New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

[Stig]

Hi, Folks! If anyone can figure out this mystery, it'll be one of you guys.

I've had this pickup since about 1985 or 1986, and I have no idea what it is. Came out of my Guild S-100. The original owner had put it in there, and I reinstalled the original pickup as soon as I realized that it was in the little storage area in the case. Since then, this has done time in a few guitars and will most likely find it's way into my new Agile AL-2500.
Research on the sticker is leading me to believe it may be a Duncan, although I always thought it was a Dimarzio.
And yes, that's wax on the back.
Putting a meter to it shows that the coils are black/white and green/red. It measured about 13 on the meter (if I'm reading it right) when red and white were twisted together and green with ground. When this was in my Tele, I had black and white twisted together, so it was running as a single coil all those years! Still sounded good, though.
Any thoughts?

 

[hamerfan]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

Its a pre 1983 Duncan Distortion Bridge SH-6B. And welcome to the SD Forum!

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

Its a pre 1983 Duncan Distortion Bridge SH-6B. And welcome to the SD Forum!

Well, dang - That was quick! Thank You. I had this thread on another forum, and had similar guesses, but figured you guys would know best.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

Welcome to the forum!

I would assume the DD sticker on the back means Duncan Distortion, and also if the red and white wires were twisted together that would mean black is the hot, and those are Duncan's colour codes. But, if the resistance was 13k then that's a bit low for a bridge model Distortion.

Can't wait to see what the more experienced guys have to say on the subject.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

Definitely NOT a DiMarzio. Wrong shades of red and green conductor insulation. Wrong shade of cream/creme on the stud polepiece bobbin. Wrong sort of tape wrapped around the bobbins. No letters or numbers stamped into the baseplate. Blah, blah, zzzzzzzzzz.

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

People I asked on another forum all seemed to think Duncan or Duncan-Designed, and that it was a Duncan Distortion.
While that reading seems low, I'm not all that handy with a multimeter, and was holding the wires and leads with my fingers, so that's only a ballpark figure.
I'm just going to assume it's a SH-6B, and toss it in a guitar. I'm pretty psyched to know that I already have one good pickup and now only have to buy one more!

It'll be going in the guitar on the right; a new Agile AL-2500 that I picked up as a B-stock for $189. It's a great player, and I don't have to worry about something happening to my '71 Deluxe, which no longer leaves the house.

The goldie has Tonerider Vintage P-90's by the way. They're great-sounding pickups. I hated the original mini humbuckers.

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

could it be a DD-n? (the "seymourizer")?

Stig.... there ARE members here who will try to take your helmet off

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

could it be a DD-n? (the "seymourizer")?

Stig.... there ARE members here who will try to take your helmet off

They'll have to get past my magnetic knees...

Actually a buddy of mine started calling me Stig years before Top Gear came along. My real name's Steve, and from back Ye Olde Punke Days, it evolved from Stiv to Stig - due mostly to Stig O'Hara from The Rutles.

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

They'll have to get past my magnetic knees...

Actually a buddy of mine started calling me Stig years before Top Gear came along. My real name's Steve, and from back Ye Olde Punke Days, it evolved from Stiv to Stig - due mostly to Stig O'Hara from The Rutles.

The DD-n is the duncan distortion neck (SH-7), or seymourizer.

Oh, i thought you were putting an effigy of rubens barrichello through your room fan :naughty:

 

[dr. ad]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

the cable's insulation, wires' colour codes, bobbins and screws look like SD's, although this would be the relatively rare "reverse zebra" (for SD) configuration.
from the pics it looks like black and white are connected, that's not standard; have these changed at some stage?

am guessing that the pre-1983 factor hamerfan mentioned is why the baseplate isn't stamped with the SD logo.

i'd trim all 4 conductors and check the DCR on the individual coils before commenting on the 13K reading you got.

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

the cable's insulation, wires' colour codes, bobbins and screws look like SD's, although this would be the relatively rare "reverse zebra" (for SD) configuration.
from the pics it looks like black and white are connected, that's not standard; have these changed at some stage?

am guessing that the pre-1983 factor hamerfan mentioned is why the baseplate isn't stamped with the SD logo.

i'd trim all 4 conductors and check the DCR on the individual coils before commenting on the 13K reading you got.

I disconnected the black and white from each other after that pic was taken. As I mentioned above, I didn't know it was an SD until this morning, and wired it from a DiMarzio diagram. As a result, I ran it for almost 25 years as a single coil without realizing it.
Sounded great, though... :banghead:

 

[dr. ad]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

I disconnected the black and white from each other after that pic was taken. As I mentioned above, I didn't know it was an SD until this morning, and wired it from a DiMarzio diagram. As a result, I ran it for almost 25 years as a single coil without realizing it.
Sounded great, though... :banghead:

ah, sorry; just read your post properly.
if it meters around 13 in series, i'd concur with ganzo in that you are the proud owner of a reverse zebra seymouriser II/DDn.
people (read: me) would pay good money for something like that; very underrated pickup.

he he. re the wiring, it takes balls to admit something like that

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

ah, sorry; just read your post properly.
if it meters around 13 in series, i'd concur with ganzo in that you are the proud owner of a reverse zebra seymouriser II/DDn.
people (read: me) would pay good money for something like that; very underrated pickup.

he he. re the wiring, it takes balls to admit something like that

Hey, ya know - I'll be 47 next month and started playing when I was 13. This isn't the dumbest thing I've ever done. :cool2:
Besides, it sounded great! I can't wait to hear the whole pickup.

As a matter of general interest, and since everyone loves guitar porn, I got the pickup when it was in the bridge position of this guitar in 85 or 86 (for $85!):

The original pickup was in the case, so I put it back in. And it's fantastic.

It spent several years in the neck position of this, where it unknowingly performed admirably as a single-coil:

And it's headed for that Agile shown above, along with a GFS classic 59 that I just ordered for the neck.
By the way - nice guitars, those Agiles. That's my second one. Scored it as a B-stock for $189!

 

[ganzosrevenge]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

i think STIG's a happy guy.

All he needs now is a bugatti veyron SS and an old SH-6

(Sorry, BIG top gear fan)

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

i think STIG's a happy guy.

All he needs now is a bugatti veyron SS and an old SH-6

(Sorry, BIG top gear fan)

I'm watching it now, and James May's Toy Stories is on next. Popcorn's popping!

 

[hamerfan]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

could it be a DD-n? (the "seymourizer")?

Stig.... there ARE members here who will try to take your helmet off

The Seymourizer has a SEY on the back otherwise looking identical. The 'no logo' Seymour Duncan are great pickups especially the 59's (i own three of them).

BTW nice Avatar, Stig!

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

BTW nice Avatar, Stig!

Thanks! Who doesn't love a nice Epi Casino? Or Bettie Page?

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

Follow up: Well, the pup's found a new home next to it's newest, bestest friend: a GFS Vintage '59. SD at the bridge, GFS at the neck. This thing's a fire-breathing monster now!
It sounds like a completely different guitar. By which I mean, a way better one. :1:
Thanks everyone for your help in identifying the mystery pickup!

 

[Stig]

Re: New guy needs help identifying a possible SD Humbucker

So here's what it sounds like now. Nothing innovative, groundbreaking, or even really interesting about the actual playing. I'm not a blues guy, but needed something to play over and see how she records. Here's what that Seymour and the GFS sound like with the new wiring harness I installed Sunday morning (switchcraft, cts, spragues, etc.). Recorded using Line 6 gearbox software, set for a small tweed with some drive:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=9473918

(The backing track is something I tossed together from loops)