Pickup for rockabilly

[vinnie1971]

Pickup for rockabilly

Although I like the P90 sound it's the tone of this humbucker equipped 400 CES played by Scotty Moore I like best for this style of music. And it's the guitar that Scotty used most. It's only the earliest recordings where he plays the iconic Gold ES 295 with cream dog ear P90s and soon traded fir the L5 similarly equipped with dog ear P90s which was soon traded for the sunburst 400 CES which I believe he kept.

So looking for HBs to get me close to that. Thinking burst buckers 1&2, 57 classics, Seth, 59s PGs?

This sound
https://youtu.be/EJd-av4HgRw

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[Boogie Bill]

Re: Pickup for rockabilly

After listening to the video, I think you're on the right track with these pickups. I would think that the Seths would be closest...his tone has a creaminess that makes me think Seth. I'm not hearing what I would call twang.

Scotty's guitar almost certainly has stock Gibson pickups; the aftermarket industry really hadn't begun yet. Hmmm....

The BB 1&2 have a bit of edge to them. The 2 in the bridge always makes me think it's a massive Tele bridge pickup with the treble rolled back a bit.

The '57 Classic can do creamy, but they tend to muddiness. Think jazz. The BB 1&2 have more bite and twang.

I don't have enough experience with PGs or 59s to comment. I have the others.

Try to find a Gibson dealer; they should have a guitar or two with the '57s and the BBs.

These pickups are all of the same family, just different seasonings in the pot. In the end you pay your money and take your chances.

Bill

 

[vinnie1971]

Pickup for rockabilly

After listening to the video, I think you're on the right track with these pickups. I would think that the Seths would be closest...his tone has a creaminess that makes me think Seth. I'm not hearing what I would call twang.

Scotty's guitar almost certainly has stock Gibson pickups; the aftermarket industry really hadn't begun yet. Hmmm....

The BB 1&2 have a bit of edge to them. The 2 in the bridge always makes me think it's a massive Tele bridge pickup with the treble rolled back a bit.

The '57 Classic can do creamy, but they tend to muddiness. Think jazz. The BB 1&2 have more bite and twang.

I don't have enough experience with PGs or 59s to comment. I have the others.

Try to find a Gibson dealer; they should have a guitar or two with the '57s and the BBs.

These pickups are all of the same family, just different seasonings in the pot. In the end you pay your money and take your chances.

Bill

I perhaps picked the wrong clip, I think that's alright mama is played gently on the neck.

One night with you:
https://youtu.be/kxze3nn_z3E
Elvis takes the guitar at one point and with his hard attack on the bridge pickup it could give a bit of bite, spank and twang - I wonder if 57s but swap the magnets for A3 would do the trick.

This is probably my favourite sound on any guitar.

I have 498t 490r, SD APH1s and Epiphone 57/57+ none of them get there. The nearest are some Maxon pickups but they are brown 12 hex so would look totally wrong, plus are in the guitar they have been in for 38 years.






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[vinnie1971]

Pickup for rockabilly

After listening to the video, I think you're on the right track with these pickups. I would think that the Seths would be closest...his tone has a creaminess that makes me think Seth. I'm not hearing what I would call twang.

Scotty's guitar almost certainly has stock Gibson pickups; the aftermarket industry really hadn't begun yet. Hmmm....

The BB 1&2 have a bit of edge to them. The 2 in the bridge always makes me think it's a massive Tele bridge pickup with the treble rolled back a bit.

The '57 Classic can do creamy, but they tend to muddiness. Think jazz. The BB 1&2 have more bite and twang.

I don't have enough experience with PGs or 59s to comment. I have the others.

Try to find a Gibson dealer; they should have a guitar or two with the '57s and the BBs.

These pickups are all of the same family, just different seasonings in the pot. In the end you pay your money and take your chances.

Bill

Thanks Bill

I have gone for 57s - I really like the sound of them. If they sound a bit dark I can always move them away from the strings and raise the poles or try alnico 3 magnets in them. Plus they are a good deal used [emoji1360]

It was this demo that swung it - I was seriously thinking phat cats until I heard this .... I think the 57s sound both spanky and creamy - goes to show they are not mutually exclusive attributes:
https://youtu.be/fI55Be9RHFM



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[EDX]

Re: Pickup for rockabilly

dunno but for me that sounded like what pearly gates with vol on 8 and tone to 6 sound like

that guitar got some of that southern grunt that you can hear from a black man singin' 'bout trains or a bearded readhead drinkin' dah bourbon and drivin' from a pub to the next

from the middle of the video i'm 100% convinced a pearly bridge rolled back a tad will be your easiest to that tone

 

[vinnie1971]

Pickup for rockabilly

dunno but for me that sounded like what pearly gates with vol on 8 and tone to 6 sound like

that guitar got some of that southern grunt that you can hear from a black man singin' 'bout trains or a bearded readhead drinkin' dah bourbon and drivin' from a pub to the next

from the middle of the video i'm 100% convinced a pearly bridge rolled back a tad will be your easiest to that tone

Thanks for the tip, but I got a pair of covered 57s for the price of one open PG.
I have set the pickups quite a bit lower than Gibson recommend and raised the poles quite a bit - need to dial it it properly now, I think I overdid it. It's really bright and spanky but the string to string balance is a little off ( middle strings a bit muted) but overall it's the tone in my head.


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