Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

[Pierre]

I never tried many and I'm wondering what they're like overal... A search would bring very little and either way a bit of a new thing wouldn't be bad.

JB: low mid spike, crunchy pickup, quite bright, very hot yet versatile
Custom: Tighter, a bit less mids, quite hot
'59: PAF
Pearly Gates: Old school PAF
Jazz: articulate clear pickup, less bright yet with more highs than a 59
FullShred: Crunchy as hell pickup, decent midrange, very tight. Quite hot but not as much as JB?
Invader: bass bass bass bass output. I don't know about tightness and mids
I don't know enough about any other pickups. The only one I ever truly tried is the FullShred. Feel free to correct me and tell me more!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

I never tried many and I'm wondering what they're like overal... A search would bring very little and either way a bit of a new thing wouldn't be bad.

JB: low mid spike, crunchy pickup, quite bright, very hot yet versatile
Custom: Tighter, a bit less mids, quite hot
'59: PAF
Pearly Gates: Old school PAF
Jazz: articulate clear pickup, less bright yet with more highs than a 59
FullShred: Crunchy as hell pickup, decent midrange, very tight. Quite hot but not as much as JB?
Invader: bass bass bass bass output. I don't know about tightness and mids
I don't know enough about any other pickups. The only one I ever truly tried is the FullShred. Feel free to correct me and tell me more!

Spend some time listening to all the Duncan humbucker clips. I could describe most, but I become biased, because there's several I really like, then a few I don't care for.....and everyone's taste is different. Listen to those clips. When I did that, it sold me on the Seth bridge.

 

[dani]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

to my ears, the jb has a hi mid spike. funny enough, although the jb has a higher output than a custom. it seems the custom pushes the amp harder with a more saturated crunch. the jb is pretty polite for a 16k+ pickup.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

59-Late-‘50s, vintage-correct, humbucker sound. Warm and crystalline clean tones. Full and bright distorted tones. Smooth sustain. Classic appointments include plain enamel wire, long legged bottom plate, vintage single conductor cable and no logo. Compared to the SH-55 Seth Lover, the ’59 has slightly more scooped mids and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance

Seth Lover-Designed jointly by Seymour and humbucker inventor, the late Seth Lover. Just like the original 1955 P.A.F.s, the SH-55 utilizes a nickel silver cover and long-legged nickel silver bottom plate, butyrate plastic bobbins, plain enamel wire, Alnico 2 bar, wooden spacer, and black paper tape. To be completely true to the original design and tone, the pickup is not wax potted. The tone is vintage P.A.F. The unpotted cover gives a slightly “honky” microphonic quality. Vintage style single conductor cable standard.

APH-1 alnico II pro-The Alnico 2 magnet and moderate windings yield a warm, sweet tone with more natural string vibration for great sustain. Classic rock players who get their distortion from the amp rather than the pickup love the APH-1. It allows them to back off the crunch and get beautiful clean tones with softer attack. Compared to the ’59, the Alnico II Pro has a rounder sound with a spongier bass response. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable and no logo

SH-PG1 pearly gates-Originally designed as a recreation of the pickups in the ’59 Les Paul® Standard that defined the raw, rebellious sound of Texas blues-rock. The Pearly Gates is sweet, but slightly rude, with great sustain and a bright top end that make harmonics jump out of the guitar. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

Jazz-Provides an articulate and clear tone. Great for fast runs. The brighter tone has slightly less output and is a good match with most bridge pickups. When distorted, the tone is full and bright. Smooth sustain. Compared to the SH-1 ‘59 Model, the Jazz has slightly less output and a more detailed treble response. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable

stag mag-The Stag Mag uses the same type of magnets as a vintage singe coil. Each coil is as powerful as a single-coil. When the pickup is split (sometimes called “tapped”) such that only one coil is used, the sound is bright and glassy, like a vintage Strat® pickup. In full output, humbucking mode, the tone is rich and full with a bright high-end. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

screamin’ demon-This pickup was designed in the Custom Shop for guitar legend George Lynch. It has the big open sound of our ‘59 ModelTM with a little less bite and a little more growl. The tone is big, percussive with a defined treble response that doesn’t get harsh. It uses one row of allen screws and one row of standard slotted screws for a unique “airy” sound. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable

full shred-Double rows of Allen screw pole pieces help fine tune the high end, leaving a tone that’s fat and chunky, yet perfectly defined for speed riffs. Gives tonal control in high-gain situation. Less aggressive than an SH-6 Distortion. More articulate than an SH-5 Custom. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable

jb-The world’s most popular humbucker. Provides slammin’ output while retaining singing highs, aggressive harmonics, and just the right blend of sustain and distortion. Goes from sweet warm tones to raw rock ‘n’ roll. Compared to the SH-14 Custom 5, the JB has a stronger treble detail. Some players use it with 250K pots to smooth out the highs. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

Distortion-Yields high output while retaining clarity. The massive ceramic magnet and hot coil windings deliver tremendous power and raw distorted rock sounds. More aggressive than the SH-5 Duncan Custom. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

Custom-Beefed up Patent Applied For tone for a hard-driving, kickin’ sound with the right balance of power, sustain, and distortion. This pickup cuts through with a distinctive high end and midrange attack. The ceramic magnet and custom coil design give it compressed dynamics, an enhanced harmonic structure, and a punchy bass. Perfect for dropped tunings without “mushing” out. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

custom custom-The Custom CustomTM is our SH-5 Duncan CustomTM humbucker with an Alnico II magnet for warm and smooth highs, more midrange, and a spongier bottom end than the SH-5. It’s a good choice for players who need a traditional vintage tone with increased output. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

custom 5-Developed by contributors to our web user group who replaced the ceramic or Alnico 2 magnet in an SH-5 Custom or SH-11 Custom Custom with an Alnico 5. Compared to the SH-5 and SH-11, the Custom 5’s tone is more vintage, with less distortion, but it’s still very strong and powerful. Clean sounds are rich and full with enhanced presence. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

invader-Designed for the heaviest tones a passive pickup can produce. The combination of three ceramic magnets, over-wound coils and twelve black oxide cap screws make the Invader an electrifying force of energy. The wide magnetic field pumps power into your amp with a totally heavy sound. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable.

livewire classic-The tone is full-bodied with a wide frequency response and rich sustain. They have a potent sound that lets you hear every note in the chord. The 18-volt power supply gives twice the headroom of other active pickups for improved tonality and increased dynamic range. These humbuckers do not have a split coil mode.

livewire metal-Perhaps the world’s highest output pickup. Designed and voiced for the most brutally extreme tone. It has a screaming voice with amazing mid-range punch that produces thick, dark chords and hard-hitting leads. Incredibly aggressive output. Will overdrive most amps. These humbuckers do not have a split coil mode.

Dimebucker-The Dimebucker uses a powerful ceramic magnet coupled with stainless steel blades for hard-hitting crunch. The SH-13 has both high d.c. resistance and a high resonant peak. The result is a high-output, aggressive humbucker with more treble bite and clarity than an SH-8 Invader; as well as punchy bass response and exceptional dynamics. The blades make the Dimebucker great for balanced bends. Comes with four-conductor hookup cable and its own form-fitting mounting ring

 

[dani]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

:laugh2:

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

to my ears, the jb has a hi mid spike. funny enough, although the jb has a higher output than a custom. it seems the custom pushes the amp harder with a more saturated crunch. the jb is pretty polite for a 16k+ pickup.

hmmm I seem to agree with u on that

 

[Forbes]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

Also check out the vault, there are detailed reviews of most pickups in there, often overlooked as a resource there is an enormous amount of info there.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

haha I did read all that, I just wanted something a bit simpler and more detailed on the sound itself, and on people's experiences... But thanks guys

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

OK, here goes (this is what I've tried:

Neck:
59
Pearly Gates
Jazz
Seth Lover
Phat Cat
Alnico II Pro
Pearly Gates (bridge)

I tried the 59 in my LP Standard and my Yamaha AES500. I din't like it in either guitar. It was bright and boomy at the same time and seemed very weak in the mids. I changed out the magnet for alnico II and loved the sound, but eventually ended up trading it. :gurmpy:

The Jazz seems to me to be almost like a single coil in it's response to picking and dynamics. It sounds very sparkly clean and has a cool "boxy" tone to it when driven. I had this pickup first in my Carvin DC127T and it's currently in my Yamaha (with a Super Distortion at the bridge). :baby:

I love the Seth. I had it in my Epi Sheraton and in my Les Paul. Smooth OD tones and very full, rich cleans with a slight emphasis on the mids. It can get honky, but it nails the bark you hear on a ton of recordings when used in a LP and played through a Marshall. :wink:

The Pearly Gates in a LP sounds like a LP should sound. Big and fat without being boomy and with a very muscular midrange. Clean, it's still warm enough to play jazz, but it does have a slight edginess to it. It's my all around favorite neck pickup.



I have a Phat Cat in my Sheraton and I love it. It's smooth enough to play old school jazz with, but it has a lot of sparkle and chime when you open up the tone pots. Not muddy at all and has a very cool grind and growl when driven. Basically a P-90 made to fit a humbucker rout.

The Alnico II Pro to me is the most balanced neck "bucker I've heard. I have on in my Hamer Special. It has good highs, clean lows, and enough mids to cut through. I think it has one of the best cleans of the bunch and is one of the most "modern" neck PAF style pickups I've tried. I think this one will sound good pretty much in any guitar you put it in, whereas the PG is somewhat of an aquired taste. Easily in my top 3 faveorite neck 'buckers.


I used the Pearly Gates bridge model in the neck of my Carvin DC127-T. I did this because everything in that guitar sounded thin and weak, probably due to the floating trem, 24 frets, and all maple construction (ebony fretboard). This pickup is wound to 8.5K. It really fattened up the neck slot without making it muddy and it balances very well with the Custom Custom in the bridge position. Another cool thing is that it splits very nicely. It sounds good dirty and it sounds absolutely gorgeous when clean. If you want to make your 24 fret shred axe to sound like an old school Gibson at the neck slot, this is your pickup. :beerchug:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

Bridge:
Pearly Gates
Pearly Gates +
Custom
Custom 5
Custom Custom
JB
Seth Lover
Phat Cat


I have had the Pearly Gates in the bridge slot of my LP. ZZ Top oozes out of this one. Bright and fat at the same time. Interestingly, it lets a lot of the guitar's inherent sound come through.

The Pearly Gates + is very similar to the PG, but it has a touch less mids and a tighter low end. A bit better than the PG for heavier modern rock styles, but it still does the old "Tejas" sound very well. It's also not much brighter than the normal PG. It's currently sitting in the bridge slot of my Lester. Like the PG, this is one pickup you either love or hate.

The Custom currently sits ion one of my Yamahas and was in my Hamer for a while. It's a great pickup for rock and metal. It's bright and tight, but still retains that great PAF "bark" when playing chords through a Marshall. Though it is a bright pickup, it never seems thin, even in a bright guitar. I would feel comfortable putting this in anything from a LP, to a strat, to something like a Jackson or Ibanez with a Floyd.

The C5 is kind of hit or miss with me. I installed it in my Carvin and hated it. Too thin and toppy, with no mids and a boomy low end. I don't think it's a good pickup for a super strat style axe, but I love it in my Gibson-flavored guitars. It sounds good in my LP, and fantastic in my Hamer. Solid highs with clarity in the mids and a taut low end. I think it would sound fantastic in a PRS as well.


The Custom Custom sits in my Carvin and it will never leave. It has a lot of low mids with rounded off highs and lows. Great for metal, fusion, blues, country, rock, etc... It'll do great in a bright guitar. It is a high output pickup, but it doesn't sound like it, and more importantly, it doesn't feel like it. It really lets you shape a not by how you hold it or pick it.

The JB is another hit or miss pickup for me. I absolutely HATE it in a Gibson style axe (alright, it was OK in my Hamer ); but it is beautiful in a Fender style guitar. It doesn't have a lot of lows or low mids, but it has a big spike in the high mids. Many people think of this as a bright pickup, but it's warmer than the PG, PG+, Seth, and even the Custom. It's all in the high mid spike, I guess.

The Seth Lover is great. It makes a Gibson sound like a Gibson should. Read the description of the neck pickup. It's pretty much the same.

The Phat Cat is raw and cutting. I have it in my Sheraton and it rips. Funk, blues, country and rock all jump out of this guitar. It really nails the "Taxman" tone when playing through my GT-8's Vox/Matchless patch.



I hope this helps a bit. I'll give you my impressions of the tele and strat singles if you want as well. :burnout:

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

key Benjy on a strat styled guitae with a JB would an alnico II sound great or would u go with a Jazz

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

key Benjy on a strat styled guitae with a JB would an alnico II sound great or would u go with a Jazz

Alnico II if I were playing mainly distorted or comping jazz chords. If I were playing country or clean pop/funk, definately jazz. :beerchug:

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

I can't take credit for it, but Luke did a nice breakdown of them:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=32475&page=2&highlight=alouu

 

[Pierre]

Re: Could anyone describe in a small thread the Duncan humbuckers?

W00t thanks guys! Custom it shall be for my next try I take it it's VERY similar to the full shred, but maybe more powerful and smoother then?