Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

[FuelGTRX]

I went to GC a tried out a used Fender fat strat with a '59 bridge humbucker (not stock). I was palying it and it had fairly high output. I was almost getting the same amount gain out of it that I would get out of a JB. It was less because I turn the gain up a little more than I do with a JB equipped guitar. The pickup was very balanced (although vintage sounding), nice lows and pinch harmonics were easily done, just not as pronouced as a JB or other high gain pickups. Could this have been a '59? Because if it was, I might be moving to a '59 bridge .

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

If you play them side by side the JB has more output and a fatter tone. But most of the classic rock and blues recordings from the 60's and most from the early 70's ( Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Albert King, ZZ Top, Cream, Led Zepplin, Jeff Beck Group, AC/DC, James Gang, Allman Bros, Bad Company, etc. ) feature Gibson guitars with pickups not even as hot as a 59B! Seems like younger players are under the impression a pickup has to be overwound to get a great rock tone and nothing could be further from the truth. Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

If you play them side by side the JB has more output and a fatter tone. But most of the classic rock and blues recordings from the 60's and most from the early 70's ( Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Albert King, ZZ Top, Cream, Led Zepplin, Jeff Beck Group, AC/DC, James Gang, Allman Bros, Bad Company, etc. ) feature Gibson guitars with pickups not even as hot as a 59B! Seems like younger players are under the impression a pickup has to be overwound to get a great rock tone and nothing could be further from the truth. Lew

Lew has spoken, therefore it is Law.

Not to mention that his is exactly right!!!

 

[mrfjones]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

lew is right and i still find a get a better tone from a slightly low output bucker

 

[juliang]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

reckon the man's right. I have a JB in an ash tele and a 50 in an SG. The JB is higher output but the 59 is smooth as butta' kinda like 'em both. I have an alnico 2 in the SG as well, that sounds sweet too. The Gibson pups in my other SG are very different, mean sounding.

 

[DuMenegozzo]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

But most of the classic rock and blues recordings from the 60's and most from the early 70's ( Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Albert King, ZZ Top, Cream, Led Zepplin, Jeff Beck Group, AC/DC, James Gang, Allman Bros, Bad Company, etc. ) feature Gibson guitars with pickups not even as hot as a 59B! Seems like younger players are under the impression a pickup has to be overwound to get a great rock tone and nothing could be further from the truth. Lew

Couldn't be more right! I've got a Gibson V with 500T/496R (stock) and can't believe how those pickups can be stock on the LP Classic and Jimmy Page Signature. They're just very hot pickups, made for those younger players you mentioned.

I may be kind of a younger player (born when Bonham was already six feet under...), but I'm having a lot of fun :dance: with my Antiquities and Seth Lovers. They are the best rock humbuckers I've ever heard...

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

If you compare the '59 with the single-coils, of course it's louder.
I compared the '59 with the JB, and in my ears the '59 was FATTER than the JB.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

If you compare the '59 with the single-coils, of course it's louder.
I compared the '59 with the JB, and in my ears the '59 was FATTER than the JB.

Or at least the guitar the 59 was in sounded fatter...

Regardless, I'm a big fan of the 59B and use it in several guitars. I prefer it to the JB and most other humbuckers too. Just sounds more comfortable to my ears.

My tastes run to the Antiquity, Seth Lover, 59 and (when appropriate) the Custom Custom.

I also have a couple of the EVH/78 Custom Shop Duncans I'm trying to decide on a permanent home for...

Lew

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

Or at least the guitar the 59 was in sounded fatter...

Regardless, I'm a big fan of the 59B and use it in several guitars. I prefer it to the JB and most other humbuckers too. Just sounds more comfortable to my ears.

My tastes run to the Antiquity, Seth Lover, 59 and (when appropriate) the Custom Custom.

I also have a couple of the EVH/78 Custom Shop Duncans I'm trying to decide on a permanent home for...

Lew

When would the CC be appropriate and the others not?

I'm thinking about getting a new bridge pickup some time, it's between the Seth, CC, and 59.... have heard the 59 lacks mids, that the seth is muddy, and the CC is too modern, and I can kinda hear those things in the clips I've heard. Makes it a hard choice.

 

[slashedzero]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

I'm a big CC fan. The JB sound REALLY thin to my ears and 59/PAF type things sound too harsh. The CC is warm, enough midrange for some actual expressiveness (not scooped at all), but retains a really gritty quality. To me it is the best rock pickup SD makes.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

I think whether the CC is appropriate or not in a guitar can only be determined by trying it. The CC sounds awesome in my semi hollow body Hamer Monoco...sounds better than the Tom Holmes humbuckers in my Les Paul! But in my double cutaway Hamer Studio Custom I didn't care for it...sounded a bit flat, dull and just differant than it does in my Monoco. Lew

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

I'm thinking about getting a new bridge pickup some time, it's between the Seth, CC, and 59.... have heard the 59 lacks mids, that the seth is muddy, and the CC is too modern, and I can kinda hear those things in the clips I've heard. Makes it a hard choice.

What I'm seeing here, and in this thread in general, is that we are all rather spoilt for choice.

"You spoil us with your multitudinous guitar pickups Mr Duncan" :8:

I have Seths in my LP Std (with 500k pots) and they are most definitely NOT muddy. In fact they're pretty bright, but have a smoothness and clarity that stops them sounding harsh. Very nice pickups. I've also played '59s in that guitar. They are brighter than the Seths and have a stronger bottom end - these two things combined MAY give the impression that there are less mids (it's all relative...), but you can get some awesome rock tones with a '59 bridge. I love Seths, I love '59s, and I haven't tried a CC, but there are enough people on this forum whose opinions I trust who say it is a cool pickup to convince me that it is!

If you line up all the SD humbuckers and compare them then one has more "x" than another, while compared with a third it seems lacking in "y". Boosted "z"s just don't work with my rig..... and so forth.... a pickup is one of many variables that we have it in our power to change....

Not sure where I'm going with this :scratchch ........

I suppose my point is that when you make comparisons there will inevitably be negatives - the 59 lacks mids, the seth is muddy, the CC is too modern - but you're really comparing diamonds here, that's what makes it a hard choice! :approve:

Seths definitely ain't muddy! :burnout:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

Simon F hears what I hear and I think his post is right on the money. I think some players get a little obsessive about making the right choice the first time and without ever hearing the pickup. That's rarely possible. You really do have to just jump in, try something and then use the 21 day exchange if you need to. The only way to know if a pickup is right for you is to experience it for yourself. Lew

 

[strat_master]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

well, i know that one young band out there (like them or not) that uses the 59 humbucker is good charlotte. They actually do use a fair bit of distortion in thier music so i doubt its an issue if the 59 can handle distortion and can rock out with the higher output pick ups.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

Simon F hears what I hear and I think his post is right on the money. I think some players get a little obsessive about making the right choice the first time and without ever hearing the pickup. That's rarely possible. You really do have to just jump in, try something and then use the 21 day exchange if you need to. The only way to know if a pickup is right for you is to experience it for yourself. Lew

I agree. If you're first getting into pickups you just gotta dive in try one or two, find out what works or doesn't work for you, then discuss your other options in terms relative to those pickups. Otherwise you'll be on a neverending goose chase for tone.

It's a bit easier to suggest a pickup when someone says something like, "well I tried the XXX pickup and like this about it but didn't like that about it."

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

well, mini 59's are a lot higher output, due to the ceramic magnets

but, as the owner of a 59b and a jb I can say the jb is definately higher output, BUT, i still prefer the 59 hands down, and here's why

as far as cleans go, the jb is too run of the mill, 59 is WAY more pronounced

and dirty, well, the jb may kick up distortion, but it has nowhere near the definition of a 59, 59's can be anything, people say true twang comes from your fingers, and i've found the '59 compliments that well, it also does good when intermixing notes & chords cuz you can hear them all, its just the superior pickup IMO. If you need more distortion, theres always a pickup booster

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

Simon F hears what I hear and I think his post is right on the money. I think some players get a little obsessive about making the right choice the first time and without ever hearing the pickup. That's rarely possible. You really do have to just jump in, try something and then use the 21 day exchange if you need to. The only way to know if a pickup is right for you is to experience it for yourself. Lew

The problem is that if I got these pickups, I'd be getting a new guitar at the same time. My choice in body woods would be directly related to what pickups were going in it. For instance if I was getting P90s, it would be all korina. Seths, then I might want a maple cap. The Custom Custom, and I might want a korina body and maple neck.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

Well the 59b sounds great with both an A5 magnet and an A2 one.
Mine sits in my wolfgang right now.....along with my APH-1n with the 59's A5 magnet instead....fits the guitar extremely well.
I have a CC in my Kramer from 87, I used to run it in normal seriel mode, but now I use the stock on/on/on switch for seriel/split/parallel mode...and I love it.
I have a friend who has a Seth in his H1 Strat with the big 70's head(he removed the cover and had a nice cream cream one)....it is both fat and smooth....makes awesome classic rock sounds and other stuff...a very versatile humbucker, we stuck in a fourconductor wire and treated it with the seriel/split/parallel mode as well.
What wood does not matter...just go and use your ears...with the right amp most SD pickups will sound great no matter what goes.

 

[DuMenegozzo]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

What wood does not matter...just go and use your ears...with the right amp most SD pickups will sound great no matter what goes.

I disagree on that. A "trebly" pickup may sound terrible in an alder body and maple fingerboard guitar, but may sound wonderful in a mahogany/rosewood one.

It's a matter of balance. I don't know if I'd like my Antiquities humbucker if it was mounted in a strat bridge as much as I like it in my mahogany/maple/rosewood Les Paul.

I've used a APH-1b in that same Les Paul and I didn't like it as much as I did when it was in a slim Floyd Rose mahogany/maple guitar... In my Les Paul, I prefer lots of highs in the pickups, to cut through that fat mahogany body (I play classic rock/hard rock/blues rock). The highs on the APH-1b seemed a little too "ashamed" to my taste...

That's my humble opinion.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Confused about the sound of a '59 bridge humbucker

I disagree as well...since it is how the player plays that is the turning point.
As long as the guitar is resonant and alive...the combinations can be endless.