Tell Me About The Duncan Distortion
- Thread starter LLL
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Hsb
Well-known member
Love the 2 DDs Ive had/have. Its full, powerful but not over the top sound. When I compare it to my JB and Custom, Id put it between those two pickups. Not as warm as the JB but not as broght/clear/articulate as the Custom. For me, its almost my perfect pickuo, does 80s metal/hard rock to newer hard rock.
Ive tried other pickups but I have kept coming back to it.
Ive tried other pickups but I have kept coming back to it.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
My DDJ sounds different depending on the guitar.
In an LP, it has a thick fuzzy/buzzy low end - but not overwhelming, just compared to the treble. It did the best Black Dog sound out of the hummers I tried up to that point (59, WLH, JB, 78, 59/C, CC, A2P, 59/A4). (The only thing that bested it was a Bare Knuckle Black Dog, coincidentally.). The only thing near comparable that I had on hand was a Gibson 500T, but they are slightly different animals, just in nearby cages at the zoo. 500T didn't have that bottom end. But had the tight bright top end and the same heat hitting the amp.
In my Jackson, my DDJ was very bright and tight. Instant Scorpions Loving You Sunday Morning. Nothing else sounded just like it. Sounded like a million dollar record instantly.
In an LP, it has a thick fuzzy/buzzy low end - but not overwhelming, just compared to the treble. It did the best Black Dog sound out of the hummers I tried up to that point (59, WLH, JB, 78, 59/C, CC, A2P, 59/A4). (The only thing that bested it was a Bare Knuckle Black Dog, coincidentally.). The only thing near comparable that I had on hand was a Gibson 500T, but they are slightly different animals, just in nearby cages at the zoo. 500T didn't have that bottom end. But had the tight bright top end and the same heat hitting the amp.
In my Jackson, my DDJ was very bright and tight. Instant Scorpions Loving You Sunday Morning. Nothing else sounded just like it. Sounded like a million dollar record instantly.
hamerfan
Well-known member
Listen to beau - he is on the spot.
Just 2 things to add. I loved my DDJ in the Les Paul, but it was too much for me in the Strat.
The 500T can be very similar to the DD if you remove the side magnets and use wood sticks under the bobbins. After some tweaking I put one side magnet back in to have different flavor than the DD.
Just 2 things to add. I loved my DDJ in the Les Paul, but it was too much for me in the Strat.
The 500T can be very similar to the DD if you remove the side magnets and use wood sticks under the bobbins. After some tweaking I put one side magnet back in to have different flavor than the DD.
80's_Thrash_Metal
Slightly_Glazed_Believer
The DD is the best pickup ever made in my opinion. It works well in nearly any application. Cleans up well, very articulate with string to string definition.
can get super thick and saturated if you run it close to the strings. I think it's Tru strength is that The harmonics literally jump off the board!
it can be a little bright in some applications, but I like bright. Not shrill or annoying like a Dimebucker or an emg 81 or anything like that. It responds well to your volume and tone knobs.
Not that I claim to be a tone guru, but I've wired in dozens of pickups in dozens of guitars over the years. I've never met a DD (or DDJ) that I didn't love.
I currently run 2 blackouts emty sets, Dimebuckers, alt 8s, invaders, and a DiMarzio X2N. IN all reality 3 of the 4 of my "best" sounding guitars through my amp, and also in the studio are equipped with an SH6.
That being said, I'm a metal head that plays older rock and metal in std some of the time, and drop B thrashy metal as well. I don't play clean tones hardly ever.
The Black Winter is a close substitute and has a lot of the same character. The alt 8 "can" be another substitute, it can be more finicky about what it is going into.
The Gibson 500t can also be similar.
My humble opinion for you.
can get super thick and saturated if you run it close to the strings. I think it's Tru strength is that The harmonics literally jump off the board!
it can be a little bright in some applications, but I like bright. Not shrill or annoying like a Dimebucker or an emg 81 or anything like that. It responds well to your volume and tone knobs.
Not that I claim to be a tone guru, but I've wired in dozens of pickups in dozens of guitars over the years. I've never met a DD (or DDJ) that I didn't love.
I currently run 2 blackouts emty sets, Dimebuckers, alt 8s, invaders, and a DiMarzio X2N. IN all reality 3 of the 4 of my "best" sounding guitars through my amp, and also in the studio are equipped with an SH6.
That being said, I'm a metal head that plays older rock and metal in std some of the time, and drop B thrashy metal as well. I don't play clean tones hardly ever.
The Black Winter is a close substitute and has a lot of the same character. The alt 8 "can" be another substitute, it can be more finicky about what it is going into.
The Gibson 500t can also be similar.
My humble opinion for you.
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80's_Thrash_Metal
Slightly_Glazed_Believer
I also belong to the "old DDJ pickups have a special magical mojo" quality to them camp..... I'm a Believer!
a lot of folks poo poo that as sentimental BS.... But the DDJ's I have owned..... Mmmm hmmm they are THE best of the lot.
a lot of folks poo poo that as sentimental BS.... But the DDJ's I have owned..... Mmmm hmmm they are THE best of the lot.
Masta' C
Well-known member
I have experienced this phenomenon with the DD in a slim body mahogany super strat. Other pickups I tried tended to sound either wooly or thin. I had trouble finding one that really played nice with this particular guitar. The DD went in and...BAM!...George Lynch probably felt the small shift in the earth's energy that occurred that day!
The DD is somewhat similar to a JB, but it has a little "more" of everything, along with a tighter bottom end and increased midrange presence/clarity, but without the "honk" that the JB is known for.
LLL
New member
I'd say the JB (I have an 80's JBJ) is the best soloing humbucker I've tried yet, and that's because of the warm midrange (I'd venture in the 500Hz-1KHz range).
(Not talking about the upper mids bite here)
hamerfan
Well-known member
Masta' C
Well-known member
The DD's midrange response is edgier, not as round/warm as the JB, but not brittle either. The JB's solo tone is termed "fluid" for a reason...toss on the gain and it smooths out in a really pleasant way. Single notes have a lot of body to them. The DD has just a bit more presence and attack in its midrange, but the resulting soloing voice is like a sibling to the JB rather than a distant relative.
Chances are, if you know you like the JB and Custom, you'll find the feel and voicing of the DD to be sort of a combination of those, perhaps with a bit more compression, as hamerfan noted.
Clint 55
OH THE DOUBLE THICK GLAZE!
It's kickin. Less compressed version. Very good medium output option.
Demanic
PenultimateTone Member
It used to be marketed as a bridge pickup as I recall. The Seymourizer II.
Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk
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eclecticsynergy
Well-known member
+1 on the DDN as an excellent crisp medium-output bridge pickup.
Crunchy with nice even mids, great choice for a warm guitar.
SH6B is big sounding and pretty aggressive, yet still cleans up well.
I put in a double thick A8 to smooth the fizz a little for a bright guitar.
Sounds fabulous, still plenty of mass & muscle.
Crunchy with nice even mids, great choice for a warm guitar.
SH6B is big sounding and pretty aggressive, yet still cleans up well.
I put in a double thick A8 to smooth the fizz a little for a bright guitar.
Sounds fabulous, still plenty of mass & muscle.
