SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

[mrfunnyman]

I'm thinking about experimenting with a few diff bridge pups on my Les Paul clone that I recently built, it's a 2piece mahagony body/set neck with a 1/2 maple top, and rosewood fingerboard all finished in nitrocellulose lacquer. I was just wondering has anyone out there tried out the SH-6 Duncan distortion in a Les Paul? What kind of tone should I be expecting by putting this pup in the bridge pos? I have the guitar strung w/ 11-48's and tuned 1/2 step down, the guitar is also wired where it has 2 vol and 2 tones but I only have the pups wired to the volumes w/ the tone pots bypassed so that way I can get more output. Also has anyone out there ever taken out the ceramic mag on an SH-6 DD and swapped it with a A2 or an A5 and if so what is the change in tone like?

 

[astrozombie]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

well i dont have much experience with that gear but, a distortion humbucker into a mahogany les paul type axe sounds like its going to be great for high gain tones.

ceramic magnet is hotter than any A.

 

[Mark Cearlock]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

A-5 makes it a jb, and with a-2 is very nice!! I have one for sale DD, if you are interested. I will throw in a a-5 and the shorter spacers, also.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

I had a Duncan Distortion set in a Les Paul for quite a few years. The clean tones on the DD bridge model are marginal but on an amp with a lot of clean headroom or if you roll down the volume pot you can make it work. You wont do Jazz with it but you can cover popular music.

The Distortion neck pickup is very interesting to say the least. The clean tones are pretty good for a 12k+ ceramic neck pickup and for pushed and gained tones it rips. I used to run the DDn in to a Marshall 2203 with a ProCo rat in front of it abd the lead tones were to die for, thick, gainy with sustain to spare.

Both pickups are pretty mid thick and have a nice bottom end attack. If you are in to hard rock/metal type stuff I think you'll really dig them in a LP type guitar.

 

[Aceman]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

I have a DD in an LP (10's in standard - occasionally Eb)

It is a full on hard rock/metal guitar. Pure in-your-face awesome!

The bottom will be tight and crunchy
The mids will be punchy
The highs will scream - but not be harsh (Rosewood/mahog)

I recommend 250/300k pots with the bridge. Why do you need more output?!?!?!?!
What are you going to play on this?

 

[astrozombie]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

i guess he's going to play subsonic metal.

 

[metlking]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

My #1 guitar, an 81' Les Paul, has been sportin' a Duncan Distortion for 20 years. I love it and see no need to change it. It's loud, rude and aggressive, but I can tame it by rolling the volume back a little if needed. I use 9-46 and tune to Eb....I can't say what it'll do with your 11's, I fear it might get a little muddy.

I use the same pickup in my McCarty's (3), Explorer (1), SG's (2), and soon in my Hamer's (2) Yes...I like it! I know what works for me and I stick to it! I can't preach that it'll make everyone happy, tho. We all have different tastes in tone.

I tried it in a Strat many years ago and didn't care for it then , I should revisit the idea........

 

[astrozombie]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

My #1 guitar, an 81' Les Paul, has been sportin' a Duncan Distortion for 20 years. I love it and see no need to change it. It's loud, rude and aggressive, but I can tame it by rolling the volume back a little if needed. I use 9-46 and tune to Eb....I can't say what it'll do with your 11's, I fear it might get a little muddy.

I use the same pickup in my McCarty's (3), Explorer (1), SG's (2), and soon in my Hamer's (2) Yes...I like it! I know what works for me and I stick to it! I can't preach that it'll make everyone happy, tho. We all have different tastes in tone.

I tried it in a Strat many years ago and didn't care for it then , I should revisit the idea........

i dont think .11s will make much a difference. if anything just play with the polepieces.

let us know about any decision.

 

[mrfunnyman]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

Thank's guys for all your input. The reason I use 11's-48's is b/c everytime I've tried 10's tuned flat on an LP it just don't sound right to my ears I don't know if it's b/c of the shorter scale or what but on my guitars w/ a 25-1/2 scale I use 10's-46's and they work fine but not on LP's. I like to play alot of hard music like AIC, Pantera, GNR, EVH yeah get my rift. Right now I'm running my LP into a Behringer Ultra metal pedalthen into a mid 90's Peavey 112 TransTube Bandit and a 4x12 speaker cab loaded with Carvin 100 watt British speakers.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

do it!

 

[Wonker]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

I never owned a LP but in my 2nd Gibson V and my JJ Melody Maker both SH-6 equipped, the SH-6b has been awesome!

 

[DepecheMoses]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

If I'm not mistaken, Laura Pleasants of Kylesa uses a Distortion in her Les Paul.

 

[mrfunnyman]

Re: SD SH-6 Distortion humbucker in a Les Paul

Ok so here is the update I installed the duncan distortion in my LP clone, then I had a JB humbucker lying around so I decided to install that in my chinese counterfiet LP custom black beauty. I also own. The DD and JB have both made those guitars come to life, the LP clone sounded good but was lacking something putting that DD in made it sound like I always thought a LP should sound. The counterfiet LP guitar is made out of basswood with a maple neck and it was also lacking tone putting the JB in brought this guitar back to life, I have not been able to put these 2 guitars down now that I've swapped out the bridge pups. I've also upgraded my amp to a Randall RH150 G3 plus. So the tones are getting off the chain.