Benedetto A6 vs/ P.A.F.

[teodorom]

Hi,
sorry if the answers to my questions are already buried somewhere here... but:
I have a Washburn HB-35 (a lot similar to a Gibson ES-335). I play usually jazz with it (an archtop is much harder to play, while the HB-35 has an excellent playabibility).
I would like to swap the stock pickups with something better and it seems that the Benedetto A6 or P.A.F. can do the work.
However in the demo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79KgySFNQ-8) I have seen the P.A.F. on an archtop in the middle position (and sounding very well), so questions are

1. what would be the behaviour of another P.A.F. or A6 in the bridge position?
2. are those pickups suitable for a semi-hollow?
3. what do you think more appropriate, the P.A.F or the A6?
4. what about the output level? it seem that the output level is much higher than other pickups
5. any other advice (e.g. forget the Benedetto and use ... instead)?

Many, many thanks

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

I have used the A6 before, but it was a hollowbody with flatwounds, so I don't think that would help you. It was a single neck pickup, and it was a higher output (but similar open EQ) to a PAF-type. If I had the Washburn, I'd look at the Seth Lovers or Antiquities for jazz. Both are open sounding, vintage output pickups, and the Seth have more mids, while the Ants are more open. I use an Antiquity set in my Gibson semi hollow, and it does the jazz thing really well.

 

[magillver]

I just put a pair of A6's in a Godin Premier Mahogany model, with very similar body size to a 335, and I will toss out a quick warning from my experience: the A6's come with long mounting legs, and in my Godin it puts the pickups almost right against the strings, with no room to lower the pickups. I don't know if it would be the same in your guitar, but I thought that it would bear mentioning. That being said, they sounded awesome in the full hollow body guitar (Ibanez AF120) that I took them out of...

 

[teodorom]

Welcome to the forum!

I have used the A6 before, but it was a hollowbody with flatwounds, so I don't think that would help you. It was a single neck pickup, and it was a higher output (but similar open EQ) to a PAF-type. If I had the Washburn, I'd look at the Seth Lovers or Antiquities for jazz. Both are open sounding, vintage output pickups, and the Seth have more mids, while the Ants are more open. I use an Antiquity set in my Gibson semi hollow, and it does the jazz thing really well.

Thanks,
my other problem is that I have gold hardware, so the Seth Lovers, being only nickel, are ruled out. On the other side I find some "gold" SH55.
I'm exploring the prices her in Europe.
The Antiquities are too much "antique".

 

[Mincer]

You can order Seths in gold from the SD dealer in your area, and you can order Antiquites without the aging (that's what I got), too.

 

[teodorom]

You can order Seths in gold from the SD dealer in your area, and you can order Antiquites without the aging (that's what I got), too.

Thanks!