Is this a real Seymour Duncan?

[playas]

Definitely doesn't look like an SD to me. :nono:

For a start, as you mention there is no SD printed on the pickup, there is no model label. Comparing it to a newer model Cool Rails, both back and front look quite different. The top is molded as a single piece, not two separate half size covers like in your pictures, the back is completely different.

I don't have an older model hot rail etc. to compare. I guess it would be closer, but still different from what I can find of images on Google. As far as I can tell the single piece molded cover hasn't changed since the older model, but I couldn't be sure of that. The colour of the wires doesn't even match up from what I can see online.

In addition, there are a couple of things that I just can't quite identify that seem off, like maybe something with the blades themselves.

As always, I'm happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable than myself, eg. as DCikes88 mentioned above.

 

[Blille]

Older Hot Rails don’t have a circuit board. I sold a 96 a while back.

 

[robertv4311]

Thanks to both of you!

I'm glad this wasn't the first aftermarket pickup I ever bought and I knew enough to run some tests and have some red flags go up. A year or two ago I probably would have cut my pickguard to fit it and started soldering away without checking the readings or asking too many questions about why it doesn't have a logo on it.

 

[Blille]

Thanks to both of you!

I'm glad this wasn't the first aftermarket pickup I ever bought and I knew enough to run some tests and have some red flags go up. A year or two ago I probably would have cut my pickguard to fit it and started soldering away without checking the readings or asking too many questions about why it doesn't have a logo on it.

The thing is that the circuit board side looks super familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. If I remember what it is I’ll circle back. It’s been killing me all day lol

 

[robertv4311]

The thing is that the circuit board side looks super familiar but I can’t put my finger on it. If I remember what it is I’ll circle back. It’s been killing me all day lol

This probably isn't it, but another thing that set off my Spidey Sense is that the whole thing looks suspiciously close to the $12 Musiclily rails, though the number on the back of the Amazon picture doesn't look like 1050: https://smile.amazon.com/Musiclily-...prefix=musiclily+hot+rails,aps,79&sr=8-2&th=1

 

[beaubrummels]

This just looks like a case of someone bought a Duncan to replace a cheap pickup, put the cheap pickup in the empty Duncan box, then years later sold the Duncan box with the cheap pickup in it as if it was the Duncan. Can't say if deliberate or just a mistake, but it happens.

 

[Blille]

This just looks like a case of someone bought a Duncan to replace a cheap pickup, put the cheap pickup in the empty Duncan box, then years later sold the Duncan box with the cheap pickup in it as if it was the Duncan. Can't say if deliberate or just a mistake, but it happens.

Love how you give folks a chance to not be scum

This probably isn't it, but another thing that set off my Spidey Sense is that the whole thing looks suspiciously close to the $12 Musiclily rails, though the number on the back of the Amazon picture doesn't look like 1050: https://smile.amazon.com/Musiclily-...prefix=musiclily+hot+rails,aps,79&sr=8-2&th=1

Looks super similar, maybe that was it.

 

[JamesPaul]

Love how you give folks a chance to not be scum


...

Errr on the side of grace.

 

[robertv4311]

This just looks like a case of someone bought a Duncan to replace a cheap pickup, put the cheap pickup in the empty Duncan box, then years later sold the Duncan box with the cheap pickup in it as if it was the Duncan. Can't say if deliberate or just a mistake, but it happens.

Sounds about right -- although the film that covers the screw holes seemed still intact, as if it had never been installed in a guitar at all. I wonder if they replaced a normal single coil, knew it couldn't be passed off as a hot rail, and got a $10 knockoff hot rail to sub in. (Which would mean it wasn't innocent alas.)

 

[Artie]

Clearly these have got to be fake at this price, but still a pretty blatant rip off.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801141037510.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.59.43d75d64Oxd0kd&algo_pvid=04d09269-3748-415b-a341-4ea795b86297&aem_p4p_detail=20221008133850137738419029600018763147&algo_exp_id=04d09269-3748-415b-a341-4ea795b86297-29&pdp_ext_f=%7B"sku_id"%3A"12000015717546475"%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%2168.0%2141.48%21%21%21%21%21%40212248ba16652615305166618d072e%2112000015717546475%21sea&curPageLogUid=xol3ItkazcAX&ad_pvid=20221008133850137738419029600018763147_6&ad_pvid=20221008133850137738419029600018763147_6

 

[beaubrummels]

Clearly these have got to be fake at this price, but still a pretty blatant rip off.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801141037510.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.59.43d75d64Oxd0kd&algo_pvid=04d09269-3748-415b-a341-4ea795b86297&aem_p4p_detail=20221008133850137738419029600018763147&algo_exp_id=04d09269-3748-415b-a341-4ea795b86297-29&pdp_ext_f=%7B"sku_id"%3A"12000015717546475"%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%2168.0%2141.48%21%21%21%21%21%40212248ba16652615305166618d072e%2112000015717546475%21sea&curPageLogUid=xol3ItkazcAX&ad_pvid=20221008133850137738419029600018763147_6&ad_pvid=20221008133850137738419029600018763147_6

The comments were pretty honest:

"Are they original Seymour duncan pickups???"

"Not original, but very not bad!"

 

[Artie]

The comments were pretty honest:

"Are they original Seymour duncan pickups???"

"Not original, but very not bad!"

I didn't even notice the comments. That's funny.

 

[August_West74]

Hello All, Hoping someone can help me out with this. I’m restoring my Ibanez RG421 that was damaged in a house fire. Found a set of SH1/SH4 on eBay for $120 and being on a budget due to the fire I bought them. Didn’t realize they were coming from China until after the purchase was completed. They arrived yesterday and I’m having some doubts as to their authenticity. If anyone could tell from the pics attached I’d appreciate it, thank you.

 

[Artie]

Is it just the camera angle? The screw bobbin looks noticeably longer than the stud bobbin.

 

[Masta' C]

The current gen of counterfeits are incredibly hard to tell apart from the real thing. Well, visually at least...

Do you have any other pickups you can compare the mounting screws to?

Many times on these counterfeits, the mounting screws will be slightly thicker and, thus, the mounting holes will be slightly larger than a standard SD.

If you have a multimeter, I would also suggest checking to make sure the resistance values match stated specs.

The other 2 things that catch my attention here (besides coming from China) are:

1) The appearance of the top logo
2) The lack of machine markings on the bottom of the mounting tabs

I have a couple humbuckers in front of me that are dated 2019 and they all have SD's signature double-line tooling mark from the way the mounting tabs are bent/machined:

 

[GeorgeMumladze]

Hello, is this Seymour Duncan AHB-1B Real?

 

[GeorgeMumladze]

please help

 

[DCikes88]

Looks legit to me. Someone else will confirm additionally, I'm sure.

 

[Masta' C]

Hello, is this Seymour Duncan AHB-1B Real?

Yup! Nothing out of the ordinary with that one. Should be good to go :bigthumb:

 

[playas]

Anyone able to confirm the legitimacy of these two Antiquity Texas Hot pickups?

They look correct to me but I´m not too familiar with that particular model (and singles in general) so I could easily be wrong.