Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

[TattooedCarrot]

Looking for a neck humbucker in the PAF family that’s on the brighter side with more Fender snap than dark wooly woman tone. Going into a ‘78 Les Paul custom with an SH-5 bridge. Antiquity? PG? Seth? Thx

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

I like the Jazz with an A3 magnet. Of course mine is a Strat not
LP so YMMV

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

Yea it’s a big heavy boat anchor with a beefy sound to begin with. I currently have an EMG 60X in there now and it’s awesome but the EMG set is getting moved to an ESP M1 that I’m going to route for a neck humbucker and make an M-II out of it.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

And I have used Antiquities a lot and love the responsiveness and honk you can when digging in, just wondering if there’s better.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The Full Shred is really bright. It would get my vote for the brightest.

 

[TattooedCarrot]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

Isn’t that a hotter pickup? Also not sure about the poles since I’m putting aged gold covers over them.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

neck humbucker in the PAF family

Jazz and Full Shred are not in the PAF family.

So it's either Seth, Pearly Gates, or 59.

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The Seth would be the brightest of the true PAF's, but I think the Jazz would mesh better with the Custom in the bridge.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

I forgot the Skinner Burst.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

Isn’t that a hotter pickup?

The Full Shred neck model? Nope, it's vintage output.

If we take PAF off the table, I'd maybe consider a Sentient, since you're pairing it with an SH-5. Despite the marketing, it is not a hot pickup.

"The Sentient neck delivers a balanced, versatile tone that fits right between the ’59 model and the Jazz neck pickup. You’ll get pristine cleans for intricate chordal and single note runs with fluid leads under high gain. The Sentient is a vintage output pickup with great dynamic response and a wide harmonic range."

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The Screamin Demon is also a pretty kicking neck PAF. It's definitely got the whole brightness thing down if that's what your looking for. Like the Full Shred and Sentient, it too is misunderstood.

Here's the blurb from the website:
"The idea was to create a pickup that had the articulate airiness of an old-school P.A.F., but with more growl and sizzle. We designed slightly overwound coils, an alnico 5 bar magnet, and used a mix of pole pieces that included one row of standard adjustable screws, and one row of shorter Allen head screw. What you get is a big, open tone, with a treble emphasis that keeps your pick attack sounding articulate at any level of distortion."

It's also scooped with a "attentive" high end, making it similar to the Custom 5 tonally.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

A polished A3 in a 59N could do the trick.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The Full Shred neck's EQ isn't in the PAF family, as it is really bright, although the output is. An Antiquity neck is also bright and clear.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The Full Shred neck's EQ isn't in the PAF family, as it is really bright, although the output is.

That's more than you can say for the Screamin' Demon, which sounds and behaves nothing like a PAF in the neck.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

For me it would be Jazz, Seth, or dare I say it, a 496R to mix with a Custom.

 

[gregory]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

Which Antiquity, PAF or Jazz ?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

For me, 30th anniversary jazz or a pre 2000 jazz or an antiquity jazz.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

That's more than you can say for the Screamin' Demon, which sounds and behaves nothing like a PAF in the neck.

Dang it, modding got me again. I forgot my Screamin Demon was rewound by the previous user. I'm changing my vote to Antiquity Jazz.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

The PGn works beautifully with the Duncan Custom. Did for me anyway. Had them both in a Strat for a long time.

I disagree about the Jazz not being in the PAF family. To me, it’s similar to a 60’s T-Top...tho not identical. I like T-Tops as neck pickups.

The Jazz would probably work fine with the Custom...but the PGn is up there with my very, very favorite neck humbuckers and I know from experience that it sounds great with the Custom.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Brightest Duncan neck humbucker?

I'd definitely look at the Jazz