SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

[lewisstorer89]

Ok Im new here guys and need some help regarding these 2 pickups? :S

I know this has probably been discussed to death on here already BUT I would still appreciate some opinions from people more in the know and experienced when it comes to Seymour Duncans.

Basically Im looking for a new set of pickups for my new Epiphone flying V

It has an Alder body with a rosewood fretboard (I dont know what the neck is made from but I will research)

Basically Ive narrowed it down to these 2 based on research and sample tones Ive listened too. I am mainly a rhythm player so I am after a CRUSHING tone. As in your face as possible WITHOUT being muddy and losing clarity etc AND I do play some lead (think Machine Head setup).

I am also after something that can do lovely cleans, (a farewell to arms intro & Locust intro etc) from the neck pickup.

I know you can get Neck equivalents of each of these pickups too so which ever is better out of the 2 for both positions would be great!. I dont have any problem with having say an SH-8 bridge and SH-6 neck IF thats the best setup for what Im after.....

Would love some advice and help on this guys and would really appreciate it.......if anyone needs anymore info on my gear to help with an opinion I will add it.....

cheers

edit: the neck is Mahogany....

so thats Alder body, Rosewood fretboard and Mahogany neck

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

I would go for SH8 bridge and a 59 neck. Not familiar with bands/songs mentioned, crushing rhythm sounds like the SH8.

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

would the SH8 work great in the wood involved?. Alder has a very balanced tone compared to mahogany etc so how would that translate to the pickups?. I was thinking 59 neck originally but thought I would think of something different?. May re-think though. If it is proved to sound better than the SH8 & SH6 neck pups then I will go for that........

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

The Jazz neck will give you your sparkling cleans and it is definitely a favorite for metal, a lot of jackson v's come stock with Jazz neck I believe. Distortion is a great match for Jazz and a great pickup in general for metal, I can't comment on SH-8 though.

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

thats really awesome......is their anyway to get comparison tones other than whats on this website as imo they are dire lol.

I would love an un-youtube way of comparing all these pups......like a 59 neck with a jazz neck comparison for example. Same with the 2 bridge pups in question

 

[Gplayerzzz]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

I like the Distortion, but the invader is a little too bassy/muddy for me. I like good treble and more high mids like the distortion has.

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

that muddy and bassy problem is a worry of mine. Would Alder help balance this out as its almost perfectly balanced tone wise?. If not then I might have to go with the SH-6 then find a suitable neck pup

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

If your thinking Machine head style sounds then your after EMG's But if your set on the SH6 or 8 then get the 6. I love the SH8 but most people who comment on it havent used it a lot and it is a very thick pickup if your after really tight chugging bottom its not so easy to get from it.

But that being said if your after crushing tone and dont want the screaming highs of the SH6 look to the SH5. The SH5 does some of the best brutal metal tones you will find. Too many people get hung up on the "hot rodded PAF" description" It has a very solid very tight bottom end.

I would lean twords the Jazz over the 59 neck if your after sweet cleans in alder.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

With those two I usually just think Bright guitar, SH-8.... warm guitar, SH-6...

Alder/rosewood I think is the wood combo for the Tom Delonge strat. He uses the Invader.

Folks around have been singing the praises of the Les Paul/Duncan Distortion combination for some time.

 

[Despair]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

If you want something in between the SH-6 and the SH-8, look into a PATB-2 Parallel Axis Distortion. (Yeah, it's TB spaced, but a lot of new guitars are either TB spaced or closer to that than SH. Also, more diffuse magnetic field, with 12 polepieces, so it's more forgiving of imperfect lineup as far as uneven string volume goes.)

It's not quite as bassy as the Invader, has a really awesome lower mid growl, though. Not as harsh as the standard Distortion, but not dark like the Invader can be. Leads are more like JB than either of the other two. A bit more compressed, but I've heard very few complaints of muddiness.

PATB-2 is one of my favorite ceramic pickups (TB-5 Custom --or SH-5 for narrow bridged guitars-- is probably my 2nd favorite), very rare issues with ceramic grit/harsh presence. Yet still a monster for all sorts of metal.

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

thats good to know....I may very well explore that in the future at the moment Im leaning towards either a Jazz or 59 neck and a SH-6 Distortion for the bridge....... :S so indecisive though lol.

anyway got any more opinions on Jazz vs 59?

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

Save the Invader for your mahogony guitars, I would go Distortion neck in the bridge with a Demon neck......

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

Distortion Neck pup in the bridge position?.......sounds weird?. And is the Demon better for cleans then than the Jazz?

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

The invader is crushing, but muddy. The distortion is less muddy and also crushing. Honestly I would suggest possibly bare knuckles or ahb-3 blackout in the bridge, ahb-1 in the neck. and no the jazz is far better in the cleans than the demon, it's lower output I think.

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

so if the Invader is muddy....would it be slightly cleaned up by the fact it is going in Alder?. I need to find this out. Alder seems a more balanced wood than Mahogany etc so may NOT be Muddy in this guitar?.

Jazz seems to be a winner then for neck pup

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

And is the Demon better for cleans then than the Jazz?

Nope, IMHO nothing is cleaner than the jazz, maybe a single coil?

As for sound clips, I love the netmusicians.org website. You probably won't find an exact comparison with same guitar, etc. but you will find a multitude of different recordings that are fun to listen to.

59

Jazz

SH-8

SH-6

This is a great recording of the jazz in a similar guitar: http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=8790

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

thanks mate so Im settling on the Jazz neck......and thanks to the site youve linked I will listen to a good amount of SH-6 & SH-8 clips and see what I think

Nice one

 

[lewisstorer89]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

Ive listened to the Jazz on netmusicians and it sounds incredible for cleans.... :O i am now 100% getting this for my neck pup. Just need some debate on the bridge pup. I am thinking about getting the SH-6 along with that new Liberator so that IF I dont like it I can try the SH-8 and fit it easily myself. Although I have a feeling I will love the Distortion and not want to change......

Jazz neck with Distortion bridge pups sounds awesome to me tbh

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

Jazz neck with Distortion bridge pups sounds awesome to me tbh

I think that would make a lovely combo.

 

[Brown Note]

Re: SH-6 vs SH-8???!!!

Master of Puppets tone is a fantastic examble of Invader and depleted mids. The invader does very thick crushing wall of tone better than anything else. You want invader for very thick riffs and *very* searing leads. It really sounds like the tone is on fire.

The distortion is pretty much the exact opposite. The sound is very tight and bright. You get the(early) Megadeth style spiky tone. It cuts through anything and if you like your guitar to be heard then this might be a bit better. DD takes nautical tons of distortion much better than invader, but Invader makes everything sound HUGE.

a quick comparison.
DD -very angry
Invader -armageddon.