Seymour Duncan SSL-2 RW/RP Vintage Flat
By
David MacKenzie, in Electric Guitar Pickups
Overall Rating
Sound Quality
-
-
-
-
-
[Perceived output level]
Same as a stock Strat pickup: fairly low.
[Tone]
Well-rounded classic Strat sound. Not distinctively bluesy,
brittle, dark, or anything, really. Just a decent Strat sound.
[Sonic evaluation]
The sound isn't as top-heavy as my CBS Strat pickups.
However, for the middle position (only), I found that I like
that chime better than the slightly more midrangey sound of
the SSL-2. The combination positions (2 and 4) didn't have as
much quack and character as I wanted. Apparently, just like
you lose some of the highs when making a humbucker, you lose
some of them when using a normal and a RW/RP (reverse wound,
reverse polarity) single coil in combination to cancel hum.
[For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable]
Not good for metal. Fine for most other applications, I suppose.
Reliability/Durability
-
-
-
-
-
Price/Value
-
-
-
-
-
General Comments
[Comments]
I decided that the stock pickup was what I wanted after all,
and put it back in.
6. The non-RW/RP model, which I haven't tried, would probably
get around an 8, as I suspect the combination positions would
sound better.