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MountAnDewMe « Syrupy and cutting. »
Published on 08/01/12 at 16:53 Seymour Duncan's SH-1N is the neck model of his take on Seth Lover's original design. Using many of the same basic components as the original it proves to be a faithful reproduction. I have this installed in the neck position of my '97 American alder Stratocaster. The pickup is a hum bucker and is capable of splitting into single coil mode. Mine is wired so in single coil mode it can be run in series or parallel.
The tone of this pickup is very satisfying to me. I usually find that neck pickups tend to be a bit harder to please me. The tone of this pickup seems to me to fall in between two worlds. It has just enough smooth syrupy feel while still being able to cut through without getting lost. In hum bucking mode it provides a lead sound smooth in nature while leaving enough high end response to still pull out some nice pick harmonics without loosing them or having them sound dull or weak. It has a nice throaty nature to it and speaks with authority. While not a high gain pickup its voicing provides a well balance slice through the mix.
In single coil mode it retains its smoothness but adds a nice open nature to the sound. I would not call it a faithful reproduction of a single coil sound however it is a very useable sound all the same. I would equate it more to a backed off hum bucker than to a true single coil in that respect. I find that it works better in this mode when coupled to the bridge pickup. Speaking of that in hum bucking mode it actually works very well with the bridge pickup unlike many other combinations I have tried over the years where instead of working together they fight each others characteristics. I have this paired with a Pearly Gates Plus.
This pickup is well worth its cost and will work well with most medium output bridge pickups. Its tone lives in a nice middle ground between thick and thin where many other choices seem to lean one way or the other. I consider this to be a sweet and juicy tone where I have it and would not break it from the pair I have now.
The tone of this pickup is very satisfying to me. I usually find that neck pickups tend to be a bit harder to please me. The tone of this pickup seems to me to fall in between two worlds. It has just enough smooth syrupy feel while still being able to cut through without getting lost. In hum bucking mode it provides a lead sound smooth in nature while leaving enough high end response to still pull out some nice pick harmonics without loosing them or having them sound dull or weak. It has a nice throaty nature to it and speaks with authority. While not a high gain pickup its voicing provides a well balance slice through the mix.
In single coil mode it retains its smoothness but adds a nice open nature to the sound. I would not call it a faithful reproduction of a single coil sound however it is a very useable sound all the same. I would equate it more to a backed off hum bucker than to a true single coil in that respect. I find that it works better in this mode when coupled to the bridge pickup. Speaking of that in hum bucking mode it actually works very well with the bridge pickup unlike many other combinations I have tried over the years where instead of working together they fight each others characteristics. I have this paired with a Pearly Gates Plus.
This pickup is well worth its cost and will work well with most medium output bridge pickups. Its tone lives in a nice middle ground between thick and thin where many other choices seem to lean one way or the other. I consider this to be a sweet and juicy tone where I have it and would not break it from the pair I have now.