Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

[Pierre]

Guitar: Charvel model 4 (88), Basswood bolt on strat shape, Floyd, maple/rosewood neck.

This pickup is BRIGHT, VIOLENT and above all... very, very, very, very thick...

For speakers, people tend to ay that Alnico sounds more musical than Ceramic. Well let me tell you, while the SH6 does metal like a can of whoop butt whoops butt, it also has a very thick and to my ears, VERY PLEASING lead tone.
Harmonics JUMP out, and if you don't mute well, this pickup will kill you. IT IS NOT FORGIVING!
The pickup is very bright, with a lot more bass than the FullShred with A8 mag I had in before. So I had to reEQ my POD patches basically. The bass is perfect to me. It's big but never boomy, poweful but never overpowering. I really dig it.
Midrange is... rich. I think that's the one word to say it. Again, this is one pickup I could leave on 5 for all 3 EQ frequencies and still be happy with it.

I'm going to have to work on my muting and lead techniques a lot now The FullShred made me work on it loads, but this pickup is just MORE everything.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I played a DD set in a LP for years. Killer pickups!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

The DD was the first Duncan I ever owned. Great pickup. It made me clean up my playing some that's for sure. Still one of my favorites. Glad you're liking it.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I've still gotta try one of them! Luke had a hybrid made at UGD that was half Distortion. I bet the whole thing is killer.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

Mhmm when I took it out of the package it read 17K, and when wired directly to the output jack, through a cable it reads 16K.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

You're seeing 16k through a cable because of the resistance within the cable itself. 1k is actually not bad. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

Yeah that's what I thought. Which means that if the voltmeter had one of its right moments, I have a pretty hot Distortion All the better muahaha

 

[ErikH]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

It's right where it should be. Now, go and play some Lynch and Rhoads.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I don't have any Lynch and the only thing by Randy Rhoads I know how to play is Crazy Train, without the leads except for the first tapping bit of the solo

 

[ErikH]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

Sounds like it's time for a trip to the record store.

Enjoy the pickup. :6:

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

WHAT?! You have no Lynch?! Have you learned nothing from me young padowan? I'm very dissappointed. I have failed you Lynch god.

 

[Pierre]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I'm listenign to Queensryche right now though, and playing it
And this pickup nails the Empire solo tone.

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I digress.....

 

[myxolidian]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I've just recently "discovered" the DD as well. I agree with your assessment. It just sounds killer. Bright but not harsh. Good low end but not boomy/muddy. Articulate but not sterile.

 

[Animal]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

The pickup is very bright

Although all of the other features of the Distortion you mentioned I find to be great, the brightness of the pickup is what has left me kind of unsatisfied with the SH-6 in my alder bodied guitar.

As your guitar is basswood it's no surprises that the brightness levels would be a lot tamer and the DD be better suited to your axe.

Glad to hear you love it. I agree with everything you've said about the almight SH-6!

I've got a PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion lying around at home that I STILL haven't got around to installing yet. It apparently has a darker sound and more suited to the kind of guitar I have. Hopefully it will recitify the brightness problem I'm currently having with the regular Distortion.

 

[Travis]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

Ah, another convert to my Church of the Distortion.

I can rest a little easier now.

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

The DD was and still is my favorite Duncan pickup. It was my first pickup change way back in 1987/8 and it stayed there for years. I always go back to that pickup for that SG.

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

Hmm, i was just considering putting a DD in my Kramer explorer copy, don't like the idea of an overly bright pup though! I don't have a tone knob on this guitar either.

Hames: Did your alder bodied guitar have a floyd or anything else to further brighten the tone apart from the alder itself? My Kramer has a TOM so may be able to get away with it.

Also is the Parallel Axis version able to suit non-trem guitars? i know its called a 'trembucker' which would normally make it exclusive to those spaced guitars, but seems odd to make a different pickup design like this without it being usable for non trem spaced instruments.

Cheers'

Jeff

 

[heymcz]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

I don't have any Lynch and the only thing by Randy Rhoads I know how to play is Crazy Train, without the leads except for the first tapping bit of the solo

GGGAAAAHHHH!!!! Let's fix that!
|-~-----------------~------------|-~-----------~---0--------|
|-~-----------------~------------|-~-----------~-----0------|
|9---9--9--9---9---8----8--8---8-|5---5--5----5-------5-----|
|7---7--7--7---7---7----7--7---7-|5---5--5----4---------4---|
|--0------------------0----------|--0-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------|

Paste this into something that understands Courier or any other monospace font. Pick all the notes staccato with your fingers (like AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock", or Van Halen's "Little Guitars"). Now go buy Wicked Sensation!!!

In other notes, I like the DD very much; it does remind me of the standard Full Shred, but there's something more fuzzy about it around the edges. FWIW, I like the Distortion's rhythm tone a lot, but the leads are a little "smeary". Enjoy, though, it's incredibly fun to play a DD!

 

[ErikH]

Re: Distortion first impressions: HOLY BATMAN TONE JESUS!!!

What song is that supposed to be? Or is that some randon Lynch-like stuff.

Before Wicked Sensation, get Tooth and Nail, Breaking The Chains, Under Lock and Key and Back for the Attack. Then get Wicked Sensation and Lynch Mob (self-titled second album). After that, move on to the later stuff. Start with his early stuff and listen to how progressively better he gets.