Seymour Duncan is an American producer of active and passive guitar pickups. Well known models include the JB, 59, Blackout and Full Shred series. They are the chief competitors of pickup producers EMG and DiMarzio.
The 59 Model neck pickup is a warm, versatile humbucker with a big PAF sound that is great for playing both big, rich chords and fat sounding leads. While these vintage style coils give the 59 neck pickup an airy quality that keeps it planted firmly in the PAF family, the alnico 5 bar magnet, and vacuum wax potting have been added to accommodate lighter guitar strings and louder amplifiers than were ever used in the 50s. The result is a pickup with tons of old-school tonal character, but with a brighter top end, scooped mids, and a more compressed sound.[1]
Delivers a sweet, smooth tone for flatter fingerboards and lighter string gauges. Compared to the similar staggered pole model, it provides a more even string balance for modern guitars with a larger neck radius, and players using lighter gauge strings.[2]
Authentically aged humbucker set delivers the aesthetics and tone of the most elusive vintage PAF humbuckers.
The Antiquity bridge humbucker delivers that open, airy tone of the great “PAF” humbuckers that Seth Lover designed in 1955. High notes cut through without being overly bright, and low notes growl with spongy vintage warmth. We wind the bridge model a little hotter for better balance and added warmth, and, as with the neck model, we use the same custom hand-aging process to create an authentic vintage look and sound.[3]
Authentically aged humbucker set delivers the aesthetics and tone of the most elusive vintage PAF humbuckers.
The Antiquity neck humbucker delivers an articulate, yet mellow tone that results from a perfectly balanced frequency response that combines a soft, sweet treble attack with a warm, full sounding low-end. The custom aged alnico 2 bar magnet creates an airy openness to the top-end that gives chords clarity and articulation, while the vintage output coils really bring out the rich harmonic content. Single notes have a beautiful singing quality with just the right amount of treble emphasis.[3]
Blackouts[]
Seymour Duncan Blackouts are a line of active pickups. They are known for their harmonically rich, deep sound and high output. In addition to the standard AHB-1 model, there are the more aggressive, higher output AHB-2 Blackout "Metals" which feature increased treble and mid range, and the AHB-3 "Mick Thomson EMTY" pickups, which have increased bass and treble, as well as higher output -although not as high as the Metals. The AHB-3's are used in Mick Thomson signature Ibanez model, the MTM1.
Vintage style staggered pole pickup which uses a combination of alnico 2 and 5 rod magnets custom positioned for sweet highs and tight lows. It uses alnico 2 rod magnets under the three high strings and alnico 5 rods under the low strings.[5]
Vintage style staggered pole pickup which uses a combination of alnico 2 and 5 rod magnets custom positioned for sweet highs and tight lows. It uses alnico 2 rod magnets under the three high strings and alnico 5 rods under the low strings.
The middle version has reverse wound/ reverse polarity so that it is hum-canceling when used with the bridge and neck pickups (positions 2 & 4).[6]
Vintage style staggered pole pickup which uses a combination of alnico 2 and 5 rod magnets custom positioned for sweet highs and tight lows. It uses alnico 2 rod magnets under the three high strings and alnico 5 rods under the low strings.
The bridge version is wound hotter for full bodied sustain and a stronger attack.[7]
The Full Shred is a pickup designed by Seymour Duncan to combine high output with excellent articulation ideal for lead guitar and harmonic soloing. Used for the RG2610E and RG2610Z.
Versatile, vintage-output humbucker which offers a bright and clear tone even when used with distortion effect. Pairs well with most moderate to high-output bridge humbuckers.
Built using an alnico 5 bar magnet with a nickel silver bottom plate and vacuum wax potted.[8]
The ultimate hot-rodded humbucker. It adds juice and versatility to the bridge position of any humbucker equipped guitar. With its hot coils, and alnico 5 bar magnet, this pickup delivers an unmistakable upper midrange attack, a tight, articulate low end, and harmonically rich highs that can really sing.
Unique bridge humbucker that combines a Hot Rails coil with a Vintage P90 soapbar to offer unmatched tonal variety. Can be split to give you a super fat P90, or it can be split to the Rail coil for Strat-like tone. With both coils on, you get a big sounding humbucker that packs a nice full punch.[9]
Unique neck humbucker that combines a Hot Rails coil with a Vintage P90 soapbar to offer unmatched tonal variety. Can be split to give you a super fat P90, or it can be split to the Rail coil for Strat-like tone. With both coils on, you get a big sounding humbucker that packs a nice full punch.
The neck version is wound RWRP, reverse wind reverse polarity, so that, if you use a pair of P-Rails in your guitar, you can use both P90s or both Rails together and get hum-canceling.[10]
Active pickup built for extended range guitars developed with input by Dino Cazares. Based on the Blackout, but with enhanced and string definition to complement Cazares' lightning fast attack.[11]
The Stag Mag is a unique humbucker that uses staggered alnico 2 rod magnets instead of the traditional bar magnet, for Strat tone when split. The Stag Mag is a high output bridge pickup designed specifically to give you a true Strat single coil tone when switched into split mode. Its 4-conductor leadwire gives you the ability to use a mini-toggle switch or pushpull to split the coils for access to both humbucker and single coil sounds. We use alnico 2 rod magnets with a traditional Fender pole stagger, and a specially designed high output coil wind so that, when split, the sound is bouncy and bright, just like a Strat. When wired as a full humbucker, the tone is fat and smooth.[12]
The Vintage Flat Strat delivers a shimmering tone for guitars with flatter fingerboards and lighter string gauges. It has flat alnico 5 rod magnets that provide a more even string balance for modern guitars with a larger neck radius, and players using lighter gauge strings.
Neck humbucker specially made by Seymour Duncan for the Ibanez SZ seriesPrestige and Marty Friedman signature models. Warm and smooth tone with superior sustain.[13]
Bridge humbucker specially made by Seymour Duncan for the Ibanez SZ seriesPrestige and Marty Friedman signature models. Provides fat but clear sound with aggresive harmonics.[13]
Duncan Designed pickups[]
The Duncan Designed line of pickups was started by Seymour Duncan in 1995 at the request of several of their larger original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) customers, including Ibanez who wanted to offer a pickup tied in to the Duncan identity on their mid-level instruments. While USA-made Seymour Duncan pickups are intended to fit on instruments with list prices over US$800, the Korean-built Duncan Designed pickups are intended for OEM use on guitars and basses with retail prices between US$300 and $800.[14]
The Duncan Designed version of the super-popular Seymour Duncan Blackouts active humbucker. The MT indicates that the design is tweaked for Mick Thomson.
Sources[]
↑59 neck (product web page); Seymour Duncan; archived from the original December 2015.
