Is this a Seth Lover?

J

Johnny Halo

New member
Picked this up on ebay and it occurs to me that it is "different"

photo_zpsc780de60.jpg


Got it installed and it is out of phase with the bridge. There is no sigs and the base plate has extra holes. It is stamped Seymour Duncan Made in America

Thanks.
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

The sticker says it's a Seth neck model and it does have the single conductor braided lead wire. Double check by measuring the resistence between the lead wire and the braided ground...should be somewhere around 7.4k.
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Never seen a Seth that looked like that. Normal Seths have no holes under the slug pieces, and a tag in the middle with a blue signature over it.
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Perhaps it's a Seth that was made as an OEM pickup. Seems that SD would save a bit of money by using standard baseplates and omitting the signatures on an OEM pickup – things which most people would never see if the pickup came stock in a guitar. Who knows; maybe the bobbins are even made of the standard material too, instead of butyrate. And if it's potted too...it really wouldn't be much of a Seth Lover in the end, even though that's technically what it is. It'd be more like a Pearly Gates Minus (or AIIP Minus).
 
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Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

It also looks as it's been potted. Short-legged AND potted.

It definately looks like a Custom Floor Shop... I can understand the short-legged part as many guitars, like high-end European and Japanese instruments take short-legged p'ups ONLY, as many PRS too.

But to pot a Seth? BLASPHEMY!
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

It reads 7.91 +/-, installed in the guitar, testing with a EA Melody cable.

For comparison, the bridge (known/marked Seth) reads 7.75 +/- with same cable.


And, it is sort legged.
 
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Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Out of a MIJ Edwards or such? Or a Hamer USA? they have had Duncan do some custom stuff in the past. My Monaco Elite SH11 & SH5 had vintage braid single conduxtor, and pretty sure long legs too.
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

I have seen some of them and only the neck version. The price is just like any used Duncans. An online seller who sells guitar parts told me that's OEM for G&L Bluesboy. I don't know if it's true though. Maybe someone who has USA Bluesboy could confirm that. If it were true, it could mean that USA Bluesboy is actually made overseas :dunno:
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

JeffB said:
Wait amin... ROHS...def made for import.
Click to expand...

The ROHS sticker doesn't mean that a pickup was made to be OEM equipment in a guitar made overseas. Whether or not there is an ROHS mark has to do with when S.D. became compliant (2006). TMK, the ROHS stamp is found on all Duncans since 2006...at least every one I've bought since then.

elelpe said:
If it were true, it could mean that USA Bluesboy is actually made overseas :dunno:
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It isn't true that ROHS means the pickups were made to go into import guitars. But even if it was true that, through some roundabout method, G&L was loading their guitars with pickups that were originally intended to be OEM equipment on imported guitars, the pickups would be no worse. They'd still be made in Santa Barbara. It would in no way imply that the guitar was made overseas. Of course the U.S.A. G&Ls are not made overseas, by simple definition. And, honestly, they are probably the last company I'd expect to see pulling some crap like that. They are about as cool a major guitar manufacturer as you can find in the way they conduct themselves.
 
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Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

The more I look at it, the more I think that's NOT a factory-spec'ed Seth. Or even a Seth at all.

With those readings (assuming they were correctly taken), definately not a Set neck. :dunno:
 
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Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Ok, I have more info on the pickup. I emailed Derek Duncan and asked him if it was a Seth. The following is his reply -


From: Derek Duncan
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 12:21 PM
To: John Hargnett
Subject: RE: Seth Lover Question

That is a Seth Lover neck that was built as a shop floor custom to have the shorter legs(1/4") instead of the traditional Gibson(1/2") long legs. The traditional long legs sometimes wont fit into guitars with shallow routes, that is why most pickups these days have the shorter legs unless they are a vintage replica. The Seth Lovers have the longer legs stock so this one was built custom to have shorter legs.

Thanks,
-Derek

I also asked about it being out of phase as well -

I don't see any mention of that on the sticker, but we do have some companies that specifically ask for reverse polarity as well. It could be that the neck magnet in this pickup is north side adjustable instead of being south adjustable. we can always flip the magnet if you want.


Thanks,
-Derek


So, it does appear to be a Seth Lover, of sorts. I am unsure if I will swap the magnet around. I am kind of curious about trying it and it is something I have not done in my time messing with guitars.
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Johnny Halo said:
No, I did not ask. :oops:

I will email him again.
Click to expand...

Have not heard back from Derek regarding the output.

Another thought - If I understand it correctly, the SL used a wooden spacer. It seems to me the spacer should be where the extra holes are in the baseplate. It looks like there is metal showing through on this one. So, making it not exactly like a SL?
 
Re: Is this a Seth Lover?

Doesn't look like a Seth. You can always confirm by taking the cover off and looking at the inerds. Seth's have a piece of maple.
 
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