Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

[Mad-Max]

Yet, another thread asking about a certain pickup going into my new guitar.

Recently, I did a thread about the JB going in there, but I didn't want to hijack the thread and make it about another pickup, so I decided to start a fresh one about the Duncan Distortion. If nothing else, someone else could possibly get some answers about this as well if they're having trouble figuring things out about what choice they should make.

Now, I really dig the tone that this pick-up gives off. In most clips that I've heard, the Duncan Distortion sounds articulate, the bottom end is nice and tight but pretty big, has some high end for clarity, and just the right amount of mids to give it a nice punch without going over the top with them.

So, my question is, would this pick-up be too much for a guitar such as this? Would it be too bright? And I know this has probably been covered before and I'm sure I've been told before, but can you achieve a good clean tone with this pick-up? Can it be done by splitting it and rolling the volume knob down a smidge?

Thanks!

 

[dvanburen]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

the distortion was a bit much for me in an ebony board guitar. Great pickup but its a bright pickup and I get much better results with it in mahogany and rosewood. That is where that pickup shines.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

the distortion was a bit much for me in an ebony board guitar. Great pickup but its a bright pickup and I get much better results with it in mahogany and rosewood. That is where that pickup shines.

What if you used it with 250K pots? Would it still be too much?

That's what I was thinking too when it comes to the Distortion, Mahogany and a Rosewood bridge. I'm probably gonna switch the Tone Zone out of the bridge position in my Ibanez Destroyer which has those specs and throw a Distortion in it. The Tone Zone has this fizzyness I'm not too much of a fan off. Don't know what I'll do for the neck though.

I know some people though where they used the Distortion in a guitar similar to mine, but who knows.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Compared to the JB, Distortion had a more cutting high end, bigger tighter bass, and less of a note bloom in the mids. More compressed and aggressive. Never tried it with 250k. I actually hear the Blackwinter, while being brighter and louder has a surprisingly amazing clean tone.
Just curious, have you seen this video demonstrating all or most of Duncan's highout pickups? It should help you.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Compared to the JB, Distortion had a more cutting high end, bigger tighter bass, and less of a note bloom in the mids. More compressed and aggressive. Never tried it with 250k. I actually hear the Blackwinter, while being brighter and louder has a surprisingly amazing clean tone.
Just curious, have you seen this video demonstrating all or most of Duncan's highout pickups? It should help you.

I have, but I guarantee that guitar had a mahogany body though /:

 

[Aceman]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

I use a Distortion with a stock 300k in my #1 - LP/Mahog/Maple neck/Rosewood

I'm not optimistic about your guitar.


Maple/Ebony/Alder, and I'm assuming FLoyd = SHRIEK!!!!!

 

[Inder_Cine_Mann]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Distortion in a Destroyer should sound awesome!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

I'd also be a little hesitant with this combo, unless you are wanting something very specific. It wouldn't be very subtle. Might be a better fit if the board were rosewood or the body were mahogany.

However, the 80s Dokken guitarist had something almost like the DD in a big hunk of maple with an ebony board. So it's not beyond the pale. Depends on your goal.


Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad

 

[J E C]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

I liked the video. The part at the end was easier for me to hear the differences between them. Would have been cool to have had the 78 in there as well.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

See, that's what I was thinking too, but I just thought I'd ask and see where it goes. I know for sure I could get successful results with a Distortion in the bridge of my Destroyer with Mahogany and Rosewood, but then I thought about whether it would work in something the polar opposite tone wood wise.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

What if you used it with 250K pots? Would it still be too much.

Pot values impact how it rolls off... But wide-open (since "10" is actually the zero side, as in "~0k resistance added"), it doesnt affect anything.

Rule of thumb is a guitars gotta have SOME useable sound in each pup with all pots wide open... Changing pot values or capacitors will do NOTHING for that.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

I have, but I guarantee that guitar had a mahogany body though /:

Well it's also a baritone maple neckthrough that's down tuned substantially. The point of it is to give the pickups reference levels to each other. Like you were worried about the JB being too bright correct? Well compare it's brightness and tone to that of other higher or lower output pickups. You want better cleans, good split tone, firm bottom end with good highs that aren't too harsh, harmonics, output and more dynamic pick attack response. Points to either the JB, Full Shred or the Custom. Or if you don't mind me suggesting. The 59/custom hybrid. I think that thing is perfect. Might be a bit too low output for you but I'd say the tone is right in the ball park. Heard mixed stuff bout the Jb/custom hybrid though.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Output problems can always be cheaply fixed with A8 tho

 

[Dark Order Lord]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Here is a video I made a year ago. The guitar that I have has mahogany neck and body with Ebony fretboard. I just find that the DD mids are dirty and fuzzy, not in a bad way, but just not what I needed....

 

[Badagon]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Hi ppl!

Here is my hi-gain test Peavey Rockmaster vs Engl e530 with Seymour Duncan Distortion bridge on Alder body/with Maple Neck and Rosewood Fretboard. Duncan Distortion is my favourite bridge \m/

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Well it's also a baritone maple neckthrough that's down tuned substantially. The point of it is to give the pickups reference levels to each other. Like you were worried about the JB being too bright correct? Well compare it's brightness and tone to that of other higher or lower output pickups. You want better cleans, good split tone, firm bottom end with good highs that aren't too harsh, harmonics, output and more dynamic pick attack response. Points to either the JB, Full Shred or the Custom. Or if you don't mind me suggesting. The 59/custom hybrid. I think that thing is perfect. Might be a bit too low output for you but I'd say the tone is right in the ball park. Heard mixed stuff bout the Jb/custom hybrid though.

You know, I've actually considered the 59/Custom before, because it seemed exactly what I was looking for, but I really dig the output of high output pickups. I would really like to try the Fullshred though. My issues are cleans, and I heard that the cleans aren't anything to cry home about.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

You know, I've actually considered the 59/Custom before, because it seemed exactly what I was looking for, but I really dig the output of high output pickups. I would really like to try the Fullshred though. My issues are cleans, and I heard that the cleans aren't anything to cry home about.

Yeah consider looking for a JB/Custom hybrid then, should be one around the forum somewhere.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

Yeah consider looking for a JB/Custom hybrid then, should be one around the forum somewhere.

I'll definitely look into that, but have you tried the cleans on a Full Shred? Honestly, the Full Shred was a top candidate at some point with me, but then I heard about the clean tone and was like, eh. Plus I heard that the lead tone is sterile as well, and being a lead player, I cannot have that.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

I'll definitely look into that, but have you tried the cleans on a Full Shred? Honestly, the Full Shred was a top candidate at some point with me, but then I heard about the clean tone and was like, eh. Plus I heard that the lead tone is sterile as well, and being a lead player, I cannot have that.

The cleans are very nice. Not as warm as most but very clear. Great for fingerstyle picking so the attack is rounded and control is increased. With a pick the cleans csn be really good for country or lead blues. It's a lead player's pickup with good upper midrange presence. More snappy and clean than the JB with a punchier bottom end and less harsh mids than a JB. Designed for Nancy Wilson from heart. Crazy harmoncs too. It's tone and output just aren't as balls out than a JB, more refined ad sophisticated.

 

[Liko]

Re: Duncan Distortion in an Alder body, with Maple Neck and Ebony Fretboard

That's a really bright combination. Alder, maple and ebony are all very bright-sounding tonewoods, and now you're throwing in a treble-heavy, high-output humbucker set. Even with 250K pots this thing will screech; probably the only screechier you could get is a Screamin' Demon.

You can, indeed, get good clean tones with a Duncan Distortion. It uses a ceramic, so some of the tone connoisseurs on this board might disagree, but I've yet to hear a clean tone from an SD that's unusable for anything.