Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I will say, once I saw on SD literature that the DDn was specifically designed to be a neck match for the Distortion, I started taking them with a grain of salt
Introducing The Joe Bonamassa 1950 Broadcaster Pickup Set
- Thread starter Mincer
- Start date
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Speaking for myself, I don't really care that Joe B's or whoever's name is on it (other than Seymour's), nor do I care about the sample video. I already have plenty of experience with Duncan's and when Duncan measures and evaluates a particular pickup, they are able to make an almost exact copy of it; sonically more than anything - and that's what really counts.
The original named source here doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is now there is another authentic-sounding option for a Broadcaster-era set of pickups to choose from when I'm tone chasing and need to solve that last 5% difference to get 'that' sound I'm chasing in a particular guitar. I don't care what it can or can't do in a Squier. I don't own one. But I have plenty experience with what Duncans do in my guitars, and that has kept me a loyal customer since day one.
The first Duncans I ever bought were the Antiquity Texas Hot Strat pickups in the '90's. My '66 Strat was missing the bridge and I needed the closest thing I could find to the original at the time. I put the Antiquity in and throwing the switch was just like shifting tone presets on the same pickup - even though it's a slightly different technical recipe from the original, sonically it matched in my guitar. The fact that Seymour can do that is why I'm so glad they are still putting out these collaborations and variations of vintage pickups. I just see Joe B's involvement as ensuring a fantastic source collection of guitars get to be used as the reference for these new pickups. To me, that's worth it.
The original named source here doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is now there is another authentic-sounding option for a Broadcaster-era set of pickups to choose from when I'm tone chasing and need to solve that last 5% difference to get 'that' sound I'm chasing in a particular guitar. I don't care what it can or can't do in a Squier. I don't own one. But I have plenty experience with what Duncans do in my guitars, and that has kept me a loyal customer since day one.
The first Duncans I ever bought were the Antiquity Texas Hot Strat pickups in the '90's. My '66 Strat was missing the bridge and I needed the closest thing I could find to the original at the time. I put the Antiquity in and throwing the switch was just like shifting tone presets on the same pickup - even though it's a slightly different technical recipe from the original, sonically it matched in my guitar. The fact that Seymour can do that is why I'm so glad they are still putting out these collaborations and variations of vintage pickups. I just see Joe B's involvement as ensuring a fantastic source collection of guitars get to be used as the reference for these new pickups. To me, that's worth it.
Masta' C
New member
The JB Rails isn't really a JB, the DDn is actually a bridge pickup, and it's quite possible that a marketing piece designed to sell a sound might exhibit bias in the way it is produced.
That said, I don't think SD is trying to deceive anyone and it's equally possible that the marketing material is totally accurate.
At the end of the day, it's cool that SD has been taking on these little side projects with Joe and making the sonic signature of some really cool vintage pickups available to everyone.
Bonamassa IS a marketing whore, though...I'm wiping my butt with his signature toilet paper as I type this
That said, I don't think SD is trying to deceive anyone and it's equally possible that the marketing material is totally accurate.
At the end of the day, it's cool that SD has been taking on these little side projects with Joe and making the sonic signature of some really cool vintage pickups available to everyone.
Bonamassa IS a marketing whore, though...I'm wiping my butt with his signature toilet paper as I type this
YellerMaker
New member
I recently purchased a set of these pickups off eBay thinking they were the standard "made to order" version they (Seymour Duncan) still sell on their website. They were considerably cheaper than the made to order versions, but to my surprise, they were set #022/250, unused, in the hand numbered and initialed (by Maricela Juarez') box, although they were missing 1 of the cloth bags that each pickup originally came in. Both pickups were the SD "Antiquity" versions with Seymour Duncan's signature and Joe Bonamassa's initials, both hand signed on the bridge pickup plate.
Anyway, I bought them to install on a "relic-ed" Telecaster/Broadcaster build that I was working on for my personal guitar, so I was absolutely blown away at my good fortune. I began reading this forum in the hopes that there were some 1st hand reviews and was somewhat disappointed to learn that there was not a single review. So here is mine...
The pickups sound great as I would expect from almost ANY SD pickups. I have been playing Teles and Tele style guitars for going on 50 years, and have never owned one that has had as well-balanced of a sound as these. Each note is clear and we'll articulated, whether finger picking single notes or strumming chords. The electronics that I used are standard 250k CTS pots and a vintage style Switchcraft 3 way pickup selector with a .022 orange-drop treble bleed circuit. The bridge pickup is very bright and punchy, but not harsh in any way. I like to cut the tone back about 1/2 way, but small adjustments in either direction can make subtle differences, especially when the volume is rolled back. The neck pickup is brighter than any Tele neck pickup that I have ever played, and the tone adjusts equally as well as the bridge pickup. Both are very versatile!
But these pickups really shine in the middle setting with that classic "glassiness" that vintage Fenders are known for. For a guitar with only 2 pickups and a single volume and tone control, this guitar checks all the boxes that any Tele fanatic could ever want. That being said, these pickups aren't going to be for everyone. I have a 2021 Player Tele with stock pickups that are "similar" in tonality but much hotter and can even hold their own with most of my humbucker equipped guitars.
These pickups really breath when played cleanly or with mild breakup, but fall short when trying to achieve a distorted sound. I only tried them distorted to see how they handled, but I have Strats, LPs and PRSs for those ranges. That said, a little breakup on the amp and a slight boost with a Tube Screamer really makes these things smolder. Now this is all just my opinion, so I know not everyone is looking for the same tone as me, but this should give you a ballpark of where these pickups actually stand.
For reference, I play mostly through a Mesa Boogie Mark V 35 combo played through a 4X12 Marshall cabinet.
BTW, I have read all posts on this particular forum and for the record, have seen JB twice in concert with his band and once with Black Country Communion, and his tone is truly legendary. As far as the "infamous" Squier Tele video, I can clearly hear a difference between the Broadcaster and the Squier (even through my phone's speaker). The Squier is brighter and lacks some of the warmth of the Broadcaster, but that could also have something to do with the 75 years of age difference between the pickups.
Anyway, I hope some of you will enjoy this review and mostly I hope to inspire some other people with these pickups to write a review. As far as my research has taken me, this is the only review to date. Happy pickin' everyone!
Anyway, I bought them to install on a "relic-ed" Telecaster/Broadcaster build that I was working on for my personal guitar, so I was absolutely blown away at my good fortune. I began reading this forum in the hopes that there were some 1st hand reviews and was somewhat disappointed to learn that there was not a single review. So here is mine...
The pickups sound great as I would expect from almost ANY SD pickups. I have been playing Teles and Tele style guitars for going on 50 years, and have never owned one that has had as well-balanced of a sound as these. Each note is clear and we'll articulated, whether finger picking single notes or strumming chords. The electronics that I used are standard 250k CTS pots and a vintage style Switchcraft 3 way pickup selector with a .022 orange-drop treble bleed circuit. The bridge pickup is very bright and punchy, but not harsh in any way. I like to cut the tone back about 1/2 way, but small adjustments in either direction can make subtle differences, especially when the volume is rolled back. The neck pickup is brighter than any Tele neck pickup that I have ever played, and the tone adjusts equally as well as the bridge pickup. Both are very versatile!
But these pickups really shine in the middle setting with that classic "glassiness" that vintage Fenders are known for. For a guitar with only 2 pickups and a single volume and tone control, this guitar checks all the boxes that any Tele fanatic could ever want. That being said, these pickups aren't going to be for everyone. I have a 2021 Player Tele with stock pickups that are "similar" in tonality but much hotter and can even hold their own with most of my humbucker equipped guitars.
These pickups really breath when played cleanly or with mild breakup, but fall short when trying to achieve a distorted sound. I only tried them distorted to see how they handled, but I have Strats, LPs and PRSs for those ranges. That said, a little breakup on the amp and a slight boost with a Tube Screamer really makes these things smolder. Now this is all just my opinion, so I know not everyone is looking for the same tone as me, but this should give you a ballpark of where these pickups actually stand.
For reference, I play mostly through a Mesa Boogie Mark V 35 combo played through a 4X12 Marshall cabinet.
BTW, I have read all posts on this particular forum and for the record, have seen JB twice in concert with his band and once with Black Country Communion, and his tone is truly legendary. As far as the "infamous" Squier Tele video, I can clearly hear a difference between the Broadcaster and the Squier (even through my phone's speaker). The Squier is brighter and lacks some of the warmth of the Broadcaster, but that could also have something to do with the 75 years of age difference between the pickups.
Anyway, I hope some of you will enjoy this review and mostly I hope to inspire some other people with these pickups to write a review. As far as my research has taken me, this is the only review to date. Happy pickin' everyone!
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