Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

A

ARch

New member
I have an '03 Gibson LP Studio, upgraded with RSguitarworks pots/caps/wiring.

I'm looking to get a little more vintage Gibson feel out of my pickups. I do play clean quite a bit but also play classic/hard rock. No metal, and very rarely anything super hard. I'm looking to dress up the guitar with either a 59n+59b, or a 59n+JB -- I have already set up sales for both so I'm not really looking at other options at this point.

I've heard great things about the JB and realize that I don't have to shred with it just because it can, but I'm not sure if it's always going to be too hot.

The 59 set sounds like what I'm looking for, but I'm not sure if it'll be too low output, or not versatile enough since both pickups are the same.

Any opinions here?

Thanks in advance --

Guitars: G&L S-500, '03 LP Studio
Amps: '86 Mesa Mark III, '65 Fender Twin Reverb RI
Board: EB Vol/Pan, Barber Tone Press, Fulldrive 2, OCD, Zvex Box of Rock, EH POG, Boss DD-5, Line6 DL-4, Boss TU-2
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Seriously, what you really want is a 59 in the neck, and a Custom 5 in the bridge.

It addresses both "problems" that you forsee having with your other 2 choices.

I have this exact setup in my LP studio, and it just WORKS. it's incredibly versatile, and it can do vintage to modern, soft to loud.

The Custom 5 in the bridge of a LP is perfect.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

RockStarNick said:
Seriously, what you really want is a 59 in the neck, and a Custom 5 in the bridge.

It addresses both "problems" that you forsee having with your other 2 choices.

I have this exact setup in my LP studio, and it just WORKS. it's incredibly versatile, and it can do vintage to modern, soft to loud.

The Custom 5 in the bridge of a LP is perfect.
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Thanks, I may have to check out the Custom later, but right now I've just got the 59s and 59/JB available (and realize that this is the start of some experimentation). Why would you prefer the Custom to the 59 in the bridge?
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Go with the 59's. The 59n can seem boomy in the neck of a Les Paul, but if you tinker with it enough, its a wonderful pickup. The 59b should suit you very well and is a great baseline pickup. Some will argue for the JB, but at double the d.c. resistance, its a little hot for the style of music you play.

If you feel that you love the tone of the 59b but want a little more power/balls, the Custom 5 (SH-14) would be ideal.

Start with the 59s, take some time to tweak your amps and pickups and then evaluate what you like and dislike about the tone you are getting from that guitar. Once you do that, tell us about it on here and the wonderful people on this forum will give you our best advice to get you right where you want to be.
 
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Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Push to Shuv said:
Go with the 59's. The 59n can seem boomy in the neck of a Les Paul, but if you tinker with it enough, its a wonderful pickup. The 59b should suit you very well and is a great baseline pickup. Some will argue for the JB, but at double the d.c. resistance, its a little hot for the style of music you play.

If you feel that you love the tone of the 59b but want a little more power/balls, the Custom 5 (SH-14) would be ideal.

Start with the 59s, take some time to tweak your amps and pickups and then evaluate what you like and dislike about the tone you are getting from that guitar. Once you do that, tell us about it on here and the wonderful people on this forum will give you our best advice to get you right where you want to be.
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Thanks. The '59N is about the only thing I was sure on based on the ridiculous amount of good reviews/opinions. A little boom is probably better than the muddy wall of bass from my 490 :D

Sounds like I'll be picking up the 59s and then trying out a Custom (thanks again for that suggestion) if they're not hot enough for me.

Any players/bands you can list that use the 59bridge pickup? The thing that threw me off on the SD site was they list Ben Harper and not really anyone else using the '59 bridge. I definitely play harder than Ben, so it made the decision harder.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Mark Morton from Lamb of God has used a set of 59's extensively for studio recordings. And they play high gain metal, so it can handle that stuff if you have the amp for it.

As for famous players, they're close to what Jimmy Page used. They have a 1960's alnico 5 PAF sound.

They tend to sound clear, balanced, familiar, and a little plain. I think they're some of the best pickups that SD makes.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

I was gonna say go with the 59's. What is the amp? That will make more of an impact on the flexibility. 59's / general PAF's can play anything with the right gain/eq.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

59s. I'm in the process of pulling a JB out of a Hamer, and replacing it w/a Custom 5 because it is too hot for what I've been liking to hear lately, which is a more vintage sound than I had before.

I went w/the Custom because it seems to have a bit more omph while retaining a vintage vibe, but, if I had the 59 laying about as you do, I'd use it.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

The JB is disliked by many, so don't dive into one just yet. It has narrow coils & thin wire, which gives it an icepick tone (not in a good sense of the word).

For a bridge, many of us prefer a '59B for a vintage 1950's/1960's sound, or a Custom 5 for high output solos. The '59N works well with both. To get the clacssic rock/Chicago blues tones I like, I use 250K pots on my bridges to shave off a little of the upper treble & bring out the mids.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

ARch said:
I have an '03 Gibson LP Studio, upgraded with RSguitarworks pots/caps/wiring.

I'm looking to get a little more vintage Gibson feel out of my pickups. I do play clean quite a bit but also play classic/hard rock. No metal, and very rarely anything super hard. I'm looking to dress up the guitar with either a 59n+59b, or a 59n+JB -- I have already set up sales for both so I'm not really looking at other options at this point.

I've heard great things about the JB and realize that I don't have to shred with it just because it can, but I'm not sure if it's always going to be too hot.

The 59 set sounds like what I'm looking for, but I'm not sure if it'll be too low output, or not versatile enough since both pickups are the same.

Any opinions here?

Thanks in advance --

Guitars: G&L S-500, '03 LP Studio
Amps: '86 Mesa Mark III, '65 Fender Twin Reverb RI
Board: EB Vol/Pan, Barber Tone Press, Fulldrive 2, OCD, Zvex Box of Rock, EH POG, Boss DD-5, Line6 DL-4, Boss TU-2
Click to expand...

In my opinion, if you want a more Gibson sound, the '59 set is probably better. The JB is PAF-ish, but not really anything I've heard out of any Gibsons I've played. I haven't tried the smokey coil ones or whatever they are, however.

Nice amp, by the way :D
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

TwinReverb said:
In my opinion, if you want a more Gibson sound, the '59 set is probably better. The JB is PAF-ish, but not really anything I've heard out of any Gibsons I've played.
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Agree with the '59 recommendation, but to me the JB's "icepick" tone is too harsh to mistaken for anything near "PAF." I have it on good advice that JB's have narrow coils & thinner wire, and therefore are constructed nothing like a PAF, especially being 16,000 ohms.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Alnico II/ 59 are fine for rock & anything drive laden. had these in my LP Studio briefly before some Warpigs take residence...
 
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Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Just saw the MESA Mk III - yes, that will rock up the 59's nicely.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
The JB is disliked by many, so don't dive into one just yet. It has narrow coils & thin wire, which gives it an icepick tone (not in a good sense of the word).
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I think consensus around here though is that it is reviled by the bedroom shred crowd, while loved by those in bands. That pick can apparently chop right through the mix in a good way!
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
Agree with the '59 recommendation, but to me the JB's "icepick" tone is too harsh to mistaken for anything near "PAF." I have it on good advice that JB's have narrow coils & thinner wire, and therefore are constructed nothing like a PAF, especially being 16,000 ohms.
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Maybe it's your ears. I had a JB and it wasn't an ice pick in agathis, but it was in soft maple. I've been noticing lately that amp selection has a lot to do with it, too. I hate the Peavey Delta Blues but love the Twin Reverb. It's not that either is a good or bad amp, but that my ears dictate my tastes.

To me the JB sounds PAF-ish. I know it's not a true PAF, just that to me it sounds like it's in the same family due to having lots of mids. My ears hear PAF as being warm. The Seth sound clips also sound warm to me, as do the Alnico II magnet pickup lines. So to me they're good.

Me and a friend went back and forth on my Showmaster versus his Gibson Les Paul (classic I think) and they sounded similar in many ways, as if the wood made more difference (basswood versus mahogany) than the pickups did.
Anyways, in my opinion, the '59 or Seths are a good set for being PAF like the Gibsons. I can't say I've tried the Seths, but I've tried the '59 neck, and the Pearly Gates Plus bridge (essentially similar to a hotter-wound '59) and they sound very PAF-ish in my Showmaster (which I'm selling).
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

ARch said:
I've heard great things about the JB. Any opinions here?
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"Great things?" Heard from who, players that have actually tried a few different kinds of PU's & have some experience? Check this forum for the other point of view. Just as many complaints about JB's as compliments.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
"Great things?" Heard from who, players that have actually tried a few different kinds of PU's & have some experience?
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I've heard that a few good guitarists with a little experience have used the JB. Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Kurt Cobain, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Ihsahn, Michael Amott, Will Adler, Seymour Duncan (for over 30 years), and just about everyone in the 1980's.

Check this forum for the other point of view. Just as many complaints about JB's as compliments.
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And the complaints generally come from people who use it with 500k pots and were expecting a totally different type of pickup. Few actually put it in a maple or alder-bodied guitar with 250k pots, the way it was made to be used.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

You can't go wrong with a set of 59's in a Les Paul. Period. As you ask, yes, it's a "normal" (meaning great!) Les Paul sound.

The 59' bridge just nails that classic hard rock Les Paul sound. It's fat, warm, crunchy and open. Assuming you have a modern, high gain amp you can get all the power and crunch you need.. Definitely I can get into old-school Metallica territory and then some.. and this is with a moderate gain tube amp..

The neck can be a little "boomy" as some folks say, but if you play around with the height and pole pieces you can find a sweet spot. Personally I play 95% of stuff on bridge pup only so I don't really use the neck alone much and when I do it's for leads, not chords.. so I don't care that much about said "booming".
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

hanumanlangur said:
I've heard that a few good guitarists with a little experience have used the JB. Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Kurt Cobain, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Ihsahn, Michael Amott, Will Adler, Seymour Duncan (for over 30 years), and just about everyone in the 1980's.

And the complaints generally come from people who use it with 500k pots and were expecting a totally different type of pickup. Few actually put it in a maple or alder-bodied guitar with 250k pots, the way it was made to be used.
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I think it's actually none of the above, personally. It's about a person's ears and their entire rig as well as what has been mentioned. Pots only change the amplitude of the output. Granted, sure, that would make them sound bright in a way, just as 500k pots on a single coil would be even brighter sounding, but in reality it's nothing of the sort.

I think it has to do with their ears. Ears can be deceiving, and our ears change, as do our tastes.

It also has to do with his amp. I bet any bright guitar in here would sound better on my Twin Reverb than on, say, a solid state amp, or a bright tube amp. Some amps are bright, some are dark. Case in point: Slash. Alnico II Pro pickups in a massive mahogany and rosewood guitar should be dark as night, but his amp is bright.

I say the dude just tries it out in 500k or whatever he has now. If not, use the EQ on the amp and come back and tell me how it sounds. I started this same line with my Ibanez with the soft maple body. True, it was very bright, with a JB in it and 250k pots, but my friend plugged it into the Peavey Delta Blues and adjusted the EQ and it sounded MUCH better. (Granted I still swapped it out to a CC) This is why there are bright switches on the front of Twin Reverbs: add brightness if you need to. This is also why there are two inputs per channel: #1 for Strats and 250k pots, #2 for 500k. I can keep the same identical settings on the channels from between my Lite Ash Stratocaster (250k pots) and Showmaster (500k pots), and on my Boss ME-50 multi effects board, just by switching which input I'm plugged into based on what guitar I'm strapped to.

I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I just feel that too many people are rushing to pots to fix everything, or pickup, or whatever. It's not one thing: it's many. I say evaluate what your needs are first. Do you need a high output bridge pickup or not? Do you need heavy metal or not? Then install that and go from there.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

First, I should mention that I recommend the '59 over the JB, because I don't recommend JB's for mahogany guitars.

TwinReverb, are you seriously trying to tell me that pots and wood type don't make a big difference with the JB? That a JB in a mahogany super strat with 500k pots won't sound much different than it will in a maple super strat with 250k pots? Sorry bro, but I think you're way off the mark on this one.
 
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