Seth Lover (SH-55) Pickups

[@BudMovies]

Those are definitley my favorite pickups! Smooth, warm tone. Great for playin' Classic Rock, Country, Jazz and Blues. I love 'em!

[@heinzdziurowitz]

I bought a PRS that the previous owner had these installed. Best sounding humbuckers I've heard. Even with the coils split they have a very good sound.

[@mcspankies1799]

I dont think you can coil split the seth lovers as they're one conductor wired

[@steves12strings]

@@mcspankies1799 you can find them with 4 conductor wire too

[@ricmel8008]

@@mcspankies1799 I coil split mines

[@retorgere3718]

@@ricmel8008 How does it sound with coil split ?

[@donalddeschamps2176]

Great sound. Glad to hear a "clean" demo. Wish I had a guitar that would accept these.

[@LarryRickenbacker]

Thank you so much for a pedal/ distortion-free P/U demo!

[@HackCity_]

i love the sound, especially the clean rhythm tone. that tone feels like it takes me somewhere that i cant quite place, but i know iv'e been there before.

[@gab.lab.martins]

No, Antiquities are AGED. They make them look and sound as if they were 50-year-old pickups. Seth Lovers are supposed to sound as original PAFs right out of the production.

[@tpzid]

I dropped a set in my Guild Starfire VI (sold since). They were absolutely the best upgrade I could have done to that guitar. Before them I had Duncan Distortions in it. While they sounded fine, the Seth Lovers let the tone woods come right through the amp. Splendid!

[@bluesriff418]

Amazing tone coming from that guitar

[@donarmando916]

Recently bought the Seth Lover neck pickup and replaced the 59 with it. At first i didn't like it compared to the 59, because i found it too bright sounding with the midrange being too scooped. Then i found out that i should turn down my tone control to 6 and when i did, oh boy..The pickup became a lot warmer and produces a wonderful woman tone. I love this pickup now and think it's the best one i ever had in the neck position for my bluesy and jazzy stuff.

[@Joeskint]

The beauty with quality pickups like the '57 classics is that if you're unhappy with aspects of the basic tone then you can swap out the Alnico V magnet for an Alnico II or IV. :)

[@adamwatson6916]

57s are A2 .

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

All of them are in Gibson LPs and Epiphone LPs. Played through a Marshall 1987 w/ 1960a cabinet. Sorry for the rant, the point is that Seymour Duncan make the best pickups.

[@boreed5734]

I bought a Gary Moore Signature model Les Paul the pickups were too bright too harsh and lacked body and tone when played clean. I put Seth lovers in and now its darker, mellower smoother. I know that guitar was made to shred and to blast blues but I wanted to play other styles and its worked out. Seth Lovers are not for everyone's taste but for me it made that guitar more versatile for much more different things.

[@j.staley7425]

Fabulous tone!!!!

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

I've got a sortment of Seymour Duncan pickups such as; Jb/Full Shred, Duncan Custom/'59 and now these. Awesome factor is incredible.

[@Guitargasdotcom]

Thanks Gabriel, I have both sets and although there is the obvious difference in appearance the sound of the two are very similar with very subtle differences. Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.

[@jazzydog]

Duncan is the best!! Love it.

[@cluxseltoot]

Many thanks for a very useful video - thank you for taking the time to make it - appreciated.

[@mattnobes1]

I have these in a mid 70s aria semi hollowbody....they sound just like the video......amazing.....

[@xx55AC55xx]

what song do you play at 1:45? sounds like a john mayer lick

[@klepetar]

you have to be careful when you put pickups in a gibson les paul custom .. sometimes, they sound great in a "regular les paul" but the custom is a different beast.. the ebony fretboard and more headstock mass changes the tone quite a bit.

[@Gruhak]

I suppose that the LP came with ceramics,right? I also have a Classic and was wondering how would you compare them vs the Duncans? I was thinking about a replacement for my LP. Thanks

[@HouseofChains81]

Demo a PRS please.

[@foxyflame4186]

what is the best Capacitors for this kind of pick if I wanted to pair it with linear cts pots on a Epiphone les Paul?

[@klepetar]

old style paf's didn't have neck-bridge spacing. it was all the same.. but they work well anyway..

[@dzean]

Question: I have a prs SE 24 30th ann model. It plays great, but the pickups are a little harsh to my ear. I've been talking to a guitar guy and he recommended Seth Lover pickups, or possibly a the SD jazz. I'm trying to get a nice, sweet warm tone that has good clarity on notes when doing chords. For reference they have a mahogany body with a flame maple veneer top.

[@seymourduncan]

The Seth Lover set is the one you want here. It is all sorts of sweet and warm.

[@dzean]

I've noticed the antiquities pickups have just a tad bit more punch. Would you say this is accurate?

[@seymourduncan]

I don't know about that. The Ants are cleaner and clearer, while the Seths have more complex mids. Both are right around the same output.

[@jasonrasquinha3245]

THe pickups i purchased sound Awesome! i was wondering that if i removed the gold covers, would there be any change in tone quality? the covers had this annoying plastic tape over them. After removing the tape, the glue hasnt come off and the pickups look bad, plus the gold chrome is coming off..

[@seymourduncan]

No, it really doesn't affect the tone much at all. We've done A/B tests and the materials we use for the covers have a very minimal effect. If anything the tone may be just a very tiny bit brighter.

[@jasonrasquinha3245]

great! thing is i gave my guitar to this tech and he said that if i removed the pickups it would effect the earthing and it doesnt look like the humbuckers without covers.. like windings and stuff. is that right? should i try and remove them my self?

[@SSFhighcommandJOHN]

Hello, I ordered the Seth Lovers and put them on my Epiphone LP Special II, sound's great, but I'm wondering if my guitar can do anything else better, I'm trying to get Eric Clapton's "Ladytone" narrowed down. Unfortunately being a LP Special II, I only have the two knobs, I'd have to have custom work done to have the other two "tone" knobs installed.

[@seymourduncan]

+SSFhighcommandJOHN The Seths should absolutely be able to do that. Select your neck pickup and turn the tone down. However, to get this perfectly, you would need another set of controls. For that, turn the neck tone down, while keeping the bridge up, and use both pickups. You might be able to do this with a concentric tone knob where it can control each pickup separately. An LP Special isn't quite the same construction as a Les Paul, so there are a few things you can't overcome with electronics.

[@SSFhighcommandJOHN]

***** Thank's for the answer, they made my LP Special sound like a 1,000$ guitar too. It sound's way better than what you'd probably think it'd sound like with them in it. Was thinking of having work done to it to have vintage wiring and a bumblebee put in, thanks again.

[@clarkscott8532]

SSFhighcommandJOHN I definitely believe you. I have three Epiphone Les Paul standards and an ultra that all came from pawnshops. I upgraded all of them differently with seymor Duncan, Gibson pickups and they all sound completely professional. 50s wiring does sound a little better overall to me. But mainly you have more control on the tone. Rolls off more gradually and remains clearer sounding. I have one guitar with bumblebee capacitors and Jimmy Page wiring and it does have a really fat and clear sound but the orange drops work almost the same way. Main difference I can tell in mine is the orange drops aren't quite as low end heavy.

[@bestplans9051]

@@SSFhighcommandJOHN I went with 50's wiring in mine with the Seth's and the tone is just amazing!!! Caps are caps, branding really doesn't matter it's the resistance ;).

[@SeverinoSE]

Hi and thanks for sharing this informative video! I'm just curious why the website says "Not recommended for use with ultra high gain tube amplifiers over 50 watts."

[@seymourduncan]

Because the Seth Lover is not wax potted. Which means it's susceptible to microphonics (squealing). Not a problem for most people but if you crank up the gain and stand near the amp it's possible.

[@SeverinoSE]

***** Thanks for the reply! I kind of figured it out but I'm glad you confirmed it.

[@AndrewZeleno1]

***** Burstbucker 2 is not potted too?

[@nsc217]

Great video/playing... You also have a video where you're playing a 59/custom hybrid... But they're threw different guitars (one all mahgony and one with much brighter wood) so can't make a true comparison. Which pickups would you say are warmer/smoother sounding?

[@seymourduncan]

nsc217 The Seth Lover is definitely smoother. The '59 Custom Hybrid has quite a bit more modern bite and crunch but still retaining some of that vintage character. If you roll the volume back a bit it gets quite a bit warmer.

[@nsc217]

Thanks! After viewing tons of KZbin vids, I think the Seth Lover pickups sound the best of all the Humbuckers I've heard thus far. I'm going to swap out my PRS dragons for them. Still the best after 59 yrs!

[@lal2235]

i want to upgrade the pickups in my epiphone les paul but I dont seem to understand the offer from seymour duncans for les pauls, where can I get info, on specific humbuckers for les paul, or what are the recommendations?

[@bestplans9051]

You can go to their website and listen to every pickup they make (standard) to hear how they sound. They also make custom wounds too ;).

[@lal2235]

@John Doe you mean the seth lovers?

[@j.staley7425]

Seth's rock!

[@Guitargasdotcom]

Are the SL the same as the Antiquities? apart from the obvious difference in appearance. Great pups btw, I love em.

[@bestplans9051]

Pretty close but the Seth's IMO are a bit warmer in the mid-range giving them a really fat tone that's super easy to work with. Roll back your bass a tad and you have all your highs the way you like them too. I started with Antiquities which aren't bad but the Seth's just seemed to have a better sound for my ear.

[@Chrisalchin]

Thinking about getting a set of these for my white 3pickup Sg custom chasing that Hendrix on dick Cavett 1969 tone... Will these get me there? Better yet any demos of that tone?

[@hollowbonesfilms9739]

What was with that mustache Seymour!!

[@stringdoc]

Love the neck tone

[@nsc217]

So apparently these pickups come with 2 or 4 conductors (and apparently there is a noticeable tone difference)... Do you remember what model you have in your guitar here?

[@seymourduncan]

nsc217 These were single-conductor just like back in the day.

[@petertheduke1]

didnt it come with paf's?

[@IM_REDEEMED_777]

I will love to hear this with some reverb,delay, and some light overdrive, I play worship music, lots of ambient,,,, at this moment I'm using a Ibanez with stock humbukers, it fits me perfect and it plays great and feels great, but the stock pickups are to hot and it doesn't have to much Dynamics on the clean side, so that's why I'm looking for another option, but I'm not Shure if this will help me,,. ???

[@seymourduncan]

Great idea! We are always coming out with more videos, so check back soon. Seth Lovers play well with a lot of reverb and delay (like our Vapor Trail or Andromeda Delay pedals), and they are super dynamic.

[@IM_REDEEMED_777]

Oh, nice! Thanks!!!

[@richardmartinez1628]

Do you think these would be good pickups for a basswood body guitar with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard?

[@clarkscott8532]

Richard Martinez they are good in any guitar.

[@richardwhitehead4684]

Wow. They really ring. Nice. Damn. Thanks.

[@NoComment-oc6di]

thats a nice gold Town West Palm

[@tjcolatrella943]

I'm torn there are two models of D'Angelico I'm soon to buy but one has Seymour Duncan 59 Pick ups the other The Seth Lover Duncan's..they are with in $67.00 of each other one the Mini DC Exel the other The Atlantic Deluxe both gorgeous black finishes both with ebony fingerboards! I play more blues and rock n roll no heavy metal and play mostly clean no pedals needed! The SD Seth Lovers do sound a bit better more lively and responsive to me though!

[@randomguitarnote8887]

Are this pickups unpotted like the antiquities?

[@seymourduncan]

+RandomGuitarNote Yup! Just like the originals!

[@DavidFeilyMusic]

is this guitar 50's wired or modern?

[@deathbykitty1954]

*BEWARE* These pickups certainly do sound awesome for jazz, blues and some rock, but be sure you understand that these pickups are not potted, and so at live volume.....they are likely to feedback in a microphonic fashion. My 1990s Seth Lovers sound so amazing for jazz, blues and rock, but I cannot play this guitar on stage in my classic rock cover band because of the feedback. My 1970 Les Paul is strictly for home use and recording. The guitar would be fine in a mellow jazz band.

[@seymourduncan]

Traditional PAFs were not potted, and many were used in rock bands. Those players didn't point their amps directly at their guitars, and didn't use the kind of gain available today. Many current rock players use unpotted pickups live and keep stage volume lower- you hear everything better, and unpotted pickups have a complexity that you can't get in potted ones.

[@deathbykitty1954]

Seymour, thank you for responding. And thank you for making the most amazing by far pickups I've heard in my 42 years of guitar playing. And I'm sure the lack of potting is essential to what makes these pickups so amazing. But now put on your thinking cap and think of a way to reduce the microphonics without wax. Maybe some springs on adjustable screws, so we can adjust the level of microphonics. Maybe some foam or rubber pads we can jam inside the pickups. I remember reading about potting PAFs so they could be used on stage, and they said that that the trick was not to use too much or the magic was gone. But Paul Kossoff, standing in front of his Marshall on stage, had to have had a potted PAF to get that sound and volume without feeding back like crazy. I do have a question. Are these pickups wired in series or parallel?

[@seymourduncan]

Seths have the coils in series, and they are 2 conductor. They can be ordered in 4 conductor, for splitting and parallel, and they can also be ordered with potting, so it is your choice.

[@deathbykitty1954]

Thank you. I'm gonna put Seth Lovers in my Strat now too, but with a parallel switch.

[@iplayloud2]

Seymour Duncan • Thanks for sharing that incredible and crucial information about unpotted pickups!

[@mojo9291]

Will these get a Peter Green tone? Or should I order a custom shop set?

[@somebodyelseuk]

You want the '59 set. Wire the neck the 'wrong way round' or use a phase switch and wire the pots in the '50s style and with independant volumes.

[@bigdaddystinkeye]

@@somebodyelseuk Duncan actually makes a Peter Green set. You have to order them through their Custom Shop. I've got a set but am looking for a guitar to put them in. I also like the Lovers very much.

[@somebodyelseuk]

@@bigdaddystinkeye I've never tried the Duncan/Green set... to be honest, though, all the wiring/magnet stuff... I've never heard anything that sounds convincing - always sound too thin, TOO out of phase. I was messing with the pickup heights on my old Yamaha SG1000 a few weeks back and 'nailed it' by accident. I'm the only owner, the only person that's been near it with a screwdriver since it was made in '84. It came to me direct from the UK distributor. It's 100% original, standard wiring etc, never had a soldering iron near it. Only reason I can come up with for this 'revelation' is that the bridge pickup is lower wind than the neck by about 0.5k and maybe with the bridge pickup lowered a couple of mm, pole screws about 1mm higher on both, there's just enough 'distance' for a phase shift to be perceptible that todays 'conventional' winds won't achieve - modern'calibrated sets' always have a 'hotter' bridge p/uo?

[@bigdaddystinkeye]

@@somebodyelseuk There's a young fellow that gives a real authentic demo on the Peter Green style and sound using an inexpensive Aria guitar, or something like that. I wish I could remember his name, it was real good. Somebody Mason? Do a You Tube search for "Peter Green guitar style" and look for the name Mason. Brooks Mason? I think that's it. 15-20 tears ago I had a Les Paul that I had the magnet flipped. It was like you mentioned: too thin, so I had it switched back. It is a very elusive sound, so keep your Yamaha just as is. Enjoy your search for the Peter Green sound. It's fun and I'm sure it will make you a better player to boot.

[@kimhansen6384]

@@bigdaddystinkeye The guys who knows the PG sound, turn back the treble pickup 2 notches, which gives the right sound. The total volume gets louder, and it sounds better.

[@ajkcoleman]

I have a question for you guys. Gibson claims their 57 Classic pickup is based on Lover's original design, but you state these are too. Are they the same pickup?

[@seymourduncan]

Nope. We collaborated with Seth Lover himself to design this pickup. www.seymourduncan.com/blog/pickup-reviews/the-seymour-duncan-sh-55-seth-lover-model

[@DSilvergun]

Need gain tones too.

[@mmore]

Hi I was wondering if you could help me make a decision and choose the right pickup set from your range please. I am after the "Snowy White" tone( snowy white is a British guitarist who played for thin lizzy and pink floyds as lead guitarist). He plays on 1957 goldtop gibson les paul and he has a push/pull switch for middle position out of phase sound. I am not sure if he has changed the original humbuckers in his guitar or not, but I add these three links from his music( three different tones played on the same guitar) If you could be kind enough to listen to those three tracks and let me know which pickup set I need to purchase or is it a custom wound job.(by the way they will go in a gibson les paul guitar). Also please let me know if you do 4 conductor wires on the pickups that you choose for this kind of tone please. Many many thanks Kindest regards Mo Memory pain: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXfVp56Jqbyhaqs Midnight blues: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2mpXneDnK2LhtU Addicted man: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3LHoXmsbqqdeLs

[@seymourduncan]

mmoris1360 You can get that Midnight Blues tone pretty easy with the Seth Lover. Just make sure when you order these you get the 4-conductor cable version, that way, you or your luthier can wire them up for out of phase switching. We have diagrams on our website you can use, we also have our Greenie pickup which is wired for out of phase in the in-between position: customshop.seymourduncan.com/greenie/

[@mmore]

***** thanks for the reply, how about the other two tracks(addicted man and memory pain) can I achieve those tones with seth lover's set or are they totally different? Many thanks again

[@JusAequum]

2:40 That is a look of someone falling in love. You really convince me. This is going to be my choice of humbucker.

[@AidanMillward]

The '57 classics are too bright for a Les Paul I think, as they're Alnico V magnets. I'd swap them for pickups with Alnico II magnets. Like Creamery or Gibson Burstbuckers.

[@bestplans9051]

Apparently you haven't played one ;).

[@chahid1992]

that beginning sounds like the police to me.

[@Joeskint]

...and that's not to say the Seth Lovers wouldn't sound better, of course. :D

[@user-qn8jq1kr3l]

Guitargasdotcom I have 2 very similar guitars (Ibanez artists from 1980) one with seths the otter ants...I would say the ants are much better pickups in terms of character and warmth. The seths are good, but a little sterile IMO.

[@biTVToni]

These pickups sound great, but I'm not so sure about 'see you on the other side' part. Look what happened with Ozzy. He went to the other side, came right back and soldiers on. I guess the other side is not what he expected. What all this has to do with this video? Gibson Les Paul guitars sound great with original pickups, why replace them? The sound comes from the hands of a guitar player, if he/she can't make Les Paul sing, change of pickups won't help

[@NoComment-oc6di]

not so sure.... the gibson burstbuckers are horrible

[@jadefire1985]

Bridge pickup spacing looks out

[@beeeastmaster]

maybe you could demo it with some gain next time?

[@HoosierLine]

For humbucking pups these are nice & chimey...Very clean, rich and full of vibe!!!

[@chzzyg2698]

Jimmy Page sent me over here.

[@Turba80]

what a cutie!

[@oldspicekid250]

man these pickups are sexy

[@dusanbogunovic6148]

magic

[@kennyh5083]

Amazing, I luv Duncans, but IMO my Gibson 57 Classics sound way better!