to alter the sound too much, I still want it round, but clearer. Hmmmm. Maybe an A2P in the neck and a 59 bridge? I dunno. I guess I have a little while to decide.
Click to expand...

I have A2P bridge (replacing 59 bridge) and 59 neck in my Epi Dot. Delicious.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

blueman335 said:
A2P's can be kind of dark in the neck. I'd put a '59 in the neck, and go for a warmer PAF in the bridge, like an A2P, or a '59B with an UOA5.
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Is that taking into consideration that this is an all maple guitar? Its quite bright to begin with....
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Well just to throw one more into the mix....what about Pearly Gates? Maybe an A2P in the neck with a Pearly Gates in the bridge?
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Certainly the '59 set would work great in your Sheraton. But like you already know, there is a lot of maple in that guitar and the '59 has a very bright sound. Very crisp and clear and articulate, but very bright. It also can be a bit boomy...something you need to be careful of with a semi. My Sheraton still has the stock Epi pups in it (I haven't bothered replacing them since I don't play that guitar at all anymore) and it sounds pretty bright with those (maybe not as articulate as I would like it, but pretty bright with a bit of muddiness). I have several other Epi guitars with the exact same pups which have been replaced, so I know just how muddy they are and I know how much improvement you can see with good quality pups.

But since the Sheraton is a fairly bright guitar, you may want to consider a pup that doesn't have that high end peak common to the '59. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the '59 and don't mean to bad mouth it at all...it's just a bright and mid-scooped pup. If you're dead set on the '59, I'd recommend getting two bridge models. It's not as bright and has a bit more mids. Admittedly, this is very subtle, but it 's there.

Using a rough cast or unoriented A5 also helps tame the highs and add some mids.

Another consideration if you want more clarity and articulation but want to have a very evan tonal response, is the Screamin Demon. I like that even better than the Pearly Gates. And if you will be playing some jazz too, this has a very smooth sound while being super articulate. I believe that it is one of the most versatile and certainly one of the most underrated Duncan pup.

While the A2P is also a great pup, It doesn't seem like that would be what you are after. If you wanted an A2 pup, I would think that the Pearly Gates would be a better choice for the Sheraton and the type of music you play.

Obviously, these are just my opinions. Take 'em with a grain of salt. But know that if I were to replace the pups in my Sheraton, I would go with either the Screamin Demon or the Pearly Gates (with the Demon being my first choice).
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

Actually GuitarDoc you just read my mind. On further consideration I think the 59 is definitely not going to work for me. My Sherry is a very bright guitar, and I think the 59 would be over the top. It works great in my LP, but that's solid Mahogany...even then it can be on the brink of being a little bright (much better since I dropped the treble side of the PUP though). The demon looks interesting, and would normally be right up my alley, but I think its definitely too hot for what I want in this guitar. I think Im set on a PG in the bridge at this point...but Im still considering either the PG or the A2P in the neck...how would you say the two compare?

The neck will be used a lot for Jazz...so having a fatter/rounder sound there is a good thing. But the guitar wont be limited to just Jazz....
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

The A2P is a bit fatter sounding than the PG, but still has some bite.

Don't let the 10k resistence of the Demon fool you. It's no hotter in performance than any of the other pups you are considering. But it is very even in its tonal response. Smoother and warmer than a PG. Not piercing or boomy like a '59 can be. More articulate than any of the others mentioned. It works equally well in both neck and bridge.

Again, my first choice if I were to replace pups in my Sheraton would be the Demon.
 
Re: Anyone have 59's in a Sheraton??

I have a set of '59s in a Heritage semi-hollow body.. which is all maple.. and my opinion after playing it for some weeks now.. is the neck sounds just fine.. but the bridge is shrill sounding, not just bright.. and kinda hollow too..

I have Fralin PAFs in my Epi Sheraton (8k bridge & 7.5k neck) and they sound beautiful in that guitar.. I replaced all the electronics too..
 
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