Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
- Thread starter emaccarthy
- Start date
mistermikev
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
have the mini screamin in an sg90 and the 500XL in a hamer steve stevens. the mini is in a neck position and doesn't really have that 'les paulish' neck sound. bit dark. great harmonics. think I would say it's (percieved) lower output than the xl but that's just because the xl has a very full range response. xl is a great high gain pu. as some have said, great clarity. not what I'd call warm, more bright but sounds great.
I think the deamon would work better as a bridge p/u - not crazy about it in the neck - but put it in next to a bill lawrence gibson because the hbl feels very high output.
also of significance - the xl in the hamer is w/o a tone control so that may temper my experience.
have the mini screamin in an sg90 and the 500XL in a hamer steve stevens. the mini is in a neck position and doesn't really have that 'les paulish' neck sound. bit dark. great harmonics. think I would say it's (percieved) lower output than the xl but that's just because the xl has a very full range response. xl is a great high gain pu. as some have said, great clarity. not what I'd call warm, more bright but sounds great.
I think the deamon would work better as a bridge p/u - not crazy about it in the neck - but put it in next to a bill lawrence gibson because the hbl feels very high output.
also of significance - the xl in the hamer is w/o a tone control so that may temper my experience.
Last edited:
treyhaislip
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
WEll, I'm not the only one who thinks they sound similar and if this video was just a sound clip I doubt you'd be able to say which one was which.
I clarified my first post by saying the Dimebucker is not identical to a 500XL but they are similar–both get the Dimebag sound and are High Output compared to a Demon which is not a rail design and is a Moderate Output pickup. I never said they were the same, the OP mentioned articulation and cleans so I shared a clip of a clean channel amp where I was using a guitar that was loaded with a Dimebucker and Demon. I then posted a clip of where I had the same amp and settings with a guitar loaded with a Demon in the Bridge and Middle. This showed the Demon in all 3 positions as well as compared the Bridge position of a Dimebag pickup to a Bridge position Demon.
The 500XL and Dimebucker are not the same pickup but are similar–both nail the Dimebag tone, both are super articulate, both are high output, both are miscontrued as only for metal (great for multiple genres/style, IMO.)
Its been a long time, I don't remember too big of a change in the tone, mainly the response. The low end was tightned up a tad and the pickup sounded more focused. But I felt the response was the biggest change I noticed, felt a little different. Harmonics were still awesome and it still responded extremely well to the volume knob, purrs when turned low and roars when turned all the way up.
Good point, definitely worth a try.
If you want, PM your address to me and I will send you some Hex Screws to try out the mod yourself. Experimentation is the best way to learn.
WEll, I'm not the only one who thinks they sound similar and if this video was just a sound clip I doubt you'd be able to say which one was which.
I clarified my first post by saying the Dimebucker is not identical to a 500XL but they are similar–both get the Dimebag sound and are High Output compared to a Demon which is not a rail design and is a Moderate Output pickup. I never said they were the same, the OP mentioned articulation and cleans so I shared a clip of a clean channel amp where I was using a guitar that was loaded with a Dimebucker and Demon. I then posted a clip of where I had the same amp and settings with a guitar loaded with a Demon in the Bridge and Middle. This showed the Demon in all 3 positions as well as compared the Bridge position of a Dimebag pickup to a Bridge position Demon.
The 500XL and Dimebucker are not the same pickup but are similar–both nail the Dimebag tone, both are super articulate, both are high output, both are miscontrued as only for metal (great for multiple genres/style, IMO.)
Its been a long time, I don't remember too big of a change in the tone, mainly the response. The low end was tightned up a tad and the pickup sounded more focused. But I felt the response was the biggest change I noticed, felt a little different. Harmonics were still awesome and it still responded extremely well to the volume knob, purrs when turned low and roars when turned all the way up.
Good point, definitely worth a try.
If you want, PM your address to me and I will send you some Hex Screws to try out the mod yourself. Experimentation is the best way to learn.
emaccarthy
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
Thanks for the offer of the screws but I think I have some extra kicking around from a separate screamin demon I can use. I just ordered a new set of strings so once I get those and install them and still feel the need to tweak and experiment for extra clarity I might try swapping them in.
WEll, I'm not the only one who thinks they sound similar and if this video was just a sound clip I doubt you'd be able to say which one was which.
I clarified my first post by saying the Dimebucker is not identical to a 500XL but they are similar–both get the Dimebag sound and are High Output compared to a Demon which is not a rail design and is a Moderate Output pickup. I never said they were the same, the OP mentioned articulation and cleans so I shared a clip of a clean channel amp where I was using a guitar that was loaded with a Dimebucker and Demon. I then posted a clip of where I had the same amp and settings with a guitar loaded with a Demon in the Bridge and Middle. This showed the Demon in all 3 positions as well as compared the Bridge position of a Dimebag pickup to a Bridge position Demon.
The 500XL and Dimebucker are not the same pickup but are similar–both nail the Dimebag tone, both are super articulate, both are high output, both are miscontrued as only for metal (great for multiple genres/style, IMO.)
Its been a long time, I don't remember too big of a change in the tone, mainly the response. The low end was tightned up a tad and the pickup sounded more focused. But I felt the response was the biggest change I noticed, felt a little different. Harmonics were still awesome and it still responded extremely well to the volume knob, purrs when turned low and roars when turned all the way up.
Good point, definitely worth a try.
If you want, PM your address to me and I will send you some Hex Screws to try out the mod yourself. Experimentation is the best way to learn.
Thanks for the offer of the screws but I think I have some extra kicking around from a separate screamin demon I can use. I just ordered a new set of strings so once I get those and install them and still feel the need to tweak and experiment for extra clarity I might try swapping them in.
treyhaislip
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
Anytime man! And if you think about it, please let us know what you think if you do the mod yourself!
Anytime man! And if you think about it, please let us know what you think if you do the mod yourself!
emaccarthy
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
I think its safe to say the people at seymour duncan know what they are doing. After I put on fresh strings I did a comparison and really didn't like the feel of the dual hex scews. Way too tight and focused and lacked the depth and character that was once there. I swapped it back to its original mis-matched coil config.
I think its safe to say the people at seymour duncan know what they are doing. After I put on fresh strings I did a comparison and really didn't like the feel of the dual hex scews. Way too tight and focused and lacked the depth and character that was once there. I swapped it back to its original mis-matched coil config.
treyhaislip
New member
Re: Screamin Demon vs Bill Lawrence (B&B) L500XL
Ha! That they do!
I used the hex screws with the JB and loved it in a Gibson Ceramic Set (496R&500T.) I think it also depends on the individual guitar–no two Les Pauls/Strats are gonna sound identical. Thanks for the update!
Ha! That they do!
I used the hex screws with the JB and loved it in a Gibson Ceramic Set (496R&500T.) I think it also depends on the individual guitar–no two Les Pauls/Strats are gonna sound identical. Thanks for the update!