59/09's into my Custom 22--I think I'm good now

Going Modal

I should be practicing right now.
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Messages
1,372
Location
Your mom.
Over the weekend I installed some 59/09 pickups into my '18 Custom 22, replacing the 85/15 pickups that were in there. I think the 59/09's are much better suited for my all-around bluesy/rock styles.

I wasn't interested in changing the switching patterns, or even the look of the pickups (they're still uncovered black squabbins, like the stock ones) but had grown a little weary of the "modern" sound of the 85/15's that were in there. I do think the 85/15's are decent pickups--in fact, the clarity on the neck pickup has been entirely refreshing compared to any other neck humbucker, period. But those pickups are probably much better suited for tight high-gain sounds; and, alas my style is more bluesy classic rock & such. (So then why did I even buy a Custom 22 then? Umm... have you seen one? And played one? My lord, they're so nicely designed & built.)

Anyways, the 59/09's are definitely more-typical overwound-but-not-"hot" PAF-style pickups that I'm used to. And I think they complement this thinner-bodied guitar quite well (I consider it more SG-like compared to my thicker-bodied McCarty 58 with 57/08's, which is more LP-like). I'm happy with the swap so far--which itself makes me happy, too, because fiddling around with a soldering knife and all those tiny pickup wires was stressin' me out!
 
Sounds like you made the right choice with the pups, great job. Was toying with the idea to get a set of those to put in an SE, going completely from descriptions and reviews, as they seemed to be exactly what I wanted in a pup that would be different from any of my others.
 
Back
Top