Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

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DeathMetalWill

New member
Sorry for the eleventy-seven thousandth post on pickups for metal...
And sorry for low quality, I didn't have much time to write this.

I need a new pickup set to replace the stock ones! (Which are legitimately bad, muddy, no clarity)

The guitar is a Schecter, String Thru body, Basswood, Bolt On body.

And I like brightness, clarity, good bass response, and high output.

My Available Pickup Choices:

Bridge:

- Duncan JB

- Duncan Distortion

- Duncan Custom

- Duncan Invader

Neck:

- Dunan JB

- Duncan Jazz

- Duncan '59

- Duncan Invader (Neck)

- Duncan Distortion (Neck)

Also I should ask, crossing alnico and ceramic pickups in a guitar won't cause it... To Self Destruct right?
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

I personally don't think there is a better all around pickup then the JB. For metal it's amazing. My tone sometimes gives me chills and it's only when I'm playing one of my JB loaded guitars( I have 3). It's thick crunchy, bites hard and chugs with the best of them.
Most of my tone comes from me but these pickups really help express.
The 59 is the perfect match to the JB.

The Other consideration I would say would be the Distortion set for both.
 
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Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

There is a reason WHY the Hot Rodded Humbucker set (JB bridge, and Jazz neck) are the best selling pickup combo of ALL TIME!
They sound good in almost any guitar, and playing almost any style of music.

When all else fails - Duncan Hot Rod Set rules.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

Brighter, clearer, high output, bass response... That's the Distortion to me. I like the JB; it's very impressive for lead and I like it more than the Distortion in most regards, but I feel like the Distortion balances better for more styles (except for anything clean, for which I'd look elsewhere than even the JB) and is a bit tighter/more balanced. Unless you're into the way the JB handles mids/bass and are prepared craving the 'JB sound,' it can be a bit of a shock. But all that makes it Seymour Duncan's classic :)

That said, from listening to a bunch of demos I really want to try a Nazgul/Sentient lately.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

People really need to say what kind of metal they play, because recommendations for stoner metal are going to be *way* different than for, say, technical death metal, or classic metal.

Given your screen name, I'd guess that you play... death metal :D

Out of the pickups you listed, my recommendations for bridge are Distortion first and Custom second. Distortion is first because it is more aggressive, both b/c of voicing (it has a hairy bite to it) and the fact it has more mids than the Custom. The Distortion has surprising string-to-string clarity for being so hot and aggressive. The Custom is a little mids-scooped and so is slightly more relaxed than the Distortion, but it is still aggressive and high-output. I like both pickups a lot. I'd say Distortion if you play nothing but metal, but Custom if you go down to hard rock or rock territory.

No to JB or Invader in bridge, not b/c they are bad - they are good - but because they don't fit your criteria. JB has loose bass, and Invader is not very bright or clear (it is a big fist of mids).

In the Neck, anything you listed except for the JB could work for you. JBs have been known to make their way to the neck position, but putting a hot bridge pickup in neck position won't give you brightness/clarity.

Jazz: Most bright and clear, use this if definition/clarity is your prime concern
59: Good all-purpose pickup, has more low end than Jazz.
Invader neck: Surprisingly not high output, and, to my ears, voiced kind of like a P90. Very throaty and mids-forward. Cool sound, but probably not what you seek.
Distortion neck: Hot, but pairs well, of course, with Distortion bridge.

I would also suggest the other made-for-metal Duncan pickups. Pegasus (more clarity, good for progressive stuff) or Nazgul (full-on rabid dog aggression) in bridge. Sentient neck (evidently it's like a cross between Jazz and 59 for progressive-style clarity). Black Winter set for aggression level similar to Distortion but less high end.
 
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Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

Also, there's no rule mandating magnet consistency across all positions. Custom bridge (ceramic) and Jazz neck (alnico V) is a very nice combination.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

The Dimebucker plays very nicely with the Jazz
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

All of them, though I would go with the Distortion or Invader

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

DeathMetalWill said:
Also I should ask, crossing alnico and ceramic pickups in a guitar won't cause it... To Self Destruct right?
Click to expand...

haha, 85/81 hasn't caused any problems so far :)

anyways, how about blackouts ? I'd love to try them out.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

I'd go with the custom in the bridge and the distortion neck for based on the list of options and your preferences listed.
distortion bridge paired with a full shred neck would be my 2nd option but full shred not on your list.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

I'd go with the Distortion set in the basswood (out of the classic models),,,,,,,,,I've no quality firsthand time with the BW-set and other newer models.
Distortion's bite and snappy bass are a good fit for that guitar IMO.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

Demanic said:
Won't the stronger magnet degauss the weaker one?
Click to expand...

you trying to see another thread de-railed with more labcoat rantings? lol!

anyway... that'd be a question for the companies that are engaging in that approach.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

Lol Really, it's a question I've been pondering for a while, but I've been stymied by my lack of ability to find some ceramic spacers available.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

I'd actually go with a Black Winter set. That would be my first choice.

If I had to pick from your list, a Jazz & Distortion would do it.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

I have never been impressed with the JB personally. The DD set is the one for me.
 
Re: Best Seymour Duncan Bridge / Neck Pickup Combo For Metal?

DeathMetalWill said:
Sorry for the eleventy-seven thousandth post on pickups for metal...
And sorry for low quality, I didn't have much time to write this.

The guitar is a Schecter, String Thru body, Basswood, Bolt On body.
Click to expand...

Now eleventy-seven thousand and one. :guilty:

Here is the correct answer:

Bridge:

- Duncan Distortion

Neck:

- Duncan '59, Option Distortion Neck

FIN
 
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