Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

[darkshadow54321]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

I don't like the pearly gates. It's got a certain quality about it that I simply don't like... same thing with Brian May's tone...

[Benjy_26]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

I've had a love/hate thing with the 59N and JB ever since they came out!

I love 'em when I put 'em in other players guitars...but when I have them in my guitars I like them at first and then get tired of them.

To much bass from the 59N and to much upper mids or something in the JB. The JB starts hurting my ears when I really crank it up and sting some notes.

So I change them out for something else and then a year or so goes by. Then a new guy has me put a 59N/JB or JazzN/JB set in his Les Paul again and I'm so impressed with the tone that I give them another try in one of my guitars...and the cycle continues!

They're actually great pickups...just not quite right for my particular set of ears.

AMEN!! My thoughts exactly!

[B2D]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

Alot of folks love it but, I would say without a doubt Duncans worst bucker would be the JB.

OUCH! Thats actually my favorite bridge pickup Duncan makes!

Although I agree to the fact that as compared to the rest of the Duncan crowd it's not a polite-sounding pickup. It's very open and agressive, has a lot more bite then people expect and can be quite trebly if you're not careful. Most of the other Duncans generally have a smoother, bassier sound. But I love the JB for these qualities. As long as I'm careful with the amp so that the highs don't become too strident its my favorite Duncan pickup yet next to the Hot Rails.

The pickups I've been the least satisfied with would be the '59 neck (not enough output or tonal strength) or the Classic Stacks (not nearly enough bass).

[Davey]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

'59 neck IMO. I've tried it with numerous setups and it's just mud IMO. It's definitely just plain over-rated for a good neck clean sound. I came across a $35 Kent Armstrong PAF and it just blew it away in the clarity and overall tone department.

i think you're crazy >.<

well.. i have the JB and '59n and i really cant comment much outside of these =P


the thing is, most people just put it in their guitar, thinking now it'll do magic and play by itself and kill with the tone.. most put it in their guitars and start whamming without even setting it up properly. each guitar has a different setup as where it sounds best and you just have to find it.. if you think thats too much work, you shouldnt play guitar

[guitarshredder]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

There are no bad sounding Duncan pickups, it's just that certain pickups work better in certain guitars than others do. If you use a really bright pickup in a really bright guitar, it's going to sound horrible. Same thing with dark pickups in a dark guitar. Every pickup in the Duncan lineup has its place, the key is knowing what pickups to use for what application.

Ryan

rspst14, how can I tell if my electric guitar is bright or dark-sounding??? :fing25:

[strat_master]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

of the pick ups ive tried they all are good, just have a place adn time for everything. IM sure there is a pick up in the duncan line i disliek for sure. Ive onyl tired a few anywho.

[Mincer]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

I have 2, the Jazz, because it is horribly misnamed, and sounds nothing like Jazz..way too bright for a neck pickup, even in an LP. I am not fond of the JB either, since it tends to make every guitar with one sound the same- I will most likely change the JB in my Brian Moore to a CC.

[ranalli]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

i think you're crazy >.<

well.. i have the JB and '59n and i really cant comment much outside of these =P


the thing is, most people just put it in their guitar, thinking now it'll do magic and play by itself and kill with the tone.. most put it in their guitars and start whamming without even setting it up properly. each guitar has a different setup as where it sounds best and you just have to find it.. if you think thats too much work, you shouldnt play guitar

Well I've tried a few pickups in the neck and the '59 was by far the worst IMO and quite possibly just not the tone I was looking for. Boomy and undefined compared to the others I tried. It just has too much bass for a neck pickup IMO which probably is fine with older amps which may be light on the low end. But with a relatively modern sounding amp with a healthy dose of lows already it just didnt' work.

So in reality it wasn't the worst pickup....just my least favorite by far. Different pickups for different setups really.

I tried different heights, pole screw heights etc. Nothing worked for me.

[Davey]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

Well I've tried a few pickups in the neck and the '59 was by far the worst IMO and quite possibly just not the tone I was looking for. Boomy and undefined compared to the others I tried. It just has too much bass for a neck pickup IMO which probably is fine with older amps which may be light on the low end. But with a relatively modern sounding amp with a healthy dose of lows already it just didnt' work.

So in reality it wasn't the worst pickup....just my least favorite by far. Different pickups for different setups really.

I tried different heights, pole screw heights etc. Nothing worked for me.

well, then say it like that lol.. yea, it might not be everyone's cup of tea since it's bassier than others, but i like it that way =) sweet sweet sound. wouldnt really say undefied though. what guitar did you have it in?

[Zerberus]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

I've had a love/hate thing with the 59N and JB ever since they came out!

I love 'em when I put 'em in other players guitars...but when I have them in my guitars I like them at first and then get tired of them.

To much bass from the 59N and to much upper mids or something in the JB. The JB starts hurting my ears when I really crank it up and sting some notes.

So I change them out for something else and then a year or so goes by. Then a new guy has me put a 59N/JB or JazzN/JB set in his Les Paul again and I'm so impressed with the tone that I give them another try in one of my guitars...and the cycle continues!

They're actually great pickups...just not quite right for my particular set of ears.

The story of my life with the JB/´59n as well

[ranalli]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

well, then say it like that lol.. yea, it might not be everyone's cup of tea since it's bassier than others, but i like it that way =) sweet sweet sound. wouldnt really say undefied though. what guitar did you have it in?

A Les Paul and a Super Strat.

[Dills]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

Screamin Demon i had it in the bridge of an sg, which was already pretty bright and it made everyhting sound like mosquitoes, no mids, heaps of treble and high end lots of shrillness nothing smooth about it, Even worse than the stocks, but after changing the bridge to a darker and warmer sounding bridge pup with roled off treble it was fine. And it took me another 2 bridge pup replacements, until finally I put in a breed and now it sounds huge.

[Mac-P]

Re: Which SD Humbucker Do You Feel Is The Worst Sounding?....

The worst for me were (in order): C5 and CC.

C5 was WAAAAY to thin bright and wimpy. The CC was just......not nearly as warm as other people found it. Distorted WAY too easy. Not enough low end. The opposite of the C5 but in a bad way.

The regular ol' Custom was pretty cool. Was the most musical of the three Customs to these ears.

Never tried the Distortion or Invader, but that isn't where my head is at.