Bridge pickup for a semi hollow?

[Hot Octopus]

I just picked up an Eastman T486 (which is an ES-335 style semi hollow). It came stock with a Duncan 59’ in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck. I like the Jazz but find the 59’ sounds shrill and a little underpowerd. I’m looking for something hotter, with a little more low end that isn’t as shrill, but something that’s still in the PAF tonal range. I play hard rock through a Mesa Boogie Mark V 35 watt combo.


What pickups should I consider to replace the 59’?

 

[strat dude]

I was going to say 59 so....... as you were.

 

[jeremy]

the c5 has a somewhat similar tone curve but less sharp top end, more low mids, and more output

 

[beaubrummels]

Whole Lotta Humbucker. It's a louder, more even 59 with softened top end due to the RCA5 magnet.

 

[Mincer]

I say go for the Hybrid...half 59, half Custom, with a PAF eq.

 

[GuitarStv]

I find the Antiquity bridge is a little beefier and less bright than the '59 but still very much in PAF territory.

 

[Butch Snyder]

I had a Greg Bennett (Samick) RL-3 that I put an SH-5 in and it was fantastic with a 59 in the neck position.

 

[ErikH]

I was thinking Seth Lovers myself but since you want a hotter bridge. I dunno.

 

[ehdwuld]

Frik it !!

Put a JB in that

JB/JAZZ

I put the shite in everything

 

[Mincer]

You can also go for the 'hot PAFs', like the Whole Lotta Humbuckers, the hotter Slash, Saturday Night Special, or High Voltage.

 

[Hot Octopus]

You can also go for the 'hot PAFs', like the Whole Lotta Humbuckers, the hotter Slash, Saturday Night Special, or High Voltage.

I’ve been looking into the hot paf’s. What is the Saturday Night Special like? I don’t think I’ve ever played an A4.

 

[chadd]

I had a Saturday Night Special set in my PRS S2 Single cut semi, it was my drop D and backup to my 335 style guitar. It sat incredibly well in the mix and would seem to address the issues you have with your 59. The SNS set is fairly flat response, nothing really stands out, but it has a nice "full" sound without getting too many mids in there and muddying things up

 

[Mincer]

I’ve been looking into the hot paf’s. What is the Saturday Night Special like? I don’t think I’ve ever played an A4.

To my ears, it is like a hotter 59 with more highs and less bass. It isn't hot enough to start compressing the notes, though.

 

[Aceman]

I say go for the Hybrid...half 59, half Custom, with a PAF eq.

If he finds a 59 shrill, he isn't going to like the 59/C

 

[beaubrummels]

My first gut reaction was Brobucker for the bridge, but I thought it wouldn't be hot enough.

 

[crguti]

I can suggest DiMarzio 36th for bridge and Duncan Phat Cat for neck. a very nice combo that sound very clean.

 

[elelpe]

I had similar experience with my Epi Dot. I went with A2Pro (with Jazz in the neck). That said, take a look at Air Zone.

 

[Mincer]

The newer Slash pickups might work well, too. They certainly aren't harsh, and they are like hotter PAFs. They have a bump in the mids, and are not scooped at all. I bet they would sound great in a semi-hollow, too.

 

[Hot Octopus]

i was playing the guitar yesterday into my Rockerverb. Again, the neck was lovely, but the bridge was lacking. I could roll the tone knob down, but it lost that snarl. I also don’t quite like the 59’ for finger-tapping runs (at least not in this guitar).

I’ll take a look at everything suggested. I’m curious about the slash hot, the SNS, the Jason Becker, and maybe the Gravity Storm. I’m also considering a Psyclone Hot. Would the boosted mids and bass help fill out the sound? When played cleaner, and I still going to get a classic tron style sound? I do like tron style pup’s.

 

[freefrog]

I wouldn't hesitate to try the pickups recommended in previous posts: they are all interesting and potentially able to solve the issue, IMHO (I'm personally happy with a set of Stephens Design VL1 in my own semi-hollow but that's not a series that I'd necessarily recommend, given the currently stratospheric prices of Stephens Design products).


ALTERNATIVE REPLY - Before to change anything, I'd listen the following abstract.

https://youtu.be/4BmkaS91NHQ?si=5RCAUjvtNx10vuin&t=563

Then I'd consider that a simple low value capacitor between hot and ground of a passive pickup does the same thing to its tone than a long cable*.

That's the idea behind the first sentence of the following advice, for the record:
https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...ors-to-a-coil-to-change-the-tone-of-my-pickup

Caps are cheap and easy to connect from hot to ground with alligator clips @ the output jack of a guitar.

Regarding the output level: bridge pickups can be set really close to the strings if needed.

FWIW. More details about the capacitive values to use on request*.