Coryd
New member
Agreed! Anything LOTR gets my approval haha!
Just got a Duncan Distortion for the first time
- Thread starter Coryd
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Agreed! Anything LOTR gets my approval haha!
Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
From Lord of The Rings?
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
All of them do it. Depends on your taste.
JB would probably be the least "Metal" of them all, but plenty of Metal bands make it work.
Black Winter is the hottest. Really mid-focused with some very Swedish-ish grind in the high mids.
Distortion is still pretty hot, but not as hot as the 'Winter. It's a bit less tight, but still pretty tight, and it's got a tad more sizzle than the Winter and the JB.
Nazgul is the brightest. It's got both the JB/BW high mid grind as well as the Distortion's sizzle. It's also the tightest, dare I say.
It's dark sounding guitar stock. Maybe from mahogany body. Has no name fender passives vs the sig jim root with emg 60/81.
so u think nazgul be a good option?
Will it still do old school Metallica or is it too modern? To me best sound is 1st garage days Metallica for tone. Breadfan/the prince. this more black winter/distortion?
Listening to some comparisons the custom custom sounds good too but is it too low output?
so u think nazgul be a good option?
Will it still do old school Metallica or is it too modern? To me best sound is 1st garage days Metallica for tone. Breadfan/the prince. this more black winter/distortion?
Listening to some comparisons the custom custom sounds good too but is it too low output?
ErikH
Well-known member
The Distortion was my very first Seymour Duncan. Bought it off a HS friend for a project guitar. I actually made one when I was 17. It was a bad combination between an SG and a Strat with an ugly neck. The thing intonated right, had good action and sounded really good through his Marshall. Then I put the Distortion in my Strat copy and it was all over. Was playing Dokken stuff for days. Or trying to at that phase...LOL.
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I don't think any of the ones you asked is too dark for any guitar. You're trying to cover a very vast variety of metal tones. I'd say Distorton or even JB would be safer bets. The BW and Nazgul are a bit more case specific. Not that they can't do those tones, but I think the Nazgul is a bit more clanky, and the BW is a bit more raspy/dirty.
Inflames626
New member
I like the Distortion but it sizzles too much. Much prefer the Parallel Axis Original Trembucker, Full Shred, or EMG 81 in 24 volts.
When I do use the Distortion, it is for solos. It's the natural place for those scratchy, nasally, ice picky highs come through.
I like the basic character of the tone. Just like something smoother while remaining bright.
I found that the Alternative 8 had the same basic problem. Really scratchy, even backed down. Don't need that from a pickup when I have infinite preamp gain.
When I do use the Distortion, it is for solos. It's the natural place for those scratchy, nasally, ice picky highs come through.
I like the basic character of the tone. Just like something smoother while remaining bright.
I found that the Alternative 8 had the same basic problem. Really scratchy, even backed down. Don't need that from a pickup when I have infinite preamp gain.
Inflames626
New member
All that distortion from the pickup does compress and cut through, though. Usually very mild compression settings at the desk will get me where I want when mixing solos with that pickup.
Inflames626
New member
Omega is the end. Armageddon. It should get brutality.
What's more brutal? When something is born? Or when it dies?
Inflames626
New member
Re: First Garage Days
At the time I'm pretty sure James was using a Gibson Dirty Fingers and Kirk was using Seymour Duncan Invaders. The Invader to me is very dark and exactly the opposite of what a bright, articulate lead pickup should be. Some people can dial it in great but I never liked it.
What you are hearing on that recording is probably James's Mesa Mark IIC+ "Crunch Berries" head. Although Metallica is known for using Rectifiers, back in the day they used the Mark series. I have always considered the Mark to be the upper mids crunch and the Recto to be the thump--a mix Devin Townsend used well in SYL.
I prefer a medium output pickup dialed in carefully to a high gain amp with a pedal up front doing most of the saturation. The settings shouldn't be too extreme. Just enough to give the amp head and pickup additional oomph.
Some of my best tones have been done with EMG HZ1s, HZ3s, and HZ4s and those pickups are considering anemic by many in terms of output. However, they sit in a mix well and you can distort them and they retain clarity.
Remember, you can always dial back an amp, but it's hard to clean up a overly hot pickup short of backing it into the guitar body more.
For an example of why I prefer a Distortion for solos only, you can hear it here in my Jackson DK2S in this Judas Priest cover. Most of the rhythm guitar you can hear is an EMG HZ4. The rhythm guitar you can't hear is a Seymour Duncan JB filling things out but not really standing out.
Amps were Amplitube 4 I think: Marshall JMP 1 for the JB and a Fender Pro Sonic (yes, a Fender for distortion--played the real thing and loved it) for the EMG HZ4.
Solo was a Sansamp I think with a Bogner Uberschall cab.
Generally, I like doing things more in post. There's less "baked in" than with a pickup. If I find the console settings for this (I took a screen capture of it I liked the solo tone so much I wanted to use it for other projects), I will post it here.
https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/b...ealms-of-death
Inflames626
New member
Re: the Custom line.
The entire Custom line is like the Distortion dialed back on the fizz. I think all the Customs, and indeed most "overwound PAFs" or "PAF inspired" pickups made by most manufacturers are best used to track rhythms.
Instead we have gotten used to using the hottest output pickups possible--meant for soloists--and track rhythms with those.
You lost some grit and high end with the Customs, as well as the EMG HZ1/HZ1A, but what remains is much clearer while retaining chunk and power.
Think of a Distortion type pickup like a 5150 amp head with all its fuzzy gain, and think of a Custom as like a Dual Rec slightly scooped on a conservative gain setting.
The entire Custom line is like the Distortion dialed back on the fizz. I think all the Customs, and indeed most "overwound PAFs" or "PAF inspired" pickups made by most manufacturers are best used to track rhythms.
Instead we have gotten used to using the hottest output pickups possible--meant for soloists--and track rhythms with those.
You lost some grit and high end with the Customs, as well as the EMG HZ1/HZ1A, but what remains is much clearer while retaining chunk and power.
Think of a Distortion type pickup like a 5150 amp head with all its fuzzy gain, and think of a Custom as like a Dual Rec slightly scooped on a conservative gain setting.
80's_Thrash_Metal
Slightly_Glazed_Believer
The Distortion is the best pickup ever made!
I'm a huge fanboi in case anyone didn't know that.
They live in about 90% of all my guitars.
They just sound just right!
I'm a huge fanboi in case anyone didn't know that.
They live in about 90% of all my guitars.
They just sound just right!
Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
I think the Customs are just voiced differently. I wouldn't say less fizzy, but certainly more beefy, yeah. But at the same time beefy (to me) is the opposite of tight in a pickup. So you've got that to consider as well.
Everyone has their opinion, of course, but I feel the Customs get along better with Marshall-types and tighter-sounding amps and are more of a Thrash-y pickup. I know Gary Holt uses one with his modded Marshalls, ENGLs, and his Peavey XXX.
Everyone has their opinion, of course, but I feel the Customs get along better with Marshall-types and tighter-sounding amps and are more of a Thrash-y pickup. I know Gary Holt uses one with his modded Marshalls, ENGLs, and his Peavey XXX.
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eclecticsynergy
New member
They are similar in DCR but the winds are a bit different. This was confirmed years ago by a former Duncan employee who knows what he's talking about.
Yet the belief persists. Once misinformation is out there, it becomes impossible for the truth to supplant it completely.
Of course the fact that they're so similar makes it easier to believe.
eclecticsynergy
New member
My only high output guitar is a '77 Greco LP Custom with the Mayhem set. I love 'em.
That guitar needs different amp & pedal settings than my others so it isn't in regular rotation.
But when I pull it out for a specific project, it always puts a smile on my face. :evil:
That guitar needs different amp & pedal settings than my others so it isn't in regular rotation.
But when I pull it out for a specific project, it always puts a smile on my face. :evil:
If u are telling me the EMG HZ h4 is a good choice that is definitely a option because visually it will match up with the bridge pickup already in my jim root squier.(looks like covered active). U think thats a better option than distortion/jb/black winter.
i know a lot of the tone is from mark 2c+ but that is almost unobtainable head. I want that alive, full tone but not all the fizz. The 5150s have that alive tone but also the fizz. Trying to keep the alive thump but less fizz.Running iconic 5150 green channel with ts9 though mesa oversized 4×12. No mics. Just want that full alive in the room tone like garage days. I know it's not tight but it's not fubb either. The mesa 4×12 definitely dropped the fizz and darkened the the tone but now it needs something that these stock pickups aren't giving. I also have a ibanez with emg 81s. But mostly play the jim root tele. The way it's dialed in with the tele if I plug the emg81 guitar in and don't change any settings the 81 actually sounds lifeless moore gain but not tone. But I know it's cause it's dialed into the tele. I don't want to deal with the battery crap either. I know on lower gain amp the 81 makes a huge difference but if u have enough gain on amp not so much.
I have to say too. Volbeat shotgun blues is a incredible tone. Its crazy. I think i want tight but thats not tight
