Seymour Duncan 6-String Bridge Pickups 2012, 12 Model Comparison, Metal Rhythm
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- / keith.merrow1
www.keithmerrow...
This is like the "Nyancat" of guitar videos. Haha, sorry for the repetition. I'm just trying to give the most solid comparison that I can. Using the same guitar, same amp tone, same mix and eq, and same riffs, are the only way to do this accurately, IMO. All of these pickups would most likely sound great if I were to dial in the amp, according to how the pickup reacts to the guitar. But, for the sake of consistency, the amp settings are exactly the same on every clip so you can hear the tonal variations between them IN THIS GUITAR.
Keep in mind- These pickups are all going to sound different depending on the guitar and amp you're using. A pickup that sounds good (or not good) in this guitar, might sound completely different in yours. The guitar used in this video has an extremely prominent midrange tone (almost to a fault). The baritone used here was rather picky! The result: a couple of the models clearly aren't a good choice for this guitar. However, a few of them compliment the tone, nicely . Which ones are your favorites?
Pickups-
Seymour Duncan
www.seymourdunc...
Full mix-
Distortion 0:06 - 1:02
Full Shred 1:03 - 1:59
Invader 1:59 - 2:55
JB 2:56 - 3:53
Alternative 8 3:54 - 4:49
59/Custom Hybrid 4:52 - 5:46
Custom 5:46 - 6:42
Dimebucker 6:42 - 7:39
EMTY Blackout 7:40 - 8:36
Blackout Metal 8:36 - 9:33
Blackout Standard 9:33 - 10:30
Gus G 10:30 - 11:27
Guitar only (2 tracks L/R)
Distortion 11:27
Full Shred 11:38
Invader 11:49
JB 12:00
Alternative 8 12:10
59/Custom 12:22
Custom 12:32
Dimebucker 12:43
EMTY 12:54
Blacout Metal 13:05
Blackout STD 13:16
Gus G 13:27
Guitar-
Strictly 7 Guitars "Cobra" Baritone 6-string. 27.5" scale, mahogany body, koa top, maple neck, ebony fretboard. Tuned drop Bb.
www.s7guitars.com/
Amp-
Rhodes Colossus H-100
www.rhodesampli...
DAW-
Presonus Studio One Pro (v2)
www.presonus.com
Signal chain- S7 guitar - Rhodes Amp - Randall ISOcab - SM57 - Profire 610 - Presonus S1 Pro (guitars are high and low passed). - เพลง
this is nothing less than the greatest pickup comparison ever posted to youtube.
And maybe the best riff ever written. ALSO Merrow is a god to be that consistent
Imagine thinking this is actually not a sale pitch for sd.
Imagine not realising everyone knows that
This is exactly how a pickup comparison should be. especially the last 3 minutes with the guitar only. In this video everyone could here the big differences between the individual pickups. Great job guys
I totally agree...I like Ryan Bruce's videos, but in his EMG comparison for instance he had one riff he played the 57/66 and Het Set on, and another riff he did the 81 and 81X on. Really wasn't a four-way comparison as the riffs were pretty different.
And again, the guy seems swimming in gear, so you try going around looking at say Lace pickups, and every video is a different guitar, overdrive pedal, amp, post EQ (he at least is good about sharing all that info) and it's about useless if you're trying to use his vids to compare a Nitro Hemi, Wino, Drop N Gain, Heshers, and Deathbucker, for instance. Different styles, riffs, amps, eq settings, everything. It's okay for gear whore GAS induction, but less than ideal for apples to apples comparisons.
This video was great, because for my money the classics - SH5 Custom & SH6 Distortion - are KILLING it for my money for what I want. And I already own both. Keith, you just saved me some moolah!
0:00 Intro
0:06 Distortion (Full Mix)
1:02 Full Shred (Full Mix)
1:58 Invader (Full Mix)
2:56 JB (Full Mix)
3:52 Alternative 8 (Full Mix)
4:50 '59 / Custom Hybrid (Full Mix)
5:46 Custom (Full Mix)
6:43 Dimebucker (Full Mix) **My Fav**
7:40 EMTY Blackout (Full Mix)
8:37 Blackout Metal (Full Mix)
9:33 Blackout Standard (Full Mix)
10:30 Gus G. Fire Blackout (Full Mix)
11:27 Distortion (Isolated)
11:38 Full Shred (Isolated)
11:49 Invader (Isolated)
11:59 JB (Isolated)
12:10 Alternative 8 (Isolated)
12:21 '59/Custom Hybrid (Isolated)
12:32 Custom (Isolated)
12:44 Dimebucker (Isolated) **My Fav**
12:55 EMTY Blackout (Isolated)
13:05 Blackout Metal (Isolated)
13:16 Blackout Standard (Isolated)
13:27 Gus G. Fire Blackout (Isolated)
13:38 DAW View
That must have been A TON of work.
Very nicely done. This is some of the best advertising imaginable.
i can listen to this forever
That Riff makes every pickup sound amazing.
Sounds incredible 10 years later
I didn't like the Dimebucker at all....but that's through YOUR amp, modern high-gain preamp section and 6L6's are way different from my setup. I'm trying to do high-gain rhythm through a Peavey Classic 30 with an added preamp tube. I LOVE the JB, but with my hot-modded Classic-30, it would be an entirely different thing. I still think I should go for the JB for my fat-strat, because that'll be the instrument I take with me trying out the high-gain amp I am long overdue for finding. Thank you so much for swapping pickups 12 times just so some of us who are less experienced with Duncans can get a good idea of what the most popular models sound like. You are awesome.
The clarity of the Dimebucker is a wowser
Indeed, I have one in one of my axes and its a very bright sounding pickup.
Sounds like it doesn't have any mid range.
Oh,its got mids
I bought a dimebucker equiped RR3 years back and hated it because it's so shrill (it's also setup with just a a volume and no tone circuit so it's like an audio ice pick of death)... now going back to it I realized I was just butthurt that it made my sloppy playing more pronounced (on top of being too stupid to tweak my EQ settings) haha Now I double track that guitar along with either my Evo equiped strat or semi hollow with a Breed and it's a massive fucking sound.
Glad you have improved in playing and knowledge of equipment....rock on!
Thanks a ton for taking the time to film this, and all of the soldering and string changing you did to make this happen. Helped me out a TON on selecting a new pickup.
I am not even looking to buy pickups. I just want to listen to this riff on loop which is one of the greatest metal riffs of all time.
The JB and the 59/Custom Hybrid sound the best to me, they have a lot more mass than the others.
I wish more companies showcased their products in a similar way.
This is amazing and really helped me to get properly oriented before buying.
Thank you to the people at Seymour Duncan who made this!
I have the Distortion, Nazgul and JB installed in 3 of my guitars and can honestly say the Distortion is the best for metal by a noticable margin. If you are looking for a slightly warmer very versatile pickup that can do rock and metal, go for the JB.
I chose the JB
gives a totally new feeling to my distortion, love it!
I'm a year late but I would just like to sincerely thank you for this, I think every pickup buyer says "well I want X output, but which?" and this is just 15 minutes of excellence for that
The song is Pillars of Re-Creation by Keith Merrow
Man, that is one tasty riff!
Please make part 2 with all those pickups but with the Nazgûl and Black Winter too.
And some clean phrasing would be great too!!
he did an updated comparison with all of the pickups in this comparison and he added the Nazgul, Mark Holcomb Omega, Pegasus, Custom 5 and Dave Mustaine Live Wire. but without the 59 custom hybrid, AHB2 and Gus G
Unlike guitar solo's this is something you can listen to infinitely
Arsam Khalilian Fake Pickup. Believe me. I know the best pickups.
Arsam Khalilian I’m surprised amps were swapped tho (I know it went along with the genre). Makes sense for genre specific players, but how would a Sentient sound in a Mesa Roadstar? Instead of TripRec? Same amp. Possibly an off/on Screamer or something? But...I totally appreciate the value of this. INCREDIBLY! Fucking awesome! And, yes. Absolutely something you can listen to repeatedly without losing it. Good shit!!
Ive listened to this so much that keith should play something else from now on..
Much unlike other people's comments, I can stare at your comment to infinity. After staring at your comment for over 700 hours, it downed on me, "I can reply". Now I'm going back to staring at your comment.
This years revelation was when I found out that the hair on the top of the screen is NOT your hair but your beard. Awesome.
Thanks for all the incredible work you put into making these videos!
I regularly come here just to listen to the riff. Fucking sick.
It is so great how most people can agree on the compact performance of distortion.
59/custom hybrid is my favorite
I agree. Sounds really great!
Cool story.
What a great comparison video! This is how it should be done. My favorites are the Custom and 59/Custom Hybrid, I'm between these two for my Strat. I also like the JB and have them in my Schecter. Full Shred, Alternative 8, Dimebucker...yuck, not my thing.
I want the tabs to this crazy riff, i can't stop hearing it on repeat !!!!
I love the sound you got out of the Dimebuckers. Mind giving me some insite as to your amp settings for this video as I'm trying to get a nice crisp, clear, crunch out of my Dimebuckers like you got here!
Wow! The Dimebucker sounds awesome. Has a lot of cut. I can't believe people don't appreciate it. I like the JB and 59/Custom Hybrid too for that mid presence, but they don't have as much high end.
Dude....Beyond THANK YOU for this video. AWESOME to hear the differences between the pick-ups FINALLY in one place!! Those JBs are as sweet as it gets....Love them!!!
59/custom wins for me here. sounds like the JB with a bit more low end.
I have the Alternative 8 on a LTD EC-200QM (Agathis Body), and I must say, I don't know if it's the weird wood/pup combination or what, but the sound is just badass. I mean, *really* badass.
Love them, hope to get a nice recording interface to show you. When recorded with my little POD it sounds like a regular *but still badass* guitar.
Great review, and really awesome riff. Thanks man.
I just noticed that at about halfway through this video, I had the biggest grin on my face. I could listen to this all day.
Best pickup demo hands down.. period. Perfect playing to demonstrate. You've gained a new follower.
Cheers.
Through YOUR stuff, I liked the distortion and gus g. They really stood out and had more character, imo.
I think I've watched this video about 50 times since it was posted. It never gets old, and it always kicks so much ass. Love it.
I was actually quite surprised and to my ears the 59/Custom hybrid was extremely well suited to this guitar in terms of what I like to hear in a metal sound. Very well balanced. The Alternative 8 was disappointing to me. The JB didn't suit this guitar, way too much mids. Wasn't too fussed about any of the blackouts.
Thank you for making possibly the best guitar video ever.
Really awesome demo! Thanks for helping in my Hot Rod quest for my Les Paul. You got about 40 hits from me and my guitar friends that I referred to help me out...haha
I hope you got paid for this, fuck changing 12 sets of pups to record one demonstration!
he also changed the pontetiometers to demostrate the blackouts
Thanks for doing this vid, I bet it was a real pain in the ass to do, swap pups, jam an awesome riff, swap pus and repeat. I appreciate you took the time to do it, the most honest side by side comparison I've heard. Thanks, Keith!
I chose, after watching this vid, the Hybrid/59 because it seems to have the best sounding tone (passive).
It's when the demos are right beside each other you get a true taste of the comparison. Love it
The Distortion had some delicious palm muting
Cool story.
This is exactly what I need to help with my baritone tele project.
I originally thought I'd need a high output, ceramic, Distortion for my axe, but now I'm leaning towards the more open sound of the Hybrid.
Thanks a heap.
That tone is awesome. Heavy as shit with a nicely pronounced midrange. The Distortion's my favorite, but I liked most of the others, too. The only one I really didn't like was the Dimebucker.
Funny thing is I liked the Dimebuckers better than anything else here.
@@MarciRayn Yea same. The dimebucker was bright and zesty. Me like.
What a riff!!! Still so good years later.
by the way, after this video, I bought a DIMEBUCKER, and now my guitar sounds like HELL.
Thank you :D
The test seems overall very reliable! Especially since it was before your time working with and for SD, so it's obvious there wasn't any alterior motive. I do trust you with that :)
As far as my conclusions go, the Custom, Distortion and 59 Custom Hybrid were my favorites! They have wide slightly scooped range (with the Hybrid having that asymmetrical coil thing I love).
the Full Shred sounded weirdly weak in this comparison, I don't think I'll choose it for metal.
the Invader has this interesting ghost like ambient shriek to it, which is an incredible vibe for some stuff but not all the time, but overall it's one of my least favorites with its lack of definition.
the JB sounded as honky as I expected, kinda like the safe default that I don't like.
Alternative 8 sounded interesting, even more scooped than the Distortion which I definitely wanna try for myself. I think SD should make more pickups with A8 magnets.
that Dimebucker kinda baffles me, I remember in the updated test it sounded very similar to the Duncan Custom but here it's by far the most shrill in the comparison.
as far as the Blackouts go, the Blackout Metal sounded super honky in a very weird way, my least favorite in the comparison. The EMTY and Original sounded kinda similar to each other with the EMTY having a little bit more lower mids. the Gus G has this treble going on that really shows it's more so like a super boosted PAF rather than a conventional active! I'm curious how his own Blackfire Proteus pickup sounds compared to that :)
This video makes a huge difference!!! It was very educational!!!
Maybe because is the first one but "distorsion" is my favourite!! Amazing guitar, killer sound, and kickass RIFF!!! I could be listening to it over and over and over and over...
Firstly, thanks Keith for this wonderful piece ("Pillars of Creation").
Overall the SH-16 owns this showdown. It is also really versatile in other settings (clean, lead, tapped, etc).
I don't understand how anyone can like the Dimebucker. Perhaps our dearly departed genius had a hearing disorder? (I engineered once for a guitarist who really had a hard time hearing treble and was only happy when treble was set to 11 and was stripping the paint off nearby woodwork).
o
+xxxnstuffxxx I think Dimebuckers have their place in extended range guitars like the one used in this video, the higher treble would be less pronounced and still retain some of the nice harmonics. (Dimebag pinches)
Yeah I know I put the dimebucker in a guitar and was really disappointed! I also bought his distortion pedal and hated it as well. although his signature crybaby is awesome! I love dime but I guess I don't love his sound. on the other hand I put a duncan distortion in a cheap guitar and it ripped! made a cheap guitar sound killer!
Ah well, don't hate the man. He didn't even use the Dimebucker and he had nothing to do with those shitty distortion pedals with his signature. To get his tone you need to get the amps he used along the EQ racks.
Nobody was hating Dimebag! Hell no! But just because we love him doesn't mean he had no flaws. This was probably the least of 'em. ;)
So glad I have a KSR Gemini being made. This video is sick. Tone is on point.
59/Custom wins, second one maybe Distortion. It seems that most "metal" pickups sound quite thin and hollow... (scooped mids?)
That's an interresting and usefull initiative. And it's a fu##ing success !
Personnally, love the old school / heavy metal / middy tone of the Distortion. Wether it's a Di M. or Seymour D., you can never be disappointed by a mic when there's "Distortion" in it's name !
Wow... sick guitar playing and sound
On purity and saturation of a sound absolute winner *Distortion! Second place with a big gap *Dimebucker. later 2 years / now is a sound Invander
1. JB
2. 59/Custom Hybrid
Mr Merrow, you are a legend! I have been looking for a video that shows most duncan bridge pickups for a while and now I have made my mind up!! I need to replace my JB for a Distortion!!!
Thanks!
i can listen to this riff all my life
Ten years later and I’ve learned, it depends on the application for the song. For the style of this song and in the band mix, the distortion, dimebucker and invader fit the best. Second would be the JB for its ability to stand out so well-especially with single notes. Maybe some eq to clear the congestion a bit and open it up would do wonders. Third is the A8. It’ sounds scooped but still present/not lost and has a very unique character that still fits the songs vibe.
Certainly picked a good guitarist for the demo. And that riff damn, never even got bored of it.
Refreshing they put so much effort in to a really nice demo like that.
best pickups comparison I have ever seen
I think the Distortion sounded the best by far. I was planning to put a new JB in my guitar but after watching this video I'm definitely going to go with the Distortion it sounded much better.
I have to say, the distortion had real bite and sounded distinctive per notes. Since it was played before the fullshred, totally hear it being pretty much a better pup.
I need the tab of these riffs! :D
BTW I prefer Alternative 8, cause of that tasty fat glitchy sound while picking! awesome!
I am definitely going with a Blackouts (Standard). After watching this video, it became clear to me what I want. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this pickup comparison.
59/custom hybrid. Difficult to handle but for me, the best sound ;)
Thanks to this amazing comparison video I've finally decided on my next purchase. Alternate 8s!
The JB and the Custom 59 sound best to my ears.. maybe it's the spuds.
But I have taken my JB out of my Les Paul, and tested it in my Strat, and it sounds thinner, got to be the different wood in the body and neck.
Then you have the amps, so it's not just Pups, it a mix of all the above.
IMO, you need to match your Pups to the your style, and guitars wood.
PS.. you do need an ear for tone, your not going to be able to just throw a Pup in a guitar and have amazing tone.
Not the wood. Proved in all tests to this day that it does not make any difference at all. Probably has something to do with the potentiometers on the Strat, if I'm not mistaken strats usually have 250k pots and LPs have 500k or the reverse.
250k pots lower the frequency, so it reduces the amount of highs you get, if i would have went with a 500k, it would have been even brighter, so there has to be something else to make the tone change, the Strat has a swamp ash body, maple neck, huge jumbo frets, and a different style bridge than the LP, LP has mahogany neck, and body with a maple cap. it's not a huge difference, but you hear the different tones very easy.
I'm no rocket scientist, but you can take a LP, and Strat off the shelf, switch out the pups, and still not get a Strat to sound like a LP, or LP to sound like a Strat.
That's on the pots. Experiments conducted showed that if nothing else but the wood changes (the specific one I'm mentioning the guy just moved everything, even the neck and the electronics and strings), there is no tone change at all. And there would be no reason to be a tone difference, I guess, if it did there would be a difference from when you play with the guitar against your body or not, as there is in acoustic guitars which also sound different according to the wood because it is the wood that emanates sound, but the electric the sound is captured directly from the strings. Traditionally it was thought that the science was the same, wood = tone too in electrics, but this was proven wrong lately, but manufacturers never stopped with the claims, mainly Gibson, because many people would go to the seven hells after a mahogany even if it was expensive as fuck, and many people did experiments on this that were done wrong and kept the myth up (like the Rob Chapman video where he grabs two different guitars that have different sound and claims it was from the wood).
But wood quality is still important as it defines if the guitar is really solid, if it responds well to temperature changes, if it maintains tune well, if it handles a string gauge well, and other things.
Not saying wood makes a difference, but just what the guitars are made from to compare, the only thing that was switch was the pickup, and it sounded different, why doesn't fat Strats sound like a LP's.?
This video helped me make up my mind...a set of 59' C.H. or Duncan Custom's with gold covers to match for my SG Custom
Getting my Horizon with 59/custom this week. Sounds promising (from an EMG player.)
Did you get the white E-II? That’s what I got.
@@joshbarnes6759 No DKSB went for more traditional look.
This video is largely the reason I chose a JB pickup for my Godin guitar. Thank you a lot, it sounds great now.
dont be sorry for the repetition when this song is fucking awesome ! !!
Hello Keith, good riffs as much as the wine we drank together a few days ago here in Italy!
59/custom hybrid for me !
Absolutely yes
Distortion and JB for me they sounded great. Good mid punch but clear bass and perfectly crisp highs🤘🏼
Invader!
I prefer that one too. Love me some mids on an instrument that's made for mids.
This video is a good way to figure out which pickup pairs well with the construction of the guitar you're planning on putting it in and what you want out of your tone. Want to tame the brightness of a maple-necked bolt-on? JB is probably a good choice. Want a fat low end? The alternative 8 is your pickup. Like squealing harmonics in your distortion? The blackouts are a good choice.
I think the Distortion and the Gus G fit the guitar and amp settings the best, with a slight edge to the Gus for having a slightly "tighter" sound to my ears/preferences.
Jesus... The Alt-8 and the Dime sound like they're coming to eat me.
Sick video! That Riff absolutely slays !!! This is very helpful, especially the quick comparison at the end. Keep up the good work 👍
This really helped me. I really don't like the Alternative 8 haha.
To me, the Alternative 8 sounds like someone dialed off all of the bass, scooped the mids , and cranked the treble on their amp. In other words, a hair dryer
Then again, I just watched another hot pickup comparison video and the alt 8 sounded better there.
He had better recording equipment for the newer video and to me it looks like I'll be either getting Alt8, Nazgul or Black Winter :D
timoteus96 Awesome! I went with the Invader.
I don't know what about the Invader puts me off a little :D Maybe it's the poles. BTW, on this video the Distortion and Active Blackouts Bridge sounds quite the same in the mix while they sound different on their own :D
Personally, (My own Taste) I loved the invader. Probably going to use one at the bridge on the current guitar I am rebuilding. Loved the dimebucker too. I'm not sure who thought of this advertising campaign but it's friggin brilliant. This is how you sell pickups!
Alternative 8 for playing lead, custom for playing rhythm
A fantastic video - thank you - I loved the JB s, they gave great mid-range definition for me. I'm sold on them. Seymour Duncan should pay you commission.
He actually works for SD
Ijust noticed, that guitar has 26 fretts
+Jeff Cantrell It has a long neck.. Long one...
baritone men
Hell yeah that JB was sounding super heavy and clean too. My favorite two from the video followed by the classic blackout.
Dimebucker ! Amazing
Love the SH-6 distortion. The original Blackout.....I think it is quite a versatile pickup.
Distortion was the most balanced with the custom being a close second.
The alternative 8 is my favorite and is just so damn fun to listen to.
The Gus G blackout was the only good blackout
JB is for grunge and more set it and forget it metal tone
the invader is so overrated. so compressed you can actually hear the noise in the background....
+cave digger Agreed. Alternative 8 has very unique sounding midrange. All the other pickups sound the same with slightly different EQ.
Great clip. Great playing. I loved the Custom and the JB best. A few others a close 2nd. Hated the dimebucker.
Winners SH-5 and SH-6
Knocking on 2020 and this is riff is still kicking
There's something about that JB.. ;)
Check out a Bill Lawrence 500xl. It will eat up that JB all damn day...Actually, it will eat up all these pick ups. The best pick up I have ever used in 40 years of playing...And, you can't beat it for 64.00 bucks...
I will do that if I get the opportunity :)
Eddie Steele
I agree, and the Wilde (bill lawrence the person, not bill lawrence usa) 500xl was the pickup that Duncan reverse engineered to create the Dimebucker. Wilde / Keystone (Bill and Becky Lawrence's pickups) are hands-down the best pickups for the money I've ever experienced. I have Keystone true single coils in my strat and tele copies and they never fail to freak out my friends who have super-high-dollar guitars with boutique pickups. You don't have to pay a ton for great tone. Those 500xl pickups are the bomb, and they sound totally gorgeous clean as well!
jamasters62 Bareknuckle Juggernaut. That's it.
Wow. One of the best demos I have seen. Put together very well. Thank you. I liked the JB myself. It's an oldie but it is still my preferred sound for sure.
DIMEBUCKER!!!!! for sure, have one loaded in my Jackson, kills
i play the invader for many years and for me its the best rock/metal pickup. And i also love the coil-splitting of the invader (clean and crunch/distortion) but after this video i think i must test the 59/custom hybrid.
thanx for this helpful Video :)
where can I learn this riff?! Its badass!
www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/keith-merrow-pillars-of-creation-tab-s86011t0
BurningStapler Thank you!
BurningStapler Can I have your babies for sending us all that link?
BurningStapler thanks a lot for this!
Thanks but I learned it a long time ago.
Best pu comparison I've ever heard. Thanks for the time and effort.
personally a fan of the dimebucker!
I'm curious, why do you like the scooped mids sound?
Not replying on the guys behalf, but I like it because they have meaner character. You can boost the mids on a naturally scooped pickup and it'll sound very different to a pickup with more natural mids. If you compare a JB and a Dimebucker but boosted the dimebucker mids to the same level as the JB, they would indeed sound very different.
Yeah, I liked that too, and I don't know jack shit about sounds, I just like the sound of it.
This is awesome, dude. Thanks. Trying to find an alternate to the "always full crush" of the Gibson 500T in my 2016 Explorer. Great music. Thank you so much for the controlled variables. Even though it's not what I want to do with that guitar, it gives me a great idea of the options.
any one tab this out yet?
i would appreciate it!
thanks!
sounds awesome
The Best Pickups video ever!!!
We want more...
Like from 2022