Dimarzio Super Distortion vs. JB/Distortion for LP?

[napalmdeath]

Not much experience with a Super Distortion, but have gotten suggestions for it in my LP.

I notice that it's rated an 8 in the bass department, so my question is, is it a tight bottem end, or flabby? I find the JB to be a great all-around pickup, but loose in a LP. I find the Distortion much tighter, but compressed.

How's the Super Distortion? Maybe 36th Anniversary?

All that said, I'm leaning towards the tried and true Duncan Custom, my favorite Duncan, but I really want double cremes for aesthetics. But, tight bottom for hard rock to heavy chug, drop-D tunings from time to time. That said, I'll probably look for something like a '59 or PAF Pro for the neck.

No, I'm not looking at Bare Knuckle. I find them overpriced.

 

[chumbucket]

The Super Distortion's and 36'ths are usually easy enough to find used and cheap at least to try out. That would be a good combo in an LP. SD in the bridge and 36 in the neck. Double cremey goodness.

 

[paulyc]

The Duncan Distortion is Seymour's take on a DiMarzio Distortion, and he did the Mighty Mite Distortion before his own Duncan version (when he worked at Mighty Mite before starting his own brand), that said, there are differences. My all time favorite for most things is the Duncan Distortion, but the DiMarzio is very cool too, more of an EVH vibe to me, the Mighty Mite is even more EVHish to my ears. For a LP, I'd take the OLD Gibson Dirty Fingers over any of them, NOT the reissue. Killer pickup. Check Ebay.

 

[mchn13]

I had a super 3 and a paf pro in the neck of a les Paul years ago. It was a pretty good combo, and the 3 is tighter than the regular super.

 

[fusedbrain]

I get that you're probably wanting to stick to Duncan or DiMarzio, but if you ever want to look at something different, the Motor City Detroiter is the best bridge pickup I've ever tried in a Les Paul.
The Detroiter neck is OK, but I think I actually prefer a plain old 59 in the neck for a Les Paul.
The Detroiter bridge, however, is just incredible.
Comes in at about 9-9.5 k, and kills on everything, including the drop tune stuff.
And Wade will make you a double cream...
Highly recommended

 

[Rex Rocker]

The Duncan Distortion is Seymour's take on a DiMarzio Distortion

Not really. The Duncan Distortion is actually based on (or at least closely related to) the JB but with an oversized ceramic magnet. I have read that the Duncan Custom is allegedly based off the DiMarzio Super Distortion or the Mighty Mite version (which makes sense, same wire gauge, similar DCR reading) tweaked for EVH, though I think it's its own thing and not all that similar.

To me, the Super Distortion is not particularly tight. It is bassier and more low-mid focused than the JB, IME.

 

[sg guy]

-what your describing that you want is a Dimarzio D-Sonic... don't let its name mislead you..

 

[harddriver]

I think you will be happier with the Duncan custom myself but you can try the Dimarzio SD(13K ohms) and see what you think, they are cheap. I had one years ago but it was unpotted , bright, shrill and a squealfest, the newer potted ones should be better.

That said... I have used Duncans ever since and love em, from the, JB, Custom Custom, Distortion, my faves are the Custom and the Seymourizer II which was Seymour's original high ouput PAF at 12K ohms before the Custom which is 14K ohms dc resistance both have ceramic magnets. I have tried alot of the usual newer boutiques pickups that I wanted to think were better and yet eventually came full circle back to my trusty Duncans.

If you want to try the modern version of the old Seymourizer II it is now the SH-6N (ceramic magnet) ohms neck pickup used as the matching pickup for the Distortion SH-6 bridge set. It will have a bit less compression that the Custom, tight low end, crunchy as hell still with high output at 12K. But I guess you can't get double cremes from Duncan these days so.....

 

[jabps]

Well, I'll just say in my three Les Pauls - two standards and a custom I have the Gibson 500T. For me, it's perfect. I don't know why because I generally prefer alnico over ceramic but they sound great "to me" in the Pauls. Now I tried loading them in my PRS Tremonti and they are bit too much which is strange considering the Tremonti pup I believe was modeled off the 500T. And I felt the Tremonti pup was just a bit too smooth. I still don't know what to put in that guitar as it's had quite a few pups in it - Motor City, Dimarzio, Gibson, stock and a few other things I've forgotten. I think I'll try a Duncan Distortion in it, see what happens there.

But my Pauls - 500T and no pickup gas except for the Custom's neck pup which I need to switch to a 496...same as the other two.

 

[Just Mike]

I've had both in my LP and I prefer the Duncan over the Dimarzio. But I prefer the JB over the Duncan Distortion. And actually, I prefer the Duncan Custom Custom over the JB. So my preference would be;
1. Duncan Custom Custom
2. JB
3. Duncan Distortion
4. Dimarzio Super Distortion

I play Classic rock which is anything from Frampton to GnR to AiC. I play thru a 2204 with a BD2 for big gigs and a EVH 5150iii 1-12 for small rooms. The pickup itself is a small but important piece of the pie.

 

[napalmdeath]

I think you will be happier with the Duncan custom myself but you can try the Dimarzio SD(13K ohms) and see what you think, they are cheap. I had one years ago but it was unpotted , bright, shrill and a squealfest, the newer potted ones should be better.

That said... I have used Duncans ever since and love em, from the, JB, Custom Custom, Distortion, my faves are the Custom and the Seymourizer II which was Seymour's original high ouput PAF at 12K ohms before the Custom which is 14K ohms dc resistance both have ceramic magnets. I have tried alot of the usual newer boutiques pickups that I wanted to think were better and yet eventually came full circle back to my trusty Duncans.

If you want to try the modern version of the old Seymourizer II it is now the SH-6N (ceramic magnet) ohms neck pickup used as the matching pickup for the Distortion SH-6 bridge set. It will have a bit less compression that the Custom, tight low end, crunchy as hell still with high output at 12K. But I guess you can't get double cremes from Duncan these days so.....

I never found the Custom compressed.

 

[paulyc]

You can get double creme if you have a cover put on loosely (so it’s easily removed) from Duncan. I believe Manlius (spelling ?) does an old double creme Super D clone, and a Dirty Fingers clone also.

 

[harddriver]

I think you will be happier with the Duncan custom myself but you can try the Dimarzio SD(13K ohms) and see what you think, they are cheap. I had one years ago but it was unpotted , bright, shrill and a squealfest, the newer potted ones should be better.

That said... I have used Duncans ever since and love em, from the, JB, Custom Custom, Distortion, my faves are the Custom and the Seymourizer II which was Seymour's original high ouput PAF at 12K ohms before the Custom which is 14K ohms dc resistance both have ceramic magnets. I have tried alot of the usual newer boutiques pickups that I wanted to think were better and yet eventually came full circle back to my trusty Duncans.

If you want to try the modern version of the old Seymourizer II it is now the SH-6N (ceramic magnet) ohms neck pickup used as the matching pickup for the Distortion SH-6 bridge set. It will have a bit less compression that the Custom, tight low end, crunchy as hell still with high output at 12K. But I guess you can't get double cremes from Duncan these days so.....

I never found the Custom compressed.

I guess I should have not used the term compressed I guess, we all know that usually as you over wind a balanced PAF usually your mids start to get emphasized relating to how much you overwind it past 8 or 9K. My point is if you find the Custom to be as Seymour describes the Custom(PAF on Steriods)and you like it then as you take some windings out you get less mid bump and closer to a balanced PAF tone. You can kind of visualize the tone of the SH-6N by comparison as a reference point since you have heard the Custom. Pickups are all very personal taste.