Seymour Duncan SH-16 '59/Custom Hybrid

hi there!

Anyone ever used a Seymour Duncan 59/Custom Hybrid with a Diezel amp?

Currently I like BKP Nailbombs in my guitars because of the throaty mids. I think it complements the sound of my Herbert by giving it some hair.
While I am quite satisfied with the pickups I would like to try something new and the SH-16 caught my attention.

While the reviews mention a "complex midrange" and a "growl in the mids" I am not sure if it would give me what I want.


Thanks for your time!

Daniel

It depends on what you prefer.
I always try to find a PU with tons of treble and high mids and weak base. In other words a clear sounding pickup.

But that's only my personal preference with my herbert and for my style of music I like to play.

The Nailbombs give me a clear sound which is fat at the same time and has a pronounced midrange. I like that a lot. According to the tone chart on the SD page and the review I am expecting something similar. The Sh-16 seems to have less output though, but that's not a problem.

Hy, dont know anythink about the custom hybrid. In my guitars are some Duncan Distortions an They sound awesome to me. Straight through like a saw and very organic at the Same time. Not to bassy and harsh. Greetings

Actually I own a Sh-6, but I don't like it too much with my Herbert. Of course it depends on the music you play. I find it too compressed and lacking dynamics. For metal that would be desired I guess but for the music I play, heavy alternative rock, it is just too much. When I need more compression I just switch to the third channel.

I've found that, concerning passive picukps, the Lawrence (Wilde pickups) 500XL sounds very nice.
It's polite in the low end, which is a good thing, since the D-moll has more than enough depth

I also like the EMG81, but not everyone likes active pickups.

I have used the 59/custom hybrid. In fact, it is still wired up in my ESP.

I really really like this pickup a lot. Honestly I would have wired it into my PRS (main guitar) if I didn't have the opportunity to custom design some Duncans.

It does a very unique midrange and it is easiest to just imagine it a vintage pickup with modern bite. It has a very nice high end and a 'powerful' low end with a nice bit of modern tightness. The powerful low end does not make it flubby or muddy by any means. It is very defined and it may be due to the complexity of the midrange? Powerful might not be a good word...

Overall, it is a lower output pickup and it goes very well with my VH4 because of that, but it also has some of the good qualities a higher output pickup would have without driving the input too hard.

Any questions, ask away haha.

So it seems while the Nailbomb is a modern pickup with a nod towards classic sound, the Hybrid seems similar but just the other way around and less output. I am going to order one next week as a birthday gift to myself.

Sigma, you mind sharing what kind of custom pickup did you get? Was it based on the Hybrid somehow?

Hey! Sorry for the delay in reply.

My custom pickup set is actually a little different.

The bridge is inspired by the hybrid, but is more modernized. I wanted a pickup that could handle any amount of gain, retain definition, have good separation, tight and defined low end, glassy singing highs, etc...

The neck is similar to if you made a 59 neck/jazz neck hybrid with a modernish twist with very equal tonal balance.

These ended up giving some ideals for a 7 string set they now offer.

So I finally managed to put a hybrid in my LTD Viper. By far the best SD pickup that I tried (sh4, sh5, sh6, sh15) with the custom being my second favorite.
It is really dynamic, sounds great when played clean. It is clear and has a nice mid range.
I know that Peter swears by Nailbombs - I also like them - but I think you should give them a try. EQ wise both pickups are in the same ball park. Still have to do a A/B tho