the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

[zenmindbeginner]

I'm sure many of the die hard Seymour Duncan and George Lynch fans will already have seen this since it's on the Facebook page and the website.

But I did do a Sneak Preview here and would be remiss in not presenting the actual video.

Here it is



I'm not crazy about how it looks in 360p, the bitrate makes some of the graphics look like poo.
Not sure why they throttled down the bitrate during the complex parts, it's an error on their part.
It's full HD, so at 480p starts to look decent, but the intro looks pretty ratty at 360p which is the resolution for this embed.

This has a complex guitar sound:

The left channel is Princeton Reverb + pedalboard recorded by two microphones
The right channel is my POD X3 Live submixed to mono with my usual CustomTone patch.

Lynch's sound was really complex with multi-amp/multi-microphone set-ups. I thought the least that I could do was use as much firepower as I had available... my Super Reverb's reverb stopped working sometime last Spring and it's currently in need of repair so I used my Princeton reverb instead. There's a point where I show each pedal in my pedalboard that I use... the knobs are exactly where I had them when I recorded.

I must admit that I am thankful for the members in the '78 Model review thread that do not care for modeling and prefer tube amps. This led me to develop my pedalboard+amp+microphone set-up... I don't think I ever would have done that had they not protested so vociferously about my unabashed use of modelers. The end result is that I don't even play through my modeler much anymore and TOTALLY prefer my amp+pedalboard+microphones set-up. The sound I captured from my "analog" rig was around 85% of what I experience standing in front of the amp so I included the "digital" rig because I need to refine and improve the "analog" rig until I am hearing 100% of what I experience standing in front of the amp or in it's vicinity.

I apologize for kicking and screaming the entire way, it was really fantastic advice. I guess the only thing left to debate is whether or not I should have used a blackface Fender amp... purists will say that I should have used a Marshall. I must say that I am a blackface Fender guy all the way... the amps are magical and just my personal preference... if I had an extra 2 grand laying around, I would just buy another Fender. lolz!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

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[GuitarDoc]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

Wow! Who would ever imagine that it would actually sound like that from just reading the specs.

 

[ErikH]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

:baby::baby::fing2::fing2::eyecrazy::eyecrazy::eek2::eek2::headbang::headbang:


Thanks. That's the best demo of that pickup I've ever heard. Great chops, dude.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

So is this the same "Dokken Bucker" that people have been talking about? I like how the fundamental note is dark, tight and resonant then it blooms into that bright snarling sustain when you let chords ring out. Perplexing how George decided to completely change gears tonewise when he left Dokken and how everyone was left chasing his earlier tone?

 

[darthphineas]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

:baby::baby::fing2::fing2::eyecrazy::eyecrazy::eek2::eek2::headbang::headbang:


Thanks. That's the best demo of that pickup I've ever heard. Great chops, dude.

You are so very welcome. Your effusive positivity means a whole lot to me.

I cobble these videos together like a little elf in his workshop... and do my best to convey the essence and artistry of the Custom Shop (through as many pixels and bits as possible).

But thank Scott Olson too, he is almost solely responsible for these new Custom Shop video reviews that I have been doing. If he didn't decided to take a chance on me, these never would have happened.

First off thanks for the props. Secondly, that is an amazing demo that definitely tops the 78 demo. I had no idea the Super V could do that based on the description/specs from the site. Where I had originally snubbed it, this video is giving me second thoughts. Very groovy.

Our tone discussions were instrumental in the development of the Super V video... I needed someone to bounce ideas off of and to really get down to the bottom of what the Super V pickup is all about. Plus, it helps that you are sort of a George Lynch expert and have even met him before. You are so very welcome.

It took around a week or so for me to figure out what this pickup was all about... my expectation of what the pickup would sound like due to it's specs was quite different. After I found the quote from george Lynch about the pickup being like a "50's pickup with lower output but with a tighter midrange" it all started to make sense to me.

George Lynch is such a brilliant tone wizard and this pickup is truly imbued with his sonic sorcery. It's a distinct and vivid pickup that has the combined spirit of both George Lynch and Seymour Duncan. The Super V's pedigree goes all of the way back to Seth Lover but also has the sonic qualities that would rock the audiences of Bonnaroo, Glastonbury or Wacken Open Air.

So is this the same "Dokken Bucker" that people have been talking about? I like how the fundamental note is dark, tight and resonant then it blooms into that bright snarling sustain when you let chords ring out. Perplexing how George decided to completely change gears tonewise when he left Dokken and how everyone was left chasing his earlier tone?

There is only one Custom Shop signature George Lynch pickup and it is The Super V. This is a pickup that was formally created by George, MJ and Seymour when ESP was creating the Super V guitar models. George still plays Screamin' Demons but the Super V is the pickup that bears his name and has his sonic signature.

The "Dokkenbucker" is an informal word of mouth Custom Shop pickup that will probably never appear in the catalog under that name. It's based on a Duncan Distortion with 44AWG wire and a ceramic magnet. I'm pretty sure that the wire isn't plain enamel due to Darthphineas and Luke Duke both noting that the wiring looks red.

But yes, every riff I played in that video was most likely recorded either with a stock Distortion or a "DokkenBucker". I tend to think that maybe the DokkenBucker came about sometime after Tooth and Nail but it might have been after Under Lock and Key. Lynch's guitar sound changed drastically between albums, yet I hear a lot more in common between ULAK and BFTA than between Tooth and Nail and ULAK.

One thing I DO know, is that the little notebook that has the recipe written in there from when Seymour created the pickup for George in the Dokken days... DOES have a date. Whether or not that date will be disclosed is for MJ and Derek to decide.

 

[CTN]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

killer demo dude. really tasty tones and playing :headbang:

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

I had heard about his Super V guitars, but I was unaware there was a custom shop model for it?

Strange that it took 7 years for this pickup to finally get some press? This makes me believe that there are probably plenty of custom shop and prototype pickups that are lying around which do have commercial potential, but SD hasn't been able to figure out how to market them. This is where product demos make a world of difference and where a focus group would be able to write the marketing material. Basically demo the pickup, record and collate the focus groups impressions, then make pre-production modifications and write product literature based on the feedback from beta testers. But what do I know I fix computers!

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

killer demo dude. really tasty tones and playing :headbang:

That is very kind of you to say CTN... way cool!!!

I had heard about his Super V guitars, but I was unaware there was a custom shop model for it?

Strange that it took 7 years for this pickup to finally get some press? This makes me believe that there are probably plenty of custom shop and prototype pickups that are lying around which do have commercial potential, but SD hasn't been able to figure out how to market them. This is where product demos make a world of difference and where a focus group would be able to write the marketing material. Basically demo the pickup, record and collate the focus groups impressions... but what do I know, I fix computers!

Oh man, the Custom Shop is just really getting started... before now it was more low key and was just another aspect of Seymour Duncan that set them apart from the other guys.

Seymour Duncan went through some changes in the past year or so... new faces, new responsibilities, a shift in the leadership of day to day operations... Derek Duncan is now running the Custom Shop and Cathy Duncan is Chief of Executive Operations manager. Scott Olson is working closely with Derek on marketing, so you will see things taking shape at the Custom Shop all through the next year or so. I will obviously do my best in bringing these Custom Shop creations to your eyes and ears via the system of tubes we call the internets.

The two things that haven't changed however, are that Maricela is still winding the best pickups under the sun and that Seymour Duncan is still the most trusted name in the Music Industry.

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

Fantastic demo! I'm buyin' me at least one of these after hearing you play thru it. Thanks much!

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

That was feck'n AWESOME man! I don't think GL could have done it better himself!

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

Excellent demo and playing. As I mentioned on a previous occasion, this pu doesn't sound like what you'd expect if you just read about it on paper - it's a good deal bigger and tighter sounding than a typical A2 pup. The midrange is very appealing and complex, lots of attitude!

 

[mantis]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

Very good demo and playing. You captured some of the key elements of GL's playing style which IMO is extremely hard to do. Not many guys including myself can capture it. George has a very unique playing style and it's like no other. He is by far my favorite guitarist.

This pickup really screams and has great bite and sheer raw power. I love its response. I have a Screamin Demon and while it's a pretty badass pickup , it lacks in many areas for me personally. I think it's a bit whinny and doesn't drive as well as I would like it or as good as my TB4 does. I do however think it cleans up better then the TB4 which is to dark and aggressive.

I'd like to give this pickup a good test drive and see what else it can do. Playing Lynch stuff is awesome but what else can it do? That is the limitation I feel is on the Screamin Demon. I don't care for it to do some of the other stuff I like to do.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

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[ToddStaples]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

I also would not think that pickup sounded like this from the Specs. This sounds wonderful...

Hey zen, I'm curious about the A2 mag in this one. Did it soften the highs or was it wound so that the harmonics (pinched, tapped, etc.) of the players style came though easily. I find with my rig that I have to be thoughtful about what I put A2 pups into if I want something that's workable with my regular setup...so I'm curious.

I too am curious about this. My rig usually doesnt play well with A2, but.... man this sounds good...
Given that the players tone seems to change every time the water gets hot, what key elements did you find we're essential to nail a tone that could best accent the style of the playing in the demo?


Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad

I am curious about this as well....

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

I also would not think that pickup sounded like this from the Specs. This sounds wonderful...

Fantastic demo! I'm buyin' me at least one of these after hearing you play thru it. Thanks much!

That was feck'n AWESOME man! I don't think GL could have done it better himself!

Excellent demo and playing. As I mentioned on a previous occasion, this pu doesn't sound like what you'd expect if you just read about it on paper - it's a good deal bigger and tighter sounding than a typical A2 pup. The midrange is very appealing and complex, lots of attitude!

Thanks a bunch fellas, it's really wonderful that you like the rather bombastic review and or are more interested in the pickup after watching and listening to it.

Hopefully the CS video reviews will keep getting better and better as we go along! : )

Hey zen, I'm curious about the A2 mag in this one. Did it soften the highs or was it wound so that the harmonics (pinched, tapped, etc.) of the players style came though easily. I find with my rig that I have to be thoughtful about what I put A2 pups into if I want something that's workable with my regular setup...so I'm curious.

Given that the players tone seems to change every time the water gets hot, what key elements did you find we're essential to nail a tone that could best accent the style of the playing in the demo?

I regrettably have no information on the pickup other than it's DC resistance and type of magnet. The stuffs that's in the video is basically everything that's been written or said about that I can find. It has specs of a JB2 but is absolutely not a JB2. The wire that is smaller than 44AWG is all speculation on my part due to the fact that it just doesn't sound or play at all like a JB2. The extra harmonics and sweetness indicate to me that it has a lower induction than a JB2, which also might point to a smaller wire gauge than 44AWG. I have no idea whether or not the magnet is degaussed, fully charged, roughcast or polished. Due to the complex texture of the pickup, it would not surprise me if the magnet was un-polished. I just don't wanna take the cover off and if I was gonna take it off, I should have done so before I did the review.

I didn't have any problem in getting pinch harmonics with the pickup which leads me to believe that the magnets might be fully charged. I just don't have any information on how the pickup was created, I wish that I did.

Very good demo and playing. You captured some of the key elements of GL's playing style which IMO is extremely hard to do. Not many guys including myself can capture it. George has a very unique playing style and it's like no other. He is by far my favorite guitarist.

This pickup really screams and has great bite and sheer raw power. I love its response. I have a Screamin Demon and while it's a pretty badass pickup , it lacks in many areas for me personally. I think it's a bit whinny and doesn't drive as well as I would like it or as good as my TB4 does. I do however think it cleans up better then the TB4 which is to dark and aggressive.

I'd like to give this pickup a good test drive and see what else it can do. Playing Lynch stuff is awesome but what else can it do? That is the limitation I feel is on the Screamin Demon. I don't care for it to do some of the other stuff I like to do.

Thank you very much for the positive words about getting his tone and style right. I was 11-15 during my Dokken years and his style has always been one of my holy grails... he is one of the great heros of my youth. It's too bad Don and George could never really and truly get along because their combination was like magic.

Tooth and Nail, Under Lock and Key and Back For The Attack was like lightning in a bottle... I guess their collective ephemeral and evanescent qualities were due to their very transient nature as sonic meteors hitting the planet with great energy and force.

I will try and do a follow up video or set of recordings that showcase the Super V in a non-Dokken context.

The Super V would be a direct replacement for a Screamin' Demon, Seth Lover bridge, Pearly Gates bridge, '59 bridge or an Alnico II Pro bridge. It's millivolt output is similar to those pickups.

It' s basically a tighter 50's style PAF type pickup with JB2 specs.

JB, DD and Custom players who are considering a lower output bridge pickup are perfect candidates for the Super V. It has the pinch harmonics of a tight high output pickup yet has the clarity and texture of a lower output pickup.

I think it's quite rare for a pickup to combine qualities of low and high output pups... and that's exactly what the Super V does.

If you could somehow cross a Duncan Distortion with a Seth Lover, you would get the Super V. Pairing up 17K worth of (allegedly) super thin wire with the particular Alnico II magnet (I tend to think that it is roughcast, but I don't wanna mess with taking the beautiful cover off and having to re-do the neat little solder blobs to check) is just genius IMHO.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

I really would like to see a RTM vs. Super V shootout, I don't need both.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

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[King IzzO)))]

Re: the George Lynch Signature Custom Shop Super V Pickup Review video

That would be awesome! Toss that Dokken bucker in there too mang!