Seth Lover NECK Pickup Mystery!

[generalandromache]

Hi guys!

I'm new to this forum, I signed up to see if anyone had any thoughts on my Seth Lover Pickup problem!

I put a Seth Lover pickup in the neck posiition on my Fender 62' Reisuue Telecaster (to make it more like the G&L Teles). It was fitted by my local guitar repair guy (who usually does a good job). I have read reviews of the Seth Lover on Harmony Central and it doesnt sound like my Pickup sounds like everyone elses...

My Seth Lover sounds, well, muddy. There is just no deffinition, harmonics etc with the tone tob up fully. I'm playing it through a Fender Deluxe reverb (which is exceptionally bright) yet the pickup is still muddy!

Any thoughts? Think the wiring could be wrong?

Thanks!

[firebirdV]

I can think of a few things that may cause problems. A 250K Ohm pot with a .047 uf cap could make the seth lover sound muddy, although I haven't tried that particular combination. Another thing I would consider is the pickup height. If it's too close to the strings, it may get muddy.

Going for that Keith Richards tone?

[TheArchitect]

If you are used to tele single coils, a Seth with a 250k pot will sound rather dull/muddy to your ears. I am not so sure there is anything wrong other than you need to adapt to a very different sounding pickup than your used to

[Voxman]

I have the same issue with mine,i`v just tried it with a 1 meg pot and it did`nt get much better. Heck,mine is going out the window.....
For a second i thougt there was something wrong with it but since you have the same thing going on i guess this is just the way it sounds. This is actually the worst neck bucker i`v ever tried,i really can`t use it to anything.
The bridge sounds absolutly fantastic though

[Kelsey]

I have a Seth set in my ES-137 semi-hollow, and they sound great, but they seem warmer and darker than the 59 set in my LP. I have an alnico II Fender Atomic II HB in the neck of my '03 HS Tele, and that's pretty bright and clear. I have heard the '59 neck in a Fender Custom Shop Tele, and it sounded fantastic -- but that was partly that superb guitar.

The stock Seth has the vintage 2-conductor wiring, so that would be easy to check. You might try lowering the pickup and raising the polepieces, which tends to brighten up a HB and reduce some of the mids. Failing that, perhaps you can exchange it for a 59 under the SD 21-day policy.

[Captain Tightpants]

I have the same issue with mine,i`v just tried it with a 1 meg pot and it did`nt get much better. Heck,mine is going out the window.....
For a second i thougt there was something wrong with it but since you have the same thing going on i guess this is just the way it sounds. This is actually the worst neck bucker i`v ever tried,i really can`t use it to anything.
The bridge sounds absolutly fantastic though

I'll take it!!!!!!!

[Jeff_H]

I would agre that it may very well be 250k pots and the .47 tone cap. I would first try a .22 cap, which is a very easy change. Then I would try a 500k pot.

The Seth will be warm, but it should have some bite and clarity as well.

[theboatcandream]

Could it be an EQ thing? Maybe you're used to having the bass dialed up high to fatten up the sound from single coils?

[Voxman]

I would agre that it may very well be 250k pots and the .47 tone cap. I would first try a .22 cap, which is a very easy change. Then I would try a 500k pot.

The Seth will be warm, but it should have some bite and clarity as well.

If his bucker sounds like mine there is no clarity and definition at all.
Beleve me,i own a lot of SD`s and this one is just crap. Even a 1 meg volume pot connected directly to the output doesn`t make it shine.
Caps only affects the tone when dialing the tone knob
The last thing i`ll try on this one is a heavy load of resistors connected to the pickups ground.

[generalandromache]

Wow! thanks for the responses. At least there are some other people out there with the same problem! Its deffinately not just my ears - its deffinately loosing clarity. I have owned SD's before too, this one really isnt woring for me!

[Zhangliqun]

I'd recommend raising the polepieces by a bunch and then lowering the pickup by the same distance you raised the poles. That will add a fair amount of brightness and take away some of the bottom.

[Voxman]

I'd recommend raising the polepieces by a bunch and then lowering the pickup by the same distance you raised the poles. That will add a fair amount of brightness and take away some of the bottom.

That`s one thing i did`nt think of,i`ll try it right away....BRB

[Lewguitar]

I think it's hard to dial in one tone setting on an amp that sounds good with both a bright twangy alnico 5 Tele single coil bridge pickup and a full size paf style neck humbucker like the Seth. Especially if the Seth, which wants to see a 500K volume and tone pot, is being used with the 250K volume and tone pot the bridge single coil works best with. I've always found that if I set the treble, mid and bass on the amp to sound great with the bright bridge pickup that the neck humbucker sounds dull and muddy...and if I set the tone to sound clear and bright and clean with the neck humbucker, then the bright bridge pickup sounds thin and way to bright. But that's just me...

In any case, mess with the polepiece ht's and move the body of the Seth a little further from the strings and the poles closer to the strings.

[Voxman]

OMG, I`v risend the polepieses a bit(not much) and guess what !!!!












The freaking pickup went dead....wtf this one is going stright back to the custom shop

[ArtieToo]

I would agre that it may very well be 250k pots and the .47 tone cap. I would first try a .22 cap, which is a very easy change.

Just wanted to correct your "typo" for the sake of newbies who might take you literally.

That should be .047uf and .022uf.

[Jeff_H]

Thanks Artie. I failed the dewey decimal system.

[Young Angus]

If his bucker sounds like mine there is no clarity and definition at all.
Beleve me,i own a lot of SD`s and this one is just crap.

Wow...no love for the Seth eh

Surely there must be something not quite right here, I thought the Seth was meant to have some clarity to it?

[Travis]

The Seth is a great pickup. If it sounds like crap, you got a dud.

[hamerfan]

Do connect the tonepot, it does makes a difference - not too much but it does. This could add the last sparkle you need. Great advices here!
The amp should really set after the humbucker not for the single coil!

[Voxman]

I`v tried everything,there is obviously something wrong with mine since it
went dead when i raised the pole pieces a bit.
I wish i had a clip of it to show you how terribly muddy it is(w/1 meg pot).
Try to imagine a jazz neck without any top and clarity and you`ll get pretty close to how mine sound.
generalandromache,i think my comments on this one does`nt count anymore since i`m dealing with a broken one...eh sorry