2 Simple Questions - screamin demons

Masta' C is spot on here, as he always is. I missed his earlier post, when I added the link to the SD website - sorry!

He is also correct about pickup ring differences if you use a Trembucker. I swapped an SH-5 for a TB-5 in a Les Paul and had to modify the original pickup ring.

Whichever Demon you end up with, I hope you find your tone.
 
Thank you, JP!

Just to be clear, a regular-spaced humbucker should work just fine in the bridge of your LP, even if it has the typical wider bridge spacing.

Unlike other pickup manufacturers, Duncan uses bobbins that are a few mm longer than their "standard" humbucker bobbins to accommodate the wider pole spacing of "trem"-spaced pickups.

This is where the common concern over pickup ring clearance comes into play...most other "F"-spaced and "53mm" type pickups out there will replace a standard humbucker just fine. However, Duncan's wider bobbins on "Trembucker"/"TB" models can get in the way on some guitars.
 
I read couple of years ago that John Norum has a Screamin Demon on its LP, but I cannot find it anymore.
 
Some reviews said that Screamin Demon is better in a band context (cutting thru the mix) than in a bedroom context (sounding shrill). So if you play with a band you have a better chance to like it than if you play alone in your bedroom.
 
It does sit well in a band context but I have no issue when practicing at home by myself. It still sounds good to me.

I’d like to add that it loves high gain amps. Think back at what Lynch was using when this pickup was in development; a modified Marshall and a Soldano SLO 100. The definition with high gain amps is there, articulation, cut.

I’ve not tried it in a Les Paul but I might have to. I have one not in a guitar at the moment. Hmmm.
 
I have tried the Screaming Demon in the neck and it is a great pickup if you want that thick, syrupy lead tone. I kinda zoned out after a few years of hearing that tone to be honest. In the bridge, of an LP even, it can get a bit ice picky, thin and shrill but an A8 tightens it up nicely. Uhm... the EQ gets tighter I mean. The mids gets a bump, the low end stays tight and gets a bit less cold. The top end gets softer and works great all together.

Yet, the Screaming Demon is in nothing like the Paf Pro. At all.

I am a huge fan of the Pegasus in an LP. Pegasus + Alnico 2 Pro or a Jazz (bridge version for both, for a bit more oompf and a little less hollowness). I like its open tone, the broad, chewy mids that don't get in the way of anything and the fluid feel.

Alternatively, Dimarzio Air Norton in bridge and neck. Has the same thick, fluid feel of the SD in the neck but without the superthick EQ. In the bridge, the Air Norton crunches, howls and sings.
 
donaldr said:
Some reviews said that Screamin Demon is better in a band context (cutting thru the mix) than in a bedroom context (sounding shrill). So if you play with a band you have a better chance to like it than if you play alone in your bedroom.
Click to expand...

The Demon is great in a band context, but I've never heard it being "shrill" in any context.

I love it in the neck, but I have found that in the bridge an A8 really gives it what it needs.
 
Taken from a review on Seymour Duncan website:
"By itself at home the Screamin’ Demon can seem a little lackluster. There’s not the biggest low end, and the treble is quite high. The lack of compression and sizzle makes it seem a little too clean to be great for heavy rockin’ tones. Bedroom players may very well be disappointed by it. The Screamin’ Demon isn’t really designed for this environment. But plug into a raging valve amplifier and play within a band context and the Screamin’ Demon starts to show what it’s capable of. Suddenly the clean, woody, percussive vibe of the Screamin’ Demon makes sense. The tonality of the pickup means that it cuts through the mix perfectly, and everything sounds nice and heavy."
 
GuitarDoc said:
The Demon is great in a band context, but I've never heard it being "shrill" in any context.
Click to expand...

The Demon was my very first Duncan and I've had one in nearly all of my main guitars at some point.

In my own experience, the top end can get a bit sharp/piercing in some guitars. It's certainly manageable, but when comparing to pickups like the Custom 5, JB, etc, it's definitely on the brighter side and "more open" if that makes sense. Definitely a sparkly/glassy top end rather than a warm/thick top end.

I do agree with the review above that calls it "percussive" though. While the bottom end isn't booming by any means, there's a perfect amount of it and it's thumpy in a really great way.
 
Aceman said:
Demon: There is not a neck version of the Demon.
. . .
The Demon is really like a PAF really tilted to the treble sound.
Click to expand...

Masta' C said:
The Demon is slightly scooped with a thumpy bottom and a bright top end that can get a bit thin in some guitars,
. . .
It takes on a warmer quality in the neck, but still really clear. There is no specific "neck" version, as Aceman said
Click to expand...

I've often thought the '78 Model would make a great neck for some of the bright/tight mid-high output humbuckers like this. These descriptions match my experience with the '78 Model, except less thump on the bottom (which hints that it might be a great neck model). The Demon is 10k and the '78 is 9k. While resistance isn't output, in my Les Paul Studio, the '78 and Demon each in the bridge were about the same sound with the Demon slightly hotter.
 
So, 78 n Demon b

Interesting. Not familiar with the 78 so I can't say...but I see where you are going there.
 
Last edited:
I've not felt like the Demon was scooped...at least not like the 59. To me it sounds pretty even across the EQ. It sounds like a hot Jazz. In fact the Jazz and the Demon are my 2 favorite neck pups because of the even tone EQ. I could never really gel with the 59 because of it being heavy on the bass and treble and scooped mids. But my tastes have changed over the years and maybe it's time to give it another try. I've not ever tried the 78 so I don't have a clue to any comparisons there.
 
I threw an old Screamin' Demon I have here in to my 2009 Les Paul Trad Pro last night for kicks. It came stock with a Burstbucker 3 in the bridge. The sound is outstanding. About what I expected. I think I'll leave it in there and run it through the paces at band rehearsal this Sunday. I've always liked it in Strats.
 
The Demon works wonderfully in Strats next to vintage single coils. Almost perfect, really.

It's basically an underwound Full Shred or Custom 5, which relaxes the mids, lowers the output, and gives a more "open" sound compared to it's higher output brethren.

It's a very clear pickup with a percussive response and very harmonically rich, which makes it great for '80s rock/metal, but it lacks the fullness of higher output models and can come off as a little dull OR overly strident, depending on the guitar.
 
Masta' C said:
The Demon works wonderfully in Strats next to vintage single coils. Almost perfect, really.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I ran it with 2 Classic Stack Pluses in an American Standard Strat. A great balance. Might get another one for my current HSS Warmoth.


Masta' C said:
It's a very clear pickup with a percussive response and very harmonically rich, which makes it great for '80s rock/metal, but it lacks the fullness of higher output models and can come off as a little dull OR overly strident, depending on the guitar.
Click to expand...

Yes. And this is where the amp and speakers play a bigger role. I'll say it again, through a high gain amp like a Soldano SLO, it absolutely shines. Through a Plexi or even a stock JCM 800, maybe not so much without dialing the treble back some and/or adding an overdrive out front to warm it up. You want clarity, check. You want harmonics, check. You want some growl, check.
 
Masta' C said:
The Demon works wonderfully in Strats next to vintage single coils. Almost perfect, really.
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense given my recent experience with using Jazz's with 250k pots. Assuming the Strat had stock 250's, that would nicely tame a bright pup. I'll be trying 250's with more humbuckers.
 
ArtieToo said:
That makes a lot of sense given my recent experience with using Jazz's with 250k pots. Assuming the Strat had stock 250's, that would nicely tame a bright pup. I'll be trying 250's with more humbuckers.
Click to expand...

Back in the 80’s, I gave both my Custom and JB a go in my Fenders with 250k pots. No complaints from my band mates or me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
APH-1 neck vs bridge and SH-11 questions.
Replies
15
Views
241
jeremy
jeremy
J
P 90
Replies
6
Views
96
uOpt
uOpt
S
Just how bright is the Pearly Gates Bridge?
Replies
7
Views
134
slyfox
S
B
Wiring Diagram for HSS Strat with auto-parallel in position 2
2 3
Replies
43
Views
270
bassface732
B
R
Fralin Split Steel Pole in neck position
Replies
1
Views
41
jeremy
jeremy
Back
Top