SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

[Chuck_Norris]

I'm looking for information about the DD neck. Any help is greatly appreciated.

- DC resistance? Resonant peak?
- What does it do best/worst?
- How good are the cleans?
- How would you describe it's tone?

I plan to buy a Schecter Hellraiser Special C-1 (Mahog body [not sure whether the Maple cap is thick or just a veneer], set Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, TOM bridge, 25.5 scale).

It's going to be an all-out metal machine (Thrash, Groove, Death, Prog) and so far, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to replace the EMGs. For the bridge position, I've chosen the DD so the DDn looks like a good match.

The neck pickup should be articulate but not single-coily, fat and soulful but not muddy. Will the DDn do the trick or should I look for something else?

[So far, I've played the JazzN, FSn, LiquiFire, PATB-1n in the neck position. I really dislike the FSn for it's piercing highs and lack of body/soul, the LiquiFire does a much better job. PATB-1n also lacks some soul imo. The JazzN is my favorite so far but sometimes it can be a bit boomy.]

Thanks for your time and advice!

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Specs are on the site. I used one in the neck for 3 years in a couple of guitars. I liked it. Nice singing quality. Hotter than usual for a neck pup but it had more high end. It has been a while but I liked it. Only sold it since at the time I rarely used neck pickups. Liked it tho

 

[allstarrme]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

Its got a 12.7K output, 6.5khz resonant peak, ceramic mag. I haven't used mine in a while but its thick with a full sound while still having good highs. cleans are ok, not thin or piercing. great for a slight overdriven sound.

I've been meaning to try a liquifire neck, but the distortion has a much thicker midrange punch compared to the full shred. I've got a screaming demon in the neck on a guitar and its pretty articulate but much more scooped than a distortion neck.

there's not much else in the duncan line in the 10-12K range for neck pickups, its a great pickup to try, especially if you can find a used one at a good price.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

I'm looking for information about the DD neck. Any help is greatly appreciated.

- DC resistance? Resonant peak?
- What does it do best/worst?
- How good are the cleans?
- How would you describe it's tone?

I plan to buy a Schecter Hellraiser Special C-1 (Mahog body [not sure whether the Maple cap is thick or just a veneer], set Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, TOM bridge, 25.5 scale).

It's going to be an all-out metal machine (Thrash, Groove, Death, Prog) and so far, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to replace the EMGs. For the bridge position, I've chosen the DD so the DDn looks like a good match.

The neck pickup should be articulate but not single-coily, fat and soulful but not muddy. Will the DDn do the trick or should I look for something else?

[So far, I've played the JazzN, FSn, LiquiFire, PATB-1n in the neck position. I really dislike the FSn for it's piercing highs and lack of body/soul, the LiquiFire does a much better job. PATB-1n also lacks some soul imo. The JazzN is my favorite so far but sometimes it can be a bit boomy.]

Thanks for your time and advice!

Had a DD set in a Les Paul for years, you'll dig it.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

It's my favorite Duncan neck pickup, I shoulda kept mine. Out of those you've previously tried it will most resemble the Liquifire, but it's hotter and has more low end without being muddy.

 

[Chuck_Norris]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

A hotter, thicker LiquiFire? That sounds awesome! Thanks for the info guys.

 

[mustaine-who?]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

I must have mine wired wrong. I don't care for it at all. I'd describe it as vintagey...no where near the singing quality of the FSn...

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

I must have mine wired wrong. I don't care for it at all. I'd describe it as vintagey...no where near the singing quality of the FSn...

Yup, that sounds like installer error. I had one in an LP copy and it was almost overwhelming.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

A hotter, thicker LiquiFire? That sounds awesome! Thanks for the info guys.

It's not that much like a Liquifire, just more like it than the others.

 

[orpheo]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

It's a neat neck pickup. I like it, it's kind of hot-ish yet quite clear.

I wonder what kind of wire gauge it is. if it's an underwound-ish custom, or an overwound-ish screaming demon, with a different mag.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

The Demon is an underwound Custom, the Seymourizer is in between, 43 awg.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

decided to bump this, instead of starting another thread.

having tried the DD bridge before, I didn't like how it split on a push/pull on a clean amp setting. it lived up to it's name. as far as being in series on a dirty amp setting, it was fine. but after looking at the tone chart and reading some comments about the DD neck, I'd like to ask about it....

finding a neck pup that fits me has been a chore over the years. the Jazz is too flabby and the '59 is only slightly better. for single-sized, the Hot Rails are fine although at times during certain applications I'd like if there were a little more open and had a bit more high-end ring. the FS neck has been filling the spot for a full-size hum neck pup for over 10 years... but it's typically going up against a hot bridge pup like the JB8 or C8 and while I like the tighter sound the FS has over the Jazz and '59 there are times where I'd like it to a bit more open.

I like how the DDn looks as far as output. my thoughts are with regard to how tight and articulate it's going to be in shredder guitars through a high gain amp and how it will clean up when split. the split JB8 and split C8 are a bit hot too clean up as well as a split FSn and I don't want to totally remove access to a clean tone. or is there some sort of cap or resistor trick that can be done on a push/pull to ease it off when split but let it go full bore when in series?

anyway, I think you guys get the idea. your input would be appreciated. thanks! :thanks:

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

Works pretty well in a thinner body mahogany guitar!

I replaced a stock PRS pickup this afternoon, because it was pretty bland. I needed some more brightness and some additional character. I asked about a different pickup for it in another thread, and I had pretty much determined I wanted a Jazz. But I figured I'd go through my parts drawer first.

Anyways, I had never come across G&B pickups before, and they aren't great, from what I can tell. In my Les Paul, the DDn was way too voweley sounding all the time. It was like a wah was on all the time. I put an Alnico 5 in it and it worked all right for a while, before I finally settled on a 59n with Alnico 4.

In the PRS, though, the DDn works pretty well stock. I put my old thick ceramic back in it and replaced the old spacers. After no fun putting it in, it sounds pretty decent. The cleans are surprisingly good. The bass is nice and tight, and the high end is detailed and clear. It holds up extremely well under high gain, and the definition is unbeatable. It comes back with a bit of the oooh sound you typically hear in the neck position, but the pick attack is enough to keep it from sounding too midrangey.

It'll stay for a while.

I feel like I just wrote your answer a few weeks ago.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

I feel like I just wrote your answer a few weeks ago.

22 or 24 fret?

 

[darthphineas]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

I feel like I just wrote your answer a few weeks ago.

when you say "The cleans are surprisingly good", how do you get your cleans? rolling off the volume pot? setting your amp to a clean setting for the full hum? something else? and figuring a PRS is probably not quite the same as a shredder with a Floyd, how do you feel it would translate?


I'm still very much interested if anyone has attempted anything with caps (or something similar) on a push/pull to affect tone and/or output.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

when you say "The cleans are surprisingly good", how do you get your cleans? rolling off the volume pot? setting your amp to a clean setting for the full hum? something else? and figuring a PRS is probably not quite the same as a shredder with a Floyd, how do you feel it would translate?

Usually I play into a clean amp with a touch of reverb, and the volume about halfway up. It's a 22-fret guitar (to answer the question above yours), and it's not that thick of a body. In fact, I think it works better in a thinner body. It may be perfect for a shredder with a Floyd, although that's entirely speculative on my part.

The thing that stuck out to me about it is that it sounds beautiful on cleans, with clarity, sparkle, and more dynamics than I would expect out of a hotter pickup with a huge ceramic magnet. Then, when you turn up the gain, it really holds together. You really hear every note, every attack of the pick, and it stays very even. It is much more clear than I've ever gotten out of my 59 in my LP, but it definitely loses any vintage vibe. But I don't think you're going for a vintage vibe in a Floyded shredder.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: SH-6n (Duncan Distortion neck): info needed

a lot of what I'm hearing about the DDn sounds like an interesting fit for my high output pickup shedder guitars <- yep, no grandpa vintage rock vibe here. lol! but when you talk about how it clean up with the volume turned down, is that the guitar volume or are you tweaking your amp settings? my approach is that I have some amp settings that have been working great for many pickups in many guitars for many years and that it doesn't really work for me to tweak an entire setup over a single pup. in fact, I'm about to follow up on my question on caps and resistors with a new thread. but if you could clarify the setting under which you are getting the nice clean tones from the DDn, that would help a lot. thanks!