Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

[tbonesullivan]

So, this has been a long time coming, playing a lot of different guitars, and playing my other guitars, particularly my H-158 Millennium with Seth Lovers, and my H150CM with SD '59s. I play a lot of clean stuff, mostly jazz type stuff, etc, and for that, the neck pickup on my H-535 is great. The stock Schaller is chimey, clean, with nice definition, etc. But, it is kinda missing that "3D" sound I'm used to getting from a neck pickup. The bridge pickup has that brightness I expect, and sounds good clean, but once I roll on the overdrive, it just kinda sounds flat. It doesn't have the bite or the snarl when overdriven that I like from a bridge pickup.

Part of me is wondering if maybe that's just the nature of the 535, but I think not. So I'm looking to replace it with something hotter or "meaner". Now, as it's a 535 that came with schallers, it is not routed for long legged pickups, and I'm not really into drilling holes just so I can replace the pickups.

My short list at present is (nickel sovered): Pearly Gates set, Whole Lotta Humbucker Set, Saturday Night Special Set. I've also considered the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF, but for more vintage sounds Seymour Duncan has never done be wrong. I have a Hamer Newport with a Custom 5 in the bridge that I like, but I think that's a bit much for this guitar.

Any suggestions?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

Yeah, my vote would be the Whole Lotta Humbucker set or the Saturday Night Special set, as these are hotter (and the SNS set is meaner) than most PAF-types around. It is a nice guitar, though, so you might be interested in more Custom Shop offerings, like the Skinnerburst set (if they are not sold out).

 

[tbonesullivan]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

It is a nice guitar. I'm all about the sound though, and I need something wax potted. If it was as solid body the unpotted pickups might work, but I want it to Howl, not squeal.

I remember when the Pearly Gates were pretty much the go to pickups for a hotter better semi hollow.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

Remember, any of the non-potted pickups can be ordered potted, so keep that in mind.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

It is a nice guitar. I'm all about the sound though, and I need something wax potted. If it was as solid body the unpotted pickups might work, but I want it to Howl, not squeal.

I remember when the Pearly Gates were pretty much the go to pickups for a hotter better semi hollow.

Seth's are well known to be feedback resistant unless run thru really loud amps. They're your best bet tonewise. AS for PG's being the 'go to' for semi-hollows: I've been here over 10 years and don't remember anything about that. As a semi-hollow player, there plenty of other PU's I'd rather have (and do have) in my semi's.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

They were recommended on a guitar forum I used to frequent that hasn't existed for years, back more than 10 years ago. They do seem like they would be a good fit.

Seth lovers, I want something with a bit more meat than that. Not much, just a little.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

Well, you can either go to the Custom Shop and have hotter Seths wound, or you can step up to the other 2 sets I had mentioned which are still PAF-ish but hotter.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

So, this has been a long time coming, playing a lot of different guitars, and playing my other guitars, particularly my H-158 Millennium with Seth Lovers, and my H150CM with SD '59s. I play a lot of clean stuff, mostly jazz type stuff, etc, and for that, the neck pickup on my H-535 is great. The stock Schaller is chimey, clean, with nice definition, etc. But, it is kinda missing that "3D" sound I'm used to getting from a neck pickup. The bridge pickup has that brightness I expect, and sounds good clean, but once I roll on the overdrive, it just kinda sounds flat. It doesn't have the bite or the snarl when overdriven that I like from a bridge pickup.

Part of me is wondering if maybe that's just the nature of the 535, but I think not. So I'm looking to replace it with something hotter or "meaner". Now, as it's a 535 that came with schallers, it is not routed for long legged pickups, and I'm not really into drilling holes just so I can replace the pickups.

My short list at present is (nickel sovered): Pearly Gates set, Whole Lotta Humbucker Set, Saturday Night Special Set. I've also considered the Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF, but for more vintage sounds Seymour Duncan has never done be wrong. I have a Hamer Newport with a Custom 5 in the bridge that I like, but I think that's a bit much for this guitar.

Any suggestions?

Playing clean with a semi hollow.... I wold look for a SD JazzN & a 59B. I have this configuration in a thinline Telecaster and its coil tapped. So very versatile guitar. The box is Mahogany back/sides, with a flame maple cap & ebony board.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Re: Heritage H-535 - New Pickups? How to make it sound BETTER

I would need to special order "short legged" '59 pickups, because the Schallers in the guitar have very short legs, so the guitar isn't routed for the longer legs of a '59 or a seth lover mode. That's the main reason the Pearly Gates, whole lotta humbucker, etc appeal to me.