I'm getting a custom made guitar, full hollow (2 3/8" depth) laminate body guitar and thinking of getting a duncan 59'. I've heard that 59' is good for semi-hollow with center block but not good with full hollow (boomy)?
If it were mine, Id go for Seth Lovers. I like the 59 in a semi or solid body. 57's might even be a nice choise in a full hollow also.
I believe Trey uses them in his docs. They seem to work for him. I've got a set laying around meant for a semi-hollowbody, but have been to lazy lately to put them in. They do sound great with semi's, but have never heard a set in a hollowbody. Pretty easy to find a cheap used set, and easy to flip so if they don't work you can always try something else.
59's are going to be middy, I would go with something Alnico II line that would be more agreeable. I love the 59's I have in the chambered/semi's but I think I would go for something in the II's. If you do use the 59's lower them a lot.
i think that the amp you're playing through has a way bigger impact on how a pickup sounds than the style of guitar you're playing.
I've got the Guild SD-1s ('59s built by Seymour Duncan in Guild style humbucker cases) in a 90s Guild Starfire III. It's not deep, but it's fully hollow with a floating wood bridge. These pickups sound GREAT with that guitar. Very greasy. Just keep the bass side down a bit, adjust the pole pieces to where you like them and you will get a phenomenal tone.
What ? A S.D.59 is mid-scooped and a A2 mag like in a Seth or AP2 is mid city. All my LP's have Unpotted 59's and they are awesome for mohagany style guitars if you want that PAF tone without the strong mids of a A2 magnet and need to equal out the tones with a guitar that's mid-heavy which Gibson LP's seem to be.
They are perfectly good classic styled humbuckers - no reason why they wouldn't work i a hollowbody. I think the attenuated mids work very well in the neck position. Personally, I'd go for something a little fuller in a bridge position
I'd need more info. Where will this be placed - end of neck, 2" down like a 175, etc. ; floating or cut into top; what type of tone do you like - bright, more middy etc. What type of amp/speaker etc. etc. Traditionally, a full size jazz box is 3 3/8ths and what works pick-up wise on those may not be what you are looking for tonally on a 2 3/8ths
I've got two SD 59's in a full bodied Benedetto Fratello CES and they are very bright with not enough mids. I am looking to replace them with something warmer with better mids. I play bebop style jazz guitar. That guitar is voiced much brighter than a traditional Gibson. In an L5CES the SD 59's might work perfectly.
Those are great pickups, but I always think of the warm OD tones of players like Scott Henderson and Allan Holdsworth as represenative of what the 59s do best...
