All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

lp_junkie

lp_junkie

New member
I am finally done with the switch over to Duncans, I have been a Dimarzio user for 30 years but I have gravitated towards certain Duncan sets lately and have swapped all of my main guitars over.

1997 Orville by Gibson Les Paul Standard- 59's
2001 Gibson Les Paul Classic- JB/Jazz
2008 Gibson Les Paul Standard- 59's nickel covers
2006 Epi LP Custom- 59's
2002 Epi LP Custom- Invaders

My sound has changed to a more vintage feel even though we are playing heavy rock, I like the harmonics and overall tone of the Duncans more than the Gibson or Dimarzios I had always been using.

I also switched strings on two of them from GHS Boomers to EB Heavy Bottom sets.

I will post some pics later this afternoon.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

Great collection! I love my two LPs with 59s too.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

That's just the Les Pauls- I have a couple of Jazz basses, a couple of Martin acoustics, Ovation Celebrity, Alvarez acoustic electric, 5 strats, an SG and a couple of custom built guitars.

But I have always used a Les Paul live since I was a teen.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

How are those Invaders in a Les Paul?
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

I've got to agree with the call on switching away from the Boomers. I thought they got a pretty dead sound pretty quickly, and I like the Ernie Ball a lot better. They seem to hold that new string presence a bit longer, and I like the feel better too.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

Same in my guitars dude. You just can't go wrong with SD!
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

I used to have an LP with 59 ceramic in the bridge, it sounded great.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

How are you able to use GHS strings. I mean I use Ernie Ball Strings and have to switch them every 1-2 months and I have tried GHS Strings and had to switch them every 2-3 weeks.

Bottom Line:Ernie Ball's will be in better conditions for longer periods of time.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

I use a variety of PU's, but I have more Duncan's than any other brand.

With all those LP's, no PG's, A2P's, or Seth's? And those Invaders have to go. Replace them with a set of Duncan A2 PAF's.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

Well, I do have an SG that has Burstbucker 2&3 in it.

GHS I have used the Boomers for 20-25 years I always wiped down the guitar after playing, I usually can get a good 2-3 weeks out of them, but I also play everyday.

When we are on the road I change strings every 3-4 days.

The Invaders will be going into another guitar, but I wanted to check them out in an LP, very dark sounding but crunchy.

The reason I haven't gone with the more vintage PG/Seth/A2Ps is the style that we play is heavier and I use a lot of gain, lower output pickups tend to not get the sound I want, suprisingly though the 59s do a great job, the JB/Jazz combo works pretty good as well.

My "normal" setup for about 30 years has been a Dimarzio Super D and PAF Pro, I started off with a 77 LP Deluxe (new in 77) routed it for buckers in 1980.

I am also going to check out the Duncan Custom and Distortions as well.

I am a vintage freak about everything but pickups, old school PAFs just don't cut it for what I want to do. I've had several late 50's PAFs and was not impressed with some of them at all.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

lp_junkie said:
The reason I haven't gone with the more vintage PG/Seth/A2Ps is the style that we play is heavier and I use a lot of gain, lower output pickups tend to not get the sound I want, suprisingly though the 59s do a great job...I am a vintage freak about everything but pickups, old school PAFs just don't cut it for what I want to do. I've had several late 50's PAFs and was not impressed with some of them at all.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's the A5 magnet you like in teh neck (which is in '59's, PAF Pro, BB Pro's, and the Jazz). It has a little more cut and top end than an A2. I put A5's in my Gibson PAF's ('57, BB, and 490R), and get a brighter tone that way.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

lp_junkie said:
My "normal" setup for about 30 years has been a Dimarzio Super D and PAF Pro, I started off with a 77 LP Deluxe (new in 77) routed it for buckers in 1980.
Click to expand...

I've had the same combo in my 1980 Eko (a 335 copy). It wasn't bad at all for classic rock and electric blues.

Oh, the memories... :scratchch
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

i love GHS Boomers. and if i had my way id change all my strings every 4 days cause i haven't found a string that doesn't loose a significant amount of tone after 4 days. its just the physics of metal being stretched between to points. put on a fresh pack of any strings. record a few chords. on the 5th day, record those same chords with the same settings and compare. every brand will sound noticably more dull after 4 days.

Boomers feel good and intonate well pack after pack.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

I've got similar taste in guitars and a general preference for Alnico 5 pickups.

Besides the best A2's....Pearly Gates and Burstbuckers, I'm definitely a fan of anything in the hot A5 PAF range. If you like 59's, then you'll also really like a potted Brobucker, Custom 5, and Custom.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

Funny enough, as of tomorrow none of my guitars will wear Duncans.

LedSabbath said:
How are you able to use GHS strings. I mean I use Ernie Ball Strings and have to switch them every 1-2 months and I have tried GHS Strings and had to switch them every 2-3 weeks.

Bottom Line:Ernie Ball's will be in better conditions for longer periods of time.
Click to expand...

Nope, I don't think it's true. It really depends on the player and just how his body reacts to the strings.

I wear Boomers down real quick, but a friend of mine burns through Slinkies even quicker. Whatever GHS calls their pure nickel offering (Burnished nickel, is it?) lasted ages on me without muddying up, but then a big part of why any pure nickel string SEEMS to retain tone better is because from the get go they have a more worn in tone in my opinion.

Everyone out there will swear on anything from D'Addario to SOB and Pyramid and it really depends on how their body personally reacts with the strings.
 
Re: All of my guitars are now wearing Duncan pickups

It's a good feeling, isnt it?
I don't need any EMGs or Dimarzios man...........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top