DD HB103 pickups?

[mm2002]

So what do you guys think of them? I have to admit, I was very surprised. I had one laying around (I think it was out of a DK2?), and decided to put it in an axe tonight. I've been playing around with it for a couple of hours now! Man, this little pup is pretty badass for a cheapy "designed"! I've never played one before, but it's staying in this axe for sure!

[bibz]

They do sound very good thats for sure, they just dont have the depth or play as well as real us duncans. Sure its a price thing, but there ya have it.

[mm2002]

they just dont have the depth or play as well as real us duncans.

It's going to be a little hard to convince MY ears of that!
In some of my other axes I have an SH4, two SH6's, an SH8, a JB Trembucker, and 2 with EMG's. I'll tell ya, I'm not tone deaf (much), but this pup can hold its own with any of them. Very warm, rich, harmonic, and excellent "feel". Maybe it's just me.

[Nazgul]

I had those in my RX10D, I didn't like them so I swapped them with EMGs...if anyone is interested I still have one left (neck humbucker)...

[DonP]

It's going to be a little hard to convince MY ears of that!
In some of my other axes I have an SH4, two SH6's, an SH8, a JB Trembucker, and 2 with EMG's. I'll tell ya, I'm not tone deaf (much), but this pup can hold its own with any of them. Very warm, rich, harmonic, and excellent "feel". Maybe it's just me.

First off, if it's the DK2 pickup, it's the HB102B - the Duncan Designed JB equivilent. The HB103B is the Duncan Distortion equivilent, found in KE3's at one time. They differ only by magnets.

Second, I've heard all the BS (In My Opinion) about how a real JB will blow these away, so I compare two similar guitars (a DK2 against an Alder body, rosewood necked bolt on, 25 1/2" scale, Kahler Killer floating trem vs. JT580LP) and to my ears, they were exactly the same, so I sold the TB4 and kept the HB102B.

And yes, it is a great sounding pickup, just like the JB. Back when they were winding the first PAF pickups, did anyone then stock up on shitloads thinking that these things would go up over 400x in price? When DiMarzio Super Distortion's came out, people were ripping out there PAFs as fast as they could. Now those people look like fools. Will the people who rip out Duncan Designed pickups look back years from now and kick themselves in the ass? I doubt it, but you never know. All I know is that these pickups work good enough for me, enough that I can't justify spending the extra $$$ for the real SD equivilent.

[RacerX]

I got the 103 in my KVX10 and I think it's great! I already have a DD ready to replace it so I can compare them.

[toejam]

I had a set of Duncan Designed pups (H/S) in my Schecter 7-string. They sounded okay but were a little weak in output for my tastes. I don't know which Duncan models they're supposed to be the equivalent of, though. I've now got a DiMarzio Blaze single coil in the neck and a Duncan Custom 7 in the bridge and am much happier.

[mm2002]

I got the 103 in my KVX10 and I think it's great! I already have a DD ready to replace it so I can compare them.

Hey Ron, why don't you do a "before and after" recording and let the tone junkies decide which is which. That would be tons of fun!

[RacerX]

Well if I had any knowledge or equipment on recording I sure would!

Then I could torture you guys w/ MP3s!

[jgcable]

I think the DD's sound great too. I did do an a/b comparing the DD JB and the SD JB. The SD JB was a "c" hair clearer but the DD JB had more gain and was a little smoother.
For me.. there is very little difference between them.
I also feel the same way about the Bill Lawrence made pickups and the offshore Bill Lawrence designed pickups. They both sound the same to me but then again... I AM A DIMARZIO MAN.

[shadowcat]

I swapped the DD HB103 in my KVX10 for the SD Distortion. I liked the sound of the HB103 alot but thought that the low end was a little muddy.
The SD Distortion fixed that and more, it sounds clearer and has more punch.

That said, I think the DD's are very good stock pickups, and a way better choice than EMG HZs, for example.

[mm2002]

Yes, and I will agree that the HZ's sound like pure crap.

[Madness]

I'm not much of a fan on DD p/u's. I had a DR3 which came with the 103's and I thought those seemed to lack definition. I've tried them in other guitars too and had the same opinion.
I generally feel the same about the 102's but, I have a DK2 that has one and for some reason it just sounds great in that particular axe...just like the real JB, so it's staying in there.

That said, I think the DD's are very good stock pickups, and a way better choice than EMG HZs, for example.

Couldn't agree with you more.

[spencer4hire]

I have DD103 in my DX6 and it was also in my SC1 Surfcaster. I really like that pickup. Just installed SD Distortion set in my DXMGT. It does sound a little different than the DD103. I would say that the distortion has a little better bottom end but the DD103 has a more nasty "edge" to it.

[wilkinsi]

I have DD103 in my DX6 and it was also in my SC1 Surfcaster. I really like that pickup. Just installed SD Distortion set in my DXMGT. It does sound a little different than the DD103. I would say that the distortion has a little better bottom end but the DD103 has a more nasty "edge" to it.

+1. Both my guitars have passives. DD in the DX10DFS and EMG-HZ's in the WRMG. The DD's have a brighter, yet brittle or "nasty" edge to them. The difference tends to be very small. I also noticed that the output of the DD's is a bit lower too.