Pickup Swap on 594 Soapbar

[jbright44]

Hey folks.... Wanted to get some opinions from the hive mind here on potential pickup swaps on my 594 soapbar. LOVE LOVE the guitar. But I also have a regular 594 with humbuckers and find that the 2 guitars just don't sound "different enough" from each other and I find myself playing the 594 more. I'm curious if any of you have done pickup swaps in the soapbar versions of these to get more of that classic LP Jr. Soapbar sound.

If so, what have you swapped to?

Pics of the guitar in case you want to see them!

 

[ppacheco1284]

This is my favorite guitar on my reverb watch list......

 

[ViggoP]

I can’t answer your question and this is off topic but if I had a soapbar 594 I would put Lollar Firebird pickups in it.
Nice looking guitar, is that a korina back?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Frickin’ hawt!!

 

[CVS]

I've wanted one of these for a while with the soapbars. Now you are making me reconsider given lack of a tonal difference, as I already have a 594 with humbuckers in it. Next up for me is probably a Silver Sky with maple neck (after my Chief Household Officer approves my purchase requisition ) That is one great looking guitar!

 

[jbright44]

This is my favorite guitar on my reverb watch list......

Yeah... On the fence about selling. It's so awesome. But I like the 594 better. It's also a wood library with a rosewood neck.

And yes that is a korina body

 

[ppacheco1284]

Yeah... On the fence about selling. It's so awesome. But I like the 594 better. It's also a wood library with a rosewood neck.

And yes that is a korina body

I check daily for a price drop

 

[RickP]

The pickups in the 594 Soapbar are, without question, the best P90 pickups I have ever heard in any guitar, of any brand. I was really surprised to see that anyone would want to pull them. Having played a few other brands, I’d not found anything I was happy with, but fell in love with the 594 Soapbar Limited pickups.

Can’t offer an option... but I can offer a good home to your rejects... just PM me!

 

[Serious Poo]

FWIW, my 594 PS Singlecut has P90 Antiquities in it and I wouldn't trade them out for anything. They sound very, very musical to my ears. I love 'em.

 

[Jazzedout]

FWIW, my 594 PS Singlecut has P90 Antiquities in it and I wouldn't trade them out for anything. They sound very, very musical to my ears. I love 'em.

I believe the 594 Soapbars are indeed Antiquities (or some custom version of them).

 

[AP515]

IMO the reason they are sounding similar is because of the rosewood neck. P90's are clear and articulate with lots of highs. The rosewood neck makes the midrange prominent which will make the highs sound muted. So it isn't that you have the wrong pickups, you have the wrong neck (if you want that tasty P90 signature sound). A maple neck would sound very bright. The hog neck would be right in the middle which is what is used for most P90 guitars.

 

[RickP]

IMO the reason they are sounding similar is because of the rosewood neck. P90's are clear and articulate with lots of highs. The rosewood neck makes the midrange prominent which will make the highs sound muted. So it isn't that you have the wrong pickups, you have the wrong neck (if you want that tasty P90 signature sound). A maple neck would sound very bright. The hog neck would be right in the middle which is what is used for most P90 guitars.

Don’t tell him that... I’m trying to get him to send them to me! Lol

Seriously, the rosewood does have its own tone, My 594 has the standard neck.

 

[Rhythmisking]

I would think it might be nearly impossible to get a korina/maple guitar with a rosewood neck to sound like an LP jr....

 

[dmatthews]

I'm completely satisfied with my 594 soapy. No change required for me.

 

[László]

I love my 594 Soapbar; also had the 594 (traded in for a McCarty Trem), but I found that they sounded very different, so I don't understand what's happening.

Here's a track I recorded a while with both guitars playing a solo line, same amp (DG30). They sound very different to me! YMMV, of course.

First lead part is the 594 Soapbar; starting halfway through is the 594 Humbucker model.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

 

[AP515]

[QUOTE="LSchefman, post: 604253, member: 812"... First lead part is the 594 Soapbar; starting halfway through is the 594 Humbucker model.
[/QUOTE]
That soapbar lead is tasty! So different from the buckers. I really think that unless he is EQing them out, his problem is the rosewood neck is leveling everything off.

 

[jbright44]

I love my 594 Soapbar; also had the 594 (traded in for a McCarty Trem), but I found that they sounded very different, so I don't understand what's happening.

Here's a track I recorded a while with both guitars playing a solo line, same amp (DG30). They sound very different to me! YMMV, of course.

First lead part is the 594 Soapbar; starting halfway through is the 594 Humbucker model.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

I guess I'm the problem. I listened. What you guys call "so different" to me sounds "very similar" even in your recording. I mean they sound different, but just barely and only because I know to listen for it. If you hadn't told me, I would have never said "that's 2 different guitars"

 

[AP515]

I guess I'm the problem. I listened. What you guys call "so different" to me sounds "very similar" even in your recording. I mean they sound different, but just barely and only because I know to listen for it. If you hadn't told me, I would have never said "that's 2 different guitars"

That's interesting. They say everyone's ears are different. Here is good evidence. To me there is a grit in the first half that is missing in the second half. They both sound good, and in general they sound similar, but there is a drive and sparkle on top of the P90 half that really adds to the song.

 

[László]

I guess I'm the problem. I listened. What you guys call "so different" to me sounds "very similar" even in your recording. I mean they sound different, but just barely and only because I know to listen for it. If you hadn't told me, I would have never said "that's 2 different guitars"

It's certainly true that one person's 'subtle' is another person's 'OMG that's so different'!

The soapbar lead sounds more vowel-like, or more horn-like, and the regular 594 sounds brighter on top with less midrange growl. However, the two pickups are installed on the same platform, so there are naturally going to be real similarities. The soapbar and humbucker also drive the amp differently.

I wound up trading my humbucker 594 in on a McCarty Trem a few months ago because I felt it sounded very similar to my McCarty Singlecut PS, and the McTrem is more of its own thing. So I get where you're coming from.

 

[CVS]

I love my 594 Soapbar; also had the 594 (traded in for a McCarty Trem), but I found that they sounded very different, so I don't understand what's happening.

Here's a track I recorded a while with both guitars playing a solo line, same amp (DG30). They sound very different to me! YMMV, of course.

First lead part is the 594 Soapbar; starting halfway through is the 594 Humbucker model.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

Recordings sound great! Just for the record, they sound different to me as well . Were both guitars on the bridge pickup?