The '59 neck HB-clearing the air

[Artie]

Re: The '59 neck HB-clearing the air

I love my 59n, which does strike me as mellow tone. My favorite mate for it is the 59b. Its one of those guitars that I play, with both pups on, most of the time. My 59 pair is a set that will stay together forever, even if the actual guitar changes.

 

[ranalli]

Re: The '59 neck HB-clearing the air

I'm in the minority but I can't stand the 59n and I honestly feel it's one of the most over-rated pickups ever. The reason it sells so well is IMO is because so many manufacturers just put it in their stock guitars which alot of people end up swapping out anyway.


If you took out some of the bass it might sound better but it's really just undefined IMO. I know people love to rattle off the words JB or '59 at every chance of offering a pickup suggestions(another reason why it sells so well) but I've gotten a much better PAF tone out of a $35 Kent Armstrong PAF....all the sweetness and definition without the boom and mud.


With that being said, I think I'm going to give the alnico 2 stuff a try in the neck. I think the Pearly Gates or Alnico Pro II might be more up my alley.

 

[Breogan]

Re: The '59 neck HB-clearing the air

I'm in the minority but I can't stand the 59n and I honestly feel it's one of the most over-rated pickups ever. The reason it sells so well is IMO is because so many manufacturers just put it in their stock guitars which alot of people end up swapping out anyway.


If you took out some of the bass it might sound better but it's really just undefined IMO. I know people love to rattle off the words JB or '59 at every chance of offering a pickup suggestions(another reason why it sells so well) but I've gotten a much better PAF tone out of a $35 Kent Armstrong PAF....all the sweetness and definition without the boom and mud.


With that being said, I think I'm going to give the alnico 2 stuff a try in the neck. I think the Pearly Gates or Alnico Pro II might be more up my alley.

Are we talking about the same pickup?

The 59n it's the best pickup I've tried. I agree that it has lot's of bass and sometimes can make it a bit muddy. But it's that U shaped eq what make it so expresive to me. I agree that alnico II are more touch sensitive but theirs eq it's flatter and makes them less expresive IMO.

I have a 59/JB set just installed, and I think they complement quite well in eq settings. Same settings produce the same effects in tone in both pickups. May be a Jazz would be better but, who cares? I like this one...

And split tones are amazing in the 59. (Also in the JB)