A Question For Frank Or Evan...

[Kam]

...or anyone else who's a big enough Fender/Squier nerd or authority on the history of Duncan Designed pups to know the answer.

I recently got hold of a Squier Vista Series Supersonic (Made in Japan in '97). I swapped out the stock humbuckers for some real Duncans (a '59/Custom5 hybrid and a '59n, if you're curious) because the neck was a little bland, the bridge was a little thin and both had gone pretty microphonic.

I've read in a couple of places that the stock pickups on these things were designed by Seymour Duncan and manufactured in Korea, so I'm assuming they're from the Duncan-Designed range. However, when I pulled them out there was no indication that they were. They're just plain black bobbins with plain baseplates. No writing or stickers or logos anywhere.

Like I said, I didn't care for the neck but the bridge had quite a nice singing quality to it and a great crunch on the low strings. If it's based on an American production pup I'd be really interested in checking one out really soon.

So, I'm wondering:

A) Is it true that these are Duncan Designed pups or is my information incorrect?

B) Any idea what model they are and what they're based on?

That bridge pup had a sound unlike anything I've ever played before. If it was a little thicker and not quite so noisy, I would have kept it in there. I'd really like to see what I could do with a better quality version of it.

Thanks in advance for your time and any help you can offer. :friday:

EDIT: I can put up some pics in a bit if that'll help but like I said, they're as non-descript as pickups come. Completely plain Jane.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Pics please.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Once upon a time, in a pickup factory far, far away, before the name Duncan Designed was coined, SD offshore OEM pickups were called something else. Performance, Performer, Proformance or something similar. (I "CBA" to look up the name right now.) You might have some of those.

 

[Kam]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Once upon a time, in a pickup factory far, far away, before the name Duncan Designed was coined, SD offshore OEM pickups were called something else. Performance, Performer, Proformance or something similar. (I "CBA" to look up the name right now.) You might have some of those.

I wasn't aware of these details but I was thinking something along those lines. I'd never seens a Duncan-Designed pickup that didn't actually say Duncan-Designed on it.

I'll put up some pics in the next few hours. I just got a new camera and I'm still not completely sure how to work it...:dunce:

 

[Masta' C]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

"Performer" was the name given to the Duncan-Designed series that were packaged for retail sale (Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, etc.) and are still sold under that name today. For instance, the Duncan Designed HB-108 is sold at Guitar Center as the Duncan Performer "Detonator". They are the same pickups. However, they are ALL marked and have stamped baseplates.

There's a pretty good chance that somewhere in the past 14 years or so, someone swapped out the Duncan Designed pickups for another set of pickups...perhaps given to the owner by a friend or taken from another guitar as the Duncan Designed used in the Squiers at that time were often reported to be quite noisy.

Throw some pics up of the front and back of the pickups and we'll see what we can figure out. Also, do you have a multi-meter to test the impedance?

 

[Kam]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Bumping with pics...

Like I said, as non-descript as pickups come, really. Completely possible that they aren't kids of the Duncan family. I just read it in a few places (here for one).

The bridge reads right around 7.54 and the neck is at 7.51.

Thanks, guys.

EDIT:

Some more details: There's only two wires; a black and a white. The spacers look wooden. Given that and the output readings, I'm thinking maybe an early DD version of '59s?

 

[Kam]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Bumping before I clear off for the night.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

The pickup in the photo is not Duncan Designed. If it was, it would say "Duncan Designed" on the bobbin and the bottom plate.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

the thing to look for when no logos or baseplate engraving is there is the holes in the bobbins, the one in the pic you posted has 4 holes.
ALL STANDARD DUNCAN(not including the PATB's or actives) humbuckers have 3 holes per coil on top of the bobbins
like this,

you can clearly see the two extra holes at the ends of the bobbins on duncans. i use these windows(holes) to see the wire color! LOL!

 

[Kam]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Pfft. Useless freakin' Wikipedia.

Thanks a lot for clearing that up, Evan. I appreciate it. :beerchug:

@ Ed: Huh, that's interesting, man. I'd of course noticed those holes before but I'd never put much thought into them. Thanks for that litttle tidbit.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Pfft. Useless freakin' Wikipedia.

Thanks a lot for clearing that up, Evan. I appreciate it. :beerchug:

@ Ed: Huh, that's interesting, man. I'd of course noticed those holes before but I'd never put much thought into them. Thanks for that litttle tidbit.

Anytime bro!:beerchug: that's another thing i love about seymours pu's they are authentic down to little details like that. still say seymours work is the best on the planet despite all these booteek guys!:14:

 

[Masta' C]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Most likely, the stock Duncan Designed pickups were switched out for some stock or vintage models from another guitar. Not necessarily a bad thing if you like the sound.

With the black/white wire and the generic baseplate with holes on both corners for the lead wire to come through, they are likely Chinese imports, but it's darn near impossible to tell anything for sure based on those pics alone.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Here's an Asian-made (likely Chinese) pickup that I have...same wiring, nearly identical baseplate (but in brass), ~8K reading.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Bumping with pics...

The bridge reads right around 7.54 and the neck is at 7.51.

Thanks, guys.

EDIT:

Some more details: There's only two wires; a black and a white. The spacers look wooden. Given that and the output readings, I'm thinking maybe an early DD version of '59s?

That baseplate is almost identical to the one used by Tonerider p'ups. I have two of those in my parts draw.

The bobbins are identical to another p'up I have in my parts draw; it's a Cort p'up, so I'd say they're asian, most likely Korean. The wooden spacers and the readings indicate a copy of Gibson Pat#. If the magnet is a short A5, that will be the last of the givaway details.

You most likely have two nice neck p'ups. Put an A4 mag in them and they will sound the best they can. Unfortunately, those are not even worth 20 EUR but, in the neck position of the right guitar they could be good sounding.

HTH,

 

[Kam]

Re: A Question For Frank Or Evan...

Most likely, the stock Duncan Designed pickups were switched out for some stock or vintage models from another guitar. Not necessarily a bad thing if you like the sound.

With the black/white wire and the generic baseplate with holes on both corners for the lead wire to come through, they are likely Chinese imports, but it's darn near impossible to tell anything for sure based on those pics alone.

When I got the guitar, it had been modified to include a midi hex pickup mounted beside the bridge which had been fitted by the previous owner. The stock wiring had been changed to incorporate this, though the guy I bought it from said that he'd never changed the stock passive guitar pickups.

HOWEVER...now that I think about it, I never actually asked him if he was the original owner. You're right; in fourteen years there's plenty of time for the guitar to have changed hands multiple times and the pickups could have been changed at any point.

Either that or Wikipedia was just wrong and the other sources I had got their information from Wiki to start with. It's not like mistakes in Wiki are unheard of.

Thanks for posting that pic. It does seem to match up. I think it probably is just some generic Asian pickup. Thanks for your time. :friday:

That baseplate is almost identical to the one used by Tonerider p'ups. I have two of those in my parts draw.

The bobbins are identical to another p'up I have in my parts draw; it's a Cort p'up, so I'd say they're asian, most likely Korean. The wooden spacers and the readings indicate a copy of Gibson Pat#. If the magnet is a short A5, that will be the last of the givaway details.

You most likely have two nice neck p'ups. Put an A4 mag in them and they will sound the best they can. Unfortunately, those are not even worth 20 EUR but, in the neck position of the right guitar they could be good sounding.

HTH,

From what I can see of the magnet under the tape, it does appear to be lighter in colour and shiny like alnico. I haven't taken it out, though, so I can't judge it's length.

I'm happy with their replacements but I'll keep them around anyway. Thanks for your input, dude. :beerchug: