Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

[Bulethead]

I got a Squier Hot Rails Deluxe, with the Duncan designed pups, and have an
option to buy bridge and neck SD Jazz humbuckers (SH-2n and SH-2b) for a good price

Basic data:
Squire HR is rose fretboard with bass body.
The original pups are N 11.5k; M 11.5k and Bridge ~22k
Has 500k pots (but that can be changed if necessary)
Playing blues and rock mostly (AC/DC, some Zeppelin and such)
Used at home, not for gigs
Looking for clearer more defined sound (not in terms of brightness though, HR101 is plenty bright as it is)

What do I stand to gain/loose with such pup swap?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

Well the jazz neck is great, but it's super clean. I use it for jazz. There are better pups out there for blues and rock in my opinion. And the jazz bridge is vintage output, which I don't like because the output doesn't allow a full enough sound for me.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that sc size hbs give a really tight distortion sound and have kind of gritty cleans - can be great if that's what you're going for. And the full size humbuckers have fatter sound distorted or clean.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

I have a Duncan Performer Scorcher (same as a Duncan Designed Hot Rail, same super-high reaistance) and an SH-2n/SH-2b set...

Compared to the Duncan Designed rail, the SH-2 set will have a lot less *everything,* but more dynamics/clarity, and especially less bass. I don't have a "jazz" amp, but the lack of bass in the Jazz set dissuades me from playing actual Jazz with those pickups. Can depend on your setup/rig; what amp do you use? The Jazz set is vintage output, and is quite scooped/hollow sounding, with a decent amt. of attack and less "round" sounding than a '59 set. The sound is somewhat flat. Although it has little bass, what bass is there is very harmonic/rich. I really like the Jazz neck for staying defined (because it's pretty bright) but sometimes it is a bit too scooped, and again, it's not the deep, sonorous, jazzy pickup its name implies. The Jazz bridge is along the lines of a looser Screamin Demon with less bass, and less attack but a more "rich" sound than that pickup.

So more dynamics, better cleans, but a less full sound. I'd do it, but I like bright guitars.

 

[Bulethead]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

Well I am using it with Vypyr 15 and being it is for home use only I'm not inclined to upgrade there.
I actually like how the Duncan Designed HRs sound, but for example in the chorus of "You shook me all night long":
The single string picking of the B/G/D strings get somewhat lost in the "rest" of the sound.
Tried tweaking the settings, but it is either this, or giving up what I perceive as the sound closest to the AY's SG

Hope this explains it.

Perhaps I'll look for the SD Hot Rails to replace the Duncan designed ones.

Either way, thank you guys for the input. Appreciate it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

^this.
You will get a more open, tighter, more touch-sensitive sound that scoops out the mids. You will gain bass & treble. It will be pretty drastic, but I think it is a good sound, in the right guitar for the right music.

 

[Bulethead]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

^this.
You will get a more open, tighter, more touch-sensitive sound that scoops out the mids. You will gain bass & treble. It will be pretty drastic, but I think it is a good sound, in the right guitar for the right music.

Just to clarify, you are talking now about the Jazz model, or the SD Hot Rails now?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Advise on changing Duncan Designed HR-101 with Seymour Duncan Jazz SH-2's

The Jazz neck model will do what I described.