china SH-1n, possibly

[xxx256]

I purchased this nickel SH-1n last week from an internet classifieds seller. Pickup arrives, looks good to me upon first inspection. I solder it in. And it doesn't sound like i remember that particular humbucker to sound like. It sounds relatively weak and thin. The other day i saw the very same seller listed another nickel SH-1n with the SAME glossy serial number sticker. Same batch / serial (batch?) number: 20180812 Upon confronting the seller, he claimed Seymour Duncan pickups are now being made in Korea.

So this is a fake chinese aliexpress Seymour Duncan right?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The screw poles certainly look odd and not very Seymour Duncan like.

And the tabs are certainly rounder than normal.

I'd say yeah. You got a fake.

 

[xxx256]

Thanks Rex. I m pretty sure it is. But its getting really difficult to tell. I bet there is a shitty silkscreened SD logo under that nickel cover.

 

[Sam SG]

Ugh sorry that happened to you....Yea thats why I bought from Sweetwater and the Freind the last 2 SD i bought

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Also, LOL at the seller saying they're made in Korea now when the pickup says right there MADE IN AMERICA.

 

[xxx256]

Made me lol too. Since MADE IN AMERICA is stamped onto the back, lmao

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, that ain't right. What's it sound like?

 

[ehdwuld]

Does it read like a 59? Round 8k?

Bet it's got a ceramic magnet

 

[jeremy]

sorry you got scammed. always best to go through an authorized dealer or well respected reseller.

sd pups are obviously not made in korea, the seller is a scammer pos. id report them

 

[beaubrummels]

In addition to the other tell-tale signs, Duncan humbuckers come with slotted pickup height screws, not Phillips screws.

I believe "Duncan Designed" were done in Korea?, but they were also correctly marked as such and had different model numbers.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, no pickups branded Seymour Duncan are made anywhere else but the factory in Santa Barbara.

 

[Sam SG]

In addition to the other tell-tale signs, Duncan humbuckers come with slotted pickup height screws, not Phillips screws.

I believe "Duncan Designed" were done in Korea?, but they were also correctly marked as such and had different model numbers.

I allways thought they came with slotted screws too.
But I just bought a WLH from Musicians Freind. It had 2 philips heads in the sealed bag with the springs.

 

[xxx256]

Yeah, that ain't right. What's it sound like?

It lacks the unique woody thick tone of a genuine sh1n. Its thinner, a little weaker, a tad brighter. Not by much. I listen with studio headphones. and i heard it right away. Online the consensus is these cannot be told apart from genuine SD pickups. Funny story, the seller got angry when i told him this doesn't sound anything like a real SH1n. So i take that as he could not hear the difference playing through a cheap amp or something like that.

So i did some research. And aliexpress is loaded with these. Fake JB, fake 59, fake Jazz, fake Slash. Black, white, zebra, nickel covers. Just type in seymour duncan. They will pop up after a while on the bottom of the pages. Usually the sellers have any trace of SD logos removed from the product sales photos. But in the buyers review section you can often see actual photos. And all the fake SD branding bits are clearly visible. There are even fake "MADE IN GERMANY" Schaller pickups on there.

And yes genuine Duncan Designed Humbuckers were made in Korea. I like them quite a bit.

All i can say be extra careful now when buying any (used) pickups from online sources. There must be a lot of these chinese stinkers in the wild by now.

 

[Coma]

I believe "Duncan Designed" were done in Korea?, but they were also correctly marked as such and had different model numbers.

Past tense? Did they stop making them? That would explain why I haven't seen any guitars with them in ages, come to think of it.

 

[Sam SG]

In a way these fakes are good for SD. Makes people leary off used pickups now. Therefor more will buy NEW from SD or authorized vendors.
Sucks for us hot rodders wanting to grab used pickups to try tho.

 

[xxx256]

Past tense? Did they stop making them? That would explain why I haven't seen any guitars with them in ages, come to think of it.

I haven't seen Duncan Designed on new guitars for a while either. Do they still make them? I have no idea to be honest.

Here is a closer look at the backside.

In closing i suspect they tried to mate an SH1n with an SH2n so they can just swap the sold model via a sticker from 59 to Jazz. Just a wild guess here. And it would explain why this particular humbucker sounds thinner and higher in frequency. Its neither this, nor that.

 

[ehdwuld]

You have to believe that every name brands item on Aliexpress is a fake

I may be wrong

Some Chinese brands like Fleor and Musiclily are probably those brands

All the Epiphone Probuckers are probably something from the factory

 

[beaubrummels]

Past tense? Did they stop making them? That would explain why I haven't seen any guitars with them in ages, come to think of it.

My Jackson came with Duncan Designed pickups, but that was 5+ years ago. But almost seems like a rarity now.

 

[Chistopher]

I think they just stopped calling them that, but I am not a good source on the subject

 

[Rex_Rocker]

They still make them, I think.

Duncan Solars are basically Duncan Designed Custom 5/59 combos.