The mighty SD

[EmiAba Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close EmiAba]

Pleasant reading

https://www.dimarzio.com/stories/birth-super-distortion

The Super distortion is the only non seymour duncan pickup ever installed in one of my guitars. 50 years has passed since its release and it is argument of thousands of posts.

In 2023 is there still place for such pickup? Is it superseded in nowadays digital era?

[ICTGoober Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close ICTGoober]

Short answer: NO.

The Super D is a known quantity, and therefore a universal yardstick.
Seymour Duncans version of a known quantity is a JB.

Also, Larry is a bit of a self-promotor. He claims to be the firstest with the mostest, but Bill Lawrence was making and selling replacement pickups before Larry. I remember seeing Bill Lawrence ads in Guitar Player magazine before I saw DiMarzio ads.

[GuitarStv Sock Market Trader Find all posts View Profile Close GuitarStv]

I'm not much of a high gain guy but I really like the super distortion for some applications. It's not the sound that I always want, but does rock to metal and everything in between pretty well to my ears and sounds good when rolling off the volume. Seems to work best into a lowish gain amp for me.

[Mikelamury Toneologist Find all posts View Profile Close Mikelamury]

I like the super D I'm going to put an uncovered super distortion and a nickel covered PAF36th anniversary in my greeny when I get it.

[Rex_Rocker Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close Rex_Rocker]

It was the first aftermarket pickup I ever bought. I liked it at the time, but haven't compared it to anything else ever since.

I wonder how it does nowadays. At the time, I replaced it for an EMG 85 and then an EMG 81.

At the time, I thought fat-sounding pickups were the way to go for a fat metal sound. Turns out not really, LOL.

[EmiAba Ultimate Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close EmiAba]

It has for sure a distinctive sound. It is thick and hot and still one of the best selling in dimarzio lineup. It's impossible to find out an equivalent in any other aftermarket vendors. And that is part of its success. I think everyone needs a SD

[ICTGoober Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close ICTGoober]

It's impossible to find out an equivalent in any other aftermarket vendors.

Yes, there is. It's called sales. And the Duncan JB is the best selling aftermarket pickup PERIOD. This is not an opinion - it's backed up by numbers.

[jeremy LoveMachineologist Find all posts View Profile Close jeremy]

the sd and jb sound nothing a like

[ZiggyZipgun Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ZiggyZipgun]

Also...where are these numbers

[Spaghetti Bolo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Spaghetti Bolo]

Short answer: NO.

The Super D is a known quantity, and therefore a universal yardstick.
Seymour Duncans version of a known quantity is a JB.

Also, Larry is a bit of a self-promotor. He claims to be the firstest with the mostest, but Bill Lawrence was making and selling replacement pickups before Larry. I remember seeing Bill Lawrence ads in Guitar Player magazine before I saw DiMarzio ads.

Yup, Bill was even selling them in Double Cream (TM) back in the 1960's.

[Aceman less mild old man perv Find all posts View Profile Close Aceman]

There will always be a place for a righteous Super Distortion in a Les Paul.

[pskorz Tone Member Find all posts View Profile Close pskorz]

Yeah, in the early 70’s it was very appropriately named. But in terms of what we think of now as “high gain,” its name leads you to believe that it’s more of a scorcher than it really is.
i mean, it is loud and will drive an amp well, but i think it’s really pretty versatile and still picks up your picking dynamics very well.
if you’re not messing with pedals and just are going into a cranked tube amp, it’s the best, IMO.

[Demanic PenultimateTone Member Find all posts View Profile Close Demanic]

the sd and jb sound nothing a like

They sound nothing alike, but they are each company's flagship pickup, so to speak.

[orpheo Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close orpheo]

I have tried the Super Distortion so often, never managed to get my tone out of it. Just never felt 'right'. The JB, on the other hand, seems to hit my sweet spot time and time again.

[misterwhizzy Mojo's Minions Find all posts View Profile Close misterwhizzy]

There will always be a place form a righteous Super Distortion in a Les Paul.

I call it the bridge.