Duncan "Distortion" vs "Blackouts"

[Shask]

I recently got a Duncan Distortion, and I have been experimenting with it a lot. I am normally an EMG person, so it is a change from what I am used to...

How do you find the DD compared to EMGs (81) ? Funny question in that EMGs replaced the DD in my guitar 5 years ago, but I'm comtemplating trying out the DD again, since I still have it. I replaced the Duncans, not out of dissatisfaction, just to experiment. Now I can't remember very well how they sounded.

I had a DD like 8-9 years ago, and just wanted a refresher also, lol.

I have been using the EMG 85 and 707 a lot more lately over the 81 just because I have been wanting a bigger bottom end in my guitars. I generally use boosts, so I can clean up the low end if I need to.

I just plugged in both back to back for a second to give it some thought. The DD definitely has more lows and low mids. It can get sludgy on the lows if your amp doesn't compensate for that (Or you use a Tubescreamer or similar). The DD has a lot of upper mids like the 81, but the 81 has more presence, so the 81 sounds brighter overall. The DD has upper mids, but then not much presence, so overall it doesn't sound as excessively bright, or have as much edge to the attack. The DD is smoother and more dynamic. I don't like super smooth pickups, but the DD is a nice balance in the middle. It is not as bad as a JB, which I consider to be flubby and too smooth.

I don't think the DD.....stands out as much as an EMG, but it is a good sounding pickup nontheless. I think I prefer the 85, but I definitely like the change. It is nice to have something that is not 100% super aggressive all the time.

Thanks for the review
Did you compare them in different guitars ?

Yeah, thats just what I have them in now. I have EMG's in like 4 different guitars though, so I am pretty familiar with them I have the Duncan in cheap Mahogany Ibanez SA series. It is cheap, but it is a pretty warm sounding guitar.

 

[sinfish]

I am running a Tube screamer in front of the preamp. Its on in the crunch channel and not the lead channel. The gain is not out of control and is set at 80%. The TS is set at 30% gain. I am also running a pedal version decimator gate to clean up line noise pre gain stage. The Gmajor used runs an additional noise gate. The amp is quiet as quiet can be when Idol. The pickups are grounded well and there is no hum or excessive noise. I have not lined the control cavity but the noise I am trying to describe is not consistant with noise problems with shielding.

To describe the feedback better it is just a quick burst less than a second long when doing a dead stop or between palm mutes. If I turn both noise gates off I do not feedback any more than already described.

The line level is not too hot or clipping. This does not happen with other guitars. but to be fair the other guitars don't have distortions in them. No Video yet. Thanks again for your replies!

80% on the gain knob is what I would consider to be quite a lot of gain. Aside from that, what you are describing sounds very very close to what I would describe as spring noise. Put a handful of cottonballs in the spring cavity of your guitar and screw it down tight and whang the bar a few times to get the balls worked into the springs. I use a spring equipped guitar with this setup and my guitar is dead silent, but it used to do exactly what you describe.

I did dampen the springs using a small rubber tube inside each spring. The springs make no noise at all.

 

[9ball]

Hi All,

Do they squish your sound? Can you roll back the volume on your guitar and get mellow warm tones? I have some EMG 81s and 83s and they seem a little thin sounding and seam to lack mid-range tone. I want alot of aggression without the noise for nice lead attack. I play instumental proggesive Metal / fussion. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

no they don't squish your sound
yes they mellow out with volume knob rollback, and quite well (in my rig anyways can't speak for everyone's)
in my experience blackouts do not have so much output that they are not clear, they just have a great overall "duncan" kind of rock sound, and are more organic sounding, and a little more thick than EMG's. i tried a distortion in another guitar as well, and like the blackouts better than that too. i'm thinking about just putting them in all of my guitars actually.
i can plug my V with blackouts up to my TSL, on the crunch channel, and it sounds exactly like your classic AC/DC sound. it's a versatile guitar as well just playing with the volume, but i do get some feedback sometimes when i switch to the lead channel, which is really high gain.
i have AHB-1's.

 

[Code001]

If anyone has a back, trem. spaced Duncan Distortion, please sell it to me.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Stuff some foam under the pickups.

 

[Anonymous]

did you try backing the pickup down a bit? even an 1/8 of an inch makes a HUGE difference in sound. try it, it might just get you the cut in output/overtones/harmonics that you need.

 

[sinfish]

did you try backing the pickup down a bit? even an 1/8 of an inch makes a HUGE difference in sound. try it, it might just get you the cut in output/overtones/harmonics that you need.

It is funny you say that because that is what I suspected while tearing them out last night. My pickups are direct mounted. After comparing the Dimarzio's to the Duncans I found that the Duncans sit a little higher.

 

[JakeAC5253]

You said you put 'Distortion(s)' in your guitar? As in more than one? Try swapping the bridge one for the neck one, that way you can narrow down variables. If it does make a difference then the bridge pickup was microphonic. Other than being microphonic, pickups don't create feedback... amps and pedals do.