superblues
New member
Tl;dr: Please recommend a f-spaced bridge pickup similar to a PAF Pro but with more bass output.
The (really) long version: I'm new to this forum but I've been lurking and reading for months. I've done countless searches using the forum search and Google search, but I can't quite find what I'm looking for. I've listened and listened and listened to every YouTube clip and pickup comparison I can find, but I'm still at a loss. I was hoping your collective wisdom could point me in the right direction.
I'm trying to find a suitable replacement for an older PAF Pro in the bridge position of an early 90s alder Musicman Silhouette HSS. The guitar is a string-thru hard tail, 25.5", rosewood FB, maple neck, swimming pool rout. The string spacing at the bridge is nearly 55 mm across, so I STRONGLY prefer f-spaced replacements. I cannot tell if the pots are 250k or 500k by direct observation. They appear original, and the mfr markings are mostly covered in solder and flux. The singles are Dimarzio "Customs" that sound clean without being sterile, generic with somewhat low output, even for singles. This guitar seems to be relatively bass shy and I don't help things by stringing 10-46. I like the clarity and present mids of the PAF Pro, but in this guitar, the bass is seriously lacking.
I favor blackface and tweed combos, generally played clean or with a liberal amount of overdrive. I do not use processors or pedals other than the occasional delay. I tend to use the neck and bridge together or just the bridge for strummed rhythms, neck or neck and bridge for knopfler-esque finger-picking. The middle pickup alone and positions 2 and 4 are never used. I like the lower, PAF-level output because I like mellow, sparkly cleans and I like the bridge H to balance with a neck S. I will likely never split the H, and I would greatly prefer not to swap mags. I play rhythm guitar exclusively, favoring classic rock, blues rock, grunge, garage, and indie. I couldn't tell you how many years it's been since I played a lead.
I have already tried a 59b, set to the identical pickup height as the PAF Pro before it. The output levels are comparable, and the bass response of the 59b is perfect. The clean tone clarity and sparkle are great. The bass adds just the right amount of oomph to the cleans. The problem is the mids. Where there was once warm, singing mids with moderate tweed distortion, now is a hollow, empty "fizzy" sizzle. It sounds like that hollow metallic sizzle you hear when you put your ear up to the opening of a freshly opened can of soda. With distortion, the 59b sounded like I had kicked on a mild fuzz pedal, not at all what I was going for. I knew the 59's mids were scooped, but I had hoped they wouldn't be scooped this much.
I have heavily researched the PGb, 59/c, JB, C/C5/CC, WLH, Air Zone, and Air Classic. The JB has waaaay more output than I want and is more congested and nasal in the upper mids than I like. The 59/c sounds like a nice compromise, but I'm not convinced it has the warmth in the lows or low mids. I'm concerned the PG's highs are too forward. The WLH does not appear to be available in trem spacing.
So my question, which pickup has both the bass and clarity of a 59b and also the warmth and slight push in the midrange of the PAF Pro?
Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.
The (really) long version: I'm new to this forum but I've been lurking and reading for months. I've done countless searches using the forum search and Google search, but I can't quite find what I'm looking for. I've listened and listened and listened to every YouTube clip and pickup comparison I can find, but I'm still at a loss. I was hoping your collective wisdom could point me in the right direction.
I'm trying to find a suitable replacement for an older PAF Pro in the bridge position of an early 90s alder Musicman Silhouette HSS. The guitar is a string-thru hard tail, 25.5", rosewood FB, maple neck, swimming pool rout. The string spacing at the bridge is nearly 55 mm across, so I STRONGLY prefer f-spaced replacements. I cannot tell if the pots are 250k or 500k by direct observation. They appear original, and the mfr markings are mostly covered in solder and flux. The singles are Dimarzio "Customs" that sound clean without being sterile, generic with somewhat low output, even for singles. This guitar seems to be relatively bass shy and I don't help things by stringing 10-46. I like the clarity and present mids of the PAF Pro, but in this guitar, the bass is seriously lacking.
I favor blackface and tweed combos, generally played clean or with a liberal amount of overdrive. I do not use processors or pedals other than the occasional delay. I tend to use the neck and bridge together or just the bridge for strummed rhythms, neck or neck and bridge for knopfler-esque finger-picking. The middle pickup alone and positions 2 and 4 are never used. I like the lower, PAF-level output because I like mellow, sparkly cleans and I like the bridge H to balance with a neck S. I will likely never split the H, and I would greatly prefer not to swap mags. I play rhythm guitar exclusively, favoring classic rock, blues rock, grunge, garage, and indie. I couldn't tell you how many years it's been since I played a lead.
I have already tried a 59b, set to the identical pickup height as the PAF Pro before it. The output levels are comparable, and the bass response of the 59b is perfect. The clean tone clarity and sparkle are great. The bass adds just the right amount of oomph to the cleans. The problem is the mids. Where there was once warm, singing mids with moderate tweed distortion, now is a hollow, empty "fizzy" sizzle. It sounds like that hollow metallic sizzle you hear when you put your ear up to the opening of a freshly opened can of soda. With distortion, the 59b sounded like I had kicked on a mild fuzz pedal, not at all what I was going for. I knew the 59's mids were scooped, but I had hoped they wouldn't be scooped this much.
I have heavily researched the PGb, 59/c, JB, C/C5/CC, WLH, Air Zone, and Air Classic. The JB has waaaay more output than I want and is more congested and nasal in the upper mids than I like. The 59/c sounds like a nice compromise, but I'm not convinced it has the warmth in the lows or low mids. I'm concerned the PG's highs are too forward. The WLH does not appear to be available in trem spacing.
So my question, which pickup has both the bass and clarity of a 59b and also the warmth and slight push in the midrange of the PAF Pro?
Thank you in advance for your help and suggestions.
