Duncan Custom vs. Distortion

[Frater106]

What are the major differences between these two pickups?

[bigcupholder]

The Custom has more bass and less mids. It's relatively scooped sounding. The Distortion has an aggressive upper mid spike with the bass not extending as low, keeping it tighter. They're very different in terms of EQ despite not being radically different specs.

Getting into the more subjective descriptions, the Distortion tends to smear notes together more. Distorted chords sound like one huge wall of sound rather than the ultra-clear djent thing where every note is still discernable. The Custom is also not ultra-clear, but more so than the Distortion.

If you mainly play metal or with high gain, I'd go with the Distortion every time. The Custom is more versatile.

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[Synapsys]

Going for Metal tones, I choose the Custom over tne Distortion, mainly because of how good its lows and low mids are. The Distortion has brighter high mids and highs, and sounds less polished than the Custom. YMMV, though.

[weepingminotaur]

With the caveat that metal is a very baggy tonal category with a fair bit of variation, I would go for the Distortion if you're doing metal (particularly the chugga-chug), and the Custom if you're more on the heavy rock side of things. But the best option IMO is ... the Black Winter.

[Rex_Rocker]

The Distortion is grindy and raspy. It's a great metal pickup.

The Custom is kinda scooped. I don't like it, TBH. It's got a blated low-end and kinda harsh highs.

[krovatron]

So interesting the different takes. I find the DD specs deceptive. I find it very surgical and precise, more balanced than expected. The neck version is a great match. Reacted very much to the different tone woods and bridges I swapped.

The Custom is the steroid PAF and my favorite baseline pickup. It is the magnet chameleon- it takes every magnet and shifts to the characteristics. My default favorite is the UA5 - giving the best of A2 and A5. With that magnet its Goldilocks, not too much, not too little: just right for most everything.

Honestly, comparing them in a worthwhile way would require knowing the guitar build (wood and bridge) and the player's style. My lil bro and I play quite differently. (The way we pick, style of attack, etc.) He loves the Custom and is not a fan of the DD at all. Hes shocked when he hears me play the same guitar with a DD.

[LLL]

The Custom has more bass and less mids. It's relatively scooped sounding. The Distortion has an aggressive upper mid spike with the bass not extending as low, keeping it tighter. They're very different in terms of EQ despite not being radically different specs.

Getting into the more subjective descriptions, the Distortion tends to smear notes together more. Distorted chords sound like one huge wall of sound rather than the ultra-clear djent thing where every note is still discernable. The Custom is also not ultra-clear, but more so than the Distortion.

If you mainly play metal or with high gain, I'd go with the Distortion every time. The Custom is more versatile.

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^ This.

Out of the box with zero studio production, the Custom is slightly warmer in the mids (that's "middle" mids, not upper mids) than the Distortion.

[fretburner]

The Duncan Custom is my fave bridge pickup so far.

It's perfect for what I want in a bridge pickup - bright, hight output, and great for palm-muted old-school metal but still has some "openness" too it, i.e., individual notes can still be heard.

It's definitely got more bass than the distortion, but the distortion has a lot more punch and bite... A lot more compression.

To me, the distortion is THE heavy metal pickup. But the custom just covers more bases - from GnR to Metallica to Pantera - and like I said, a little more open sounding.

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[JamesPaul]

Love my Custom. Again, your issue is?

[JamesPaul]

Plays Jeapordy Music.

[misterwhizzy]

One is great at one thing, and one is good at a lot of things.

[Aceman]

I am a huge fan of both and have been using both for decades.

Statement: A PAF on Steroids. - and PCP too if you ask me. It is a great all around hard rock heavy metal pickup period, and has more flexibility than that even.
Bass: Big bass, that "Thumps" and chugs great. Bass is tight with a slight rounded quality to it (very slight)
Mids: While scooped relative to the bass and treble, the mids are definitely present. They don't cut like a machete, but they don't get lost either.
Highs: Screaming, cutting ceramic highs, that are honestly very similar / the same as the Distortion.
Output: Hot Hot Hot, but cleans up ok with volume. Lower height can take some heat off and extend the functional range of volume control.
Music: Later Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue (Feelgood), Metallica (Black)
Guitars: My #1 Dean Cadillac for stage, previously another Dean Cadillac for 10+ years, An Epiphone Les Paul Classic for a bit

Statement: Heavy &^$%%$# Metal
Bass: Moderate bass, very very tight, that "Chunks" and crunches great. The go to for down tuning without mud.
Mids: A lot of mids that punch you in the face and cut through a mix. The cut through like a machete, a jagged sharp machete.
Highs: Screaming, cutting ceramic highs, that are honestly very similar / the same as the Custom.
Output: Hot Hot Hot, but cleans up surprisingly well with volume. Cleans, while somewhat "sterile" are surprisingly good.
Music: Dokken, Judas Priest, early Crue (Shout), Metallica (pre-black)
Guitars: #1 1979 Les Paul for 30+ years, Dean Silverburst Caddy, Jackson DX10, (and likely my other two JS32 Jacksons...or a very similar pickup....)

If I am playing had crunching definitive heavy metal, hitting the bass on the amp, and rocking had all around, or using a darker/muddy guitar, I like the Distortion.

If I am playing all kinds of music, but mostly loud and proud, but may want to mellow a bit, or have a more bass friendly guitar, I like the Custom.

[Aceman]

Custom Alternate Selection: 59/Custom hybrid. A more middle of the road version of the custom, best for mild to wild playing considering a flexible amp.

Distortion Alternative Selection: Black Winter. A more refined, and possibly more all around metal version of the Distortion.