Joined: 20 Oct 2005 Posts: 126 Location: California
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:21 am Post subject:
Seymour Duncan is the biggest aftermarket supplier of pickups there is.
Some guitars come with SD's on them.
He offers many styles of direct replacement pickups for most production guitars, and custom jobs as well.
He started out winding pickups for Jeff Beck's Telecaster, which he analyzed, and started the whole aftermarket pickup market, as well as Dimarzio.
He specializes in recreating the pickups that produced the good tones of when the factories were in their early days, then moved into "hotrod" (overwound) pickups, and everything else.
If how he talks on his website or pamphlets makes sense to you, then likely you can hone in on the tone you're looking for your pickups to deliver.
I've used a lot of his products, and for the most part have found them to improve the tone over stock pickups. HOWEVER, it's become a craze to instantly change out stock pickups!
I think SD's are great for solving problems you can hear coming from the pickups (like microphonic squeal, or 60 hz hum), but it takes awhile to develop your ears to really hear some of the subtle differences in pickups.
You can spend a lot of goaway and then find out your bridge was the problem!
Fortunately, most of the retailers who carry SD pickups allow trade-ins within a few days if you don't like the sound.
He found a niche, filled it, and carved out a place to stand for himself.
The factories picked up on it and now offer a lot of variations in windings, magnets, polarity, etc etc.
Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 1:28 am Post subject:
I've been using Duncan pickups in my guitars since 1985. My main Les Paul uses the Duncan Custom 5 humbucker and 59 neck humbucker. My LP Special has a Custom Duncan SP90 at the bridge. My ASAT has Vintage neck and Broadcaster bridge pickups.
In past guitars, I've used the Distortion, Custom, JB, Quarter Pound and Trembucker goaway.
In every instrument, there is a VAST improvement over stock pickups. Seymour knows how to wind magic! _________________ Death Or Glory - Who Dares Wins!
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: Duncan Seymour
Matt wrote:
hi there,
I was always wondering what these pickups do. Are they better than the standard pickups? Wich type of music fits them best?
Matt.
I bought the demo CD from them and listened through
all the sound samples. Well you hear indeed some differences.
Duncans surely are nice.
But why buy a guitar if you don't like the sound and
then "hope" it sounds better after modding ?
Better buy something that is "just right".
My personal favourite is the Gibson Classic Pickup.
It brings out the capabilities of your instrument.
Many guitars with hot pickups only sound like this pickup.
I think that Guitar tone and dynamics better come through
if the pickup is not too hot ...
And the 57 Classic + Les Paul + Marshalls and alike is
a very nice combination ... _________________ A goaway society is one where it is safe to be unpopular
