Duncan SSL1, california set

[Chistopher]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

The Saturday Night Special set was named after the Lynyrd Skynyrd song - but it certainly was not meant to imply that the pickups were only good for playing southern rock. Our product team thought it was a cool name, and the SNS set does that fat 70's PAF into a Marshall (or Peavey Mace) thing quite well.

Interesting, I read nothing about it in the marketing blurbs that I read earlier. I got the idea that someone in marketing just heard the phrase and thought it sounded cool, maybe misinterpreting it to mean discounted tickets for a show in a bar or something.

 

[PicoRiveraTele]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

When I first heard the name SNS, I though it was named after the tiny hand gun often associated with hit jobs, and I thought that was a cool name. When I found out it was named for some old 70's song by a confederate themed rock bad, I was somewhat disappointed.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

When I first heard the name SNS, I though it was named after the tiny hand gun often associated with hit jobs, and I thought that was a cool name. When I found out it was named for some old 70's song by a confederate themed rock bad, I was somewhat disappointed.

They aren't really Confederate themed, the flag is really just a motif they use. They're songs are more about things that would be considered Republican than things that would be considered Confederate. They sing more about having fun without The Man interfering, not racism. Listen to The Ballad of Curtis Loew or do an in-depth study of the lyrics of Sweet Home Alabama (which was actually written as part of a spat between LS and Neil Young).

Or don't, so long as a thread about vintage single coils doesn't turn into a debate about racism, I'm fine with whatever you believe.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

I'd say the AlNiCo II Pro staggered covers the AlNiCo 2 side of things.

To my knowledge there isn't a hotter A2 pickup for the bridge position that isn't also marked up because it had simulated aging.

I think there is a market for a Seymour Duncan AlNiCo 2 or 5 Strat pickup in the high 5k range.

I see utility there but not my cup of tea, except in the middle position; but I'll take an Area 67 for that purpose*, TYVM.

There is the extremely pricey Voodoo Style set. Too bad Jimi isn't around to get a cut.



(*) for which there is no Duncan equivalent. FWIW, I am not a fan of this pickup for position 3, unless it's in ash or something similar.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

When I first heard the name SNS, I though it was named after the tiny hand gun often associated with hit jobs, and I thought that was a cool name. When I found out it was named for some old 70's song

Yes it was a gun and that's what it is in the song, too. While I was never a big Skynyrd fan, how you don't know about the song is baffling. Then again, it's one of maybe a handful of songs I really like by them.

(which was actually written as part of a spat between LS and Neil Young).

OMG!!! There was no spat. Knock it off already!

 

[PicoRiveraTele]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

To my knowledge there isn't a hotter A2 pickup for the bridge position that isn't also marked up because it had simulated aging.

If you ignore the "Tele bridge" marketing junk related to the Twang Banger, it's satisfactory as a hot A2 Strat bridge. Mixing A2 with hot winds leads to a pretty spongy attack anyway.

I see utility there but not my cup of tea, except in the middle position, but I'll take an Area 67 for that purpose, TYVM.

There is the extremely pricey Voodoo Style set. Too bad Jimi isn't around to get a cut.

Well you saw the new Jimi Hendrix Signature set right? https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/jimi-hendrix-signature-strat-set Hendrix rose from the grave to put is name on a set of pickups that can be yours for $280.

I think nearly all the pickup makers out there offer sub 6k Strat sets, except Seymour Duncan, and DiMarzio, who has long eschewed vintage anything. Especially with Seymour Duncan having the AlNiCo 2 fetish, AlNiCo 2 works great in low wind Strat sets, take a look at Lollor Blondes, for example.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

Well you saw the new Jimi Hendrix Signature set right?

Yes, and you quoted me mentioning it.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

DiMarzio, who has long eschewed vintage anything.

I think they are comfortable selling the Area 67 rather than appealing to "true single coil" snobs.

...and again there is no Duncan equivalent to the Area 67; but that said, DiMarzio has no equivalent to the STK-S4* or any of the other Duncan stacks, AFAICT.

(*) There is the Area 58, but I've not seen the same amount of enthusiasm for this pickup as I have for the STK-S4 ... except by Lincoln Brewster fans.

FWIW...
In the middle and neck the Area 61 is more my speed, but I won't pretend to call them vintage in voicing, let alone compare them with the SSL-1/-2. My experience of the VV Blues doesn't extend beyond listening to clips and I'm an HSS/HSH guy, but it seems like it could make a damn fine bridge pickup. My deal is that I like high gain and for that glassiness can be problematic. I like mid-gain too, however, so that's why I like pickups with some high end bite but not a whole lot of chime. For those who don't seem to understand why someone might like a treble bleed, this could give some insight: it gives you more chime, especially with gain. Dedicated clean channels are cool too, but I'm usually happy working with my volume control and easing up on my pick attack.

 

[PicoRiveraTele]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

Yes, and you quoted me mentioning it.

I wasn't sure if you were referring the Hendrix set or the Psychedelic set. I can't keep them all straight.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

...and here I was thinking that $280 for a set of single coils was completely unreasonable.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

I just remember this, there is a Custom Shop bridge version of the SSL-1 called the SSL-1C DG. It's made for some other manufacturer for their David Gilmour pickguards. I don't know where exactly I got it, but mine is 12.87k. Regardless of any other factors, that's pretty different than a standard SSL-1b.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

I just remember this, there is a Custom Shop bridge version of the SSL-1 called the SSL-1C DG. It's made for some other manufacturer for their David Gilmour pickguards. I don't know where exactly I got it, but mine is 12.87k. Regardless of any other factors, that's pretty different than a standard SSL-1b.

12.87k? Why it's even called SSL-1?

Should it be SSL-5C DG. Especially since it's Gilmour model.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

I thought the SSL-5 was the DG pickup?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

I thought the SSL-5 was the DG pickup?

Yes and no... https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...ike-david-gilmour?close-mud-slide-warning=yes

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

As Lew posted, it’s a literal recreation of the bridge pickup in the Black Strat. (Predecessor to the SSL-5, labeled as SSL-1C)

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

As Lew posted, it’s a literal recreation of the bridge pickup in the Black Strat. (Predecessor to the SSL-5, labeled as SSL-1C)

Yep. I would think that the Custom Shop version would have a little more mojo tho. Kind of like how the Surfer has a little more texture (or mojo ) than the SSL1.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

As Lew posted, it’s a literal recreation of the bridge pickup in the Black Strat. (Predecessor to the SSL-5, labeled as SSL-1C)

That is what I understood. SSL-1C = SSL-5

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

The sticker and hand-signed box provides the mojo.

 

[gregory]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

a slightly hotter version of SSL-1

FWIW, I just came across this:

The d.c. resistance of the [Duncan Designed] SC-101n is around 7.9KOhms and the EQ curve would be something like Bass: 5 Mids: 3 Treble: 6.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Duncan SSL1, california set

^Interesting. Does anyone know how close they are otherwise?