The Little '59

[Napthol]

In my Hendrix Strat I've got two SSL-1's in the neck and middle, plus I have a Hot Stack Plus in the bridge. I'm quite happy with the sound I'm getting. I mostly play hard rock and metal. I think I'm going to pick up a Player Strat and was thinking of doing the SSL-1 again in the neck and middle, but perhaps a Little '59 in the bridge.

Anyone here familiar with this 59?

I've never used it but I suspect it would give me a pretty good chunky tone in the bridge.

 

[Mincer]

The Little 59 is a great pickup in any Strat's bridge. You also might consider noiseless options in the neck and middle, too.

 

[Napthol]

But I think those pickups are built with ceramic magnets, and they can be a little brittle and sharp in the treble which is not what I want. I want the treble to be smoother. I know when I tried the Custom I noticed that brittle-ness in the treble so I switched to a Custom Custom which cured the issue.

So is the Little '59 fairly smooth sounding?

 

[Mincer]

The Little 59 is smoother than a regular 59. It actually has some nice mids in there.

 

[Artie]

You also might consider noiseless options in the neck and middle, too.

That's what I was thinking. A couple of STK-4's would make a sweet "silent" Strat.

 

[Napthol]

I have used humbuckers in the neck quite a lot of the time (like the Area 67 which is a great pickup), but now I like the way a genuine single-coil pickup sounds in the neck. Like the SSL-1. And since that is not a hot pickup, the hum is quite low so that is not a problem.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

But I think those pickups are built with ceramic magnets, and they can be a little brittle and sharp in the treble which is not what I want. I want the treble to be smoother. I know when I tried the Custom I noticed that brittle-ness in the treble so I switched to a Custom Custom which cured the issue.

So is the Little '59 fairly smooth sounding?

Consider the Red Devil perhaps.

 

[Clint 55]

The single coil size humbuckers don't end up sounding brittle with a ceramic magnet like full size humbuckers do.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, the magnet stereotypes for humbuckers don't work for the 'little' versions.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

No experience with the little 59 but I do have a lil Screamin Demon in the middle position of my Jackson HSS Dinky (Alder), which has a ceramic magnet. Nothing remotely brittle or screechy about it..

(90% of the time I don't use a neck pickup and 99% of the time I don't use a middle one (who does?). But I love this pup in my Dinky..it gives me a great & totally useable middle pup tone.Lots of glass and harmonics for shredding solo's...smooth compression but with a a bit of bite to it & mega articulate and touch sensitive as well. Pretty sure it will rock in the bridge too :bigthumb:

 

[marcello252]

The single coil size humbuckers don't end up sounding brittle with a ceramic magnet like full size humbuckers do.

I agree.

With lil 59 IMHO it's better sticking with the 250K pots anyway, otherwise they can be brittle

 

[jeremy]

i dont necessarily find that to be true, but ymmv

 

[Mincer]

I agree.

With lil 59 IMHO it's better sticking with the 250K pots anyway, otherwise they can be brittle

I believe they were designed to drop right in a Strat with 250k pots. But it isn't generally a brittle sounding pickup.