Question for 59 fanatics

[ratkent]

I have always used hotter pickups like the Custom and the Custom Custom but I had a friend's Les Paul in my studio and it had a 59 in the bridge that sounded fantastic. Had a great low end punch and stayed articulate. It was easy to get the mids in there while recording but I am wondering if they get lost in a live setting. How does the eq curve compare to the CC or Custom?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

Coming off of a CC and Custom will take some getting used to. You'll have to work harder to get the same results with the 59 vs the Custom or CC. As far as EQ curve, the Custom has more of everything; mids, highs, and lows. The lows are bigger, the highs are punchier with more grind to them, and the mids will really push through. Screaming leads, big harmonics, and chunky riffs are much easier to play with a Custom than with a 59.

The CC will have buttery highs, big, smooth mids, and bigger, yet looser lows. For me, the CC is king for legato runs and smooth lead tones.

The 59 seems like it'll have some drawbacks, what with its overall thinner voice and a perceived lack of output, but in the right hands, those things can be assets.

The cleans are much nicer than with any pickup using the Custom coils. Semi-overdriven tones will have more sparkle up top and more air and sweetness to the mids, and the low end will stay defined and reserved compared to the other two. If you're looking at it from a point of view where the guitar will be the dominating voice in the mix, those can be shortfalls, but if you're backing up a lead instrument, or more importantly, vocals, a bit more controlability can be a very good thing to have.

Besides, pickups like the 59, PG, APH, Demon, Jazz, and Seth all let you put more of your touch and dynamics into your music, as opposed to relying on an overwound pickup to overdrive your amp and make each and every note sing. The medium output pickup will let you better control whether you want a note to sing, cry, scream, choke, or just die off naturally.

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

I have always used hotter pickups like the Custom and the Custom Custom but I had a friend's Les Paul in my studio and it had a 59 in the bridge that sounded fantastic. Had a great low end punch and stayed articulate. It was easy to get the mids in there while recording but I am wondering if they get lost in a live setting. How does the eq curve compare to the CC or Custom?

As Benjy alluded to, it is more than eq. It is how the pup interacts with the amp (with user technique an "all" important factor). Personally, I love medium output pups. (Though the JB in my ESP H500 is the bee's knees and then some-It has a 59 in the neck). I would suggest you go to your local guitar store and try some guitars with the 59, Jazz, etc. in them. See if they fit your style.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

i don't think they get lost at all

 

[uOpt]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

The '59 is about much more than EQ. It gets very snorty and rough when playing hard, in particular if you have heavy strings.

Over the last years I flipped back and forth into liking and disliking that, currently I dislike it. Interestingly enough I currently don't like the C5 either. Anyway...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

You mentioned the Custom and CC. Before going down in output to the 59, you might try an Alnico 5 magnet in your current pickups, making a Custom 5. Tonally, the C5 is similar to the 59.....just more output.

The C5/59n combo was my favorite for many years.....in Gibson/PRS type guitars.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

here's what i've learned

more output doesn't necessarily mean more cut & volume

back when i had my strat, the ssl1's in the neck & middle were waaay louder than the cool rail at practice/show volumes, cr just distorted more

in my schecter with the jb/jazz, once again the jb just breaks up more

i'm pretty sure the '59 will have more cut than any of the customs

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

i'm pretty sure the '59 will have more cut than any of the customs

I think that both the CC and Custom cut through better live than a 59b, simply because of the boosted mids.

The C5 does seem to get a bit lost when used in the wrong scenario.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

i don't think they get lost at all

Depends partially on what other instruments you're playing with, but a '59 should have enough treble & articulation to cut thru. Thousands of guys have used PAF's & PAF copies over the decades & you've heard them just fine. I think a mid-heavy CC would get lost before a '59B.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

Depends partially on what other instruments you're playing with, but a '59 should have enough treble & articulation to cut thru. Thousands of guys have used PAF's & PAF copies over the decades & you've heard them just fine. I think a mid-heavy CC would get lost before a '59B.

Of course!

Everyone knows that you have to scoop your mids to cut through live! :smack:

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

Of course!

Everyone knows that you have to scoop your mids to cut through live! :smack:

To be fair, presence from mids isn't the same as cut. For cut, a combination of mids and treble (or especially upper-mids) is what really does it. That's why pickups like the JB (strong upper-mids) doesn't sound as fat as the CC (strong mids), but can cut through more in a live setting.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

To be fair, presence from mids isn't the same as cut. For cut, a combination of mids and treble (or especially upper-mids) is what really does it. That's why pickups like the JB (strong upper-mids) doesn't sound as fat as the CC (strong mids), but can cut through more in a live setting.

Right.

But this is also why nobody can ever hear the words the singer looks like he's omitting

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Question for 59 fanatics

So much of it has to do with your amp and tube type as well. Midheavy amps always cut just fine with Alnico 5 pickups. Sometimes, Alnico 2 pickups sound great with Fender type amps because it softens the hard clean sound.

The best thing is to simply start your pickup journey through a whole bunch of models, and start finding which guitars are the ultimate spot for them. I did that, and now all my guitars are sounding the way I want. And if I decide otherwise, I know exactly which pickup will give me what I'm looking for. It only happened by experimentation, not advise. That's why you have so many pickup fanatics on this forum. We've gotten dialing in guitars down to a science. You almost have to hear all the pickups first, then your ears will tell you exactly what to choose.