Seymour Duncan Bridge Pickup Shootout

[Sunbane]

I discovered this "6 String Metal Bridge Pickup Shootout" on the Seymour Duncan site yesterday (link), and sat down to listen to it in detail. I love this video! I wish all pickup manufacturers would do something like this. (There was actually a guy who did something similar with EMG pickups a few years ago.) Well, here you have one guy testing bridge pickups in the same guitar, using the same amp and the same settings. I think. Anyway, inspired by the "pups you love" thread, I thought I'd share my thoughts on these.

SH-10 Full Shred
Magnet: Alnico 5.
DCR: 14.1 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=11
Sound: Very tight and sterile sounding. Flat EQ curve.
Comment: Not anything I'd be interested in.

SH-6 Distortion
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 16.6 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=68
Sound: Snarling bite. Pronounced mids without getting mushy.
Comment: The pickup that all other Duncans must measure up to.

SH-15 Alternative 8
Magnet: Alnico 8.
DCR: 17.1 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=125
Sound: Sounds like a JB without the mid hump. Kind of a flat EQ.
Comment: Interesting pickup, but there are better sounding ones in this test.

Nazgul
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 16.7 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=182
Sound: Very similar to SH-6, but with more bite, and possibly better string separation.
Comment: NOW we're talking! It's like a mean, starving SH-6 that is out to get you!

SH-8 Invader
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 16.6 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=238
Sound: Lots of bass and mids. Not very much treble.
Comment: Too little bite for me. Maybe if I was into playing stoner rock.

"Omega"
I can't find any info about this pickup, so I guess it was never released, or got pulled. For this reason I can't really be arsed to do the homework on it, but it sounds a bit like an Invader with more treble. Nice "middle of the road" kind of sound.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=295

Pegasus
Magnet: Alnico 5.
DCR: 14.9 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=352
Sound: Sounds like a pretty flat EQ.
Comment: I almost can't distinguish between the soundclips of this and the SH-15 (Alternetive 8). A decent enough sound for sure, but still a bit "meh".

SH-4 JB
Magnet: Alnico 5.
DCR: 16.6 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=409
Sound: Overall bright sound, pronounced mids, not much bass.
Comment: The pickup the bloody everyone that go for a generic metal sound uses. Not my thing really.

Pickup labeled SH-5 Custom, but that might actually be SH-14 Custom 5.
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 14.1 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=465
Sound: Mid-scooped, very distinct.
Comment: Despite being the lowest output pickup in the test, it is also one of the most brutal sounding ones, except for maybe the Nazgul.

Pickup labeled in video as "SH-14 Custom 5", but probably is SH-11 Custom Custom
Magnet: Alnico 2.
DCR: 14.1 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=522
Sound: Very pronounced mid peak, articulate highs. Not much bass.
Comment: A lot like a mellower JB. Might be better suited to softer Rock or Metal.

EMTY Blackouts
Active
Magnet: Ceramic.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=579
Sound: Has a rather flat EQ, somewhere between SH-4 JB and SH-14 Custom 5.
Comment: Very tight & articulate. Reminiscent of an EMG-81 without getting as sterile.

AHB-1 Blackouts
Active
Magnet: Ceramic.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=635
Sound: More mids than EMTY, otherwise similar sounding.
Comment: Tight bass, but not as distinct as the EMTY.

Dave Mustaine Livewire
Active
Magnet: ?
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=693
Sound: Sounds similar to the JB, but with a flatter EQ. Less mids for sure.
Comment: If they tried to replicate the JB like they state, they missed the mark somewhat. But I'd prefer this over a JB.

SH-13 Dimebucker
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 16.5 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=749
Sound: Mid-scooped, very similar to what they call the "Custom" in this test, but with more output.
Comment: I love this pickup. It makes me sound like GOD.

Black Winter
Magnet: Ceramic.
DCR: 16.6 Ohm.
https://youtu.be/0FE2PDH61h0?t=807
Sound: More pronounced mids and more bite than SH-6 Distortion, otherwise very similar.
Comment: Sounds like the middle ground between SH-6 and Nazgul. Not bad at all.

---

Conclusions:

Judging from this test (and coinciding with earlier experiences) I find that I tend to like passive pickups with ceramic magnets. They have something ballsy about them that actives and Alnico pups generally lack.

[xenophobe]

I agree the SH-5 is brutal. It's probably my favorite SD. I absolutely hate the JB and don't like the Custom Custom for the lack of bottom end. I agree with the Invader having no bite and being a bit too muddy. I had the original Live Wires and they distorted too much to the point of almost instantaneous feedback and were way too fuzzy.

Amazing that someone else came to similar conclusions to me. Great post!

EMG 85 and Dimarzio Super Distortion are my two favorite pickups, just fyi. The SH-5 coming in third. And I also like the humbucker they use on the Deluxe Strats.

[Number Of The Priest]

This was incredibly useful. Thank you for this. It beats clicking on the individual little soundclips on the Seymour Duncan website.

Out of all the samples presented, IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS VIDEO, I think the Custom and Dimebucker sound "right".

When I say "in the context of this video", I mean that I'm happy that the maximum amount of experimental factors were controlled, so that we really only hear the differences between pickups. I don't play this type of music or use this type of sound/EQ/distortion, so I'm not positive that my choices here (Custom and Dimebucker) would also be my top contenders when playing the wussier types of music that I like.

I remember the EMG-85 sounding huge and articulate in my first KE3. Need to find me a passive version of that.

[Sunbane]

Glad you guys enjoyed it!
Yeah, I was really happy to have found a video that actually gave me *useful information* about pickup sounds, so I thought that it would be useful to other people here as well.

When I say "in the context of this video", I mean that I'm happy that the maximum amount of experimental factors were controlled, so that we really only hear the differences between pickups. I don't play this type of music or use this type of sound/EQ/distortion, so I'm not positive that my choices here (Custom and Dimebucker) would also be my top contenders when playing the wussier types of music that I like.

I totally understand your reasoning.

[xenophobe]

I remember the EMG-85 sounding huge and articulate in my first KE3. Need to find me a passive version of that.

I'd recommend the Super Distortion or SH-5. I thought the Deactivators were a little to low midrangey for me, at least compared to the 85 / Super Distortion or SH-5. I like the EQ and gain of those pickups specifically.

[toejam]

The guy has the specs of the Custom and Custom 5 mixed up. The Custom 5 is the one that's mid-scooped (very similar to a '59, just more output), and the Custom has more mids and is pretty well balanced.

[toejam]

I've got the 8-string version of the Nazgul, and it is pretty awesome indeed! The Duncan literature makes it seem like it's more brutal and higher output than it really is, though.

[GrimRiffer]

Get you a Super Distortion and never look back.

[Cosmiceddie]

I liked the Pegasus best with the SH-4 JB close behind.

[Hellbat]

Too bad he didn't try the SH-16 Hybrid. It's a little lower in output than the Custom but has a nice tone. I still prefer the Custom itself though for myself. I use one in the bridge of my RR1T.

[Number Of The Priest]

I've listened to (watched) this video a few times now. Love it.

I'd actually be curious to hear a similar comparison involving the same pickups but in standard tuning and playing classic rock or classic metal style.

Not everybody downtunes and "traditional" players might discount the new generation pickups (Nazgul, Pegasus, Black Winter, etc.) because they might be perceived as "too modern".

Let's see how the new models stand up against the time-honored classic pickups played in an old-school way with an old-school sound.

I want to hear a Nazgul playing Judas Priest, a Pegasus playing Ozzy, and a Black Winter playing Van Halen.

[Sunbane]

Let's see how the new models stand up against the time-honored classic pickups played in an old-school way with an old-school sound.

I want to hear a Nazgul playing Judas Priest, a Pegasus playing Ozzy, and a Black Winter playing Van Halen.

It would have been really cool to let Phil Collen (or someone playing similar stuff), to play a track off "Pyromania" with all these pickups.

[Sunbane]

The guy has the specs of the Custom and Custom 5 mixed up. The Custom 5 is the one that's mid-scooped (very similar to a '59, just more output), and the Custom has more mids and is pretty well balanced.

Looking at the stats for the pickups now, seems like you're right. I'll try to update the post to reflect this.

[Sunbane]

There is another video of a guy playing a comparison between the different "Custom" pickups. This is softer music, and unfortunately the sound is so mid-heavy that it's a bit hard to tell the pickups apart soundwise - but the difference is there.

https://youtu.be/kLfRvjjAwf0

[Axewielder]

There are just too many choices when it comes to pickups. Breakfast cereal, too. We don't need that many. But presidential candidates in the USA....two choices!