Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

M

mitchewr

New member
Alright, so I'm researching some new pickups for my Schecter C1+. It's got solid Mahogony w/ Flamed Maple Top, Set-In neck (not bolt-on), body and neck binding, 24 jumbo frets, Maple Neck, Rosewood Fretboard, Duncan Design dual humbuckers, Grover tuners, Tune-O-Matic Bridge.

I'd like to hear your opinions as to which set of PUs I should replace the stock dd with. I used to have a pair of the SH-6s in an Epiphone SG 310 and they sounded pretty beastly. I'm not really a metal/death metal player as much as I am a hard rock player and blues/rock blues....but I'm trying to make my Schecter setup more for hard rock, drop-c stuff. I have a LP for more of the bluesy stuff....but I digress.

Which set of PUs, the Duncans or the D-Activators do you think would sound better for the style of music I'm going for as well as the type of guitar that I have?

Your thoughts/experiences are welcome.

Also, I almost forgot, I play though the Bogner Alchemist 112, with mids always at 12 or even lower depending on what I want, with the bass cranked and the treble pretty high....just for reference.
 
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Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

go DUncan Custom Sh5 and 59 in the neck, that's a set that can do rock/blues al day in mahogany and can also go metal
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

You don't really say what's wrong with the stock pickups, which makes it hard to know what you want from new pickups. Also, genre classifications aren't universally agreed upon, so some band/song examples of what tone you are looking for could only help.

I wouldn't go for either the Distortion or D-Activator for blue rock to hard rock. They're both more towards metal spectrum than blues. Not that it's impossible to play blues on a 'wrong' pickup, but it can be a fight to get the tones you want.

If you liked the Distortion in the SG for what you intend to play on the C1+, go for it (though on the Schecter I'd probably do a TB-6, rather than SH-6, as I believe their bridges are Fender/Floyd spaced now).

But I'd look at something like a TB-5 Custom. Hot, more towards rock, but still a bit of PAF tone, though the attack and bite are harder than a PAF purist considers PAFlike.

For downtuning, you might check out the Full Shred, it's great for low tunings.

Most of the great pickups for low tunings aren't really known for bluesy tones, though.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

mitchewr said:
Here's one of my favorite songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8H2ac9NVdpg
Also, I'm not trying to go for blues as much with the Schecter as much as for a harder, punchier high gain guitar. What's the difference between the SH-6 and the TB-6?
Click to expand...

SH "Standard Humbucker" spacing for a classic Gibson... But even newer Gibsons (outside the vintage repro models) have moved to a wider spaced bridge. TB "TremBucker" is spaced for a Fender or Floyd string spacing. Same number of winds on a pickup designed for either.

Only difference is using the right one lines up better with your strings. Some people feel that's more cosmetic than functional, but I find it string balance & tone easier to get right with it lined up correctly. You don't have to correct for volume and get harsher tone on a misaligned high string, for example.

The Custom is definitely harder and punchier than a traditional PAF-style pickup. It's intended to be a hot-rodded PAF, so it's wound with thinner wire & has a ceramic magnet. So you get a meatier bass punch, more bite & attack, but still a bit of a nod to classic tones. It's got a deeper punch than the Distortion, which has more of a tight, screaming tone.

Custom can definitely still do metal, it's one of the more flexible ceramic pickups.

The distorted guitars in the song you linked are more of a metal tone than rock or hard rock. If that's the sound you want, either Custom or Distortion can do it. The Distortion will just fall into those tones. But the Distortion is harder to work with for lower gain and less grinding tones (though yes, it's possible, Gus G of Firewind gets some pretty smooth leads out of his).
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Thank you very much for all of your help. I think I'll go with the TB/SH-6 depending on which one will "fit" my Schecter better.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

One last question. I was thinking about it and, would it be worth it to put like, a Seymour Sh-4 JB in the neck, for some creamier, warmer tones and then put the SH/TB-6 in the bridge?
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

I have a Schecter c-1 standard which is pretty much the slightly cheaper equivalent of the c-1+ and I put a pair of duncan distortions in it. I noticed a drastic improvement over the stock pickups. For metal and down tuning, there is no other better pickup. It's tight, chunky and very aggressive! But you said you wanted more of a hard rock tone and for that I would suggest to u to look at other pickups. The DD's are pretty cold sounding (ceramic..) You might want to try the full shred if u want a tight sound or go with custom like everyone else is suggesting.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Sodom616 said:
I have a Schecter c-1 standard which is pretty much the slightly cheaper equivalent of the c-1+ and I put a pair of duncan distortions in it. I noticed a drastic improvement over the stock pickups. For metal and down tuning, there is no other better pickup. It's tight, chunky and very aggressive! But you said you wanted more of a hard rock tone and for that I would suggest to u to look at other pickups. The DD's are pretty cold sounding (ceramic..) You might want to try the full shred if u want a tight sound or go with custom like everyone else is suggesting.
Click to expand...

TB-5 Duncan Custom.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

I love my schecter c1+ and have tried a few sets up pickups in it. First, I went with Distortion and Jazz. Both are very bright pickups and very well matched. The distortion is more versatile than it sounds, very good hard rock pickup, especially for low tuning.

I did grow weary of the brightness and the fact that it did not clean up at all, so I switched for a Custom 5. Custom 5 is a little too scooped, very bright as well, but with serious balls and sounds really good clean. I swapped in an alinico 8 magnet and that is the winner. It is very warm, not exactly a pickup with piercing clarity, but that is ok for what I like to play with this guitar (stoner, doom, southern rock). Given your amp settings, I think you would really like the Custom 8 (you need mids!). I went with a 59 bridge in the neck..a much better match to the custom 8 than a jazz. The 59 bridge model is ever so slightly hotter and warmer than the neck model, a good choice for a 24 fret neck position.

I have tried the Custom (tb-5 ceramic) in other guitars and it is a fantastic choice as well. The highs are a little blistering, but it is the perfect starting point for your tone in my option. Then you can get into magnet swapping if you're so inclined.

Bottom line recommendation: Custom TB-5 bridge, 59 SH-1 bridge model in the neck.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

My main guitar is a mahogany set-neck with d-activators. So, I'll throw my weight in.

The 12 Stones song definitely has an active tone going on. You're not going to get that kind of clean from a Duncan Distortion or Custom.

So your set should be:
D-Activator neck (regular spaced)
D-Activator bridge (f-spaced)

A Duncan Trembucker will not fit in the bridge on the Schecter without additional routing, it has wider bobbins.

*note I have the D-Activator X set, which has a throaty dark bassy tone for grind/sludge. A regular D-Activator set will do you just fine.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Despair said:
Custom can definitely still do metal, it's one of the more flexible ceramic pickups.
Click to expand...

It can do a lot of things.
But can it do Metallica - Welcome Home (Sanitarium) clean?



as well as an EMG or Blackout? Nah yo I don't thinkso.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

9unslin9er said:
It can do a lot of things.
But can it do Metallica - Welcome Home (Sanitarium) clean?



as well as an EMG or Blackout? Nah yo I don't thinkso.
Click to expand...

The Custom can easily do any Metallica. Depends heavily on amp/effects of course.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

^^Please post a clip to demonstrate.

EMG's have a very unique preamp tone that you don't get with passives.

If we're talking tone through a guitar -> amp, passives (barring the D-Activator) can't do what an EMG or Blackout can. There's just a hi-def sound to them.

I mean I could play the Beatles with a JB and an acoustic simulator, but I'd rather play with a set of Filtertrons.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Jeff5 said:
The Custom can easily do any Metallica. Depends heavily on amp/effects of course.
Click to expand...



You're arguing with someone that has given plenty of bad advice in the past.

There's also this:

..

gunslinger.jpg


..

So, since he's never owned a Custom, he really can't argue against one.

I've owned a Custom, Custom 5, Custom Custom, AND Custom 8, so I'm fairly confident I know what they can do.

.
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

9unslin9er said:
^^Please post a clip to demonstrate.

EMG's have a very unique preamp tone that you don't get with passives.

If we're talking tone through a guitar -> amp, passives (barring the D-Activator) can't do what an EMG or Blackout can. There's just a hi-def sound to them.

I mean I could play the Beatles with a JB and an acoustic simulator, but I'd rather play with a set of Filtertrons.
Click to expand...

MoP was recorded with EMGs?
 
Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Oh hey Dominus, maybe you can play some cleans with a Custom and enlighten all of us. I can't since I don't have one.

Where's your Youtube channel? I'd really love to subscribe.
 
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Re: Duncan SH-6 vs Dimarzio D-Activators

Varg said:
MoP was recorded with EMGs?
Click to expand...

I was under the impression that after Kill 'Em All was when they discovered EMG's, as well as Mesas for that matter, since the tone sounds completely different. Don't quote me on that though.

According to Encyclopedia Metallica:
http://www.encycmet.com/equipment/khiseq.shtml

Kirk actually recorded EMG's on Kill 'Em All
James had some Tokai/Japo white V throughout the first album, says he switched to EMG's on Ride the Lightning.
 
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