Seth Lovers vs '59s With A 1-Watt Amp?

[Classicplayer]

I will soon swap out my Duncan '59 pair for the SH-55 Seth Lover set. The guitar that they will be used in is a 2000 Classic. It's not that the '59s are not good sounding pickups, but I pair it for practice at home with a little Blackstar 1-watt. At times it seems the '59s are a bit more output for the amp and results in some articulation sacrificed. I ordered the Seths for a clear more articulate sound now that I've gone back into the style that I (more or less) play the best; Jazz and Pop music. From all of the clips and demos that I've listened too lately, the Seths seem like the way to go, rather than the boutique types of pickups on the market these days.

Classicplayer

 

[Paulie C]

I think the Seths are going to deliver what you are looking for. I practice thru my Micro cube quite a bit and can get some pretty satisfying tones at low volumes. Not that I have tried a plethora of aftermarket pup's, but they always sound great regardless of type of music played. For me that would be blues like early Clapton, and classic rock clean to medium gain.

 

[NativH]

Seth Lovers were one of my favorites for classic rock through Bluesbreaker and 50 watt 1987 Marshalls for gigging. I always loved the smooth sounds of a low output humbucker with a nice 4 input Marshall, while everyone else was going for more drive from their pickups. From what you indicate you like, the Seth's should be great. FWIW, the Antiquities never worked for me but Seth's did every time. Other than Holmes 450/455's, Seth Lovers are at the top of my list and way cheaper.

 

[blueprint59]

I have no opinion about Seth pups, I don't use them, but I have a Blackstar 1 watt combo, among other amps.
IMHO, a big part of the equation is the loudspeaker you are going to use with it. It can sound huge even at very quiet volume when plugged into a good cabinet. In my 4x12 Marshall, it gives very convincing tones, you would be surprised!
Pickups are important, no doubt, but you can look elsewhere to solve your problem too...

 

[Classicplayer]

I have no opinion about Seth pups, I don't use them, but I have a Blackstar 1 watt combo, among other amps.
IMHO, a big part of the equation is the loudspeaker you are going to use with it. It can sound huge even at very quiet volume when plugged into a good cabinet. In my 4x12 Marshall, it gives very convincing tones, you would be surprised!
Pickups are important, no doubt, but you can look elsewhere to solve your problem too...

I don't have the stock speaker in my Blackstar. It is a Celestion which has made the amp a bit louder. The amp and speaker are not the issue. I just need a pickup that has a reduced output and is more geared toward older music styles. My choice for accomplishing this is the SH-55 which has very favorable comments from users and current owners. There are a few convincing YouTube demos of it which have played into part of my choice.

Classicplayer

 

[ARandall]

^ The 59 and the Seth are moderately similar in wind and I dare say quite close in output (the 59 measures in at 8.13, the Seth at 8.1 with the same gauge wire). Certainly the tonal ballpark is slightly different - the Seths being more honky and round on the top end, with the 59's being more raspy and mids light.
Maybe the tone change will get you where you want to be.......but if you are only looking for less output.....no I don't think you'll get what you want there

 

[El Kabong]

^ The 59 and the Seth are moderately similar in wind and I dare say quite close in output (the 59 measures in at 8.13, the Seth at 8.1 with the same gauge wire). Certainly the tonal ballpark is slightly different - the Seths being more honky and round on the top end, with the 59's being more raspy and mids light.
Maybe the tone change will get you where you want to be.......but if you are only looking for less output.....no I don't think you'll get what you want there

I don't think you will either... you might find a change of electronics is what you need more... some good quality audio taper pots and better caps should change that 59 quite drastically. Do you still have the stock electronics in there now?

 

[Frogfur]

I don't believe you'll be able to hear much difference in caps..pots, good wiring will get you going.

 

[Classicplayer]

I don't think you will either... you might find a change of electronics is what you need more... some good quality audio taper pots and better caps should change that 59 quite drastically. Do you still have the stock electronics in there now?

My Classic has stock wiring, but I put in Orange Drops and newer tone pots that both read over 500K.

Classicplayer

 

[Paulie C]

^ The 59 and the Seth are moderately similar in wind and I dare say quite close in output (the 59 measures in at 8.13, the Seth at 8.1 with the same gauge wire). Certainly the tonal ballpark is slightly different - the Seths being more honky and round on the top end, with the 59's being more raspy and mids light.
Maybe the tone change will get you where you want to be.......but if you are only looking for less output.....no I don't think you'll get what you want there

Good point regarding the similar outputs. The unpotted Seths are going to have a microphonic quality, that sets them apart from the 59's. More open and sensitive.

 

[Classicplayer]

The neck Seth Lover pickup (on the Duncan Tone Chart) shows the resonant peak somewhat higher than the neck Duncan '59 pickup. Wouldn't that mean a brighter neck tone? I believe that Seth's have A2 mags compared to A5 in the '59.

Classicplayer

 

[ARandall]

Certainly the resonant peak is a better judge of a pickups tone than K or whatever magnet is in there. The wind geometry I find pretty much THE most important factor in determining tonality. It can take you from A2pro to PG to Seth in Duncan alone, with 3 quite different pickups with the same mag.

 

[SteveC]

I replaced the Shaw's in my '81 LPC with Seth Lovers and haven't looked back.

 

[AJK1]

The neck Seth Lover pickup (on the Duncan Tone Chart) shows the resonant peak somewhat higher than the neck Duncan '59 pickup. Wouldn't that mean a brighter neck tone? I believe that Seth's have A2 mags compared to A5 in the '59.

Classicplayer

Don't worry about statistics, numbers etc.
The Seths and 59's are like chalk and cheese
Just get the Seths and enjoy PAF heaven

 

[Classicplayer]

Don't worry about statistics, numbers etc.
The Seths and 59's are like chalk and cheese
Just get the Seths and enjoy PAF heaven

I prefer "cheese" over "chalk". What concerns me also is getting a more "sweet" or "thin" middle position tone. The Duncan '59s in my Classic would not cooperate in that regard. They might not have been designed to, either. The best that I could manage ended up sounding more like the bridge pup alone. I'm hoping the Seth Lover set will work better in that regard.

Classicplayer

 

[AJK1]

I prefer "cheese" over "chalk". What concerns me also is getting a more "sweet" or "thin" middle position tone. The Duncan '59s in my Classic would not cooperate in that regard. They might not have been designed to, either. The best that I could manage ended up sounding more like the bridge pup alone. I'm hoping the Seth Lover set will work better in that regard.

Classicplayer

From my experience, getting a good middle position sound requires pickups that are quite midrangey and low output.

 

[SLewis]

Love the seths, but why don't you just roll back on your guitar volume?

.

 

[donnycraven]

I like to take the Duncan 59s and make a set of sort of Slash out of them with a polished Alnico 2 magnet in place of the polished Alnico 5s. They are virtually identical, balanced winds about the same readings. I usually get my magnets from Addiction FX on eBay.

 

[ARandall]

^ well the jazz and A2pro are the same wind, the 59 is certainly not. But the A2 59 is certainly about as palatable as the 59 gets.

 

[Classicplayer]

The Seths that I bought are going the day after tomorrow, but I won't get the guitar back until next week. I'll know whether I made the right choice or not.

Yes. Rolling guitar volume back does help. I have changed how I set the volumes to start. They are now around +-7.5 for "cleaner" and I only nudge them up to around +-8.5 and up again for the gain and up again for crunch. The volume pots are stock Gibbys. This really helps to keep everything under control. The Seths mean changing my "new" procedure around I imagine....but, I'm up for that. Last year I was starting my guitar's volumes on much lower numbers and wondered why there was so much mud in the neck Duncan '59. With a small pickup tweak and putting the neck volume higher, I got a much better tone; plenty of highs, no scoop in the mids and plenty enough "thump" in the bass and without the "mud" many talk about. I learned a lot in a short period of time.

Classicplayer