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
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
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