Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explained!

[75lespaul]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

I wonder if the HB-112 is more of a clone of the OG El-Diablo than the Demon? I HAVE to put this think in a guitar. I've had it for ages... Keep selling the guitars I had it planned for!

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Bump for the curious looking for info...

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

I wonder if the HB-112 is more of a clone of the OG El-Diablo than the Demon? I HAVE to put this think in a guitar. I've had it for ages... Keep selling the guitars I had it planned for!

The HB-112 is the HB-103 wind with Hex poles instead of slugs. It is much closer to a Distortion/JB at heart than either of the El Diablo models. Just an FYI in case someone else ever has the same question.

EDIT: I was going to start another info thread called "What the Hex is up with these pickups?" detailing the TB-6 IBZ, OG El Diablo, HB-112 and Screamin' Demon models. I may still do it

 

[Aceman]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Never read this before. GREAT post!

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

So the Duncan Designed HB-103, HB-104 (double blades) and HB-112 (Demon look-alike with 1 row hex poles, 1 row filister slotted poles) all sound the same to a degree according to what I've read here in several threads. Anyone that has tried all 3? I have all 3 but no idea where the HB-104 and HB-112 are in my assortment of pickups. I remember the HB-103 in a Jackson import from the late 90s or early 2000s that came with one in the bridge and it was rather bland. pulled it to try a Dimarzio Megadrive that was underwhelming as well.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

So the Duncan Designed HB-103, HB-104 and HB-112 all sound the same to a degree...

Yes and no... While the HB-104 was derived from the HB-103, the blade poles and extra thick ceramic mags give the HB-104 quite a different character from the HB-103/112. I tried two HB-104 sets in 2 different guitars and found the HB-104 bridge to have a tight, crunchy bottom without a lot of bass and a rather flat midrange. I also thought it was a little too thin on the higher notes. Not really an "airy" type thinness like you find on some lower output pickups that can be a desirable trait, but rather a sterile, compressed thinness. It lacked many of the dynamics that even the HB-103/112 had in the same guitars. The HB-104 bridge can handle heavy rhythms fine, but doesn't really make a great soloing pickup and, personally, I like pickups that are able to do both. The HB-104 bridge definitely benefits from a guitar that is rather full-bodied from the start.

The HB-104 neck model surprised me both times with how different it is compared to the bridge. Sort of a Jekyll and Hyde thing. The high notes have much more body than the HB-104 bridge, but the low end is also more prominent. This adds a lot of depth to clean tones, but also causes it to be a bit on the boomy side. In contrast to the bridge, it is very warm sounding overall and benefits from a guitar that's naturally a little tighter and brighter at the neck.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Apologies for resurrection but why begin a new thread when all of the relevant information has already been provided? (Many thanks.)

I have recently acquired a Patrick Eggle Berlin Wall electric guitar in, ahem, "project" condition. (i.e. Just the wood and fret wire.) I am mulling over what pickups to install. I already have one Gibson Tony Iommi signature humbucker but finding a second one is proving so difficult that I have had to consider other possibilities.

The prospect of a hot bridge/Treble and not-so-hot neck/Rhythm pair of humbuckers à la HB-104 appeals but only if the tone is up to the job. If the HB-104B is a really just a tweaked HB-103B then, logically, I might as well use the Duncan Distortion Trembucker that I already possess.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

I probably shouldn't have said "derived" in that older post above...while the resistance of the HB-104 set and the HB-103 set is very similar, the HB-104 doesn't really come off like a "tweaked" HB-103 in most regards. The very different pole pieces and magnets (and possibly coil geometry) give them their own character. Between the two, I prefer the HB-103 set over the HB-104 set as it is generally more balanced overall, especially when switching between pickup positions.

As far as sound quality, I also don't view the HB-104 set as being anywhere close to the SD Custom Shop Iommi or even the Gibson sig model. The Custom Shop Iommi is thicker and more articulate with a different playing feel and response than the HB-104 bridge.

 

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

thread alive!

So, to make a long story short, I recently stumbled across a honey hole of sorts in terms of vintage 80s shredder guitars. One that i purchased from said honey hole was a Charvel Model 88. Unfortunately the previous owner said the original pickup was "dead" and replaced it with a DD HB 104 "rails" pickup. I actually like the pickup-its very heavy/crunchy and has alot of low end and treble response however it is very scooped (no mids to speak of really). Its good for really heavy styles. Unfortunately, the pickup has gone microphonic so i will have to get it wax potted to use for another project guitar while the Model 88 will receive a late 80s MJ-wound Full Shred.

From what i gather from this post and others is that this is one of the most sought-after DD pickups there ever was and that its pretty hard to find.

 

[BleedingFingertips]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Just seen the Dan Donegan's Schecter signature guitar with El Diablo in one big German retailer for only €750. Too bad, I have enough guitars for now :disappoin

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

I haven't revisited this thread in a long time

Just realized that Photobucket killed off all the photos i had in the original post, so I reposted what I could salvage from their (now) terrible site to Imgur. Hopefully they stay put for a few more years!

 

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Thanks Masta'c for re-attaching the pics to the original thred. I still need to use my HB-104 in a "death metal" guitar. For those of you into death metal, this pickup in the Schecter 5 string guitar (mentioned in the original post) were used to Dan Swano during the recording of "Moontower" and Crimson II in the late 90s, early 2000's. Those two albums are some of my favorite music of all time and i really want to use this pickup for something similar in something like a Jackson Kelly.

 

[Artie]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Wow! Great thread. Thanks masta' c. (And for selling me the El Diablo's.) I've also got an HB-103 set and an HB-112. I haven't installed either of those yet. I can see I'm going to be busy the next week or so.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

I have to say, I love this thread. I always come back to this information when someone asks about any of these pickups, as I find it hard to keep this straight- lots of other information rattling around in there.

 

[Artie]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

It appears that they no longer produce the "Demon" based Diablo. Too bad. I'd love to compare one to my other El Diablo's.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Really? I assume you contacted the Custom Shop?

 

[Artie]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Duh! No. I was just checking out their Custom Shop offerings on the webpage. :smack:

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

They took a bunch of stuff off the webpage, but you can still ask for then over the phone. The S-Deco is another example of pickups they took off the website.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

Re: Devils, Demons and Duncan Designed: The "El Diablo", "Iommi" and HB-104 Explaine

the s-deco are very cool pups