barbarianbrute
New member
what's the best duncan full-size humbucker for an alder MIA strat and why?
Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
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metlking
Well-known member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
If you ask me it's a JB.....why? It flat out rocks! I use it with a 500k volume pot too! This of course is my opinion and my way of doing things, it works for me, not everyone will agree..............and thats OK!
FWIW: I have it wired so it "auto-splits" when mixed with the middle pickup.......LIKE THIS!
If you ask me it's a JB.....why? It flat out rocks! I use it with a 500k volume pot too! This of course is my opinion and my way of doing things, it works for me, not everyone will agree..............and thats OK!
FWIW: I have it wired so it "auto-splits" when mixed with the middle pickup.......LIKE THIS!
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fenderiarhs
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
My personal preference: JB> Custom> Custom Custom.
My personal preference: JB> Custom> Custom Custom.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
Here's my experience with the various humbuckers I've used in the bridge of Strats. There is no *best* per se, because everyone's taste is different.
Duncan Custom Custom - One of my favorites. Very prominant mids, creamy highs, the lows are right there on the verge of being too loose, but stay together. Can cover a lot of ground by using the guitar volume and different gain levels.
Duncan JB - Not my favorite in Strats. Has lots of cut. The high-mid spike can be a bit much when playing at home and even when in a band setting, it was a bit much for me. The best remedy there is a 250k volume pot, especially if using it with single-coils in the neck and/or middle.
Duncan Brobucker - Another one of my favorites, if not my favorite. A 10k PAF style pickup with lots of dynamics, a very balanced EQ, excellent harmonics, and cleans up incredibly well. Works really well with single-coils in the neck and/or middle. Order it from the Custom Shop.
DiMarzio PAF - Underappreciated IMO. This pickup flat out rocks in Strats. Good output, excellent response and clear. Works great for VH type stuff.
DiMarzio Air Zone - Another favorite. Big, fat, smooth. Highs are rolled off like the Custom Custom. Mids are a plenty. Lows are there as well. I look at this and the CC as being cousins in a way. The AZ has more lows though but the two of them share other sound similarities to my ears even though they are constructed quite differently.
DiMarzio Super Distortion - Can't go wrong with this one. From metal to classic rock to dare I say it, blues (when mixed with a single-coil or split), it just works. The magic of this one is the big ceramic magnet with lower than you'd think windings. It's not bright either even though it uses ceramic (some think that mag is bright). There's a reason this one is still popular after 30 years. Adrian Smith uses it still with Texas Specials in the neck and middle on a few of his Strats.
DiMarzio PAF Pro - A very good sounding bridge pickup but better in the neck. Still, in the bridge, it cuts through well, sounds great clean or with drive, splits well (surprisingly for an 8.25k pickup - low output buckers usually donn't split well) and works really well with single-coils.
I hope this helps. Again, this is based of my experience with them and how I hear them. YMMV.
Here's my experience with the various humbuckers I've used in the bridge of Strats. There is no *best* per se, because everyone's taste is different.
Duncan Custom Custom - One of my favorites. Very prominant mids, creamy highs, the lows are right there on the verge of being too loose, but stay together. Can cover a lot of ground by using the guitar volume and different gain levels.
Duncan JB - Not my favorite in Strats. Has lots of cut. The high-mid spike can be a bit much when playing at home and even when in a band setting, it was a bit much for me. The best remedy there is a 250k volume pot, especially if using it with single-coils in the neck and/or middle.
Duncan Brobucker - Another one of my favorites, if not my favorite. A 10k PAF style pickup with lots of dynamics, a very balanced EQ, excellent harmonics, and cleans up incredibly well. Works really well with single-coils in the neck and/or middle. Order it from the Custom Shop.
DiMarzio PAF - Underappreciated IMO. This pickup flat out rocks in Strats. Good output, excellent response and clear. Works great for VH type stuff.
DiMarzio Air Zone - Another favorite. Big, fat, smooth. Highs are rolled off like the Custom Custom. Mids are a plenty. Lows are there as well. I look at this and the CC as being cousins in a way. The AZ has more lows though but the two of them share other sound similarities to my ears even though they are constructed quite differently.
DiMarzio Super Distortion - Can't go wrong with this one. From metal to classic rock to dare I say it, blues (when mixed with a single-coil or split), it just works. The magic of this one is the big ceramic magnet with lower than you'd think windings. It's not bright either even though it uses ceramic (some think that mag is bright). There's a reason this one is still popular after 30 years. Adrian Smith uses it still with Texas Specials in the neck and middle on a few of his Strats.
DiMarzio PAF Pro - A very good sounding bridge pickup but better in the neck. Still, in the bridge, it cuts through well, sounds great clean or with drive, splits well (surprisingly for an 8.25k pickup - low output buckers usually donn't split well) and works really well with single-coils.
I hope this helps. Again, this is based of my experience with them and how I hear them. YMMV.
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barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
right now it's a tie between a custom custom and a paf pro. hard decision - damin! how to break the tie? i don't know yet
right now it's a tie between a custom custom and a paf pro. hard decision - damin! how to break the tie? i don't know yet
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
I was gonna ask something just like this...Barbarianbrute you read my frigging mind!
I've played both Tone Zone and Invader in strats, and I've gotta say, both will make the strat real thick. Lead lines are fatter than Rosie O'Donell after a nice meal. But, because they have so much bass they aren't that tight to my ears. Funnily enough, they market them as high output super metal pickups, but they seem better for rock stuff. Another problem is that they do sound a little bit muffled on the low registers, but setting the pickup height correctly will do wonders.
Another really good option is the SuperD. Classic stuff. Just listen to Maiden. Like previously said, it sometimes "lacks" some high end, but I think it actually compliments the Strat nicely.
And the Full Shred and Evo (they're kinda different, but similar enough). They're both really bright to my ears, so you need to roll of the tone, but from what I've played there's nothing tighter and more articulate than those two pickups.
Other people swear by the JB, and well, except for the floyd a strat with a JB kinda is the 80's set up.
And the Custom Custom is another one I've heard wonders of. Not super tight though from what I've heard.
I've been thinking about using a kinda lower output bridge hum in a strat so it would mix even better with the singles, but I haven't tried anything yet...
I was gonna ask something just like this...Barbarianbrute you read my frigging mind!
I've played both Tone Zone and Invader in strats, and I've gotta say, both will make the strat real thick. Lead lines are fatter than Rosie O'Donell after a nice meal. But, because they have so much bass they aren't that tight to my ears. Funnily enough, they market them as high output super metal pickups, but they seem better for rock stuff. Another problem is that they do sound a little bit muffled on the low registers, but setting the pickup height correctly will do wonders.
Another really good option is the SuperD. Classic stuff. Just listen to Maiden. Like previously said, it sometimes "lacks" some high end, but I think it actually compliments the Strat nicely.
And the Full Shred and Evo (they're kinda different, but similar enough). They're both really bright to my ears, so you need to roll of the tone, but from what I've played there's nothing tighter and more articulate than those two pickups.
Other people swear by the JB, and well, except for the floyd a strat with a JB kinda is the 80's set up.
And the Custom Custom is another one I've heard wonders of. Not super tight though from what I've heard.
I've been thinking about using a kinda lower output bridge hum in a strat so it would mix even better with the singles, but I haven't tried anything yet...
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
Not a production Duncan, but the Custom/59 hybrid with an A5 magnetis the best bucker I have heard and used in an alder Strat.
Lots of harmonics and warmth................. sounds good clean or dirty.
Not a production Duncan, but the Custom/59 hybrid with an A5 magnetis the best bucker I have heard and used in an alder Strat.
Lots of harmonics and warmth................. sounds good clean or dirty.
barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
to be honest with you, the jb sounds just a bit bright in a strat for some reason. although it sounds very nice, it's too loose for my tastes. my favorite has always been the custom custom. i haven't found a strat pickup that sounds as good until i checked out the paf pro. that's my current delimma. the paf pro is a super cool pickup.
to be honest with you, the jb sounds just a bit bright in a strat for some reason. although it sounds very nice, it's too loose for my tastes. my favorite has always been the custom custom. i haven't found a strat pickup that sounds as good until i checked out the paf pro. that's my current delimma. the paf pro is a super cool pickup.
Folo
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
Also, the DeMartini RTM from the custom shop is a great strat pickup. I've heard that it is essentially a JB wind with A2 magnets instead, which makes it a little less bright and 'spikey' than the JB. It may be a little 'looser' however. I would really like to test it against a custom custom.
Also, the DeMartini RTM from the custom shop is a great strat pickup. I've heard that it is essentially a JB wind with A2 magnets instead, which makes it a little less bright and 'spikey' than the JB. It may be a little 'looser' however. I would really like to test it against a custom custom.
barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
i thought of that one, but i don't want a high-output pup. the custom custom is about as high as i want to go. lately i've preferred medium to medium-low output pups. i don't know, but it just seems like i can get a better tone iwth them.
i thought of that one, but i don't want a high-output pup. the custom custom is about as high as i want to go. lately i've preferred medium to medium-low output pups. i don't know, but it just seems like i can get a better tone iwth them.
Folo
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
That makes sense. Just remember that if you want to split the humbucker in any of the positions, you might need the extra output to balance against the singles.
That makes sense. Just remember that if you want to split the humbucker in any of the positions, you might need the extra output to balance against the singles.
KeeperOS
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
I haven't tried a whole lot of buckers in a (my) Strat but the Crazy 8 has been an amazingly "in your face" pickup. Each time I'm amazed at how I discover something new about it.
What never seems to amaze me though is how Thrash heavy it gets under moderate distortion (on a Hi-Gain amp of course) but still retains so much clarity at clean.
Really great, but it's wasted in my Strat as it is, I really need to pair it with a good neck and the Fast Track 1 definitely isn't it. I use a switch for N+B and it muds it up like hell...
I haven't tried a whole lot of buckers in a (my) Strat but the Crazy 8 has been an amazingly "in your face" pickup. Each time I'm amazed at how I discover something new about it.
What never seems to amaze me though is how Thrash heavy it gets under moderate distortion (on a Hi-Gain amp of course) but still retains so much clarity at clean.
Really great, but it's wasted in my Strat as it is, I really need to pair it with a good neck and the Fast Track 1 definitely isn't it. I use a switch for N+B and it muds it up like hell...
barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
to me, the crazy 8 sounds a bit sterile and bright for my tastes. that's just me. i'm not knocking hte crazy 8, it's just not close to the tone i'm after. the fast track is another good one, but again it's a far cry from the tone i like. i want a warm chirpy and thick pickup like the cc or paf pro.
to me, the crazy 8 sounds a bit sterile and bright for my tastes. that's just me. i'm not knocking hte crazy 8, it's just not close to the tone i'm after. the fast track is another good one, but again it's a far cry from the tone i like. i want a warm chirpy and thick pickup like the cc or paf pro.
KeeperOS
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
... That certainly doesn't sound like my Crazy 8.
When I put it in my (moderately) bright strat it darkened it a lot, plus, I really wouldn't call it sterile (the Fast Track 1 AND 2 that I used to have I would).
That thing is as chunky as hell plus I noticed that it produces a more growling than fuzzy distortion (but I have a total fuzzy amp so that one is not completely clear).
Perhaps that's why though, I remember you saying that you loved the sound of the 81, which I hate and which is what the crazy 8 is not.
Eh, different strokes for different folks they always say
... That certainly doesn't sound like my Crazy 8.
When I put it in my (moderately) bright strat it darkened it a lot, plus, I really wouldn't call it sterile (the Fast Track 1 AND 2 that I used to have I would).
That thing is as chunky as hell plus I noticed that it produces a more growling than fuzzy distortion (but I have a total fuzzy amp so that one is not completely clear).
Perhaps that's why though, I remember you saying that you loved the sound of the 81, which I hate and which is what the crazy 8 is not.
Eh, different strokes for different folks they always say
barbarianbrute
New member
Re: Best Duncan HSS Strat Humbucker?
like i said, it sounds that way to MY ears. i've read some of the original posts by forum members who bought the c8 and the clips didn't do it for me. but like you said, i like the 81 and some people say the exact same things about it too. honestly though, if i had money to burn, i'd give one a try for the hell of it.
... That certainly doesn't sound like my Crazy 8.
When I put it in my (moderately) bright strat it darkened it a lot, plus, I really wouldn't call it sterile (the Fast Track 1 AND 2 that I used to have I would).
That thing is as chunky as hell plus I noticed that it produces a more growling than fuzzy distortion (but I have a total fuzzy amp so that one is not completely clear).
Perhaps that's why though, I remember you saying that you loved the sound of the 81, which I hate and which is what the crazy 8 is not.
Eh, different strokes for different folks they always say
like i said, it sounds that way to MY ears. i've read some of the original posts by forum members who bought the c8 and the clips didn't do it for me. but like you said, i like the 81 and some people say the exact same things about it too. honestly though, if i had money to burn, i'd give one a try for the hell of it.
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