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t-top vs classic 57 vs antiquity

dgk

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
230
ok so i put a 60's pat # t-top in my 58 ri..sounds fuller, not as shrill as the 57's that came in it...now....how will the antiquity compare??..i'm looking to tame the high-end a bit on this guitar...thoughts?? thanks for going thru this again...dk
 
Last edited:

MelMann

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
202
pickups

Hi doug,

I would stick with the TTOP. I've done the same comparison, and if you are after less brightness you have the right pickup in there. The antiquities are nice but sound pretty much like Duncan 59s except not potted. They are nice but bright.
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
DGK

If you want a much much smoother tone and very bright but not harsh tone, try this:

1-unscrew the two studs (2 to 3 full turns each) to raise the stop tailpiece
2-set the two pickups far from the strings

you won't believe it

please let me know if you like it

Toni
 

dgk

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
230
trying it`

ok, TONI , i'm trying it..i did notice my 90 custom's bridge PU is a lot further away than the 58's..here goes..d
 

dgk

New member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
230
dgk

ok..yup..it does sound better... i just dropped the bridge PU, though ..not the bridge or tailpiece itself...do i need to do that??
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
DGK

really glad you like it

yes, do this for both pickups, flush to the plastic rings, then finetune the height of the neck pickup to calibrate it to have about the same volume as the bridge PU.

But THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT COMES FROM THE STOP TAILPIECE.
back 2 to 4 full turns from fully screwed.(suggestion from Big Al)

let me know if it works for you

Toni
 

Doc

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
115
I agree...

All of My LP's have the tail piece up 2-4 turns. I agree that it smoothes the tone. I leave my p/u's higher than Toni suggests because I believe they are more responsive to pick attack when up a bit. The 57 Classics in my 01 R8 are not bad BUT I am still looking.Shortly I am going to change out the pots and caps For some CTS pots and some Black cat caps. Then I will try my own little shoot out. I have a a spare set of historic rings so I will be able to return to original very easily. First up is a set on non-T top pat #'s from a trashed 65 SG. I changed the chrome covers last night for a set of "German Silver" PAF covers a friend had. Those will be followed by the Antiquities and finally a set of Holmes (when they arrive). Will report back.

Doc:)spin
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
Doc

I'm waiting for your report, might be very interesting !
...ever tried Fralins ? Critics seems to be very good for both Fralins, Holmes and Antiquity's.
...I like the tone from my 58/2001 very much but the only drawback is that new Classic 57's are too greasy in the bass.
I am absolutely sure Gibson modified them for 2001 because earlier 57's were a bit harsh and dry.
They've gone a little too far on the opposite way i think.
 

Doc

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
115
Yep, got some of those too...

But they're tied up in a guitar. As soon as I post this I'm gonna duck...But here it is...They are in a Memphis set neck 335 copy that positively SLAMS! IMO its better than my '72 335 and sounds nearly as good as my '66 345! But the point is...I think the Fralins sound great! Makes for a great players guitar! Hell, the pickups and Reunion blues gig bag are wqorth more thatn the silly guitar!

Doc
 

60burst

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
2,854
66 345? You are talking my kind of guitar! I probably would throw something at you if I knew what a Memphis was?:lolspin :60burst
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
Great !

Doc,

how would you describe the tone of Fralin's
brighter, darker, solid, mellow, chimes, crisp clean tone or compressed etc...?
 

Doc

New member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
115
60 Burst...Toni..

Well the '66 345 is an ass kicker and its mine, mine, mine ... I don't own any PAF's so I don't know for sure...But I bet the pick ups in this are close...sure sound like what I would expect PAF's to sound like.

Most Memphis guitars are cheap-assed Korean copies of Gibson's and I guess in a lot of ways one could say this one is too. But this one is just a crazy guitar....They copied EVERYTHING from a 70's 335 ...even the Grovers and the head stock. The only difference is the little dip right in the middle of the head stock. But the guitar is nuts. If you hold it while someone is playing nearby....It wants to jump right out of you hands! Its soooo resonant! Even before I put the Fralins in it the thing sounded good (its a set neck copy). With the Fralins...Man!

What do the Fralins sound like...First this is based on a BF reverb amp. (It does make a difference) Well they are not real high output but the neck p/u has balls the size of 8 foot gorilla without being muddy. The neck has chime but is smooth. The 66 345 has the best bridge 'bucker I own and was the only one I could reliably count on not to light cigars at 20 feet when cranked for leads. The Fralin is similar but it has more output and slightly more mids ...not a lot but perceptively more.

Doc
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
thanks Doc
So it has the woody tone for both pickups wuthout beeing muddy or too bassy
 

DOSE!

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
382
:wtf
toni,
I've been watching these pick up topics lately, I plan on trying something new soon. I was wondering about your coment on the 57 classics being too greasy in the bass. Can you explain what you mean by "greasy"? I know when it comes to tone its like trying to describe colors to a blind man.
Thanks
 

toni

LPF Tone Chaser
Joined
Jul 26, 2001
Messages
1,103
Dose

my English is very bad, I only speak French at home and at Work...sorry for the bad description.

I mean that the bass response of the classic 57 in my 58/2001 is very warm.
It is reasonnably tight when volume pots are set to 4 for a clean tone, but when i crank the vol. pots to 10, the bass lose his tight response and becomes too "butter" for my taste. Gaston's 58/2001 does the samething.

But the Classic 57 in my 59/1999 were very too tight and a really harsh. So I swiched to Antiquities and like them very much. That leads me to think (to be sure) that new classic 57 PU (from 2001) are not the same as the earlier ones. If we could lessen this Butter a bit, these NEW Classic 57 would be just Hmmm !

Toni
 
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