Dimarzio Super Distortion or Duncan Custom in a Soloist?

[Mapleg4]

Which one would sound better in a Flat-top Soloist with a Mahogany body and neck and a Floyd?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Which one would sound better in a Flat-top Soloist with a Mahogany body and neck and a Floyd?

It's not a black & white answer.  It's very subjective.

I'd start with the components in question.  You have a mahogany body, but what about the neck.  Shaft/Fingerboard?
What genre' of music?  What amp?  High gain, medium gain, etc?

What are you wanting to accomplish?  More gain?  More Clarity?  More treble?  Upper Mids? Low end?

 

[Cagey]

I don't know. Which one tastes better - garlic/sour cream whipped potatoes with chicken gravy, or garlic/sour cream whipped potatoes with turkey gravy?  :dontknow:

 

[Neo Fender]

in short, define "best".

 

[swarfrat]

He said Mahogany body and neck. As to which is better, could you even tell by listening?

 

[KaiserSoze]

I've used the Dimarzio before and really liked it.  Depends on the music, amp, hairstyle, etc.  I have a similar guitar with a Dimarzio AT1 in the bridge that handles just about everything very well.  I think either would be a quality pickup. 

 

[Cagey]

As to which is better, could you event tell by listening?

No. That's the problem with pickups. You can't hear them.

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

    I can't write anything about those two pickups, but I will second KaizerSose's Dimarzio AT-1 plug.  That is, without a doubt, the best humbucker I've ever used.  It's just a solid rock and roll pickup.

 

[Mapleg4]

The neck would be Mahogany and the fingerboard Massacar Ebony.
I want clarity and deep mids.

Which one would sound better in a Flat-top Soloist with a Mahogany body and neck and a Floyd?

It's not a black & white answer.  It's very subjective.

I'd start with the components in question.  You have a mahogany body, but what about the neck.  Shaft/Fingerboard?
What genre' of music?  What amp?  High gain, medium gain, etc?

What are you wanting to accomplish?  More gain?  More Clarity?  More treble?  Upper Mids? Low end?

 

[Strat Avenger]

Duncan JB.

 

[Cagey]

Mmmm... Duncan JBs...

 

[GearBoxTy]

I used to love the Duncan Custom...until I tried the Duncan Distortion.  I built my blackout Soloist (2nd Warmoth build) around the Duncan Distortion Trembucker!  Mine is a poplar body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard.

But, check out Keith Merrow's Seymour Duncan Humbucker comparison video.  It's pretty telling!
http://youtu.be/ryzie8mham8

 

[Cagey]

Anybody notice Mr. Merrow's neck doesn't have any fretboard inlays, yet he's all over the place very accurately?

Tellin' ya - you don't need the things, and it makes for a much nicer-looking neck.

Of course, it sounds like he practices a bit...  :icon_biggrin:

 

[NLD09]

    I can't write anything about those two pickups, but I will second KaizerSose's Dimarzio AT-1 plug.  That is, without a doubt, the best humbucker I've ever used.  It's just a solid rock and roll pickup.

I'll third it. The AT-1 is my go to bridge pickup. I've got a bunch of videos on YouTube playing through it. Link's in my signature.

 

[Neo Fender]

Duncan JB.

Usually, this is the correct answer to any "which humbucker..." question.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Duncan JB.

Usually, this is the correct answer to any "which humbucker..." question.

Agreed, have one in my Soloist, freakin' SCREAMS.... :headbang1:

 

[DslDwg]

Hard to make blanket statements about pick-ups.

The Super distortion is a long time tried and tested pick-up. I would say similar uses to the S/D distortion but not quite as hot.

I've heard great things about the custom and that mahogany bodies compliment it well. But have never tried one myself.

Basically you can't go wrong with a JB or S/D Distortion really the difference is to you like Alnico or Ceramic magnet pick-ups better.

 

[Strat Avenger]

While I like the sound of the Dimarzio Super Distortion, I find it to be too "hot" for my taste. In the old ays, you needed that output for hard Rock & Metal when playing through low-gain amps but with today's high gain amps, it's just too much.

I have the Super Distortion "S" in one of my Strats because it has less output than the full-size Super Distortion.

The Duncan Distortion sounds nothing like the Dimarzio Super Distortion. Both have good sound, but both are too hot for me.

All my full-size bridge position 'buckers are Duncan Screamin' Demons and JBs.