SH6 and TB6 Difference?

E

epicbeardchild666

New member
Hey everyone, I've been looking into getting a set of Seymour Duncan Distortions, and I'm a little confused on the specifications. The models come in SH6 and TB6, with the TB6 being a little wider. The guitar I'm putting these pups in is an F-Spaced Jackson. I've been trying to figure out whether the name difference has to do with bridge/neck, different sounds, or the spacing.

Thanks in advance!
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

It's my understanding that the "TB" models are the trembuckers. I think they usually put an "N" after the model number if it's a neck pickup.
 
Shouldn't be any real sound differences, and TB indicates "trembucker" (same idea as "f-spaced") bridge. AFAIK, all neck pups have the same spacing, unless you need one for more than 6 settings.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Get the TB-6. The SH-6 won't be wide enough. Glad to see someone getting the distortion. Those are great pickups.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

I remember a thread in the early stages of this forum where someone mentioned that the TB counterpart wouldn't have the same amount of windings considering the bobbin was wider so the sounds wouldn't be 100% between say a TB-6 and a SH-6. I have never AB/ed them myself and I do have both, so to me a Duncan Distortion sounds like a Duncan Distortion, whether it be standard or tremspaced.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

The sh6 and the tb6 are definately different, very similar but different. The TB6 is 17.4k and the sh6 is 15.4, mine are anyway. The sh6 is a little middier than the tb6, but you have to remember the tb's are voiced just a little different to compensate for the chnage of tone a tremelo has.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Dark Order Lord said:
The sh6 and the tb6 are definately different, very similar but different. The TB6 is 17.4k and the sh6 is 15.4, mine are anyway. The sh6 is a little middier than the tb6, but you have to remember the tb's are voiced just a little different to compensate for the chnage of tone a tremelo has.
Click to expand...

No they arent they didnt change the voicing at all. You make the mistake in thinking that the pickups are wound to a DC resistance they arent. They are wound to a turn count. With the wider bobbins the TB's do have a slightly higher resistance but there is no deliberate revoicing of the pickup infact if you took turns of wire off a TB bobbin to try and make it the same resistance as a SH bobbin you would wind up with a much greater difference in tone than if you wind them to the same turn count. DC resistance is far from the last word in how a pickup is wound.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Edgecrusher said:
No they arent they didnt change the voicing at all. You make the mistake in thinking that the pickups are wound to a DC resistance they arent. They are wound to a turn count. With the wider bobbins the TB's do have a slightly higher resistance but there is no deliberate revoicing of the pickup infact if you took turns of wire off a TB bobbin to try and make it the same resistance as a SH bobbin you would wind up with a much greater difference in tone than if you wind them to the same turn count. DC resistance is far from the last word in how a pickup is wound.
Click to expand...

This is definitely correct. I switched out my SH-6 for a TB-6 and the SH was 16.4K and the TB was 17.9K. Then I just got another TB and it was 18.1K. I do however believe that it is the extra winding wire (due to the bigger bobbin size) that makes the pickup a hint darker and it is done purposely for the thinner sound of a Floyd. It even says that it is voiced differently on the box. I love these pickups. Got all that gain for metal but still retains alot of clarity and definition and isnt super noisy like a 500T.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Fusion1 said:
I remember a thread in the early stages of this forum where someone mentioned that the TB counterpart wouldn't have the same amount of windings considering the bobbin was wider so the sounds wouldn't be 100% between say a TB-6 and a SH-6. I have never AB/ed them myself and I do have both, so to me a Duncan Distortion sounds like a Duncan Distortion, whether it be standard or tremspaced.
Click to expand...

They're the same windings. I have both, in two very similar guitars. If they aren't exact, then the difference is negligible.

The Sh-6 is in a 2006 Gibson Explorer standard in white (mahogany neck and body, ebony fretboard, TOM bridge), while the TB-6 is in a Gibson Tribal Explorer (mohogany neck and body, ebony fretboard, Kahler Tremolo system). They sound virtually identical, with the little added brightness attributed to the Kahler.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Edgecrusher said:
No they arent they didnt change the voicing at all. You make the mistake in thinking that the pickups are wound to a DC resistance they arent. They are wound to a turn count. With the wider bobbins the TB's do have a slightly higher resistance but there is no deliberate revoicing of the pickup infact if you took turns of wire off a TB bobbin to try and make it the same resistance as a SH bobbin you would wind up with a much greater difference in tone than if you wind them to the same turn count. DC resistance is far from the last word in how a pickup is wound.
Click to expand...

Dude, they did change it, the TB is a little less middy. Even the sh5 and tb5 are different
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

thanks for the help everyone i do appreciate it! now my next problem is that im having trouble finding the tb6's. i have found websites selling the sh-6's in a set but i cant find the tb6's in a set anywhere. Where would i buy these pickups for the best price?

Thanks!
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

epicbeardchild666 said:
thanks for the help everyone i do appreciate it! now my next problem is that im having trouble finding the tb6's. i have found websites selling the sh-6's in a set but i cant find the tb6's in a set anywhere. Where would i buy these pickups for the best price?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No TBs are offered in sets.

As you're in the USA, try banjomikez on E-bay.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

Edgecrusher said:
No they arent they didnt change the voicing at all. You make the mistake in thinking that the pickups are wound to a DC resistance they arent. They are wound to a turn count. With the wider bobbins the TB's do have a slightly higher resistance but there is no deliberate revoicing of the pickup infact if you took turns of wire off a TB bobbin to try and make it the same resistance as a SH bobbin you would wind up with a much greater difference in tone than if you wind them to the same turn count. DC resistance is far from the last word in how a pickup is wound.
Click to expand...

This +1
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

You can get a TB/SHn set on ebay from a place called Macdaddy Music. They offer alot of different pairings. The TB-6/SH-6n set is 145.00USD.
 
Re: SH6 and TB6 Difference?

darthphineas said:
the Lt is right.

it's about the spacing of the poles to align better with the strings.
Click to expand...

Right, not the bobbin itself being wider, just the spacing of the poles....
Am I correct?
(I dont currently have a TB pup to compare with my SH-4 JBJ)

There are valid points being made for each side, I never really thought about it much....
Imo you cant really compare 1 pup to another, even in the same guitar, because no pups sound exactly the same anyway. Atleast with my experience this has been the case.
 
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