Questions about Duncan USM Pickups

[Filipe Marquez]

Hey guys, how are you doing? I have two questions for you:

- Are these pickups made in the U.S.A?
- And, are they good pickups? How do they sound in comparison to Seymour Duncan's?

I'm thinking of maybe buying an LP Washburn, which comes with these as stock pups. Thanks!

[DrNewcenstein]

WTF are Duncan USM pickups? "U"."S". M"ade? "U"niversity of "S"outhern "M"ississippi?

[Funkfingers]

From the archives...

Here's the official scoop on Duncan USMs.

The Duncan USM pickups represent the latest collaboration between U.S. Music Corp. and Seymour Duncan. For decades, Seymour Duncan pickups have been recognized as the leader in after-market upgrade pickups as well as the OEM standard on the world’s finest guitars. Duncan and USM have worked together for many years and have shared many artists along the way, including Nuno Bettencourt, Dimebag Darrell, Paul Stanley, George Lynch, Scott Ian, Warren Haynes, and many more.

Duncan USM Pickups are designed by Seymour Duncan's Santa Barbara-based engineers to USM's requirements and are only available on select Washburn and Parker guitars. Currently, Duncan USM pickups are available in two voices, the HB-103 and HB-102. The HB-103 is a high output humbucker aimed at heavy rock, metal, thrash and punk players. It’s an extremely aggressive pickup with powerful coil windings ceramic magnets, but it will maintain string-to-string clarity even under the punishing picking assault heavy music players subject their guitars to gig after gig.

The HB-102 is a classic hot rodded humbucker set that handles a wide range of styles from blues and classic rock to metal. The HB-102 bridge pickup has high-output coil windings and the neck pickup is backed off a bit. Both pickups use Alnico 5 magnets and are very musical with great high end detail.

The quality and musicality of Duncan USM pickups means a superb sounding instrument right out of the box, adding quality and value to your guitar and eliminating the need for upgrade electronics.

Here's the unofficial scoop. If you know the sound of the Duncan Designed HB-102 and HB-103, then you know the sound of the same pickups with the "Duncan / USM" brand on them. The logo was a marketing decision. The tone of the pickups will be familiar to those who know their "Duncan Designed" pickups.

I hope that helps.

[Filipe Marquez]

Hm, i didn't know the unofficial scoop. But then they are made in Asia, not the U.S.? The designed part does not meant produced in the U.S?