fretmonster
Scotch Bonnet
I'd stay away from the '59. I've had bad luck with one making a Yamaha SBG700S (all mahogany body) sound pretty muddy from the neck. I'm not going near a '59 again in the neck unless the guitar is at least a bit on the brighter side.
I'm a bit surprised you can't get a good sound that you like out of the BB Pro in the neck. Those pickups always seem so vibey/chimey to me.
But I'm a particularly big fan of the BB 1. The scattered wind sounds like two voices singing in harmony together (at least in my '59 RI). The sound is still fairly thick, but it's complex.
I'd also recommend the Seth Lovers or Duncan Antiquities (before the '59s). Could be that the DiMarzio Anniversary DP103 might provide the right chime.
If you want more cut and more articulation, I'm a bit of a fan of the Jazz. Often I like a bit more fullness from the neck than that, but I also play with low amounts of gain. But I still have plenty of respect for what a Jazz p'up does do. And then again a Gibson 496 can also do some cool things too. They tend to have a fairly flat EQ so there's not much boominess there unless you dial it in on your amp.
Dude, you and I are generally always on the same page, but I gotta say that I just loooove a 59 in the neck slot. (I actually was not so fond of one I had in the bridge position.) Course we've had this discussion before and we both agreed that different pieces of wood react differently. Certainly not to discredit your endorsement of the other pickups mentioned. You've had a lot more experience with different pickups than I. Never tried the Jazz, do really like the Custom Custom in the bridge position at least (like the JB in some guitars). And I agree with what you said about the BB Pro and 496. Gibson makes an excellent pickup.
