SD pickup thoughts - Liberator & Screamin Demon

Synergy/MTS Forum

Help Support Synergy/MTS Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Hamner1

Well-known member
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,286
Reaction score
0
Location
USA
I'm contemplating getting some new pickups. I was a Seymour Duncan fan prior to switching to EMGs. I want to give passives a spin again. I'm shooting for Lynch/Demartini/EVH tone. Thick, punchy, not muddy, screaming 80's metal tone. They will go into an alder body strat/dinky type guitar with a maple fretboard.
So with that what are your thoughts on the following:
Screamin' Demon - I never owned but it seems like it would be very bright. Maybe too bright?
Super V - ???
Demartini - ???
Custom - More output than the screamin demon but maybe not as bright.

Fell free to plug any other SD pickups you think would be a good fit. I primarily used '59, JB, Jazz, & Seth humbuckers back in the day. They really didn't get me there.

Some thoughts:
Less output from the pickup a better thing?
Alnico V or II?
 
I have a screamin demon in a mahogany John Suhr standard and it sounds great. Very versatile. However, it is likely to be less balanced/brighter in an alder guitar.
 
So many variables are involved..unfortunately the best advice I can give (and I am a pickup nut) is to buy one, put it in and live with it for a while, then on to the next one.
Its the only way, Ive found.
GtrGeorge
 
I recently picked up a couple Bill Lawrence pickups. Nuno has been using them for years. I'm pretty impressed so far. Sound great dirty and clean up nice too. The mids cut really well. The prices are pretty good too. You might want to check them out. I'm also in love with the Anderson H3+. It has a really warm, well ronded tone.
 
Mattfig said:
GtrGeorge! said:
So many variables are involved..unfortunately the best advice I can give (and I am a pickup nut) is to buy one, put it in and live with it for a while, then on to the next one.
Its the only way, Ive found.
GtrGeorge

That's what I do with modules... :lol:

Matt, you have very true statements there. :lol:

GtrGeorge, funny thing is I used to have pickups lying around all the time and would do just that. Out goes 1, in goes the new, etc, etc. I have tried to slim down all of my stuff, even off loading some guitars. Simple and neat is better I think nowadays. :shock:
Maybe I will just have to bite the bullet. I know what the '59, JB, Jazz, & Seth humbuckers will give me. I had a Bill Lawrence USA and wasn't impressed.

Nobody has tried the Super V or Demartini pickups? Maybe I'll contract Pickup Fig Syndrome. :lol:
 
Steven Latch said:
I have a screamin demon in a mahogany John Suhr standard and it sounds great. Very versatile. However, it is likely to be less balanced/brighter in an alder guitar.

Absolutely not. Georges guitars are built with alder. I've got a Serpent and MIA Strat, both with Screamin' Demons. My Strat is the most versatile and balanced guitar I've ever had because of it. The Serpent just flat out wails. The Screamin' Demon is medium output too. Tons of tone that pup.
 
I have a Screamin Demon in an 89 Hamer Californian - It is not a bright pickup - sounds very thick and balanced..

In your guitar for the Lynch/Demartini/EVH tone you will not go wrong with :

Screamin Demon
Custom
Custom 5
Custom Custom

I have owned many Charvels over the years and the Custom Custom pickup was always my favorite in a brighter guitar.
 
When I compare SD to DiM
I always describe them as SD having the chugs and DiM having the roar

If you want some 80's rock, the DiM Super distortion is what filled half the albums of that time
 
Bill Lawrence USA -> try some real Bill and Becky pickups.

As for SD's, I love how the Jazz/JB combo sounds in almost any guitar I put them in. Randy Rhodes used them I believe... but, just an even high output combo....

The set sounded awesome in an Epi SG I had, and my Godin LG has the set in it.
 
johnodge said:
As for SD's, I love how the Jazz/JB combo sounds in almost any guitar I put them in. Randy Rhodes used them I believe... but, just an even high output combo....

The set sounded awesome in an Epi SG I had, and my Godin LG has the set in it.

Randy Rhoads used a Duncan Distortion in the bridge

Personally, the JB in my jackson RR1 had to go
muddy in the lows, icepick in the highs, a lot of people have this same problem with the JB, you're one of the few exceptions I've seen so far :wink:
(and I'll admit i found it horrid in my RR1, so far haven't put it in other Axes, will be trying it in a mahogany Ibanez RG when i get around to it)
 
Ya, I even but a Jazz/JB set in a Peavey Wolfgang with good results. I'd like to try them in my Epi Slash, but I just put the new Slash pickups in it, and they sound wonderful...

The great thing with the Jazz/JB is that they coil split with good results (like on the Godin with a start 5 way, with positions 2 and 4 are coil split modes). Wolfgang pickups don't coil split very well...

I've also tried a Custom Custom, and not happy with it at all...
 
johnodge said:
I'd like to try them in my Epi Slash, but I just put the new Slash pickups in it, and they sound wonderful...

Funny, a few years ago I modified a Epi Custom using Alnico II pros because i wanted to have an axe having a sound 'similar' to Slash's

I've also tried a Custom Custom, and not happy with it at all...

LOL, and I love that pickup, contemplated about throwing that in my RR1, but opted for the Super 3
the CC may not be a screamer and has more grunt than roar, but it adds weight to otherwise thin sounding guitars
 
Some good feedback. I stopped by the music shop to see what was in stock & price check.
Demartini is off the list, almost $300 is ridiculous in my opinion. It would be interesting to hear how the Super V differs from the Screamin Demon.
 
Nightdare said:
johnodge said:
As for SD's, I love how the Jazz/JB combo sounds in almost any guitar I put them in. Randy Rhodes used them I believe... but, just an even high output combo....

The set sounded awesome in an Epi SG I had, and my Godin LG has the set in it.

Randy Rhoads used a Duncan Distortion in the bridge

Personally, the JB in my jackson RR1 had to go
muddy in the lows, icepick in the highs, a lot of people have this same problem with the JB, you're one of the few exceptions I've seen so far :wink:
(and I'll admit i found it horrid in my RR1, so far haven't put it in other Axes, will be trying it in a mahogany Ibanez RG when i get around to it)
With the JB in my Edwards (almost exact same spec as your RR1) it's the perfect tone for me. However the Jazz (in the RR3 that my JB came from) while great with high gain, didn't clean up well and was quite muddy with the volume knob down low.
 
pickups are like women, everyone has there preference. Alot of pickups are wound with certain eq's build in. SD has charts which displays the the level for b/m/t and the magnets give you more bite of course and pick up more harmonics. You wont know what you like till you try them
 
fwiw:
I really Love Bill Lawrence's pickups,,the originals..not the Lawrence USA..I thought they werent near as good.
Now Bill is making pickups again, I think under the name Wylde,,..you'd have to look it up.
I think Bill Lawrence is TRAGICALLY under-appreciatted.
To quote a friened of mine "Duncan wishes they could BUY an engineer like Bill Lawrence".
GtrGeorge
 
I have the JB/Jazz set also, and I've found that the JB sounds great in a mahogany-bodied guitar, but in alder it can sound too brash (for want of a better word)...

It's funny, but SD pups seem to be made for mahogany, DiMarzios seem to be made for alder...
 
I don't know about the whole "Dimarzio for alder and SD for mahogany" thing. That's new to me. I do know that i have used Dimarzios for years and in my opinion they seem to put a lot of their assets at the front of the sound. As a lead player that works for me since i rarely stay on a note for more than a second without doing something like feedback, vibrato, or turning the spotlight over to another instrument. I think SD has a lot of its assets on the sustain and tone end which is perfect if you plan to stay on a note or chord for a while. I do enjoy the JB/ Jazz combo as well as the JB/ 59 combo. I think that it is a matter of taste and how you intend to use the instrument. Both combos play really well with other gear and will provide a huge amount of tone and versatility. But beware of becoming a tone chaser. :mrgreen:

Peace, Joshua
 
Mister Joshua said:
I don't know about the whole "Dimarzio for alder and SD for mahogany" thing. That's new to me. But beware of becoming a tone chaser. :mrgreen:

Peace, Joshua

I said the alder/mahogany thing out of personal experience; the Jackson Kelly I have @ the moment is alder, and I get the 'brash' tone I referred to. Years back, I had the same p/u (JB) in an SG, and it sounded great. I'm not saying this goes for all SD pups, just the JB. Seth Lover designed it from overwound Gibson HBs...

Hear you on the 'tone-chaser' thing! I used to stress about tone constantly, back in the day. Now I've gone in the opposite direction; sounds good, ok, let's play!
 
Top