Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
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allstarrme
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I have one, I pulled it to put a full lead back on it and put it in a fender/Floyd guitar. Still need to get the bridge holes drilled and the frets dressed though. I forgot what it sounded like it's been so long.
I have one, I pulled it to put a full lead back on it and put it in a fender/Floyd guitar. Still need to get the bridge holes drilled and the frets dressed though. I forgot what it sounded like it's been so long.
jaybonitrane
Snickerdoodle Milk
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
yea I had one in my Fat strat bridge.
The response curve is pretty flat as each note jumps out with nearly the same volume. Its like playing on one super long string. The notes are very clear and punchy with a slightly round attack. There is so much copper winding on the bobbin that the pick guard may have to be massaged with a file to make it fit in the hole.
And it sounds like..."Birds of Fire" by Mahavishnu Orchestra
yea I had one in my Fat strat bridge.
The response curve is pretty flat as each note jumps out with nearly the same volume. Its like playing on one super long string. The notes are very clear and punchy with a slightly round attack. There is so much copper winding on the bobbin that the pick guard may have to be massaged with a file to make it fit in the hole.
And it sounds like..."Birds of Fire" by Mahavishnu Orchestra
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Buzzin_Cousin
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Yep, I've got two of them in this beast..
Yep, I've got two of them in this beast..
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Washburn Idol love...nice! WI-45 Deluxe?
Washburn Idol love...nice! WI-45 Deluxe?
Buzzin_Cousin
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Thanks.
It was a limited run called a Fallen Idol, a take on one of Iommi's guitars. You can't really see 'em in that pic, but there are iron cross abalone inlays.
MIK - Mahogany Body, Cap and Neck.
Thanks.
It was a limited run called a Fallen Idol, a take on one of Iommi's guitars. You can't really see 'em in that pic, but there are iron cross abalone inlays.
MIK - Mahogany Body, Cap and Neck.
Buzzin_Cousin
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Do you own an Idol? Beautiful design, amazing body style and neck set.
Do you own an Idol? Beautiful design, amazing body style and neck set.
DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I think that's more likely to be compression at work, because I don't think a pickup with 22K resistance is going to have much potential for a flat response curve.
I think that's more likely to be compression at work, because I don't think a pickup with 22K resistance is going to have much potential for a flat response curve.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I've had a few! Sold my USA models when I moved to AZ. I currently have a pair of prototype WI-50V "HM" models. One is white with black binding, EMGs (factory) and a Floyd Rose. The other is black with vintage crème binding, brushed nickel EMGs and a Schaller Floyd Rose. There's really nothing like them. Always preferred the Idol series to the "real" LPs.
Ok, Mr. Obvious...sure it's a bit compressed (duh), but you are way oversimplifying the design of the El Diablo. Those dual rails are exposed A2 bar magnets on bobbins that are longer and nearly twice as tall as your standard humbucker bobbins. It doesn't follow your typical humbucker "rules". For one thing, the taller/longer bobbins are naturally going to result in a brighter pickup with more resistance than a regular humbucker. Based on specs alone, you would think the El Diablo would be a dark, muddy mess (especially with the A2 mags), but that's not the case. Surprisingly, the El Diablo opens up pretty well with the volume rolled back. Still, no one looking at the El Diablo is thinking "hey, does this pickup do that vintage PAF thing well?" and the EQ IS quite balanced. Until you've tried one...
I've had a few! Sold my USA models when I moved to AZ. I currently have a pair of prototype WI-50V "HM" models. One is white with black binding, EMGs (factory) and a Floyd Rose. The other is black with vintage crème binding, brushed nickel EMGs and a Schaller Floyd Rose. There's really nothing like them. Always preferred the Idol series to the "real" LPs.
Ok, Mr. Obvious...sure it's a bit compressed (duh), but you are way oversimplifying the design of the El Diablo. Those dual rails are exposed A2 bar magnets on bobbins that are longer and nearly twice as tall as your standard humbucker bobbins. It doesn't follow your typical humbucker "rules". For one thing, the taller/longer bobbins are naturally going to result in a brighter pickup with more resistance than a regular humbucker. Based on specs alone, you would think the El Diablo would be a dark, muddy mess (especially with the A2 mags), but that's not the case. Surprisingly, the El Diablo opens up pretty well with the volume rolled back. Still, no one looking at the El Diablo is thinking "hey, does this pickup do that vintage PAF thing well?" and the EQ IS quite balanced. Until you've tried one...
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DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/artists-signatu/scott_ian_el_di_1/
Resonant Peak: 3.75 KHz
Inductance: 7.9 Henry
I'm prettttty confident the EQ response is nothing approaching "flat".
You are way oversimplifying the design of the El Diablo. Those dual rails are exposed A2 bar magnets on bobbins that are longer and nearly twice as tall as your standard humbucker bobbins. It doesn't follow "rules". Until you've tried one, well...
http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/custom-shop/artists-signatu/scott_ian_el_di_1/
Resonant Peak: 3.75 KHz
Inductance: 7.9 Henry
I'm prettttty confident the EQ response is nothing approaching "flat".
Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Love it!.. the guy who is looking at the specs is telling the guy who has owned it what it sounds like!
Love it!.. the guy who is looking at the specs is telling the guy who has owned it what it sounds like!
Rockstar216
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Here is a vid of it being used. Go to 1:30
I hear the brightness that Mastac is talking about.
Here is a vid of it being used. Go to 1:30
I hear the brightness that Mastac is talking about.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
How do you figure? You have absolutely nothing to reference this design against other than your basic generalizations of humbucker design. Once you change the coil aperture and magnet size/shape/type, you can't use dissimilar designs (i.e. "normal" humbuckers) as a basis to assume what this type of pickup should sound like. The El Diablo is as different a pickup design as a single-size humbucker is to a full size humbucker, maybe more so because of its dual magnets and their orientation. Yes, some scientific basics hold true, but you can't possibly know the whole picture until you've worked with the pickup yourself. As I said above, if I handed you the "specs" for the El Diablo in a blind test, you'd tell me the pickup is going to be a lifeless, dark, muddy mess with no balance, no definition and so much string pull that there would be no sustain at all. That's not the case. Sure, the resonant peak indicates that it isn't super-bright, which it isn't. However, that doesn't mean the response curve isn't very well balanced in most applications tonally. Plus, if any pickup was truly "flat", no one would like it because it would sound sterile and uninspiring.
How do you figure? You have absolutely nothing to reference this design against other than your basic generalizations of humbucker design. Once you change the coil aperture and magnet size/shape/type, you can't use dissimilar designs (i.e. "normal" humbuckers) as a basis to assume what this type of pickup should sound like. The El Diablo is as different a pickup design as a single-size humbucker is to a full size humbucker, maybe more so because of its dual magnets and their orientation. Yes, some scientific basics hold true, but you can't possibly know the whole picture until you've worked with the pickup yourself. As I said above, if I handed you the "specs" for the El Diablo in a blind test, you'd tell me the pickup is going to be a lifeless, dark, muddy mess with no balance, no definition and so much string pull that there would be no sustain at all. That's not the case. Sure, the resonant peak indicates that it isn't super-bright, which it isn't. However, that doesn't mean the response curve isn't very well balanced in most applications tonally. Plus, if any pickup was truly "flat", no one would like it because it would sound sterile and uninspiring.
DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I saw this description of the El Diablo on page on, it generally confirms what the specs would indicate.
On the one hand, there are no surprises to be had, on the other, I'm not saying that specs tell the whole story. I've heard the Slug as a decent clean tone (whatever that's deemed to be) and I wouldn't dispute that claim based on it's high DC resistances alone. What I am saying is that compression is more likely to account for a sense of equivalence from one string to the next than a flat EQ is.
You're moving the goal posts. Lets look again at the original words used instead of introducing new ones:
He did say "pretty flat" curve, not "very well balanced". Those are two fairly different things.
Usually descriptions of "same volume" map directly to compression and reduced dynamic range.
I saw this description of the El Diablo on page on, it generally confirms what the specs would indicate.
On the one hand, there are no surprises to be had, on the other, I'm not saying that specs tell the whole story. I've heard the Slug as a decent clean tone (whatever that's deemed to be) and I wouldn't dispute that claim based on it's high DC resistances alone. What I am saying is that compression is more likely to account for a sense of equivalence from one string to the next than a flat EQ is.
You're moving the goal posts. Lets look again at the original words used instead of introducing new ones:
He did say "pretty flat" curve, not "very well balanced". Those are two fairly different things.
Usually descriptions of "same volume" map directly to compression and reduced dynamic range.
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Gibson 1964
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I would say the Black Winter is fairly flat and it is a high output humbucker. I suspect El Diablo has a lot in common with The Slug, which based on specs should make an invader sound icepicky. I would say that the slug is somewhat mid-heavy, but retains a whole lot of cut and highs. A whole lot. It has a lot of everything.
Wilde pickups have some other high output pickups which have surprising characteristics. Isn't the L500xl 9.62H or so? Hi fi, and overly bright are the most common complaints about that pickup. Wilde BL pickups really mess with perceptions about high output pickups in general.
I would say that SD has been messing with the high output game recently and shaking things up. The slug should be a muddy mess I would hate based on specs. I love it. It has a very different sound than you might guess, especially if you drop the distortion levels down and use it for mid gain rock. Slug is fairly compressed, however, compression alone does not indicate that a pickup will sound tonally balanced. You can get very unbalanced tones with tons of compression.
I would say the Black Winter is fairly flat and it is a high output humbucker. I suspect El Diablo has a lot in common with The Slug, which based on specs should make an invader sound icepicky. I would say that the slug is somewhat mid-heavy, but retains a whole lot of cut and highs. A whole lot. It has a lot of everything.
Wilde pickups have some other high output pickups which have surprising characteristics. Isn't the L500xl 9.62H or so? Hi fi, and overly bright are the most common complaints about that pickup. Wilde BL pickups really mess with perceptions about high output pickups in general.
I would say that SD has been messing with the high output game recently and shaking things up. The slug should be a muddy mess I would hate based on specs. I love it. It has a very different sound than you might guess, especially if you drop the distortion levels down and use it for mid gain rock. Slug is fairly compressed, however, compression alone does not indicate that a pickup will sound tonally balanced. You can get very unbalanced tones with tons of compression.
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Edgecrusher
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Somali pirate ship spotted and INCOMING!
Somali pirate ship spotted and INCOMING!
darthphineas
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
That is interesting. I'm curious to know how they're getting more treble response than usual out of coils of such high resistance. I'd like to know what the resonant peak of the SLUG is, because the El Diablo has a resonant peak of 3.75 KHz, and in general, unless the coils are imbalanced, the response would have to drop off beyond that point. You can have good treble if the drop off is gradual, but in general, the higher output the pickup, the less gradual the drop off. If they are breaking long held rules with these pickups, how are they doing it?
That is interesting. I'm curious to know how they're getting more treble response than usual out of coils of such high resistance. I'd like to know what the resonant peak of the SLUG is, because the El Diablo has a resonant peak of 3.75 KHz, and in general, unless the coils are imbalanced, the response would have to drop off beyond that point. You can have good treble if the drop off is gradual, but in general, the higher output the pickup, the less gradual the drop off. If they are breaking long held rules with these pickups, how are they doing it?
DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
I'm curious, why do you put this on me and not masta' c? He was the one who challenged my post, not the other way around.
I'm curious, why do you put this on me and not masta' c? He was the one who challenged my post, not the other way around.
DreX
New member
Re: Anyone ever seen a Duncan El-Diablo ?
Once your involvement in a thread gets to the point of posting images like this, isn't it safe to say that your time could be better spent doing almost anything else?
Once your involvement in a thread gets to the point of posting images like this, isn't it safe to say that your time could be better spent doing almost anything else?
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