Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

[El Supremo]

Hey there! This is basically a continuation of my other thread about the Custom 5, Screamin' Demon and Full Shred on page https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=198441.

Just installed the Full Shred in my Jackson and replaced the 6 hex screws on the bridge side with filister screws (borrowed from my JB). I was interested in the results as many claim the Full Shred shares the same windings/coil as the Custom series, so this should move me closer to Custom 5 territory (Custom with an Alnico 5). After fiddling around with pole piece/pickup height, these are my first impressions.

Many claim that the Full Shred lacks bass. I tried the modified pickup through a Mesa Boogie Studio and the bass was definately more present after the mod. In lead mode still very tight, but more low mids that add tone to the lower strings. The highs seem to have shifted a bit more towards high mids with EQ set flat.

Clean the attack is very articulate. Output wasn't really effected, so genuine cleans are still a bit harder to get then with the SD.
The combination with the Jazz was warmer than the SD and still is. The SD/Jazz combo in middle position sounded really scooped/single coil like bright, whereas the Half Shred/Jazz combo adds some midrange warmth/tone to it.

The big pro for the Screamin' Demon is that it already sounds good with all the EQ set flat, both on my Mesa and Marshall.
The Half Shred still needs the graphic EQ of the Mesa to get a good rhythm tone. But when you do EQ, the tone is tight, clear with good bass definition on fast riffs. Somewhat reminiscent of Dave Mustaines' tone on Coutdown to Extinction and he used a TB5 in the bridge and a CAE preamp as far as I know. So people who claim the FS is actually a Custom with hex poles seem to be on the right track.

At this point I think adding the filister screws are a huge improvement for downtuned tone. Still tight, still high output, still very articulate, but with more tone in the lower registry.
I'll noodle around some more this week and hook up my Marshall and some overdrive/distortion pedals to see how it reacts to them.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

word on the street is that the fillister screws being longer adds more bass to the sound.
as you're finding, the screamin demon is one of the greatest pickups of all time.
; ]

you sure about dave mustaine using a custom on countdown..?

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

I always assumed so since the Dave Mustaine King V of that era had a TB5 in the bridge and a JB in the neck. Wouldn't make a lot of sense of putting out a signature that deviates from the normal Jackson setup of TB4 and SH2, and then using a TB4 anyway. Of course I could have assumed wrongly. I'm pretty shure the preamp used was a CAE though.

 

[marvelous_seven]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

So is half-shred has the same tightness with previous Full Shred?
How it'll compare with Screamin' Demon in tightness and articulation?
Sounds like good mod to try :scratchch

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

The Half Shred is a tiny bit looser with a deeper bottom end than the Full Shred, but still very very tight. It's tighter than a Screamin' Demon which has a bigger, deeper and less compressed low end.
The SD sounds clearer , probably due to its' lower output. This is noticable in particular when playing full chords and listening to individual strings under distortion.
Both are very articulate, but the Half Shred still has that very pronounced, bright attack that accentuates your picking during fast leads (like the FS). The SD sounds a bit rounder.

I also put the hex poles of the FS in the JB on the bridge side. This kind of smoothed out the midrange peak and increased pick attack. Bottom end wasn't noticeably tighter though.
I'd say the maximum effect of switching hex poles (or switching just 6 poles in general) would be for the neck side of a humbucker. Especially when you're replacing filisters to achieve tight bass. This is also where the string vibrates the most, so should make sense.
Switching poles at the bridge side would slightly reduce (or increase) mids and provide a deeper (or shallower) bottom end.

It's a very easy and reversable mod to try. Screw driver, hex screw driver and 10 minutes of your time.

 

[Diego]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

Wow, I don't think I'd like the Half/Full Shred that much.
I already find the Demon precise and clear enough, more of that would be nails in a chalkboard for me I think.
In fact I love two things about the Demon: How cutting it is, and how clear it stays under gain while still sounding BIG BIG BIG.
Still not very "round" to my ears as you mention (unless you really dig into the tone knob) so I figure the Full Shred sounds like a scalpel!

The Demon is so clear and bright I've even managed to get some faux Tele rock/country tones out of it.
In humbucker mode!

The Demon is an amazing pickup, my favorite Duncan so far.

 

[marvelous_seven]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

Wow, I don't think I'd like the Half/Full Shred that much.
I already find the Demon precise and clear enough, more of that would be nails in a chalkboard for me I think.
In fact I love two things about the Demon: How cutting it is, and how clear it stays under gain while still sounding BIG BIG BIG.
Still not very "round" to my ears as you mention (unless you really dig into the tone knob) so I figure the Full Shred sounds like a scalpel!

The Demon is so clear and bright I've even managed to get some faux Tele rock/country tones out of it.
In humbucker mode!

The Demon is an amazing pickup, my favorite Duncan so far.

Just a quick question bro,would you recommend Screamin' Demon for down-tuning in mahogany body short scale guitars?

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

I wouldn't say the the Full or Half Shred sounds like a scalpel. Both or cutting, clear and tight in their own way. Kinda depends on the guitar.
Mahogany sounds scooped to me, so the SD could be a little too much of a good thing if you'd ask me.

I'd say the Shred sounds more modern, more compressed, with a buzz saw like flavour to chunky rhythms. Perfect for 80's metal, downtuned metal, any kind of metal. The Shred also has more mids, so lead tone is fuller yet with a definitive clear pick attack. You can hear every little mistake (accidental touching, etc.)

The Demon has more of a vintage flavour to me. I got good Rory Gallagher like tones out if it (and he used single coils and Fender/Vox). Under high gain it's very clear, but you'll have to dial in more gain to get the level of distortion/compression that a Shred will provide at lower gain (thus a bit less moise from the amp). Wether this is a pro or con is up to the individual.

The Demon is definitely more versatile than the Shred. Probably the most versatile allround pickup out there as far as I'm concerned. From great cleans for chord strumming to tight downtuned metal riffing, it's all there. Due to it's EQ it sounds a bit more "in your face".
If you prefer to get you distortion from the amp or pedal, the Demon is definitely a pickup to consider.

The Shred really excells at keeping distorted tone clear and cutting and making your ears bleed with screaming pinch harmonics. It çan't touch the Demon when it comes to cleans (what humbucker can?), but has a more agressive metal sound.
If you like a tight, more compressed sound, want to puch your amp harder and use your neck/middle pickup for real cleans the Shred is something to look into.

 

[Diego]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

Nice wrap up Supremo, I've really fallen in love with the Demon.
I'd love to snatch a good ol' Gibson LP and drop it in the bridge. That's gotta be it as far as my quest for tone goes.

Oh,

Just a quick question bro,would you recommend Screamin' Demon for down-tuning in mahogany body short scale guitars?

In my Ibanez (25-inch scale, string thru trem, mahogany body with maple cap) it sounds great downtuned, since it's low output and the EQ is very clear it does stay amazingly tight.

The Demon is not that pushed in the low mids which contributes to the clarity, but it does have a wide low end that makes it sound huge. So don't think for a second it's clear but tiny. No no no.

I'd give it a shot if I was you.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

The Demon makes a pretty good neck pickup too, especially with a UOA5, if you like mids.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

yes, it's the best pickup i've tried for down-tuning in a short-scale mahogany guitar, and makes a great hot neck bucker.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

Kinda funny that so many people on the forum love the Demon, yet there's not a lot of endorsees using it. Bbesides Christopher Amott, I can't think of a single one.

Is there anyone else who tried the filister screw in the Full Shred? Or the hex screws in a Custom 5?
I'd really like to know the differences between a Custom 5 and my modded Full Shred.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

^ slug poles.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

^ slug poles.

Yup, that was obvious but thanx anyway ghehe. What I ment was the tonal differences between the Shred and Custom 5. It wouldn't make a lot of sense for me to buy a Custom 5 if I'm all but there with a Full Shred minus 6 hex screws.
Do the slug poles further increase bass, reduce highs & lows? Does frequency response shift and are frequency peaks more rounded.

Somewhere on the forum it was said that swapping slug poles is a much tougher job than replacing screw poles. Has anyone experienced this the same way?

Think I'll fire up the Marshall and some pedals today and see how the Half Shred (for lack of a better name) handles that.

 

[WGTP]

Re: Half Shred vs Screamin' Demon

I put all the filister screws of a Demon under the plain strings and the hex screws under the wound strings. It makes the plain strings less "hard" sounding more bell like or P-90 ish and the wound strings sound tighter and more focused. The wound strings sound more like the plain strings now.