SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

[sustain]

Hello, what's the difference between the SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion and the PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker. I have a tremolo-equipped guitar even though that probably doesn't matter. Which one is better or which one would go best with the Hot Rails in the Neck and the Cool Rails in the Middle???

[Newc]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

The SH-6 has round poles and is for standard Gibson tunamatic bridge spacing as the strings pass directly over the center of the poles, and through the center of the magnetic field.
The TB-6 is for Tremolo (Fender or Floyd or Ibanez trem) guitars, as their string spacing is wider than tunamatics, and the PA is Parallel Axis - instead of round poles like the others, they have 2 small square sticks on both sides of each string that focus the magnetic field around each string in a better fashion than round poles.

You should use either the TB-6 or the PA-2 since you have a trem. Either one is fine.

Newc

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

both are nice pichups if you ask me

[1trussell]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

From what I understand the sh-6 and the tb-6 are identical pickups except for the spacing of the pole pieces. The tb-6 is spaced for a Floyd Rose while the sh-6 is not. The pa-tb2 has the parallel pole pieces as you see in the top picture shawn provided. This increases the distance you can move a string without having a decrease in volume because the string almost always stays over a pole piece. The pa-tb2b also has a higher DC resistance (21.3 vs. 16.6k) and a lower resonant peak (3.9 vs 5.5khz). Will all of this make a difference? Probably not a difference you'll be able to hear. I've got the sh-6 in my 650XL with the Cool Rails in the middle and the Hot Rails in the neck and it sounds great. No volume drop due to the narrow spacing at all becasue the Distortion is such a high output pickup anyway. Still, I don't think you could go wrong with any of the three.

[Sunbane]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

Forgive me for asking stupid questions, but wouldn't a blade pickup do the same thing as the parallell axis humbucker, only better? Wouldn't one big "polepiece" ensure an even magnet field over the whole pickup area? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

'bane

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

The only blade humbucker that Seymour Duncan makes, to my recollection, is the SH-13 Dimebucker (no TB version of it since they're blades!).

Unless, of course, you count the single-coil-sized Hot Rails humbuckers and such.

[Deneb]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

Any distortion pickup is good, if you have a trem spaced guitar, then you should get the trem bucker, if you have a non trem spaced, get the non trem bucking.

I have never installed a PA before, but I had a guitar with it, and it sounded pretty much the same.

[Sunbane]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

Originally posted by Number Of The Priest:
The only blade humbucker that Seymour Duncan makes, to my recollection, is the SH-13 Dimebucker (no TB version of it since they're blades!).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">That's just the thing. Why the use of all those odd little polepiece thingies when you could make it a blade and be done with it(?). Smells a bit like marketing hype to me, or just an excuse to widen the product line - especially if they sound the same.

I think it's the same with TB spacing BTW. Before it was introduced, people had used ordinary humbuckers in their guitars - for years - without any problems. And then all of a sudden you hear people saying "you must have a TB humbucker in the bridge or it will sound like a$$!"...
[img]graemlins/bs.gif[/img]

Unless, of course, you count the single-coil-sized Hot Rails humbuckers and such.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm, yeah it's odd that they have minibucker rail pickups but not railed normal ones (the Dimebucker excluded).

'bane

[Newc]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

With the poles and mini-bars, the idea is that the magnetic field under and around each string is a separate field, but the blades have only one big field, and you run the risk of phase cancellation if two strings disturb the field differently - just like how a bass and kick cancel each other out if one pushes the speaker while it is returning from the other's hit.

For proof of each type's field, get a sheet of printer paper and sprinkle some metallic shavings on it, then put each pickup under the shavings. They will draw out the magnetic fields of each pole piece, each bar, and each rail.

Newc

[charvel750]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

There actually are many bladed full size humbuckers out there, even Jackson made a version. But don't forget all the Lawrence models like the XL500, the Dimarzios like the X2N & Multibucker, virtually every EMG active humbucker is railed underneath, Kramer's Quad Rail humbuckers, some Armstrong humbuckers, and more I can't seem to recall off hand.

[Sunbane]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

Originally posted by charvel750:
There actually are many bladed full size humbuckers out there, even Jackson made a version. But don't forget all the Lawrence models like the XL500, the Dimarzios like the X2N & Multibucker, virtually every EMG active humbucker is railed underneath, Kramer's Quad Rail humbuckers, some Armstrong humbuckers, and more I can't seem to recall off hand.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">We were talking about Seymour Duncan specifically. And I don't really think of the Dimebucker as "theirs", since it's a copy off the BL500XL.

[ October 13, 2003, 02:16 AM: Message edited by: Sunbane ]

[SARJ]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

I have an SH-6 Distrotion in my DK2. I didn't know the difference when I bought it. It sounds great. I have a TB-6 comming for my Warlock. I hope there is no difference. I don't want to have to go and get another TB-6 if I don't have to. I have heard that there is some difference, but you never know. I can't wait to find out.

[sustain]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

Villabos, I think you are supposed to have the TB-6 for your DK-2 since DK-2's have Floyd Rose-based tremolo's on them. The SH-6 is like for guitars who don't have tremolo's or guitars that have vintage tremolo's like statocasters. I hope I'm right... [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/eyes.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[Sunbane]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

If I'm not completely misinformed, all this is based on the old differences in string spacing between Gibsons and Fenders.

The name "Trembucker" is somewhat misleading IMO. What SD calls "Trembuckers" is called "F-spaced humbucker" by DiMarzio. In this case, "F" stands for "Fender". The reason is that Fender used to have slightly wider stringspacing than Gibson. The Fender Strats were also (traditionally) the guitars to come standard with trems, while the Gibsons were hardtails.

Fenders traditionally came with singlecoils, so singlecoils are "F-spaced" already. Gibsons used to come with humbuckers, and of course their humbuckers were designed with their narrower stringspacing in mind. When other companies started producing aftermarket pickup replacements, they modelled their humbuckers after Gibson's stringspacing and the singlecoils after that of Fender, seeing them only as replacements. It wasn't until it became common practice to put humbuckers into strats that the F-spaced humbucker appeared.

The Floyd is a design with its roots in the old floating Fender tremolo, so I think it has retained the Fender stringspacing.

But as far as I'm concerned, the difference in string spacing isn't big enough to make much difference either way. [img]graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]

'bane

[ October 13, 2003, 07:18 PM: Message edited by: Sunbane ]

[ozzuk1]

Re: SH-6/TB-6 Duncan Distortion VS. PA-TB2 Distortion Trembucker

well i put non f spaced EMG hz-1 in my ESP, you can't tell the difference in sound between the bridge and neck, the only thing is the strings being slightly out of line.

get what the hell you wan't mate, it's your choice the SH-6 would be better, with F-spacing, as you probably pay more for the PA-2 or whatever it's called.

but if your going for rails get the X2N or an EMG 81, as long, as you can be bothered to change everything!