Screamin' Demon pairing realization

audiocheck

New member
Since the Demon came out in the 80's. Is it possible that it was meant to be paired with a neck single coil? or as a stand alone bridge?

Who knows which guitar George first put the Demon in?
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I love the Demon; I know many of Lynch's own guitars are/were HS configuration, but I'm not a Lynch expert. I paired mine HS with a Duncan Classic Stack Plus.

That said I think it's a misconception that the Demon isn't hot enough to pair with a full sized neck humbucker. Mine is much more powerful than the S4n it shares a guitar with; while hotter singles exist I haven't played one that wouldn't be overpowered by the Demon. Reading some people's comments you'd come away thinking it is hardly more powerful than a Strat pickup; def. not as puny output as you'd think from a lot of comments. I don't even think purported recordings of songs Lynch did using the Demon are representative of what the pickup does.
 
Last edited:
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I love the Demon; I know many of Lynch's own guitars are/were HS configuration, but I'm not a Lynch expert. I paired mine HS with a Duncan Classic Stack Plus.

That said I think it's a misconception that the Demon isn't hot enough to pair with a full sized neck humbucker. Mine is much more powerful than the S4n it shares a guitar with; while hotter singles exist I haven't played one that wouldn't be overpowered by the Demon. Reading some people's comments you'd come away thinking it is hardly more powerful than a Strat pickup; def. not as puny output as you'd think from a lot of comments. I don't even think purported recordings of songs Lynch did using the Demon are representative of what the pickup does.

all true

I've had a difficult time pairing it with another humbucker in a LP, because most HB in the neck can't cut as well. I think a SC would pair better tone wise. As far as power, the Demon is about as hot as i like to go. So my next LP build will be a Demon and a Staple. I am really curious to hear how that pairs up.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

It's not a high-output monster. Instead it's more medium output so something like a ssl-1 would be a good choice.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

Yes, I think that's totally plausible. As mentioned, despite it's name, it's no monster output pickup, by today's standards especially.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

Have it in an HS Strat, just because I have SSS and HSS Strats. Neck pickup is STK-S7 which has beefy output (was design as an overwound bridge), I had to lower it to match Screamin Demon output. This is my "go to" guitar where I can play almost anything on it. Screamin Demon is surprisingly good as a clean bridge pickup, just lower the guitar volume. Matches quit well also in middle position with single coil neck.

Lynch is using (used) mainly HS Strats from ESP, used to be maple body with maple neck (maple/rosewood fingerboards), don't know right now. Maple is a bright wood but I have a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz 5 bass with soft maple body and it's not bright.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

For sure not much cuts like a Demon and it retains a solid, tight low end that responds well to rolling down the volume for cleans. I imagine a Jazz would pair nicely in the neck, if only because the Jazz bridge and Demon are quite similar pickups (with the Jazz bridge being looser at the low end.) Both the Jazz and Demon pickups have more single coil character to my ears than most humbuckers.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

For sure not much cuts like a Demon and it retains a solid, tight low end that responds well to rolling down the volume for cleans. I imagine a Jazz would pair nicely in the neck, if only because the Jazz bridge and Demon are quite similar pickups (with the Jazz bridge being looser at the low end.) Both the Jazz and Demon pickups have more single coil character to my ears than most humbuckers.

Originally, I had it paired with a Jazz neck. the Jazz is a great neck pickup, but didn't hold up against the cut of the Demon. I am at the point of thinking that, for full size HB, to pair it with Full Shred Neck or StagMag split in the neck position.

right now i have a Demon Demon HH setup, and that is pretty good pair.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I believe that the first album to feature the Demon was the second Lynch Mob album. It's more low gain than the first one. When I saw him recently, he was playing the distressed looking strat with a Pearly Gates in the bridge and using the neck single coil like a clean channel. When the song would shift to a cleaner part, he would switch the the neck single. Really cool approach.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

George's tone is a bit thin for my taste. He makes it work, and it's not bad sounding. I just prefer something thicker, like Ackerfeld's.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

Had it with an Alnico 2 Pro as a neck HB for a while. No complaints.
Tonewise they couldn't be more different, but it was a good partnership.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I like for the neck and bridge positions to sound different. To me there's nothing worse than having to look at the switch to be able to tell what pickup, or combination thereof is in use.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

Originally, I had it paired with a Jazz neck. the Jazz is a great neck pickup, but didn't hold up against the cut of the Demon. I am at the point of thinking that, for full size HB, to pair it with Full Shred Neck or StagMag split in the neck position.

right now i have a Demon Demon HH setup, and that is pretty good pair.

This also can depend on the guitar. I've never used a Demon in a Super Strat or HS configuration, but in the Les Paul I had one in it worked very well with a Jazz, whereas the SG that I put one in it worked better with a '59
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I am not sure of the heritage of this pickup, but I've personally tried it with a Jazz, Alnico II Pro, Alnico II single coil, Five Two, and Classic Strat Stack, and all have worked well, just in different ways. It is a pickup that can work equally well with humbuckers or single coils, which doesn't happen often.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

It is a very clear pickup.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

I have one with two mystery Kramer singles. Works fine.
 
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

Since the Demon came out in the 80's. Is it possible that it was meant to be paired with a neck single coil? or as a stand alone bridge?

Who knows which guitar George first put the Demon in?

Id have to research to find out which guitar, but it was introduced in the early 1990's, like 91 or maybe 92.

"It first appeared on the January 1, 1991 price list for $125....." - Evan Skopp
 
Last edited:
Re: Screamin' Demon pairing realization

SCREAMINDEMO.jpg
https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/SCREAMINDEMO.jpg
 
Back
Top