Duncan JB Vs. Dimarzio Super Distortion??

[theweatherman]

Im trying to find a high output passive pickup. What is your opinion on these two pickups? or does anyone have any suggestions for a high output passive pu. im playing thru an electra dyne so low end is not a problem. i would like to have more mids and highs than bass in a pu. any suggestions or help would be great!

 

[Spewnz]

cant speak for the dimarzio but i have a jb in my schecter c-1 classic and i love it nice highs and mids not a whole lotta low end sounds like just the thing for you

 

[GD_NC]

I have a JB in my Les Paul. It's a great all-around pickup. It's really hot, but you can roll back the volume and get a nice warm rock tone from it. It is not bass heavy.

It has far better string definition while less mid-focused and muddy than a stock Gibson 498T.

 

[Heritage Softail]

I have a SD neck and X2N bridge in my old SG. It is excellent for neck pup leads, bridge is not sweet but more gnarly & crunchy riffer. The new Dimarzios in the JP6 are another option and a bit better IMO. The JP6 pup at the bridge has one solid bar and then a row of bobbins, vs, X2N with 2 bars, the JP6 pup is a little more balanced and usable for a variety of tones. Of course the wood is different in the SG and JP6 so that is a factor. The difference is an excellent quality sound in different styles.

I hate buying pups, it seems like you just don't know until you put em in and play. Funny thing is that getting a Duncan JB to put in the bridge of my SG to get it back to a more traditional fat all around sound is what my guitar tech is recommending. The X2N is too high gain/metal for lots of variety. It may be a possibility for you. For me, the Boogie has lots of gain, I picked up an AC Boost for a touch more and the EQ, the pup sound quality sacrifice that goes with moving to higher gain has not worked out well in my tone quest. Lots of people with different opinions on that. I just don't think you can go back and get a cleaner balanced tone out of a super high gain pup where you can boost gain at your amp and with pedals to heat up a mid gain pup. Of course there are lots of botique pups out there. Bareknuckle has a big following on this forum.

 

[theweatherman]

thanks for the replies, no one with any super distortion experience?

 

[JOEY B.]

From a fellow Les Paul and Electra-Dyne player. Seymour Duncan Custom Custom SH-11. It pairs well with a SD Pearly Gates in the neck of my goldtop.

 

[cvansickle]

I've the Dim Super D in a few guitars over the past 25 years. It's all about hot, yet has no warmth. For leads, it cuts through the mix like a surgical steel laser. For rhythm, it's all sizzle.

 

[Heritage Softail]

thanks for the replies, no one with any super distortion experience?

Sorry for being vague in my earlier post, the SD is a super distortion. I have one in an SG and it is a good neck pup for Mark series amp leads.

 

[Robusto]

For Heavy Rock and Metal, take a look at the Duncan Distortion.

I have a DD in one of my guitars and it is a great pickup for that style of music.

just my .02

 

[elvis]

I've played both JB and SD, and neither is all that high output compared to the hottest pickups out now. The JB is a nice blues pup, but I wouldn't try to use it for metal. The SD, maybe OK. I like the DiMarzio EVO, but I'm an all-around player. Still it does metal pretty well - nice and edgy. The X2N is very hot, but kind of whiny.

I used to use Seymour Duncan, but I find I prefer DiMarzio for heavy crunch. The Duncans sound overly bassy and muddy to me, while the DiMarzios are more midrange, with good balance of highs and lows.

 

[gonzo]

BILL LAWRENCE L-90, HIGH OUTPUT

 

[fishyfishfish]

I like them both. If I had to pick one it would be the JB, just because it sounds a little more "Balanced" to me, and I own a couple. The Super Distortion (Dimarzio) Would be second, just because it to me it sounds a little crisp, but nothing that can't be fixed with EQ. I also have a Duncan Distortion that has a nice mid range pop to it that sits really well for classic rock-early metal up to full on shred. Bill Lawrence it a good one if you like crisp high end with lots of cut. More like a fat, fat P-90. I used to have old XL500's in all my guitars in my Floyd Rose days, fun stuff. DImarzio used to make a pickup called the Super 2, which I would have to say is one of my all time favorites, but it's not in production any more.
Is there an artist or tone your after?

 

[theweatherman]

thanks for the advice everyone. seems like a lot of great options for me. i currently have a jb in my les paul. i love its tone. but i need just a little more juice. i dont want to use a boost either. i love the guitar straight into an amp feel. i play mostly classic rock, early metal, and punk rock. if there is a pickup out there with similar tone to a jb but more output that is exactly what im looking for...

 

[gonzo]

i had jb's in two previous guitars (one, a full size, the other, a mini dual coil)

i went to the Lawrences, from that.

the L-90, that's the dealio.

talk with bill or becky, about how much juice you want compared to the JB (nice to know the freq peaks and henries) and they'll dial it in for you.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

Personally, this is still quite a subjective question. More hints would be helpful...

 

[fluff191]

I have had a Super Distortion in my strat for 15 years and I loved it in my punk band days. The low end kind of sits on top of everything else, so it kind of sounds weird to my ears today when I plug it in. But then again I am used to actives so who knows.

It does cut through a mix like a knife, which is why it was great in a band setting. And its not the loudest pickup ever, but like previously stated, its a very 'crunchy' sounding pickup. I personally love the DiMarzio X2N. Loads of output and nice round lows.

 

[thunda1216]

thanks for the advice everyone. seems like a lot of great options for me. i currently have a jb in my les paul. i love its tone. but i need just a little more juice. i dont want to use a boost either. i love the guitar straight into an amp feel. i play mostly classic rock, early metal, and punk rock. if there is a pickup out there with similar tone to a jb but more output that is exactly what im looking for...

I've tried both the Duncan JB and the DiMarzio SD in my SG. I play similar music as you. The DiMarzio is the way to go. The JB has nice harmonics, but just didn't cut it when switching to leads without a boost.

ty

 

[ricomock]

Check out a Dimarzio Super2. It's a SuperD, with more mids and a tighter low end.


I find that the Super Distortion that came stock in all 8 of the USA BC Rich's I've owned, has been real dark and on the edge of being muddy. I like a very tight, focused, mid heavy sound from my guitars, and the Super2 has been my go to pickup for a long time. In the neck they'll make a maple neck-through (w/ mahogany wings) sing so beautifully it'll make a grown man cry. They also cut through a live mix like no other.
But if you want a darker sound a Dimarzio X2N is the way to go. The only problem with them is that you WILL NOT get a good clean sound without coil-tapping it, and then still rolling the volume back

 

[bermuda_]

I have a question to ask you guys.

Which pickups would you guys consider to be the hottest pickups out there on the market today?

 

[JOEY B.]

I have a question to ask you guys.

Which pickups would you guys consider to be the hottest pickups out there on the market today?

Hotter does not equal better. There are seveal aspects of pickups (wire, magnet types, etc...) as well as the body and neck makeup of the guitar in question. I have heard about a half dozen Gibson Les Paul guitars from a 30 year span that sound VERY different with the same type pickups installed.