Duncan Designed

[RacerX]

Hey Frank, Welcome!

Maybe tell us what style your band plays in...I can't imagine it's like Slayer or Venom...hee hee

I've used my EMG81-equipped Rhoads at church gigs, though....on metal versions of praise & Christmas songs...went over pretty well! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[frankencat]

Re: Duncan Designed

We play original RnR in the Classic Rock style - think Zeppelin, Floyd, Trower, etc. I have been playinf for around 25 years and have aplayed a ton of different gear but I mainly use a Fender Strat and a G&L Legacy both set up with Duncan Pearly Gates bridge and SSL-2 or Fender stock flat-pole singles in neck and bridge. Recently I had a pretty cool Gibson DC with EMG's - an 85 bridge and a 60 neck. That was a pretty cool setup and I have been contemplating either an SA-SA-85 setup or a Duncan setup with something like their classic stack singles and a PG bridge which is my favorite. I was also thinking about something like Vintage rails but I am not a big fan of ceramic pickups. Don't need tons of distortion but some power is cool as long as it is sweet. I play a Budda Superdrive 30 II and go for more of a clean but distorted type of sound but kick in the OD when the time is right. Think Stevie Ray, Marshall stacks, and good strong message about how good Jesus is and you get the picture. Rockin for the Lord baby! Yeah [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[frankencat]

Duncan Designed

Hi all, I am new to the board so let me start by saying hello to all of you....hello [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Some of you might know me from other boards but please don't hold that against me. Seriously though, I just purchased my first Jackson, a new DK2 in Eerie Dess Swirl and I love this thing!! It plays like a dream and seems very solid except I am not crazy about these pickups. so what pickups are you all using in these things! I am doing mainly Classic Rock and Blues and play in a Christian Rock Band called Higher Ground Band (http://www.highergroundband.com). Thinking of going either Duncan or EMG but I seem to always lean towards the Duncan side of the fence. Would like to hear what other folks are using aod for what styles of music. Thanks a bunch! F.

[kickaxeguitars]

Re: Duncan Designed

Welcome aboard friend! I'm sure as you are well aware, tone is a matter of personal preference.
I have a set of "Designed" Duncans in an LTD Bengal and think they are OK. To me, they sound pretty similar to the Duncan "JB" model.

I suspect you probably want something a little more thicker sounding. And for a list of different tones I would visit: Duncan's website
They give fair descriptions of the general tone their different pickups can accomplish.

Most of the guys who play Jackson guitars are typically shredders and go for the shred tone. Typically, that is a Duncan JB, EMG 81, Dimarzio Super Distortion and Tone Zone just to name a few. If you want a thick, Les Paul-ish type tone then go with an Alnico Pro (Slash's pickup)or a '59 (Supposed to sound like a '59 Les Paul). If you still want gobs of gain with a little more bass, then try the Duncan Distortion (Think Randy Rhoads)

I personally prefer Gibson pickups. I like the PAFs and the 498T(Les paul Studio bridge pickup)

However, keep in mind that different woods make the pickups sound completely different. I like the JB's in lighter woods such as alder but think they sound like sh!t in maple or mahogony bodies.

About the only consistent pickup from guitar to guitar is the EMG 81 or 85. They sound the same if you mounted one on a broom stick! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Steve]

Re: Duncan Designed

Originally posted by frankencat:
Hi all, I am new to the board so let me start by saying hello to all of you....hello [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Some of you might know me from other boards but please don't hold that against me. Seriously though, I just purchased my first Jackson, a new DK2 in Eerie Dess Swirl and I love this thing!! It plays like a dream and seems very solid except I am not crazy about these pickups. so what pickups are you all using in these things! I am doing mainly Classic Rock and Blues and play in a Christian Rock Band called Higher Ground Band (http://www.highergroundband.com). Thinking of going either Duncan or EMG but I seem to always lean towards the Duncan side of the fence. Would like to hear what other folks are using aod for what styles of music. Thanks a bunch! F.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">hey man welcome ! I also play in a church band dude and I'd go with a 81 or a 85 , I use the passive versions of emg pickups and they have the same tone as the active pick ups . I really like them on clean stuff with lottsa chorus cause they cut though alright , the 81 [active] cutts though even nicer , and then when you do need some gain in a low gain situation it really stands out nice and ballsy . I also have the duncan designed distortion model pickups as well in my Kelly and they are pretty nice pickups as well . but of all the duncans I have bought and sold over the years I think the emg hz passive pick ups are my fave passive pickups right now . //Steve

[Ghode]

Re: Duncan Designed

Hi to everyone...

Im using gibson voodoo explorer with emg 81 & 85 and this guitars kill!!! Emg are the best pickups for metal music and some rock stuff, expecialy 85 on neck position.

And now something about duncan... i had kelly explorer kx10 with duncan designed humbuckers and thih pickups aren't bad...

Dimarzio super distortion-pickups are for hard rock stuff, i had this pickup on slammer explorer and another flying v, i think that this pickup need more treble, because he dont have enough power, aggression...

So im buying now another set of emg-s to set up on my jackson ps3t-for me is this very,very god guitar [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[pro-fusion]

Re: Duncan Designed

For the sort of 'classic rock distortion' you must be thinking of, especially Zeppelin, I'd say there are two basic theories:

1. Use a distortion pickup and hit a relatively clean amp tone with a lot of signal. I think a lot of '70s guys did this before there were really high gain amps. Either the DiMarzio Super Distortion or the Duncan Distortion would work well for this. Personally, I prefer the Duncan, but I've also had guitars with Super D's that sounded great, as well.

2. Use a relatively low output pickup and get most of your gain from the amp. Think Van Halen's 'brown sound' here. You'll get more articulation this way and a 'juicier' sound, but you have to have the right amp to do it. Also, Jimmy Page got his studio tone by playing through a little crappy Supro amp that he turned up about as loud as it would go, even using comparatively low output PAF pickups in his Les Pauls, as well as a standard-issue Telecaster.

Personally, I would think the Pearly Gates or a Distortion would be good overall choices, depending on your philosophy. EMGs are good, but I find that they are not as appealing at lower gain levels--just my opinion, though.

[frankencat]

Re: Duncan Designed

Thanks all. Ended up ordering some Duncans - Duncan Custom (trem-spaced) bridge, Vintage Flat (SSL-2) middle, and Hot Stack for the neck. Should be a cool setup. We'll see when they get here in a week or so. Rock on! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]