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

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

BlueGuitar said:
I $e¢ond the motion... it worked for me!
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:)

Cool!

Troy: I think PG is the best non-custom shop a2 PAF clone ever wound (my second favorite being a seth bridge in the neck). Indeed I own 5 of them, and have bought and sold over a dozen over the years. That is I LOVE that pickup. But in your case checking an a2 mag swap is easier, and less costly. And certainly an a2-59 would be different, would not have as much uppermids. But still it would be close. ;)

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

Thanks dr. barlo...I am going for the PG. I just don't do magnet swaps, etc...no biggie just getting the PG and selling off the '59. Thanks again for the help you guys! :)
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

hey bro did you try flipping the 59 around?
making the screws closer toward the bridge?
do that and raise the screws a bit you may like it this way?
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

I got the PGn installed today and it smokes! I love it!!! IMO it is MUCH better sounding, especially when overdriven vs. the '59n. Perfect amount of bass, nice smooth highs and mids. It is perfectly balanced for my taste and it seems to match up well with the JB. It does have that rudeness and it is a bit hotter than the '59, it's just what the doctor ordered. I also used Brasso to take off both logos...Looks great!

Thumbs up to the Pearly Gates and thank you all for the help, it was right on the money!! :)
 
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Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Glad we could help you brother!!! The PGN is hard to beat!!!
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Lewguitar said:
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
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Lew.....I have a 7.5k or less 59N in my Love Rock Les Paul and I Love it...I know you like your pickups adjusted higher than me,but I adjust my neck humbuckers even with the top of the plastic ring....I had the woofy bass problem when I was using a Classic 57,but not with my stock 59N....I like the 59N and I also don't mind that bit of extra bass...I think I'd probably love the PGN but I just haven't tryed it yet? I Liked the PGB alot though and I have one in with my ever growing collection of Duncan pickups... :dance:
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Troy T. Blues said:
I got the PGn installed today and it smokes! I love it!!! IMO it is MUCH better sounding, especially when overdriven vs. the '59n. Perfect amount of bass, nice smooth highs and mids. It is perfectly balanced for my taste and it seems to match up well with the JB. It does have that rudeness and it is a bit hotter than the '59, it's just what the doctor ordered. I also used Brasso to take off both logos...Looks great!

Thumbs up to the Pearly Gates and thank you all for the help, it was right on the money!! :)
Click to expand...

Excellent....Please tell me the tonal differences between the 59N and the PGN now that all this is very fresh in your mind and ears....I've never used a PGN and I like the stock 59N in my Les Paul?

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

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Excellent....Please tell me the tonal differences between the 59N and the PGN now that all this is very fresh in your mind and ears....I've never used a PGN and I like the stock 59N in my Les Paul?

John
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The PG has a beautiful upper mid growl to it. It has more clarity, especially in the bass notes, but still sounds thick (not muddy) if that makes any sense. I think it sounds clearer and tighter than the '59. The highs are smooth and round, there is no brittleness at all...it just has this incredible organic note articulation with overdrive. When bending the note and holding it with a little vibrato it absolutely sounds like heaven!! It's been a long time since I really have been so inspired to play with the neck position on this Strat. Honestly, I had a hard time putting it down today! It sounds so sweet and sings MUCH more than the '59 IMHO. Now this is with a Strat, I think it would absolutely KILL in a Les Paul!

I'm thrilled with the PGn..Hope that helps!
 
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Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

The jazz is the perfect replacement for a bassy 59. It's like a clearer brighter 59.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Have you tried lowering the pickup? Most problems with neck humbucking pickups is that they are too close to the strings. This causes them to be louder, bassier, and "woofier". I have a 59 in the bridge of one of my GMW strats, and you have to lower it slightly lower than the pickup ring to get a good snappy sound from it. This is also the case in my Gibson V. Along with this, adjust your pole pieces to reflect the radius of your fretboard. I tried these things after reading Dan Erlewine's book "Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" and it worked quite necely. Best of all, it was free!

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

Troy T. Blues said:
The PG has a beautiful upper mid growl to it. It has more clarity, especially in the bass notes, but still sounds thick (not muddy) if that makes any sense. I think it sounds clearer and tighter than the '59. The highs are smooth and round, there is no brittleness at all...it just has this incredible organic note articulation with overdrive. When bending the note and holding it with a little vibrato it absolutely sounds like heaven!! It's been a long time since I really have been so inspired to play with the neck position on this Strat. Honestly, I had a hard time putting it down today! It sounds so sweet and sings MUCH more than the '59 IMHO. Now this is with a Strat, I think it would absolutely KILL in a Les Paul!

I'm thrilled with the PGn..Hope that helps!
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Thanks for the posting brother...Guess I'll have to try a PGN for myself....
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Fiesta Red said:
Have you tried lowering the pickup? Most problems with neck humbucking pickups is that they are too close to the strings. This causes them to be louder, bassier, and "woofier". I have a 59 in the bridge of one of my GMW strats, and you have to lower it slightly lower than the pickup ring to get a good snappy sound from it. This is also the case in my Gibson V. Along with this, adjust your pole pieces to reflect the radius of your fretboard. I tried these things after reading Dan Erlewine's book "Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" and it worked quite necely. Best of all, it was free!

-Mark
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Hi Mark...yes I did. Plain and simply, I just did not care for the character of the pup. Thanks anyway! :)
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Thanks for the posting brother...Guess I'll have to try a PGN for myself....
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You're very welcome! I think you will love it in the neck position of a Paul!
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Congrats Troy! The PGN has become my favorite Duncan neck bucker too.

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

Lewguitar said:
Congrats Troy! The PGN has become my favorite Duncan neck bucker too.

Lew
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Thank you very much Lew! :) Your info was extremely helpful and I really appreciate that!
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

On a side note...I will say that I LOVE the '59 in the bridge position! I have one in my S-S-H Strat and it sounds great. In fact, I am gonna make that a H-H Strat as well and pair it up with the PGN!
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Throw and A3 magnet in it, brighter with less output that a 2 and a 5. It will dramatically change where that pickup sits tonally. As far as stock pickups gp the Bucker From Hell and the EJ Custom by dimarzio sound much more like SC pickups in the neck. I hate thick neck tones, chime and clarity is my goal. I would start with an A3. A2 is still gonna be a bit mucky in the neck with that pickup.
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Troy T. Blues said:
On a side note...I will say that I LOVE the '59 in the bridge position! I have one in my S-S-H Strat and it sounds great. In fact, I am gonna make that a H-H Strat as well and pair it up with the PGN!
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I think you'll like it. That's the combo I use in my Strat. The 59B has more bass than the PGB, IMO, and that's a plus in the bridge position. Plus the 59B reminds me of my very, very favorite humbucker tone: Clapton's tone with Cream. Lew
 
Re: Not happy with the '59 Neck Humbucker In My Strat...

Lewguitar said:
I think you'll like it. That's the combo I use in my Strat. The 59B has more bass than the PGB, IMO, and that's a plus in the bridge position. Plus the 59B reminds me of my very, very favorite humbucker tone: Clapton's tone with Cream. Lew
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Awesome and I agree Lew! Thanks again!
 
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