Jazz or '59 neck?

[Robert Delahunt]

Just like it says: do you like the '59 or Jazz neck? Which do you prefer?

[jimman]

I love the '59 in my Les Paul. With an A4 magnet it is really hard to beat for the neck.

[Christopher Caruana]

'59 or jaz in the neck of what? what i would put in one guitar i wouldnt put in the other. and your rig and style blah blah blah, all play a factor

[Mr.Morton]

59

[OsvyRock]

59 neck. You don't have an idea how much I want fix mine. It's perfect at the neck position of my DBZ Bolero (and I haven't done any magnet swap)

[Jazzfiend101]

I have both and I like both a lot. The Jazz is actually a bit brighter to my ears in one of my thicker Les Pauls, and the 59 is a bit warmer with smoother, darker low end in my lighter Les Paul. But even still both are great pups, and both clean up very well even when heavily distorted. Throw a chorus pedal over either and boom, instant clean ness with adjusted picking dynamics. Both are really dynamic pups as well. I'm glad to have them in either neck of my Les Pauls.

[Jazzfiend101]

I haven't magnet swapped either of them as they sounded fine when I stuck them in as is.

[agentzero12]

I've never owned a 59 but I have played them some. Most of my experience has been with the jazz neck and I loved it for years in several different guitars. Lately however I feel like it lacks. It sounds good but it is a brighter neck pickup and that looses some of the thick, sweet lead tones. I never noticed it that much till I started actually "using" my neck position instead of just playing it from time to time. The jazz is a great sounding pickup clean but it is very bold. I often wish it was softer and less aggressive clean but kind of the opposite distorted. Your best bet is to play them to see. Most USA deans have a jb/jazz set and Jackson and ESP have been known to use a 59 neck. As mentioned, alot of factors play into the choice. I would like the jazz more on a jazz style. It's very appropriately named. For hard rock/alt leads it lacks. I've heard the full shred neck is very impressive too.

[Robbiedbee]

I've got a Jazz in the neck of my Telecaster, paired with a Lil 59b. With the 250k pots in there it is just right in terms of tone, but 500k pots would make it far too bright, especially for a neck pickup. I really like the Jazz though, sounds great distorted, clean and split. The middle position, with the Lil 59 as well is a very nice tone too (split or full).

The 59 is a wonderful pickup (my personal favourite bridge pickup for a Strat), but in the neck of my Tele, I fear it might not quite have the tone I like from neck pickups. The Jazz covers more bases; you can roll back the tone and make it sound thicker and warmer like a 59, and I think it is bright enough such that it has the Fender jangle to it in the brighter bodied guitars.

[blueman335]

'59n"s have a little more character and color to them, although they have a tendency towards bassiness. JazzN's seem to have a little less personality but sometimes that can be a good thing. I think Jazz's have an identity problem. They're too bright to really be a first choice for most jazz players, It's even more misnamed as half of the Hot Rodded set. I think the inappropriate names have confused some players, and not helped the PU's popularity. If it had a more accurate name, more players would say 'Yeah, that's what I want.'

[Lewguitar]

I prefer the 59n. It's clearer and less bassy than the Gibson paf it is based on. It is under wound slightly so it is not a 100% accurate replication of a real 59 paf, but that also means that it balances volume wise with a 59b, which is a more accurate replication of the tone and output of a genuine '59 alnico 5 Gibson paf.

The Jazz is an excellent pickup but a little to bright and zingy for my tastes. I've only used it with 500K pots.

Better still, IMO, is the Pearly Gates neck and of the three the PGn is my favorite and the one I would always go to first.

None of these pickups actually get the exact tone of a '58 or '59 Gibson paf. At rock n roll volumes, the real thing would have a slight tendency towards a muddier tone for rhythm but a more driving tone for soloing, because the real thing would be more like 8K - 8.2K rather than being underwound slightly to 7.4K - the DC resistance of the 59n.

Generally, when Seymour designs a calibrated set he give the bridge pickup the full output and DC resistance of the vintage pickup and underwinds the neck pickup - rather than winding the neck pickup to vintage specs and overwinding the bridge pickup. He doesn't make the bridge pickup with more output - instead he winds the neck pickup for less output.

I don't have any experience with Dragonflies. Not as pickups go anyway.

[crusty philtrum]

Neither, but both.

By which I mean, the 59/Jazz neck hybrid. Better than either the 59 or Jazz and it works in a vast range of guitar types and styles. Also has some very special qualities you won't hear in any of the regular production models, most noticeably the 3-dimensional sonic aspects that leave all the others sounding flat and lifeless.

[blueman335]

Generally, when Seymour designs a calibrated set he give the bridge pickup the full output and DC resistance of the vintage pickup and underwinds the neck pickup - rather than winding the neck pickup to vintage specs and overwinding the bridge pickup. He doesn't make the bridge pickup with more output - instead he winds the neck pickup for less output.

And I for one am sure glad he does it that way. I'm a big fan of treble and clarity in neck HB's.

[CTN]

'59 by a mile. has a lot more soul/mojo/personality than the Jazz imo.

[LtKojak]

Depends on the purpose... the possible combinations of magnets, and hybridizing coils are plenty.

You basically can't make a '59n sound BAD per se, doesn't matter what magnet you put in (excluding ceramic mags), they all sound from good to great, all depending on matching the right combo with the right task.

HTH,

[STRATDELUXER97]

Depends on the guitar? In my 335 style axe,I have a stock Jazz N...In my LP and SG though,I have a 59N and I think a DMZ VPAF in the Neck of either of these 2 guitars..

Normally I just find the stock 59N to be too boomy in the lows for my tastes..The Jazz is nice,it's clear,not so boomy in the lows,and I Like it alot actually.

[blueman335]

Normally I just find the stock 59N to be too boomy in the lows for my tastes.

+1. That's the biggest downside to '59N's. Fix that, and you'll have a lot more happy players. I've got to try an A4 in one of mine.

[STRATDELUXER97]

+1. That's the biggest downside to '59N's. Fix that, and you'll have a lot more happy players. I've got to try an A4 in one of mine.

I have done the A4 59N and it does tame the lows...Can't remember if that A4 is still in that 59 or not,but Lew sold a bunch of us some A4 mags several years ago.

[BrianS.]

I recently swapped out a PGn for a Jazz in my main guitar. Haven't played it enough to really know if it is an absolute keeper or not, but I do find that I am liking it more than the PG...and I've played a PGn in my guitars for many moons. I like the clarity of the bass and it seems to have more "roundness" to the high end than the PG. Does not seem overly bright to me...and I have a 500k volume and no tone control.

I got a Jazz over the 59n mainly because I've read so much about this "boominess" of the 59n. Sounds like something I'd want to avoid. The one problem I'm discovering with the Jazz is that it is louder than the 59 I have in the bridge. I really like the 59b, and I don't want to change that out.

I should probably get a 59n to try...

[STRATDELUXER97]

I recently swapped out a PGn for a Jazz in my main guitar. Haven't played it enough to really know if it is an absolute keeper or not, but I do find that I am liking it more than the PG...and I've played a PGn in my guitars for many moons. I like the clarity of the bass and it seems to have more "roundness" to the high end than the PG. Does not seem overly bright to me...and I have a 500k volume and no tone control.

I got a Jazz over the 59n mainly because I've read so much about this "boominess" of the 59n. Sounds like something I'd want to avoid. The one problem I'm discovering with the Jazz is that it is louder than the 59 I have in the bridge. I really like the 59b, and I don't want to change that out.

I should probably get a 59n to try...

And I've tryed the PGN and didn't care for it..Very popular though!