What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

[orpheo]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Most versatile pickup in the duncan lineup? I read the Donahue, good call. But, not so versatile since you can't stick it in the majority of guitars.

My choice? Screaming Demon. that pickup is heaven in the neck position of any guitar. swap the a5 for an a4 and bam, it's even cleaner. swap it for an a8 and it's a great pickup for the bridge position.

Second best? SH6n Same deal, slightly hotter though. Great pickup in the bridge of any guitar that accepts humbuckers.

Seth Lover Bridge. That pickup is heaven in both slots! It's got the balls, but also the cream. It's got the sizzle but also the clarity. Output difference? Set up the neck pickup lower!

[LesStrat]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Not the most versatile set, but being a Duncan forum the JB/Jazz would be absolutely appropriate for the 80 Tones project. It would be very interesting to see the variety of tones and styles we could all muster from the classic combo.

I do it regularly.


\/\/\/

[bluesapplebrooks]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

It's been said before but you can't beat a Jazz in the neck & JB in the bridge. Gives a full range of tone to cover almost everything!

[Lucid_Lunatic]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

I like A2 pups.

[KeeperOS]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Ah Christ, I bet Ace is regretting coming up with this thread by now.

I stopped reading after about the 15th post where people tried to inject their favorite as most versatile.

So, I THINK that the most versatile pickups (i.e. those that can be used in almost any setup for almost any use) from the SD lineup are:

• Jazz (neck and/or bridge)
• 59 (don't much like it but I systematically don't like it because it has the same sound/character in almost all guitars and can be used as-is in many different genres, while still not being to my taste).
  
  * Sorry Ace, you said no shenanigans but you're quite simply dead wrong. SPLITTING is an essential function behind what would be my no.3 which is
• P-Rails
  as it is coil-manipulatable by design, no arguing there.

Now, taking the latter into account a case could be made for the StraBro90 and the Fuglybucker, both amazing pickups that excel in several different scenarios but, nevertheless don't make the cut on account of being custom-shop items.

[blueman335]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Ah Christ, I bet Ace is regretting coming up with this thread by now.

I stopped reading after about the 15th post where people tried to inject their favorite as most versatile.

So, I THINK that the most versatile pickups (i.e. those that can be used in almost any setup for almost any use) from the SD lineup are:[list]Jazz (neck and/or bridge)[*]59 (don't much like it but I systematically don't like it because it has the same sound/character in almost all guitars and can be used as-is in many different genres, while still not being to my taste).

Thank you. This thread isn't asking for personal favorites for the genre or two most guys play, but for PU's that can be used in a wide variety of guitars for many genres; that's what Aceman spelled out in his initial post. Big picture, guys.

[jimijames]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

1. jerry Donahue bridge (far and away the winner in my book)
2. Pearly gates
3. P-rails

2 & 3 are pretty close to each other but IMO the pearly gates has more personality whereas the P-rails can cover different ground. Put it like this: the one sound the pearly gates makes is very versatile, whereas the P-rails makes four sounds that are all just different enough that you'll use them for different genres.

I wrote this without reading the rest of the thread, and after reading the rest of the thread I'm kind of glad that I did, with the exception of the p-rails (saw earlier that aceman said no p-rails)

In that case,

1. Jerry Donahue Bridge (Ace didn't say it had to fit in as many guitars as possible IIRC. The JD is the only bridge pickup I've played that does neck cleans better than a neck pickup and distortion better than the SD pickup bearing that name. All a matter of preference of course but I've never encountered a genre that gives the JD trouble. /rant.)

2. Pearly Gates. Like I said earlier (I think), it doesn't have tight enough bass to do metal, and it's way bright for a humbucker, but if you play it like you're playing a tele pickup (a/k/a very dynamic but also bright, almost magnifies your technique really) then it sounds amazeballs.

3. 59/Custom. I've tried this pickup with A8, A3, A4, A2, A5, UOA5... No matter what magnet I've used with it, it still covers tons of ground. I'm going to be honest, if you like low mids (vs. high mids) it's probably a better #2 than the pearly gates. But the pearly gates has a more unique sound. It's like having a really good folding/locking knife that you can use for all knife-related activities and fits well in your pocket vs. having a swiss army knife that you can use for 20 things but the knife part of it isn't exceptional and you kind of have to adapt the job to the knife vs. the other way around.

[Edgecrusher]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Thank you. This thread isn't asking for personal favorites for the genre or two most guys play, but for PU's that can be used in a wide variety of guitars for many genres; that's what Aceman spelled out in his initial post. Big picture, guys.

Thats not at all what Ace said... try

Can't you just respond by say…


1. Pickup X
2. Pickup Y
3. Pickup Z

All I did was ask for an opinion. Not a lecture, not a technical discussion, not a duo log on why some one's opinion should be something else. Just the names of three pickups, that in a world of ONLY one pickup, would make you happy.


[For the record, I'd soooo do Country with my Distortion!]

I got the feeling that in the scenario of "Just the names of three pickups, that in a world of ONLY one pickup, would make you happy." There are going to be your favorites...

[LesStrat]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

[KRKBAB]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

arggggggh-
HOW can people call the JB versatile?!

Aceman said versatile- not iconic, popular, awesome or anything else.

I've only had experience with about a third of Seymour Duncan's offerings, but with-in that I'd have to go with a Jazz set.
It's too bad the Jazz Bridge isn't more well known.
In fact, I'd say the Jazz Bridge is even more versatile than the Jazz N.

[Edgecrusher]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

arggggggh-
HOW can people call the JB versatile?!

Aceman said versatile- not iconic, popular, awesome or anything else.

I've only had experience with about a third of Seymour Duncan's offerings, but with-in that I'd have to go with a Jazz set.
It's too bad the Jazz Bridge isn't more well known.
In fact, I'd say the Jazz Bridge is even more versatile than the Jazz N.

Aceman himself said

I'll go first:

1. 59
2. JB
3. Custom

... how do you like them apples?

[Archer250]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Aceman himself said ... how do you like them apples?

Apples suck! Pears better!

[blueman335]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

Aceman also said, which seems to be consistently ignored:

"This is the pickup that (assuming) you could play rock, blues, metal, jazz, country, or whatever on, in a Les Paul OR a strat style guitar."


That pretty much eliminates most of Duncan's HB line, as they tend to be rather specialized for limited genres. The Jazz is one of the few left standing.

[DreX]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

I don't think most individual guitar players genuinely play all of those genres with any seriousness, so most opinions on the subject won't be too informed to begin with.

The subjective / objective debate comes up a lot when people recommend anything to other people. There's the clearly subjective "I like to use [XYZ pickups]", where you can't even tell if they're recommending or just talking, or the more objective attempt at providing actual information, like "I'd recommend other people use [XYZ pickups]". I know a lot of people like to just list off their favorite gear, and are not even interested in exploring what it is they like about that gear, but IMO, that doesn't even really qualify as an exchange of information. Your favorite flavor of ice cream isn't useful information.

Suppose I'm a beginning guitarist and need to pick two HB's to put in my cheap Les Paul, I'd like to know what you think the two most versatile pickups are "in general", or "for me", as I'm the one who's asking the question. I would not want to know what you'd put in my guitar, if it were your guitar, as it is, in this circumstance, not your guitar.

[jon the art guy]

Re: What is the MOST versatile pickup Duncan makes?

I change my votes.
1) jb
2) jb
3) jb

Just close the thread, Ace.