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Duncan Custom vs. Dimarzio Super Distortion.


amiller

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Originally posted by amiller

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So, which one do you guys like and why?


Seymour Duncan Custom or Dimarzio Super Distortion.

 

 

 

They are both great pickups, just depends on what you're looking for.

 

I'd say the Custom is tighter and brighter, and the SD is smoother over all.

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Originally posted by Grind Cruncher




They are both great pickups, just depends on what you're looking for.


I'd say the Custom is tighter and brighter, and the SD is smoother over all.

 

 

Yeah, the SD is more smooth/warm. It can get aggressive sounding "chunk" but it's warmer and more compressed, less percussive. I do prefer it over the Custom, but it's hard to consider the two pickups compared against each other since they are so different. I'd probably make comparisons with the Custom and the 500T, since they sound a lot more similar than the Custom and the SD.

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Originally posted by vlad

I had an Super D in my old Gunslinger... I didn't like that pickup. Dark and muddy.. and I like smooth tones. Too much for me.

 

 

Perhaps a bit dark, but I don't get any mud from it and I have it in a darker/looser sounding guitar too. I did take care (as xwiwiwx would recommend!) to position it the proper distance from the strings, adjusting it inbetween playing until it sounded right. I wonder if that had anything to do with your negative experience or not, or if the guitar were possibly just a bit more muddy in its lows.

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Originally posted by JamesPeters



Perhaps a bit dark, but I don't get any mud from it and I have it in a darker/looser sounding guitar too. I did take care (as xwiwiwx would recommend!) to position it the proper distance from the strings, adjusting it inbetween playing until it sounded right. I wonder if that had anything to do with your negative experience or not, or if the guitar were possibly just a bit more muddy in its lows.

 

 

Could be... It was Alder I believe... the guitar was sorta dark acoustically... and the pickup was a bridge position slanted.

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Originally posted by vlad



Could be... It was Alder I believe... the guitar was sorta dark acoustically... and the pickup was a bridge position slanted.

 

 

I've had problems with the slanted bridge position humbucker guitars, for that same thing.

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Super Distortion is thick, fat, midrangey, very high output, can be whatever you want it to be, it CUTS through really nice.

 

The Custom is hollow in the mids, has no thickness and too much treble. Doesn't cut through.

 

Just my $0.02 worth :)

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Originally posted by vlad

I had an Super D in my old Gunslinger... I didn't like that pickup. Dark and muddy.. and I like smooth tones. Too much for me.

 

 

Hey Vlad,

 

What amp were you using at the time? The XTC can be a bit dark to start with.

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Originally posted by JamesPeters



Perhaps a bit dark, but I don't get any mud from it and I have it in a darker/looser sounding guitar too. I did take care (as xwiwiwx would recommend!) to position it the proper distance from the strings, adjusting it inbetween playing until it sounded right. I wonder if that had anything to do with your negative experience or not, or if the guitar were possibly just a bit more muddy in its lows.

 

 

I'm glad someone's taking care.

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Originally posted by Grind Cruncher




They are both great pickups, just depends on what you're looking for.


I'd say the Custom is tighter and brighter, and the SD is smoother over all.

 

 

Yeah. They cannot be placed in a choose one or the other situation.

It's like, which do you choose when the choices are both right. Either, because it doesn't matter.

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Originally posted by JamesPeters



I do prefer it over the Custom, but it's hard to consider the two pickups compared against each other since they are so different. I'd probably make comparisons with the Custom and the 500T, since they sound a lot more similar than the Custom and the SD.

 

I'm using a Custom in my LP now. I think it is a vast improvement over the LP stock bridge pup. I also have a MusicMan Steve Morse with a hot dimarzio in the bridge. I actually like the sound of the MusicMan a bit more than the LP and that gave me the idea of putting a SuperDistortion in the LP...'wanted to get everyone's take on it here first though.:)

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Originally posted by amiller



Hey Vlad,


What amp were you using at the time? The XTC can be a bit dark to start with.

 

 

TSL then XTC. It was defintely too dark with the XTC. But like James suggested, it could have been other factors.

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Originally posted by Snakebite20

Super Distortion is thick, fat, midrangey, very high output, can be whatever you want it to be, it CUTS through really nice.


The Custom is hollow in the mids, has no thickness and too much treble. Doesn't cut through.


Just my $0.02 worth
:)

 

Everybody's .02 cents is welcome.:thu::D

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I've used them both and they're quite different.

 

 

The Custom is not as thick or warm as the SuperD, however, it's a touch tighter with a lot more top end...that typical Duncan type top end. That top end can be harsh in some guitars whereas the SuperD can obviously be a touch dark in some guitars.

 

 

Really depends on your setup.

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Originally posted by ranalli

I've used them both and they're quite different.



The Custom is not as thick or warm as the SuperD, however, it's a touch tighter with a lot more top end...that typical Duncan type top end. That top end can be harsh in some guitars whereas the SuperD can obviously be a touch dark in some guitars.



Really depends on your setup.

 

Thanks, I think I'm starting to get an idea of the differences.:D

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Originally posted by batotman

In my experience:


Dark guitar: JB

Med guitar: Custom

Bright guitar: Super D


I've had good results.

 

And how do you evaluate if the guitar is bright or dark sounding?

 

My LesPaul sounds HUGE when unplugged but thins out pretty quick when plugged, so fat pickups might be more in order ?

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Originally posted by Snakebite20


And how do you evaluate if the guitar is bright or dark sounding?


My LesPaul sounds HUGE when unplugged but thins out pretty quick when plugged, so fat pickups might be more in order ?

 

 

Plugged in. My Tokai is a bright sounding LP, my Agile is a med, and my Edwards was dark. All made of the same {censored} so not really sure why such big differences in tone.

 

I put a JB in my Jaguar HH and it was like ice picks, switched to a Super D and its great. Tokai sounded shrill with the JB, 59 works great. Agile sounded decent with a JB but better with a Custom. Edwards sounded great with a JB and very full sounding.

 

My CS Showmaster has a JB in it right now, decent but a little bright, probably gonna put a Custom in instead if I get time this weekend.

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Originally posted by batotman



Plugged in. My Tokai is a bright sounding LP, my Agile is a med, and my Edwards was dark. All made of the same {censored} so not really sure why such big differences in tone.


I put a JB in my Jaguar HH and it was like ice picks, switched to a Super D and its great. Tokai sounded shrill with the JB, 59 works great. Agile sounded decent with a JB but better with a Custom. Edwards sounded great with a JB and very full sounding.


My CS Showmaster has a JB in it right now, decent but a little bright, probably gonna put a Custom in instead if I get time this weekend.

Okay so you use the "testing" method. I fully agree with you then :thu:

There is no other way to know than to TRY it.

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