The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

R

rufus

New member
First of all hello to everyone since this is my first post. Now and then i took a look at the forum but now i decided to vist it frequently, so here' my first question.

I'm getting a '59 bridge humbucker, i'm gonna fit it in a les paul with 300k pots i presume. I play not just one style, from pop to hard rock-grunge. I never go heavier than alice in chains/qotsa . So i thought i need a humbucker that fits the music i play, since the other ones where temporary pu's i've putted in there.
I need a humbucker that performs clean, overdriven and with a fair amount of gain.
Doesn't need to be very good at just one thing, i want it to be reasonably at everything.
Will the 59 do this job or will it lack somewhere.
Thinking of pairing it up with sh-2 in the neck.
I already experienced the jb in a les paul and didn't like the clean sounds, did enjoy the gain sounds.
:feedback:
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

Try a Custom 5... A beefed up 59 pretty much. I like the 59b and have it in a Hamer USA Studio, but wouldn't say it nails hard rock or AIC tones very well.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

a SH-5 would get u what u want,but the clean tones my be stertile
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

Ouch that ain't good news, since i already promised the seller i'd buy it .
Well i'm a man of my word, i'll buy it install it and if it doesn't work for me i will look into the sh-5.
Thanks for the info.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

The 59 will be perfect for what you described, it's Duncan's most foolproof pup, IMO.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

rufus said:
First of all hello to everyone since this is my first post. Now and then i took a look at the forum but now i decided to vist it frequently, so here' my first question.

I'm getting a '59 bridge humbucker, i'm gonna fit it in a les paul with 300k pots i presume. I play not just one style, from pop to hard rock-grunge. I never go heavier than alice in chains/qotsa . So i thought i need a humbucker that fits the music i play, since the other ones where temporary pu's i've putted in there.
I need a humbucker that performs clean, overdriven and with a fair amount of gain.
Doesn't need to be very good at just one thing, i want it to be reasonably at everything.
Will the 59 do this job or will it lack somewhere.
Thinking of pairing it up with sh-2 in the neck.
I already experienced the jb in a les paul and didn't like the clean sounds, did enjoy the gain sounds.
:feedback:
Click to expand...

A 59b can do just about anything. Its an excellent choice. I used to have an 87 LP Std that was the voice of god with the 59b in the bridge slot. I have used the 59 in strats, PRSi and Warmoth builds and it never failed to deliver the goods.

I prefer a PG or jazz in the neck lot. More clarity and less boom than a 59n
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

The 59b will do what you want, the SH-5 will do it better.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

Ok guys thanks, i hope it lives up to my expectations. If not sh-5 is the way to go!
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

The '59 should be just fine for you. If you try it and find anything lacking, a magnet swap is sure to fix the problem.

In the very unlikely event that the '59 just can't be made to do what you want, the Pearly Gates is your best choice. A lot of players like the Custom pups, but I personally think that for your needs the '59 (or especially the Pearly) will do a WAY better job. I wouldn't even waste time thinking about a Custom.

The Pearly not only does everything that you want your pup to do, but it does everything superbly. The '59 with the right magnet should also be good.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

I'd say stick with the '59. I'm putting it back in my guitar after experimenting with a DiMarzio SuperD and a Custom Custom. I like the cut and bite of the '59 and it's clean tone is BEAUTIFUL.

I'm starting to think it's better to have a moderate power HB and if I need to goose the front end of the amp, I'll just get an active EQ or a clean boost pedal like an FX-1. I think it's best not to compromise on the clean tone if you can. I think it's better to boost your pup for distortion purposes, unless you are a metal player and seldom use cleans.
 
Last edited:
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

A PAF has been responsible for more tones and more varied styles of music sounds than most other humbuckers. You can run a pedal and get all the tones you want with better than average dynamics and range with the 59. The other pups are hotter but that doesn`t make them better tonally.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

As far as humbuckers go, 59's are my absolute favorites...in just about anything. The only PUP's I like better are the 59's with the double-screw set (and that's just my preference in solidbodies). I'm sure you're already thinking this, but...research first...then pull the trigger. I've done the very same thing myself.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

jbear said:
As far as humbuckers go, 59's are my absolute favorites...in just about anything. The only PUP's I like better are the 59's with the double-screw set (and that's just my preference in solidbodies). I'm sure you're already thinking this, but...research first...then pull the trigger. I've done the very same thing myself.
Click to expand...

I like the double-screw pickups in the 59B. But i think it's to warm sounding in the 59N .
My other favorite is the 59/A8 .
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

'59s are freakin' awesome. I think they get overlooked sometimes because they're seen as the 'basic' model or something, or they're too obvious a choice to be considered.

In reality they're really amazing pickups and hugely versatile. Both models have their little failings, but if you know what you're doing then they're really simple to tweaeak and work around.

I think you'll really dig it, man. If you don't then come on back and we'll help you get what you want. Hell, even if you love it, come on back anyway. :beerchug:

Best of luck.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

Your kind of thinking backwards, a pickup can fine tune a rig but if you have the wrong amp to begin with you are not going to get the results you are looking for. Will your amp do all the styles you mentioned? If not how do you expect the pickup to help?
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

JB6464 said:
I like the double-screw pickups in the 59B. But i think it's to warm sounding in the 59N .
My other favorite is the 59/A8 .
Click to expand...

I guess it's the warmth that I love about them...then again...as has been mentioned, the amp is KEY. I suppose that for a physics thing, tone is about as subjective as it gets. I've picked up guitars that I really started grooving on only to find out they had PUP's that I would NEVER put in one of my guitars. Everything just happened to be set just right: amp, pedals, the right room. Sometimes it just happens.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

The amp should be no problem, it' the regular size '59 humbucker i'm buying. Not the f-spaced bucker, it comes in a les paul studio. Guess it will aligne nice with the strings?
Scored an sh-2 this morning for the neck, can't wait to put them in.
 
Re: The 59 bridge humbucker, some questions.

Did a bit of measuring, found out that the hb in the bridge now has a spacing of 50,5mm, the '59 is 50,8. Think it's gonna fit even better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top