Seymours Vs Tokai Pickups - The Verdict

[8bit Barry]

Well I spent a week fart arsing around and came up with the following conclusion for those interested in the results. For those who didnt read the last post it was swapping out the Gotoh PAFs for a some Sh1 - 59's, a pair of zebra stripes into a 2003 Tokai LS60.

Test kit - 78 Marshall 50w Master Volume head and Pre Rola cab - THD Hot Plate -12db attenuation and a variety of settings mainly combinations between pre-am volume and main volume to change output valve saturation. No FX at all.

The 59's
Bridge - bloody amazing. Fantastic well balanced sound, tight and punch bass, lively treble and not too much midrange.
Neck - I real dissapointment. Seemed far too restrained in comparison to its brother. Lack of clarity on the bass. Flat mids and

The Gotohs (for those who arn't aware)
Bridge - Pretty much as the 59 except not as much definition. About the same volume, but certainly a fantastic stock pickup.
Neck - Lively, full of bass and a remarkable improvement over the 59.

The problem I have is that the 59's are not a matched set at all. The biggest gripe I have is that I rely heavily on the big tonal variation between pickups. The middle (both p/ups on) setting was really ruined by the neck 59. The Jimmy Page 'Black Dog' of 'The Ocean' sound was really hard to find, something that I get nailed with the Gotohs and the Hotplate. I found that therefore the only highlight was screaming the nuts out of it in the bridge position only.

The Gotohs have subsequently gone back in and I feel really do give the big boys a real run for their money. I tried the 59 bridge with the Gotoh neck, but I am a bit vain when it comes to the look as well as the sound and replaced the bridge back as there was not a lo in it.

I really am a little dissapointed to say the least with the neck. Luck it only cost me ?30.

Has anyone else come to a different conclusion??

SO...... Can anyone recommend me a zebra stripe Seymour or equivalent that will do a better a job?

 

[kherman]

Why don't you just leave the
'59 in the bridge
and the
Gotoh PAF in the neck ?

No rule against mixing and matching!!

I assume your gotoh's are covered and the Duncans are not.
You can get any Duncan model with covers upon request from your dealer.

As for the Tone of the Gotoh's.
I agree about the dynamics.
They are very nice smooth warm sounding pickups.
But, the frequencies seam even across the board.
Meaning there is no dynamics that stand out.
They are a good quality stock pickup.
Good if you want an even tone.
But, just don't expect them to stand out.

I actually prefer a Duncan Jazz in the neck.
I like the extra clarity they give. Not boomy or muddy sounding.
Definitely stand out in the mix.

For the bridge I like the JB.
Punchy, more pronounced mids.

Kent

 

[ned]

Haven't had a chance to test any in person yet but I like the sound of the Seth Lovers over the '59.

Ned

 

[Skybone]

The Seymour's have a bit more definition over the Gotoh's, but the Gotoh's have a bit more "life" in them over the Seymours.

I have a 99 LR with a 59 neck and JB bridge, and an 01 LR with stock Gotoh's. Been playing the 99 a lot recently, especially for recording where it's a little quieter (background noise from CRT Monitor) than the stock 01, though I really need to record away from the monitor!

Horses for courses really, the SD's sound a bit too "clinical" to me, where the Gotoh's seem to have a bit of life in them. Saying that, I've mainly been using old Ibanez Super80's in another guitar, which sound great if you like a middly pickup.

 

[lasher]

i purchased my tokais fully expecting to have to change out the pickups and the electronics. they sound so good that nothing is going to be changed. so the gotoh's get my nod.

 

[peacock72]

i purchased my tokais fully expecting to have to change out the pickups and the electronics. they sound so good that nothing is going to be changed. so the gotoh's get my nod.

Likewise. I had a Lindy Fralin in my old Love Rock and though they'd be tough to top. But the Gotohs in my new Love Rock sound fantastic to me. They're staying put.

 

[lasher]

funny,,fralin was what i was considering. i had spent some amount of time on the phone with lindy telling him what i wanted,,,paf wise. but the set in the reborn old have that old vintage, hollow, tone. the set in the 80 love rock are now adjusted to almost page tone.

don't fix it, if it ain't broke.

 

[oldflame]

For me it's got to be Seymours Antiquities. I just bought an 8.5 ohm bridge for $85 shipped from the US to the UK.

I also have a pair of Dimarzio's from a 78' Hamer Sunburst that I plan to put in my white TLC 60 Custom.

I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[tezza-j]

My vote goes to the Seymour Seth Lovers. I got these off Ebay from Lew's guitars for about ?100 for the pair. Luckily I have them them brought over for me as we have an office in New Jersey.
You'd be hard pushed to get a better PAF tone than these. I have a 2003 Tokai Gold Top with Gotoh paf's in. The way these have already been described in this thread is accurate - creamy, mellow, and warm.
The Seth's, upon firing them up, were a jaw-dropping experience. Their voicing is just about perfect. Every string's resonance is delivered perfectly to make a chord sound more harmonious than usual. A fabulous balance of sweet treble, perfect mids and tight bottoms (ooer), that basically made my JB sound thin and anaemic. I believe the Antiquities are the same model but with relic'd covers.
It's only after getting these pups that I understand what the fuss about SD pups is all about. I wouldn't recommend the factory made ones though, but the handwound Seth's and Antiquities are just superb.

 

[8bit Barry]

Maybe I will have to give these a try.... The main problem I thought existed with these old PAF clones is that they wouldnt be as hot. I find myself on the limits with some p/ups. I used to have a pair of Les Paul Standard's in an Epiphone Les Paul. They were a remarkable improvement over the Korean stocks, but they weren't as hot! I found myself really having to draw the sound out of the guitar unless the amp was really cranked. I am always a bit concerned that installing some pickups will be like removing the turbo from my car.

I recently did a back2back test with a brand new Gibson Les Paul. The burstbuckers were very clear indeed, the tone was more engaging than my Tokai, as I explained in the first post about the Jimmy Page sound, they made the tone sound like 3 different guitars. Extremley varied, but not for the extra ?1200!! There was very little in it to be honest. Side on, the maple top was a lot more contoured, where as the Tokai was flatter, with a bigger *** as well!

 

[Anonymous]

null

 

[oldflame]

It's Kent Armstrong who do the 'overwind' pickup.

There is a Seth on ebay right now:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3704939757&category=22670

but at the moment, even with the shipping it's cheaper to buy from the States.

 

[8bit Barry]

All I am after is a neck p/up to match the zebra 59 bridge that sounds so good, but this is looking to be more difficult than I thought....

I have just been looking at the SDuncan Tone Charts and to little avail... seems like the choices they recommend are even lower in output.

Any ideas anyone??