Which Duncans?.....

[toejam]

JB is a nice, well rounded pick up..

Unless you think a loose sound with mostly treble and high mids and lack of bass is well-rounded...

It works much better in mahogany than it does in alder. I still don't know why Jackson uses it as a stock pup. Very overrated...

[wilkinsi]

I was gonna try a JB in a WR1... Maybe I'll just put a TB-5 in instead.

[DonP]

ok, well I have to admit I can tell the difference between the DDs and SDs, we were runing dd invaders in the warrior and sd invaders in the kelly and it just always had more balls and squealability....

Erm, as for pick up choice I think its vastly down to the way you play and the sound you wish to create.... Personally its all about 2x SH8 invaders for me.... though I am currently falling in love with the full shred neck pick up, but hate massively on the newer jbs (the old beck jbjs were evil though...) and the George Lynch Screaming Daemon doesn't and isn't...

Although Invaders are ridiculously high gain output, if you spend the time to set them up well you will always reap the rewards, there are some rather mediocre samples on the SD website that give a pretty good idea, but I shall attempt to find a vid or soundclip of the invaders in action!

Dare say I had a DiMarzio full shred in a phantom Rythm Master back in the day and that was pretty savage if memory serves correctly...... any chance of a vid or soundclip of that in action?

Maybe with the Invaders, but we are talking the JB's.

I A/B'ed an HB102B and a real JB side by side in extremely similar guitars and couldn't tell a difference. I sold the JB - waste of money to upgrade from the Duncan Designed.

[Axegrinder87]

You also can't really compare 2 different guitars, not even the same model. I upgraded my RR3 from DD Invaders to SD and didn't notice much. Except for how much better the Jazz was in the neck position. I found the Invader neck to be ghastly.

[Mac48]

Thanks guys.......
I would still love to hear more views on the comparisons of Duncan Design versus "real" duncans.......
I play mostly Rock and Blues so I reckon stock pups are going to be hot enough but is it worth replacing my DK2 for a newer DK2 with real Duncans this would be more cost effective than replacing the Duncan design pups I have......

[MartinBarre]

ok, well I have to admit I can tell the difference between the DDs and SDs, we were runing dd invaders in the warrior and sd invaders in the kelly and it just always had more balls and squealability....

hate massively on the newer jbs (the old beck jbjs were evil though...)

The DD "Invaders" are based on the SH6 Distortion AFAIK so comparing those to the SH8 real Invader is a waste of time.

I have two JBJs along with modern JBs and I find it bizarre you "hate on" what is basically the same pickup. Presumably you're one of the guys people are targeting when they list old JBJs on ebay for $150 FWIW the modern JB is in my SL3 and its the best sounding guitar I've ever played, even better than the RR5 with a JBJ in it!

[Axegrinder87]

Don't mean to argue, but there is a DD version of the Distortion. I have them in 2 axes at the moment. That said, and given my experience comparing the DD Detonator to the SD Invader in the same guitar, I have to believe that the Detonators are NOT based on the Distortion.

[MartinBarre]

Don't mean to argue, but there is a DD version of the Distortion. I have them in 2 axes at the moment. That said, and given my experience comparing the DD Detonator to the SD Invader in the same guitar, I have to believe that the Detonators are NOT based on the Distortion.

The DD pickups with the big hex poles that look like Invaders are based on the real Duncan Distortion as I understand it. And they're shit.
The other DD pickups are alright, I had them in my old KE3.

[Axegrinder87]

You understand wrong.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/duncan-designed/all/hb108/

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

I don't know about DD pups but the JB in my DK2 sounds amazing for what I do. No drop-tuned sludge, just 80s tones and it delivers and amazes. I bought a jap Charvel and thought I'd try something different but it sounds so right I doubt I'll ever change it.

[straycat]

Getting back to the OP IMO the Jackson pick ups in the PS whatever are better than the Duncan Designed any day of the week.
DD's that came in my Hamer arch top sounded really compressed and flubby no life at all.Put in an old set of Schaller golden 50's and now its a joy to play.

[sixx_ gunner]

Mac,
Getting a newer model DK2 isn't worth it to get better sounding pickups. You can get what every pickups you decide on much cheaper then swapping to a newer version DK2. The market isn't so good to pull that off right now and not have to add cash to a deal.
Good luck on your quest.

[tonemonster]