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I'm building a semi-hollow body guitar with a mahogony back and maple top and want a nice smooth vintage sound. I was thinking of either using 59's or going with Seth Lover's. Would I have to worry about feedback using Seth's because they are un-potted?

Does anyone have an opinion which one would sound best?

Do a search on this....There's lots and lots of info on the comparisons...Keeps us from redundant typing...

Welcome to the forums also!

I have a Tokai 335 with Seth and have not problems with feedback what so ever

I would go with the Seths. They are smoother and warmer than the '59s, but still have plenty of high end available.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of potting. In a semi-hollow I think the body is going to cause feed back before the pickups do. I have played Seths under medium gain at gigging volume in a Les Paul and never had any problems.

Have a Seth in the neck of my 355 -- no feedback problems.

If your guitar sounds kind of dark and needs a bit more top end, go with the 59's. Otherwise, especially if you're a bit of a jazzbo, go with the Seth.

To me the Seth Lover NECK has a clearer tone at high volume levels than the 59N because it has less bass. The Seth has more mids, but less treble and less bass than the 59. If you're a rocker who tends to play with an overdriven tone most of the time you might prefer the 59.

I love the 59 as a bridge pickup but prefer the Seth Lover when it comes to a neck pickup.

The 59N always sounds great to me when I do install them as a neck pickup: bright and big and deep...I just like a little less bass so I prefer the Seth or the Antiquity as a neck pickup.

Lew

Wonder what a 59 would sound like with an Alnico 3...probably more Seth-ish...


Originally Posted by ZhangliqunWonder what a 59 would sound like with an Alnico 3...probably more Seth-ish...

The single coil alnico 3 pickups I've tried were all brighter than comparable alnico 2 pickups, but I've never tried an alnico 3 humbucker. The 59 with an alnico 3 magnet would probably be even brighter than it is with the stock alnico 5 magnet. The Seth would probably have a warmer tone with the stock alnico 2 magnet than with a custom alnico 3 magnet. I'm just guessing though...

My favorite combo in a solid body is a Seth b and a '59 n . For a hollowbody I would rather advice an Antiquity neck , it's a special quot;open amp; acousticquot; kind of tone that I really like.


Originally Posted by captain cavmanMy favorite combo in a solid body is a Seth b and a '59 n . For a hollowbody I would rather advice an Antiquity neck , it's a special quot;open amp; acousticquot; kind of tone that I really like.

Yes...you can't go wrong with any combo of the Seths, Antiquitys or 59's, IMO. But for me, I like to use the bigger bass response of the 59 in the bridge position where the tone tends to be thinner and the slightly lower bass respsonse of the Seth in the neck where the strings vibrate more and have more bass.

Thanks!

Lew


Originally Posted by LewguitarThe 59 with an alnico 3 magnet would probably be even brighter than it is with the stock alnico 5 magnet. The Seth would probably have a warmer tone with the stock alnico 2 magnet than with a custom alnico 3 magnet. I'm just guessing though...

I don't think the 59 would be brighter with an Alnico 3. A3's EQ response is much flatter than the mid-scooped A5. It wouldn't be as hard either.

As for the Seth Lover, luckily I come to this thread with real world experience. I have tried all four Alnico types in my Seth Lover (neck) and settled on Alnico 5, because the guitar in question (the 355) needed more bass and low mid. But both Alnico 3 and 4 definitely sounded warmer than the stock Alnico 2.