Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Special Pickup Zebra Neck

This pickup is an excellent recreation of the slightly "hot" pickups that were commonly found in Gibson Les Pauls during the late 70s and early 80s (think Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon). This pickup sounds similar to Gibson's 57 Classic but with a pronounced midrange bump. The highs and mids are crystal clear providing a clarity not normally found in a neck pickup. The output is hotter than a 57 Classic but less than a Dirty Fingers or Dimarzio DP100 (but it's close--this pickup uses an Alnico 4 magnet which is exactly what you would expect: stronger than an Alnico 2 but not quite as hot as an Alnico 5). I was looking for an alternative to all the overwound "plus" pickups on the market and I found it in the Saturday Night Special. Check out the excellent demo by Doug Rappaport on Semour Duncan's website.

Just installed the SNS in my new Chapman ML-1 and all I can say is WOW! These pickups compliment this guitar (mahogany w/maple top, ebony board, 24 frets) perfectly! Not too much bass, not too middy, not shrill on top - juuuuuust right. I also like the slight open wah / vowel sound in the in-between position. It gives it an interesting flavor but doesn't overpower the natural sound of the guitar. The balance is nice too. Slightly underwound neck + slightly overwound bridge = awesome!