Duncan recommendatons please!

[AmirH]

Hello!

I recently purchased a schecter c1 elite and am now trying to decide which pickups to replaced the duncan designed humbuckers with. They actually sound quite good clean but are much too bright and a little muddy for distortion. I don't know when I'll get around to replacing em but I'm fishing for ideas here. This guitar will be used for a lot of leadwork but I want something with a "warm" more jazzy type tone. I really want the mahogany body to play a part in the tone as well and I'd like it it to retain the transparency it seems to have when played clean with the pickups it has. I'm aiming for a cross between PRS and gibson with this guitar and it will need to cut through the mix on long sustained notes without sounding too sharp or bright. It will also have to sound good distored in case I get tired of the emg tone in my other guitar. The most popular set-up seems to be a jb in the bridge and a jazz in the neck. I've also heard good things about the 59 model, and I know Mike from Opeth uses the full shred. Has anyboday had good experiences with Duncans? Any recommendations for the type of tone I'm searching for?

 

[bobvex]

Try a JB in the bridge, and a Jazz in the neck

 

[Ironbird666]

You can't go wrong with the JB/Jazz combo.

 

[AmirH]

so... jb is > then full shred yes? Is the jazz supposed to have the more clarity then the '59 or custom? I swear, duncan make way too many pickups.

 

[Loner]

I'll also say go with the JB/Jazz. They're both exactly what you want. The Full Shred sucks.

 

[AmirH]

I guess that seals it- but out of curiousity, who here has tried or heard of wrc pickups? Supposedly they're incredibly warm and like...way better then duncans or just about anything else I've heard of. Pricey though- 325 bucks a set, and I doubt I'd be able to get the same discount I do via guitarcenter. 100 bucks vs. 325 bucks= I guess I can't afford to sound THAT good. lol

 

[Loner]

Never heard them.

 

[bobvex]

duncans > Dimarzio > EMG > BC Rich

 

[AmirH]

But after what I just heard- not better then wrc.

http://www.crcoils.com/New_PIckups/new_pickups.html

click on any of those(my fave is the goodwood so far) and listen to the sound clips. Literally the most perfect tones I've ever heard. I would be worried about not getting the same sound since my guitar isn't worth 2500 dollars, but I just read a glowing review on guitar something or another by a guy who put them in a squire tele to really test em and was amazed. My guitar is made with better stuff then that so I *will* be saving for and buying these I think. I read more then one review on the jb now claiming it was too bright, which is exactly what I don't want. I want total and completely perfect mahogony warmth!

 

[bobvex]

but do you really want to pay triple for a pickup you don't know about, as opposed to a pickup with a DAMN good reputation?

 

[AmirH]

So true... what do you know about the sd custom as opposed to the jb? I am rather liking the sound of the jazz, but I've read several reviews on the jb now that say it's either bright, or "a bit" bright. I've been reading a bunch on hand wound pickups- supposedly people seem to think the best PAF replica's made right now are by a guy named Tim White, and his "timbuckers." He doesn't make them regularly so people literally seek him out, contact him, and wait months and months for him to make them some. Seems over the top for my purposes...back to deciding on a duncan

 

[Loner]

I've got a Duncan custom in one of my guitars. I like it quite a bit, but I've got to give the JB the edge. The custom is a bit too bassy.

 

[diablomozart]

i'm a big fan of the duncan custom myself...and the custom 5 as well...jb's tend to be a little high-endy to my ears...but they work for so many people...d.m.

 

[bobvex]

^he heeey, didn't i buy a JE-1000 off of you? welcome to UM.

 

[AmirH]

alright... lets compare the emg 81 to the jb. I found the 81 to be a bit high endy, but the 85 sounds about perfect for rhythm. Would you equate the custom to the 85 with that(insane or not) comparison?

 

[Ravenous Enemy]

I have a Duncan Custom Custom in my my guitar. It's good for all styles and pretty warm. If you don't want bright, get a tone control??

 

[AmirH]

Hehe, nice. My tone control kinda drops off suddenly at one point and then sounds full on if it's above that. It's quirky, but I guess it could be fixed with a new pot. I think I've decided to try a custom at this point in the bridge, but I'm torn between the alnico pro II, jazz, and dimarzio paf pro and/or joe in the bridge. Basically trying to get a darkish singing tone from the neck pup which I've read would be easy to get from the dimarzio's but I don't know if they have the same 21 day return policy so... meh, I'll eventually find what I'm after. Just might take some time.

 

[Kenneth R.]

So true... what do you know about the sd custom as opposed to the jb? I am rather liking the sound of the jazz, but I've read several reviews on the jb now that say it's either bright, or "a bit" bright. I've been reading a bunch on hand wound pickups- supposedly people seem to think the best PAF replica's made right now are by a guy named Tim White, and his "timbuckers." He doesn't make them regularly so people literally seek him out, contact him, and wait months and months for him to make them some. Seems over the top for my purposes...back to deciding on a duncan

Tim White of NH "Chrysalis Guitars" fame? that guy's shop is amazing... i built a guitar there

 

[AmirH]

Yep Man, you say "timbucker" to any tone snob and they shit their pants.

I think I've finally got it down to the alnico 2 pro and paf joe now. Most likely I'm gonna got with a2p because of the return policy if I don't end up liking the tone. I've been reading for days on what would suit me now so if the custom and a2p don't suit my needs perfectly I'll be a bit disheartened.