Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

I think making electronics isn't like wood-working and design/consistency trump hand-worked electronics/metals.

If that's what you are after, then yes. Seymour's pickups have great consistancy. His winds have a definite pattern and shape and that's what makes HIS tones special. Other guys use the scatterwinding technique, which may offer inconsistancies from wind to wind, but that is what makes THEIR winds special. One winder who pokes around here from time to time makes some damn fine pickups with the scatterwound technique. I have some of his creations, so I know first hand. If everyone was to make the same stuff with the same techniques, then this world would be a boring place.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

OP,

You have to get over that self doubt that occurs when you walk into Guitar Center and think to yourself "They sell duncans but not Fralins so Duncans must not be 'boutique'"

Without Seymour Duncan, there wouldn't be anybody else aside from Seth Lover.

If you feel the need to go full on boutique, then call the custom shop and I guarantee you they will find a way to take enough money from you to change you mind

But seriously man. Don't sweat "types" or where you get your stuff.

Close your eyes and play and if it is right...it is right.

The only perception you need to worry about are your ears and the girl at your merch table "perceiving" the money in the cash box.

If you are happy and your crowd is happy then there's no problem at all.

 

[MisterE]

Re: Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

^ POTY. There's no denying that you can sometimes purchase a good pickup from an Asian dist. like GFS but the quality is iffy because of the reasons that Evan mentioned above, and you can always buy from a boutique winder when you are looking for a specific sound. However you can go to SD's custom shop for the same if you need it.

Now comparing Apples to Apples for the best pickups for the money, even if you buy used to save money I believe Seymour Duncan is the best.

 

[Soulcrusher_X]

Re: Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

Now comparing Apples to Apples for the best pickups for the money, even if you buy used to save money I believe Seymour Duncan is the best.

Well said

 

[mojosman]

Re: Duncan Construction Quality VS Boutique Questions and Clarity needed:

I have to admit to being susceptible to the boutique market. I want to share my SD story. I got a Gibson LP Studio in trade this past spring. I played it for a few months and the tone sucked with the stock setup. I bought a set of SD Pearly Gates to put in her.

At that time I was building a Partscaster Strat. I bought a set of D. Allen Tru-62 pickups for that. They are amazing pickups. I finished that guitar but hadn't started the Les Paul upgrade yet because the stock pots and wimpy looking tone caps bugged me too. So I ordered a vintage wiring harness, caps, & 500k pots from Tundra-tone. He was back logged, and it took a long time to get delivered.

In the meantime I started doubting my choice of SD pickups for the LP. I heard a guys Fralins and heard samples of D. Allen's humbuckers. I liked what I heard, and I will admit that I was thinking the PG's were merely "production" models, and maybe the quality of the boutique ones would somehow be "better". I don't know why I thought this, but I seriously considered getting some Fralins instead of the PG's.

Well, the Tundratone harness finally showed up. I installed it with the PG's. In the end the guitar is a night to day transformation. The PG's sound great. It sounds like a Les Paul should. I am pleased with these pickups.

I think the problem with the pickup market is that the the number of choices is almost infinite. There are tons of choices, and choice is of course far better than the alternative. But this product is such that you can't try out the choices easily or cheaply.

If you want to know which cola is best for you, it is easy enough to try a Coke, a Pepsi, and maybe some local hand crafted soda. The one that tastes best is the one you will probably buy most often.

If pickups were only that easy. In the end, one must do their homework and really know what tone they are after. One thing for sure, if your first purchase doesn't get you where you want to be; other options are everywhere. I would say Duncan offers a wider variety of tones than anyone else. The quality is there, and they continue to innovate and develop new options constantly. Not to say that nobody else makes good pickups, or that boutique makers aren't also innovative. But never again will I look past SD as a boutique quality option.