Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

[Cathy Carter Duncan]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Once upon a time.... many years ago, 12 or more, Rodney Gene here came up with that solution. And then it sat adn sat and sat. Too complex to be loved by anyone other than its inventor.

Good news? We, with the one and only Scott Miller leading, have a brand new version well underway. It will come out iwth the new website in a few months time.

For now.... like they said, Call Scott or ask this great forum.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

We are the tone wizards. If you found the key to the seventh diatonic tone gate and are hear, forget that crappy thing.

The "Tone Wizard" is really more like the "Tone Guy Who Does Magic Tricks At Kid Parties."

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

+1

Be your own Tone Wizard. Spend approximately thirty years assessing the resonant properties of wooden instruments. Use trial and error pickup and/or magnet swaps to discover what best suits each instrument and playing style. Confidently predict which pickups should suit the instruments of other people. Finally, make outlandish claims for your abilities as a guitar tech and/or male escort.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

+1

Be your own Tone Wizard. Spend approximately thirty years assessing the resonant properties of wooden instruments. Use trial and error pickup and/or magnet swaps to discover what best suits each instrument and playing style. Confidently predict which pickups should suit the instruments of other people. Finally, make outlandish claims for your abilities as a guitar tech and/or male escort.

A little "tongue in cheek", I suspect.

 

[marvelous_seven]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Then we need Tone Wizard title under our avatar

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Confidently predict which pickups should suit the instruments of other people. Finally, make outlandish claims for your abilities as a guitar tech and/or male escort.

Are you by any chance referring to our own "the guy who invented fire"...?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I'm kidding! I'm kidding!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Are you … referring to our own "the guy who invented fire"?

Nope. Guess again.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

The tone wizard is a nice ultra-simple-in the ball park device. But really, it takes discussion. Which is what you get here...

Musical style,
Amp/fx,
and then the instrument qualities themselves.

The TW can only account for so much.

 

[zontar]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Hey, I went with a P-Rail in the neck and JB in the bridge, and I love it.

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Once upon a time.... many years ago, 12 or more, Rodney Gene here came up with that solution. And then it sat adn sat and sat. Too complex to be loved by anyone other than its inventor.

Good news? We, with the one and only Scott Miller leading, have a brand new version well underway. It will come out iwth the new website in a few months time.

For now.... like they said, Call Scott or ask this great forum.

Years ago...when I was planning on leaving Duncan and SB, Cathy asked me if I could come up with a 'Rodney in a bottle' before I left (I still have the email somewhere). This Tone Wizard was what I delivered (though a few months after I left). The current version has been in service for many years now. A simple tool that basically asked the fundamental basic questions I would ask players who were new to the game of pickups (and what my subjective answers may be). It was always meant to be just a simple guide or simple starting point for the player who has no history with the infinite journey of tone development. It has always been meant to be expanded upon and nothing replaces personal experience or the experiences of us players offering our insight through discussion and sharing. It is an exciting idea that it will be replaced or expanded on with something new. Duncan as a company is always forging ahead through creative development and it has always been of paramount importance to the company to have great creative people on-board. It supports that with its employees and it shows.

For those of you who think these types of tools are 'dumb', please consider that we all need guidance when we are new to something. This is one tool out of many that may provide that for the budding guitar player/tinkerer.

Cheers and much respect,

Rodney Gene, Austin Texas

Edit: Anybody here ever work in tech support in anyway? It gets nuts doesn't it? Just like the same questions are asked here over and over, it is 100x worse on the phones when you have stacks of other work as well. These tools help provide the answers to the same questions that are asked daily. They are meant to support both the user and the tech. Thats it.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Holy cow!! A ghost from the past. Nice to see you Rodney. I hope all is well.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Rodney, thanks for popping in. How about updating the Tone Wizard with input from forum members? Lord knows we've tried all kinds of PU's in all kinds of guitars.

 

[Little Pigbacon]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Rodney, thanks for pooping in.

{Laughing. Snorting. Laughing. Snorting. Etc.}

How about updating the Tone Wizard with input from forum members? Lord knows we've tried all kinds of PU's in all kinds of guitars.

That sounds like fun. Every time I see an engine like that, I'm interested in the steps that get it from "cloud of experiential wisdom" to usable widget.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

{Laughing. Snorting. Laughing. Snorting. Etc.}

That sounds like fun. Every time I see an engine like that, I'm interested in the steps that get it from "cloud of experiential wisdom" to usable widget.

You know, posting late at night has it's risks.

I think that would be a great project for forum members. Instead of saying: 'It always does this', why not say: 'Some players have experienced this, others haven't.' Potential buyers should know that '59N's are sometimes bassy/boomy in LP's and 335's (common complaint). They should know that JB's can get an ice pick spike and a flabby low end in warm woods (hotly debated subject here for years). Or that CC's can have an very rounded high-end in warm woods (common knowledge to us on this forum). Does it recommended adjusting PU and pole piece heights to dial in tones? That can make a big difference. When the Tone Wizard recommends PU's that some of us had bomb out in certain guitars, we're better-equipped to deal with it. The average player however, may be soured on Duncans and never buy another one (I know guys like this). I hate to see someone turned off from buying Duncans again because of one bad experience, especially if the Tone Wizard recommended it. That should be minimized as much as possible. Most players pay a tech to do the work, so even if the buyer can exchange or return the PU, he's still out some money. He doesn't want his guitar sitting in the shop, he's anxious to play it. Face it, Seymour is a legendary figure in the guitar world, and something of his immodestly called Tone Wizard should be dispensing some excellent info. To be a valuable tool, the Tone Wizard needs to offer real-life advice from real players. Otherwise it's off in left field and doesn't have much credibility. It shouldn't be whitewashed; tell it like it is, say 'Here's where it shines, here's where it may not." Be candid. Most of all, it should prevent most disappointments. It should be something we forum members have confidence in and recommend others use. What I've seen happen all too often is the forum response of basically 'Forget the Tone Wizard, here's what really happens with that PU.' There's thousands of members using thse PU's, which is an ideal group to survey. Duncan can't test and survey on that scale.

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Holy cow!! A ghost from the past. Nice to see you Rodney. I hope all is well.

Good brother Jolly! Thanks for the welcome. :wave: My life is excellent, thank you. I hope the same for you. Back to playing guitar and producing full time in Austin once again and enjoying it more than ever.
I am looking for a new forum to call home...perhaps the old stomping grounds? Well see. PM me sometime.

Much respect,

Rodney

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Rodney, thanks for popping in. How about updating the Tone Wizard with input from forum members? Lord knows we've tried all kinds of PU's in all kinds of guitars.

Good day blueman!! I think that is a fantastic idea. You players are the real frontlines and the real pioneers of tone. Trust me, your input is valued and appreciated. As for the Tone Wizard, I have nothing to do with that these days. I don't work for SD, just a friend like the rest of you. I am certain Scott is going to provide something very cool and pragmatic. Rest assured he is heavily influenced by the input from this group. Honestly what else have we got?

Cheers and best to you!

Much Respect,

Rodney Gene, Austin Texas

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Years ago...when I was planning on leaving Duncan and SB, Cathy asked me if I could come up with a 'Rodney in a bottle' before I left (I still have the email somewhere). This Tone Wizard was what I delivered (though a few months after I left). The current version has been in service for many years now. A simple tool that basically asked the fundamental basic questions I would ask players who were new to the game of pickups (and what my subjective answers may be). It was always meant to be just a simple guide or simple starting point for the player who has no history with the infinite journey of tone development. It has always been meant to be expanded upon and nothing replaces personal experience or the experiences of us players offering our insight through discussion and sharing. It is an exciting idea that it will be replaced or expanded on with something new. Duncan as a company is always forging ahead through creative development and it has always been of paramount importance to the company to have great creative people on-board. It supports that with its employees and it shows.

For those of you who think these types of tools are 'dumb', please consider that we all need guidance when we are new to something. This is one tool out of many that may provide that for the budding guitar player/tinkerer.

Cheers and much respect,

Rodney Gene, Austin Texas

Edit: Anybody here ever work in tech support in anyway? It gets nuts doesn't it? Just like the same questions are asked here over and over, it is 100x worse on the phones when you have stacks of other work as well. These tools help provide the answers to the same questions that are asked daily. They are meant to support both the user and the tech. Thats it.

Holy crap. Rodney Gene, one of the original moderators of the Duncan forum. For those of you that don't know him, he's great people. Feeling kinda old that Jolly and I are seemingly the only ones that commented. How long have we all been here? Geez. A good 25% of my life maybe?

Welcome back my brother. I've missed you.

 

[Despised]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Once upon a time.... many years ago, 12 or more, Rodney Gene here came up with that solution. And then it sat adn sat and sat. Too complex to be loved by anyone other than its inventor.

Good news? We, with the one and only Scott Miller leading, have a brand new version well underway. It will come out iwth the new website in a few months time.

For now.... like they said, Call Scott or ask this great forum.

And when are we going to see this new website, and new Tone Wizard? And funny you mention trying to contact Scott about this issue... I seem to have an issue every time I try and reach someone over there regarding questions and concerns I've had, and I NEVER got a response back. I take that back, I have gotten replies back. But the only people that have replied to my contacts were either Derek (Duncan) or Frank Falbo.

One thing that SD and DiMarzio BOTH need to keep in mind when developing a new Tone Wizard/Pickup Picker is to have the option to at least choose a 7-string guitar. By trying to find a set of pickups, and it's only giving you 6-string options that aren't available in a 7-string version tend to be rather annoying.

I also think that the sound samples need a drastic overhaul as well. I would say offer 3 different sound samples: the clean one, the current "dirty" one for a lighter, more classic rock distortion, and the last be the all-out aggressive distortion for metal and the like. This will allow people using the TW to check out the pickup, and have a better idea of what the pickup is really capable of by covering all 3 variations of tonality.

 

[Rodney Gene]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

And when are we going to see this new website, and new Tone Wizard? And funny you mention trying to contact Scott about this issue... I seem to have an issue every time I try and reach someone over there regarding questions and concerns I've had, and I NEVER got a response back. I take that back, I have gotten replies back. But the only people that have replied to my contacts were either Derek (Duncan) or Frank Falbo.

One thing that SD and DiMarzio BOTH need to keep in mind when developing a new Tone Wizard/Pickup Picker is to have the option to at least choose a 7-string guitar. By trying to find a set of pickups, and it's only giving you 6-string options that aren't available in a 7-string version tend to be rather annoying.

I also think that the sound samples need a drastic overhaul as well. I would say offer 3 different sound samples: the clean one, the current "dirty" one for a lighter, more classic rock distortion, and the last be the all-out aggressive distortion for metal and the like. This will allow people using the TW to check out the pickup, and have a better idea of what the pickup is really capable of by covering all 3 variations of tonality.

Good points.

I can't speak for Duncan on the contact issue, but they are a (very) good company who do care. I hope you work it out.
As for the rest, there weren't even 7 string pickups made as production models when this was made. They were only available from the Custom Shop and not many were being ordered. I am sure Scott is going to do great things with this, he is a brilliant guy. As for the 'when' I would be as patient as possible. None of this is an easy task and all of it has to be done when they are not answering emails and doing other work (the irony in that eh?).

As for tone samples...that is a monster undertaking requiring attention, resource and patience. Perhaps easier now with the advent of digital recording as the main tool, but Matt did a cutting-edge job for its time (this was even before MP3's). Its true and I agree with you, we reach a place when its time to upgrade, make changes to a site, add to our resources etc... just keep in mind a company does this while they maintain daily operations, not always as much a part of it as they want per se. Trust me, the desire and ideas are there, implementation is a reality that comes slower than desired sometimes.

Cheers and Much Respect!

Rodney Gene

 

[Despised]

Re: Seymour Duncan Tone Wizard page

Good points.

I can't speak for Duncan on the contact issue, but they are a (very) good company who do care. I hope you work it out.
As for the rest, there weren't even 7 string pickups made as production models when this was made. They were only available from the Custom Shop and not many were being ordered. I am sure Scott is going to do great things with this, he is a brilliant guy. As for the 'when' I would be as patient as possible. None of this is an easy task and all of it has to be done when they are not answering emails and doing other work (the irony in that eh?).

As for tone samples...that is a monster undertaking requiring attention, resource and patience. Perhaps easier now with the advent of digital recording as the main tool, but Matt did a cutting-edge job for its time (this was even before MP3's). Its true and I agree with you, we reach a place when its time to upgrade, make changes to a site, add to our resources etc... just keep in mind a company does this while they maintain daily operations, not always as much a part of it as they want per se. Trust me, the desire and ideas are there, implementation is a reality that comes slower than desired sometimes.

Cheers and Much Respect!

Rodney Gene

Hey Rodney.

I hear ya about how it's an intensive process to make such massive updates to the website, the Tone Wizard and the sound samples. But then again, said improvements are much and greatly needed. It seems that SD and EMG are the two companies that are majorly behind in updating their sites with the new products and information. I also know and understand that everyone does have other work to do in the process. It just gets monotonous that when you hope to see a new website up by March, and you still come back to see the same site that hasn't been updated in a few years. Especially when a company like SD has a lot of new and interesting things coming, and the everyday end user and guy on the street wants to see, know about and get these new products and info.

Welcome back to the boards, and a pleasure to talk to you. You seem to be a legend on here, so the pleasure is mine!