SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

[Flores_68]

I've been watching videos and I've been doing research on the forum which pretty much brought me down to these two options:
Should I swap the Burstbucker Pros on my LP Standard to a set of SD Slash pups or will the Seth Lover on the bridge and Pearly Gates on the neck do a better job? I'm replacing the BB Pros because they're a bit too harsh for me. I'm looking for a warmer, bluesier sound that could go up to classic rock, but nothing near the metal zone. Any thoughts?

 

[chadd]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

My R7 Les Paul had burstbucker 1, 2 and 3 in various combinations over the years. I like all of those pickups more than the BB Pros, as I find the Pros harsh as well. I now have the Slash set in that guitar and they sound better to my ear than the 1, 2 and 3 ever did.

 

[Flores_68]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Great news! I spend so much time adjusting pup height and I know it's not the way it's supposed to be....

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Why wouldn't you just get a set (neck and bridge) of the Seth Lover, PG or Slash rather than mixing two different pickups?

Of the pickups you mentioned I like the Seth Lovers.

But even more, I like the Antiquitys.

 

[Mincer]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

If you are looking for warmer sounds, either the Slash or the Alnico II Pro set should be the ones to consider. The Seth and PG set is on the brighter side of what you have. But the Slash or Alnico set is absolutely warmer.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

If you are looking for warmer sounds, either the Slash or the Alnico II Pro set should be the ones to consider. The Seth and PG set is on the brighter side of what you have. But the Slash or Alnico set is absolutely warmer.

And the Antiquitys, with the roughcast A2 magnets I've found in my sets, are warmer than the Seth Lovers.

 

[Mincer]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

And the Antiquitys, with the roughcast A2 magnets I've found in my sets, are warmer than the Seth Lovers.

Actually- I don't know if I agree. The Antiquities are cleaner and clearer than the Seths to me...I don't know if I'd say warmer.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Actually- I don't know if I agree. The Antiquities are cleaner and clearer than the Seths to me...I don't know if I'd say warmer.

My Antiquitys came with roughcast magnets...stock.

Jeremy has said he's found polished magnets in his.

Maybe your Antiquitys have polished magnets rather than the roughcast in mine and that's the difference?

I have Seths in one guitar and Antiquitys in three guitars.

 

[Mincer]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Actually, I've never taken my Antiquities apart...they are in my Eastman T59v, which is like a 335. So I don't really have any idea what magnets are in there.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Hi Lew,

All my ant HB's had the regular (polished) mags. That said, I agree, ants are a bit warmer compared with Seths both stock. But when I use the same ant mag in a Seth and compared it with my ant neck (both ~7.50K), I honestly could not hear much differences (trying in the same guitar with the same strings etc. that 5 10min required in between changing of the pickup does not help for sure...). The biggest difference in tone happened in a PGn tho, ~7.30K. Loved that degaussed a2 in that PGn of mine.

These said, I think Seths are great pickups. Love them as they are... The ones in my Heritage H555 are there to stay. For whatever its worth all of the following are done with that guitar:

https://soundcloud.com/dr-barlo/sets/barlos-kaplan

(the specifics of the amp pedal whatever is listed in there as well)

B

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Hi Lew,

All my ant HB's had the regular (polished) mags. That said, I agree, ants are a bit warmer compared with Seths both stock. But when I use the same ant mag in a Seth and compared it with my ant neck (both ~7.50K), I honestly could not hear much differences (trying in the same guitar with the same strings etc. that 5 10min required in between changing of the pickup does not help for sure...). The biggest difference in tone happened in a PGn tho, ~7.30K. Loved that degaussed a2 in that PGn of mine.

These said, I think Seths are great pickups. Love them as they are... The ones in my Heritage H555 are there to stay. For whatever its worth all of the following are done with that guitar:

https://soundcloud.com/dr-barlo/sets/barlos-kaplan

(the specifics of the amp pedal whatever is listed in there as well)

B

Hey Doc. I've taken apart three Antiquity humbuckers and all three had MJ initialed roughcast magnets. Here's a picture of one:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Hey Doc. I've taken apart three Antiquity humbuckers and all three had MJ initialed roughcast magnets. Here's a picture of one:

Apparently they can be roughcast or polished!

This is just a thought: maybe roughcast magnet has a more diffused magnetic field than polished and sounds like a polished mag that's been "Dun-aged"?

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

When are those produced? Mine are all from ~2002-2007...

Not that it matters a lot, but still curious. I love those antiquities with a4 mags! I kinda prefer those degaussed a2's in PGn's... And not much else. But that's me... tastes. Anyways, do you remember getting a4's from Fralin when nobody around had it? I've sold (and made good money) the Holmes' 4xx (I don't remember the code exactly) due to a 8.75K/7.75K Ant HB set housing them Fralin a4's.



B

 

[beaubrummels]

SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

For the OP, Slash set would be warmer and get into hard rock territory, but not bluesier IMO. I have the Slash bridge in my LP Studio now.

Seth set would be a superior straight PAF replacement for BB Pros; clearer but similar signature sound (little mid bump, chime, clearer treble). My BB Pros weren’t harsh but they weren’t clear compared to Seths. Would do blues and could touch some classic rock.

Pearly set is not going to be warmer (unless you roll the tone off a bit). They are much brighter than all the ones mentioned.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

When are those produced? Mine are all from ~2002-2007...

Not that it matters a lot, but still curious. I love those antiquities with a4 mags! I kinda prefer those degaussed a2's in PGn's... And not much else. But that's me... tastes. Anyways, do you remember getting a4's from Fralin when nobody around had it? I've sold (and made good money) the Holmes' 4xx (I don't remember the code exactly) due to a 8.75K/7.75K Ant HB set housing them Fralin a4's.



B

My Antiquitys are fairly new. Less than 10 years old.

I do have A4's in one set of Antiquitys. To be honest, I don't like the A4 as much as I thought I would. Kind of bland.

My favorite is RCA2 in the bridge and RCA3 in the neck.

These are my three "experimental" guitars. All are PRS SE Singlecuts.

The Sunburst with double creams has stock Seth Lovers. Bought them on eBay and they're fairly old.

The other Sunburst has 59's with RCA3 and RCA2

The Black one has Antiquitys with RCA4. I'm going to change those back to the original RCA2 magnets.

 

[BluesIsBlood12]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

The good news is that either option will be better than the BB Pros for you. I hated the BBs in my standard, and I found that Seths, WLH, and 59s with A2/A4 magnets were all superior for the style of music you listed. Ultimately I wanted a guitar to use for heavier stuff, so right now it's got 59n and 59/Custom with A4s. I also have Ants in my Edwards LP, and those are very nice too. Think early Black Crowes tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

I love all the BB's except the Pros

That said - I think the Slash will do you just fine. Just get the set.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Apparently they can be roughcast or polished!

This is just a thought: maybe roughcast magnet has a more diffused magnetic field than polished and sounds like a polished mag that's been "Dun-aged"?

I bought mags from cermag in the uk, polished and rough A5. They have the same gauss and the same Sound, its just looks! But i have over a dozen mags from different sources, they measure different and sound a bit different. Its more the foundry they come from than the looks of the surface IMO.
A big, big difference make the Unoriented A5s. A big drop of the gauss nearly to A2 and a much more rounder tone. Now the fun fact: all the UA5 i have had so gar we're roughcast. I think now that folks mix up UnA5 and roughcast and all roughcast must sound like UnA5. But they don't...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

I bought mags from cermag in the uk, polished and rough A5. They have the same gauss and the same Sound, its just looks! But i have over a dozen mags from different sources, they measure different and sound a bit different. Its more the foundry they come from than the looks of the surface IMO.
A big, big difference make the Unoriented A5s. A big drop of the gauss nearly to A2 and a much more rounder tone. Now the fun fact: all the UA5 i have had so gar we're roughcast. I think now that folks mix up UnA5 and roughcast and all roughcast must sound like UnA5. But they don't...

I purchased all of my magnets from one source.

I'm an A2 fan when it comes to humbuckers, and to me, polished A2 sounds different from roughcast A2.

They do sound similar, but subtle differences are what some musicians are obsessed with and even though the difference is subtle, it can be both felt and heard by a sensitive player, and I'm not the only one.

There are some of us who can pick up on that and some who can't. Just the way some of us are wired I guess.

I've been that way all my life. Maybe I have a touch of Asperger's syndrome or something! lol

 

[hamerfan]

Re: SD Slash vs Sethb and PGn

Sorry, never had a roughcast A2. So i can only speak about A5s.