Pickups for 339 semi hollow

voggin

voggin

New member
So I got a set of Seth Lovers in my Les Paul, which I absolutely love. I thought about putting a set in my 339, but thought I should explore other possibilities.

I mainly play cleaner jazzy stuff or mid-gain blues and blues rock. So you can see why I'm looking for something PAF-ish.

Currently, the guitar has 57 classics. They are okay, but I find the neck can get a little boomy and less articulate than the Seth Lovers in my LP. The bridge, again, is okay, but a little brittle clean. Driven it's pretty good.

I'm considering the following:

1. Antiquities. I love the SLs so these should please, no?
2. Bonamassa set: can you still get these? Thought the A3 in the bridge might make for a different vibe.
3. Pearly gates. Everyone seems to love the neck PU. I'd be open to mixed set suggestions

Thanks in advance for thoughts
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

Apologies for being predictable but the solution to the neck pickup issue is a magnet swap. Alnico 4.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

- Some of us aren't thrilled with '57's. I have a number of PAF makes and models, and to me every one sounds better than '57's. They don't have the sharp high-end I like, in bridge or neck. No matter how much treble I add, the high-end is dull, at least in warm guitars. BB's are a much better choice for Gibson PAF's.

- Likewise, some of us who have both Ant's and Seth's much prefer Seth's. Ant's have aged A2's, and that reduces the high-end and output, of which fully-charged A2's don't have much of either to begin with. I have 5 sets of Seth's in guitars; my one Ant set has been pulled.

- PGN's are warm and fat, PGB's are bright and thinner. To me they're a mismatched set, but some people love them, who like a big difference in EQ between bridge and neck. If you like warm, rounded neck HB's, a PGN is a good choice. You may want to pair that with an A2P bridge.

- I much prefer A2P's over PG's, as the A2P neck has more high-end and cut (and clarity), and the bridge is fuller. They're a better-matched set for me.

- If your budget isn't tight, WLH's and Bonamassa's have excellent vintage tones for what you want.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

Not to be "that guy", but are you sure it's the pups? I had an ES-137 with '57s and absolutely loved it. An older Blues icon chased me out into the parking lot once asking what kind of pups/pedals I used- I said nothing- he offered to buy my guitar.

I also have a 339 with them and like them, but realize it's personal taste. I think the size difference may be a factor. Just $.02 but given the fact that it's a PITA to do any electronic work on a semi I'd be tempted to find one with different pups and listen to it first.

Good luck!
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

I would just toss a set of Jazz humbuckers in and call it a day. They shine in semi-hollow guitars and were designed to do exactly the kind of music you play.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

The Burstbucker 1 & 2 set might be an option. They are not as smooth as the '57s, but a little clarity and a bit of an edge. I have them in my Historic LPs; loved them in the Warren Haynes Sig 335 I tried.

I like Seths, I like Ants (got them both in Les Pauls); but I also like the '57s in my 335s. I like the BBs when I know I'm going to be doing harder rock sets in my G/B/K/D cover band; I save the '57s for when I'm doing "wedding" gigs or softer sets.

I've got a set of Ants in a drawer, and I'm thinking that one of my 335s might be a good candidate for these.

Bill
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm leaning toward leaving the 57s in for a while. It could be I'm just in "swap mode" after doing the Seths in my Les Paul. But if I can't overcome it, I've got some great ideas to start.

V.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

whole lotta humbuckers are great for getting semi hollows to sound much bigger like a real hollowbody. they are also excellent for jazzy tones and blues, vintage sounding but with plenty of oomph. Rock obviously they can handle with aplomb.
500k pots all round.
Any of the pickups you mentioned will be an improvement over 57s, but WLH's will give your little guitar some serious authority.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

57's do tend to be what you describe IMO. They somehow manage to have both brittleness and thickness. Dial one out and the other becomes overwhelming.

The Seths are what the 57's desperately wanted to be (and maybe were when Tom Holmes first designed them). Henry J in his wisdom decided to cheapen their construction to make more $$$.
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

AlexR said:
57's do tend to be what you describe IMO. They somehow manage to have both brittleness and thickness. Dial one out and the other becomes overwhelming.

The Seths are what the 57's desperately wanted to be (and maybe were when Tom Holmes first designed them). Henry J in his wisdom decided to cheapen their construction to make more $$$.
Click to expand...

+1. Seth's blow away '57s across the board. Why have '57's when there's so many better PAF's out there?
 
Re: Pickups for 339 semi hollow

I just installed a set of P-rails in my Ibanez Artcore semi-hollow over Christmas. I used the Triple Shot rings in order to get all possible combinations. I love them! Granted, I don't have much experience with many different pickups, so I can't really make a comparison. The parallel humbucker sounds like a vintage-ish, lower output humbucker. Like I said, can't really make a comparison to all these other pickups, but my guitar just sounds distinctly 335-like in this mode. Warm but clear. And the P-90's sound monstrous. They will definitely give you "something different," if that's what you're looking for. The rails are pretty bland and series is too bassy and lacking treble, or at least this is the case in a semi-hollow. But between parallel humbucker and P-90 modes, they are never coming out. Just another option to think about.
 
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