Best Duncan for early EVH tones?

[vklobucar]

Bear with me because I know that this has been discussed to no end on countless forums over the years but......


I have a EVH Frankenstein copy that is nearly completed. Northern Ash body and maple neck with OFR etc....

I have on my bench a Duncan JB, '59 as well as Distortion.

Yes I have heard amazing things about the '78 as well as the Custom Custom not to mention the Duncan EVH but they sell for crazy money (even used) and funds are limited.

Heck my first car cost me less than those pups sell for these days! LOL!

Curious to hear your thoughts on the three that I have lying around. Many people seem to gravitate to the '59 it seems.

Problem is that the EVH Frankie takes a direct mounted (screwed into body) pup so you are pretty much forced to drill out the pup tangs. Then if its not the tone you were looking for, the pup is tougher to sell and install with mounting rings.

My rig is a Fractal Audio Axe FX Ultra through an old Randall RRM 220 power amp and into a JCM 900 4x12

[shreddermon]

Of those three, would say the JB will probably get the closest to the infamous "brown sound". You could make an argument for the 59 but, IMHO, that's going to "vintage". Distortion is too high gain.

[toejam]

I'd go '59.

[Nightbat]

You're gonna need something "PAF-y"

[RR4LIFE]

Another vote for a 59

[paranoid]

a company in Florida called mean street guitars builds evh copies.http://www.axcessories.com/products.asp?cat=33 they sell a evh wound pick up that my son put in 2 different evh copies and they work very well. they sound very close to the tone of my charvel evh paint series guitars.

[kamanda]

I have on my bench a Duncan JB, '59 as well as Distortion.

Yes I have heard amazing things about the '78 as well as the Custom Custom not to mention the Duncan EVH but they sell for crazy money (even used) and funds are limited.

Of the 3 you have, '59. JB's are awesome for that 80's tone, but not as much for early EVH.

With that said, why don't you sell one or two of the ones you have an get a used '78 or custom custom? The CC is much cheaper as its not a Custom Shop.