Suhr or Seymour Duncan?

[MrFlexx]

Today I have a Suhr Modern Custom with SSV+ and SSV pickups and a Gibson Les Paul with Seymour Duncan Saturday Night Specials. The Gibson sound both fatter and hotter even though the SD’s has much lower output. The Suhr sound a little to thin in comparison and I’m thinking about changing the bridge and neck pickups of it. It stands between Suhr DSV, Suhr DSV+ or the Saturday Night Special. I want it fat, warm, as low compression as possible, as dynamic as possible and no harsh highs. What’s your thoughts about this?

I might add that the Suhr Modern Custom body is made of Basswood, the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard.

 

[Racerxrated]

Are you sure the difference isn't just the LP vs Superstrat? Hard for a SS to sound as full and powerful as a good LP...Although a good one can come close, the SS usually falls a bit short compared to an LP.

 

[paulyc]

^ all true ^

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Suhr ThornBucker

 

[lespaul6]

Its the les paul itself... that said I'm a seymour duncan guy.

 

[MrFlexx]

Are you sure the difference isn't just the LP vs Superstrat? Hard for a SS to sound as full and powerful as a good LP...Although a good one can come close, the SS usually falls a bit short compared to an LP.

Never gave it a thought but it sounds about right. But any suggestion about a humbucker getting better and/similar tone?

 

[MrFlexx]

Suhr ThornBucker

How would you describe the Thornbucker?

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Its the les paul itself... that said I'm a seymour duncan guy.

+1 This too.

The LP will always sound bigger, more aggressive... due to the construction and mid-bite. Probably why I most only play LPs.

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

Suhr ThornBucker

How would you describe the Thornbucker?

Warmer, thicker, fuller... I like it better than any of the other Suhr SSV or DSV options. Like a good slightly hot PAF-ish clone. Check Pete's demos on youtube.

 

[Racerxrated]

Are you sure the difference isn't just the LP vs Superstrat? Hard for a SS to sound as full and powerful as a good LP...Although a good one can come close, the SS usually falls a bit short compared to an LP.

Never gave it a thought but it sounds about right. But any suggestion about a humbucker getting better and/similar tone?

I had an Aldrich in a Jackson DK1, very bright and cutting but no ass end really. By contrast I put a JB in temporarily while waiting for a MCP Afwayu and the JB sounded way more full to me. But the Afwayu was the cats ass in that Alder Jackson. That's the only Suhr pup experience I can give you.
The Detroiter or Black Belt might give you what you need, the Afwayu is pretty hot with a shit ton of low end. I like the Duncan Custom best with bright SS guitars out of the SD lineup.

 

[paulyc]

Idk, psychodave’s clips with the Aldrich sound killer in his So Cal...

 

[SFW]

The Aldrich is probably the best in the Suhr line to accomplish what you are looking for. That said, I'd look at a Duncan Custom to a Perpetual Burn.

 

[LP Freak]

I love the Aldrich but to me they’ve only sounded good in Les Pauls.

 

[SpiderWars]

Your post has got me thinking about Saturday Night Specials for a Les Paul. You'll get lots of bridge pickup suggestions (good ones so far). I have a DiMarzio PAF Master Bridge model in the neck of a Super Strat that I like a lot there. That should balance well with whatever you put in the bridge to compete with the LP.

 

[MrFlexx]

Your post has got me thinking about Saturday Night Specials for a Les Paul. You'll get lots of bridge pickup suggestions (good ones so far). I have a DiMarzio PAF Master Bridge model in the neck of a Super Strat that I like a lot there. That should balance well with whatever you put in the bridge to compete with the LP.

The Saturday Night Specials are the best pickups I’ve tried during my +27 years as a session guitarist. I have them on my Les Paul and on my American Fender Stratocaster HSS Deluxe (alder body) and I’ve never heard a tone that fat.With my Les Paul I nail Jimmy Page, Malcom Young and Doug Rappoport using my Friedman Smallbox. And when using my Suhr Koko Boost in front of the amp I even nail Jerry Cantrell. It’s a really versatile pickup.

 

[MrFlexx]

The Aldrich is probably the best in the Suhr line to accomplish what you are looking for. That said, I'd look at a Duncan Custom to a Perpetual Burn.

Of what I’ve heard from others the Aldrich pickup is really compressed and that’s not what I want. I want it to be as uncompressed as possible. Would you call it compressed?

 

[MrFlexx]

Are you sure the difference isn't just the LP vs Superstrat? Hard for a SS to sound as full and powerful as a good LP...Although a good one can come close, the SS usually falls a bit short compared to an LP.

Never gave it a thought but it sounds about right. But any suggestion about a humbucker getting better and/similar tone?

I had an Aldrich in a Jackson DK1, very bright and cutting but no ass end really. By contrast I put a JB in temporarily while waiting for a MCP Afwayu and the JB sounded way more full to me. But the Afwayu was the cats ass in that Alder Jackson. That's the only Suhr pup experience I can give you.
The Detroiter or Black Belt might give you what you need, the Afwayu is pretty hot with a shit ton of low end. I like the Duncan Custom best with bright SS guitars out of the SD lineup.

I’ve heard only good things about the Duncan Custom. Maybe I should go for a real custom order from SD!?

 

[harddriver]

I never found the Suhr Aldrich to be compressed I thought it was a less middy more even response JB type pickup, they're like 18K Ohms resistance if I remember correctly. I think you may like the Duncan Custom at 14K it's plenty overwound yet doesn't have the midspike the JB does and the ceramic magnet gives it clarity compared to the JB.

I think Seymour's description of the SH-5 Custom is pretty spot on... " PAF on Steroids".

If you want a little less wind and a little more open PAF ish yet still overwound then look at the SH-6N it is now the SD distortion neck pickup that used to be Seymour's hot pickup before the Custom model. It was called the Seymourizer II in the 70's/early 80's at 12K DC resistance, it has been my go to pickup in my superstrats since the mid 80's. The only pickup that comes close to it is the Custom.

If you want a true slightly overwound PAF tone that sounds and plays hotter than the DC resistance eludes at 9K the 78 Custom EVH can be pretty ripping too, I have it n my Northern Ash Frank and I love it. But with the Basswood of the Suhr modern I think the SH-5 or SH-6N might be the best choice, but I guess you have to hear them installed to truly make the final decision.

 

[jape23]

Years ago, I used JBs in most of my guitars until I eventually moved on to the Custom, which I felt gave me a more balanced and more defined tone than the JB. A bit later on, I went to Aldrich pickups, which definitely offered more clarity than the Duncans. Yes, the Aldrich is pretty hot, but I found it sounded great with the guitar's volume rolled off a bit.

I've recently moved to the SSV+ and Thornbuckers in some of my guitars, and I can't say enough good things about these pickups. I've tried a few other Duncans along the way, including the Custom/59 hybrid and the Custom Shop 78, but I never liked any of them as much as the Suhr stuff.

 

[MrFlexx]

I never found the Suhr Aldrich to be compressed I thought it was a less middy more even response JB type pickup, they're like 18K Ohms resistance if I remember correctly. I think you may like the Duncan Custom at 14K it's plenty overwound yet doesn't have the midspike the JB does and the ceramic magnet gives it clarity compared to the JB.

I think Seymour's description of the SH-5 Custom is pretty spot on... " PAF on Steroids".

If you want a little less wind and a little more open PAF ish yet still overwound then look at the SH-6N it is now the SD distortion neck pickup that used to be Seymour's hot pickup before the Custom model. It was called the Seymourizer II in the 70's/early 80's at 12K DC resistance, it has been my go to pickup in my superstrats since the mid 80's. The only pickup that comes close to it is the Custom.

If you want a true slightly overwound PAF tone that sounds and plays hotter than the DC resistance eludes at 9K the 78 Custom EVH can be pretty ripping too, I have it n my Northern Ash Frank and I love it. But with the Basswood of the Suhr modern I think the SH-5 or SH-6N might be the best choice, but I guess you have to hear them installed to truly make the final decision.

Been thinking about the '78...so I might try that one and the Custom to compare them.