is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

T

theycallmegio

New member
I am waiting for m DD to arrive in the mail and still trying to like the duncan custom. I flat out hate this pickup. Palm muted riffs just don't cut through like I want them too, and the highs are SO shrill and pronounced. It's literally hurting my ears. I can't EQ them out without completely ruining any decent tone I'm getting. I can't even move to a higher fret (you know the sound when your hand glides on the strings to reach a higher fret?), that noise is piercing and fatigues my ears immediately.

this is flat out the worst pickup I've ever had. I don't need anyone to tell me that the custom is great for them, I don't care. I just want to know if the DD is darker than this POS.

thanks
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

I wonder if your custom is defective? Anyways.. from my research the DD has more midrange and tighter bass response, but it is a pretty bright PUP. The tone chart numbers reflect this as well. Hopefully it won;t be as shrill sounding with the more prominent mids. good luck- if you don't dig the DD maybe give the invader a shot. it's definitely dark

bass- mids- treble
Custom - 7 / 6 / 9
Distortion 5 / 8 / 9
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

theycallmegio said:
I am waiting for m DD to arrive in the mail and still trying to like the duncan custom. I flat out hate this pickup. Palm muted riffs just don't cut through like I want them too, and the highs are SO shrill and pronounced. It's literally hurting my ears. I can't EQ them out without completely ruining any decent tone I'm getting. I can't even move to a higher fret (you know the sound when your hand glides on the strings to reach a higher fret?), that noise is piercing and fatigues my ears immediately.

this is flat out the worst pickup I've ever had. I don't need anyone to tell me that the custom is great for them, I don't care. I just want to know if the DD is darker than this POS.

thanks
Click to expand...

I didn't like the custom because of the highs too. What you're hearing is the ceramic magnet. Many people like the tight bright attack that ceramic affords them. it appears that you do not. Look at the Tone Chart you'll see the Custom's EQ is 7/6/9 and the Distortion's is 6/8/9. The distortion having less innate bass makes for a tighter sound, with the increased midrange making it sound thicker. however there will still be a lot of high end. It is very likely you will not like the DD because it has a lot of high end too. It does have more mids though which might help.

A C5, Full Shred, or even JB might be better suited for you.

Luke
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

I'm going to give the DD a chance, but if it is just as shrill as the custom I'm choosing another brand for my next pickup. I may just end up having to go back to the stock gibson pickups.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

It's ridiculous. With the stock gibson pickups I'll play all day, same with EMGs. With these duncans my ears ache after 10-15 mins and I'm annoyed and frustrated and no longer want to play. It takes all the fun out of guitar.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

If the Distortion is radically different when you get it installed, it probably means the Custom was defective, possibly wired out of phase with itself internally. If you want to check for that "for free" reverse the white and black wires. Put white where black is, put black where white is.

The Custom is a popular pickup with a sound that shouldn't drive you crazy or be like nails on a chalkboard, but I often don't like the ceramic "crunch" up at the top end. I personally like the Custom in warmer mahogany guitars, and not in superstrats so much.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

I definitely think there was something wrong with Custom you had. There is no way that what you're describing is coming from a functioning Custom, and I think it's unfair for you to call it a piece of crap.

With that said, if you didn't like the top end on the Custom you're going to hate the Distortion even more for the same reason.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

I wouldn't mess with anymore ceramic pickups if I were you. It doesn't sound like your rig and playing style jives that well with them.

Someone with a lifetime of playing experience on Alnico V based designs might not enjoy the switch to ceramic.

I know that I don't like ceramic and have never even considered a ceramic pickup as a permanent solution to one of my guitars... they might sound great with other people's playing style and other people's rigs but not mine.

Gibson makes some great pickups but to throw out the baby with the bathwater by getting soured on Seymour Duncan's high output ceramics and vowing to never use another model is a little short sighted.

For troubleshooting purposes... what Gibson pickups do you enjoy playing through?
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

The DC needs a really meaty guitar to drive it. It doesn't do well in many.

The DD is much less maintenance and does about the same in different styles of guitars. The DD has a high-pitched scream to it that the DC doesn't have, although the DC is technically having more real treble.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

zenmindbeginner said:
I wouldn't mess with anymore ceramic pickups if I were you. It doesn't sound like your rig and playing style jives that well with them.

Someone with a lifetime of playing experience on Alnico V based designs might not enjoy the switch to ceramic.

I know that I don't like ceramic and have never even considered a ceramic pickup as a permanent solution to one of my guitars... they might sound great with other people's playing style and other people's rigs but not mine.

Gibson makes some great pickups but to throw out the baby with the bathwater by getting soured on Seymour Duncan's high output ceramics and vowing to never use another model is a little short sighted.

For troubleshooting purposes... what Gibson pickups do you enjoy playing through?
Click to expand...


I believe I had the 498t int he bridge. WHatever came stock in 97 LP customs is what I had. They were fantastic. I had to EQ my amp a bit differently (ever so slightly) to adjust from the EMGs but they were great.

there is no EQ setting I can use to make the custom likable to my ear. It's shrill and piercing.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

Please perform the test I've suggested. It'll either get worse or better but at least then you'll know.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

The sound Frank is describing is an unusable and shrill sound that basically has most of the midrange and power notched out of your tone... sort of like an old radio or the worst tele bridge sound you've ever heard. lolz!

Is it that bad or is it just not the sound you are looking for?
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

Dangit! Ok can you probe around with something metal like a piece of wire? Here is another test. Take the red and white wires. They're probably soldered together and taped off, so they don't touch anything accidentally. If you can untape them, touch them to ground somehow, either if they reach somewhere or jump it with a paper clip or whatever. You only need to strum a little while doing this.

If that sound (single coil) is louder than when they're not touching ground (double coil) then the pickup is out of phase with itself.

If the sound doesn't change at all, or it goes silent, then you have one bad coil.
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

theycallmegio said:
I am waiting for m DD to arrive in the mail and still trying to like the duncan custom. I flat out hate this pickup. Palm muted riffs just don't cut through like I want them too, and the highs are SO shrill and pronounced. It's literally hurting my ears. I can't EQ them out without completely ruining any decent tone I'm getting. I can't even move to a higher fret (you know the sound when your hand glides on the strings to reach a higher fret?), that noise is piercing and fatigues my ears immediately.

this is flat out the worst pickup I've ever had. I don't need anyone to tell me that the custom is great for them, I don't care. I just want to know if the DD is darker than this POS.

thanks
Click to expand...

Try it with an A8 instead of ceramic
 
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?

After pondering on this I think that since gio didn't actually solder them and doesn't know much about it, I think it's entirely possible that the pickup is wired wrong.

Gio can you take a picture of the control cavity for us?

Luke
 
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