Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Troy T. Blues

Troy T. Blues

New member
Hi guys,

I have a HH Strat with a '59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge (500K), both pups are White. I've been using this combo for a while now and I have become very dissatisfied with the '59 in the neck. I think it's too thick (bassy), muddy and closed sounding, not good with overdrive. I'm looking for another alternative now. I'm thinking maybe the Pearly Gates or the Jazz? Any comments about these pups would be greatly appreciated and any other suggestions are welcomed.

Playing Classic Rock & Blues with a descent amount of OD (pedals). Alder Strat with a Rosewood Neck going into a '66 Fender Super Reverb for the most part.

BTW, I love the JB in the bridge, that sounds great!
Thanks!
 
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Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

a JB/Jazz is a classic combo and Im sure you would like it just fine...Seymour Does! a PG neck is my favorite neck bucker EVER, I love it...you caould also look into a PG+ from Allparts, it is sold as a bridge pickup but with a JB it would be fine...the PG+ is close to a 5, but a tad brighter and a little more rude sounding.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

I agree with the guy who invented. The Pearly gates will be a GREAT choice for a neck bucker!!!!!!! I have the Jazz and the Pearly Gates neck and in my opinion, the Pearly Gates owns the Jazz!!!!!
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

I used to use the JB Jr. in the neck position and I thought it sounded ok, but now that I tried the Jazz in the neck I realy love the sound and won't change back. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the PG's.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Get a Jazz. I did, to replace a 59 for the same reasons you dislike it, and I couldn't be happier.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

jazz in a bolt on guitar or 25.5" scale guitar just plain rocks. I prefer the 59 in my ESP though. I tried a jazz neck and I just didn't like it.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Thanks for the replies!!

I think I'm leaning towards the Jazz...Has anyone directly compared the PG & Jazz neck?

vs the '59 as well?
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

A $5 solution: Swap that a5 of your 59 with an a2. That might do it.

B
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

I think if you find the 59N to have to much bass then you'll find the Jazz N to have to much bass too...although the Jazz has a little less bass than the 59N and has a nice sparkle to the upper harmonics.

I'd go for an alnico 2 neck bucker. The Pearly gates or Alnico 2 Pro would be my favorites....unless you wanted a covered neck pickup. If you want a nickel cover, the Seth Lover would be a great choice.

I have a feeling you'd love the Pearly Gates though. I'm a blues player and I use a PG neck and 59B in my Strat.

I've always found most neck humbuckers to have to much bass to get a clear enough tone for chords and rythym...I hate that woofy mushy sound most neck buckers get when I turn down the volume a bit on my guitar and switch to rythym.

That's why I now use the Pearly Gates in one humbucking guitar and the Seth Lover in my other humbucking guitar. Much clearer tone for chords...especially when playing through a loud amp at performance volumes.

Try a PG...I'm sure you'll like it.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

theodie said:
the Pearly Gates owns the Jazz!!!!!
Click to expand...

:nono: AGHHH HERESY!!! You shall be reckoned with on UGD!!! :chairshot :sword: :kabong: :firedevil


Luke
 
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Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Troy T. Blues said:
Hi guys,

I have a HH Strat with a '59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge (500K), both pups are White. I've been using this combo for a while now and I have become very dissatisfied with the '59 in the neck. I think it's too thick (bassy), muddy and closed sounding, not good with overdrive. I'm looking for another alternative now. I'm thinking maybe the Pearly Gates or the Jazz? Any comments about these pups would be greatly appreciated and any other suggestions are welcomed.

Playing Classic Rock & Blues with a descent amount of OD (pedals). Alder Strat with a Rosewood Neck going into a '66 Fender Super Reverb for the most part.

BTW, I love the JB in the bridge, that sounds great!
Thanks!
Click to expand...


I've used the '59 in multiple guitars and it is one of the most over-rated neck pickups ever IMO. It sounds like boomy ass all the time with way too much bass.

I can't fathom why this pickup is such a standard in the neck....
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Luke Duke said:
:nono: AGHHH HERESY!!! You shall be reckoned with on UGD!!! :chairshot :sword: :kabong: :firedevil


Luke
Click to expand...

It's all good. Truth is: every player just has to experiment until they find what works for thier touch and thier tastes. I've found that what works for me usually seems to work for other guys too...but not always! :laugh2:

It's hardest for me to recommend things for the heavy metal guys who play with alot of distortion and never really go for a clean tone.

I just don't desire that tone for myself or hear that tone in my head the way I hear blues or jazz or rock tone... :smack:

But it's all good! Just a matter of personal taste....and the reason Seymour makes a billion differant pickups! :laugh2:
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Hmmm...Lew you got me thinking the PGN now. Would it be a good match with my JB bridge? I really don't like the '59 neck at all.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Lewguitar said:
It's all good. Truth is: every player just has to experiment until they find what works for thier touch and thier tastes. I've found that what works for me usually seems to work for other guys too...but not always! :laugh2:

It's hardest for me to recommend things for the heavy metal guys who play with alot of distortion and never really go for a clean tone.

I just don't desire that tone for myself or hear that tone in my head the way I hear blues or jazz or rock tone... :smack:

But it's all good! Just a matter of personal taste....and the reason Seymour makes a billion differant pickups! :laugh2:
Click to expand...

+1 Lew!!!

You know how it is though, sometimes you've just got to put a MEATHEAD in his place!!! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Troy T. Blues said:
Hmmm...Lew you got me thinking the PGN now. Would it be a good match with my JB bridge? I really don't like the '59 neck at all.
Click to expand...

I can't see why it wouldn't be a nice match up with the JB. Like I said, I use it with an alnico 5 59B and it works in that configuartion very well. The JB is an alnico 5 pickup too, although it's wound alot hotter than the 59B. Didn't Christian also suggest the PGN earlier in this thread? I'll bet he did. The PGN is my favorite neck pickup in a Les Paul...it was literally designed for the Les Paul, being that it is based on the neck pickup in Billy Gibbon's Les Paul.

As for the 59N, it's a great pickup and perfect for alot of players. But it's not perfect for me! :laugh2: It has a little bit to much bass for my tastes, and for me to get the clear tone for chords I need a pickup with less bass. At low volumes and in a jazzy guitar it gets a great Wes Montgomery kind of tone...but cranked up loud so I can get a killer tone from the bridge pickup, the 59N gets a little muddy when I switch to rythym.

Try a PG. If you get a new one you can try it for 21 days and see if it works for you. If not, just return and we'll try something else: maybe an Alnico 2 Pro like Slash uses in his Les Paul or a Jazz.

Lew
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

i loved the PGn when i had it, it didnt have too much bass at all, and had a really cool organic tone
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

I have both the 59 and the jazz neck models and the jazz is just perfect to me :)
 
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