Seymour Duncan Custom Shop '78 Model

[GavQuinn]

Hello!

I don't think I've seen any info on this pickup so I thought I'd share my experience!

It's the VH pickup apparently, although due to licensing etc, they can't say so. Described as a PAF rewind, mine is listed on the pack at 9.0k, Alnico II, initalled MJ which is apparently a good thing.

This pickup is in my SE Bernie Marsden, in the bridge position.

This pickup is very good, it's bright, lots of presence in the treble and high end. Mids aren't too prominent, (as most Duncans seem to be tuned) the bass is there, nice and fat but not boomy at all.

Obv this was to go into an S type guitar, but I don't have one routed for humbuckers. I've heard people describe this pickup as not suited to a Mahogany guitar......well.... Sometimes I think people just post lies or stuff they don't know - this pickup is excellent in the Bernie Marsden. (Besides, it's a PAF rewind!!)

I found the stock bridge HB too muddy, now this sounds great. It is bright - almost like the tone control goes from 10 to about 14/15. It's got lots of clarity, lots of harmonics, just a great pickup. I think this is the nicest Duncan I've tried yet.

Compared to the 59/09 - It's more edgy, it's less compressed, less balanced in the frequencies, brighter. Similar output, less bass.

Has anyone else tried it?

 

[alantig]

Sometimes I think people just post lies or stuff they don't know

You can say this with a straight face? After all the stuff about the JM SS the last few weeks???

Has anyone else tried it?

Have not tried the SD. I did pick up a Frankenstein pickup from EVH shortly after I got my striped series. Had to grind/cut some stuff off to make it fit to replace the Wolfie that was in there. Immediate improvement to my ears. Much more present tone - seemed to have more bite and grit to it. That guitar is nowhere near my number one, and the one pup/one knob model is not all that versatile, but it sure if a fun guitar to play.

 

[GavQuinn]

You can say this with a straight face? After all the stuff about the JM SS the last few weeks???

Have not tried the SD. I did pick up a Frankenstein pickup from EVH shortly after I got my striped series. Had to grind/cut some stuff off to make it fit to replace the Wolfie that was in there. Immediate improvement to my ears. Much more present tone - seemed to have more bite and grit to it. That guitar is nowhere near my number one, and the one pup/one knob model is not all that versatile, but it sure if a fun guitar to play.

When you say 'more present' do you mean brighter overall, as in more treble? I think that's what I've been wanting for some time now from a pickup. It's really nice. Not very forgiving for a less experienced player I imagine but it's good!

 

[Drew]

Some clarification on this. People get this and think they are going to get the VH 1 sound. No, Eddie used a really hot ceramic bucker on VH1. He ultimately wanted something tamer and had SD wind this for him for use on VH 2.

 

[GavQuinn]

Some clarification on this. People get this and think they are going to get the VH 1 sound. No, Eddie used a really hot ceramic bucker on VH1. He ultimately wanted something tamer and had SD wind this for him for use on VH 2.

Not actually a VH fan to be honest, but I guess it is one of those sounds people obsess over. All I know is I absolutely recommend it in a set neck mahogany guitar!

 

[Drew]

Not actually a VH fan to be honest, but I guess it is one of those sounds people obsess over. All I know is I absolutely recommend it in a set neck mahogany guitar!

Which makes sense because it's pretty much just a somewhat hot PAF. Duncan Custom Shop has really nice pickups..

 

[GavQuinn]

Which makes sense because it's pretty much just a somewhat hot PAF. Duncan Custom Shop has really nice pickups..

You know what made me pull the trigger on this pickup was THIS video. I hears the sound and I thought, that's it - the sound.

Granted THIS tone is a bit too harsh on the treble, but just a bit too much.

 

[alantig]

When you say 'more present' do you mean brighter overall, as in more treble? I think that's what I've been wanting for some time now from a pickup. It's really nice. Not very forgiving for a less experienced player I imagine but it's good!

A bit more biting in the treble - not harsh, but definitely more of a factor in the overall sound. The overall sound, to me, was just more up front, kind of in your face, more there. The Wolfie felt like it was restrained.

 

[GavQuinn]

A bit more biting in the treble - not harsh, but definitely more of a factor in the overall sound. The overall sound, to me, was just more up front, kind of in your face, more there. The Wolfie felt like it was restrained.

Is that what you hear in the video I linked?

 

[WEDGE]

I have a Knaggs Rappoport model with the 78 pup, really nice medium output pup similar to a 59/09. Not harsh at all and cleans up nicely with the volume knob. His setup and attack add to his tone in that video, you should be able to dial in a warmer crunchy tone easily with one.

 

[WEDGE]

Just noted that your using it in a Bernie... I have a set of 59/09’s in mine and nothing could push them out of it.....

 

[GavQuinn]

His setup and attack add to his tone in that video, you should be able to dial in a warmer crunchy tone easily with one.

Just noted that your using it in a Bernie... I have a set of 59/09’s in mine and nothing could push them out of it.....

Yeah, well it's a budget Knaggs Rappoport, haha. Look similar now with one zebra, one black. I have a few of these SE guitars, the 245 models are my faves.

The Bernie is light weight, very warm sounding, so the '78 really suits it, it's not 'very bright', just as bright as it needs to be.

Funny, I have aniother SE245 that's very heavy and acoustically bright. It has 59/09s but I think that maybe it needs warmer pickups. Then again, I don't want them all to sound the same, what would be the point then?

I have a Starla, I read years ago that it was a Knaggs design, great guitar.

 

[bodia]

I have a Knaggs Rappoport model with the 78 pup, really nice medium output pup similar to a 59/09. Not harsh at all and cleans up nicely with the volume knob. His setup and attack add to his tone in that video, you should be able to dial in a warmer crunchy tone easily with one.

I've got a Rappoportl, too. One of the axes I scored from Pete. All Pete'd up custom order . He was in big time Vintage PAF mode and had the pickups replaced in it with a set of Thro-bak Peter Green's (PG-102, I think). They sound good in it, but I was looking for something a little hotter. I ordered a couple of Zhangbuckers for it. Great guy to deal with. Really asks a lot of questions up front since he is custom winding each set to order.

 

[ViperDoc]

Also guilty of a 78-loaded Rappoport. The pickup is KILLER.

 

[GavQuinn]

I've got a Rappoportl, too. One of the axes I scored from Pete. All Pete'd up custom order . He was in big time Vintage PAF mode and had the pickups replaced in it with a set of Thro-bak Peter Green's (PG-102, I think). They sound good in it, but I was looking for something a little hotter. I ordered a couple of Zhangbuckers for it. Great guy to deal with. Really asks a lot of questions up front since he is custom winding each set to order.

Very good, dunno who Pete is..

Also guilty of a 78-loaded Rappoport. The pickup is KILLER.

Yeah man, edge and backed off mids. I've realised that everyone who isn't playing prefers to hear less mids, less mids is king.

 

[VHTStark]

The '78 is one of my favourite pickup models ever. Both of my singlecuts (2006 20th anny artist pkg and a 2007 PS) are outfitted with '78 sets.

In my guitars, they are tight, bright and open. But what is cool is that while they are not super hot and compressed, they have this chewy quality when you rip leads.

I will say that my singlecuts are older models. If they had come with 57/08s, 59/09's or 58/15's I doubt I would have changed them out. PRS's newer PAF style pickups are some of the very best out tyere right now IMO.

 

[GavQuinn]

I always used the Bare Knuckle Mule, unpotted. It's very good, can make a cheap guitar sound more expensive, but the added presence and treble of the '78 is kick ass.

To be fair, Bare Knuckle don't do a pickup like this. They do a VHII as they call it, but it's hotter and Alnico V so it's much stronger in output, has more bass and less treble. This is exactly what I was looking for - twang. I love bright guitars, you can always take treble away but if it's not there to begin with then it's not what I like.

To be fair, I don't know if I'm sold on the 59/09, they're good, but almost a bit too refined. Very balanced frequencies which is good, but.. I dunno, they sounded too hot in my custom 22, but now they're in a 245. They're better there.

 

[VHTStark]

I always used the Bare Knuckle Mule, unpotted. It's very good, can make a cheap guitar sound more expensive, but the added presence and treble of the '78 is kick ass.

To be fair, Bare Knuckle don't do a pickup like this. They do a VHII as they call it, but it's hotter and Alnico V so it's much stronger in output, has more bass and less treble. This is exactly what I was looking for - twang. I love bright guitars, you can always take treble away but if it's not there to begin with then it's not what I like.

To be fair, I don't know if I'm sold on the 59/09, they're good, but almost a bit too refined. Very balanced frequencies which is good, but.. I dunno, they sounded too hot in my custom 22, but now they're in a 245. They're better there.

If I wad going to buy a PAF style pickup for metal, the VHII would be it. I was surprised at how aggressive sounding it was and yes....a fair bit hotter than a '78.

The '78 really is not that hot. 9k is overwound for a PAF, but it uses a de-gaussed A2 magnet...which I think is part of the magic.

With the 59/09, you are likely hearing the greater girth in the mids. I found it to have more midrange presence than most PAF style humbuckers.

 

[GavQuinn]

[/QUOTE]With the 59/09, you are likely hearing the greater girth in the mids. I found it to have more midrange presence than most PAF style humbuckers.[/QUOTE]

You're probably right there. They're nice and bright, however, I do find the neck 59/09 too boomy.

The brightness, treble, presence, (whatever you wanna call it) of the '78 is just great. Doug Rappoport's video sounds almost like a Telecaster, it's amazing. That said it still sounds like a humbucker, not a filtertron or P90. Amazing tone. Maybe a hair too much treble there, but not much.