What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

Dave Mustaine signature Rattlehead model. (Vic has been the mascot for decades as most fans know)
"rattles your brain with the tone of apocalyptic destruction!"
 
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Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

I just got notification that the video for this pickup set was posted on Youtube. SO, now that it has been released, can we talk about some more detailed specs? We all know that the JB that Dave used on Rust in Peace was a JBJ from the mid-late 80s. Question is, was this the older style pickup with the wood spacer/Rough-cast A5 mag or a more modern with plastic spacer and polished A5?

SO my question is, which one of the above versions is this model based off?
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

I have not seen the specs on these, although I am hearing more talk about them all over. I am sure that when Riley can come in here, he will and answer any questions.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

We all know that the JB that Dave used on Rust in Peace was a JBJ from the mid-late 80s. Question is, was this the older style pickup with the wood spacer/Rough-cast A5 mag or a more modern with plastic spacer and polished A5??

Depends on whether or not Dave was using a "new" or older JB at the time.

If it was an older JB from first year production up until about '81/'82, it would have been roughcast for sure. Anything later and it most likely would have come with a polished mag. I'm speaking from lots of experience...I have owned around 10 vintage "The JB Model" pickups and I still have examples of JBJ's from '83 through '87/'88 on hand, including some New Old Stock units...all which have polished mags from the factory.

Not sure what the "Thrash Factor" will have, but I'd assume roughcast from the outset. It was also mentioned earlier that the winding process is a bit different...so possibly scatter-wound coils?

My ultimate guess is that the TF bridge will essentially be a scatterwound Antiquity JB (degaussed roughcast mag) or scatterwound 35th JB (fully charged roughcast). Curious to know the truth.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The Silver Jackson V they show in that promo vid used to be black and had a non-logo JB in there :)
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The Thrash Factor has a fully charged Alnico 5 magnet, uses a different type of wire insulation (you might be able to tell this from the product shots), and is wound in such a way as to raise the resonant peak of the pickup - the JB from Dave's guitar also had a higher resonant peak than average.

I've done some A/B listening in a pair of newer Charvels we have in the office, to me the Thrash Factor had a little less mid-range than the production JB, and a slightly tighter low-end.

EDIT: My bad guys! I just double checked the spec, and it uses a polished A5.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The tone in the promo video is not very good at all, IMO.

The product description, however, sounds very interesting. I always liked the JB, but wished it had a bit more airy top-end and less stuffy low mids.
 
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Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

So let me get this straight, the Thrash Factor is a slightly different JB, the RTM is a slightly different JB, the Concept set bridge is a slightly different JB, the Antiquity JB is a slightly different JB (duh), the Holdsworth is a slightly different JB, the Dokkenbucker is a slightly different JB, and the Invader is a slightly different Distortion, which is a slightly different JB. And to add onto it, the Dave Mustaine Live Wire bridge is a slightly active JB and the Super V is based off of a prototype JB. But don't let this distract you from the fact that there have been several pickups that have been branded as the JB, one from the 70s to 80s, one from the 80s-90s, and the current one. The Perpetual Burn was also designed to be a JB without the midspike.

What's the big idea?

Edit: Let's not forget the 35th Anniversary JB.
 
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Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

Distortion = similar to production JB, but with double-thickness Ceramic mag

Invader = similar to production JB, but with triple-Ceramic mags (double-thickness mag in middle + 2 narrower flanking mags) and large cap pole pieces

Dokkenbucker = similar to production JB, but w/ standard thickness Ceramic

Antiquity JB = similar to production JB, but with degaussed roughcast mag for "aged" effect

35th Anniversary = similar to production JB, but with fully charged roughcast A5

Holdsworth = mildly overwound production JB with dual rows of screw poles

LiveWire = JB-inspired active. Same resonant peak as the production JB, but really its own animal despite the marketing hype.

RTM, Super V and Prototype/Concept JB = Very different from the standard JB, including wire gauge and magnets (A2).

Perpetual Burn = Really nothing in common with a standard JB feature-wise or tonally aside from having an A5 mag at its core

Thrash Factor = similar to production JB, but with different wire insulation and likely underwound a little to further raise the resonant peak (which would also explain the slight reduction in midrange that Riley experienced when A/B'ing with a standard JB)
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The RTM is about 1k hotter than a standard JB and has an A2 magnet, so it is very similar to an A2 JB if you've ever tried one.

As for the Super V and Concept, they are really more of what the JB could have ended up as.

I'm honestly suprised that you don't find the PB to be similar to the JB, first and foremost they were both made for someone with the initials "JB", I'll concede that they aren't even close in terms of structure, but if you A/B them in the same guitar, they are very similar, minus of course the midspike. I always recommend them to people who like the JB, hate the midspike, and don't feel confident in doing mag swaps.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

Distortion = similar to production JB, but with double-thickness Ceramic mag

Invader = similar to production JB, but with triple-Ceramic mags (double-thickness mag in middle + 2 narrower flanking mags) and large cap pole pieces

Dokkenbucker = similar to production JB, but w/ standard thickness Ceramic

Antiquity JB = similar to production JB, but with degaussed roughcast mag for "aged" effect

35th Anniversary = similar to production JB, but with fully charged roughcast A5

Holdsworth = mildly overwound production JB with dual rows of screw poles

LiveWire = JB-inspired active. Same resonant peak as the production JB, but really its own animal despite the marketing hype.

RTM, Super V and Prototype/Concept JB = Very different from the standard JB, including wire gauge and magnets (A2).

Perpetual Burn = Really nothing in common with a standard JB feature-wise or tonally aside from having an A5 mag at its core

Thrash Factor = similar to production JB, but with different wire insulation and likely underwound a little to further raise the resonant peak (which would also explain the slight reduction in midrange that Riley experienced when A/B'ing with a standard JB)
You're forgetting the Black Winter! :)
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The Silver Jackson V they show in that promo vid used to be black and had a non-logo JB in there :)

The Silver V came after the black one actually. The Silver one had a L500XL in the neck but a JB in the bridge with a huge Megadeth sticker on the upper horn. Dave used the Silver V during Countdown to Extinction live era. At least that is how i understand his guitars from that time period.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

Could you explain? I've never heard of the Black Winter bridge being related to the JB

Yes, these don't sound the same to me. Maybe to some people they do? I've never heard that, but I've learned to not speak in absolutes.
 
Re: What the hell is a Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine "Thrash Factor" pickup

The Zephyr JB is also a variation as well, right?

This rumour can neither be confirmed nor denied. This is on the grounds that nobodies wife is willing to let their husband pay almost $500 for two spools of wire atop a magnet.
 
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