Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

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RoséBear
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Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by RoséBear » Thu Jan 23, 2020 12:47 pm

Hey guys.

So right now I have mustang antiquities in my mustang and I love them, but I wanted a bit more punch out of the bridge pickup. Anyone put one of the 59’s in theirs? I want to really retain that fendery sound but just beef it up. I figured I’d try the JB jr but I think it’s a bit too midrangy

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Danley
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Danley » Thu Jan 23, 2020 1:31 pm

I just ended up with a guitar with a Little ‘59 - It’s not as honky or midrangey as a lot of videos make it seem, but while I quite like the pickup I’d probably pick a different option if you want to retain some of the single coil attack and chime characteristics. You could do quite a bit worse than a Lil ‘59 for certain, and it’d probably sound great - but if I just wanted a ‘hotter’ sound leaving all other variables untouched, Rose Buff Beauties serve that role perfectly in one Mustang I own - and a Duncan ‘Hot’ single doesn’t stray too badly from giving an accurate ‘single with boost’ sound either.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Embenny
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Embenny » Thu Jan 23, 2020 2:26 pm

If you want something a bit beefier but not as different sounding as a side by side humbucker, why not put a Lace Sensor in there? They look like stock Mustang pickups and come in a variety of outputs. The "hot gold" (not regular gold) or silver variations would give you "hotter and fatter than averate single coil, brighter than average humbucker" tones, and are just about noiseless as well.

They fell out of favour with guitar forum culture, but my experience has been that the main people who are disappointed by them are people who expected them to sound exactly like single coils (you know the type..."I need to sound exactly like Jimi, noiselessly, through my modern amp, at bedroom level, and I won't settle for anything less!"). They don't. But they do sound more like single coils than something like a little 59, so this might be one of those cases where they're ideal.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

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Danley
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Danley » Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:14 pm

I love my Hot Gold set. Typically they come in a set of three - a ‘regular’ 6k pair for middle/neck and a ‘hot-hot’ bridge that’s about 12-16k.

My caveats are two: The regular Hot Golds do sound like singles, but are perhaps only -slightly- hotter than a regular single (though they can be placed much closer to the strings.) And - The extra hot bridge model actually might sound more like a humbucker to me, than the Lil ‘59 . It’s a *beast* that doesn’t even balance well with the neck/middle. Not as humbucker-like as a Red but not a bad impression.

Duncan has a really good return/exchange policy; you may be happy with the ‘59 but if not they give you options. I think picking up a Hot Gold set of three is an equally good option- you can figure out which to use on the bridge and leave with a spare in hand :)
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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RoséBear
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by RoséBear » Thu Jan 23, 2020 3:33 pm

Thanks for the reply’s guys! I’m a lace sensor fan, ive been using them forever. My only thing is, they play with “regular pickups” a bit strangely when used together. I have the antiquity neck pickup and I absolutely love it, I’d love to keep that in there

In my favorite guitar, a jaguar, I have a Lollar jaguar neck pickup and a dimarzio super distortion S. So I guess I’m trying to find similar flexibility.

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MC3
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by MC3 » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:29 pm

I could be way off the mark here, but maybe something like a SSL-5 in the bridge might be what you're after.

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AcrylicSuperman
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by AcrylicSuperman » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:30 pm

Lil 59 in the neck pairs great with a hot rail in the bridge.

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RoséBear
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by RoséBear » Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:35 pm

MC3 wrote:
Thu Jan 23, 2020 10:29 pm
I could be way off the mark here, but maybe something like a SSL-5 in the bridge might be what you're after.
Thanks for the suggestion! But I’m definitely looking for a true humbucker I think. I have a Novak WRHB in my jazzmaster, with a jazzy single coil in the neck and that pair is beautiful. Especially because the Novak WRHB still retains that “fendery” sound, but adds some meat. That’s what I’m after I think. I looking for the perfect combo to really show off the mustang itself and not make it something completely different. Here’s my two guitars that I have done this with, and feel like they kind of keep their natural sound:

Jazzmaster
Jazzmaster single-Neck
Novak WRHB -Bridge

Jaguar
Lollar jag -Neck
Dimarzio Super distortion S- Bridge

So I guess I’m looking for something that’ll add attitude but keep the guitar a mustang if any of this makes sense

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elektrovac
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by elektrovac » Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:37 am

Lindy Fralin Steel Pole pickups are great for a P90-ish sound in the strat pickup form-factor. I fitted a pair under Mustand covers in a parts-DuoSonic to preserve the correct 'look'.

https://www.fralinpickups.com/product/steel-pole-42/

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Danley
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Danley » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:41 am

One other thing I’ll mention on the Little 59 : There’s an old version (tape-wrapped) and a new one (plastic unitary construction) and each are wound to a different spec. I only have experience with the ‘old’ tape-wrapped version, and the two versions may be one reason why people have different experiences with these (EDIT: There used to be a chart on the old Seymour Duncan website to explain and acknowledge the difference. I can no longer find it.)

(People also argue there’s a difference between the old Lace Sensors with brass-colored base vs. new ones without, but Lace at one point went some distance to establish that was not the case. Not everyone hears the same, but I think the new ones sound fine.)
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by solfege » Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:10 pm

I feel like this might be a place for something Bill Lawrence-y.

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RoséBear
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by RoséBear » Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:10 pm

Danley wrote:
Fri Jan 24, 2020 11:41 am
One other thing I’ll mention on the Little 59 : There’s an old version (tape-wrapped) and a new one (plastic unitary construction) and each are wound to a different spec. I only have experience with the ‘old’ tape-wrapped version, and the two versions may be one reason why people have different experiences with these (EDIT: There used to be a chart on the old Seymour Duncan website to explain and acknowledge the difference. I can no longer find it.)

(People also argue there’s a difference between the old Lace Sensors with brass-colored base vs. new ones without, but Lace at one point went some distance to establish that was not the case. Not everyone hears the same, but I think the new ones sound fine.)
Interesting! I’ll keep that in mind. Say, do you think I’d have trouble matching the volume of a little 59 at the bridge and an antiquity at the neck?

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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Danley » Sat Jan 25, 2020 9:32 am

My guitar with the Little 59 is paired with vintage-output singles; I tend to lower the singles close to the body for their best tone, and think the 59 sounds best raised up decently high (in the bridge) - so the way I have them set, there is quite a difference in output between the pickups. You could probably minimize it by raising the neck and lowering the bridge, but overall the Little 59 has *quite* a bit more output than a vintage single coil. One of the hotter Duncan singles would still have a better balance with an vintage neck.
King Buzzo: I love when people come up to me and say “Your guitar sound was better on Stoner Witch, when you used a Les Paul. “...I used a Fender Mustang reissue on that, dumbass!

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Wil_66
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by Wil_66 » Sat Jan 25, 2020 3:27 pm

I've been considering the same pickup configuration in my Duo Sonic II that currently has Mustang Antiquity IIs in it... Looking forward to see how you like it if you do the swap. (Or if I do the swap first I'll let ya know how I like it ;D )

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RoséBear
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Re: Lil ‘59 in a Mustang?

Post by RoséBear » Sat Jan 25, 2020 4:49 pm

Wil_66 wrote:
Sat Jan 25, 2020 3:27 pm
I've been considering the same pickup configuration in my Duo Sonic II that currently has Mustang Antiquity IIs in it... Looking forward to see how you like it if you do the swap. (Or if I do the swap first I'll let ya know how I like it ;D )
I’m definitely thinking about it haha. Yeah either of us will have to post what we think!

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