Should I do this? DiMarzio Super Distortion vs. Duncan Distortion

[Rex Rocker]

So, yeah... here's the deal. This might sound a bit... weird, I guess, but the story behind this is:

I restrung my Epiphone yesterday after a while. I played it thru my usual POD patch and the thing wasn't sounding as bad as I remember it sounded. Ok, so I plug-in my Ibanez SZ (with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge). I immediately notice it sounding absolutely better in almost all senses. It sounded tons BIGGER, thicker, but also, clearer. MUCH clearer, actually, and less noisy... and with tons more output.

Anyway, so I keep on playing both... some palm-muted riffs. I'm getting more djent on the Epi, to be short, I don't know if it's because the strings are lighter (it's also tuned higher, tho), but I guess it was giving me a response in the upper mids and highs a bit more agressive than the Super Distortion.

Ok, well, so I'm not saying the Epi sounds better, it obviously doesn't, but it got me thinking: hey, perhaps my Ibby could benefit from a slightly brighter pickup. Not that I dislike the Super Distortion at all, but the Seymour Duncan Distortion came to my mind. Now I wish I had several guitars to try them in, but I'm thinking of dropping a Seymour Duncan Distortion in my Ibby.

Anyway, so the main point of this thread: Do you guys think I should? Perhaps you guys could suggest me some other pickups... I like the clarity and pissed-off-ness and low-mid bigness of the DiMarzio Super Distortion, but I also wouldn't mind a bit more high-mid and treble agression to give me that sharp, agressive palm-muted tone.

Sorry for the long read. Thanks

 

[-J-]

I like the duncan distortion a lot for metal. I've got a dimarzio super distortion laying around to drop in my Agile LP cause I want it to have more of a 70s Al DiMeola vibe.

One thing I wish I wouldn't had done in the past though is put the duncan distortion in all my guitars back in the day (at one point I had it in like 4 axes). Doesn't give enough variation when recording with the different guitars; it's nice to grab axes with different pickups when layering guitars I think.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Thanks for the input, man. Which would you say is hotter, the Super D or the SD Distortion?

 

[Rex Rocker]

would anyone else please like to comment? I'd really like to hear Splat's input on this...

 

[Splat88]

This is extremely ironic. I was JUST A/Bing my Ibanez with a Duncan Distortion vs my ESP with a Super Distortion earlier today. Both guitars are mahogany but the Ibanez is much deeper, almost a little too deep and I usually dial some bass out before the DI hits the amp sim. That aside, the Duncan has noticeably more output at the same pickup height and seems to have a rounder sound. I've had the Duncan in several guitars and I've noticed that same round quality in each guitar. The Super Distortion has a really nasty, tough sound with cranked mids and I think its easier to djent out. Overall, I think I prefer the nastiness of the Super Distortion over the Duncan Distortion, but each has a quality that I absolutely love.

Earlier this afternoon I decided to take out the Duncan out the the Ibby, (thanks to LSD's Duncan SH15 test) and I tested an EMG 81 again and immediately took it out. Strummed 6 string chords just sound way too weird with it although it is a lot tighter for the metal stuff than the Duncan Distortion. Then I wanted to try the D Activator I bought a couple months ago again to see if I liked it this time around. I hated it so bad at first that I put it right back on EBAY but I have had no luck in selling it. The D Activator is extremely bright like an icepick and makes the Ibanez sound completely awful with my existing patches, but I've been tooling around with some brand new settings and I actually like this pup a lot more now than I originally did. Its has a better attack than the Ducan but MUCH less output. I would love to try the Sh15 and a Super Distortion in it sometime in the future, but for now I'm going to mess with the D Activator for a while.

Anyway, I got a little off topic but if I were you, I would keep the Super Distortion in your Ibanez.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Thanks a lot, man. I'm still doubtful... maybe I can score an SD Distortion, but keep the DM Super D around in case I want it back. I'm still undecided.

I am also thinking of putting an X2N in there... perhaps a Super 2.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

How about trying something different altogether?

Try a Duncan Custom. Less output than the distortion, clearer, and still djents!

-Joe