Seymour Duncan Little '59

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking Neck/Middle
Impedence or other specs: dunno

Model of guitar or bass: 93 Strat Plus
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Gold Lace Sensor
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Sensors
Artists using this pickup: Dunno
You musical style(s): Modern, alt, Prog rock
Reason for pickup change: Tired of 'Strat' sound

Perceived output level: Barely hotter than the Sensors
Tone: Well balanced, crispy upper midrange, but not glassy like strat
Sonic evaluation: My application is primarily studio, mostly through PODS and other rack/direct devices. The Little 59 is a good sounding pickup, but not the tonal difference from the Lace Sensor that I was looking for. Additionally, I found it a bit "messy" sounding, not very tight. Lots of harmonics. Note: I put the neck model in the bridge position to match my other p'ups output. I presume the bridge model will be a bit hotter. Duncan claims no tonal difference between bridge and neck models, just output.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A good pickup, but it didn't suit my needs. I would recommend it for low/mid-gain rock from classic to modern. The splatty nature at high gain might make it good for punk or garage styles, or Vernon Reid-style leads.

Comments: I exchanged it for the Duncan HotRails, which ended up doing it for me. The Little 59 just wasn't enough of a departure from my Stock Lace Sensor Golds. Good humbucking, though. Great adjustment potential with the dual pole pieces. Next time I'm gonna try the L-250xl from billlawrence.com - I just couldn't afford the 3-4 week wait this time 'round. Check 'em out.

Pickup features: Single-Coil sized Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 11.78k

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Series Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock delta tone
Other pickups on guitar: stock delta tones
Artists using this pickup: Iron Maiden, Tommy Bola, Shania Twain's guitarist
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a humbucking sound + the stock bridge pup wasnt very good.....thin and weak, not much attack.

Perceived output level: Vintage PAF output - hotter than stock
Tone: Dirty - Balanced, warm and very nice, but u must adjust the pole pieces and the pup height. Quite bright but my guitar has a maple neck. Clean it is ok
Sonic evaluation: Marshall JCM2000 DSL401 - You can hear a soundclip of the pickup via this link www.andrew.gray10.btinternet.co.uk/rockblues.mp3

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for rock and blues

Comments: Been playing about 3 years, i dont like the colour that much it is to bright - the white doesnt blend with the other 2 pups. I am satisfied with the sound and think it is rather good 4 what its size, i think the sound could be a bit fatter.

Pickup features: Humbucker in a Single Coil size for Strats
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender US Standard Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Delta Blues Single Coil
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Delta Blues Pickups
Artists using this pickup: Not Researched
You musical style(s): Hard Rock, Blues, Classical
Reason for pickup change: I wanted more output and humbucker tone from the bridge.

Perceived output level: Hotter thant he single coils but not enough to make you get pissed.
Tone: Very smooth with great balance
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Line6 POD with headphones, and a Mesa Dual Rectifer Half Stack with the band. I have tried the Hot Rails, Screamin Demon, JB, and EMG's in this guitar in the past. None of them have the harmonic laden sound this pickups does. FINALLY, I am done searching for a bridge pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Hard Rock, and Blues mostly. This pickup is great for Hard Rock, but I prefer single coils for blues. Not a problem since my guitar has 2 others!

Comments: Finally I can stop looking for a pickup solution for my strat. This pickup has a great balance with the existing stock pickups. I can get the sounds I want out of it, and I'm very satisfied.

Pickup features: Single coil sized humbucker
Impedence or other specs: somebody has to know how to answer this...

Model of guitar or bass: 2001 Fender American Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock delta tone bridge single coil
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Delta Tone single coils
Artists using this pickup: Everyone on this page
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, some heavy rock, most anything guitar-wise...
Reason for pickup change: Single coil got all nasty with lots of distortion and didn't
do heavier distorted licks at all. Needed something bigger..
More bass/mid/boost...

Perceived output level: Believed it to be hotter, heavier, and have a nice humbucker-like tone...
Tone: Big fat bass/mid tones coming out of this thing. Didn't expect it to sound so good distorted. This pickup rocks. Coming from strat single coils, this pickup is amazingly fat. I can't say enough good about the distorted sound...
Sonic evaluation: U.S. Strat(with little '59 in bridge) or a Nashville Deluxe Power Telecaster(MIM) > Hendrix Wah > Danelectro PB&J Delay > Marshall Shredmaster > Music Man HD 130 2x12...
Bassy/Middy... Responds very well to the shredmaster. I thought it had a quiet dead clean sound until I realized I had my amp EQ set for a single coil... So once I turned the treble back up and the bass back down, it showed just how good it was. So much bigger and fatter than the single coil... I would reccomend this to anyone who wants to fatten up their strat. Somehow, this single coil sized pickup, sounds like a humbucker. Clean sound is big, full, and crisp. Distortion can be mean/heavy or bluesy/overdriven.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: My band plays our own original version of rock. We have many different styles in our music... From classic to pop to heavy to some experimental rock. This pickup will easily cover those. I play a lot of different stuff. Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, some jazz, some emo, and even more blues.

Comments: I would buy this pickup again for sure. I have found my ideal strat in this pickup. I've been playing about 6 years and I've gone through many guitars. Epiphone flying V, Gibson SG, Danelectro U2 reissue... I listed my gear up top. This pickup shines on distortion or clean... I can get that sweet humbucker tone in my strat. I really am going to favor this pickup for distortion. The full sustaining sound blows away the single coils. I don't hate anything about this pickup. Full of tone and very versitile. I've been on single coils entirely too long. Don't get me wrong, they shine with their sound, but there's nothing like a good humbucking sound. I actually read a lot of reviews for this and other pickups. I believe I have found a sound I will stick with. My strat has more sound options than ever before. This gets a 10, without a doubt.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Home made strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Texas special bridge
Other pickups on guitar: Texas specials
Artists using this pickup: Couldn't tell you, don't really care
You musical style(s): Used to be blues, now more aggressive stuff.
Reason for pickup change: I like a ballsy sound to a guitar, even a strat, and the Texas Special bridge sounded like a cat fight

Perceived output level: More than a single coil, probably near a real PAF humbucker
Tone: With the pickup angled like it is the pickup had some real biting highs but guess what kids most humbuckers have these neat little screws on them so you can (Drum roll please) ADJUST THE TONE! So I've got this sucker sounding really nice and even, lots of balls and not to peircing highs.
Sonic evaluation: Um well there's my strat into a '66 50w fender bassman, through 4X12s cutom cabnet. And the alternate rig is a 110w solid state marshall through the same cab.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, rock, heavy metal, loud agressive shit

Comments: I'm not one of those guys who just drools over strats, and actually the only reason I built one was because I wanted a guitar with a tremelo but I figured since I got it I might as well make it sound great and this pickup does it. I'm a huge fan of the les paul sound so this pickup was a great suprise. When I got it I thought that it would be an improvement over the single coil it was replacing, but I didn't think it was going to sound like a 59 humbucker. Well I own a 59 humbucker and I had it in the bridge of a les paul for a while and I have to say that Duncan got damned close to that sound. Running through my bass man without any effects, just the raw tube overdrive that strat can get a great Led Zeppelin, or peter greene or who ever, you name it. I put it through the marshall and kick in those more aggressive distortions and it screams and wails and crunches just fine, with a lot of clarity and attack. Its a great pickup. Oh yeah fuck you to the morons who bitch and cry about pickups without trying to adjust the pole pieces (The screws on it you jackass) to get a good sound. Christ this isn't brain surgery.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Lonestar Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Texas special
Other pickups on guitar: texas special in middle, SD pearly gates Plus in bridge
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more sustain and a fatter tone in the neck position.

Perceived output level: Much hotter than Texas Special, not as hot as Pearly Gates.
Tone: balanced tone
Sonic evaluation: Fender strat into a Mesa/Boogie Subway Rocket.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good match for my style of play. It seems to retain the fender strat sound but makes it fatter and sustain better. Adds versatility to the guitar.

Comments: I like this pickup and bought it because I thought it would complement the pickups I already have in the guitar. I also had the guitar custom wired to allow me to split the coils for the out of phase positions and had a capacitor added to each tone pot to make the controls more usable. I am very happy with this set-up and it makes the guitar extremely versatile.

Pickup features: Single Coil Sized Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Dunno

Model of guitar or bass: 70's Strat Reissue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock single coil
Other pickups on guitar: Stock single coils (soon to be Hot Rails)
Artists using this pickup: Who cares? EVH used an old-school PAF in his Frankenstrat. This pickup is supposed to replicate that.
You musical style(s): Hard Rock (Rage Against the Machine style). Old school Ritchie Valens and stuff. Dick Dale, the Ventures, Buddy Holly, etc. I also get into Sabbath every once in awhile.
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more output and a deeper, fuller sound.

Perceived output level: Way more than the stock single coils. Not as much as full 'buckers, but pretty damn close to some.
Tone: Clean - bright...not icepick, just quite trebley, not muddy at all, some bass, not too much mids, but enough. Distortion - It sounds huge! Very balanced, and it seems that the bass really comes through. It sounds sooooo great with my pedals.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using my strat into a Princeton 112 plus (not great, but good enough for another few months). I use a BOSS MT-2, BOSS PW-3 or PW-2 (can't remember which), BOSS FZ-3, and Mr. Crybaby. It sounds really good. I love it. I'll probably move it into the middle position, so that in positions 2 and 4 it'll even out the bassy hot rails some. Would that work (I'm a newbie in the hot-rodding/pickup replacement game.) E-mail me if you know.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I get anywhere and everywhere with this pickup. Of course if you want the "Hammet sound" you're not gonna get it dead on if you just buy his pickups, so you'd better have the money lyin' around to buy a shit-load of Mesa stacks. Try to find a balance. Try to be original. This pickup is very well made and is something most people who pick up their guitar with a serious and honest ear should consider.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, I'd probably get another. I've been playing for around 4 or 5 years. Probably 5. I love the sound I get with this. It's really quite versatile. Don't let the '59 part of the name fool you into thinking it's just old-school. I mean, yeah, it excels there, but it's not an exclusive "dawn of rock 'n roll" pickup. I like it a lot.

Pickup features: Single coil sized passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: go to www.seymourduncan.com/website/tonechart.html

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Strat w/ replacement 22 fret neck and custom wiring job
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock single coil
Other pickups on guitar: stock single coils
Artists using this pickup: me and anyone else reviewing it here
You musical style(s): rock, blues, gospel, just about anything I hear that I like
Reason for pickup change: Stock single coil bridge pickup was pretty thin and had way to much hum with any amount of gain.

Perceived output level: Definitely hotter than stock single coil, slightly less than full size humbucker output
Tone: Nice treble and upper mids, bass response is strong but subtle. Clean sounds still sound like a Strat but are fuller and deeper. Distortion is great, the mids and highs give plenty of bite and the bass rounds out the sound nicely. It still retains that Strat tone but with a smoother edge and no hum at all. It doesn't make the Strat sound like a Les Paul but it does add that humbucker fullness. String response can be punchy or subtle depending on how you adjust the pole pieces. With the gain cranked a little the sustain on the notes is improved and the natural upper harmonics seem to just peek out from behind the fundamental giving that shred-ready sound. Responds to different picking and fretting styles well.
Sonic evaluation: Modified Strat run straight in to a Crate GFX-15 for practice purposes. I have wired the guitar for an auto coil-tap in the bridge\middle postion and installed a toggle switch to add in the bridge or neck pickup in any postion, 500K pots all around, wired for single master volume, single master tone, and the third pot used for blend with the toggle switch. I can still get the in-between quack postions and the toggle allows me to couple neck and bridge for that tele sound. I get a lot of sonic versatility out of this rig. This pickup seems a little weak when split in parallel with the middle pickup but is wonderful when combined full humbucking with the stock singles. I doesn't overpower the singles but seems to tighten up the top and bottom. It sounds really good through a Peavey Ultra 212, very warm and breaks up just right. This pickup is a good match for a Strat. It dramatically improves the distorted sound of the Strat but it really shines when used with the single coils either clean or just slightly dirty. You can get heavy sounds out of it but it seems better suited to moderate gain to clean applications. Very open sounding, nice classic humbucker roundness.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for rock or blues, possibly for country with the right amp. Wouldn't try it for metal/industrial (more noise than tone) applications, it doesn't really drive hard enough for that. The Strat bridge would never be good for jazz no matter what you have in there. Think 70's to 80's rock sound. I can get a decent SRV sound with the neck and this pickup parallel.

Comments: First of all, if it were stolen I'd be pretty upset because I've put a lot of time and effort into building this Strat just the way I want it. If I had to replace it, I'd go the same route. This pickup is a great match for a Stratocaster, IMHO. I have a Les Paul that I play also. I've been playing for about 10 years and have used a lot of stuff. This is the best investment I've ever made in this Strat!

Pickup features: Hum
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Standard Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Stock, Hot Rails
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Middle of the road
Reason for pickup change: Suggestion of sales staff at store. Reviews on this board. Change is good.

Perceived output level: Middle; about 30% less than Hot Rails
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: -Using '64 Fender Bassman. Marshall 25th 2x12.
- This pickup is beautiful. I had no idea a pickup could sound so good. Instantly made my entire setup sound much better. Volume is balanced over entire frequency range. Very sweet mids. Does not crunch like a Hot Rails, not a lot of harmonics, but responds so well to distortion.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock. Good Match. This pickup could probably do anything. Maybe not for really exaggerated tones; maybe not metal.

Comments: Would buy 10 of them if I had the money.
Couple years. Digital Metalizer, MeatBox, some rack stuff.
Love everything about it.
Compared to other similar Duncan Pickups on their trial CD.
It's THE sound.
I haven't tried the bridge version, but I'm glad I have a Hot Rails in the bridge if I need a bit more crunch, harmonics, bass & volume.
Thanks to all the people posting on this board. This is exactly the sound I was looking for

Pickup features: Passive single coil size humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standart Stratocaster (alder body, maple neck)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender custom shop Texas Special
Other pickups on guitar: Texas Specials
Artists using this pickup: ?????, some might use full size one...
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, hard rock, surf...
Reason for pickup change: Texas Special sounded too thin, trebly...io. useless for bridge position, quite fine for neck and middle.

Perceived output level: Hotter than Texas Specials, not too much. It can be ussefull to have louder bridge pickup.
Tone: Tone is just perfect for me, smooth but still bright. Difinitely not too bright. I tried little JB, it was too bassy. 59 was the one for me.
Sonic evaluation: I use it with Peavey Classic 30 (I have changed preamp tubes for smoother sound) and Ibanez Analog Delay AD99 and Ibanez TS10 tube Screamer. Seems to be perfect match.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for blues, rock, 70's heavy metal?, hard rock. Not for any harder.

Comments: As I said, this is perfect bridge pickup for me. I don't need to look out for any better sounding one. Maybe I should to also one for neck...