I Don't Understand the Current SD PAF Style Humbukcer Line

[JohnnyGuitar]

Went into the website after not visiting it for a while and was really impressed with all the new humbukcers SD offers. Very cool.
But with all variants and with the EQ charts showing a pretty similar scooped B/M/T - I'm not sure what I'm looking at.
I understand what the Green Magic, Hades Gates (great demos for this one BTW), High Voltage names imply, and then there's the old line... but I couldn't really figure out what the differnces would do for someone who wants to stick them in a guitar for general purposes or for his own sound. Which one is tighter? smoother? has more higher-mid bite? more woody? has more thump?

I know it's somewhat of a rant. Sorry. But I kind of went from "Wow!" to "I wonder how much they differ from one another".

 

[Mincer]

Well, the answer is...a lot. But I agree, the EQ charts need to be updated. Very generally, something with an A5 magnet will be tighter, thumpier, and clarity. A2 magnets are more smooth, and middy.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Well, the answer is...a lot. But I agree, the EQ charts need to be updated. Very generally, something with an A5 magnet will be tighter, thumpier, and clarity. A2 magnets are more smooth, and middy.

Really curious as to what SD would come up with as an EQ chart/tone desription update

I tend to like A5 pickups more for the reasons you specified, although the Green Magic sounded incredibly airy and the Hades Gates actually seemed to have nice treble and good bass (maybe it's a Pearly Gates thing?).

If we're at it, I'm a little curious - any of the new models have more offset windings or SD still keeps the windings pretty symmetrical?

 

[Mincer]

Generally, symmetrical unless they mention it in the description. I'd like more than 3 band EQ description- maybe 10 band, or so. Some sort of graph?

 

[weepingminotaur]

Yes, I too would love a full update of their EQs, and something beyond 3-band. Bass / Mid / Treble is too broad to be useful except as a very ballpark gauge.

 

[Mincer]

Yes, I too would love a full update of their EQs, and something beyond 3-band. Bass / Mid / Treble is too broad to be useful except as a very ballpark gauge.

I also think it doesn't tell the whole story with something like a PAF-type, which is usually scooped. But a 59 sounds very different to me than an Antiquity or WLH.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Generally, symmetrical unless they mention it in the description. I'd like more than 3 band EQ description- maybe 10 band, or so. Some sort of graph?

I'd probably just improve the description a little or maybe an axis that generally puts pickups in categories such as Smooth - Crunchy or Tight - Loose, etc... at the designers descretion of course. Should just give a general idea

 

[JamesPaul]

Oh I get it now. Those 403 errors are trying to tell me I am to verbose.

Long story short and on topic, would some one-line testimonials on why someone uses a specific pickup help?

"I wanted more X from my neck pickup in my Les Paul and the Seymour Duncan Y does that." - John
"I was going to trade my noisy SSS Strat for a X but a set of Classic Stack Plus prevented that." - Jane
"The Black Winter Rails cleared all my neighbors i don't like, right out of my neighborhood." - Rip Glitter

You get the idea.

 

[beaubrummels]

There's much more to a pickup's sound than just the DCR and EQ spec. Your best bet is either try them personally in your guitar, since Duncan has a generous return window, or talk to guys that have used them in their guitars, which is part of why the forum exists.

 

[Mincer]

Thing is, we all know more than anything, numbers don't tell you everything. A pickup's 'feel' is hard to put into words. Controlled videos and sound clips don't even help there. I am one of these people that appreciates both quick descriptions and 'deep dives'. I don't think 'too much info' is a bad thing if you have a choice.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Thing is, we all know more than anything, numbers don't tell you everything. A pickup's 'feel' is hard to put into words. Controlled videos and sound clips don't even help there. I am one of these people that appreciates both quick descriptions and 'deep dives'. I don't think 'too much info' is a bad thing if you have a choice.

That's kind of why I asked about them maybe having mismatched coils. Which is cool regardless. But:
Green Magic DCR: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.7k​
78' Model DCR: Neck: 7.9k, Bridge: 9k
Hades Gates: Neck: 8.06k, Bridge: 8.90k
High Voltage: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.6k
Slash 2.0: Neck: 8.8k, Bridge: 9.38k

If they are all Alnico 2 (some are degaused or rough cast indeed).
around 9k bridge and just below 8k neck,
wound symmetrically (which means that there's not a lot of play in terms of differences between the coils):
Could there really be huge differences? are we talking about 5 totally different wounding patterns by the same maker? or different slug/screw alloys? the answer might of course be YES to any of these questions, it would just be cool to know

 

[JamesPaul]

Part of my 403'd post was the site alludes to the forum as a good resource in the '59 Custom Hybrid description and I do steer people here.

 

[Chistopher]

That's kind of why I asked about them maybe having mismatched coils. Which is cool regardless. But:
Green Magic DCR: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.7k​
78' Model DCR: Neck: 7.9k, Bridge: 9k
Hades Gates: Neck: 8.06k, Bridge: 8.90k
High Voltage: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.6k
Slash 2.0: Neck: 8.8k, Bridge: 9.38k

If they are all Alnico 2 (some are degaused or rough cast indeed).
around 9k bridge and just below 8k neck,
wound symmetrically (which means that there's not a lot of play in terms of differences between the coils):
Could there really be huge differences? are we talking about 5 totally different wounding patterns by the same maker? or different slug/screw alloys? the answer might of course be YES to any of these questions, it would just be cool to know

Buy a 78 bridge and a Slash 2.0 bridge and you'll note even though their specs are similar, they sound nothing alike.

 

[beaubrummels]

That's kind of why I asked about them maybe having mismatched coils. Which is cool regardless. But:
Green Magic DCR: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.7k​
78' Model DCR: Neck: 7.9k, Bridge: 9k
Hades Gates: Neck: 8.06k, Bridge: 8.90k
High Voltage: Neck: 7.7k, Bridge: 8.6k
Slash 2.0: Neck: 8.8k, Bridge: 9.38k

If they are all Alnico 2 (some are degaused or rough cast indeed).
around 9k bridge and just below 8k neck,
wound symmetrically (which means that there's not a lot of play in terms of differences between the coils):
Could there really be huge differences?

I wouldn't say huge, but significant enough to merit a different product with a different SKU. For example, while I don't have experience with each model you are asking about, I have used the Pearly Gates, '78 Model, Slash 1.0 and APH-1 pickups and while they are all A2 PAF-types, they are all different sounding. IME the Pearly Gates is like a fuller range 59, more top and bottom end. The '78 Model is like a Pearly Gates with the bass rolled off, thin and bright. The Slash 1.0 bridge is a unique animal, nothing similar in Duncan's line, though it did make me think of a lower output JB in some ways, just a general all around rock pickup. The APH-1 is different still, soft on bass and treble, pretty wide round mid hump that goes from low mids to high mids. Further, Seth is an A2 PAF type and it has a narrow mid-honk to it. The Brobucker is a slightly overwound A2 PAF type and it sounds like a Seth with the mid bump shifted higher in the chimy range. So being A2 8-9k is like saying "blue chairs" but after you sit in each one, you find out exactly what is different.

are we talking about 5 totally different wounding patterns by the same maker? or different slug/screw alloys? the answer might of course be YES to any of these questions, it would just be cool to know

Yes, there has been some discussion in the past about how setting up the winding machine, changing the tension and turns per layer changes the sound. Getting specific about the differences between products is a trade secret, however, so the only way to confirm would be to buy the products and reverse engineer them yourself.