best duncan passive pickup for metal?

[Sodom616]

I'm surprised that not many people voted for the invader....the invader is the most metal passive pickup by FAR, but i like the DD better

[daemon barbeque]

Invader is very picky about the guitar and the player
It's more or less a hod-rod drag racer. It does good what itr does, but you can't use it on the road, hang around with your friends or shag in it

[Despair]

I'm surprised that not many people voted for the invader....the invader is the most metal passive pickup by FAR, but i like the DD better

Ever tried a PATB-2? Invader has deeper bass where the PATB-2's got a woolier growl for riffs. Many metal heads prefer the original Distortion for thrash rhythm. For my gonzo metal needs I'll take the PATB-2, particularly for solos but also overall.

I don't think there's one best or most metal pickup, though. Different players & setups will have different needs. And are we talking for leads (there's a lot of pickups that are amazing for leads but not tight enough for many styles of metal rhythm), rhythm, riffs or all of the above? A lot of people who love the Invader for riffs & rhythm find it too much of a struggle on leads...

As daemon barbeque mentions, Full Shred is a monster for downtuning in mahogany. The PATB-1b is solid for faster material on longer scale basswood shredders. Just not the right pickup for that task in LPs...

I'm a big fan of the Custom 8, the combination of tightness and open warmth is just amazing. Original Custom is pretty awesome in a warmer guitar, too.

In the right guitar, the JB is amazing, too.

P-90s sound amazingly evil with high gain [Hi Ayrton!], but coping with the noise can be awful in different environments.

[Metalblaze]

.......

P-90s sound amazingly evil with high gain [Hi Ayrton!], but coping with the noise can be awful in different environments.

^True. I've listened to P90s growling under distortion. Real quality metal tone. Deep and roaring.

[Jessie's ghost]

The Duncan Distortion is a great metal pickup, but its flavor is a little too modern for my tastes. I voted for the Custom, but the JB was a close second.

[drdave]

I've only used the DD, JB and Invader, but out of those three the DD got my vote. My JB currently has a single-thickness ceramic mag in it, and I would have picked that if it had been included in the poll. Has most of what makes the DD great, but just a little backed off for better versatility.

[Chuck_Norris]

I have used the Distortion, Full Shred and the Dimebucker. My favorite so far is the Distortion which I currently use in my LTD AX-2E tuned to B standard through an ENGL Powerball. It is extremely powerful and aggressive! If you like big fat chugging, heavy and aggressive riffing and screaming leads the Distortion is the way to go. It's not as tight as the Full Shred and that's a plus to me. If you don't detune, it will work perfectly for Thrash Metal. But since I haven't tried all of the others, I won't vote for it 'cause there still might be a better one.

It also depends on your amp. If you have a tight amp (ENGL, Diezel and similar) I'd recommend a pickup with a bigger, fatter and looser bottom end. If you play a loose amp (Marshall, Mesa and similar) I'd recommend a tight pickup.

[Sodom616]

is the DD better than an Emg 81 for downtuned metal? and how do they both differ?

[marvelous_seven]

I can't say best since it really depends on "what metal" and "what guitar" we are talking about.
My choices are
1) PATB2 for Basswood and Alder. Well balanced, lovely harmonics, tracks fast and has serious punch. The best sustain and bendings in the bunch.

2) PATB1 in LP. Nothing kicks as much butt as that. Heavy, punchy. It tracks well and is not muddy. Till Drop C it holds very well. Not suited for fast stuff like Modern Thrash or Progressive/Powermetal. But everything else just fine.

3) Full Shred: Best definition, very punchy and articulated with the right height/Screw adjustement. Also perfect for 1 Hum guitars. Kills in LP, or other Mahogany guitars. Lacks lows in Alder or Maple, sings in Hi-end Basswood, lacks character in cheap guitars. Nothing in Duncan Catalog can cope with Low tunings (C and lower) as good as FS does. A very special Humbucker.

These are my Favorits.

I'm torn between PATB-2,DD,and FS for my next guitar.
Mahogany V body,set maple neck,ebony board,25.5 scale,Floyd,1 pickup. Will be mainly in drop C tuning,modern metal stuff. Also stainless steel frets if that matters. Which one do you think will match the guitar better?

[Chuck_Norris]

I'd go with the Distortion if you think your amp is tight enough.

With a looser amp I'd try the Full Shred.

[dvanburen]

I play mostly metal and I have the duncan custom. It is an absolute beast of a pickup. It is quite aggressive and has a huge tight bottom end. It can get a little flubby in the mids so it is not bad but also not good at articulate stuff. Notes seem to get lost a bit if there is alot going on. It absolutely slays with palm mute stuff and power chords sound huge. I actually just ordered a DD that I will put in my esp to see how it sounds. I've had EMG's and I don't like them at all. They can sound good in some amps but very synthetic and compressed sound. Cleans are terrible with those pickups for me. I'm actually looking forward to the DD when I get it installed and I will post what I think about it. I don't necessarily think I will get a better sound with the DD than with the custom but just a different sound. I had a JB that I sent back to SD in exchange for the DD. I actually really liked the sound of the JB but the bottom end just was not there for me. Very loose and scattered bottom end for me. Other than that it was a very bright, tight and articulate sounding pickup. I'm hoping the DD with give me a similar sound with a more brutal bottom end and a little more aggression.
The Custom is a warm and clear sounding pup, very very nice. I would not trade it for the world. You can not go wrong at all with it for metal. If one does not like the treble response of the DD or JB then you definitely want to check out the Custom

[grumptruck]

I saw what Evan did there.

No one didn't even acknowledge him.

lol

[King IzzO)))]

OP said passive, that Gus setup is with a BO preamp, right?

Anyway, while we're throwing out C8's and stuff I have to add the Detonator with an A8.

[misterwhizzy]

I voted Distortion, even though I like the Custom better as an all-around pickup. Really, though, for metal, I think the DD with an Alnico 8 is perfect. And when you downtune through the Distortion wind, it's a thing of pure evil.

[mustaine-who?]

is the DD better than an Emg 81 for downtuned metal? and how do they both differ?

The 81 has less bottom end...and more (quicker) attack than a DD...so its quite well suited for downtuning where the low end can easily get out of control.

The PATB-2 is hot as hell...and has massive compression. I'm not sure how it would handle C standard or lower tunings.

FS is just killer in the right guitar, and laughs at low tunings.

[rumblebox]

I think the DD has a stronger bottom than the EMG81 while still staying tight. Just tirn down the bass and gain on the amp.

[Metalblaze]

Well, I voted for the Custom because I like the classic vibe in my tone along with the qualities of "metal" pickups too.

[Jeff5]

Someone mentioned a double thick ceramic. I'd love to try this magnet in my Custom, although I'm loving the C8, but where can I get one?

[King IzzO)))]

I have one big ceramic left that i'll let you have, pm me.

Since your familiar, it kinda combines the low end of the C8 with the normal custom sound. Louder, a little stiffer, and nastier. I thought it had qualities of the ceramic custom, superD, and the dirty fingers.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Too bad this poll was created before the new Gus G system was announced...

THAT really looks like something i have to look into !