Is this a real Seymour Duncan?

I’m honestly tempted to buy one and do a side by side with a genuine one to understand what gap there is in terms of authenticity to be able to check here.

I've thought about doing the same thing, but the reality is that, even if they were nearly identical somehow, I'd rather support the real Seymour Duncan if given the choice! :)

Still, I think there might be value in getting my hands on one of these to inspect more closely. Maybe I can uncover a more reliable way to tell them apart from the real thing.
 
I’ve seen some pickup trying to evocate the Seymour Duncan ones, like “Duncan Design” and recently “Duncan Solar”. Do they have anything to do with Seymour Duncan?
Thanks a lot in advance for an “official” reply ☺️
 
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I’ve seen some pickup trying to evocate the Seymour Duncan ones, like “Duncan Design” and recently “Duncan Solar”. Do they have anything to do with Seymour Duncan?
Thanks a lot in advance for an “official” reply ☺️

Yes, official Duncan Designed and Duncan Solar pickups are indeed designed at SD, but made outside the US. Official pickups branded Seymour Duncan are made in California, USA.
 
I've thought about doing the same thing, but the reality is that, even if they were nearly identical somehow, I'd rather support the real Seymour Duncan if given the choice! :)

Still, I think there might be value in getting my hands on one of these to inspect more closely. Maybe I can uncover a more reliable way to tell them apart from the real thing.

Maybe someone here with a definite fake can send you one for testing.

I’m careful but I’m afraid sooner or later I’ll buy one unintentionally on reverb or eBay. I hadn’t seen the boxes before.
 
Yeah, the counterfeiters have had the boxes copied perfectly for at least 2-3 years now. I've posted about that in past threads, but there were typically other ways to tell the pickups were "fake" beyond the boxes alone.

Honestly, unless it's a pickup with a pre-2010 date code or older style label, I wouldn't buy used these days. Just not worth it, especially when "new" really isn't that much more in the bigger scheme of things
 
Don't buy these either! It's a dead give away when the trembucker bridge does not have the three holes on each side. I'm surprised they don't steal a proper pic to make them look real.

https://reverb.com/item/35462129-seymour-duncan-sh-8n-tb-8b-set-gold-bulk-but-new-worldwide-fast-s-h

That and no Trembucker Invader actually exists. The large hex pole pieces negate the need for TB spacing.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...g-spacing-explained-humbuckers-vs-trembuckers
 
That and no Trembucker Invader actually exists. The large hex pole pieces negate the need for TB spacing.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/...g-spacing-explained-humbuckers-vs-trembuckers

Oh they sure do exist. I have two of them right here.

They used to do them in custom shop for individual requests, but my two are from the Gates-sig line, which were offered with several custom looks and as both sh-8 and tb-8 spacings for the bridge models, and only the sh-8n neck model.

I think they too were done in the custom shop, but maybe I'm wrong on that, I think I read it somewhere way back that they were.
 
I am 99% sure they are real; must be leftover from Cort/ PRS/ Schecter factory in Korea, made in 2011 and 2012.

If it is real then it is the only trembucker-bridge Gates Invader I've ever seen that does not have the three holes per side on the mounting tabs, although as we all know only the center hole is tapped for a screw. That screamed to me fake as soon as I seen these.
 
I am 99% sure they are real; must be leftover from Cort/ PRS/ Schecter factory in Korea, made in 2011 and 2012.

I guess it is possible that Duncan might do OEM trembuckers with the standard base-plate and tabs, but if that were the case then I'd think it would either be a common practice with other models too, or something they just have never done.

Maybe Mincer knows if their OEM trembuckers sold in bulk to guitar manufacturers are always the normal three-hole tabs. (???)
 
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OK here is one from 2009 with trembucker spacing but standard one-hole tabs.

I just looked at the one I have uninstalled and it is a three-hole dated 2016,,,,,,,, so maybe they did use the one-hole up to a point,,,,,,,possibly the point that they began to sell them as an after-market model and in boxed-sets. So maybe the one-hole trembuckers were the original OEM for Schecter. (?)

https://reverb.com/item/54247267-sey...e-day-shipping
 
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I guess it is possible that Duncan might do OEM trembuckers with the standard base-plate and tabs, but if that were the case then I'd think it would either be a common practice with other models too, or something they just have never done.

Maybe Mincer knows if their OEM trembuckers sold in bulk to guitar manufacturers are always the normal three-hole tabs. (???)

I've only seen them with 3 holes, but I haven't seen everything. I would think the guitar maker could specify whatever they want made, though.
 
Hello my pickup afficionados, pls some expert help:

I have a chance to buy this used SH1n from 2008 for a decent price at a local dealer, I don't have a chance to wire them up and test them myself before, though.

Searching online I can't find a version of a blk 59 with Seymour Duncan printed on the lower coil cover (except the attached pic of Dime live in 2004, so I suppose it's a 59, bridge has a reverse mounted SH13), as all other (or most) SD pickups have. I have a Jazz, a JB and a Dimebucker and all of them have the SD print.
Oddly enough, this one being sold has the print.

So my question is, is this wrong? Should all '59s for neck position lack that print or is it a year of production thing? What about that Dimebags 2004 neck pup? I just want to know because it is weird to me that this one being sold has the print and claims to be a 59.

All info from someone more knowledgeable on the issue would be greatly appreciated. I have asked this on a couple of subreddits while awaiting account confirmation, but I'm not really convinced.

Attached are also the pics of the pickup from the listing.

Thank you in advance, peeps.
 

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Sticker seems funny to me. I'd need to dig out some pickups to compare, but I thought pickups either had the ROHS code OR the date code, but not both? But the fact that it's 4-conductor it could be pulled from an OEM guitar. Can the dealer tell you the DCR of the pickup?
 
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