Jazz or 59 for guitar that is all over the place

[SimpleT]

Hey there,

Looking for recommendations for a neck pickup in guitar where I still haven't found a tone I am happy with. The problem is the guitar has two issues I would like to fix:

1. The attack is that plastic like clicking sound, very percussive but in a annoying way
2. The Low end can be very boomy with the wrong pickup.

Overall I would say number 1 is more of an issue though. What I would like is something that is warm but clear with no click like articulation. Thinking of like a traditional jazz or blues lead tone, vintage output. Nothing crazy.

Lucky for me there is Jazz and a 59 available locally (and a Dimarzio Evolution and a Duncan Saturday Night Special but those seem less like what I want) for a real bargain. I have already tried the sentient but I took it out and sold it because it made both problems worse. Any suggestions?

 

[Hsb]

Of those two, I prefer the 59 over the Jazz. Jazz is clearer but not as warm as the 59, at least to my ears.

 

[zionstrat]

I love both, but sounds like you have quite a continuum to fill.. what's the make,model and wood?

 

[SimpleT]

I love both, but sounds like you have quite a continuum to fill.. what's the make,model and wood?

Mustang, 24 scale with poplar body

 

[beaubrummels]

59 can be boomy on the bottom end in the neck. Jazz is thinner, comparatively even, for some people kind of scooped though, but it's also bright, which may not solve the attack problem.

From the Duncan line, to solve the two issues, I'd consider a Saturday Night Special neck, Green Magic neck (just reverse the phase of the wires to make it a normal neck), or an Alnico 2 Pro neck, all of which would not be boomy in the bass, wouldn't have a trebly/clickly attack and would be vintage output.

There are a number of others that also might solve the boomy bottom and undesirable attack and keep it vintage output - like Seth, Antiquity, "High Voltage" - which is actually vintage output.

If you've already tried any of those, if you can say specifically why they didn't work, we might be able to narrow down a better option.

 

[Top-L]

Hey there,

Looking for recommendations for a neck pickup in guitar where I still haven't found a tone I am happy with. The problem is the guitar has two issues I would like to fix:

1. The attack is that plastic like clicking sound, very percussive but in a annoying way
2. The Low end can be very boomy with the wrong pickup.

Overall I would say number 1 is more of an issue though. What I would like is something that is warm but clear with no click like articulation. Thinking of like a traditional jazz or blues lead tone, vintage output. Nothing crazy.

Lucky for me there is Jazz and a 59 available locally (and a Dimarzio Evolution and a Duncan Saturday Night Special but those seem less like what I want) for a real bargain. I have already tried the sentient but I took it out and sold it because it made both problems worse. Any suggestions?

If we use logic to understand what is happening... What I can say is that Alnico 5 mag pickups tend to have more HF content than ceramic mag pickups. So try to find a ceramic mag pickup that works.

Some weird things work. Like a Super Distortion (ceramic) in the neck, if the bridge pickup is really hot.

To solve the problem of too much bass, you could lower the bass side of the pickup away from the strings (or even lower individual poles if that is available.)

This is going to sound kooky, but some of my favorite neck humbuckers are cheap Ibanez ones. A Quantum neck model, and also one of the hot INF braded pickups. These are ceramic and seem tighter for lead playing. The problem with these cheap pickups is they tend to be noisier and don't always have four conductor.

Im not familiiar with all the current pickup offerings, but a medium output ceramic would be worth trying. I know the Evolution bridge is ceramic and has less HF sound than and equivalent Full Shred (a5). Sad that the Evo neck is A5. There has to be a medium output ceramic that works. Maybe a Jazz with a ceramic bar, whatever that ends up being.

 

[Mincer]

I don't know if either of those would solve the issues you are having. Perhaps something like an APH-1, which attenuates the low end, as well as the attack on the high end.

 

[Demanic]

See if you can find a 59n/Jazzn hybrid.

 

[beaubrummels]

+1 a hybrid could solve it also. I have a Pearly Gates/Jazz neck hybrid that would solve it. Certain Gibson Burstbuckers are in the hybrid class of mis-matched coil.

 

[elelpe]

I suspect it's not the pickup since you seem not have similar problem in the bridge position.

Is it a Squier Bullet Mustang?

If so, I have one and don't have this clicking issue with OEM pickup.
Had Phat Cat neck for a while (sounds awesome btw) and now Fidelitron (with 1000k pots), no issue at all.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Both have got the plastic like clicking sound, IMO. The Jazz has it more than the '59, but both are like that to an extent.

The Jazz isn't super boomy, but the fact that it's so scooped makes it sound like it has nothing but attack and some bottom-end thrown in.

I much prefer a Phat Cat or a DiMarzio 36th Anni PAF than either, personally.

 

[Ascension]

Hey there,

Looking for recommendations for a neck pickup in guitar where I still haven't found a tone I am happy with. The problem is the guitar has two issues I would like to fix:

1. The attack is that plastic like clicking sound, very percussive but in a annoying way
2. The Low end can be very boomy with the wrong pickup.

Overall I would say number 1 is more of an issue though. What I would like is something that is warm but clear with no click like articulation. Thinking of like a traditional jazz or blues lead tone, vintage output. Nothing crazy.

Lucky for me there is Jazz and a 59 available locally (and a Dimarzio Evolution and a Duncan Saturday Night Special but those seem less like what I want) for a real bargain. I have already tried the sentient but I took it out and sold it because it made both problems worse. Any suggestions?

Sentient. By far far and away it's my favorite Duncan neck pickup. Very sweet and warm clean but also very clear and articulate with high gain. IMO it's the most versatile of all the Duncan Neck Pickups. It's also being horribly miss marketed as a high gain metal pickup, it's absolutely NOT. Warmer and more full sounding that the Jazz but not as boomy on the bottom as the 59. Tighter and more articulate than the Alnico II pro but sweeter not as harsh and warmer than the Pearly Gates.

 

[beaubrummels]

Sentient. By far far and away it's my favorite Duncan neck pickup. Very sweet and warm clean but also very clear and articulate with high gain. IMO it's the most versatile of all the Duncan Neck Pickups. It's also being horribly miss marketed as a high gain metal pickup, it's absolutely NOT. Warmer and more full sounding that the Jazz but not as boomy on the bottom as the 59. Tighter and more articulate than the Alnico II pro but sweeter not as harsh and warmer than the Pearly Gates.

Something is suspicious about that video demo. All 6 samples are the exact same performance, which wouldn't be possible if you actually replaced the neck pickup and recorded each individually. It almost seems like he profiled the pickups and reamped the performance through the profiles, instead of actually playing through them.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I think perhaps something warmer & sweeter might alleviate the plasticy attack a bit.
Have you considered the A2Pro neck?

 

[Artie]

I think you have to buy and install one set. Then buy and install the other set. Decide which you prefer, and sell the one you don't. It's "work", but worth the effort.

 

[beaubrummels]

All production pickups have a 21-day exchange policy, so there's that also. You can try until you are happy.

If you sell, it will likely be at a loss, but you do get to audition the pickups right after each other. With the exchange policy, there is the delay waiting for the next set to arrive.

 

[Top-L]

I am a big proponent of buying different stock pickup cast offs on ebay that other people ripped out. The advantage of name brand pickups is you know what you are getting and can make relative comparisons, but if you're shooting in the dark, might as well try out some of the cheap ones.

 

[Artie]

I am a big proponent of buying different stock pickup cast offs on ebay that other people ripped out. The advantage of name brand pickups is you know what you are getting and can make relative comparisons, but if you're shooting in the dark, might as well try out some of the cheap ones.

Yup. Some of my favorite pups are "Duncan Designed", which only come out of OEM guitars. I've never heard a bad one.

 

[beaubrummels]

Another one that might be a contender (haven't used it myself, but demos sound really really nice) is the Benedetto P.A.F. neck.

 

[Top-L]

Yup. Some of my favorite pups are "Duncan Designed", which only come out of OEM guitars. I've never heard a bad one.

I remember a time about 10-15 years ago where you could get really common Dimarzios and Duncans for $20-30 bucks. PAF Pro, Super Distortion, Tone Zone, etc.