since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

[Naps]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

Duncan's are an easially learned and intresting hobby. They are fairly simplistic in themselves, but facing the huge array of guitar, amp, and effect options users are faced with they provide an almost infinate array of colors and shapes.

To me, Seymour Duncan pickups excel in the vast information available about them. They offer a similar product at a price that blends nicely inbetween the highest and lowest priced pickups. In my opinion, a Seymour Duncan pickup is ment to provide a means to a demand for sonic brilliance. What they really constitute is a fun, intresting and highly addictive atmosphere for musicians and tinkers alike to share information and tips on acheiving the best tone(s) avaliable.

[taphappy]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

Duncans have a proffesional sound to me. Their hum cancelling is way better than Dimarzions so I guess this means they're made of higher quality materials. I've mostly used their modern sounding pickups and they are just as good, if not better than modern sounding Dimarzios.

[Slash2987]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

I'm going to side with Lew.... in general they have more character and vintage authenticity than other pickups. EMG's are like a a glass of water, which I find very boring, colorless, and tasteless. No uniqueness. DiMarzio has some excellent pickups, but they're for metal. Breed, Evolution, Super Distortion, and Fast Track 2 are all awesome pickups, but Duncan is the most versitile company. They are the undisputed kings of low output pickups, be it strats or humbuckers. The Jazz/APH/'59/Seth/PG/Custom Custom/JB are unparalleled. You can't find anything like them really anywhere else.

[Mike M.]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

What's best is what works for you and your situation. I've tried my share of Duncans and Dimarzio's until I found what works best for me from both. Tried the Little '59 and the Custom Custom in my Strat and did'nt care for them at all. Others love them but they just were'nt for me. Tried the Blues Saraceno and the Jazz neck model and that combination is NOT coming out of that guitar! Tried various Dimarzio's before I settled on the Virtual PAF set for my Les Paul and those pickups are staying in that guitar as well. Both Duncan and Dimarzio make outstanding products and again it just comes down to what works best for you.

[frehleystjohn]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

Seems pretty right on as far a Duncans being more "vintagey", so to speak.
As a fairly bare bones player (got rid of the stomp boxes and gadgets ages ago, got tired of the tap dancing I need all my effects sounds to come from the guitar, pickups, and whatever built in effects are on my amp (not crazy Line 6 types of effects mind you).
I get that with the Dimarzios. However generally speaking from what I've used, Duncan bridge varieties as a whole probably clean up better for cleans. But I use my Gibsons with whatever their particular stock pickups are for any electric clean needs.
EMG's are too out their for me. Too much like adding a transistor radio to your guitar (for me). But all are fine companies with great products and flavors for all of our guitar gutting needs !
And this is this coolest website of any of them with a great board that none of them can touch.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

The tone has already been discussed, but I'll bring up the materials quality.

Have you ever looked at a DiMarzio up close? You can't honestly say it looks equal to Duncan in quality. If you put those in an expensive guitar, they almost insult the instrument. The plastic they use looks like recycled two liter bottles!!! LOL

[StrangeSound]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

I had a JB once..it was very solid built but not my thing for my Ibanez.

2 weeks ago, I´ve installed a Dmz Air Norton and Breed and I like the tone of it BUT the grouding cable was kinda fizzy...some of the wires just went out Perhaps I´ve cut a bit too much of the isolation but it was not stable at all and the JB made no problem...but it works, though.

Anyway..gotta try a Custom Custom next time

At the end I can understand the quality issue with DiMarzio somehow.

[That90'sGuy]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

ranalli beat me to it... SD isn't really "better" than those other manufacturers, just "different".

I've had Antiquities in my old Gibson Les Paul Standard and wasn't pleased with them. They were warm, but the clarity wasn't quite there to my ears. I've played Dimarzio Virtual PAFs, Classic PAF and Virtual Vintage singles before. The singles I wasn't too impressed with, but their humbuckers did have that warm classic PAF tone with a bit hotter output and more clarity than most pickups.

I admit the build quality isn't exactly indestructible on Dimarzios, but the important thing is tone and the fact that once they are installed, they don't fall apart.

The beauty of pickups is just how much they can change your tone. There's so much out there for people to try. I currently own Wagner Custom Rewinds pups and Harmonic Design, so it goes to show I'll just go with whatever sounds the best in my particular instrument, not necessarily brand name.

Props to Seymour for having the best board around!

[ranalli]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

The tone has already been discussed, but I'll bring up the materials quality.

Have you ever looked at a DiMarzio up close? You can't honestly say it looks equal to Duncan in quality. If you put those in an expensive guitar, they almost insult the instrument. The plastic they use looks like recycled two liter bottles!!! LOL

I find judgements like this kind of silly though because they work EXACTLY as designed. I've been using Dimarzios for years and I've never had any problems associated with build quality. I imagine many others have had the same experience.

[pinto79]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

I've counted recently and found out that I am heavily a DiMarzio user. It's mostly due to the cosmetics, as they do more double row allen head screws which seem to work better cosmeticly with my RGs and Jacksons.

I also prefer the matte look of the bobbins compared to the glossy duncan ones. I think it helps them look better longer, as an example, I recently traded a 20 year old Pearly Gates for a 20 year old Super Distortion, and honestly, the SuperD looked much newer.

I like SD HotRails, as they have the most selection, and I am really liking my Full Shred.

It's what ever fits the Axe!

[LesStrat]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

I'm sure someone has said it already, but the best description I've heard is that SD's have a 3-dimensional tone, whereas the others a kind of 2-dimensional.

More natural, more of a classic tone.

Dimarzio makes great pickups for that bright, screaming, metal tone. Too bad I don't like that tone.

In all fairness, the Dimarzio designed s/c pups in my Nitefly are pretty cool. They're very responsive to tonal changes in the POD, making it a very versatile guitar.

But if I buy after market pickups, I'll go Duncan every time.

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

Have you ever looked at a DiMarzio up close? You can't honestly say it looks equal to Duncan in quality. If you put those in an expensive guitar, they almost insult the instrument. The plastic they use looks like recycled two liter bottles!!! LOL

while this post is funny as hell i cant say i agree about them being all that cheap
i have NEVER had a dimarzio go bad
I was told that dimarzio uses the materials they do simply because the orignal super D back in the 70's was such a hit they felt it may be part of thier mojo
The virtual PAF's and blues bucker have the same components as duncan
shinny high grade plastic bobbins, nickle baseplate,better wire, and have a TOP QUALITY LOOK.
I dont know if you guys now this or not but back in the 70's early 80's
dimarzio was KING PIN for pup replacement
duncan was not as known or used
then guys like EDDIE VANHALEN,RANDY RHOADS(both of these guys used both dimarzio and duncans), started talking about using duncans in thier guitars and the rest is history
duncan did however do rewinds for guy before them like beck,hendrix,clapton,page but it was not in magazines so i went unnoticed
I mean blow by blow,wired has DUNCAN all over it and that record was released in the 70's
I can see why guys prefer duncans over others i just wanted to hear the different reasons

[ErikH]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

while this post is funny as hell i cant say i agree about them being all that cheap
i have NEVER had a dimarzio go bad
I was told that dimarzio uses the materials they do simply because the orignal super D back in the 70's was such a hit they felt it may be part of thier mojo
The virtual PAF's and blues bucker have the same components as duncan
shinny high grade plastic bobbins, nickle baseplate,better wire, and have a TOP QUALITY LOOK.
I dont know if you guys now this or not but back in the 70's early 80's
dimarzio was KING PIN for pup replacement
duncan was not as known or used
then guys like EDDIE VANHALEN,RANDY RHOADS(both of these guys used both dimarzio and duncans), started talking about using duncans in thier guitars and the rest is history
duncan did however do rewinds for guy before them like beck,hendrix,clapton,page but it was not in magazines so i went unnoticed
I mean blow by blow,wired has DUNCAN all over it and that record was released in the 70's
I can see why guys prefer duncans over others i just wanted to hear the different reasons

This makes me wonder, how many of those rewinds done back then by Seymour were done to a DiMarzio?

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

This makes me wonder, how many of those rewinds done back then by Seymour were done to a DiMarzio?

now that is funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Destructone]

Re: since opinions are just JUST OPNIONS tell me why you think duncans are

Dimarzios have that New York nasal thing to them...like the way the folks in the Bronx or Brooklyn talk! Kinda nasal, aggressive and pushy. (That's a joke, BTW! ) Lew

And i suppose Duncans are Dimarzio's British counterparts that has that hollow, flutey quality to them, like the way the folks in England talk (ex. Stewie from the Family Guy).... hollow and aggressive but slightly more sophisticated. hahahah... j/k