RanchManSandy
Active member
weird, my now 31 year old (#wow) 500T measures 50 mm and my bridge is 2-1/16" with no misalignment of strings to pole pieces.
500T vs. Duncan Distortion?
- Thread starter Rex_Rocker
- Start date
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
True, but if I'm getting either new, and I have the choice for it to match the aesthetic I'm going for, I don't see why not choose the one that matches the spacing the best.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Also, the reason why I brought the spacing up is because the 500T is actually closer to a Trembucker by Duncan's standards. Duncan Trembuckers usually have a higher DCR because of the wider bobbin. So it would be more apples to apples to compare the 500T's DCR to the Distortion TB-6's than to the SH-6b's, I would think.
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
I think you should rawk out with your cawk out. None of them is right, aesthetics be damned. 1 2 3 HIT IT!
A half turn of the screw on any pole and they are all the same. But you do you.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Duncan's "Trembucker" bobbins are physically longer than Duncan's standard-spaced models. In contrast, most pickup mfrs simply space the poles wider inside the traditional bobbin geometry for their F-spaced/52-53mm models.
For example, a standard-spaced DiMarzio and an F-spaced Dimarzio both use bobbins that are ~65mm long.
A "Trembucker" uses bobbins that are ~70mm long, compared to "SH" models at ~66mm long. I don't have any Gibson pickups on hand to check at the moment, but I'd hazard a guess that they simply use a wider pole spacing on standard-length bobbins, similar to what DiMarzio does.
It's that extra bobbin length of Duncan's TB models that results in an increased DCR due to the extra wire needed to cover that additional length with each wind. But also keep in mind that a "JB" in standard spacing at 16.4K and "trembucker" spacing at ~17K sound 99% identical.
On the other hand, taking a standard-spaced model and winding it up to that same "~17K" value would give you a noticeably different sound.
STLMTLHD79
Active member
The 500T and DD are very similar however, i find the DD to have a bit more sizzle on the top end. Both have great low mids that can chug for days (superb for old school thrash metal). The 500T is slightly rolled off top end. Also, unless you find one that was sold as a Gibson packaged pickup, most 500T were single conductor that were pulled from Explorers/V/LP Classics from the 90s-2010s.
I had a Custom Shop "The Hunter", which I had in a Gibson MIII Deluxe, which I ended up selling the guitar (should have kept that one). I didnt spend enough time with it to give you a good tone analysis. Some have said they were disappointed with the pickup as being muddy and dark.
I had a Custom Shop "The Hunter", which I had in a Gibson MIII Deluxe, which I ended up selling the guitar (should have kept that one). I didnt spend enough time with it to give you a good tone analysis. Some have said they were disappointed with the pickup as being muddy and dark.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Oh, I bought my 500T aftermarket. So it did come with the 4 conductor wires.
My Gibson came with puny little 490's that I very quickly swapped out. But even those were 4-con, IIRC.
My Gibson came with puny little 490's that I very quickly swapped out. But even those were 4-con, IIRC.
My experience with both would be that the 500T has more low frequencies and sounds "bigger" if that makes sense. Even closer to the strings it doesn't get as muddy as othe high output pickups I've seen. But the Distortion is tighter and leaner sounding than the 500T. I didn't put the Distortion in the same guitar I had the 500T but I put a Black Winter in. The Black Winter had the same amount of output and similar EQ profile but was a lot cleaner sounding than the 500T.
I can see the 500T covering a lot of ground in terms of sound but it would be excellent for Thrash and Death but not the super modern stuff. I would not recommend it in a dark sounding guitar however.
I can see the 500T covering a lot of ground in terms of sound but it would be excellent for Thrash and Death but not the super modern stuff. I would not recommend it in a dark sounding guitar however.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
Alright... just put the Distortion in.
Keep in mind, these two are in two different guitars, so my analysis won't be super in-depth.
The Distortion does indeed have more sizzle. The 500T is more mid-forward.
I don't think one is tighter than the other. Both are reasonably tight. They're not Fishman Modern tight, but they'll do down-tuned Death Metal no problem.
I personally think that the Distortion, Black Winter, and 500T are all very similar pickups. I'd say the 500T is kinda the middle ground between the Distortion and the Black Winter in terms of output and voicing.
Keep in mind, these two are in two different guitars, so my analysis won't be super in-depth.
The Distortion does indeed have more sizzle. The 500T is more mid-forward.
I don't think one is tighter than the other. Both are reasonably tight. They're not Fishman Modern tight, but they'll do down-tuned Death Metal no problem.
I personally think that the Distortion, Black Winter, and 500T are all very similar pickups. I'd say the 500T is kinda the middle ground between the Distortion and the Black Winter in terms of output and voicing.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I just checked... the bobbins on the 500T are also wider than on the standard-spaced Duncans I have lying around. It's not just the pole spacing.
I'm starting to wonder if it's even 44AWG wire in there. I would think 15K on a Trembucker bobbin would be more in line with the Custom, because the bobbins seem pretty full of wire on the 500T.
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