Big shout out for Duncan single coils!

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

Hi, I am a confirmed vintage style pickup addict, and love a few vintage style humbuckers, particularly Filtertron types having owned and played through a TV Jones Supertron, Powertron, and Magnatron.

However my abiding love truly goes to single coils in general. Their clarity, solid fundamental, extended frequency response, and sense of depth and "air" far outstrips almost all humbuckers in my experiences. The sole exceptions being the above mentioned Supertron and Magnatron, both of which come the closest of any humbuckers I ever played through to capturing the tonal qualities I love in a good single coil.

For single coils I have owned and played through...

Original run Gold Lace Sensors I swapped into an '87 Americam Standard Stratocaster

Dimarzio Designed single coil in a '91 Ibenez 540 Sabre Ltd

Stock Gibson P90's in an '85 Gibson Explorer III

BKP Supermassive P90 I swapped into the bridge position on the above Explorer III

Stock Gibson P90's in two Gibson LP Specials

Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Gibson A5 Staple Soapbar clone I swapped into the neck position on one of the Gibson LP Specials

BG Pure 90 I swapped into a '61RI 2011 SG Std in the bridge spot, and a second swapped into the bridge position of an Gibson USA Adam Jones LP Standard

Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Dynabucker single coil I swapped into the neck position on the Adam Jones LP standard

TV Jones T-Armond I swapped into the neck position on the same '61RI SG Standard

Gibson Alnico 5 Soapbars in a Gary Clark SG

Seymour Duncan Vintage P90 wound on the old Gibson machinary they purchased I swapped into the bridge on the above Gary Clark SG

Lollar P90's in an Eastman 330 Copy

Lollar Gibson A5 Staple clone and Lollar Goldfoil clone I swapped into a third LP Special, a Guitar Center Exclusove with Arctic White finish and an Ebony fretboard to replace the stock P100's

In each case of the Seymour Duncan offerings listed above they first physically evidenced a quality of construction only equalled in my opinion by the TV Jones offerings. Whereas the Lollar Staple clone versus the Duncan Staple favors the Duncan both in keeping true to the original Gibson design, and the heft/feel of the pickup. This says nothing negative about the Lollar pickups' tones though. Each and every one of them sounds utterly fantastic and on par with all the exceptional pickups I have played through.

Most importantly the Duncans have never failed to give me the exact tones I was aiming for in each of the guitars I have installed them in. The Duncan Staple Clone in particular is tied with the TV Jones T-Armond as the most gorgeous sounding neck pickup I have ever had the joy of playing through, and the Vintage P90 in the Gary Clark SG was the epitome of the perfect P90 tone to my ears, with a fat bottom end punch, toothy snarl and grind in the mids and the perfect blend of crisp and smooth on the highs when the volume is rolled back, with a wicked bite when played overdirven or with distortion and fuzz.

Kudos to Duncan for their class act in providing incredible quality that meets or exceeds many so called boutique pickup builders at prices accessible to most players. In a world with $400 PAF clones and $300 P90's I will choose Seymour Duncan's reasonably priced top tier quality offerings over most others whenever they provide a model that both fits my routing requirements, and pickup design type I am in need of.

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

Well, you've come to the right place. We dig SD's singles, a lot, too. I am sure you will make a lot of friends here.

 

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

Welcome to the forum!

Well, you've come to the right place. We dig SD's singles, a lot, too. I am sure you will make a lot of friends here.

Thanks for the warm reception. You're right up the Trail from me. I live in Sarasota.

 

[Mincer]

Thanks for the warm reception. You're right up the Trail from me. I live in Sarasota.

Oh very cool. I play down there once in awhile.

 

[Aceman]

We dig singles?!?!?!? Who said that??? LOL
- Speaking for hum buckers anonymous, of course!


Welcome!

 

[Mincer]

Well, to be honest, it is the stacked singles I like. And I love humbuckers, too. But we have quite a bit of true single fans here.

 

[weepingminotaur]

I'm more of a humbucker guy, and prefer stacked singles, but still, welcome to the forum!

 

[Artie]

I like singles too, in the right guitar. But I also think the Duncan Designed series sound great too. They use true pole-piece magnets, rather than the bar glued to the bottom. Not sure how much difference that makes, but they sure sound good.

I just acquired a "new", (removed from a new Squier), Tele single coil set. They sound amazing.

 

[donaldr]

Welcome to the forum!

Well, you've come to the right place. We dig SD's singles, a lot, too. I am sure you will make a lot of friends here.

Just that 90% of the threads are about humbuckers :nana:

 

[Mincer]

Just that 90% of the threads are about humbuckers :nana:

That's because of the style of music many forum bros are playing. But many are just as passionate about the singles they choose.

 

[beaubrummels]

Just that 90% of the threads are about humbuckers :nana:

That's because IME with Duncan singles you just put them in and they do exactly what you expect, at least for players doing music that calls for singles.
With humbuckers, there's always some minutae people are trying to fix, which could also be related to the players and music that calls for humbuckers.

 

[donaldr]

Is that meaning we are less picky with single coils vs humbuckers? Or that Seymour Duncan is simply doing incredible single coils?

 

[Mincer]

Is that meaning we are less picky with single coils vs humbuckers? Or that Seymour Duncan is simply doing incredible single coils?

Both can be true. But I think it is universal what most people want out of a great single coil, but that isn't true with humbuckers.

 

[Chistopher]

I like a pair of hot singles same as anyone, but I don't see what that has to do with guitars.

 

[Hiwatts and Gibsons]

Is that meaning we are less picky with single coils vs humbuckers? Or that Seymour Duncan is simply doing incredible single coils?

I don't think I'm less picky. Case in point most '50s and '60s wound Fender type singles really don't do it for me, the exception being a great Tele bridge pickup or the pickups in vintage Coronados which have some of the most perfect for me cleans I ever heard..

The only '50s voiced "Fender" singles I ever truly fell in love with were Gold Lace Sensors, which truthfully are constructed nothing at all like vintage Fender pickups. Also, despite the marketing to my ears the don't sound like any Fender, Fralin, or Lollar wound vintage Fender repros I ever played through. They tend to be warmer, and less scooped sounding. They also play much better with high gain tones while still sounding gorgeous clean. Tbt they tend to sound more like a Dearmond or Staple than a '50s or '60s Fender to my ears, which for me is a beautiful thing. So I am kinda picky, but at least know exactly what I like.

Basically I want gorgeous clarity and string definition, but enough midrange warmth to sound full and break up with a good mix of growl and bite. I want a solid fundamental that pairs well with Fuzz, Octave, Ring Mod, and Synth type pedals, but recalls my favorite '50s and '60s cleans when paired with an Echoplex or spring reverb, yet punches, grinds, and cuts like the love child of Mike Tyson and Leatherface. That is no short order, and it took me about 20 years to finally find exactly what I always wanted out of other single coils and humbuckers I tried.

What I finally found works for me and has become my go to singles are a P90 at the bridge, and a Dearmond or Gibson Staple type at the neck for my all purpose vintage clean to crushingly heavy guitars. If I am looking for something in a guitar I want for cleans in particular I can go with Dearmonds or Staples in both positions, or Gold Foils.