Pickups Suggestions for a Semi Hollow.

[CodeDante]

Cool. Does the 59 custom hybrid still retain clarity with distorted Bar Chords as well as provide a good lead tone? Also how are the cleans on this pickup?

[CodeDante]

So I have limited my choices to three different sets:
59b/jazzn
screamin demon/jazz
screamin deamin/screamin demon
Which combination do you all think will sound the best for a rock sound like Foo Fighters, the killers, Matchbox 20, Cage the elephant? I need to have a good lead sound, but still have clarity while using bar chords with distortion.

[LtKojak]

So I have limited my choices to three different sets:
59b/jazzn
screamin demon/jazz
screamin deamin/screamin demon
Which combination do you all think will sound the best for a rock sound like Foo Fighters, the killers, Matchbox 20, Cage the elephant? I need to have a good lead sound, but still have clarity while using bar chords with distortion.

An A4 modded '59 set is all you need. Take it from a guy that currently owns four different semihollows.

If you're in Europe, I can mod the p'ups for you. Or sell you a set already modded.

PM me if you're interested.

[CodeDante]

An A4 modded '59 set is all you need. Take it from a guy that currently owns four different semihollows.

If you're in Europe, I can mod the p'ups for you. Or sell you a set already modded.

PM me if you're interested.

Thanks for the offer, but I do not live in Europe. Also I do not want to risk a mag swap because I have never done one before and I do not want to risk destroying the pickups. If I decide not to do the magnet swap, would the 59 set still be my best bet or would one of the sets I mentioned earlier work better?

[RayBarbeeMusic]

JB, C5, or AT-1 bridge, jazz neck.

A pair of PAFs ('59s, etc) is an excellent choice if you want an ear shatteringly bright bridge with a muddy neck tone.

[blueman335]

A pair of PAFs ('59s, etc) is an excellent choice if you want an ear shatteringly bright bridge with a muddy neck tone.

Which can still sound better than a JB in some mahogany guitars.

[LtKojak]

Thanks for the offer, but I do not live in Europe. Also I do not want to risk a mag swap because I have never done one before and I do not want to risk destroying the pickups. If I decide not to do the magnet swap, would the 59 set still be my best bet or would one of the sets I mentioned earlier work better?

If you want a stock set, for semi-hollow these are ones that'll fit the bill accordingly:

1. Seth Lover set.
2. Pearly Gates set.
3. Seth Lover bridge for the neck + '78.

HTH,

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Which can still sound better than a JB in some mahogany guitars

We must have very different ears, to me that is exactly where a JB shines.

With PAFs, if you eq the bridge pup to not be piercing, which you can do, the neck ends up a muddy mess. If you eq so that the neck isn't a muddy mess, the bridge tone will take your head right off. Also, unless you have the bridge kissing the strings and the neck screwed way into the wood, the neck volume will overwhelm the bridge.

The only things I've found bridge PAFs to match up well with in the neck are single coils. They just don't get along well with other humbuckers in the neck volume wise or tone wise.

A JB bridge/Jazz neck (or a '59 neck) matches the volume nicely, a JB being just hot enough to match a neck PAF volume wise given the differences in string amplitude in both positions. The neck tone can be eq'd to be less muddy and the bridge wont be obnoxious. Plus, if you have the standard Gibson setup with a volume for each pup, you can use a 250k with the JB if that is what you prefer.

[CodeDante]

Thank you everyone for your input. I think I am going to go with a screamin demon bridge and a jazz in the neck. I have heard read a lot of good things about the demon and how it has great clarity with distortion. It is also said that it sounds pretty good split. Does anyone else have any opinions on the Screamin Demon (both good or bad)?

[CodeDante]

Does anyone else have any opinions of the Screamin Demon (good or bad)?

[RayBarbeeMusic]

I find it overly bright and harsh. Depends on what tone you use I guess, but I think unless you use a sound that has the high end very rolled back, it will come across as very bright. IIRC Lynch used a Tube Screamer with the tone rolled way off, but the maple guitars and bright pickups still let the harmonics come through.

[blueman335]

I find it overly bright and harsh. Depends on what tone you use I guess, but I think unless you use a sound that has the high end very rolled back, it will come across as very bright. IIRC Lynch used a Tube Screamer with the tone rolled way off, but the maple guitars and bright pickups still let the harmonics come through.

That's been what most posts here have also said about the Screamin Demon. The name conjures up images that may not be entirely consistent with it's bright, thin tone.

[CodeDante]

Ok. So it seems that the 59b is the way to go for a bridge. Would the 59b/jazzn combo not only be able to lighter stuff like The killers and Matchbox 20, but heavier pop punk as well like Blink and MY Chemical Romance?
Also does the 59b have a good lead tone for solos?

[RayBarbeeMusic]

I advise against the 59B, for reasons already stated.

It can do all the things you stated, but eqing your amp for that will make the neck pickup sound very muddy. Conversely, if you eq so the neck pickup doesn't sound muddy, the '59b will be very bright.

If you have 2 volume controls, using 250k volume for the '59b will help that a bit, but IMO not enough.

[CodeDante]

I advise against the 59B, for reasons already stated.

It can do all the things you stated, but eqing your amp for that will make the neck pickup sound very muddy. Conversely, if you eq so the neck pickup doesn't sound muddy, the '59b will be very bright.

If you have 2 volume controls, using 250k volume for the '59b will help that a bit, but IMO not enough.

Thanks for the advice. What are your opinions on the c5 in a mahogany semi hollow?

[RayBarbeeMusic]

I have that pickup in a semi hollow and I like it a lot. In fact, I'm considering replacing the JB in one of my semi-hollows with a C5. Just depends on how that individual guitar sounds. Some work with one, some with the other.

[CodeDante]

I have that pickup in a semi hollow and I like it a lot. In fact, I'm considering replacing the JB in one of my semi-hollows with a C5. Just depends on how that individual guitar sounds. Some work with one, some with the other.

Dose this pickup give you great clarity with distorted bar chords? And how is the cleans?

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Clarity is fine. Cleans are ok, better than average for a medium output pickup. It's never a bad idea to install a push/pull pot so you can pull up on the pot and have the pickup go to parallel mode, that gives better cleans that buckers in series.

[CodeDante]

Does the c5 distorted have an open sound. The reason why I am avoiding a JB is because I find it to sound to compressed. I want a nice open sounding bridge pu.

[CodeDante]

A good example of the tone I am trying to get is in this live video of Real World by Matchbox 20. The sound of that Les Paul (especially during that guitar line in the chorus) is exactly what I'm looking for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjP0KVZXpg

Also The same guitarist's solo tone in this video. Starting at 2:30 is what I'm looking for as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJmst...feature=fvwrel