Duncan Distortion weak and muddy.... suggestions?

Bash_Man

Bash_Man

Well-known member
hey everyone,
hope everyone is safe and healthy. So I pulled out one of my guitars out of storage to play with and noticed the Duncan Distortion in the bridge was very weak and muddy. Compared to the Duncan Jazz that's in the neck where it sounds powerful and full.

I've tried raising the pickup higher but did no good.

Pots value is 500K and caps are 0.47uf.

Is this a sign that the pickup needs rewinding? would it be a wiring issue? any suggestions would be great.

Thanks
 
I would wire it directly to the tone pot and then to the output. Take the switch and volume pot out of the equation. (Essentially, your tone pot becomes volume, you wire it as you would your volume pot in a single humbucker single volume situation i.e. remove the cap). This will let you know if the pickup is bad.
 
DanTravis62 said:
Weak and muddy does not sound like a normal sh-6 at all, they are (in)famous for being very bright and loud


Try @Smashedguitarist suggestion for sure
Click to expand...
Oh I 100% know :) . I've had a duncan distortion for at least 15-18 years, so fully aware of what it sounds like. Just wasnt sure if maybe it had given up or maybe something wrong with the wiring.
 
Keep us updated. I don't know much about those things just going wrong. But obviously something has. So if it is the pot or the pickup, it is really interesting to me. That way if it happens to me, I will have a better idea where to start.
 
The 80's era DD was my go-to back in the day. The newer version doesn't sound the same. Is it me, or the pickup? :dunno:
 
Bash_Man said:
hey everyone,
Got this fixed up. Turned out to be a defective voluem pot. Something must've happened to the volume pot. Replacing it fixed the issue.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Solder connections or the pot would have been my guess. I find it highly unlikely a pickup will ever have an issue unless you damage one of the leads at the connection point to the bobbin or nicked the winding wire.
 
Yeah guise AJ from Tool uses a MJ DD for his tone, and it’s God-tier.
 
HEMI Cooper said:
The 80's era DD was my go-to back in the day. The newer version doesn't sound the same. Is it me, or the pickup? :dunno:
Click to expand...
Nigel said:
Yeah guise AJ from Tool uses a MJ DD for his tone, and it’s God-tier.
Click to expand...
I have the DDJ that MJ makes for AJ. It's hotter than the DD. But has pretty much the same type of sound. Each individual pickup regardless of when it was made sounds slightly different. No two pickups sound identical. Put in 5 new DD in the same guitar and each one is going to sound slightly different.
It's the same with speakers, cabs, amps, tubes and everything else. They are always going to sound slightly different.
 
stephen sawall said:
I have the DDJ that MJ makes for AJ. It's hotter than the DD. But has pretty much the same type of sound. Each individual pickup regardless of when it was made sounds slightly different. No two pickups sound identical. Put in 5 new DD in the same guitar and each one is going to sound slightly different.
It's the same with speakers, cabs, amps, tubes and everything else. They are always going to sound slightly different.
Click to expand...
I always thought he used a JB. What’s the DCR on the DDJ you have?
 
Nigel said:
I always thought he used a JB. What’s the DCR on the DDJ you have?
Click to expand...
17.2

There is some that believe he used the JB and at some point he changed over to the DD. I have no idea. I own a few of both and like both for what they are. The DD is slightly more aggressive. But might not clean up as nice depending on the rest of the rig.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top