is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
- Thread starter theycallmegio
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theycallmegio
New member
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
I might keep the SD custom and throw it in my little epiphone LP special (I don't play it, but I keep it bc my parents bought it for me when I was a child). I'll see how it sounds when the guy wires it (properly) into the epiphone.
That or I might throw another SD distortion into it. Unfortunately I ordered it from sweetwater and can't cancel the order (they didn't have it in stock and had to special order a zebra pickup, but never called me back to confirm it so I thought they forgot about it - i found it elsewhere and the order is still ending so I'm going to have an extra one laying around)
I might keep the SD custom and throw it in my little epiphone LP special (I don't play it, but I keep it bc my parents bought it for me when I was a child). I'll see how it sounds when the guy wires it (properly) into the epiphone.
That or I might throw another SD distortion into it. Unfortunately I ordered it from sweetwater and can't cancel the order (they didn't have it in stock and had to special order a zebra pickup, but never called me back to confirm it so I thought they forgot about it - i found it elsewhere and the order is still ending so I'm going to have an extra one laying around)
theycallmegio
New member
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
I guess I could try seymour duncan and see if they will exchange my extra distortion for a zebra 59 or just a zebra jazz (the jazz pickup I have is black so they're mismatched)
and again - thanks for all the help and support. One member even PM'd me when additional tips to try out on the custom. Really awesome of you guys and it's very much appreciated. I'm glad I got the DD, sounds killer.
I guess I could try seymour duncan and see if they will exchange my extra distortion for a zebra 59 or just a zebra jazz (the jazz pickup I have is black so they're mismatched)
and again - thanks for all the help and support. One member even PM'd me when additional tips to try out on the custom. Really awesome of you guys and it's very much appreciated. I'm glad I got the DD, sounds killer.
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Dark Order Lord
New member
Dark Order Lord
New member
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
Thank you. I tried the El Diablo which has A2 mags and sounded very subtle and furry and nice. I just don't hear how an A2 mag in a DD makes it better as suggested by GuitarDoc. If he finds the DD shrill then he must be playing a guitar made of glass or his guitar amp has a tweeter in it!
Thank you. I tried the El Diablo which has A2 mags and sounded very subtle and furry and nice. I just don't hear how an A2 mag in a DD makes it better as suggested by GuitarDoc. If he finds the DD shrill then he must be playing a guitar made of glass or his guitar amp has a tweeter in it!
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
I do appreciate that humor (because that's what it IS). But.........
First of all, let's not misquote me. I never said it made it "better". That is a matter of personal taste. I said it was perfect for MY taste (I hate ceramic mag shrillness/brittle sounding highs, I don't particularly care for bright mid-scooped pups, I like full bodied flavor with rich textures, I like mids but with sparkle on top). The A2 DD works great for ME. I also like the DD with an A8, but it is still pretty bright.
If you like shredder/metal tones that are all screeching treble and subsonic bass and no mids, that's all fine and dandy. To each his own. But don't judge "good tone" from THAT perspective.
My guitar is lots and lots of mahogany with maple cap and rosewood board (not only no glass, but not even any ash or ebony). I play through several warm tube amps (6L6 and EL84 powers, some 12AX7s, AT7s, and even AU7s). Speaker cabs have G12H and Swamp Thang (no tweeters).
I get plenty of sparkle from my setup but also lots of rich mids and lows...pretty full-bodied. The DD and Custom sound very shrill to my old and treble-shot ears even through my rig.
The high frequencies are the first to go in ears that have been subject to lots of constant exposure to loud noises (rock music, heavy machinery, and guns), and that started to disappear over 40 years ago with my ears. But the DD and Custom (with ceramic mags) still sound extremely shrill to me.
Just to set the record straight.
I do appreciate that humor (because that's what it IS). But.........
First of all, let's not misquote me. I never said it made it "better". That is a matter of personal taste. I said it was perfect for MY taste (I hate ceramic mag shrillness/brittle sounding highs, I don't particularly care for bright mid-scooped pups, I like full bodied flavor with rich textures, I like mids but with sparkle on top). The A2 DD works great for ME. I also like the DD with an A8, but it is still pretty bright.
If you like shredder/metal tones that are all screeching treble and subsonic bass and no mids, that's all fine and dandy. To each his own. But don't judge "good tone" from THAT perspective.
My guitar is lots and lots of mahogany with maple cap and rosewood board (not only no glass, but not even any ash or ebony). I play through several warm tube amps (6L6 and EL84 powers, some 12AX7s, AT7s, and even AU7s). Speaker cabs have G12H and Swamp Thang (no tweeters).
I get plenty of sparkle from my setup but also lots of rich mids and lows...pretty full-bodied. The DD and Custom sound very shrill to my old and treble-shot ears even through my rig.
The high frequencies are the first to go in ears that have been subject to lots of constant exposure to loud noises (rock music, heavy machinery, and guns), and that started to disappear over 40 years ago with my ears. But the DD and Custom (with ceramic mags) still sound extremely shrill to me.
Just to set the record straight.
King IzzO)))
Ultimate Kitten Puncher
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
Nah, the DD has a ton of midrange with the stock mag, what you smokin' Doc?
Nah, the DD has a ton of midrange with the stock mag, what you smokin' Doc?
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
I never said it didn't have midrange. You are absolutely correct, it has lots. Thanks for adding that fact. That's what I love about it. But it ALSO has lots of shrill highs that I don't much care for. Especially the effect of the ceramic mag on the highs.
In fact, the mids are the very reason I purchased the DD in the first place (you may remember my thread from months ago asking for pup suggestions with lots of mids. The suggestions I received were DD and Alt 8. I got both pups and love them both...of course I got rid of the ceramic mag).
(I'm not smokin' anything...just smokin'.)
I never said it didn't have midrange. You are absolutely correct, it has lots. Thanks for adding that fact. That's what I love about it. But it ALSO has lots of shrill highs that I don't much care for. Especially the effect of the ceramic mag on the highs.
In fact, the mids are the very reason I purchased the DD in the first place (you may remember my thread from months ago asking for pup suggestions with lots of mids. The suggestions I received were DD and Alt 8. I got both pups and love them both...of course I got rid of the ceramic mag).
(I'm not smokin' anything...just smokin'.)
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Dark Order Lord
New member
Re: is the duncan distortion darker than the duncan custom?
Hahaha! I agree 100%. The DD and for that matter my 'Tyrannotitan' (SD custom shop DD Variant) have a lot of mids and the latter is even growlier than the DD, and if you listen to any of the DARK ORDER albums you will hear that I always have a very Kerry King/Scott Ian sound to my Marshall TSL100 - presence 8 - bass 10 - mids 8 - treble 8. At gigs if the room is bright I then roll back my treble to 7, no less.
Now Marshall's are inherently middy amps and I use Tung-sol 12ax7, rich in mids, and Svetlana EL34's also rich in mids, and still my sound isn't shrill or boom for that matter. Plus my
Two V's are all mahogany and ebony fret board. I ain't def, I have always used ear plugs for the 20 years of my band, rehearsals and gigs, the regular crappy orange squishy foam ones.
Explain that one Señor Guitar Doc
Hahaha! I agree 100%. The DD and for that matter my 'Tyrannotitan' (SD custom shop DD Variant) have a lot of mids and the latter is even growlier than the DD, and if you listen to any of the DARK ORDER albums you will hear that I always have a very Kerry King/Scott Ian sound to my Marshall TSL100 - presence 8 - bass 10 - mids 8 - treble 8. At gigs if the room is bright I then roll back my treble to 7, no less.
Now Marshall's are inherently middy amps and I use Tung-sol 12ax7, rich in mids, and Svetlana EL34's also rich in mids, and still my sound isn't shrill or boom for that matter. Plus my
Two V's are all mahogany and ebony fret board. I ain't def, I have always used ear plugs for the 20 years of my band, rehearsals and gigs, the regular crappy orange squishy foam ones.
Explain that one Señor Guitar Doc
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