Seymour Duncan Little '59

Single coil sized humbucker.

I put it in a classic 60's strat. To get a nice tone in the bridge pickup.

I played it through my Matchless SC-30 (1992).

I don't like it. I feel that the description Seymour gives is a misrepresentation. I play rock, blues, jazz, and country.
Led Zeppelin and Hendrix are as heavy as I go playing wise.

If you have a natural sounding amp that doesn't color the tone of your favorite guitars (like a Matchless or Vox) you probabaly won't like this. If you go for that dimed Marshall sound, or have drastic tone controls on your amp or a heavily colored circuit ( Fender HR Deluxe, blues jr. etc.) maybe it'll work fine.

It's a weird beast. It has a similar feel and response to a real full sized PAF humbucker, but the over all resonant frequency is an annoying, ever present, underlying nasty high midrange.

I promise you, plug one in to something hi fi like your P.A., and listen to what your working with, it's nasal and awful. Believe me every little link in your tone should sound good, having to compensate down the line is NOT how your favorite artists recorded.

The ad says....
"designed to impart the warm, smooth tone of an old Patent Applied For humbucker" That's bull. It doesn't have the nice scooped mids of a strat pickup, or the brown sound resonant frequeny of a PAF...
It's not Ice picky, but it is FAR from sweet.
If a PAF had a nose and you put a closepin on it , and removed the protein from it's diet until it lost 70% of it's muscle. You'd be left with the little 59.

Been playing 25 years. Pro. Berklee Alum. From a family of recording engineers. I've owned tons of great vintage and boutique stuff. My favorite pickups are Lindy Fralin Paf, and Lollar single coils.
I paid just as much for this pickup from an "Online Ebay store" as I would have from the Guitar Center, and didn't realize there was a no return policy. Not too happy.

A good trick is to role back your volume knob until most of the mid hump is gone , Also raise ONE of the coils pole pieces into a staggered pattern, leaving the other coils screws FLAT. It will sound brighter, but way less Hi-mid rangey.

If you haven't bought one yet....
Do yourself a favor, Have a tech route out your strat and throw in a full sized Fralin. Have him put all 3 pickups on the neck PU's tone knob, and change the mid tone knob to your bridge pups volume control.

You'll sound like Robbie robertson instead of some weird fake "little 59" bullsh*t.

I'm taking off a couple more points for misrepresentation in ads.

Humbucker in SC-size.

I'm playing a "Tommys Special Guitars" - a custom strat from Viersen, Germany. Original: Neck=Duckbucker; Middle=Vintage Rails; Bridge=Jeff Beck Jr. Now it is: Neck=Little '59; Middle=Duckbucker; Bridge=Phat Cat.

The Little '59 is a very versatile and awesome PU. By splitting I reach an authentic strat-sound. The tone knob on 6 o'clock will result in a very fat jazz-sound, but I also use it for hi-gain lead sounds.

I'm very happy with my new PU. It has a similar output to the SD "Phat Cat", but is a lot more versatile. The "Phat Cat" will be changed with a SD "P-Rails".

Its a single sized humbucker pickup, passive.

Used on the bridge position of a California Fat Tele.
Replaced the tex-mex stock pickup with this one after it broke.
My other pickup is a SD Jazz Model on the neck. California Fat Tele's use a humbucker size pickup for the neck pickup.

I've been playing for 20 years. This pickup sounds amazing on my California Fat Telecaster on the bridge. I was looking to buy a Hot Rod but there were no more left on the store at that moment, so I got this almost by accident but I don't regret it. Great thick and powerful sound without a doubt, not very hot so no use for metal which I don't mind. Great for rock, country and blues. As single coil position it will give a clearer and trebly tone and at full use it will boost the bass. I use it only for distorted sounds, as I only use my neck pickup (Seymour Duncan Jazz Model) for clean sounds.

I have never tried it on the neck as some people suggest.. My Tele's neck pickup requires a full humbucker sized pickup. No need though, 'cause the Jazz Model gives me the clean tone I love and the California Fat Tele offers a 5 position switch therefore I enjoy a nice variety of sounds by splitting both pickups.

I would buy it again or maybe get something else, who knows...
I've played this pickup mostly with Mesa Boogie Recto Recording Preamp and Mesa Boogie F-30 combo.
Very satisfied with this pickup.

This is a 4 wire humbuck made to fit a single coil faceplate.
I measured the impedence, if I remember right it measured out around 12k.

I put it in a bastard strat. I used a Mexican body, a Korean neck, and have replaced most of the electronics.
I originally had 3 EMG selects in this instrument.
I replaced the neck EMG with the 59, and the bridge pickup with a Lace Sensor. That being the situation, I can easily make comparisons between the three.

I like EMG pickups for recording, they have a nice tone quality and are deathly quiet. But they are just not spectacular live. They are good live, but I wanted to put a guitar together that does everything I need. I do a lot of rock era music, a lot of blues, and a fair amount of chicken pickin country, so I need versitility.
I also wanted a much hotter gainy sound.

The output level is really quite high for a passive pickup. It is probably a good 40% more than the EMG ( the EMGs are not very hot, they tend to be rather low output) and at least 25% hotter than the Lace Sensor.

I used this at a gig saturday night through an 80 watt Crate tube hybrid combo, 1x12.

The tone to this pickup is really kind of hard to define.
Years ago I had a Seymour Duncan invader which is the very worst pickup I have ever heard short of old Teisco pickups. The thing was all midrange, all output and no tone.
The Little 59 seems to sound a lot like the invader, but with much better tone. Rather than sounding all midrange, it has a very wide frequency range. It does sacrifice some tone to get the output level, but it has plenty of low end.
I can best describe it by saying that the low end is there, but the mids and highs have a great deal more presence. The lows almost no presence.
It is not really the ideal pickup for blues because it does not have the warmth. The highs need to be rolled back a great deal to get a blues kind of warmth.
On the other hand, its very high output makes for a huge sustainy type of sound. I played this at home while setting the guitar up through a solid state amp on the clean channel, and it sustained and grunted as if I was playing through a tube screamer.
This pickup can be made to be great for blues. I will have to rewire the dead tone control on my strat to it. I normally disable the tone contro to the neck pickup on strats, I will need it back now.
As it is, I can get something akin to a very early ZZ TOP kind of squack from it.

This guitar no longer sounds like a strat. It sounds like no guitar I have ever heard when I use pickup combinations.
I have my strat wired so I can have the neck and bridge on together, and the little 59 and the Lace Sensor compliment each other quite well. I can also have all 3 pickups on, and I get a very strange almost out of phase swamp tone that way.

This pickup would be great for getting rock era sounds like Humble Pie and the Stones and like that from, because it has that very in your face high gain presence.
I also think it would be good in the bridge pickup for country leads, because it has such a present high and midrange sound.
I split the coil with a toggle switch, and as a single coil it sounds pretty much identical to with both coils, just a little thinner and about a 25% drop in output. The drop in output was not as drastic as in most bucks that you can split the coils.

The highs are not overwhelming or biting in spite of their very obvious spike in presence.

Pretty good pinch harmonics. You gotta find them, but they are there.

I also noticed that in the neck position, it sounds more like a for a rough comparison, what a Les Paul sounds like with the switch in the center position, that kind of almost bright but almost bluesy sound at the same time. Which is why it would not be ideal for a blues purist.

I also couldn't get it to feedback with the amp cranked while standing right in front of it... which to me is a detriment. I like to use feedback to sustain notes.
This really suprised me, the pickup sounds on the verge of being microphonic ( which is what I love about it, that is a hard sound to find). It should go into unctonrollable feedback when close to the amp, and it does not. Which is good, but I wish it would be just microphonic enough to get some squeel.
For what it does, it is easily an 8.

I don't know if I would replace it or not. I got it very cheap in a swap. I don't see the point in putting a gazillion bucks in pickups, I have had a good reputation as a local musician for years using stock pickups. I have an active EMG loaded strat and this one had passive EMGs and now this, but I still sound pretty much the same no matter what I use.
I have been playing for I think going on 44 years now, and have a ton of gear.
I like the pickup as it is, I did expect it to have fatter tone, and wish it had a broader and darker sound. But the sacrifice in tone is worth what I have gained in overall beef and reaction. It is a very reactive pickup.
I don't think there is a "that sound" in a pickup.
That sound comes from my mind and fingers, pickups can only embellish it a little. This one does not do so any better or worse than anything else I have, from stock korean pickups to my 300 bucks worth of david gilmour active EMGs ( I got a deal of the entire setup on ebay, I wouldn't have payed 300 bucks for it).

I wouldn't pay 90 bucks for any pickup. I wouldn't have this one if not for a trade I made. I like the guitar as it is and will keep it as it is, but I have tons of guitars and wouldn't go out of my way to replicate this one.

This is a passive humbucking pickup in a single coil format, no cover needed necessarily. Model name is SL59-1. Like PAF in single coil format. Ment to be a replacement for stock pickups or for a guitar builder as a (single) part. Impedance DC is 9.86k for the neck model and 11.78k for the bridge. Resonant peak is neck 5.8 KHz and bridge 4.6 KHz. Can be used in parallel and as a single coil because there are 4 connectors. According to specs the EQ is quite moderate 7/5/6 (Treb/Mid/Bass) so no any particular con??s or pro??s but can be little trebly in the bridge.

I have a Squier Deluxe series satin trans strat and I have this pickup in both neck and bridge. The first one was already in the bridge when I got the guitar. It sounded so great that I decided to take another along although the Everything Axe set was in mind. I replaced the stock pickups that were quite ok but I wanted something more edge and punch to my sound as a 2nd guitarist in our band. The middle pickup is Duckbucker. I also have an another Fender Lite Ash Strat with quite similar setup Everything Axe so this is ideal for the bridge for brighter sound or to neck as a solo sound. Fits perfectly with the Duckbucker. Don??t use only Duckbuckers necessarily! I have no opinion about those all in every positions, but I quess Little ??59 is better in neck/bridge.

I think this is very widely used replacement pickup at the moment. players Bill Frisell, Audley Freed / Cry of Love & Black Crowes, Courtney Love, Jake Kelly / Gary Allan, Jon Hudson / Faith No More, Brad Fordham / Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Kelly Willis, Ron Laster / James Brown, Glen Campbell and me!!!

The output is reasonable, not too bright in bridge, very good in neck and in every tone settings that I use in my modeling amp Line6 Flextone III XL. I have bunch of effects and works fine with them. Perfect tone balance for both bridge and neck. I play mostly dance music, pop/rock/blues. I think you could set your guitar with these in every slot but especially N/B setting is good. Maybe I wouldn??t place this in middle, maybe too much output.

If this was destroyed I would put another in the bridge or maybe Jeff Beck junior model SJBJ-1.
I have been playing for 20 years actively and I own also acoustic and quite similar electric with Everything Axe set that I am going to review later after having played for few gigs. But in all this is more better pickup than the reviews here or somewhere else tell you. The price is reasonable and there aren??t too many manufacturers in this kind of models. If you like good sound but like no hum this could be your choice in mind.

Single sized humbucker.

Used in each position of a American Standard Stratocaster. Replaced the stock pickups. I bought two of these, and left one stock pickup in at at time, first in the middle, and then switched to the neck.

Love the feel of Strats, but sound a little thin compared to my humbucking guitars.

I was hoping to be able to play jazzy stuff on the neck pickup, and some crunchy old R&R on the bridge.

Output--balanced with the stock PU well.

Used with Fender Hot Rod Deluxe & Mesa F30 & Music Man RD112 Fifty.

Tone--A little muddy at the neck, not nearly as defined as a larger humbucker. I have an Epiphone G400, not a 59 Les Paul, but the difference was still clear. These basically sound as big as single coils. It's not a bad sound, just not what I felt was advertised.

They DO buck hum, but they don't have the tone. I found they had more tone in the mid position, and the Bridge was a pretty good fit for higher gain stuff.

When combined, I found they had quack. Again, not bad, but are 2 humbuckers supposed to quack? I don't think so.

I'm taking these out. I may put the Bridge back in (I'm not wild about the stock fender bridge PU), it performed okay but I'm not thrilled overall with these. They don't have a very rich tone.

If Hum is your main concern, these will work fine. If you want a Fender that sounds like a Gibson, it's just not going to happen with the Lil 59. In SD's defense, I recently played a double fat Strat with full sized humbuckers, and that sounded like a Strat, too, not a Gibson. So maybe it's not the pickup's fault, but the wood, scale, hardware, etc.

Again, these don't sound bad, but they are muddier than single coils and weaker than full sized humbuckers. Better to go with the Strat's strength & get a good set of single coils (I'm looking into Fralin Vintage Hot or Blues Specials) if you want to upgrade, and get a Gibson if you want a Gibson sound.

I've been using these for about 9 months now. All in all, they didn't really perform as advertized. Even if it's not the pickups fault entirely, I was disappointed in the end. Particularly in the neck & mid position.

single coil with coil tap on tone pot

yahmah pacifica 612v fitted in neck position.replaces stock single coil.Bridge pickup is j.b. full size humbucker and middle has a hot strat stack fitted.Changing the pickup for a fatter higher output.

average output.Playing through a line 6 spider11 150watt combo with express floor pedal.The tone of this pickup has clear highs subdued midds and strong bass.I play in a covers band so nead to get a good cross section of tones.I would recomend this pickup for neck psition only.Not suitable for heavy metal tones.

I would experiment with another pickup if the guitar was stolen.
I have been playing now for aprox 35 years and have tried lots of pickup selections on various guitars.I own a gibson les paul,Two yahmaha pacificas, Yamaha RGX 820Z, fender strat and an old washburn active electric. My inital reaction to this pickup was one of disapointment as i am very familiar with the sound these pickups claim to emulate. However, is does not. It does'nt have the sustain or the fatness of its full size brother and it sounds more like a P90 by nature than a humbucker.This pickup grew on me the more i played it and find its glassy P90 tone perfect for blues as it cuts through nicely without the mushyness from some neck humbuckers.Disapointing and weak when coil tapped but sounds suppisingly good mixed with the middle position. I think this pickup should be called a Mini P90 for strat for a more accurate discription. Of course you need to take into account the guitars tonal contribution also.If you are looking for a distincive P90 sound from your strat this might be the pickup for you.

Humbucker with coil split. I think the impedance was around 8K.

I had these on one of my earlier strats in the neck and middle positions. They replaced the stock strat pickups when I was experimenting with humbuckers. There was a JB Jr in the bridge.

This is definitely not a humbucker tone. Out of all the SD humbuckers I have tried, this sounds more like a sweet old single coil pickup than anything else. Yeah it's fatter sounding than true single coils but it's no way close to a HB sound. There's quite nice definition of the bass and treble notes, not mushy or boomy like other humbuckers. It's ok with mild overdrive, but doesnt like heavy fuzz type distortion.

I used to play it thru a Blues Jr with an OD and a delay in the chain. Sweet sounding pickups.

Nice pups, but I wanted something with more true single coil sound, so I ultimately ditched these. BUT... these pickups sound sweet and nice in their own way, and they are great to fatten up the sound of a very bright strat.

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: Single Coil-Sized Humbucker

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez SA160QM
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock AS-1 Neck Pickup
Other pickups on guitar: SD Full Shred in the bridge and a stock AS-2 in the middle
Artists using this pickup: Can't think of any from the top of my head
You musical style(s): Progressive Metal, Rock, Blues, Jazz, anything.
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a better pickup in the neck with some character in it. Wanted to eliminate annoying hum.

Perceived output level: Hot, but nowhere near as hot as a Hot Rails
Tone: Bassy, fat, warm, but has the perfect mids and treble to give crisp lows and warm highs. NOT a Humbucker Sound!!
Sonic evaluation: As of right now, I am running this guitar into an Ernie Ball 6166 Volume Pedal into the FX Loop of a Spyder 2 212. The tone I am getting from this neck pickup is pure bliss to my ears.
Although SD claims the Lil' 59 to have a humbucker sound, it really doesn't. The thing I love about this pickup is that it has that great single coil attack, bite, and warmth, but can also get some great dynamics of a humbucker. Here's a short description of the type of tone I'm getting using a Hi-gain setting:
Strings 4-6 (D,A,E): Has that "Hot Rails feel" to it. Very crisp, bassy, but warm, fat, and clear. All the notes cut through perfectly and the harmonics sound great!
Strings 1-3 (e,B,G): Very warm, can get a woman-like tone if you roll the tone knob back a bit. Once again, crisp, clear, fat notes. Sounds a bit like a DiMarzio Air Norton on the higher strings, but with that single coil bite and feel to it. Very sensitive to dynamics and cuts through the mix well.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Progressive Metal, Rock, Blues, Jazz. This pickup can do anything. It may be too bassy for people searching for a twangy tone, but for anything else this pickup can do it with ease.

Comments: If this pickup was destroyed or stolen, I'd hunt that thief down and destroy him. This pickup is incredible, and completed my quest for my "Dream Tone." Currently, I have the perfect clean, rhythm, and lead tones and I am extremely satisfied with my decision to purchase this pickup. I have been playing for almost 4 years and I have done my research, this pickup can do anything you want it to do. As far as something I hate about it, there really isn't anything considering I have my dream tones, but I wish it sounded a little more full when split.
My recommendation, if you are looking for a Hot Rails sound, but don't want to sacrifice your other pickup's output, get a Lil' 59.

Pickup features: Passive single coil hummy based on '59 PAF
Impedence or other specs: n/a

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender noiseless
Other pickups on guitar: fender noiseless
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): Rock, Shred, Blues, some Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Fender single coil a bit weak in for rock, though it is an EXCELLANT pickup but not for my style. If I want bluesy sounds I can use the Neck and Bridge.

Perceived output level: Hotter than single coil not as hot as the full size PAF. I don't know if this is hotter than the Fender noiseless HOT pickup
Tone: Tone on this PU is a lot of things. It reacts to its adjustment height, any change changes the character of the sound
Sonic evaluation: When using SD PU height suggestion, I HATED the sound of this PU. Way too mush shrill on high E. Too grainy not enough delineation of tones from each string as I would expect from a PAF and a Strat. BUT once it's adjusted it sounds very near a PAF, I tried it! MY LP has a PAF in the Bridge, the Strat sounds similiar with some differences.
The first difference the little PAF does not distort as easily as its big brother. Because this PU is on a Strat , it's not a biggie. When in distortion the sound is well articulated, more so than on my LP. I'm thinking this is because of the guitar being a Strat, and maybe the PU. Clean the PU has a bell like quality like a single coil. I couldn't be happier with the sound of this PU.
As I stated earlier, when the PU was first played it was a sonic horror - too much noise, too shrill, not enough clarity.
To take care of the noise, I wrapped all the hookup wires behind the pickguard with alunimum foil and then insulated with electrical tape. I even lined the routing where the input jack attaches with foil.
The height of the coil was adjusted -- Treble side is 3/32" from the pickguard, Bass Side is 3/16" from low E string. The individual pole screws are set staggered as Fender coils.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, Rock, Shred and some Jazz,, Great for most music styles except metal

Comments: Yes I would repace this PU if anything happened
Been playing for 5 years
Compared to Fender noisless , no contest
My LP with PAF, the other LP with P90 and this Strat with the little '59 nails the sound I'm looking for.To be honest, I didn't know what to expect from this PU, but IT sings to me.

Pickup features: mini humbuck for Strat
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender MIM Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender noiseless
Other pickups on guitar: Fender noiseless
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, Hard Rock, Shred
Reason for pickup change: Wanted an edgier sound

Perceived output level: louder than stock, edger than the noiseless
Tone: bas and treble are accuanted, mids are a little subdued
Sonic evaluation: I have an LP with the larger version. Sonic differences to be sure. I wasn't sure what I wanted from this PU, though the Fender noiseless in the bridge wasn't what I wanted. This PU is not as articulate as the one in my LP, but close enough, thats is not a bad thing. It does sound like a hummy and is a bit out of character for a strat. My problem with it it is NOISEY. Very un expected. noisier than the Fender noiseless. Not a HUM but a BUZZ. I think the issues the the thin cheap cables, not in the same league as its bigger brother's braided cable. I like the sound by itself. The switch on position 4-5 yielded something quite unexpected, a belll like single coil sound that is very smooth. It may be due to the interaction between the noiseless and '59 but the sound is very appealing.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: bluse, shred, rock

Comments: The problem when buying pu's once they are installed, you can't exchange them, at least when buying from GC. That's too bad. if you don't like the sound of the guitar you take home, it can be exchanged or money refunded. with PUs its buyer beware.
I like this one, the sound is what I'm looking for, but it's more noisier than expected, my main beef with the product and the real thin wiring for that I give it an 8

Pickup features: single coil sized humbucker
Impedence or other specs: unsure

Model of guitar or bass: fender usa 1959 re-issue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock usa 1959 re-issue bridge
Other pickups on guitar: stock usa 1959 re-issue pickups
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): blues / rock
Reason for pickup change: looking for more versitility and hunbucker sounds from guitar / better crunch and distortion

Perceived output level: Slightly hotter than a stock strat pickup
Tone: Thin / Reedy / Dead Sounding when used clean. Sounds Quacky.
Sonic evaluation: Was using a standard 1959 usa re-issue fender strat into a 60 Watt Marshall TSL Valve Amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock and Blues - Unsuitable as an upgrade due to poor sound

Comments: I bought this a few years ago as an upgrade for my strat bridge pickup which as you may know is glassy and brittle sounding on the early usa re-issues. I wanted something to allow for Zepplin style lead and chops and to add a new sound to the strat.
I was very dissapointed with this pickup. It has a very thin, cheap sound which is brittle sounding when clean and lacks the touch sensitivity that a good pickup will give. Has neither the depth of clean tone given by a weaker pickup winding, or the full on drive of a hotter wound pickup. When compared to the Mc Carty bridge on My PRS swamp ash, it sounds weak and has a fraction of the depth and definition. I suppose it's a drawback of the size of the pickup mainly and perhaps I was expecting too much due to the Seymore Duncan reputation and promotional info on the website. Go for a nice hot single coil of have your old one re-wound and save yourself ?50! Or Bite the Bullet, Get the guitar router out and buy a new scratch plate and go for a real humbucker.

Pickup features: humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: telecaster (japan '86)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock's
Other pickups on guitar: lace sensor gold on neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock-jazz/fusion (Stern,Ford,...)
Reason for pickup change: low quality stock pickup

Perceived output level: high level output
Tone: middy/trebly but nasal
Sonic evaluation: Laney tf200, Marshall jcm 900, Brave amps; Boss OD2, Boss CE-5 chorus, Ibanez delay, wha-wha

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock-jazz/fusion - almost good match

Comments: I was looking for a good and versatile pickup with more power than the stock pu without loosing the brigth neck position tele sound. I splitted the humbucker so i reach a good compromise but the clean humbucker is ORRIBLE. A little bit better as single coil.For dist is quite good but i will try another one as soon as possible (no Seymour) still humbucker! FORGET the real Tele sound if not splitted. P.S. the sound is brigther (thin) than the sample in Seymour's site

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mexican Standard Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stanard Mexican Pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Standard Mex Pups
Artists using this pickup: Me for the moment...
You musical style(s): bit of blues through to heavy(ish) rock and all that lies inbetween
Reason for pickup change: Standard coil was too weak. Wanted something to make the guitar rock a bit harder.

Perceived output level: Subtle, but noticably louder than standard pups.
Tone: Fairly balanced.
Sonic evaluation: Been playing for three years (so lack some experience). Play through Line 6 Flextone 2 through the mesa model. Compared to the old pup, It is a bit thicker sounding, quite creamy really. When playing distorted lead (solos and stuff) It sounds harder and cuts through the mix better. When on clean, It distorts ever so slightly where the old pup wouldn't. I was a bit dissapointed with this as I liked the old pup on the clean as it was bright and sparkly. This is a bit more dull and lacks a little bite when playing ska and other sparkly clean stuff. But it does sound nice when you roll the volume back a bit, on the clean, quite warm for a bridge pick up on a strat.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A strat and a Little '59 will cover just about any style (not sure about metal) and sounds good while doing it.

Comments: Been playing three years (maybe not long enough to give the most accurrate of reviews) but nevertheless i do like this pick up. Its not quite as bright which is often a good thing, and it does make a genuine improvement to the guitars sound. But it hasn't solved my tone search, but thats really because its the wrong guitar for me, a les paul or humbucker loaded tele would suit better. It does make an improvement, I wouldn't get another one if it was stolen simply because i'd prefer a new guitar, but i would congratulate the thief for having such good taste, then i'd beat him/her to a pulp then take it back.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: check out seymourduncan.com

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Telecaster Standard Fat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: SH-2 Jazz in the neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues/Rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups that Squier has in their guitars are awful. The single coil that was in the bridge of my Tele was so tinny that it had no twang or bite--it was just a horrendous trebly sound that I hated.

Perceived output level: This thing is hot for its size. Its got the kick and bite of a humbucker but still the hard-edged twang you want in a Tele.
Tone: Great mids and strong treble without being overbearing. The bass output is mediocre.
Sonic evaluation: I play my Tele> Jekyll and Hyde Overdrive> Boss chorus> Arion SAD3 delay> custom built 50 watt amp loaded with a Celestion Vintage speaker. I LOVE THIS PICKUP! It seems like its made for my setup. I put a Seymour Duncan Jazz in the neck, so this rocks as a lead pickup. Tone to die for. Some hum, but its very slight and I could care less because this pickup oozes vintage blues tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: My Visual Sound's Jekyll and Hyde overdrive pedal is an amazing stompbox. Especially for the blues/rock style I mostly play. But I don't wanna lay down the $500 plus that it would take to buy a guitar that does it justice. These pickups (Jazz in the neck, Little '59 in the bridge) are what me and my pedal have been searching for. The tonal combination of these pickups and my rig are amazing. They've made me into a new man!

Comments: Everybody needs a guitar with a Little '59 in their bridge. The difference in quality tone I'm getting is unbelievable. Squier's stock pickups are crap. Plain and simple: they suck. But I love my little Tele. So rather than having to wait til I could afford a five or six or seven or (you get my point) hundred dollar guitar, I spent $175 and had these two SD pickups put in it by a local Fender dealer. More than worth it. Don't hesitate to get one for yourself!

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Black Horse Guitars
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio VirtuAl 2
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio VirtuAl 2, DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, Funk, Fusion
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a humbucking sound with coil tap to single coil sound.

Perceived output level: Beefy single coil sound.
Tone: Definately not a humbucker sound. Noisy, Noisy, Noisy!
Sonic evaluation: My guitar is a chambered mahogany body with a maple top. The neck is sandwiched between the top and body(glued-in). I'm using a Mesa Mk IV widebody woody amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: This is where I have a problem with this pickup. I was hoping to get A nice humbucker sound in series and single coil in parallel. Instead, it sounds like a beefy single coil. It's not a bad sounding pickup. In fact, I really like the sound. It just doesn't do what it's advertised to do. It's not even close to sounding like a humbucker. And I've played a '59 'burst.
With some eq I can get some thicker sounds but the attack is wrong. With the phase reversed the sound is so tiny that it's unusable. I checked the wiring several times thinking that was the problem.
I could live with this pickup and use it very effectively if it weren't so noisy. When I switch to the DiMarzios there is dead silence. Eerie silence, until you play something. Then you know the problem is the Duncan. I've had other Duncans and loved them but a DiMarzio is going back in. Perhaps a Solo for the neck.
SD ought to rename this pickup 'cause it doen't sound like a '59 Humbucker. Maybe they mean a '59 P-90.

Pickup features: Humbucker (Single Coil size), Passive
Impedence or other specs: 11.78k in bridge, 9.86k in neck. Nothing huge... ;)

Model of guitar or bass: Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender Lace Gold
Other pickups on guitar: SD Little '59 in neck and American Fender Strat in Middle
Artists using this pickup: No one I know of
You musical style(s): Various, so I needed versatility. Hard rock to blues.
Reason for pickup change: Not everyone can afford to use a different guitar for each song they do, so I needed as much versatility in one guitar as I could get.

Perceived output level: On par with the American Series Fender Strat single coil I have in the middle position
Tone: Well balanced. Smoother and more even than the Standard strat pickup. I was very surprised to find out that the Little '59 sounded sooooooo similar to the Fender Lace Golds. That's not a bad thing, but I wasn't expecting it.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a 30 watt Valve amp, and sometimes use a Boss GX-700 for extra effects.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, Classic rock, progressive rock, new school punk. Suitable for the softer options, not progressive.

Comments: I bought the pickups to add versatility to the guitar, and I didn't get a whole lot extra! I do have to say that I really like the sound. The mids are punchy (the joy of EL84 valves) but the bottom end could have been a bit tighter. With the right finger movements you can still get the bell-like sounds I loved in the Laces.
In my search for tone I have been through the following pickups:
Fender Standard strat: we all know what they sound like... ;)
Fender lace gold: VERY nice, but limited.
EMG SA: During my Dave Gilmour phase. Also nice, but limited. I like the neck pickups, but the bridge was skinny, and I couldn't mix active and passive to get a better bridge.
Dimarzio DSD-1: Good bridge pickup, but stolen by my brother. I prefer the little '59 anyway...
Of all the above, the little '59 is the most versatile, and that's what I was asking for. My final option I might try would be to put the bridge Little '59 into the middle and put a hot rails in the bridge for the progressive rock side of things.
I like this pickup. It doesn't cover enough string space to get the sound of a full humbucker, but it does enough of a good job to keep me happy. I can now get any sound I want, except for that "smokey" type of cruncky sound that you need a bright pickup for.
I would get them again. I highly recommend it.

Pickup features: passive hunbucker to replace strat single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Stratocaster (MIM)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Fender pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Fender neck and middle pickups
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a more versatile guitar. Needed a humbucker sound for a fatter tone.

Perceived output level: Hotter than stock but still agood match with stock pickups
Tone: definitely less trebly than the stock Fender pickup. This pickup does a great job of putting the classic humbucker sound into your Strat without having to resort to a router. I?ve never played a real ?59 PAF humbucker, so I can?t confirm or deny the accuracy of its tone verses the original, however when you consider the small size that this pickup has to fit into they?ve done a hell of a good job getting THAT SOUND..
Sonic evaluation: I play this Strat through a Traynor Custom valve 40 watt and a Marshall MG 15 watt. This pickup does a great job of giving your Strat that classic humbucker sound. It won?t turn your Strat into a Les Paul since the Strat?s wood is different and the narrow width of the pickup can?t cover a much string area as a full size humbucker, but it gets amazingly close.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All styles of rock except metal

Comments: This is a great pickup. It added that fat humbucker sound to my Strat. Blends exceptionally well with the other pickups. Would buy another one in a heart beat .

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: seymourduncan.com says: D.C. Resistance is 17.0k, Resonant peak is 3.4khz. Ceramic magnet, moderate output.

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Telecaster (MIM)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender bridge single coil pickup.
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Fender neck pickup.
Artists using this pickup: ? Don't know? Don't really care :)
You musical style(s): Classics (Country, Blues, Rock and Roll) to Hard Rock (AC/DC, Ozzy, theCult etc)
Reason for pickup change: Weak stock p'up. I have another MIM Tele Standard and it has an awesome stock p'up, an unusual quality control slip-up I guess gave me a crappy one this time. I felt it would be cool to give a Tele a humbucker this time :)

Perceived output level: Output was hotter than the stock p'up, but not hotter than most vintage PAF style hums. Moderate output (like a classic 50's humbucker, NOT like a SuperDistortion).
Tone: Alot more bass and mid than the stock p'up. Read bout the custom switch below, for more tonal description.
Sonic evaluation: I use a Peavey Classic 50 4x10" and a Fender Blues Junior. I replaced the tele 3-way switch with a custom 5-way switch (regular Strat switches WON'T WORK for this mod, you will need a SuperSwitch) from guitarelectronics.com. They also have printable pickup wiring diagrams on their site (including this one). This allows me to coil split the Little '59 without adding mini switches, push/pull pots, etc.
While the Lil'59 uses a ceramic magnet it still captures the Alnico5 classic humbucker sound very well. It doesn't exactly match them in dynamics, but it has it's own dynamic (not the usual for a ceramic, but not EXACTLY like an Alnico either). It has a good classic dynamic in that it allows you to get "your sound" out of it... it likes tube amps. It has it's own distinct sound, but can be shaped and molded pretty easily just by adjusting your amp's EQ. Distorts nicely, not exactly like a classic, but still classic (whaa? hehe). It's clean is fat and "honky" with pronounced mids and a good deal of bass. The brochures will say "reminiscent of an old '59 Patent Applied For humbucker mixed together with a healthy dose of beefed up Tele? twang". This doesn't seem true to me! It saps it's twang and replaces it with a classic Gibson sound to my ears. Not bad, but I already have a couple of Gibsons. To get my Tele twang back I installed the custom switch :)
With the switch I can get any combo of pickups with the Lil'59 as a single coil or as a humbucker. This I think is it's best quality, the ability to coil split with the 4conductor wires. In single coil mode it sounds convincing as a nice stock tele bridge p'up (kinda like a Texas Tele), in humbucker mode it sounds similar to my '57 ReissueLesPaul except with a little more punch and bass. I can have it single coil with the neck or humbucker and neck, single coil by itself, etc. This makes the guitar a classic tone machine! A classic late 50's Gibson and FenderTele all in one!
Now that the switch gave me back my TWANG, I'm very happy with this guitar. The only drawback (and reason it won't get a perfect 10) is that the stock neck p'up and the humbucking mode both have more volume, weight and output than the Lil'59 in single coil mode. This results in a noticeable volume drop (not too drastic though) with switching from hum-to-single. This also results in the neck being a little more prominent in the blending of the two when the Lil'59 is in single coil mode. There's no way around this... even with other guitars/pickups. This is a common scenario across the board, so it's not really a negative for this pickup :)
The Blues Jr. was a little bit more responsive to the different pickup changes, it sounded very good in both of my amps though! I NEVER use any effects. I do use a wah pedal occasionally though. I'm one of those bastard classic purists ("distortion doesn't come in a box, it comes from your amp being spanked hard"). This pickup likes to be shaped into "your tone". It can be AngusYoung-ish or close to Keef Richards.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play country, blues, RnR, and Hard Rock. This pickup can get them all without changing guitars all the time. I still prefer using my '57Gibson for recording those and a Tele for recording those, but on stage this will run the gamut and in studio it will be distinct enough to use in it's own right.

Comments: If the pickup was lost, I'd replace it with another Lil'59, BUT only in this particular Tele. I love Teles (especially stock classics - got a stock modern and am looking for a 50's Reissue) but this one is my "HotRod". I've been playing for over 10 years, I own 12 guitars all customized (soon to add another Tele), I own 3 amps (had alot more... miss my Marshall JCM800s! and my Vox). I usually dislike SeymourDuncans. To me they all distort nicely, but sound like everyone else (and kind of bland dynamics, not like this Lil'59 though!). I love DiMarzio SuperDistortions! This is the 3rd SeymourDuncan I've owned (I only own 2 now). It is a very nicely designed pickup. Sounds very good and made me reconsider certain SD models.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker in a single coil size package
Impedence or other specs: This is the Strat Bridge Model, color: white

Model of guitar or bass: '57 Reissue Strat: Alder body, Maple neck & fretboard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Vintage Strat single coil
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Alnico Vintage single coils
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: I wanted to get a hotter bridge sound without any hum

Perceived output level: In humbucking mode it's about 50% hotter than Vintage single coils. In tapped mode this pickup isn't quite as loud as a stock single coil.
Tone: Quite middy sounding, with a lack of character. Very uninspiring
Sonic evaluation: I've tried this bridge pickup in the above mentioned guitar with two different amp setups: a real Fender Tweed Deluxe, and a Rocktron Voodu Valve into a Marshall 20/20 through a 2x12 Mesa Cab with Celestion V30's. In both cases I found that there were a lot of mids, a lack of bass, and no high end sparkle. I'm surprised because most pickups sound great through the deluxe. Needless to say, the stock pickup is going back in.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup seriously lacks character. I'm not sure what style it would be suitable for. Maybe Grunge?

Comments: I've been gigging for almost 15 years. I've tried many guitars with many different pickups. However, Seymour Duncan is striking out with me. I've tried & dislike this Little '59 & the Screamin Demon. So far my favorite humbuckers are Dimarzio's Tone Zone & PAF Pro, and my favorite single coils are Fender Vintage reissues & texas specials.

Pickup features: HB in S/C Size. Nice when you dont want to alter your 52 Tele too much
Impedence or other specs: See Semour Duncan Website

Model of guitar or bass: 52 Tele & Strat Neck positions
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Joe Barden "Gatton" Neck
Other pickups on guitar: TB4 full HB Middle (with dpdt), Joe Barden Gatton Bridge
Artists using this pickup: Moi
You musical style(s): These axes used for: Classic Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock, 70-80s Metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed fatter and creamier woman tone on the neck of my 52teles (L59 Neck, TB4 middle, Gatton Barden Bridge) passive 3-way switching, and Custom Strats (EC bodies with SRV Pau Ferro necks, Van Zandt Blues s/c Middle & Bridge)Passive 5 way

Perceived output level: As loud as the TB4 center. Lowered it to below base of neck just above the pickguard
Tone: FFCWT: Fat fucking creamy woman tone, articulate, and very hendrixy
Sonic evaluation: Rig with 5 loops: loop 1: JMP-1, Loop 2: VTwin Sat Tube, Loop 3: Carvin X100B Modded Class A 30 watts Plexi 50 Handwired Circuit, Loop 4: Fender Tonemaster, Loop 5: 5150. Routings, racks, poweramps, etc too complex to list here other than (4ea Palmer PGA-04s, 2x GSP 2101A, 1x MPXG2, 1x PCM80, 4x BBE 462s, 2ea MOSVALVE 500 MV-942, 2EA MOSAVALVE 160 MV-962) 2x GBZ George Lynch 2x12s, 2 4x10s Celestion Blue 10s Tops, P10Qs bottom; and 2 1x15 custom cabs (with Peavey BW Keyboard speakers)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, Blues Rock, Blues, Classic Rock, 70-80s Metal, Hard Rock, New CUNTry, Popular

Comments: It wont get stolen, lost, or becaase I have security road crew who pay for what gets stolen or damaged. Its in their fucking contract. Totally satisfied. These also work very well as 59Neck/TB4 Bridge with dpdt on both on a 3-way p/u switch as I have on two custom shop G&L dual HBs. This combination covers all the essential territory extremely well. 59 Neck, full or Little are fantastic for the neck. I have 59 Bridges (full size) in both my 3p/u Les Pauls with TB4 Middle (dpdt) and 59 Full size neck. Semour nailed the vintage PAF in the bridge 59, and all modern tones in the TB4! This combination rocks for moi beeba! Remeber, its not the size of your dick that counts, ITS THE SIZE AND YOUR ENDURANCE LOL!

Pickup features: single coil sized humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Mutt 60's Strat
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: Noisy Fender single coil.
Other pickups on guitar: Seymore Duncan HS-3's
Artists using this pickup: Me
You musical style(s): Industrial/Metal/Blues
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a punchier middle pickup without any hum

Perceived output level: Higher output than my HS-3's
Tone: A little bassy, but the poles are adjustable so you might be able to dial that out
Sonic evaluation: Fender Strat (60's body with a mystery neck) played through a '61 Fender Tweed Deluxe.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: This pickup does what I want it to do. The volume difference between this and my HS-3's may be problematic. If so, maybe i'll just buy a couple more of these.

Pickup features: Single coiled humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Home made Stratocaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Van Zandt Rock Model
Other pickups on guitar: Van Zandt blues on neck- Van Zandt Vintage in middle
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): From Jazz standards to 70's Rock
Reason for pickup change: Needed a humbucker lead tone but I didn't want to drill into my guitar's body

Perceived output level: it's a little more powerful than the Van Zandt single coils but not too much
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: Home made strat with rosewood fingerboard, Fender super Champ, Classic 30, GX700 effects Processor

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for Classic rock Tones and hard blues leads, don't work for metal stuff

Comments: Originally I wanted a Little JB, but the guy at the music store who knew me well, told me that the JB was going to be too hot for me and adviced me to buy a Little 59 and to come back later to get a Little JB if I was not happy with the 59. I put the 59 on my axe, I tried it and I decided to keep it...
It's a good pickup to mix with hot single coils on a strat, you don't have a big volume difference when you're switching from neck pickup to bridge pickup for instance.But don't expect a full hot humbucker tone with it. If so, get a JB !!!

Pickup features: Single coil sized passive humbucker.
Impedence or other specs: unknown.

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Stagemaster (Fat Strat with a Floyd Rose)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Squier (rubbish)
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Custom in the bridge, Hot Rails in the neck
Artists using this pickup: Jim from Carter USM!
You musical style(s): Classic rock, metal, driven blues
Reason for pickup change: The stock ones didn't do the guitar any justice...

Perceived output level: Medium- higher than the Squier, but significantly lower than the Custom or a normal '59
Tone: Balanced, if a little middy. It's paf-modelled, you know the deal.
Sonic evaluation: This lived in my hot-rodded Squier Stagemaster for about 2 months. I use this guitar with a Marshall MG100 and AVT4x12 half stack, Boss OD2 and DS2, CS3, Zoom Hyperfuzz and Danelectro Danowah.
Basically, I had a proper '59 in my Warlock, and loved the tone- growly without being too muddy, and huge variation available on the tone control, so when I finally got round to replacing the mid position pikcup, I thought I'd go for the Lil 59. Big mistake. There was no comparison at all with the full size 59, the only usable tone I could get was a passable dirty blues tone, and when used in conjunction with the other pickups it was drowned out. It's also very muddy when compared to the real thing. After I removed the pickup, I moved the neck Hot Rails down into the mid and fitted the full size 59 into the neck position (so it's now HSH not HSS) and it's not the guitar- the '59 is as good as it had been in the Warlock.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a range of rock and blues styles, but mainly dirty. It was a reasonable match for these... But far too specific and unvaried

Comments: Not only would I not replace this, I was happy to pull it out and sell it at a loss. It's not neccesarily a bad pickup, but it doesn't live up to the description by a mile. This is after a direct A/B comparison with the real thing, where the full size one shone. I love Seymour Duncan gear, but this was not for me. Still better than the Squier single coil though ;)
I've been playing for just over a year, and as well as the amp and FX gear described above, I own 3 guitars- a stock '00 Gibson SG Special (lovely), a stock '91 Fender Japan '60s Hot Rod Reissue- superb piece of work- and my hot rodded Squier.

Pickup features: Passive Single coil (humbucking sound)
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Stratocaster Tradicional
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Fender Standard
Other pickups on guitar: Fender Standard
Artists using this pickup: don?t know
You musical style(s): Britpop
Reason for pickup change: Needed a humbuckin sound for base

Perceived output level: Hot...really hot
Tone: Bassy Trebly...not to much middy
Sonic evaluation: Fender twin reverb

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: