What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

[Oceano]

I want to know specifically what makes them so bad. If they are designed the same way, how can they sound not as good? Just curious because I have some in my Squier Jagmaster (hb-103) and I think they sound fine. Do they use different windings or something? Does the quality of the magnets differ? If it does does it make that much of a difference?

 

[tc]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

People don't really say they're bad, at least from what I've seen here. They just say that they're not as good as the production Duncans, and then of course people will also say that the production Duncans don't compare to the Ants and CS pickups.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I don´t find them bad at all. Maybe a bit less consistent than the "real" ones, but I´m just not a huge fan of the Duncans they´re modeled after either.

 

[Oceano]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

So its basically just a consistency thing? Would that mean that if you happened to get a magic hb-102b (jb copy) with the right amount of windings, then the two pickups would sound pretty much the same?

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

they're made offshore, which people usually associate with as being "bad". they aren't though, they're maybe in the same league or better than GFS pickups.

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

To me, they're like any other low-cost Asian HB, no better. I think you're much better off with an American or European-made HB; get a used one if you want to save some money.

 

[TimmyPage]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

To my ears they are all wound hotter.. but not good hotter. Like.. more in the treble range. They sound a little spikier and less natural than what they are modelled after. Mind you, its only a tiny difference, and my ears are subjective as anyones.

 

[Oceano]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

To my ears they are all wound hotter.. but not good hotter. Like.. more in the treble range. They sound a little spikier and less natural than what they are modelled after. Mind you, its only a tiny difference, and my ears are subjective as anyones.

This is kind of what I was looking for. So the wind on them is different but not totally. I was just wondering how close they are to the real thing and if they're at all consistent.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

They're DIFFERENT designs from the SD MIA line of p'ups.

They're wound a bit too hot to my taste, but you've got some good ones... the HB103N is a very good p'up when modded. I've put an A4 magnet and I've changed the polepiece screws and it sounds great now.

The same with a HB102B; I've used an A8 magnet and different polepiece screws.

The materials p'ups are made of REALLY matter when it comes to tone.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

To my ears they are all wound hotter.. but not good hotter. Like.. more in the treble range. They sound a little spikier and less natural than what they are modelled after. Mind you, its only a tiny difference, and my ears are subjective as anyones.

This is kind of what I was looking for. So the wind on them is different but not totally. I was just wondering how close they are to the real thing and if they're at all consistent.

The DD pickups are intended to be OEM components in mid-priced instruments. The idea behind overwinding the coils and/or tweaking up the treble response is to compensate for the, generally, lower quality wood in lower cost instruments.

Having said this, I have a pair of DD P-90-style single coils in a Squier Tele Custom II. Whatever that guitar is built out of, it rocks.

 

[MrD4rK5]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I do not have a lot of experience with Duncan Designed vs. "the real deal", however, I have a Schecter C-1 with Duncan designed Blackouts. I also have the real SD AHB-1 Blackouts. The specs of the two pickups are the same, but there is audible variation. I felt like the Duncan designed Blackouts lacked the push that the real Blackouts have. They both sound firm and have very similar sound but the Duncan designed Blackouts sounded to me like they have lower output than SDB AHB-1.

I switched recently to a JB & '59 combination. I'm very pleased.

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

In my experience, to get the most definition, clarity, and depth, you need American or European-made PU's. No way around it. That's why they cost more. I've never gotten anything resembling a great tone from any Asian-made PU, whether Duncan Designed, Epi, etc. HB's would seem to be more susceptible to shortcomings because of the double coils, which are more dependent on windings (those secrets no PU winder will reveal). Asian P-90's and other single coils have a better chance of sounding 'decent', as the magnets play a greater role in the tone. As the king of mid-priced imports, my advice is that PU's, especially HB's, are the one place not to scrimp.

 

[bigheadood]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I have the HB102 seven string set in my schecter, and have no need to change it. Great tone. Strangely, I've never liked any Jazz neck pickup that I've played, but this jazz copy is awesome.

If it works, use it.

 

[symptom]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I have a Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster wich comes with the HB102 in the neck and the TE-103 (stack) in the bridge. At the time, I feel absolutely no need to change the pickups. In my Epiphone SG, I had to change the pickups because I hate them. In my opinion, these Duncan Designed are not as great as the SD just because it's the same manufacturer with a low-price product wich, of course, is worse than the top line. But I think they are waaaay better than the Epi pickups, for example. Probably I'll never spend money replacing my tele's pickups.

Once again, this is my opinion. Other members that have more experience with these pickups, maybe will have a different thought about it.

By the way, sorry about my English...

 

[Oceano]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I have a Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster wich comes with the HB102 in the neck and the TE-103 (stack) in the bridge. At the time, I feel absolutely no need to change the pickups. In my Epiphone SG, I had to change the pickups because I hate them. In my opinion, these Duncan Designed are not as great as the SD just because it's the same manufacturer with a low-price product wich, of course, is worse than the top line. But I think they are waaaay better than the Epi pickups, for example. Probably I'll never spend money replacing my tele's pickups.

Once again, this is my opinion. Other members that have more experience with these pickups, maybe will have a different thought about it.

By the way, sorry about my English...

No worries English isn't my first language either

I agree with you about the Epihpone pickups. They really do suck beyond anything that should be allowed to be considered a pickup. The DD's in my Jagmaster made my Epi LP seem like a cheap, muddy toy.

I will say though that after putting "real" Ducans in my LP I will never look back. I really want to put Duncans in my Jag, but I currently have no money, so I'm gonna try some magnet swaps.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I think Duncan Design pickups sound great personally. Of course I'd still take real Duncans over them anyday of the week (and I use nothing but real Duncans anyway) but they aren't bad pickups at all IME and IMO.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I think they sound fine. I suspect most people think they are "bad" simply becuase they say "Duncan Designed" on them. They appear to be better made than most of their Asian counterparts. And, most of them come with 4-conductor wiring which is a nice extra that you don't see in many of the offshore pickups.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Honestly I didn't think the epiphone alnico bridge pickup was as bad as you guys make it look ^_^ it just needed to be a bit further back from the strings. The neck pickup sucked noodles tho.
This is all quite interesting to me, as the next guitar I am planning to buy for a cheap beater strat comes with DDs.

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

The reasons that Asian-made HB's sound different, is that they are usually buried in a half pound of wax (inside they look like a bar of soap), the materials are rarely, if ever the same quality as American or European-made PU's, high-quality PU's contain all kinds of carefully-guarded winder's secrets not imparted to those of Oriental background, and there is much higher consistency & quality control. Some Asian HB's sound better than others, but there is a limit. Regardless, the better your amp, the more difference you'll hear. You can get very good American & European PU's used for $25 to $40+. Why argue the point? Just get them. You can afford it.

 

[Oceano]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Honestly I didn't think the epiphone alnico bridge pickup was as bad as you guys make it look ^_^ it just needed to be a bit further back from the strings. The neck pickup sucked noodles tho.
This is all quite interesting to me, as the next guitar I am planning to buy for a cheap beater strat comes with DDs.

The thing about the Epiphone pups is that they are very inconsistent. I've been to a few guitar stores and played some of the newer epiphone les pauls and the bridge pickup actually sounds pretty decent. I'm guessing the one I got was just a dud because no matter what I did to nothing would change. I took off the covers, moved it up down, and adjusted the pole pieces. It all sounded exactly the same, crappy. I'm not saying that they are all bad, I've just played more bad ones than good ones