Hi there sir! Things are moving along. Gigging is slowly coming back, at least the bigger festivals that keep the band far away from any crowds.
Neck Pickup Opinions
- Thread starter STRATDELUXER97
- Start date
Hi there sir! Things are moving along. Gigging is slowly coming back, at least the bigger festivals that keep the band far away from any crowds.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Hi Bobby..I know what pickup to replace with if that ends up being the case.Lol..You know I'm no slouch there.But with that being said Bobby....What do you recommend? Hope you're doing great.
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eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
I concur with the recommendations of A4 for a swap.Tighter lows & snappier overall, usually nice chime up top.
A4 in a 59N makes for a wonderful neck pickup, in many guitars.
Like several others here though, I never managed to get a 490R sounding great for my tastes.
BTW, you can tell a Shaw from a 490 by its white plastic spacers and a DCR down around 7K.
I doubt yours is one though - they had UA5 mags (their tone secret) and shouldn't be woofy or loose at all.
Least of all in a Strat.
A4 in a 59N makes for a wonderful neck pickup, in many guitars.
Like several others here though, I never managed to get a 490R sounding great for my tastes.
BTW, you can tell a Shaw from a 490 by its white plastic spacers and a DCR down around 7K.
I doubt yours is one though - they had UA5 mags (their tone secret) and shouldn't be woofy or loose at all.
Least of all in a Strat.
misterwhizzy
Well-known member
I don’t have anything helpful to say, but it’s always awesome to have you on the forum, John.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
One of my favorite neck pickups is the 59n with a polished A4. Definitely Goldilocks.
Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Appreciate the post....Yeah the Shaw is also supposed to have the white spacers and I know mine is just the common Gibson 490 of that time period...
Honestly it's a flat and dull sounding pickup and I'm not at all enthused with it.
Funny I have quite a few A2,A3,and A5 magnets and not 1 A4....The last A4 I did use in a 59N back when Lew recommended it. Another trick is to cut the screws at the bottom of the base flush to the base.I haven't done that.
My pickup reads like 7.5k and does have a small width RC magnet...Has the the shiny N and S edges though and may be an an RCA5? I had an A5 in there before and went back to the original magnet.
I see myself probably getting another 59N or maybe a JazzN which are both great. I have a JazzN in my 335.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Wow back at ya my friend...Appreciate you guys chiming in with me and it's awesome back and forth with you all....Hope you're doing great.I said hello to Joe(Gearjoneser) on FB a couple days ago,I'm on a FB SD Forum there too.
Lewguitar
New member
Again, if John is asking for a neck pickup that is genuinely clean, clear and chimey, RCA3 is the ticket.
An RCA3 magnet in an Antiquity N or 59N will deliver that clean, clear and chimey quality better than any other magnet.
With his JB in the bridge John will have a pickup for overdriven tones.
With a RCA3 59N he'll have the beautiful clean, clear and chimey tones.
He'll have both tones all in one guitar.
But I have no experience with swapping magnets in the particular Gibson pickup he is currently using.
If it's 7.5K or so and uses 42 ga copper wire there's no reason to think RCA3 wouldn't make it sound similar to a 59N or Antiquity with RCA3.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Yes totally agree....Years ago Lew told me about the A4 in the 59N before any of us spoke of the A4 and it fixed the woofy stuff I had back then with that pickup. Back then(Like 04/05) all of us were all about the A2,3,and 5...The Rough cast and UOA5 stuff didn't come out until a bit later but I was a part of it...I also put together some Hybrids for a couple of forum members and myself.
I still have one of the first Hybrids I made after BachToRock turned us onto them.I tried it the other day and actually just didn't warm up to it.The UOA5 JB just works in this particular guitar and so I went back to it.
Appreciate the post..
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Thx Lew....I really think I will have to grab another 59N since it's hard to beat.I like both position 59s,though I love the Seths in my LP....LOL..I could try the A3 since I have them and then can the Gibson idea if that doesn't work.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
We never played out much anyway Dave...Just some garage band hackers...LOL....Last gig we did was in January.It's just a hobby and once in a great while we get together just to get together..It's all good.Hope the folks that make a living at it like yourself maybe,can get back to playing again.I'm retired and with a pension and enjoying that.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
Logic would dictate that, if he's asking about pickups, he probably is.
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Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
I guess I will actually have to log on and say hi to John and everyone else on this pseudo reunion thread of sorts. I read from time to time but don’t really post. Lost my log in for a while and didn’t think I would get it back, but finally remembered it.
John, I HATE the 59n with a passion, always have. I have been an APH, PG, Seth, Antiquity, etc., neck guy for 20 years now. I just took a Custom Shop 59’ neck I had sitting in a box for 3-4 years, put a dark black A4 mag in it and put it in the neck of one of my Dean Hardtails. BLEW ME AWAY. I can’t believe I never tried this before. It’s amazingly articulate, chimey, crisp, clear but not strident or harsh, with no boomy lows and a beautiful balanced blooming midrange tone. Granted I’m in the honeymoon phase with it, but DAMN.
Anyhow, good to see you, hope the family is good and stay safe. Oh, FYI, my daughter got married in 2018 and turns 30 in March, can you believe it? She is doing so well. When I joined this board she was 9 and I was trying to get custody of her. Time flies. God bless.
John, I HATE the 59n with a passion, always have. I have been an APH, PG, Seth, Antiquity, etc., neck guy for 20 years now. I just took a Custom Shop 59’ neck I had sitting in a box for 3-4 years, put a dark black A4 mag in it and put it in the neck of one of my Dean Hardtails. BLEW ME AWAY. I can’t believe I never tried this before. It’s amazingly articulate, chimey, crisp, clear but not strident or harsh, with no boomy lows and a beautiful balanced blooming midrange tone. Granted I’m in the honeymoon phase with it, but DAMN.
Anyhow, good to see you, hope the family is good and stay safe. Oh, FYI, my daughter got married in 2018 and turns 30 in March, can you believe it? She is doing so well. When I joined this board she was 9 and I was trying to get custody of her. Time flies. God bless.
Lewguitar
New member
It's amazing the difference a magnet swap can make...
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
I am still playing and working on amps....Yep...
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
I modded a ton of pedals and built some back in the day for many forum members and Dave may be talking about that aspect of it. Lately I have been fixing amps that I pickup decent price.Some I sell and some I have kept. The other guitarist in our band bought quite a few amps and I've both fixed and maintained his stuff..I'm always busy with some kind of project either music or home related.Being retired affords me all kinds of time.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Hello Jeff....Wow this is awesome talking to you guys...I never liked the PGN and tried to...Seths are nice as are the Jazz in the neck spots. The 59 pickups I find I'm always tweaking on them but once tweaked they do become keepers....I was maybe leaning towards a P90 Neck.
STRATDELUXER97
Stratoblaster Tone Meister
Thx to you Lew I did do an A4 magnet in a 59N pickup.In fact Lew sent me the A4 magnets at a time where it was just A2,3 and 5s we were swapping.I don't have an A4 at the moment but I have some A3s.