Frankenstein Classic vs Seymour Duncan 78

pittbull

Active member
Is this more marketing BS the Frankenstein classic is 8.2k and the Duncan 78 9.k WTF
 
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They are different pickups.

EVH "Evenly Voiced Harmonics"
8.75k Alnico 2, long leg humbucker 2-conductor

'78 Model
9.0k, Alnico 2, short leg Trembucker, 4-conductor, plain enamel

EVH Frankenstein (made by Seymour Duncan for FMIC)
14k, degaussed Alnico 2, poly

IM1
15k, degaussed Alnico 5, (plain enamel​? MJ said it's "a different magnet wire")

I don't know what you mean by Frankenstein Classic. The original Duncan EVH, which later became the '78 Model, had a lower DCR. Just the jump from humbucker to Trembucker could account for the DCR difference.
 
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The key difference is one is made by Seymour Duncan and one is made by the EVH brand of Fender.
 
Duncan makes the Evh Frankenstein and the Evh Frankenstein classic and the Evh Frankenstein plus, The Evh Frankenstein classic is a 8.2k pickup and the Duncan 78 is a 9k pickup
 
Oh yeah I forgot about that. Fender winds the Wolfgangs.

EVH Frankenstein Classic and SD 78 are both based off the original PAF Eddie used, the SD IM1 and the EVH Frankenstein are both based off the sound of an aged Custom Custom (the specs of the IM1 were intended to obfuscate this purpose), and I don't know any of the history behind the EVH Frankenstein plus, but when I played one it didn't really sound to me like a simple overwind.

Yeah, it's just marketing. I have an EVH Wolfgang with EVH branded pickups, but in reality it's a Fender with Fender pickups. I know a few guys who play Gretschs with Gretsch branded pickups, in reality it's all Fender with Fender pickups.

​​​​​​Seymour Duncan frequently rebrands their pickups for other companies. Sometimes it's because they want to maintain their own branding, sometimes it's because they want to tweak them slightly.
 
More BS it's “like which one is the right pickup for early Van Halen sound the Duncan 78 or the Evh Frankenstein Classic
 
I would go with the Duncan just because it's $90 cheaper. If you're going for an early Van Halen sound the pickup doesn't matter too too much, but both of these pickups were designed to sound like the pickup that got was recorded on the early VH albums. A lot of people spend countless time, effort, and money chasing after early EVHs tone when in reality if you have an Alnico 2 humbucker in a Strat going into a Marshall style amp, you will practically find yourself tripping over it. Some of his later stuff, like with Micropitch and all, does get a little tricky to copy though.
 
They are different pickups.

EVH "Evenly Voiced Harmonics"
8.75k Alnico 2, long leg humbucker 2-conductor

'78 Model
9.0k, Alnico 2, short leg Trembucker, 4-conductor, plain enamel

EVH Frankenstein
14k, degaussed Alnico 5, poly

I don't know what you mean by Frankenstein Classic. The original Duncan EVH, which later became the '78 Model, had a lower DCR. Just the jump from humbucker to Trembucker could account for the DCR difference.

You can get the 78 in normal spacing.. The EVH and the 78 are the same pickup. It got renamed to avoid Van Halen's lawyers.

The SD "Frankenstein" is the pickup SD build for the 25k clones and were never available to the public. Custom shop used to make something "close" but i can't recall the name. Different magnet was the main difference.

Fender then made "Frankenstein" pickup for sale and use in the $2K Frankie's they made

That's what I remember....
 
Evh makes the regular Frankenstein pickup which is closer to the custom custom now they also make the Frankenstein classic which is closer to the Duncan 78 and they also make the Frankenstein plus which is 17.k
 
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I could believe the Frankenstein Plus is supposed to be an A2 JB. I'm not saying it is, but if it was I wouldn't be surprised.
 
You can get the 78 in normal spacing.. The EVH and the 78 are the same pickup. It got renamed to avoid Van Halen's lawyers.

The SD "Frankenstein" is the pickup SD build for the 25k clones and were never available to the public. Custom shop used to make something "close" but i can't recall the name. Different magnet was the main difference.

Fender then made "Frankenstein" pickup for sale and use in the $2K Frankie's they made

That's what I remember....

To clarify so what you're saying doesn't get misconstrued because of how complicated this topic is:

The SD Custom Shop "EVH", later renamed "VEH", now named '78 is based off of the early PAF Eddie used. His brand EVH now sells a pickup wound by SD called the Frankenstein Classic that's based off the same pickup.

The SD Custom Shop "Frankenstein" was wound for the $25k Strat. The Custom Shop also has a pickup called the IM1 that is designed to sound the same as the Frankenstein, but it uses a different wind and an A5 magnet. EVH brand sells a pickup called the EVH Frankenstein that's based off the same pickup. All of these pickups are based off a Custom Custom.

The EVH Frankenstein Plus is anybody's guess.
 
Contact the Duncan Custom shop and ask what difference is between the new classic and the 78, (besides 8.2 vs 9K of course). Looks like you can order the Duncan classic configured how you want it (covered / uncovered, trem / std, 4 / single conductor, leg length, etc.)

The EVH classic 8,2k is black, std, and 4 conductor only.

Funny how both companies introduce the classic and the plus at the same time with exactly the same specs. At least with the SD custom shop versions, you can configure it however you want.
 
I did,I called Chris at Seymour Duncan he explained to me that the EVH Frankenstein Classic and the EVH Frankenstein plus were ok’d by Eddie but never used them before his death he wanted players to have versatility.The difference between the EVH Frankenstein classic is just a plain PAF pickup the Duncan 78 which is alittle hotter(9k)is what Seymour(supposedly)did for Eddie in 1978 to have his Gibson PAF rewound.
 
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