What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

[The Dali]

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.

And, if you can re-sell the original DD pups for $30 for the pair you can offset your costs. I usually replace the DDs if they come in a guitar I buy, but that is usually because I like to re-wire and add switches so if I'm gonna do that I might as well upgrade the pups.

For regular people - especially those on a smaller budget - I think the DDs sound pretty decent.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I briefly owned a non-USA Hamer (SATF, the asian version of the Studio Custom). It had a pair of DD's, though i don't know which models.

When i first plugged the guitar in, i was like "Wow, this thing rocks !! ". After no more than two minutes, i discovered they might rock but they were inarticulate and fluffy sounding. Might be okay if you play dirty all the time, but for clean sounds....forget it. No class, no depth, no articulation, lack of clarity. Hunks of junk.

Needeless to say i ended up doing what i should have done in the first place....bought a USA Hamer Studio Custom.

The DD's will get sound from an electric guitar into an amplifier. Beyond that, they do nothing musical. in my experience, I feel no need or desire to experience them further.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I briefly owned a non-USA Hamer (SATF, the asian version of the Studio Custom). It had a pair of DD's, though i don't know which models.

When i first plugged the guitar in, i was like "Wow, this thing rocks !! ". After no more than two minutes, i discovered they might rock but they were inarticulate and fluffy sounding. Might be okay if you play dirty all the time, but for clean sounds....forget it. No class, no depth, no articulation, lack of clarity. Hunks of junk.

Needeless to say i ended up doing what i should have done in the first place....bought a USA Hamer Studio Custom.

The DD's will get sound from an electric guitar into an amplifier. Beyond that, they do nothing musical. in my experience, I feel no need or desire to experience them further.

Did you try new pups in the Hamer or just go for the Studio Custom? The Korean SATFs are pretty decent axes.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Did you try new pups in the Hamer or just go for the Studio Custom? The Korean SATFs are pretty decent axes.

No, the one that I had was not a good instrument. It had a huuge fat neck that was unstable despite being half a baseball bat. I looked inside a pickup cavity to discover that most of the body was probably 'chromite' (read : balsa), with a fine mist of maple molecules on the front and the back and sides were painted black, no doubt to hide the fact that the rest of the body was a mash-up of lord-knows-what. The pickup selector switch was junk right out of the box and had to be replaced. The electronics were rubbish. The guitar (which i bought new) was simply not worth the effort of a pickup swap. Sorry, but that was my personal experience. That guitar only made me happy by becoming the property of someone else.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Sorry to hear that. The ones I've owned have been very servicable instruments. The new ones out of China are subpar, but the early 2000's from Korean seem to have a decent build quality.

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

No, the one that I had was not a good instrument. It had a huuge fat neck that was unstable despite being half a baseball bat. I looked inside a pickup cavity to discover that most of the body was probably 'chromite' (read : balsa), with a fine mist of maple molecules on the front and the back and sides were painted black, no doubt to hide the fact that the rest of the body was a mash-up of lord-knows-what. The pickup selector switch was junk right out of the box and had to be replaced. The electronics were rubbish. The guitar (which i bought new) was simply not worth the effort of a pickup swap. Sorry, but that was my personal experience. That guitar only made me happy by becoming the property of someone else.

Like your sense of humor.

 

[symptom]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I agree with blueman when he says that you can get good used pickups for the price of DD's. But my point is, since my tele came with the DD's and I'm satisfied with it. There's no need to replace them right now.

An offtopic question. If, in the future, I decide to replace the tele pickups, wich ones do you recommend? The obvious choice is the Jazz Humbucker for the neck and the stack for the bridge (the DD's are copies of those). But do you have more interesting options? Remember it has a full sized humbucker in the neck.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

An offtopic question. If, in the future, I decide to replace the tele pickups, wich ones do you recommend? The obvious choice is the Jazz Humbucker for the neck and the stack for the bridge (the DD's are copies of those). But do you have more interesting options? Remember it has a full sized humbucker in the neck.

Probably should start your own thread for this... or search the forum.

 

[Elfunkenstein]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

It's kind of a similar question to "why are Squiers/Epiphones worse than Fenders/Gibsons?" It's all subjective but the general consensus is that the overall quality and consistancy is much more reduced in the budget models.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Duncan Designed are certainly not bad. In fact, if you look at the quality of construction and the materials used, they rank right up there with some of the big-name USA-built pickups (not SD, of course). I have a Schecter Tempest with and HB-102 set and I have no desire to change the pickups. They work just fine for that guitar.

 

[B2D]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

People talk about how Duncan Designed pickups are based on US models... what are the DD/SD counterparts? I know the Detonators are supposed to be like Invaders. They look like them, at least. Anywhere we can get specs on them?

 

[El CHupacabra]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

^^ Good point Elfunkenstein (how'd you concoct that name?).

I have a friend w/ a Squier Tele P-90 that he swears by. Says it's better than any other Fender he's tried. Loves the P-90s on it, although in my opinion they're too muddy (although he's a grunger, so it works out).
Sometimes you'll find your diamond in the rough, be it with guitar, pickup, amp or otherwise. Just have to have an open attitude.

 

[WGTP]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I used to be a terrible pickup snob. Somewhat a product of the propaganda of the manufacturers. I remember Seymour's and DiMarzio's first ads. But...

It's about the TONE. It doesn't matter if the pole pieces are lower quality metal. We aren't building a rocket ships or race cars. Same with the wire, magnets, plastic, etc. There is not a high level of mechanical stress, at least used in the typical/traditional manner.

If having a little more or less treble or output produces the sound waves you like in a particular guitar, thru a particular amp, that's what it's about. It doesn't matter if it is a POS if the girls like the way it sounds ...

 

[bagouser]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I've replaced DDs in 5 guitars the past 3 years and sold all 5 sets on ebay for over $50.
SOMEONE obviously wants them and thinks they sound good. I don't think they sound "BAD", but there is something in the winding that sets the USA models apart.
The DDs are hot and trebly, but they are decent models of the USA versions.
For example, a HB102 set didnt sound THAT much different than a JB/Jazz set, but again, theres just a little something in the windings that's not right about the Asian ones......I'm spoiled with all USA Duncans but certainly someone can vouch for the windings being slightly different? The DDs also seem noisier overall, regardless of the model......

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I've replaced DDs in 5 guitars the past 3 years and sold all 5 sets on ebay for over $50.
SOMEONE obviously wants them and thinks they sound good. I don't think they sound "BAD", but...theres just a little something in the windings that's not right about the Asian ones.

You can get used Duncans, DMz's, and Gibsons for $50, and used Carvins & Schallers for $25 to $30. Anyone who pays $50 for a used DD when they could get a high-quality American-made HB for that or less, doesn't know anything about depth, definition, & tone quality. They see the name "Duncan" and assume it's the same as SD. These people are the uninformed. Maybe they're teenage metal heads who use so much distortion and effects that they really can't tell what their guitars sound like.

 

[bagouser]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

You can get used Duncans, DMz's, and Gibsons for $50, and used Carvins & Schallers for $25 to $30. Anyone who pays $50 for a used DD when they could get a high-quality American-made HB for that or less, doesn't know anything about depth, definition, & tone quality. They see the name "Duncan" and assume it's the same as SD. These people are the uninformed. Maybe they're teenage metal heads who use so much distortion and effects that they really can't tell what their guitars sound like.

To be honest, I don't care who they are or what they play, as long as they continue to take my stock Pups off my hands, I'm cool with it...... I was just mentioning that there IS a demand for Used DDs. maybe people are just buying them for the magnets, maybe they actually plan to install them in a guitar? Who knows?

 

[bigheadood]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

Schecter S-1 Elite (Custom 5 /Jazz)
Schecter S-1 Elite (Screamin Demon/Full Shred)
Schecter CSH-12 String (Jazz/Pearly Gates)
Schecter S-1 30th Anniversiary (P-Rails SET)
Schecter Corsair w/Bigsby (Pearly Gates/Phat Cat)
Fender 52 Tele Reissue (Hot Tele/Antiquity Tele)
B.C.Rich Son Of Beast (Custom Shop Invader)

Ok, so you removed your DD hb102n, and replaced it with a Jazz (neck?).
Was there really that big of a difference?

 

[Elfunkenstein]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

^^ Good point Elfunkenstein (how'd you concoct that name?).

I have a friend w/ a Squier Tele P-90 that he swears by. Says it's better than any other Fender he's tried. Loves the P-90s on it, although in my opinion they're too muddy (although he's a grunger, so it works out).
Sometimes you'll find your diamond in the rough, be it with guitar, pickup, amp or otherwise. Just have to have an open attitude.

I used to use Efilnikufesin, a song by Anthrax as a name, but one day my friend misread it as Elfunkenstein. Also, I had a guitar teacher who was a very good guitarist, worked at a guitar store, and exclusively played Squires. It wasn't a money thing, he just liked them best. Go figure.

 

[The Dali]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

You can get used Duncans, DMz's, and Gibsons for $50, and used Carvins & Schallers for $25 to $30. Anyone who pays $50 for a used DD when they could get a high-quality American-made HB for that or less, doesn't know anything about depth, definition, & tone quality. They see the name "Duncan" and assume it's the same as SD. These people are the uninformed. Maybe they're teenage metal heads who use so much distortion and effects that they really can't tell what their guitars sound like.

I think he was referring to selling the sets for $50 ($25 each). I don't think you'd find too many people to buy a single DD pup for $50.

 

[blueman335]

Re: What makes Duncan Designed pickups "bad"?

I think he was referring to selling the sets for $50 ($25 each). I don't think you'd find too many people to buy a single DD pup for $50.

But even at that, I've bought used Carvin's & Schaller's for $25 each, and they are significantly better than any DD I've ever had.