Full Shred Users ?????
- Thread starter Peko
- Start date
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Sure -
pros - tight, defined cutting sound. Good chunk without being muddy. Great for leads that need to be defined within a rock mix. Plenty of sustain, power, etc.
cons - midrange sound not always to my liking. Depending on the amp it can be a bit undesirable. Maybe a tad "pretty sounding" like the 80's hair band leads. Not a very raw pickup if that's what you want.
Overall I'm happy with it. It's a good pickup for the sound it delivers. Worth trying - buy one on ebay and if you don't like it, sell it. I do this all the time with pickups and I break about even...
Sure -
pros - tight, defined cutting sound. Good chunk without being muddy. Great for leads that need to be defined within a rock mix. Plenty of sustain, power, etc.
cons - midrange sound not always to my liking. Depending on the amp it can be a bit undesirable. Maybe a tad "pretty sounding" like the 80's hair band leads. Not a very raw pickup if that's what you want.
Overall I'm happy with it. It's a good pickup for the sound it delivers. Worth trying - buy one on ebay and if you don't like it, sell it. I do this all the time with pickups and I break about even...
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H
heymcz
Guest
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Pros: singing, vocal lead lines. Buzzsaw rhythm crunch. Clear and articulate.
Cons: A tad percussive, quite unforgiving. Need to use "tone" knob as it can be piercing.
Pros: singing, vocal lead lines. Buzzsaw rhythm crunch. Clear and articulate.
Cons: A tad percussive, quite unforgiving. Need to use "tone" knob as it can be piercing.
mustaine-who?
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Pro: Tight, articulate, percussive, illuminates every mistake (which is good if you want to improve). Has that "screaming lead" thing going on.
Con: Light in the low and low mids (an EQ in the loop takes care of that). Can get a little harsh if you run your presence real high. Illumunates every mistake.
I have gone thru many PuPs in the last year (Distortion, Screamin Demon, PATB-2, PATB-3, Steve's Special, EMG 81, Black Out bridge, Alt 8) and the Full Shred stays in one Jackson. It just does what I want it to do...
Pro: Tight, articulate, percussive, illuminates every mistake (which is good if you want to improve). Has that "screaming lead" thing going on.
Con: Light in the low and low mids (an EQ in the loop takes care of that). Can get a little harsh if you run your presence real high. Illumunates every mistake.
I have gone thru many PuPs in the last year (Distortion, Screamin Demon, PATB-2, PATB-3, Steve's Special, EMG 81, Black Out bridge, Alt 8) and the Full Shred stays in one Jackson. It just does what I want it to do...
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
I have one but found it over the top screamy and useless for mixed other tasks. I haven't put it back into a guitar since first trying it out. I think the screamy part in combination with better general usability is executed better in A5 blade-style pickups such as the newer L500XLs.
Having said that, I have a Kramer Focus waiting for new magnetoids and this one is high on the "try me" list.
I always felt I need a ES-335 or -175 with a pair of full shreds
I have one but found it over the top screamy and useless for mixed other tasks. I haven't put it back into a guitar since first trying it out. I think the screamy part in combination with better general usability is executed better in A5 blade-style pickups such as the newer L500XLs.
Having said that, I have a Kramer Focus waiting for new magnetoids and this one is high on the "try me" list.
I always felt I need a ES-335 or -175 with a pair of full shreds
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Pro's: The crunchiest pickup I've ever heard! No exaggeration! Hefty output for a medium output pickup. Edgy tone that cuts through a mix and has a cool vocal quality.
Con's: Don't know of any. Wouldn't know about it exposing sloppiness or mistakes as I'm never guilty of eitherjoke. You guys had to know someone was gonna say it.
Seriously, if you're looking for a loose or deep sounding pickup for the high gain tones that have been popular from the 90's to now, the Full Shred might not be for you. The Full Shred is all about tight and edgy. If you're after a screaming sustaining lead tone that brings out harmonics and pick attack, or a tighter 80's crunch tone, then it's for you.
As for as it being a little light in the bass, it depends what guitar you put it in. I have one in a Kramer American Stagemaster, which is an ebony fretboard, maple neck-thru, 25 1/2" scale guitar. With a Floyd of course. It's just a little light in the bass in that guitar, though not too bad. Last time I plugged that guitar in and A/B'ed it with a couple of other guitars, it didn't sound bad at all. I was considering swapping it out but changed my mind and kept it there.
I also have Full Shreds in a couple of 24 3/4" scale set neck guitars with mahogany bodies. I definitely recommend it for shorter scale lengths, mahogany guitars, and set necks or bolt-ons. No lack of bottom at all then. It might sound a little tighter, but the bottom is there.
Pro's: The crunchiest pickup I've ever heard! No exaggeration! Hefty output for a medium output pickup. Edgy tone that cuts through a mix and has a cool vocal quality.
Con's: Don't know of any. Wouldn't know about it exposing sloppiness or mistakes as I'm never guilty of either
joke. You guys had to know someone was gonna say it. Seriously, if you're looking for a loose or deep sounding pickup for the high gain tones that have been popular from the 90's to now, the Full Shred might not be for you. The Full Shred is all about tight and edgy. If you're after a screaming sustaining lead tone that brings out harmonics and pick attack, or a tighter 80's crunch tone, then it's for you.
As for as it being a little light in the bass, it depends what guitar you put it in. I have one in a Kramer American Stagemaster, which is an ebony fretboard, maple neck-thru, 25 1/2" scale guitar. With a Floyd of course. It's just a little light in the bass in that guitar, though not too bad. Last time I plugged that guitar in and A/B'ed it with a couple of other guitars, it didn't sound bad at all. I was considering swapping it out but changed my mind and kept it there.
I also have Full Shreds in a couple of 24 3/4" scale set neck guitars with mahogany bodies. I definitely recommend it for shorter scale lengths, mahogany guitars, and set necks or bolt-ons. No lack of bottom at all then. It might sound a little tighter, but the bottom is there.
mustaine-who?
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Totally agree with this. In a shorter scale guit it kills...
Totally agree with this. In a shorter scale guit it kills...
hanumanlangur
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
The only con about it, IMO, are that the clean tone isn't very useful (a bit too punchy and articulate). But for higher gain stuff, it's hard to beat.
Everyone says that a DD is Duncan's closest passive that sounds like an active EMG. But I think the DD has too much punch and lower-mid boost to sound like that. The FS strikes me as being much closer.
The only con about it, IMO, are that the clean tone isn't very useful (a bit too punchy and articulate). But for higher gain stuff, it's hard to beat.
Everyone says that a DD is Duncan's closest passive that sounds like an active EMG. But I think the DD has too much punch and lower-mid boost to sound like that. The FS strikes me as being much closer.
Peko
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Thanks for the imformative responses, I'm looking to try out a variety of different pickups in the bridge position of my EBMM Steve Morse model and the Full Shred is definitely on the list. I love the guitar but the stock bridge pickup (Dimarzio Steve Morse Model) is so mid heavy which doesn't give me the sound I want.
Thanks for the imformative responses, I'm looking to try out a variety of different pickups in the bridge position of my EBMM Steve Morse model and the Full Shred is definitely on the list. I love the guitar but the stock bridge pickup (Dimarzio Steve Morse Model) is so mid heavy which doesn't give me the sound I want.
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
The Steve Morse bridge is a unique animal. I put one in a guitar I used ot have, but passed that guitar on to a friend. I was at his house a year ago and played the guitar and relized I kinda missed hte sound of that pickup. I have one in my Hamer 25th Anniversary. Strange guitar to put it in since it's nothing like the bolt-on solidbodies that Morse plays, but it sounds great there. Fat & twangy. The output is a little much for my taste, but at least I never have to worry about plugging in and having to reach over to turn up my amp's gain knob!
idsnowdog
Imperator of Indignation
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
The pro's have already been mentioned.
The con's is that it is a very bright pickup and it lacks the bass needed for fast heavily palm muted rhythm. The initial attack is bright which leaves your rhythms sounding like "tic, a, tic". Rather than "chug, chug, chug". In other words I lacks a low end grunt.
If your looking for a similar pickup with some low end grunt then the Dimarzio Evolution might work for you.
The pro's have already been mentioned.
The con's is that it is a very bright pickup and it lacks the bass needed for fast heavily palm muted rhythm. The initial attack is bright which leaves your rhythms sounding like "tic, a, tic". Rather than "chug, chug, chug". In other words I lacks a low end grunt.
If your looking for a similar pickup with some low end grunt then the Dimarzio Evolution might work for you.
Peko
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
So the general consensus is that the Full Shred lacks low end chunk, correct?
Is there something else in the Seymour Duncan line that would be worth checking out? I looked at all of the regular models (descriptions, specs, etc) and even checked out some of the custom shop ones too. I have no problem trying out a bunch until I find what I'm looking for so all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks again to everyone for the replies
So the general consensus is that the Full Shred lacks low end chunk, correct?
Is there something else in the Seymour Duncan line that would be worth checking out? I looked at all of the regular models (descriptions, specs, etc) and even checked out some of the custom shop ones too. I have no problem trying out a bunch until I find what I'm looking for so all suggestions are welcome.
Thanks again to everyone for the replies
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
It probably depends on what guitar you put it in, but from my Full Shred guitars, I hear chunk as well as sizzle.
Now, if you want to try some other Duncans that have a chunky tone, I can recommend the Custom and the Parallel Axis Trembucker. Both have a similar chunky lower midrange that to my ears reminds me of the EQ on the guitars on the first Boston album. They're also not far behind the Full Shred in the "crunchiest pickup ever heard" competition.
That may be the general concensus, but I would be the dissenter. The Full Shred may not have a huge bass, but I would not say it doesn't have chunk. The JB doesn't have chunk. The Full Shred has loads of it. In addition to its screaming upper midrange, it has a nice chunky lower midrange that makes palm muted power chords very satisfying. YMMV I guess.
It probably depends on what guitar you put it in, but from my Full Shred guitars, I hear chunk as well as sizzle.
Now, if you want to try some other Duncans that have a chunky tone, I can recommend the Custom and the Parallel Axis Trembucker. Both have a similar chunky lower midrange that to my ears reminds me of the EQ on the guitars on the first Boston album. They're also not far behind the Full Shred in the "crunchiest pickup ever heard" competition.
GaryCancer
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
That's a matter of the guitar in question. I had a set in an all mahogany Dean V and it sounded really thick and chunky, so much that I had to switch it out eventually.
It does have a lot of crunch but it's 'presence' crunch, the really high sounding part of the tone. I felt that the midrange was smooth in character and more toward the low-mids. And there wasn't a lot of mids, really. I ended up switching it out for a JB and then a Duncan Distortion because I wanted more crunchy upper mids. I miss it though.
One thing of note is that if you have the Full Shred set, the middle position on a Gibson 3 way switch sounds phenomenal! I was so surprised at how pleasant and usable the clean tone was. Oh, and in my opinion for high gain stuff the Full Shred neck CAN NOT be beat!
That's a matter of the guitar in question. I had a set in an all mahogany Dean V and it sounded really thick and chunky, so much that I had to switch it out eventually.
It does have a lot of crunch but it's 'presence' crunch, the really high sounding part of the tone. I felt that the midrange was smooth in character and more toward the low-mids. And there wasn't a lot of mids, really. I ended up switching it out for a JB and then a Duncan Distortion because I wanted more crunchy upper mids. I miss it though.
One thing of note is that if you have the Full Shred set, the middle position on a Gibson 3 way switch sounds phenomenal! I was so surprised at how pleasant and usable the clean tone was. Oh, and in my opinion for high gain stuff the Full Shred neck CAN NOT be beat!
Kosh Naranek
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
Soloing on the Full Shred neck is great. It's a tone similar to what I hear on some Iron Maiden tunes where they solo on the neck pickup. Flutey, with great sustain, and you still get that nice pick attack. It's a great metal/shred neck pickup!
I second that! I have two guitars with Full Shreds in the neck and bridge. With both on, it's a very sweet, clear clean tone.
Soloing on the Full Shred neck is great. It's a tone similar to what I hear on some Iron Maiden tunes where they solo on the neck pickup. Flutey, with great sustain, and you still get that nice pick attack. It's a great metal/shred neck pickup!
Darth Nihilus
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
One of the most overlooked pickups in the Duncan line and one of the best too!
One of the most overlooked pickups in the Duncan line and one of the best too!
Darth Nihilus
New member
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
That's exactly right! When I first heard the FS in the bridge position, I realised that it had the qualities I was looking for in a neck pickup. It's not muddy or has too much midrange, has tons of pick attack and a sparkling high end.
It's very singlecoil-like with the attack, it's awesome.
I have a set of FS in my Moser Spawn and I can crank the gain all the way and still hear all the intricate lines I play. My favorite passive pickups!
That's exactly right! When I first heard the FS in the bridge position, I realised that it had the qualities I was looking for in a neck pickup. It's not muddy or has too much midrange, has tons of pick attack and a sparkling high end.
It's very singlecoil-like with the attack, it's awesome.
I have a set of FS in my Moser Spawn and I can crank the gain all the way and still hear all the intricate lines I play. My favorite passive pickups!
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: Full Shred Users ?????
If this is for a Les Paul you might also want to check out the Demon in the neck position. Got me a lot of control back I was missing.
If this is for a Les Paul you might also want to check out the Demon in the neck position. Got me a lot of control back I was missing.
