Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

[Mayhem]

I have the oportunety of buying the picup for a fairly cheap price, but I don't know...
It only says Trembucker.
The owner said it came with a guitar he bought in 1990, but he changed it after to active emg because that was very "inn" at the time.. It has not been used since. He says it gives a fatter tone than a singlecoil(no **** :laugh2: )
He think it is a Distortion, or something called Original. He can't remember.
I don't think I will buy it because the price is not that extremely good(considering the risk), and it could be a Duncan dessigned(?). But I would like to know what it is.. Somone who has a picup who looks the same?

The picup is ****ing ugly :laugh2:

Have a look guys! (but don't make this a flame about how ugly it is, I really want some answers..)

 

[Thames]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Hey dude!
what you have is an original Parallel Axis Trembucker. Id jump on it anytime considering the price.

Well, it might not necessarily be a "Parallel Axis" model, but we can find the exact model if you have a multimeter handy and take a reading.

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

It looks like one of the parallel axis type trembuckers. If you look around on the site you'll find them among the 'normal' humbuckers. Distortion he said? Distortion Trembucker perhaps?
Ask him for the DC resistance, that might clear up some things. (and compare the reading with those on the SD spec chart)
And yeah those are pretty ugly, but still the design is trademarked by SD. These things were designed to go into the bridge position of a floyd rose equipped axe, but you can read all about that on the SD website.

 

[Mayhem]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Yeah.. When I e-mailed this guy I said that a trembucker could be almost anny SD picup...

I out of the picture, I have found out that it is a PATB-1 Original Trembucker.
Is this active? I don't want that. I had a listen to the sound clip and it had a quite dead tone compared to the JB. To flat and sterile.

 

[Thames]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Well, it might not be a Parallel Axis TB. A few duncan pickups, like the Distortion, are available with the Parallel Axis design.

No, they are not active, they are std passive pickups.

If you can have a reading of the DC resistance, it would help to nail the model.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Well, it might not be a Parallel Axis TB. A few duncan pickups, like the Distortion, are available with the Parallel Axis design. ...

I think you mean the Distortion Parallel Axis model, which isn´t a "Distortion in a PA design", but actually a different pickup, designed around teh Parallel Axis poles IIRC. Although in a way it is...

The "Distortion Trembucker" as it´s officially called, reads 21.xk whereas the "Original "Distortion reads about 16.xk. The tone is similar, but my Impression on the one axe I outfitted with the PA version sounded more open, and a bit smoother.

They are very similar, that´s for sure

 

[Hellion]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

It looks like an original Trembucker to me. If the price is right, buy it. It's a nice sounding pup and who knows; if it doesn't sound good in one guitar you might like it in another.

 

[Jackal]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

If the price is right go for it!
I've AB'd a Distortion Parallel Axis against a EMG 81 in the exact same guitar exact same amp settings (within an 1/2 hour of each other and not turning the amp off) & the Duncan is noticably louder (I mean more volume... not hum)

Don't get me wrong I LOVE the EMG81 but the PA-Distortion sounds more "full" and "complex" if that makes sense. They both have thier place.

 

[Thames]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

I think you mean the Distortion Parallel Axis model, which isn´t a "Distortion in a PA design", but actually a different pickup, designed around teh Parallel Axis poles IIRC. Although in a way it is...

The "Distortion Trembucker" as it´s officially called, reads 21.xk whereas the "Original "Distortion reads about 16.xk. The tone is similar, but my Impression on the one axe I outfitted with the PA version sounded more open, and a bit smoother.

They are very similar, that´s for sure

Well well... the Distortion Trembucker is the trem-spaced version, and the Distortion PA is the Parallel Axis version. Right or not ?

'cause I have a TB-6 (Distortion Trembucker, not the PA design) that reads ~16k, not 21.3 k.. this is becoming very confusing :headache: :werd:

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Well well... the Distortion Trembucker is the trem-spaced version, and the Distortion PA is the Parallel Axis version. Right or not ?

'cause I have a TB-6 (Distortion Trembucker, not the PA design) that reads ~16k, not 21.3 k.. this is becoming very confusing :headache: :werd:

I think it's the other way around.
Distortion Trembucker is the PA version and the TB-6 is just the Duncan Distortion in trembucker spacing.
I'm alomost shure about it but not entirely. I find it confusing too.

 

[Jackal]

Re: Strange Duncan trembucker.. What is this? Worth buying?

Okay Okay Here's the breakdown:

ParallelAxis Distortion Trembucker ~ 21K Ohms
TB-6 Distortion Trembucker ~ 16K Ohms
SH-6 Distortion Humbucker ~ 16K Ohms

I haven't tore one down yet, but, the large jump in DC resistance suggests the PA version uses a slightly thinner gauge wire or more winds (probably the former). The coil forms on both trembuckers are "physically" the same length and width-even though one has the rectangular look to it, which supports that theory.