Seymour Duncan Seth Lover vs Schaller Pickups in a Heritage 575 w/ Rich Severson

[@TheSpaceGuitar]

I swapped schaller pickups on my 575 with a pair of Seth lover’s by SD but in the end Schaller’s retain the acoustic sound of the guitar better. In my opinion Schaller’s are better. I sold the SD.

[@adamwatson6916]

In les Paul's the Seth's let the tone of the guitar come though and don't color the tone at all and in a les paul they are very full and rich . Very clear and open. You tube videos never seem to capture the clarity of un potted pickups. The Seth's are under wound compared to the Shallers so the are going to sound brighter and not as thick but in a less they are fat and rich in fact if they were any hotter or richer they would sound muddy in a les paul . They are bright but they have alot of Low mids as well in a low mid heavy les paul peopel find them muddy. People find them dark in all mahagony guitars like SGs not so much muddy but dark . They really are a les paul pickup . I find slightly hotter wound pickups work better in semi hollows and hollow bodies . Many people who love Seth's in a les paul but dislike the 59s in a les paul prefer the 59s in ES style guitars. 59s sound alot sweeter on ES guitars.

[@GordiansKnotHere]

For myself, the Schaller has a sweet richness. I love that type of sound.

[@JuanCPerez-mx8zs]

That was fun. The Duncans have a certain tenderness a frail delicate sweetness that wins me over.

[@franjohnst]

I would also agree that Schaller seems to bring out more acoustic quality and the harmonics out of the instrument. Thank you for sharing this experiment, I am currently considering to purchase aFender D'Aquisto Elite equiped with a single schaller humbucker pickup, please share your opinion about that guitar if you know anything about it, kind regards.

[@BattistaLena]

last but not least: beautiful relaxed playing

[@georyans]

every jazz player that talks about pickups never says what the magnet is the seth lovers are alnico 2 which in my opinion is better for jazz the unpotting gives the pickups an airy quality that potting takes away

[@reedmak77]

To me the Schaller were more rich, fuller and clear sounding.

[@uhMaxx]

Alnico 2 magnets have a better note seperation, alnico 5 tends to muddy up and make a chord sound like one big chunk, thats why it sounds fuller alnico 2 is truer to the accoustic sound imo

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

Very similar. I would say the Schaller are slightly less bright, a bit "warmer". I play the Seth Lovers in a solid body and are my favorite. To compare, I'd suggest A/B'ing between the two playing something very short and simple. Let the strings carry out the differences. Thanks for the video.

[@TheNico2030]

Merci RICH pour tout tes précieux conseils !!

[@tpledger100]

Shaller for sure! Fuller warmer.

[@johnnydswing]

Both pups sound amazing, I think there is a little more clarity in the Lovers hence it would sit better in a mix !

[@michaelsablan8772]

Aloha Braddah, it is the Schaller for me. Mahalo nui for sharing your time.

[@enzolan]

Listening with Sennheiser headphones: SD have a jazzy, smooth and well balanced sound. Shaller have a broader frequency response and a little more gain, adding versatility.

[@stratolestele7611]

I've got the Seths in my new solid body D'Angelico and I keep finding nuances that keep popping up. I really liked them from the start, but the more I play the guitar, the more the Seths reveal just how great they really are. When you have guitar builders that go to great lengths to build a great product, are they going to take equal care in one of the primary components of tone? No, of course not. So when highly regarded builders choose to use Seths, there's a good reason. In this case, the Schallers sound very good (again, there's a reason why Heritage chose them in the beginning), but in the end, I give it to the Seths for the added warmth and harmonics.

[@BattistaLena]

In my opinion the Duncan is more in the character of the 575 while the richness of the Shaller seems to be interesting on a L5-Eagle model. Love that response of the 575 solid maple, similar to the ES125, one of the best sounding guitar ever.

[@adamwatson6916]

The Seth's are a nicer sounding pickup in semi hollows and solid bodies . The best reviews come form people who use them in 335s and solid body les Paul's. They really shine in a les paul especially when the les paul has a balanced tone . The Seth's are a brighter voiced pickup but they also have alot of Low mids . In a very bright les Paul they can sound overly bright and harsh but in a ld Paul' that is low mid heavy and is rolled back in rhe upper frequencies can sound dull bland and in some cases muddy and too dark . But in a balanced les paul they sound fantastic. In a les paul I find they let akor more of the guitars natural sound come through

[@jofusmojilliken9854]

Hmmm...liked the shackles, but probably because the were hotter. Likewise thought both were comparatively beautiful, wonderful tones and surprised. So many manufacturers of pickups hate to drop $200 or so just to try different ones out. Like to be in my own space and noodle around to really know how the different pickups sound. In a store can never get my ear relaxed enough to discern anything, always feel pressed for time.

[@atanasmarinov1814]

Seth Lover !!!

[@albertobaez9491]

Schaller are sweeter sounding. Please can you make a video comparing those pickups in a Heritage H535. Mine have Schallers and I'm tempted to install Seth Lovers on it.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Everybody thanks for the comments

[@StellaLotus]

Schallers seem more stout and yet tame. A bit refined but very buttoned up. The Duncans seem more crisp with micro bloom and a quick sparkle like grab. There's more movement in the Duncan tone. Very enjoyable music all around.

[@davidmills9127]

Great demo and comparison! Having played several Heritage 575s with Schallers - and several comparable models with the Seths - I can say definitively that Rich has it right... The Schaller neck pickup is voiced hotter... In fact - it was even difficult to roll far enough off to get to a 'sweet spot' for picked or comped jazz chords... That 575 seemed to be set up primarily for straight ahead rock. So if this is your direction - the Schallers may have more to offer... The Seth Lovers (on the other hand) are much more nuanced (but far less aggressive) tone. Perfect for finger style jazz or blues. The Schallers might equal the Seth Lovers for jazz when paired up with a set of TI, La Bella, or D'Addario flats.

[@donnymac575]

I like the Seth's only because that's what I have in my heritage h575. I wouldn't complain if I bought a 2nd h575 and it had the schallers.

[@Flat5Henry]

I pulled Schallers out of my natural 575 and replaced them with Seth Lovers. I think the Lovers sound better in my guitar because goddammit I paid for 'em! What this video proves beyond a doubt is that tobacco sunburst sounds different than natural. ;-)

[@alextai6638]

both sounds great on you

[@georgeallison6228]

Thanks for this video. I love Seymour's also but not resonating too much with the SH 1 I have in the neck position. Hence a swapout. The Seth just sounds so sweet and warm yet still hits those highs. The Schaller does sound a little hotter and brighter yet has a great sound also all it's own.. This may be a good thing when you jam with the guys and need to cut through the mix too..both great pickups but I'm leaning with the Seth . Thanks Rich

[@johnlind5819]

This sounds kind of counterintuitive, but I find the Shaller pickups to be more robust and full, BUT I really like the tone quality of the Seth Duncan pickups quite a bit more, particularly in the front position. I wasn't crazy about either one in the bridge position.

[@adamwatson6916]

Seth's are very dependent in rhe guitar. They are a very clear pickup that does not color the tone . The let the guitars natural voice come through. So if the guitar has thick robust full sound that is what you will hear from the Seth's. If the guitar is a brighter thinner sounding guitar with an upper mid or treble focus then rhe Seth's will sound brighter and less robust. I have a set of Seth's that I had in a couple of different guitars and they sounded quite different in both guitars. I had them in Gibson kes paul standard 50s which has a compressed low end and compressed low mid range but have a very pronounced upper midrange and a bright open top end and in that guitar the Seth's were very warm and focused in the low frequencies but were very pronounced and bright in the upper mids and treble that guitar also has a quite hollow tone which comes through with the Seth's . I now have that set of Seth's in les paul 58 reissue and they are a different beast in that guitar . That guitar is much less hollow sounding and has a very open uncompressed low end and low mid range and I much bigger and bolder in the low . It's slightly rolled back or slightly scooped in the upper nids and has a big but not overly bright top end . Compared to the standard 50s the 58 has a deeper wider tone and is vocied slightly lower and that is exactly the tone that comes through with Seth's in that guitar. Now I love both gibsons higher end pickups like 57 classics Burstbuckers and custombuckers and I love duncan pickups equally and for me one is not better then the other but I love them for different reasons . Duncan pickups and gibson pickups are different beasts . I find duncan pickups don't color the sound as much and let more of the guitars natural voice come through and are more versatile in that regard . Sometimes you need a pickup that colors the to tone or to change the tonal balance but with Duncan's especially the lower wound ones you here more of the guitar with their overwoind pickups you get less of that but that is just how pickups work . With very hot pickups all you here us the pickup with lower wound pickups you get more of the guitar. Lower wound pups can color the tone alor too if they are wound with that intention . because or this alot of people will say they prefer gibson pickups because they find duncan pickups bland or dull and gibsom pickups have more personality and deliver that full bodied fat warm but biting gibson tone and they do which is why I love them but this is not how original gbson Pafs behaved . They were very clear and open and brighter or more present . They made you work for the tone they gave you a clean clear bright platform to sculpt your tone and they allowed both the guitars natural voice shine though but also the players unique voice. It was not just the pickups that sounded great it was the guitars in conjuction with the pickups they were in . That i why the most legendary late 50s les Paul's all had their own unique voice the guitars had a great sound each one unique and the great pickups allowed that sound to shine through and allowed the players nuance to shine though. Latter on gibson got away from that and started voicing the pickups to sound a certain way and that would color the tone alot more. They wanted pickups that produced instant gratification for the customer and there is nothing wrong with that approach it makes perfect sense from a business standpoint gibson has one main goal which us to produce pickups that produce the gibson sound in a Gibson guitar . I love bursrbuckers but no matter what guitar I try them in they always sound like the same set of Burstbuckers . They have alot color to the tone but again I can take Seth's or 59s or antiquities and they can sound quite different from one guitar to the next .

[@KennyHolloway]

Tough to tell in the compressed audio of KZbin but I'm a big fan of Seth Lovers and they sounded great here. I'm dropping them in my Epiphone Broadway now.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Oh nice! I would be really curious to hear how much of a difference it makes! Keep me posted on that. Thanks for watching!

[@MrMiskut]

Duncan's were way more balanced and had a much sweeter tone. Listening to this on focal studio monitors with a bench mark DAC.

[@marcotello1168]

May be a little more sparkle on the showers. They both sounded very good. I’ve got Schaller PAF Pick ups in my heritage guitar. I’ve been looking at some Lindy Fraillan, Tyson, maybe mojo tone PAF pick ups. But after a month of playing the Schaller pick ups are sounding very nice

[@randallabracadabra]

The Seth Lover sounds super sweet. I wonder what it sound like with the Alnico 2 magnet swapped out with an Alnico 3 and then potted to reduce microphonics.

[@adamwatson6916]

Seth's lose alot of sparkle and detail when you pot them. I have a set of un potted Seth's and I have no problem with microphonics even with when using alot of drive right in front of the amp so microphonics are not an issue with those pickups don't let those little pick clicks fool you into thinking microphonics I'd s problem. If they are made Properly un potted pickups won't squeal for feedback unless you want them too . I tried potted Seth's and they were a little duller and muffled. The A3 magne will sound great on the neck as it will brighten the seth and add clarity. In a les paul it's a very clear neck pickups in stock forrm and the cleans are fantastic. The A3 will make the cleans brighter but you will lose some richness you will lose some bass and mids and Gain some treble. The cleans will be thinner and more biting. So it depends on how you like your cleans. Many people do like the A3 seth neck but they recommend an unoriented A5 for the bridge . It adds some some bass and tightens up the bass and adds some top end without reducing the mids . It improves the seth without changing the things that make it a great pickup. People have said using the A3 in the bridge of the seth is not as good . It makes the pickup weaker and really does not change the sound of the seth bridge all that much m somone said it still sounded like a seth bridge but there was less of it . In a bright guitar the A3 seth bridge would be top bright and thin . The A3 mag reduces the overall body of the sound . If you want to make the seth richer in either position people say people recommend the unoriented A5 in both spots which will l also retain the high end and add a little to it . People say A4 works really well especially in the neck . As far as A3 goes gibson custombuckers do a better job of that sound.

[@adamwatson6916]

You have to be very careful Potting Seth's as well n you can't pot them the same as other pickups. They is a different process. The bobbins are made from butyrate which melts very easily.

[@dylancasewhite]

I didn’t hear the clicking you were talking about... If you would, would you expound on that comment? Considering my first semi-hollow, and I am getting very picky about pups. Don’t want to run through three electrics before I settle on one like I did with acoustics. Thanks.

[@goswo]

Beautiful playing. Ahhhhhhhhhh

[@DojoOfCool]

I have Seth Lover's in my 175 so familiar with them and they definitely sound better when the volume is backed off. In this comparison I have to say I liked the Schaller pickups better they were fuller sounding especially in the midrange.

[@AllenPinchloaf]

Beautiful playing Rich. Ahh Brown Eyed Squirrel. They both sound good. Seths sound a bit more transparent.Some might like that.I have them in my Heritage prospect.

[@michaelthomas9243]

The volumes through my headphones are quite different. The Schiller is quite a bit louder. Hearing them at equal volumes would be helpful.

[@bradt.3555]

Also the Duncan's are a2 mags, Schallers are a5 so even in different guitars your gonna hear the a2 as softer and more middy.

[@sirvidia]

great tone on both from you :)

[@drumbeater0]

Schaller...hard to get over the physical noise from pick contact with the Lover set

[@jfar3340]

Hi! Do you find that potting pickups kill the tone? Are unpotted pickups more dynamic with more top end clarity? Or this is all a myth? Thanks

[@djffe8597]

The Seth's had more "air" which I like but overall I give a slight nod to the Schaller. Coincidentally I'm getting a 535 that had schallers replaced with 57 classic GIB Ons. Might have to put the schallers back in for a test !

[@sclogse1]

A little break from my CNN and MSNBC's seemed in order. Well, that blonde pickguard sure caught my eye...thought the Schaller's excited me more. But jeez, I've put Seth Lovers on everything I own except my Charlie C. What I really like was the way you opened up Days Of Wine and Roses. I've got your lesson down on that, and now need to do the same.

[@michaelpangburn279]

I prefer the Seth. Seems warmer.

[@Sparky6string]

Toggle back and forth between the two octave passages- the Lovers note comes through more, and in a mix that will be important. Also though the Shallers have a nice sound they lack the low end tightness and articulation of the Lovers. My vote- Seth Lovers.

[@Sparky6string]

2:19 for Lovers and 4:44 for the Schallers.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

@@Sparky6string thanks for watching It's hard to find the perfect pickup

[@Sparky6string]

@@RichSeversonGuitar Thanks for the videos. Have you arrived at your favorite yet?

[@johnnydswing]

@@Sparky6stringthanks for doing this! That made my mind !!!😂

[@GuitarMan22]

How are you enjoying the Quilter amp? Sounds good.. I've got the 10"

[@michaelrandolph2493]

What model Shaller pickup are you using?

[@romanslegion7771]

The Shallars sound more full,better full frequency response, espically in the bass frequencies. It could be that they were hotter ( louder). I was pulling for the Seth Fullers but the others sounded better. 😒

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

I hear what you're saying

[@juergensguitarlounge]

I have the Schallers on my H-575 and I think they sound great. Very clear . Schaller used to make very good gear and pick ups.. I have a Seth Lover SD in the bridge position of a 335 copy paired with a 59 in the neck position. To me the seth lover pick up in particular I think perhaps has a few more harmonics or is a bit more sensitive to nuances of playing technique if that makes any sense. Perhaps for blues where you want the tone to squeal a bit. In the video both sound great, a wee bit different. I love both. The Seth Lover pick ups could cause a problem with feedback in a louder playing setting would be my only concern.

[@xxmanx1]

I like the schallers as they do sound hotter ...so your g string is not wound?

[@donarmando916]

Schaller pickups are not bad, but i swapped mines right away for SD 59 on my Heritage H-150.

[@Zephyrwood]

Seth Lovers

[@marekmosiadz1127]

I like schaller...

[@sega62s]

Very nice sounds, the burgundy one sounds beefed up, but all in all, both can be equalized if needed, and youtube is not the best place to compare sounds, take care sir

[@kathymckenna4643]

Shaller pickups sound better for jazz in the neck position

[@davidthomas8540]

Schaller all the way! I have been playing Seth Lover for years, but they are better for solid body rock guitars. Perfect on an SG.

[@MattWhatsGoinOn]

To me, the Schallers seemed a little more well-rounded.

[@ImOnlyFakingIt]

Hey Rich, could you do a blog on your right hand fingernails at some point? What's the deal here - I suppose they are glued on? Many thanks!

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

OK. Keep watching

[@ImOnlyFakingIt]

Cool, thanks! I very much enjoyed your short blogs you had there for a while. Great tips and stories always! Cheers!

[@brez9091]

Schaller Golden 50’s all the way. SD’s sounded nice, but a little too polite.

[@97yawnac]

I wish I could have heard some chords using the bottom three strings at the third, second, and first frets. I am looking for excellent clarity/distinguishable notes of those chords at those positions in the neck. Otherwise, the Schallers sounded better in the neck position while playing lead guitar.

[@3dayphunk]

Seth Lovers sound a little thicker and fuller to me. IT's not niht and day, both sound similar. But I prefer the Seth Lovers myself.

[@pelinkuru7273]

Schaller all the way

[@dantarradellas7351]

Schaller. Unquestionably.

[@threeleafflutes]

Shaller seems to be fuller and more rich... still has clarity.

[@charlesfailla9834]

I like both but I'm getting one 535 with schaller

[@guitarman4899]

Schaller is smoother, but the Seymour Duncan seems to be more versatile with different styles.

[@vincentsabatino4480]

Schaller pups are a bit more pronounced all around Bass , Treble Mids wherever you went ! sound Great ! your playing sounds terrific also !

[@BodyjailedBlues06]

Which schaller pickups is it please ?

[@phunkyjunkee]

I like both but the schallers seem more musical to me. They sound like they don’t color the natural acoustic tone of the instrument, which is nice. I have Golden 50s in 2 Ibanez semi hollows (AWD83T and AWD82) from 1997 and 1993 respectively. I’ve recently purchased a PRS SE hollowbody and at an impasse on the pickups. I like the stock 58/15s in the PRS but I don’t LOVE them. I am thinking either another set of Golden 50s or a set of SH-1 vintage blues SD’s. I just don’t know which to go with! Ugh…

[@MarcosJ-mq4lk]

Schaller's!

[@ryanstark2350]

I have this guitar. Its great. It came with Seymour 59s. I have another Heritage solid body H150. It has Seymour Seths. I'm changing the pickups in the H150 because I tried Gibson Classic 57s and they were better in the H150 but not so good in an actual Gibson Les Paul ironically. However, 57s are really superb in any SG style guitars. I think this is because SGs are a little brighter. It seems to be the same case with Heritages. Classic 57s are quite full sounding but any wooliness or low end mud in a guitar makes them not so good in my opinion. I may change the pickups in the H575 to something completely difference like TV Jones for example but my guess is that Classic 57s are probably great in any Heritage. They are much more responsive and less compressed feeling than Seymour pickups which I've gone off to tell you the truth. Classic 57s are also beautiful for clean sounds.

[@Grace4_All]

Seymour Duncan much much smoother and warm, the schaller just seemed hollow to me and thin.

[@PJ-hn4cg]

the Duncans are more mellow / the Schaller too bright and hot for me ...

[@adriennelee1520]

Def Schallers.. way better sound.. more mellow and solid

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

both r warm but the Duncans 2 me r more affordable

[@joolstacho8114]

It's so subjective isn't it? For me I prefer the Duncans, the Scallers just sounded a little too 'boomy' to my ear. I found the Duncans more 'focussed'.

[@docpearson]

I like the Schaller’s

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

I think the Duncan 59s have more mids like the Schallers

[@zycos35960]

Windy by Wes at 04:43 . Great.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

I'm going to do a lesson on that one soon

[@olechristianchristophersen8876]

Seth Lover for me

[@DwightMS1]

I like the SDs best.

[@angelobouhoutsos3060]

Lover had much more acoustic and woody tone. It has more complexity and less stale basically.

[@2dazetake]

I hate to say it but the Schallers kicked butt. 🤣👍

[@tperry5839]

Seth lover more detailed

[@charlesfailla9834]

Groovy

[@wolfgang4078]

The Schaller are smoother !

[@robertmoore6700]

The Schaller sounds brighter to me.( Forgive the spelling.)

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Thanks for the comment Robert!

[@Trombonology]

I prefer the Schallers -- greater clarity and character; was not expecting to feel this way!

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

I know what you mean

[@bradt.3555]

Hate when I go to watch a video comparing PU's only to find it's 2 different guitars! Don't matter if there the same model. I have 2 identical PRS cu22's and the same PU sounds different in each guitar.

[@gabri3l367]

Bravo

[@franklynjude9483]

Seymour Duncan

[@claymationwaves]

love the idea of heritage being great because of its hishistory but they all sound dull.. voiceless.. go for cb hill benedetto or even eastman

[@4gcole]

The Schaller's sound fatter and more Wes like :)

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

You're right crazy

[@mitcharney1]

Funny you rarely see people put Gibson pups in another brand of Jazz box. They are the original and all other pups are made the same way. It's the number of winds or resistance that changes tonality. It's not rocket science.

[@JacksGuitars7]

Schaller

[@raffyzoo2130]

to me schaller is a forgettable pickup, ok but not a go-to choice. and sd pickups all have scooped mids with varoius bass/treble depending on which one. dimarzio 36 is my fav, especially in a bright axe. flat even response. nothing is perfect.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Dimarzio 36 do you use it for jazz?

[@Sparky6string]

@@RichSeversonGuitar Rich I kinda liked the 59s the best overall I think which surprised me. They were robust without being muddy.

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

@@Sparky6string Surprised me too

[@helio1055]

No distortion? lazy comparison

[@RichSeversonGuitar]

Im a jazz guitar player playing jazz guitars. I don't use distortion nor is it needed.

[@pebs1man]

Seth Lovers