Help picking pups for my epi dot

Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I pretty much never use the bridge for a clean tone on any guitar, unless it's mixed with the neck. I've mentioned this before, but a guitar tech I know installed the Hot Rod set in a Dot for a customer, and he said it was the best sounding set in any guitar he's ever played. I plan on putting a set in a cheap semi-hollow of mine someday, but I'm a classic/southern rock/blues kind of guy. If I had a second one, I'd try those Seths, just for the jazz vibe.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

As always - the answer really depends on the guitar. In general, Dots are pretty decent. But some are crap and a few are pure gold. Can't speak to YOUR specific guitar.

The EASY answer, IMO, would be a pair of 59's

If it is a sweet sounding plank, or muddy/dark, might consider Seths (on the mellow side) or Pearly Gates, on the nastier, but still chill side.

I can totally see the Hot Rod set working in one - but that isn't what you want.

A2P's would be a fantastic Blues/Jazz set.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Seths, Ants, Classic '57s, Burstbucker 1 & 2, in no particular order. All good in 335-style guitars.

Bill
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

blueman335 said:
Do you have the same kind of guitars as Seymour, same woods, same amp, play the style and same genres? If not, don't assume his choice of PU (and what he's doing), will be ideal for you. JB's are not a universal PU that works everywhere. If it was, Seymour wouldn't offer such a large line of PU's.

The Duncan employees on here that have expressed their favorite PU have all chosen Seth's.
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Before I got the first set I read the descriptions on them, which maybe you should do. They are said to be versatile, and good for hollow bodies, which I why I got them, and have fitted a few sets for customers. Seth's are more microphonic, and not suggested for big amps according to the write up.
This Jazz Blues set are great all rounder, With bright full sound and winding down the volumes does not kill the tone as much. Amp of choice is Fender Hot Rod Deville because of it's very clean sound, but can become microphonic at high volume
These sets sound good in mahogany Gibsons, like the a Studio LP, my maple and redwood 335 style with a 10mm thicker body for Jazz and blues. I am aware Seymour offer a large range of pickups, and always suggest people look at them before buying.
Your assertion that the SH-4 JB are only good for metal I cannot agree with. These calibrated sets unlike others I have tested have a bright sound. If JB is for Jeff Beck, this one is more at the Jazz Blues end of that spectrum of pickups.


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Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

As a bit of a left-field suggestion, a pal of mine put a pair of Phat Cats (humbucker sized P90s) in his Epi dot. They sound fantastic clean and driven.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

voggin said:
As a bit of a left-field suggestion, a pal of mine put a pair of Phat Cats (humbucker sized P90s) in his Epi dot. They sound fantastic clean and driven.
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P-90's is almost never a bad idea.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I kinda resist putting expensive pickups in an Epi, so I found a used pair of AP2s and they work just fine. Got rid of the chamfered pole pieces. The Epi I have is pretty bright and the A2s help out with some mids. For what it's worth, I play pretty clean and this Dot is now my drag-around-town guitar. You might also consider changing out the bridge with conversion posts to an ABR and getting rid of the Grovers for Klusons (they just add treble).
 
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Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Demanic said:
If P-90's are almost never a bad idea, I restate my suggestion of P-Rails in Triple Shots. How could it be bad?
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Too much going on, all 3 options aren't going to be ideal tones, and in HB mode it's really hot. I like P-90's, but P-Rails have no appeal to me at all.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Well, sometimes you want three decent options over one ideal tone.

Or two very different tones vs two similar ones (like very different neck/bridge buckers)
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

^^ I'm one who always prefers too many choices to too few.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Demanic said:
^^ I'm one who always prefers too many choices to too few.
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But then with tones, does quantity trump quality? You can have options you end up rarely, if ever using. Is that worth compromising for? I like tonal options myself, and have push-pulls in most of my guitars, but over the years I thinned down those options to what I actually use.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

It all comes down to budget constraints for me. If I could have a specialized guitar for every possible sound that I wanted, then that's what I would do. If I can only afford one or two, then I want then to be able to cover as much ground as possible, even if only passably. If I ever get a Dot or something like it, I know I'm going to throw P-Rails in Triple shots into it.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

I'd go with Seths or Antiquities, especially if you have Chuck Berry type sounds in mind. But remember that the magnets in Antiquities are slightly weaker than those of the Seths because of the aging process involved in making the Ants.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

Drunken Bowling said:
remember that the magnets in Antiquities are slightly weaker than those of the Seths because of the aging process involved in making the Ants.
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And what that means is that Ant's have even less treble and output; full-strength A2's don't have much of either to begin with. I think that's why a lot of people who have owned both, prefer Seth's.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

MikE2e said:
Before I got the first set I read the descriptions on them, which maybe you should do. They are said to be versatile, and good for hollow bodies, which I why I got them, and have fitted a few sets for customers. Seth's are more microphonic, and not suggested for big amps according to the write up...These sets sound good in mahogany Gibsons, like the a Studio LP, my maple and redwood 335 style with a 10mm thicker body for Jazz and blues.Your assertion that the SH-4 JB are only good for metal I cannot agree with. These calibrated sets unlike others I have tested have a bright sound. If JB is for Jeff Beck, this one is more at the Jazz Blues end of that spectrum of pickups.
Click to expand...

You're new here, and you also need more than marketing copy and write ups to base your opinions on. Neither sources are known for being particulary accurate or objective. I've seen 8 years of members describing failures of JB's in mahogany (including by guys who love them in Strat-type guitars). Some of the time they work out great in warm woods, and other times they're unacceptable. Talk to enough players and you'll realize JB's are not a universal PU: they're very good for certain genres in certain woods; outside of that it gets iffy. They're a questionable recommendation for a 335, especially since the OP here isn't looking for a hot 16K bridge PU.

It's rare here that a member has a feedback issue with Seth's. Alvin Lee had a set of unpotted PAF's in his 335 at Woodstock (at how many hundreds of watts?) and managed to keep feedback to minimum.
 
Re: Help picking pups for my epi dot

keep it simple.
put in a pair of 59s and replace the pots with nice quality 500k pots and sprague .022uf caps.
If that doesn't put a smile on your face then i'll be very surprised.
 
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