Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

[Watroba]

I know this is a Seymour Duncan forum, so it is possible the answer to my question may be somewhat biased. However, I ask you to please decide without favor or prejudice.

I'm having a hard time deciding between these two. I know that pickup choice is based soley on user opinion, so I cannot ask everyone to choose for me. I'm simply asking to see what the general opinion is. What do you prefer?

Thanks-

-Watroba

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

I prefer the Duncan. It's not because I only use Duncan. I'm an avid EMG & Lace (and soon to be DiMarzio... again) user. However, I think the Distortion is a bit "meatier" than the Super D.

BTW, don't be afraid to ask non-Duncan questions. Most people on here like at least one other brand

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

I know this is a Seymour Duncan forum, so it is possible the answer to my question may be somewhat biased. However, I ask you to please decide without favor or prejudice.

I'm having a hard time deciding between these two. I know that pickup choice is based soley on user opinion, so I cannot ask everyone to choose for me. I'm simply asking to see what the general opinion is. What do you prefer?

Thanks-

-Watroba

I've had both...in my younger days I prefered high output pickups, I guess they still have a place but now I much prefer a PAF type bucker but on to your question...I have gotten great tones from both of them, but I'll tell you this...the DD (Duncan Distortion) has a far better clean tone that the SD (Super Distortion), and sounds better split as well...if you were gonna use it for a crunch tone and nothing else I think you'd be happy with either pickup, if you wanted killer crunch, very good cleans, and a pretty good split tone as well...the DD has the SD hands down. In fact when I got my first DD and it just killed my SD that is what made me look into other Duncan pickups, which had mede huge improvements on my tone and also made huge dents in my wallet! :laugh2:

good luck, and welcome to the forum!

 

[ranalli]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

I've used them both and outside of output they're fairly different.

One is fairly bright with a good amount of top end and upper mids(DUnca Distortion) and the other is very beefy and thick with a bigger bottom end with lots of mids(Super Distortion).

Both are great but sound different.

 

[bryvincent]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

i agree with ranalli they are different. the SD sounds thicker and beefier and i prefer them over the DD but i only use them for leads and distorted rhythms. they are not great for clean tones.

 

[Stratcat]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

The Duncan Distortion is superior in Tone to the dimarzio.

 

[theodie]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

We all have our own opinion and tone is subjective. I my opinion, I like the thicker and meatier sound of the Dimarzio super distortion. Not to take anything away from the Duncan Distortion becasue it is a great pickup also.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

The Duncan Distortion is superior in Tone to the dimarzio.

Well that's kind of silly....tone is subjective.

 

[Gary Ladd]

Re: Duncan Distortion VS. Dimarzio Superdistortion

I'm doing a sort of Super-Distortion experiment right now...

I recently was checking-out a 77' Dimarzio Super-Distortion I've had in the box for about 20 years now (got replaced by a SD) and found the windings were dead...so I pulled those funky pole-pieces out and started a Frankenstein PUP creation using a Mighty-Might that was packed with regular pole-pieces and measured 20K! (12.5K per coil)

I'm putting screw pole pieces in the N-side and the Dimarzio pole pieces in the S-side, with an Alnico V mag and 4 conductor wiring...I'll report back once I've tested it out. :dance: