Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

[Ascension]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

How does it compare to a '59n or a Jazz?

MUCH more articulate and clear at high gain than both. Very clear and smooth clean tones amazing Split tones IMO vastly superior in every way to both the Jazz and the 59. Fatter and smoother than the Jazz and much more tonally balanced than the 59 more articulate at gain than both and has incredible singing solo tones.
This is the demo that sold me on the Sentient and is pretty dead on what i am getting in the real world.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

That's a great sounding neck pup. I've never owned one but it sounds very similar to a Jazz with maybe a bit more mids and possibly bass. Not as scooped as a 59. Admittedly, my computer doesn't have great speakers so I may be missing a lot.

 

[Ascension]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

That's a great sounding neck pup. I've never owned one but it sounds very similar to a Jazz with maybe a bit more mids and possibly bass. Not as scooped as a 59. Admittedly, my computer doesn't have great speakers so I may be missing a lot.

You are petty much dead on it with your assessment here.
I have or have had in the past guitars with both the Jazz and the 59 in the necks. I was looking for a bigger and fuller tone than the Jazz that was tighter and had more of a singing quality for solos. Started looking hard at the Sentient and really liked what I heard in a few clips. The first one went into the KOA Carvin with an ALT 8 I had on hand and was dead on what i was looking for. I replaced the Alt in that guitar with a Hybrid because of how I was using that particular guitar I needed a more balanced lass aggressive bridge pickup. That said the Alt 8 / Sentient is a fantastic combo. IMO Duncan should package that as the modern take of the the JB / Jazz . Bigger meaner tighter clearer and overall the modern true hot rod set.
On the 59 vs the Sentient the Sentient is more balanced tighter bigger but still retains that clarity.
Right now have a VB PRS, several Carvins, 2 59's, one H60A EMG and a PG in other guitars but the 2 with the Sentients have my favorite neck tones by far.

 

[RobJGolde]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

Like the title says. Alder HSH super strat with 24 frets.
I'm looking for maximum versatility; from great cleans to higain shred and everything in between.
The A2P thats in there now is a wee bit too soft and undefined in the bass for me.

I’d recommend the Saturday Night Special in the neck. Alnico 4 magnets, vintage voiced but not boomy/wooly, 7.9k, cleans up great and handles high-gain well.

 

[Shooweri]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

Kinda late for the party but figured to throw my opinon here for future thread finders.

If it's bright guitar with snappy pick attack I would skip Jazz/59/A2P -style pickups since they would most likely be too bright and sound bland. Sentient is a great option for sure since it has warmth required to use in 24 fretter and is incredibly versatile. It's a great pickup, no doubt about that.

Recently I had similar case with my Ibby PGM301 which is also bright guitar and after about 10 options settled on Whole Lotta Humbucker. It's a rocking pickup with full midrange, responsive low end and accurate and bit softened high end. I would test it if you can find one!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

The Sentient is described as halfway between a Jazz and 59, so it's in the same category of the pickups you said to avoid. The A2P, however, is a different animal entirely. It is a lot darker and rounder than the other 3 pickups you mentioned and would likely not pair all that well with the 59/C because it would be too dark by comparison. Also "bright" and "bland" are on two opposite ends of the tonal spectrum.

I'm not trying to be an ass, even if it may have come across that way.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I like it with another '59/C. You might want to wire the neck with a Triple Shot, so you can run it in parallel, or stud coil only.

 

[vanlandau]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I like it with another '59/C. You might want to wire the neck with a Triple Shot, so you can run it in parallel, or stud coil only.

How is the 59/c in the neck?
Have you got it the right way round? EDIT: screws facing the neck or?

 

[Tone Meister]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

Obviously the Sentient is the overwhelming choice based on all the above responses.

Has anyone ever tried a Pearly Gates with a 59/C in the bridge? Impressions? (I have a zebra 59/C and a zebra PGn on hand to try in a Strat build)

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

^^I have. Put an A2 in the 59/C and while still sounding like a 59/C, it develops the same raunchy midrange grind that the Pearly Gates has.

I've never tried that combo with the stock magnet though, but I'd think it would be too bright in comparison to the neck.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

The 59/Custom is my favorite bridge pickup in an HSS. It sounds wonderful split, too.

 

[TVFV]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I recently had the idea of using a Seth with it. Not sure how that would fare...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Tone Meister]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I installed the pearly gates neck today in a stratocaster build that has a 59/C in the bridge. So far I love the thickness of the pearly gates as opposed to the PAF Joe I removed. The PAF Joe was very good but I like the pearly gates better, and the contrast in tones is exactly what I was looking for.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I'll put this out there in addition to the Sentient; the Saturday Night Special neck. I have A4 neck pickups in three of my guitars and I love them all. They all have a perfectly balanced tone. Very, dare I say, vintagey. No flub, but not shrill in the slightest. Mids, but still plenty of top and bottom. Just the right amount of attack and not too thick.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I recently had the idea of using a Seth with it. Not sure how that would fare...

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

The Seth would be a great neck pickup, but I think you lose what the Seth is so great at when you have 24 frets. The Jazz/Sentient/59 might be better choices.

 

[TVFV]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

The Seth would be a great neck pickup, but I think you lose what the Seth is so great at when you have 24 frets. The Jazz/Sentient/59 might be better choices.

Yeah, I was thinking it about for an LP style guitar in the future. Maybe someday.

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[Aceman]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I have had one for a bit. What did I pair it with? DiMarzio PAF....

That's all I have tried, the PAF was the only double cream I had around. Sounds great. However, I'd think any of these would be good depending on your needs

59 - obvious choice is obvious
Jazz - more shreddy/modern
PG - adds a little smooth/grit/mids to it
A2P if you plan on a big range guitar

 

[Ascension]

Re: Favorite neck humbucker to pair with '59/Custom Hybrid?

I installed the pearly gates neck today in a stratocaster build that has a 59/C in the bridge. So far I love the thickness of the pearly gates as opposed to the PAF Joe I removed. The PAF Joe was very good but I like the pearly gates better, and the contrast in tones is exactly what I was looking for.

Glad to hear that! The PG had been in a guitar I sold with a Alt 8 in the bridge and was also a really nice combo. The PAF Joe really woke my ST 300 up in the neck and was a fantastic match for the Gravity Storm in the bridge so glad that trade worked out for both of us so well.
The Whole Lotta sounds interesting as have an A4 swapped 59 in the neck on my old Washburn MG 102 with a JB in the bridge and really like it in that true Swamp Ash bodied Super Strat.