Does anybody know what pickup this is?
- Thread starter Ulrico
- Start date
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
What stands out to me is the Roughcast magnet.
Duncan uses Polished in almost all of their Stock, non Custom Shop, humbuckers.
Some of the real old ones used magnets that are not rough enough to call Roughcast, but they’re rougher than Polished.
Doesn’t have black tape on the baseplate...something that I see when I uncover a covered humbucker.
Any solder blobs to indicate that it had a cover at one time?
What stands out to me is the Roughcast magnet.
Duncan uses Polished in almost all of their Stock, non Custom Shop, humbuckers.
Some of the real old ones used magnets that are not rough enough to call Roughcast, but they’re rougher than Polished.
Doesn’t have black tape on the baseplate...something that I see when I uncover a covered humbucker.
Any solder blobs to indicate that it had a cover at one time?
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freefrog
Well-known member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
My screen is small and my eyes get old but I think it's one of the first Duncan 59's: they had that kind of bobbins (made of butyrate), rough cast mag and threaded baseplate with a small paper sticker. I've owned and still own a few of them. I'll try to post a pic for comparison later, if time permits.
My screen is small and my eyes get old but I think it's one of the first Duncan 59's: they had that kind of bobbins (made of butyrate), rough cast mag and threaded baseplate with a small paper sticker. I've owned and still own a few of them. I'll try to post a pic for comparison later, if time permits.
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
Oh great, that gives me already some hints
Lewguitar: no, they (it's actually a pair of PAFs, the other one is reverse Zebra and has a sticker "59B" on it) newer had a cover on them
Freefrog: hmmm, would be great if you could compare this one with yours
Ulrich
Oh great, that gives me already some hints
Lewguitar: no, they (it's actually a pair of PAFs, the other one is reverse Zebra and has a sticker "59B" on it) newer had a cover on them
Freefrog: hmmm, would be great if you could compare this one with yours
Ulrich
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
Well then...sounds like you have a pair of 59’s from the early 1980’s.
Should be great pickups!
59’s from that era are my favorites.
I put Roughcast A5 in a new set of 59’s last year, just to see if I could make them sound the way yours probably do and the way I remember original 59’s sounding: smoother treble and thicker and more textured “mids”.
Well then...sounds like you have a pair of 59’s from the early 1980’s.
Should be great pickups!
59’s from that era are my favorites.
I put Roughcast A5 in a new set of 59’s last year, just to see if I could make them sound the way yours probably do and the way I remember original 59’s sounding: smoother treble and thicker and more textured “mids”.
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Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
That's great, because they really sound so sweet, great attack and smooth mids
Because this one tendsto feed back in high gain distortion, i swapped it with a newer SD PAF, a 59N as well, but with SD stamping on the bottom. They have different DCR too, the old here has 7.8 kOhms, the newer one 7.6 kOhms.
maybe i should wax it, but i haven't done this before, i'm not sure ....
That's great, because they really sound so sweet, great attack and smooth mids
Because this one tendsto feed back in high gain distortion, i swapped it with a newer SD PAF, a 59N as well, but with SD stamping on the bottom. They have different DCR too, the old here has 7.8 kOhms, the newer one 7.6 kOhms.
maybe i should wax it, but i haven't done this before, i'm not sure ....
freefrog
Well-known member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
Below is a (sadly bad) pic showing one of the sets that I've mentioned (with the oval "Seymourized" sticker but also the small paper sticker saying "59B" in red letters). The feets of the baseplates have been trimmed, BTW: they were initially square shaped.
In this case, the neck measures 7.8k and the bridge reads 8.6k, if memory serves me.
Oh great, that gives me already some hints
Lewguitar: no, they (it's actually a pair of PAFs, the other one is reverse Zebra and has a sticker "59B" on it) newer had a cover on them
Freefrog: hmmm, would be great if you could compare this one with yours
Ulrich
Below is a (sadly bad) pic showing one of the sets that I've mentioned (with the oval "Seymourized" sticker but also the small paper sticker saying "59B" in red letters). The feets of the baseplates have been trimmed, BTW: they were initially square shaped.
In this case, the neck measures 7.8k and the bridge reads 8.6k, if memory serves me.
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eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
Yah, it looks like an older 59N to me too.
Yah, it looks like an older 59N to me too.
freefrog
Well-known member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
I wouldn't try to pot it: these oldies are frail, difficult to repair (their external layers of wire being sometimes inextricably stuck in the glue of the black tape) and if the bobbins in yours are made of butyrate, heat will alter them...
A thin layer of some soft material below or above the bar mag might help to diminish your issue of squealing. If the screw poles are loose, wrap them in some silicone thread sealing tape for plumber. It's ugly but useful in such cases IME.
That's great, because they really sound so sweet, great attack and smooth mids
Because this one tendsto feed back in high gain distortion, i swapped it with a newer SD PAF, a 59N as well, but with SD stamping on the bottom. They have different DCR too, the old here has 7.8 kOhms, the newer one 7.6 kOhms.
maybe i should wax it, but i haven't done this before, i'm not sure ....
I wouldn't try to pot it: these oldies are frail, difficult to repair (their external layers of wire being sometimes inextricably stuck in the glue of the black tape) and if the bobbins in yours are made of butyrate, heat will alter them...
A thin layer of some soft material below or above the bar mag might help to diminish your issue of squealing. If the screw poles are loose, wrap them in some silicone thread sealing tape for plumber. It's ugly but useful in such cases IME.
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
There aren't any solder blobs on the baseplate indicating a cover has been removed, so I think they were always uncovered.
There aren't any solder blobs on the baseplate indicating a cover has been removed, so I think they were always uncovered.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
The Antiquitys in my PRS Custom 22 measure 7.7K and 8.6K.
My Custom Shop Pearly Gates measure 7.6K and 8.7K.
Freefrog’s old early 1980’s 59’s measure 7.8K and 8.6K.
New 59 specs are 7.43K and 8.13K.
Interesting....
The Antiquitys in my PRS Custom 22 measure 7.7K and 8.6K.
My Custom Shop Pearly Gates measure 7.6K and 8.7K.
Freefrog’s old early 1980’s 59’s measure 7.8K and 8.6K.
New 59 specs are 7.43K and 8.13K.
Interesting....
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Re: Does anybody know what pickup this is?
Thank you for your tips and knowledge, that's great!
Hoyer used pickups without any covers starting in 1981 and this pair of SD PAFs is original, now i know for sure. I will try your hints for reducing the squealing, yes. I swapped for a newer (paper sticker as well) PAF but the sound of this one was different from the old one unfortuntelly. The brigde PAF has 8.6 kOhms, that matches your readings very well.
Thank you for your tips and knowledge, that's great!
Hoyer used pickups without any covers starting in 1981 and this pair of SD PAFs is original, now i know for sure. I will try your hints for reducing the squealing, yes. I swapped for a newer (paper sticker as well) PAF but the sound of this one was different from the old one unfortuntelly. The brigde PAF has 8.6 kOhms, that matches your readings very well.
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