Lollar Imperial vs Seth Lover

David compares the Lollar Imperial Humbuckers with the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover Pickups through a Collings City Limits.

[Turboy]

Almost impossible to hear a difference.

0:26 Lollar neck
1:28 Lover neck
0:46 Lollar middle
1:48 Lover middle
0:58 Lollar bridge
2:09 Lover bridge
There, you can click directly by time stamp yourself and skip the talking. Hearing the clips one after the other helps a lot. Even then, I can berely tell any difference at all.

[michaelappollo]

I liked the Lollar in the neck and the Seth Lover in the bridge. Enjoyed the clean playing, thank you!

[Joseph-sotd]

My ears say Lollar Imperials; my pockets say Seth Lovers. Great comparison - thanks!

[Antoniu]

It's all subjective. But for me, the Seth Lover's have it all the way. Let your ears, rather let your heart be the judge!

[ericdenton]

BOTH were nice. The Duncan's had more bark but the Lollars we're SMOOOOTH. The guitar, amp and room sounded great. Nice touch with the playing. Everything was superb. The Duncan's can certainly hang with the Lollars. I liked both pickups for different reasons. Why choose. Buy both and a second guitar to enjoys them with. That's my reccomedation.

[davemontagne]

Great demo. A lot of people pay top dollar for Lollar, but the Seth Lovers can hang with them for sure and are much less expensive.

[toddneary]

Great demo and comparison here. You can hear the differences in voicing and response. Very useful for anybody interested 👍

[piotrbalmusic]

Excellent video. I love them both. If I had only one choice, I would get Seth Lover; however, the Lollar should fabulous too.

[clgmafnas]

Hearing a little "air" in the notes with the Seths that are absent from the Lollars. Both great sounding for sure. For me, the Seths seem closer to the classic sounds.

[johnnieguitar]

Thanks for doing that comparison. I don't have an accurate memory for tones, so if you do another comparison I'd love to hear them A-B A-B A-B etc for all the variations of pickup and overdrive. :)

[mcriff]

Very close but the SD sounded more airy and less nasal in the bridge. Nasality in the bridge has always been a humbucker killer for me.

[gillesgenete]

Thanks for demo. I prefered the Seth Lovers, heard more highs, harmonics, basses than with the Lollars.

[kevinolson]

They both sound Amazing, the Seth Lovers sound much more vintage. I don’t know if these 2 pickups was a good idea to compare. Seth Lovers, sounds vintage like a 55 pickup. Woody and airy. IMHO. I actually own a guitar with a Seth Lover, in the neck position. Love it. I own a guitar with Lollars. I love it as well. Two very different pickups.

[pgong]

Interesting. The Imperials sounding more dynamic and punchy with a purer tone. Maybe a tad darker.

The Seth Lovers sounded more compressed, not as loud and with more "dirty" harmonic content. Pretty lively, but maybe a bit thinner overall.

Hard to say which I like more.

You say you hadn't heard the Seth Lovers yet at the time of their demo. That leads me to wonder if they were dialed in to perfection adjustment-wise or not. I know that it takes me some time tweaking a pickup's adjustment whenever I swap one out. They're all a bit different and each has it's sweet spot depending on user preferences.

[nerdicmem]

I love my lollars. They’re very full, the highs are beautiful, and the natural sustain is incredible.

[michaelmatthews]

Lollars were wandering into single coil territory (smoother transients), which could be just the thing for some. I prefer the tone spread of the Duncans, and they have just the right amount of attitude when you dig in. Classic bucker!

[bestplans]

Definitely the Seth's hands down! Much richer tone where the Lollar's to me sounded a bit tinny and very dry.

[stanislavmigra]

Was surprised how well Seths holded it there. Was not expecting to prefering them over Lollars.

[natrelacoustix]

Currently looking at buying a set of Seth Lovers, swapping out my 57 classics on my Gold top. My main problem when listening to demo's is virtually everyone uses a pick. I haven't used a pick in 35 year's. My playing just isn't up to much with a pick these day's and I loose all dynamic that I've built in my personal playing style. That said, it means all pickups sound different under my hand to pick player's. It's interesting how many people thought the lovers were less dynamic than the lollers, when I thought dynamically they won hands down and had far more tonal character than the Imperials.
Subjective you see, we all like different thing's. That's how it should be 'vive la difference' make's the world more interesting, but doesn't help my decision. I hear people say the lovers are darker sounding!? To my ear they sound anything but that here. But if they actually are, they're no good to me, I'll only make them sound darker with finger style. I desperately need to hear the Seth Lovers in person... Good luck with that I tell myself. My other Les Paul has Seymour 59's in. That sounds awesome, but is missing that Knopfler mid frequency in the harmonics that I'm looking for. The lovers seem to have that.

[Bobby_Digital]

Great demo!!! Please put the Lollars back in!!! They sound clearer and better..