The video demos of the 59 I've seen, suggest a V curve, as you said, but I would't call it scooped, at least not Dimebag Darrell like scooped. The mids are there, but not as prominent as the JB's
JB vs 59/Custom Hybrid vs Perpetual Burn
- Thread starter Rabelais
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The video demos of the 59 I've seen, suggest a V curve, as you said, but I would't call it scooped, at least not Dimebag Darrell like scooped. The mids are there, but not as prominent as the JB's
Some folks say Norton has everything people like about the JB, without its drawbacks.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
It is scooped, LOL. Like you said, compared to a JB. But not because it's scooped it means it's bad.
The reason why you don't perceive it as "Dimebag scooped" is because you usually don't see people playing Pantera with '59B's. Although, Dime did use the '59B in the neck, LOL. So I guess it is Dimebag scooped in a sense.
I like it, personally. And I do play metal with a Fishman Fluence Classic in Voice 1, which is essentially a hotter '59. And I don't think it's wrong to scoop the right frequencies out.
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Of course you want some frequencies out. The JB may be nasal when paired with some amps or pedals. It's just that, everytime I read the term "scooped", I get a bit worried. To me, at least, it means no mids,.a la "And Justice For All" (Metallica), or a la "Vulgar Display of Power (Pantera), or any standard Big Muff Pi style pedal, unless it's a Green Russian.
By the way, the 59 gives you wonderful clean tones, much better than the JB's (more compressed and "out there").
Gtrjunior
New member
I feel the same way when I hear a pickup described as “scooped”. I personally like a pickup that has mids. For me the JB is a bit much in the mids, probably just the particular frequencies it accentuates.
I love the Custom Custom in my LP and the mids it brings are perfect for me.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Those are not the tones I go for, but I don't think Vulgar is a bad tone, TBH. Both fit the music and vibe they were going for at the time. And Justice is controversial, and I'm not the biggest Metallica fan, but it's hard to argue with Terry Date (the guy who mixed Vulgar, he knows his stuff).
But I understand those may not be the tones you're going for, especially since most people who play a '59B don't play that style of music. Not overgeneralizing, though, because I do love the '59B and Pantera is my second favorite band, LOL.
I liked to scoop some mids myself, TBH. But I also boost using a Tube Screamer to dial some mids back in, and then run through a V30 or Greenback cab.
In the bridge? I don't like either pickups' bridge cleans, personally.
In the bridge if you roll back the tone knob. And position 2 (both pickups), seems to be lovely (to my ears, at least). I suppsose the 59/Jazz combo would get me in the same ballpark.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yep, both pickups for sure! True. But bridge with the tone rolled off... I dunno, LOL. Each to his own.
TBH, I've never liked any bridge pickups' clean tones. Sometimes I'd think I'd dialied in something nice, but then I'd switch to the neck or middle positions and be immediately underwhelmed by the bridge on its own, LOL.
TBH, I've never liked any bridge pickups' clean tones. Sometimes I'd think I'd dialied in something nice, but then I'd switch to the neck or middle positions and be immediately underwhelmed by the bridge on its own, LOL.
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I still enjoy metal (Hair, Groove, Black, etc.). And I bought 1987 by Whitesnake, just when it was released. That was a great band, with John Sykes, Neil Murray and Ansley Dunbar. However I just discovered the 1982 versions of two songs included in 1987 (Crying in The Rain, Here I go Again), recorded with Bernie Marsden and Mick Moody (guitars), the aforementioned Murray, and of course, Jon Lord and Ian Paice from Deep Purple!. It literally felt like listening to 2 new songs, played in a more restrained, more nuanced, and bluesier style. That's the kind of sound I am looking for. Probably the 59 might help with that.
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Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I do like the tones from Pantera, personally. I know Dime's tone gets a lot of hate, but I find it's easily recognizable and iconic. But it's not a tone I'd love for myself.
Not too big into 80's metal, personally. I do like some 90's scooped tones, though. Carcass - Heartwork and In Flames - Clayman are my go tos.
But one of my favorite metal-ish tones is As I Lay Dying - Shadows Are Security, and that was recorded with a Les Paul Standard with the stock Burstbucker Pros. I LOVE that tone. I find it's very Swedish-sounding. That is originally why I ventured into PAF-types for Metal myself.
Ah, the Swedish sound. Or should I say the Stockholm buzzsaw sound by stacking a Boss DS1 into a Boss HM2, into a clean Peavey solid state amp. The trademark sound of Entombed. One of the guitarists used an Ibanez Xyphos with EMGs. The other a Gibson Flying V. Not sure about the pickups, but probably stock.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Yeah. I think the Entombed sound is just an HM2 on its own into a Peavey Bandit combo (for the Left Hand Path album). It was At the Gates the used the HM2 boosting an MT2 into a Peavey Supreme head. But then, they later softened up and started just using 5150's like everyone else.
I do like the Stockholm buzzsaw sound, but I meant more the Gothenburg Melodeath sound for In Flames (and that very IF-inspired AILD record).
The Gothenburg bands are great. I particularly enjoy In Flames' The Jester Race and At The Gates' Terminal Spirit Desease, but for anyone who was listening in 1990/1991, that buzzsaw sound!. Nobody sounded like that. Entombed pretty much introduced Swedish Death Metal to the world. Then there is Hipocrisy, a very underrated band IMHO, and Dissection (also from Gothenburg), a band that combined Melodeath with Black Metal.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I remember watching a video where for The Jester Race or Whoracle, In Flames mixed two tracks of HM-2 with two tracks of a "prettier" distortion.
But yeah. I'm into those tones! And modern renditions of those tones. And yeah, love Dissection as well. But they weren't from Gothenburg. I remember on the ATG documentary, they considered Dissection as adopted brothers to the Gothenburg bands, LOL.
ATG is my favorite band.
But yeah, those are the kinda tones I'm into. The edgier early 90's Swedish sounds, as well as the prettier more refined Melodeath sounds of the late 90's and 2000's. And Carcass. I mean, I think all of them took influence from Heartwork. That is THE tone from the 90's to me. I remember they made a franken-cab for that record where they gaffer-taped two cabs, LOL.
Correct. Dissection was formed in Stromstad (near the Swdish-Norwegian border). But it's near Gothenburg too, so they were, sort of, part of the scene. Frequentoy, their music is closer to Melodeath than to Black Metal (but played in standard E tuning). Have you heard Symphonies of Sickness by Carcass?. It was released in 1989, ling before they became tecnical and melodic. It's a very cool "fusion" of Grindocore and Death Metal.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I have! Carcass have been a great band all along. But Heartwork I guess is kinda like their "Black Album", both as far as production and shift in style.
Heartwork will turn 30 later this year. Time flies!. Nobody makes extreme metal like that anymore, not even In Flames themselves.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I liked both Carcass' and ATG's recent comeback records, personally.
The Halo Effect is all ex-In Flames members with Mikael from Dark Tranquillity. Check it out if you like 90's In Flames. They sound more like In Flames than In Flames do nowadays.
