Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

[mikp]

Hi everybody

I am currently using a Duncan Custom in my Ibanez SZ320 and overall I am very satisfied, but being the curious individual I am, I am looking for another pup for another guitar I have recently acquired!

The guitar in question is:

Schecter 006 deluxe, i.e. basswood & bolt-on!

The stock pups kinda lack some definition in the treble area so it kinda sounds too bassy for my liking (but kinda cool if you're into stone rock)

My experiences tell me that the JB is not what I'm going for as I have another basswood guitar where I have this installed!

I like my Duncan custom as it embodies a lot of "power" (gain or volume don't know how to put it!!!) and also definition to a great extent! For my tone and style of playing it suits me fine in the SZ (NOT a bolt-on), because it enables me to use a lot of different chords with a distorted setting but still kinda clearly and with a lot of sustain, and still a nice sound using palm-muting!

Could I expext the same amount of "power" from the Duncan Distortion?

If you were to compare the JB, DC and the DD what would you say the relative advantages would be?

Finally is the Duncan distortion the better choice for a basswood type guitar?

Forgot to say that what I'm looking for, is a new bridge pup!

Thanks in advance for your answers

 

[emilio]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

i don't know much about woods but the DD will definately add treble and power to that guitar.

compared to the jb:

the DD has more power and is brighter but in a very rounded way. while the jb's brightness will hurt depending on your settings and amplifier. the DD is a lot more aggressive and plays good leads. the clean does not sound bad at all, i like it a lot. i don't know about the custom though, that is why i want to buy one, but i say if you buy it you won't b disappointed.

 

[Rowan]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

The Distortion is going to be more compressed sounding than the custom and much more so than the JB. Personally I dig the JB's lead tone over the DD but both should work pretty well in basswood. The DD will have a bigger bottom end and louder harmonics. And the JB will have 'sweeter' more open tone and better cleans. Then again basswood's cleans sound sorta 'meh' to me. I'd go with Distortion or even Custom again in this case.

 

[emilio]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

forgot to mention harmonics and bottom end. it is also tighter than the jb.

 

[mikp]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

The Distortion is going to be more compressed sounding than the custom and much more so than the JB. Personally I dig the JB's lead tone over the DD but both should work pretty well in basswood. The DD will have a bigger bottom end and louder harmonics. And the JB will have 'sweeter' more open tone and better cleans. Then again basswood's cleans sound sorta 'meh' to me. I'd go with Distortion or even Custom again in this case.

Compressed?
If you mean that all notes and strings is reproduced without being too dynamic, that is volume is compressed that must be a good thing, if it still offers same amount of 'power' as the custom?

Can you elaborate Rowan?

thanks

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

To me, the DD actually sounds smaller than the DC. This, I think, is because the DD is way more compressed than the Custom. It does have more aggression, but in my point of view, it's very aggressive in a narrow way. The Custom just has a broader sound, IMHO. All three are good pickups, but in a basswood guitar, I'd give the nod to the Custom out of those three.

If it were my guitar though, I'd be seriously considering the Screamin Demon. It'll be tight with a cool chunk to the lows when power chording, give screaming leads, and have very good cleans to boot.

 

[emilio]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

/\ what do you mean narrow? and broader?

 

[Rowan]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

You know when you let a guitar chord ring out and it sorta wahs back and forth a little bit if you let it sustain? Well its more compressed if the sounds wah back and forth at a faster rate. Thats the best way I can think of to explain it. Sorry but its hard to put into words.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

/\ what do you mean narrow? and broader?

A broad sounding instrument takes up a lot of sonic space, even though it's not necessarily mixed very prominently.

A narrow sounding instrument cuts through very well, especially when playing along with other instruments, but it tends to sound kind of small when played on its own.

 

[mikp]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

Okay some very compelling thoughts are presented here! But it seems there are some different perspectives which make we want to buy both (DC/DD).
My budget says otherwise!

But I am curious if any of you posters have the mentioned experience from usage in basswood guitars, or are they just general notions?

 

[Schecter006Elite]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

I have a DDb and DCn in my schecter right now and its a nice little setup. In retrospect, i preferred the DDn over the custom neck for shredding, but the custom has sweeter cleans. The DD sounds like a custom on steriods, its the best way to put it. I would honestly say tho, do not get a DD unless all you play is metal. DD is not for cleans at all. You an roll back, but its gonan sound like a DD rolled back, you could get more out of another pup is what im saying.

I only play metal, and i loooove the sound of a DD set in a guitar with a highgain amp over EMG's any day of the week. I also play stoner rock (and doom) like you mentioned and it does the job easy cuz its still distorts on clean so its eays to geat that kind of sound. An awesome doom pup also if your into doom. My schecter im pretty sure isnt basswood tho liek yours but it'll still rock.

You were also asking if it has the same amount of power, and I'd say it has more because of the type of pup it is and how it sounds. IMO its not overly bassy at all, i find it to be the perfect amount of bass for metal and shredding, but thats up to you. If yours looking to play with versatility I would say use a Custom set, or a custom bridge and a 59. If you want pure heavy on the bridge and smooth leads on the neck get a DDb and a Pearly Gates neck. the PGn is my next pup to get.

What do you mainly play? If you play metal and almost only metal, go with the DD you'll love it. I'd also advise getting a SPC knob in place of your tone knob. Its a metal match made in hell!

 

[mikp]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

The music I play is a sort of alternative metal, alike Deftones, Fightstar and the emotive strength of Thrice, Underoath a.o!

But I also do a lot of clean stuff usually I just switch to my neck pup (stock) which offer me a more 'round' sound!

But for minor elements in arrangements I just use the custom (now in my SZ) for clean and semidistorted parts!

So I'm generally writing alternative rock music with a metal twist, and dare I say/ emo (tive) core :eyecrazy:element to it!

 

[anewdefguitarist]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

i have to disagree i can get awesome cleans with my DD. listen to the song bother and i can pretty much cop that sound, on my bridge pickup, with a little volume and tone rollback. its a quite versatile pup. when my band plays our cover show around home, we have 4 hour sets (10-2) and i could EASILY use that guitar the whole time...and we cover everything from Metallica, to Tom Petty, to Steve miller band, to Blink, to Godsmack, GnR, and Seether. and our originals too, which i wont bother trying to explain anewdefinition.com if you want to check those out (but those songs weren't recorded wiht my DD, only the live clips on our myspace "forgotten prophecy" is the only one with the DD...i didnt have it when we made our CD.)

ANYWAY i think its very versatile, its very VERY sensitive to pick attack. i play a mahogany ( ithink) esp viper 301 ('03 model) if that helps. good chunk, great spankin OR smooth cleans, and decimating leads.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

Okay
JB is an allrounder.Nothing top ,but you can play allmost anything (rock) with it.
Duncan Custom is a well articulatednice sounding PU wich nevere ever satisfied me.It doesn't hav the balls ,inspiration and harmonics of Duncan Distortion!
Try Duncan Distortion or PATB 2!

 

[emilio]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

A broad sounding instrument takes up a lot of sonic space, even though it's not necessarily mixed very prominently.

A narrow sounding instrument cuts through very well, especially when playing along with other instruments, but it tends to sound kind of small when played on its own.

i got it man, thinks.

 

[mikp]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

If I understand correctly in using the term 'chunk', it is excactly what I'm looking for!

With my DC, though it truly is a massive sounding PUP inmyears, I have to use a lot of gain in order to get that chunky sound (palm-muted) which I use occasionally in my arrangements! It would be excellent if I could control it a little more, which I understand may be possible with the DD!

Score so far:

1. DD

2. DC

3. Other

4. JB
:scratchch

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

A Full Shred or a Screamin' Demon might work too. for chunky rythm sections and Screaming Shred, and any sort of rock/metal, even jazz or blues, everything where articulate sound is necessary. (Both are med-high output A5 buckers.)

 

[mikp]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

I'm don't want to limit myself, but the chunk is important!

If I were to chose between chunk and clean the former wins since I feel it's easier to find a compromise in finding a clean setting whereas insufficient chunk just sounds weak, especially when you try to force it through via amp settings among other things!

But it is a necessity that the DD has a lot of power, because what I experience now is that DC in my SZ really has a lot of output and the stock pups in my 006 deluxe just makes it sound a smaller and with a volume drop to boot!

So somewhere along the lines volume wise as the DC but preferably with more chunk to it!

What I gather is that the DD could be it!
?

:scratchch

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

You want chunk and power?

Get an Air Zone.

You want chunk, clarity, and great cleans to boot, get a Demon.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Tried JB Tried Custom..Now to some DD questions

Than your ally is the FullShred or the PATB1!
Chunk is mostly connected with articulation..FullShred has tons of it!