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Note From Ed Roman
I have been selling aftermarket pickups for 28 years as of this writing, I have used almost every kind of pickup and I have listened to countless pickups at NAMM show demos, Store Demos etc etc.
Pickups is BIG Business
Where else can a manufacturer build something out of a few magnets and a little wire and sell it for so much money. In the case of most pickup companies the cost of the raw materials can be less than a dollar per pickup. This is a fact of life, Nothing you or I can do can change this fact.
This is why I stress the sound qualities of a pickup, In the 70's I was selling 100 DiMarzio pickups a month. I was buying them at about $12.00 each and they were selling for approximately $79.00 a pair installed in a customers guitar. In my shop we must have installed 5000 DiMarzio pickups. Where are those pickups today? Most people took them out in the mid 80's in favor of the Seymour Duncans and I personally agree with them. Seymour was not only using better quality wire, magnets and bobbins but he also had an incredible ear.
I am recommending Seymour Duncan Pickups for most passive guitar applications. His pickups sound better and are easier to install because they fit better.
These pickups are also recommended by Gene Baker, James Jaros, Dave McNaught, Hamer, ESP, Gary Jacob's, JET, Melancon, J Frog, Dean, John Suhr, Heritage, Wayne Charvel, Grover Jackson, George Lynch, Ned Steinberger & many other high end guitar companies. Dimarzio is still available on BC Rich but you can order a Seymour Duncan Upgrade. I think Terry McInturff is still using DiMarzios but supposedly it is a proprietary model, Ibanez sometimes uses Dimarzios that speaks for itself. The only real viable company that I know of still using Dimarzios as Original Equipment is Parker. We all know the Parkers are lacking in bottom end big time. Parkers seem to sound good at first but after a while they start to get very rizzy or tinny sounding. The reason for the thin rizzy sound is that Parker does not use a nickel silver fret. Parker employs a stainless steel fret which will never pull off a blues tone. Coupled with the Dimarzio pickups I would call it almost unusable. The Parker Mojo uses the Seymour Duncan Pickup and they sound far better than Dimarzio loaded ones.
Ed Roman
Seymour Duncan Pickups


'59 Model
The most important thing about the vintage Patent Applied For pickup was its
warm, smooth tone and sustain that was unlike anything heard before. The '59 is
built with the same kind of enameled wire, nickel plated studs, and balanced
coil windings that humbucker inventor Seth Lover used in his first pickups. It
looks and sounds just like a '59. Single conductor cable is standard Four
conductor cable available. Available with a nickel- or gold plated nickel silver
cover
Pickup |
Model # | Color |
4 Conductor |
Price |
| 59 | SH-1B | Black | Bridge | |
| 59 | SH-1B | Zebra | Bridge | |
| 59 | White | Bridge | ||
| 59 | SH-1N | Black | Neck | |
| 59 | SH-1N | Zebra | Neck | |
| 59 | White | Neck | ||
| 59 | Chrome | Bridge | ||
| 59 | Chrome | Neck | ||
| 59 | Gold | Bridge | ||
| 59 | Gold | Neck | ||
| 59 | ||||
| 59 | ||||
| 59 | ||||
| 59 |
| Trem-buckers Alnico II Pro Humbucker JB ™ Model Distortion Trembucker ™ Pearly Gates ™ George Lynch Screamin' Demon ™ Original Parallel Axis Trembucker Seth Lover Model ™ Duncan Distortion, LiveWire Classic Humbucker, Duncan Custom, LiveWire Metal Humbucker, Full Shred Invader, Allan Holdsworth Model, Stag Mag, Vintage Staggered for Strat, Hot Rails for Strat, Quarter-Pound for Strat, Cool Rails for Strat, Alnico II Pro, Staggered, JB Jr. for Strat, Alnico II Pro, Flat, Custom Staggered for Strat, Little '59 for Strat, Li'l Screamin' Demon for Strat, Vintage Rails for Strat, Classic LiveWire, Duckbuckers for Strat, Hot LiveWire, Classic Stack for Strat, The Parallel Axis Stack for Strat, Hot Stack for Strat,
|
Seymour Duncan lines ® Tone Chart
|
Tone Guide Key |
Highs Mids Bass |
|
D.C. Resistance |
Resonant Peak |
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|
Strats |
Hum Cancelling | Tapped | Full | Magnet | Output |
Tapped | Full | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Vintage Staggered | No | n/a | 6.5k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 10.0khz | Bright, clean, glassy Strat. | ||
| Vintage Flat | No | n/a | 6.6k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 9.0khz | Same as above with flat pole piece pattern for better string balance. | ||
| Alnico Pro II Staggered | No | n/a | 6.4k | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 9.0khz | Smooth, vintage Strat. | ||
| Alnico II Flat | No | n/a | 6.4k | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 9.0khz | Smooth, vintage Strat with flat poles for better string balance. | ||
| Hot | No | 8.8k | 16.4k | Alnico 5 rod | 5.3khz | 4.4khz | Very high output single coil rivaling a humbucker in output. | ||
| Quater Pound Staggered | No | 7.0k | 14.8k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 5.5 khz | 4.8khz | High output single coil with plenty of highs and punch. | ||
| Quarter Pound Flat | No | 6.9k | 13.3k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 5.5 khz | 4.8khz | Same as above with flat pole pieces. | ||
| Custom Staggered | No | 6.6k | 12.9k | Alnico 5 rod | 6.0 khz | 4.9khz | Beefed up Strat with more output. | ||
| Custom Flat | No | 6.6k | 13.0k | Alnico 5 rod | 6.0 khz | 4.8khz | Same as above with flat pole pattern. | ||
|
Strats |
Hum Cancelling | Neck | Bridge | Magnet | Output |
Neck | Bridge | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Hot Rails | Yes | 10.8k | 16.9 k | Ceramic Bar | 4.8 khz | 3.5khz | Fat humbucker sound in a Strat size. | ||
| Cool Rails | Yes | 9.4 k | 10.3 k | Ceramic Bar | 5.2 khz | 4.0khz | Vintage humbucker sound in a Strat size. | ||
| JB Jr. | Yes | 9.6 k | 16.09 k | Ceramic Bar | 5.0 khz | 3.6khz | Very similar to the JB Model in a Strat size. Adjustable pole pieces. | ||
| Vintage Rails | Yes | 2.31 k | 2.67 k | Ceramic Bar | 8.5 khz | 7.8khz | Similar to Vintage Flat, but with no noise. | ||
| Duckbuckers | Yes | 2.60k | 3.0k | Ceramic Bar | 7.2khz | 6.8khz | True single coil sound with all that "quack" and no hum. | ||
| Little '59 | Yes | 9.86k | 11.78k | Ceramic Bar | 5.8khz | 4.6khz | "Patent Applied For" humbucker tone in a Strat size. | ||
| Li'l Screamin' Demon | Yes | 9.72k | 13.35k | Ceramic Bar | 4.6khz | 4.5khz | Big, open sound with just a touch of "glass." | ||
| Classic Strat Stack | Yes | 14.0k | 20.6k | Alnico 2 rod | 6.4 khz | 6.0khz | Very quiet, medium output glassy Strat. | ||
| Hot Strat Stack | Yes | 13.2k | 19.9k | Ceramic Bar | 6.5khz | 6.0khz | Very quiet, medium output glassy Strat. | ||
| Live Wire Classic | Yes | n/a | n/a | Alnico 2 rod | 8.5khz | 8.5khz | Super sparkly Strat with presence. | ||
| Live Wire Hot | Yes | n/a | n/a | Alnico 2 rod | 8.5khz | 8.5khz | Strat sound with extra mids and higher output. |
|
D.C. Resistance |
Resonant Peak |
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|
Teles |
Hum Cancelling | Tapped | Full | Magnet | Output |
Tapped | Full | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Vintage Tele Lead | No | n/a | 7.2k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 9.0khz | Bright, punchy '50s Tele sound. | ||
| Vintage Broadcaster Lead | No | n/a | 7.6k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 8.5khz | Bright with more midrange. | ||
| Vintage Tele Rhythm | No | n/a | 7.3k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 8.0khz | Very smooth and warm. | ||
| Alnico Pro Tele Lead | No | n/a | 6.2k | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 8.5khz | Vintage character with smoother highs. | ||
| Alnico Pro Tele Rhythm | No | n/a | 8.1k | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 8.0khz | Very creamy and smooth. | ||
| Jerry Donahue Model | No | n/a | 7.37K | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 6.63khz | Clear and smooth with airy highs and nice midrange. | ||
| Hot Tele Lead | No | 7.4k | 15.6k | Alnico 5 rod | 8.2khz | 5.0khz | High output, lots of mids and a smooth top. | ||
| Hot Tele Rhythm | No | n/a | 9.7k | Alnico 5 rod | n/a | 8.0khz | Hot with plenty of mids. | ||
| Quarter Pound Tele Lead | No | 8.0k | 17.38k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 6.1khz | 3.5khz | High output with bite. | ||
| Quarter Pound Tele Rhythm | No | 6.6k | 11.8k | Alnico 5 rod | 8.3khz | 6.0khz | High output with good high end. | ||
|
Teles |
Hum Cancelling | Neck | Bridge | Magnet | Output |
Neck | Bridge | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Classic Tele Stack | Yes | n/a | 17.4k | Alnico 5 bar | n/a | 7.0khz | Similar to Vintage Tele Lead without the noise (slightly less output). | ||
| Hot Tele Stack | Yes | n/a | 21.3k | Alnico 5 bar | n/a | 6.0khz | Smooth, quiet, warm without hum. | ||
| Tele Rhythm Stack | Yes | 15.88k | n/a | Alnico 5 rod | 7.3khz | n/a | Vintage warm neck sound without hum. | ||
| Tele Hot Rails | Yes | n/a | 14.8k | Ceramic bar | n/a | 2.5khz | Hot Tele sound with humbucker mids. | ||
| Tele Little '59 | Yes | n/a | 17.0k | Ceramic bar | n/a | 3.4khz | "Patent Applied For" mixed with a healthy dose of twang. |
|
D.C. Resistance |
Resonant Peak |
||||||||
|
Humbuckers |
Hum Cancelling | Neck | Bridge | Magnet | Output |
Neck | Bridge | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| '59 Model | Yes | 7.43k | 8.13k | Alnico 5 bar |
6.8khz |
6.0khz | Bright, vintage "Patent Applied For" sound and look. | ||
| Seth Lover Model | Yes | 7.2k | 8.1k | Alnico 2 bar | 8.14khz | 5.9khz | Smoother and warmer than the '59 Model with a nickel cover. | ||
| Alnico II Pro | Yes | 7.6k | 7.85k | Alnico 2 bar | 7.1khz | 6.7khz | Even response humbucker with great balance and warmth. | ||
| Pearly Gates | Yes | 7.3k | 8.5k | Alnico 2 bar | 7.5khz | 6.5khz | "Patent Applied For" sound with Texas sizzle. | ||
| JB Model | Yes | n/a | 16.4k | Alnico 5 bar | n/a | 5.5khz | Super harmonics, with high output that doesn't sound hard or dark. | ||
| Screamin' Demon | Yes | n/a | 10.0k | Alnico 5 bar | n/a | 7.0khz | Crunchy with plenty of highs and presence without being harsh. | ||
| Duncan Distortion | Yes | 12.7k | 16.6k | Ceramic bar | 6.5khz | 5.5khz | Hot and bright with harmonics galore. | ||
| Duncan Custom | Yes | n/a | 14.1k | Ceramic bar | n/a | 6.0khz | A high output pickup with superior clarity and punch. | ||
| Full Shred | Yes | 7.4k | 14.6k | Alnico 5 bar | 8.0khz | 5.5khz | Crunchy, bright. | ||
| Custom Custom | Yes | n/a | 14.4k | Alnico 2 bar | n/a | 5.2khz | Extra sweet, high output with lots of mids, buttery top and bottom. | ||
| Jazz Model | Yes | 7.72k | 7.9k | Alnico 5 bar | 8.0khz | 7.0khz | Ultra clean and clear for articulating jazz runs. | ||
| Invader | Yes | 7.2k | 16.8k | Ceramic bar | 8.0khz | 5.0khz | Fat and powerful. | ||
| Stag Mag | Yes | n/a | 16.2k | Alnico 2 rod | n/a | 6.5khz | Staggered Alnico pole pieces; sounds like a Strat when split. | ||
| Original Trembucker | Yes | 7.5k | 15.7k | Alnico 5 bar | 6.9khz | 4.5khz | Thick sound with medium output. | ||
| Distortion Trembucker | Yes | n/a | 21.3k | Ceramic bar | n/a | 3.9khz | Over the top output with great harmonics. | ||
| Blues Trembucker | Yes | n/a | 9.8k | Alnico 5 bar | n/a | 6.0khz | Old Les Paul tone for tremolo systems. | ||
| Live Wire Classic | Yes | n/a | n/a | Alnico 2 bar | 10.5khz | 7.5khz | Very clean with good presence. | ||
| Live Wire Heavy Metal | Yes | n/a | n/a | Alnico 5 bar | Off the Scale!!! | n/a | 1.2khz | Tons of mids, harmonics, sustain and incredible output. | |
|
D.C. Resistance |
Resonant Peak |
||||||||
|
Specialized |
Hum Cancelling | Neck | Bridge | Magnet | Output |
Neck | Bridge | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Vintage Soapbar (P-90) | No | 8.22k | 9.35k | Alnico 5 bar | 4.3khz | 3.8khz | Pre '57 Les Paul Junior sound. | ||
| Hot Soapbar (P-90) | No | 11.86k | 4.9k | Ceramic bar | 5.1khz | 4.7khz | Very fat, lots of drive. | ||
| Custom Soapbar (P-90) | No | 12.0k | 14.61k | Ceramic bar | 4.5khz | 3.5khz | "Bad to the bone" sound. | ||
| Vintage Jaguar | No | 6.5k | 6.8k | Alnico 5 bar | 10.2khz | 10.0khz | Bright, percussive early '60s tone. | ||
| Hot Jaguar | No | 11.5k | 12.31k | Alnico 5 bar | 5.1khz | 4.5khz | Very smooth and warm. | ||
| Quarter Pound Jaguar | No | 11.74k | 13.96k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 4.8khz | 4.0khz | Bright, hot and percussive. | ||
| Vintage Jazzmaster | No | 7.75k | 8.4k | Alnico 5 rod | 9.0khz | 8.8khz | Classic Ventures surf tone. | ||
| Hot Jazzmaster | No | 10.95k | 14.11k | Alnico 5 rod | 6.5khz | 5.2khz | Very warm, jazzy sound. | ||
| Quarter Pound Jazzmaster | No | 11.83k | 12.97k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 5.2khz | 5.0khz | Punchy, bright with a little harder edge. | ||
| Vintage Mini Humbucker | Yes | 6.54k | 7.57k | Alnico 5 bar | 7.0khz | 6.0khz | Clean, low output. | ||
| Custom Mini Humbucker | Yes | 8.52k | 16.41k | Ceramic bar | 9.0khz | 4.0khz | Bright, high output punch. | ||
| Seymourized Mini Humbucker | Yes | 6.29k | 11.6k | Alnico 5 bar | 7.0khz | 4.8khz | High output, smooth and fat. | ||
|
D.C. Resistance |
Resonant Peak |
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|
Basses |
Hum Cancelling | Neck | Bridge | Magnet | Output |
Neck | Bridge | Tone Guide |
Brief Description |
| Vintage P-Bass | Yes | 11.6k | ION | Alnico 5 rod | 11.6khz | n/a | Classic dual coil P-Bass, circa '57-'62. | ||
| Hot P-Bass | Yes | 22.4k | n/a | Alnico 5 rod | 7.14khz | n/a | Warm, ultra fat and punchy. | ||
| Quarter Pound P-Bass | Yes | 12.5k | n/a | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 10.2khz | n/a | High output with lots of clarity and high-end punch. | ||
| Vintage Jazz Bass | No | 9.2k | 9.5k | Alnico 5 rod | 5.1khz | 4.9khz | Classic early Jazz Bass sound and look. | ||
| Hot Jazz Bass | No | 15.02k | 16.6k | Alnico 5 rod | 4.5khz | 3.8khz | Fat and warm with plenty of output. | ||
| Quarter Pound Jazz Bass | No | 13.9k | 14.61k | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 4.3khz | 3.9khz | High output with lots of clarity and high-end punch. | ||
| Classic Stack Jazz Bass | Yes | 11.6k | 20.5k | Alnico 5 rod | 8.0khz | 7.0khz | Bright, clean and quiet low output sound. | ||
| Hot Stack Jazz Bass | Yes | 17.8k | 25.2k | Alnico 5 rod | 6.9khz | 5.5khz | Warm, clean and quiet medium output sound. | ||
| Stacked 4/5 String Jazz Bass | Yes | 11.37k | 20.11k | Ceramic bar | 5.1khz | 3.8khz | Punchy, clean and defined with low output (good for preamps). | ||
| Rickenbacker | Yes | 9.0k | 8.3k | Ceramic Bar(n) Alnico 5 bar (b) |
11.0khz | 8.0khz | Dual coil replacement with fatter sound, less noise. | ||
| Vintage Single Coil P-Bass | No | 7.98k | n/a | Alnico 5 rod | 6.0khz | n/a | Bright, smooth early single coil P-Bass (pre '57). | ||
| Hot Single Coil P-Bass | No | 14.14k | n/a | Alnico 5 rod | 4.3khz | n/a | Warmer with higher output. | ||
| Quarter Pound Single Coil P-Bass | No | 11.81k | n/a | .25 Ø Alnico 5 | 4.5khz | n/a | Punchy and bright with medium output. | ||
| Active E.Q. P-Bass | Yes | n/a | n/a | Ceramic bar | 4-22khz | n/a | Punchy, lots of bottom, variable tone switching. | ||
| Active E.Q. Jazz Bass | Yes | n/a | n/a | Ceramic bar | 4-22khz | 3-20khz | Punchy, bright with lots of bottom, variable tone switching. | ||
| Active 4/5 String Jazz Bass | Yes | n/a | n/a | Ceramic bar | 13.0khz | 8.0khz | Great for popping. Tight and solid, excellent balance. | ||
| Active 5-String Soapbar | Yes | n/a | n/a | Ceramic bar | 7.0khz | 6.8khz | Warm with a detailed and natural high end. | ||
| Active 6-String Soapbar | Yes | n/a | n/a | Ceramic bar | 18.5khz | 15.0khz | The mids are articulate, yet not harsh. | ||