A walk on the dark side - Duncan Little 59

[bradpdx]

I just did something I didn't think I'd do, but I took the plunge. What the heck.

I installed a Duncan Little 59 in the bridge of my old 52RI. I'd been pretty happy with my VanZandts for years, but a regular gig at a room with horrible electrical noise made me move to hum canceling pups. I tried some Fender Vintage Noiseless, and while the neck is good the bridge was just too bright and clinical. It just made the guitar feel harsh and thin.

I admit I chose my Tele to humbuck instead of my Strat. I really like the setup of my Strat more than the Tele, with which I have fought as if we were an old married couple for 30 years. I always come back, just like real life.

I deduced to try something completely different, and it sure is. In standard series wiring, the Little 59 is very warm and full. It's fun to play the old girl through that voice - it's really well done, and sings like nuts. I will try the parallel option as soon as I grab a DPDT mini toggle for it.

Now the FVN neck pup sounds empty and meaningless. What neck pup that does not require routing might be a good, full sounding, hum-canceling match?

[PraiseCaster]

I love the Lil 59!

Welcome to the Darkside!

[CyanideJunkie]

How about the Duncan Vintage Stack Rhythm?

[uriah1]

-dont split it. IMHO really really thin
-L59 is super screw height sensitive... you can get some great dynamics when
you heighten front row, lower back row...right 3 vs left 3, etc, etc.

have fun

[Teleterr]

Theres no '59 set w corresponding N, which seems strange to leave those who like the B hanging.I compared a '59 Strat N w a Tele N and its wider and longer base wise so that probably won't fit. SD recommends the Vintage Rhythm Stack as Cyanide said.

[bradpdx]

Originally Posted by Teleterr

Theres no '59 set w corresponding N, which seems strange to leave those who like the B hanging.I compared a '59 Strat N w a Tele N and its wider and longer base wise so that probably won't fit. SD recommends the Vintage Rhythm Stack as Cyanide said.

SD recommends the Vintage Stack Rhythm? Wouldn't it just get clobbered by the output of the Little 59?

Looking at SD's charts it would seem that the Hot Rail for Tele Rhythm is closer in voice and output to the Little 59. Any opinions here?

[Teleterr]

Personally I don't like rail attack. It sounds like 2 bricks being clicked together, then the note comes on. YMMV. If SD recommends the 2, they should match output wise, at least the same way a normal Tele N and B does.

[Tommy Biggs]

I needed noiseless Tele too, and after a few tries I really like the Vintage Stack pair.
The Neck is a great Tele neck pickup for me, sure it doesn't compare with an original Nocaster - but it's a good Tele neck sound. I really like the Vintage Stack Bridge.

I have the Lil 59 in a strat - to me it would take away too much of the Tele-ness. (thanks for the tips on screw height though Uriah!) I do Split HB pups - but not that one. The split never really gets me true single coil tones anyway.

Didn't like the rails - though they seem to work for Bruce. Did not like the Hot Lead Stack at all - no life. I liked a DiMarzio Pre-bs, but that was bridge only and a long long time ago.

[bradpdx]

Originally Posted by Teleterr

Personally I don't like rail attack. It sounds like 2 bricks being clicked together, then the note comes on. YMMV. If SD recommends the 2, they should match output wise, at least the same way a normal Tele N and B does.

OK, thanks. Not sure how the Rails neck sound compares with the bridge, but I'm assume it's kinda over the top as you describe.

I gotta admit, after playing guitar for a long, long, time - I don't really dig the Tele neck pup. None of them that fit in the standard cavity, at least. I've had many, but wind up leaning on the bridge pup 90% of the time because the neck pup is so reticent. Not the case with Strats - on that guitar, I can make much better sense of the neck pup. It "just works" for me.

So if the SD Vintage Stack Neck is another low-output, not-too-snappy neck pup, I don't think I'll like it any more than the others. Perhaps I should just take the plunge and rout the guitar for a Strat-sized neck pup. That way, all the options are open - I can put a matching Strat Little 59 in there, or when I go back to single coils I can drop in a regular Strat pickup. I'd probably like it better, regardless.

I know it's a 52RI, but I've altered it plenty over the 30 years I've had it. It's wonderfully resonant, but I no longer care much about it's "vintage" appeal. So I just might...

[bradpdx]

Originally Posted by Teleterr

Theres no '59 set w corresponding N, which seems strange to leave those who like the B hanging.I compared a '59 Strat N w a Tele N and its wider and longer base wise so that probably won't fit. SD recommends the Vintage Rhythm Stack as Cyanide said.

I suspect that the small form factor of the Tele neck pup was simply too limiting for the Little 59 design parameters.

[PraiseCaster]

I went full-sized bucker in the neck.

I tried a real hot single coil, and it couldnt compete. The lil 59 just blew it away. The rails? I just dont like their tone.

Threw a Manlius full size in mine, and I love it. But I'm sure you wanna keep from widening your pup cavity out on your 52 RI.

[bradpdx]

Originally Posted by PraiseCaster

I went full-sized bucker in the neck.

I tried a real hot single coil, and it couldnt compete. The lil 59 just blew it away. The rails? I just dont like their tone.

Threw a Manlius full size in mine, and I love it. But I'm sure you wanna keep from widening your pup cavity out on your 52 RI.

Actually, at this point I don't mind changing that guitar. I've had it since it was new in '82, and it's always been a workhorse club instrument. I've refretted and re-radiused the neck (3rd set of frets), changed electronics and tuners, the usual stuff that one does to keep the machinery working. It is a good Tele, but hardly a great or unusual one.

I don't believe, nor care, that it has any "vintage" value. That's just crazy, IMHO. It was a gift to me from my father back then, and so I'll always keep it, modified or not.

I just ordered a pickguard cut for a Strat pickup, and I'll have some small bit of body routing done to accommodate the slightly larger size. I can always put the old pickguard on and go back to a traditional Tele neck pup, but I doubt I will simply because they've never quite cut it for me.

Right now I'm thinking that I'll just drop a Strat Little 59 in the neck and call it a day. The guitar will be transformed into a different beast, but that is just fine with me. I'm up for a change with it, and I have a bunch of gigs coming up. My Strat has all the twang I could ever want, and so the Tele will assume a somewhat different, and useful, role.

[Minky]

I love the Little 59.

Ive got it in my #1 and im debating putting one in my new build.

[Deafen]

I have the Strat L59 in the neck of my AS, to go with the Tele L59 in the bridge. They match up great, although the pole pieces don't line up perfectly, I can't see as it makes any difference.

I've also got a Bill and Becky Strat L290 (280? Can't remember, it's been many years) beteween them, wired to a push-pull so I can retain all possible combinations. Great, versatile, good-sounding setup.

I had the bridge wired up to another push-pull to do series/parallel between the coils. Liked it way better than splitting. Had to ditch that for the Graphtech Ghost install, but that's another story ... :)

[Colt W. Knight]

I think the Lil 59 sounds great, but it doesn't sound tele enough for me. I didn't like the split tone.

[63dot]

Why don't you try a Barden rail neck pickup?

[e-merlin]

Have you tried an EMG T-set?

[63dot]

That lil '59 definitely has a sound similar to the EMG SAs (similar to EMG Ts ^^^^) I heard in a Charvel superstrat with a powerful attack, in your face midrange and hotly compressed, and ready to kick butt through a Marshall or Boogie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViCDTwVQ4js

Like the video says, it's really great for rock.

[Deafen]

I should also mention that I switched to 500K pots when I went with the 2x L59 combination. Made a big difference. And now it's running with no tone pot at all, and sounds great. (Had to lose the tone circuit, again as part of the Ghost installation).

[Bulldog87]

Thats great... I love the little 59! I have one in the Tele I'm playing right now... and I have a spare sitting in my guitar build box for a special occasion!

Enjoy it! It is a versatile pup