Which pickups for my S2 Singlecut Semi-Hollowbody?

[fatherbowie]

I’m trying to slim down to one main double humbucker guitar, and ergonomically speaking, my 2015 S2 Singlecut Semi-Hollowbody fits the bill pretty much perfectly. However, I have grown to dislike the stock #7 S pickups. When played with overdrive they tend to have a fizziness I don’t care for. I prefer smooth pickups.

Anyway, I have a few pickup’s laying around I could swap into this guitar. Which among these would you choose, and why? Or would you choose completely different pickups?

Bare Knuckle Abraxas bridge
Bare Knuckle Mule bridge
Bare Knuckle Mule neck
Bare Knuckle Bootcamp Old Guard bridge (could be neck, paired with another bridge pickup)
PRS 57/08 bridge
SD Seth Lover bridge single conductor
SD Seth Lover neck single conductor

My initial thought is to try the Abraxas bridge paired with either the Mule neck or Bootcamp Old Guard in the neck position.

What do you think? Again, goals are warmth and clarity even when overdriven. My style is mostly classic rock-blues. If the guitar was recorded through a 4-hole Marshall in the 60’s or early 70’s, chances are I think it’s pretty cool and I’d like to learn it.

 

[rockinforJesus]

Yeah, I prefer vintage low-wind humbuckers for their clarity and sparkle. Not a big fan of dark sounding pickups.
Lambertone makes good pickups - Crema and Grinders are decent for custom pickups.

 

[rockinforJesus]

https://lambertones.store/products/the-crema

 

[andy474x]

57/08 all day!

 

[fatherbowie]

57/08 all day!

Thanks. I don't have a 57/08 neck pickup, is there one in my list you'd pair with it, or would you splurge on the 57/08 neck?

 

[andy474x]

Thanks. I don't have a 57/08 neck pickup, is there one in my list you'd pair with it, or would you splurge on the 57/08 neck?

Good question - the Seth neck is a nice sounding pickup that I’ve used in the past, the Mule might be another good one but I’ve never tried it myself. Some of the others you have might be too hot to match. But, of course, it all depends on what you like.

 

[fatherbowie]

Yeah, I prefer vintage low-wind humbuckers for their clarity and sparkle. Not a big fan of dark sounding pickups.
Lambertone makes good pickups - Crema and Grinders are decent for custom pickups.

https://lambertones.store/products/the-crema

Thanks for this. I've heard of these pickups but didn't know anything about them. I had no idea there were PAF types out there with such low DCR. The clarity is remarkable. When I listen to live recordings of Paul Kossoff, this is the kind of clarity I hear from his guitar. I wonder how they sound through an overdriven JTM45 or a 1986.

 

[McCarty Love]

My S2 single isn't a semi hollow but I installed 57/08's in it and I really like it. Nice and vintage-y but handles gain very well.

 

[Geo408]

Mule bridge, Seth Lover neck. All the warmth and clarity good classic rock calls for. I had that combo in an S2 semi hollow 22…it was perfect for the classic rock band I was in. I had that guitar for 5+ years, and the only reason I moved it was to upgrade to the core model semi hollow seen in my avatar.

 

[markd21]

57/08 in both spots. That is the greatest pickup ever made. Clear, even through its frequency response, spunds amazing clean and skull crushes with a nice, tight sound. I put them in everything. Something else I love about the 57/08 is how the guitar retains its own tone despite the pickups. They just take what is already there and makes it better.