Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

[fettsnextbounty]

I have read that if you have a solid state amp that ceramic magneted pickups sound horrible. Is this true?I can't afford a tube amp right now, I play through a Roland Cube 60. I just want to know because I am looking into a couple of bridge pickups that have ceramic magnets. I am looking at the Duncan Distortion and the Duncan Custom for my Ibanez RG.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

You shouldn't worry too much about either one of those pickups sounding bad through a Roland modeler.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

That is clearly just an opinion. Try it out and see if it works for you. Your amp is a modeller anyway, not Solid State......yes, there is a difference.

Back in my early days of playing, I had a Duncan Distortion in my first Strat copy and a Peavey Bandit 75 amp. It sounded great to me.

Solid State = analog signal path
Modeller = digital signal path with several amp "flavors"

 

[fettsnextbounty]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Thats good to hear. Thanks guys.

I play metal, but I also like to play a lot of other things. Can the Duncan Distortion do a variety of styles pretty well? I like to have tight bass and chunk because in all honesty I am not quite a shredder, I am pretty good rhythm player.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I love ceramics and solid state, you can't beat it for the most brutal tone ever.

 

[rayrgdx]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Thats good to hear. Thanks guys.

I play metal, but I also like to play a lot of other things. Can the Duncan Distortion do a variety of styles pretty well? I like to have tight bass and chunk because in all honesty I am not quite a shredder, I am pretty good rhythm player.

Yeah, IMO the the Duncan Distortion is a versatile p/u.Don't let the name fool ya,from blues,classic rock,metal,drop tunings,and sounds damn good thru my solid state amps.

 

[JamesPaul]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Thats good to hear. Thanks guys.

I play metal, but I also like to play a lot of other things. Can the Duncan Distortion do a variety of styles pretty well? I like to have tight bass and chunk because in all honesty I am not quite a shredder, I am pretty good rhythm player.

I 've always thought of my Custom as my most versatile pup. If I run it through one of my Classic 50 Peavey's (and twiddle the knobs on both the guitar and amp) it can cover a lot of different styles quite well. Especially in a live situation. If I run it through my old Rockman X100 (plenty of compression, reverb/echo and chorus if needed) it can cover 90% + of what my Distortion can. I'll bet your Roland can keep up with my Classic 50s and Rockman - no problem.

So I'm voting that if you want to back down from metal a little, go with the Distortion. If you're looking for a lot of styles in one pup, go with the Custom.

 

[JamesPaul]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I kind of side stepped the ceramic mags on solid state amp issue. Although in my defense, there aren't any tubes in my Rockman.

When I first put the Custom in my Bullet, I was playing through a Peavey Special 130. I swapped that for a 50 watt JCM 800. Believe it or not, a few years later I traded the Marshall in for Peavey Heritage - solid state preamp, tube power amp, lots of effects built in. Don't sweat the solid state amp.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I played and sometimes still play the Distortion Over a Hughes &Kettner Warp7.It sounds brilliant!
But if you like tightness ,The custom is your Ally!Tigher ,chunkier.

 

[fettsnextbounty]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I played and sometimes still play the Distortion Over a Hughes &Kettner Warp7.It sounds brilliant!
But if you like tightness ,The custom is your Ally!Tigher ,chunkier.

I should tell you that when I say metal I mean progressive/power metal and sometimes stuff a little heavier than that. I like death metal and such, but that is not my ultimate tone goal. I am not looking to sound like Cryptopsy or anything I like Angra, Kamelot, Time Requiem with a little Killswitch Engage and Arch Enemy type things thrown in. So what do you think, the Custom or the Distortion? I like the idea of the custom with it's slight scoop and such, but is it hot enough that I can have good pinch harmonics and still scare a few grannies and little kids and ?

Also my guitar is bass wood and I hope that either of these pickups will sound good in that, what do ya'll think?

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I should tell you that when I say metal I mean progressive/power metal and sometimes stuff a little heavier than that. I like death metal and such, but that is not my ultimate tone goal. I am not looking to sound like Cryptopsy or anything I like Angra, Kamelot, Time Requiem with a little Killswitch Engage and Arch Enemy type things thrown in. So what do you think, the Custom or the Distortion? I like the idea of the custom with it's slight scoop and such, but is it hot enough that I can have good pinch harmonics and still scare a few grannies and little kids and ?

Also my guitar is bass wood and I hope that either of these pickups will sound good in that, what do ya'll think?

I dunno man i saw your Avatar and tought youre here for a mass destruction and keeper of the dark side:chairfall :chairfall :chairfall

The sound you describe is more dustom i think,I play the Distortion and the PATB-2 and i telly ou.Custom is tighter.But it will not scream and slay as a Destortion do!And The Arch Enemy stuff can done with the Distortion very well!
My guitar is BAsswood too ,so Distortion is a good choice i think!But it's def. not an allrounder!:fingersx:
Cheers man!

 

[fettsnextbounty]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

I just don't want the guitar to sound shrill. What about that PATB-2? Is it like the Distortion? I heard your sound bytes of the PATB-2 and it was cool.

This is difficult, I am trying not to buy DiMarzios, but it seems that all the Ibanez users I know use them like crazy so I can't get any good Duncan info.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Well i can't tell one bad word about the pATB-2.if you hear to my last sound clip ,you cna hear how the push on low D ,how wellbalanced they are ,how much harmonics they give ,and how nicesly the can get!i don't use the bridge on that song (actually ,i never use the bridge).Check my (myspace.com/daemonbarbeque).All songs have different tones and can give you an idea.BTW .you can't get shrill with the PATB2.it has wider mids ,but less highs!

 

[fettsnextbounty]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Yeah, the only thing is that I play a HSS guitar and the PATB-2 is so hot that it would probably make the balance between the bridge hum and the two singles sound funky as I do switch between them in songs.

Oh well I guess it will be the SH6, the tone wizard, you and many other have recommended it. And all the bands I have heard with it sound really good.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Yeah, the only thing is that I play a HSS guitar and the PATB-2 is so hot that it would probably make the balance between the bridge hum and the two singles sound funky as I do switch between them in songs.

Oh well I guess it will be the SH6, the tone wizard, you and many other have recommended it. And all the bands I have heard with it sound really good.

The PATB-2 is not louder than the SH-6!It has a higher impedance,but the output level is similar!Even on some Higher pitch notes ,SH-6 works a tad louder for me!
And i don't know why but the tone wizard never tells to buy a PATB!Go for it man.It's more expensive ,but it's better.Sounds more pro ,has more midds ,and is wider.

 

[fettsnextbounty]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Oh really, cool! Thanks man.

 

[WGTP]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Actually, that is a good point that I never considered. For cleaner sounds, the ceramic with a SS amp might be more brittle or harsh. It makes since that an AII with more compression might make the SS amp sound a little more tubish, at least as a gross generalization.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Ceramic Magnets and Solid State Amps?

Oh really, cool! Thanks man.

You are welcome dude!Im love both of them and both would be a great choice for you!Enjoy your buy and get the tone you want!
Cheers!:smokin: