Dual Screamin Demons advise?

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emaccarthy

New member
I have an alder/maple super strat with a gotoh floyd that I love. Currently it has a Screamin Demon in the neck and an JB in the bridge. I love the Demon in the neck and really like the overall girth/single coil like cut it has. I really liked the JB in the bridge initially but recently have noticed that the JB seems to be a bit of a one trick pony and feel like the tone seems compressed like its trapped in a bottle or under a blanket or something (think megadeth Holy wars). I am curious about maybe putting a screamin demon in the bridge as well so this then have two screamin demon humbuckers in the same guitar! I know this pup is significantly lower output than the JB but curious how it would balance with the neck screamin demon. The thing that I don't like about the JB is the lack of low end definition, and overall bottled up sound. The low notes do not separate and it all kind of slurs together when gain is added. I liked the growly mids and singing highs it had on the high end though. Would the Demon be a fitting choice for bridge as well? I play a lot of different music and love 80s hard rock. I am a George Lynch fanatic and play everything from dokken/lynch mob and ratt to satriani, vai, pink floyd, rush, van halen, fusion jams, classical, country. So I am looking for something that can dominate at 80s hardrock but can still clean up and coil split well to do everything else with shimmering clean tones. The JB has some great attributes that I love but feel like it has other traits that mask what I really want in a pickup.

Thoughts?

Anybody have any side by side comparisons of these two? I am playing through a Blackstar HT20 with a single 12" Celestion Lynchback and a TS7 used as a clean booster.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

I don't think the screamin demon will deliver what you want in the bridge, its really low output and the bridge will take away some of the low end that you want. I would recommend the custom for 80's rock sounds. The distortion is great to but probably more compressed than you want. other pickups to look at would be the 59/custom hybrid, the full shred, or maybe the perpetual burn even. I like the screamin demon, but only as a neck pickup, I have no love for the JB though.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Have you looked at Dimarzio's FRED? Nice for lots of high midrange and harmonics, moderate output.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

I feel like all those would be too compressed and/or high output. I love the hardrock but also like to jam out on the clean channel too and I hated the JBs clean tone. I love the Demon in the neck position and just wonder if putting the same thing in bridge will balance well.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

How does the HT-20 compare to a Soldano SLO? If it compares well then the Demon will work in the bridge. The Perpetual Burn might be one to consider.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Its not a gain monster but it can handle a decent amount. I use it with the gain at 12 oclock and the ts7 as a clean boost to give it some extra juice. I don't play heavy duty metal like megadeth, metallica, testament etc. I'm a blues rock guy at heart and just love old hard rock boosted marshally tone. The JB just seemed like a one trick pony output wise and didn't have the exact tone I have in my head. If I could get the JB with backed off output, more open sound, and cleaner/more defined low end im down. The demon seemed to fit this into this category. Does this seem about right?
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

The Demon was really designed for gain monster amps. Try it and if it doesn't have quite have enough in the bridge position, try it with an A8 magnet
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

I don't know if tone wise I can say anything about the screaming demon. About having two of those in the same guitar, maybe you can think of using the full sized screaming demon in the bridge and then a little screaming demon wich has options for bridge or neck positions. Again, I have not tried this but I saw The Tone King making a view converting his Lynch guitar into dual screaming demon, he has not posted a sound clip but you may ask him about those dual SD pickups.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

The Demon will get you everything you want except for the low end.

Lake Placid Blues' idea was great, but if you don't want the trouble of magswapping, you can try the SH-6.
The Distortion is like the JB with a ceramic magnet, screams under high gain, and is a bit compressed, but delivers amazing cleans;

 
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Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Thats sounds really compressed. I'm really thinking about more dynamics and versatility. From what I can find the demon seems like it can handle thick amounts of gain and retain clarity while still being able to sounds nice and articulate under clean playing conditions. I think the distortion and JB would absolutely rip but not really the area I want to be stuck into 100% of the time.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

emaccarthy,

I have a screamin demon in the bridge of a Les Paul. The Demon at the bridge is not compressed sounding or feeling at all. Harmonics (pinched) leap from the guitar, Fantastic string separation (hex bolt adjustments help tremendously). The only thing I feel the Demon can't do well is pure vintage tone. It has a modern voice for sure. Palm muted low string runs are fantastic too.

Now if you like the tone of the Demon and really need more low end boom, but still want everything else the demon has , then the answer is Duncan Distortion. You will suffer some less string separation. I was shocked to how dynamic this pickup feels. I usually use vintage output hum buckers, so this was my first successful high output hum bucker (ones I didn't like: Custom-Full Shred-498T). The Demon and Distortion are very much tonal cousins. Again pinched harmonics scream from this pickup!
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Thats for the reply’s. I really don't need more low end boom, I just want more definition and string separation than the JB had to offer. Right now the low strings all kind of slur together on low end runs and sounds almost like the teacher from Peanuts "wahm wahm wahm wahm." I am also not dead set on vintage tone. I liked the tone of the JB in spots and definitely like having some mids in there. I had the 59 in the neck and replaced that with demon because it felt like the eq was too scooped and lacking in body (absolutely love the demon in the neck). So I guess I am really looking to see if pairing 2 screamin demons in the same alder guitar will work for an all-around rock machine. I play mostly hard rock but at the end of the day I need more than a single purpose shred stick.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Do the double Demon then, I don't think you will be disappointed!

Let us know what you think after you do it.
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

allstarrme said:
I don't think the screamin demon will deliver what you want in the bridge, its really low output and the bridge will take away some of the low end that you want. I would recommend the custom for 80's rock sounds. The distortion is great to but probably more compressed than you want. other pickups to look at would be the 59/custom hybrid, the full shred, or maybe the perpetual burn even. I like the screamin demon, but only as a neck pickup, I have no love for the JB though.
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The Demon will definitely deliver what he's wants in the bridge. I don't get the comment of it being "really low"output cause it's not. I've had it in the same guitar which over the years had the Distortion , Custom and JB and the difference in output was minimal . I'd bet the farm the Demon would sound killer in the rig the OP is using . And don't forget to tweak those hex pole pieces for added sweetness
 
Re: Dual Screamin Demons advise?

Awesome. Thanks for the insight! I just ordered the pickup. Hopefully be here soon and the DUAL DEMON will live. I will post my thoughts of the end result. Thanks again for all the chatter
 
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