Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Hey guys,

Been a LONG time since I've been around this forum. Our the last few years, I've done a lot of tinkering with pickups. I started with Duncans, and then went on to EMGs, Dimarzios, BKPs, Suhr pickups, PRS Pickups, etc. After all that swapping, I've come to the conclusion that I'm perfectly happy with both Duncans and Dimarzios- both companies have great offerings, and it comes down to selecting the right pickup for the right guitar and its application.

I currently have 4 guitars in my possession. Two are EBMM Petrucci models that are set with Dimarzios…I'm happy with that combination. However, I have a PRS Tremonti (Drop D) and a PRS Singlecut (E standard tuning) that I am looking to get some new Seymour Duncans for, in both neck and bridge positions.

Overall, I am a high gain player. My style leans toward hard rock/metal/progressive tones, with big chords requiring good clarity, breaks that trade frequently between tight riffing and smoother leads, and a decent mix of cleans as well. I play an Axe FX, so the 'rig' offers a lot of versatility and tinkering for my needs. I tend to use the bridge for rhythm and sharper leads, and the neck for cleans and smoother leads.

Since my Petrucci/Dimarzio setup covers my modern/hot pickup flavors, I'm looking to do something slightly different with my PRS guitars. While I still want this guitars to be 'at home' in my high gain applications, I want to embrace their more 'vintage' nature, and choose some pickups that will pull this task off in a more 'organic' vein. While keeping the above general tones in mind, for the E Standard Singlecut, I wouldn't mind erring towards a slightly more mellow/smoother response, while for the Drop D Tremonti, I'm envisioning a more hard hitting, sharper response, relatively.

The guitars currently have PRS Tremonti pickups, and though great, the bridge is WAY hot, which doesn't differentiate them quite as much from the EBMM guitars as I'd like. Thus, I'd prefer to stay away from things like the Distortion, Black Winter, etc. I've dabbled with various levels of output in pickups, and I appreciate how lower output pickups can offer a nice 'twist' on high gain, however, some seem to just not hold up. For example, I enjoyed the general clarity of a '59(B) pup I used to use, but overall, it was too scooped in the mids, and a little thin in the lows. While I'm open to try something low output again, it does leave me a bit uneasy. Would a medium output pup be better overall, especially to maintain some fluidity in feel and additional 'power' in the tone?

Till now, looking at the tone chart and output ratings, I'm considering:

- 59/Custom Hybrid
- Custom
- Full Shred
- Screamin Demon
- Whole Lotta Humbucker
- Jazz

Any input or guidance from the Duncan community would be GREATLY appreciated! What would you put in the neck and bridge of each guitar? I would prefer to keep recommendations to stock models or something Duncan can do as a production floor custom. I really don't have the time/interest to mod pickups myself…I prefer to play

Thank you,

Eric

[esandes]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

of all of the humbuckers i have tried i like the JB and brobucker the most. i think the JB edges out the bro. the JB is very versatile with its high output. you can turn down the guitar volume for a wide array of tones if you use a non master volume amp. both are nicely balanced from bass-mid-high. i'd think the WLH would be the closest sounding to the JB and bro out of that list.

for the bridge HB, it has to have an A5 magnet for my tastes. for the neck, i'd think you'd be well off with the jazz. some also like the PG in the neck.

[Big Flannel]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

I've heard great things about the 59/custom hybrid. I'm personally fond of the standard custom. Its hard to describe but to me it has a vintage "flavor" but is a monster with high gain. It can be picky about the height adjustment, though.

[Rockstar216]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

You might want to wait for the new Perpetual Burn model pickup thats about to come out.

[VHTJay]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

My two main guitars are PRS singlecuts and I have tried all the pickups you are thinking about, save the Whole lotta buckers. For the bridge position, I liked the hybrid, screamin demon and full shred in that order. The regular custom I didn't dig in the SC: too boomy on the low end and too shrill on the top end. The Custom5 and Custom8 were much better. I really think you'd dig the hybrid. It has full mids and some of the low end chunk of the Custom. It is a bright pickup, but I didn't find it shrill at all. Just very present.

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

In mahogany guitars, I find the JB to be really muddy. I would take a look at the Distortion bridge. It's got the high gain and clarity that you need and the sharpness for those leads. It doesn't have a vintage flavor, but it checks all your other boxes.

[EDX]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

if you liked 59 but whant more mids and bass without boomyness a set of Pearly Gates with A8 magnets would be the solution, and is actual floor custom option, and is great idea for give sharper to the drop d tremonti, about power feeling, on the right guitar PG (without having A8) can laught of high output buckers (PG sits in almost any guitar without problem, just favours a bit guitars with prominent midrange)

for smooth the E standar tremonti seth lovers may be the answer, just depends on how high gain the Axe Fx can go..... if you are ok with p90 sound the bill lawrence l90 wuold be the thing you want (8.0 h of inductance is as hot as the l500xl)

[Luke Duke]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

What is with this insanity of recommending a new set of pup and mag swapping?! Good grief this lunacy has to stop!

OP: I remember reading/hearing years ago that Tremonti's bridge pup was a Gibson 500T and that after Paul,essentially, reverse engineered it you got the Tremonti's bridge model. The PGs are going to give you a fairly aggressive PAF sound and might be just why the Dr. ordered. The 59/Custom is a great pup I had one in a rosewood neck McCarty and it sounded killer. In fact I had a PG in the neck slot of that guitar. That said the whole lotta humbucker is going to be a more beefy 59 so that might also appeal to you. The C5 is what my gut says but the EQ curve is almost identical to the 59. Custom Custom has awesome low mid girth but the low end is pretty loose and high gain guys can get frustrated by that.

Truthfully you sound like a PERFECT JB candidate. Hot but not TOO hot. Thick but not TOO thick. Some guys feel like mahogany can make it sound congested and that's true but if you're willing to spend the time dialing it in I think you can make if work.

IF you are able to drop another 75 bucks for a bridge pup I highly recommend the '78. I've got one in the bridge slot of my R8 and it's authoritive yet still a PAF. It has a softer bass than some guys like due to the A2 mag. The final possibility being the aforementioned Brobucker which is like a C5/JB love child. Lots of mids and ample loss and highs without being loose.

Luke

[TimmyPage]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

I say with the Tremonti, the classic Custom bridge, 59 neck combo. It's really the 'standard' for a Les Paul styled guitar, it has a smooth, mellow and bassy sound from the neck position, and the bridge is just a chunk hotter, enough that it can really chug under high gain but it's not really a 'high output' pickup. It can get pretty aggressive, and it can have a lot of attack, while still retaining what most people's ears would consider 'vintage' character. To me, it seems like a bigger, fatter 59, with more midrange (unlike the Custom 5, which was just.. a sharper 59 with the same lack of mids).

As for mellow pickups in your singlecut, that may be someone else's realm of expertise, I love the guitars I have tried with a pair of 59's but if that isn't your thing then by all means there are some other great sources of knowledge on this forum. For what it's worth, I'll have a review up of the new Whole Lotta Humbuckers by about next friday, if you can hold off a bit.

[darthphineas]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

I had a 2001 PRS Tremonti.

JB.

Call it a day.


Sent from my armored space station via iPad using Tapatalk

[Duffy1949]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

Hey guys,

Been a LONG time since I've been around this forum. Our the last few years, I've done a lot of tinkering with pickups. I started with Duncans, and then went on to EMGs, Dimarzios, BKPs, Suhr pickups, PRS Pickups, etc. After all that swapping, I've come to the conclusion that I'm perfectly happy with both Duncans and Dimarzios- both companies have great offerings, and it comes down to selecting the right pickup for the right guitar and its application.

I currently have 4 guitars in my possession. Two are EBMM Petrucci models that are set with Dimarzios…I'm happy with that combination. However, I have a PRS Tremonti (Drop D) and a PRS Singlecut (E standard tuning) that I am looking to get some new Seymour Duncans for, in both neck and bridge positions.

Overall, I am a high gain player. My style leans toward hard rock/metal/progressive tones, with big chords requiring good clarity, breaks that trade frequently between tight riffing and smoother leads, and a decent mix of cleans as well. I play an Axe FX, so the 'rig' offers a lot of versatility and tinkering for my needs. I tend to use the bridge for rhythm and sharper leads, and the neck for cleans and smoother leads.

Since my Petrucci/Dimarzio setup covers my modern/hot pickup flavors, I'm looking to do something slightly different with my PRS guitars. While I still want this guitars to be 'at home' in my high gain applications, I want to embrace their more 'vintage' nature, and choose some pickups that will pull this task off in a more 'organic' vein. While keeping the above general tones in mind, for the E Standard Singlecut, I wouldn't mind erring towards a slightly more mellow/smoother response, while for the Drop D Tremonti, I'm envisioning a more hard hitting, sharper response, relatively.

The guitars currently have PRS Tremonti pickups, and though great, the bridge is WAY hot, which doesn't differentiate them quite as much from the EBMM guitars as I'd like. Thus, I'd prefer to stay away from things like the Distortion, Black Winter, etc. I've dabbled with various levels of output in pickups, and I appreciate how lower output pickups can offer a nice 'twist' on high gain, however, some seem to just not hold up. For example, I enjoyed the general clarity of a '59(B) pup I used to use, but overall, it was too scooped in the mids, and a little thin in the lows. While I'm open to try something low output again, it does leave me a bit uneasy. Would a medium output pup be better overall, especially to maintain some fluidity in feel and additional 'power' in the tone?

Till now, looking at the tone chart and output ratings, I'm considering:

- 59/Custom Hybrid
- Custom
- Full Shred
- Screamin Demon
- Whole Lotta Humbucker
- Jazz

Any input or guidance from the Duncan community would be GREATLY appreciated! What would you put in the neck and bridge of each guitar? I would prefer to keep recommendations to stock models or something Duncan can do as a production floor custom. I really don't have the time/interest to mod pickups myself…I prefer to play

Thank you,

Eric

Well it sounds like you have some more than half way decent equipment.

There are a lot of pickup choices that will give you a very satisfying tone and not replicate what you already have. For instance, one of my favorites is the chrome covered Dimarzio SuperDistortion bridge pickup - it is not bright but is powerful and full of tone. It doesn't "distort" the sound of the guitar either. It is a classic aftermarket pickup and a favorite for modders from the beginning of swapping in aftermarket pickups. I would give it a try. For the neck a Dimarzio Tone Zone or Air Norton might make a very complimentary humbucker.

There are a lot of choices. Seymour Duncan has the SH-11 "Custom Custom" that is a great pickup and may be of interest to you. I know it is of great interest to me. Gibson has some great pickups that you might like, such as the 498 bridge pickup. I have this in an SG and LP Custom and it is a great pickup. The '57 classic and plus pickup set is also another great Gibson set.

The JB is a strong and bright pickup with lots of treble - this is where the Dimarzio SuperDistortion distinguishes itself and separates itself from the its company; the SuperDistortion has a reduced treble EQ and is strong on the mids and bass. This equates to a very nice sounding pickup that, when cranked up, produces a sound that is not in the screeching category, but really produces a beautiful roaring sound, well worth checking out if you have not experienced this type of sound. This pickup has been known to blow a quite a few dude's minds. It is something that you don't want to miss if you haven't given one full consideration already.

You might also want to check into some of the nice PRS pickups available at the PRS store on the PRS site. There is also a PRS forum there that is very helpful, has a positive vibe, and can provide you with a lot of great info specific to PRS guitars. The forum is monitored by a PRS dude that often will chime in and offer you advice, etc., and he is easily contactable on the forum if you have any technical questions, etc.

Another idea is to call Seymour Duncan's technical assistance line. The dudes there will discuss with you the objectives you are trying to achieve and have always been very helpful in assisting me choose pickups or put together special pickup sets. Their phone number is
"806 964 9610" .

Let me know if any of this helps you out. Good luck with your quest to discover some more great sounds.

[elelpe]

Re: Back to Duncans, need some help choosing!

Slash set for Singlecut, WLH for Tremonti.