2025 is drawing to a close, and we have so much to reflect upon! It was a year of inspiring new pickups, pedals, and amplifiers, but that’s not all. This year also saw collaborations with leading guitar brands, visits from acclaimed artists, and much more. 

So, let’s get into it. This is Seymour Duncan’s 2025—wrapped. 

New Pickups

Pickups are the heart of what we do here at Seymour Duncan, and we released quite a few new models in 2025. From patent-pending innovations to recreations of classic sets to brand new options for tired-and-true favorites, here’s a list of what we came out with this year. 

Joe Bonamassa “Greenburst” Stratocaster® Pickup Set

Our first official pickup release of 2025, the Joe Bonamassa “Greenburst” Stratocaster Pickup Set, was released through our Custom Shop in mid-February. This special set is a faithful recreation of the gray-bottom single-coil pickups found in Joe Bonamassa’s unique 1964 Stratocaster, affectionately known as the “Greenburst.” 

Made with period-correct wiring and staggered Alnico 5 magnets, the “Greenburst” set delivers a notably punchy sound and a higher output than other vintage single coils of its era. 

Jazzmaster® Silencer Pickups

While we teased them at NAMM in January, we officially released our Jazzmaster Silencer Pickups in March. As with our P90 Silencer pickups and Phat Cat Silencer pickups, these incorporate our patent-pending triple-coil design to faithfully capture classic Jazzmaster tone with no 60-cycle hum. 

Our Jazzmaster Silencer Pickups are available in both Vintage and Hot voicings and have garnered positive reviews from noted Jazzmaster aficionados, including Michael James Adams, Ryan Burke of 60 Cycle Hum, Emily Harris of Get Offset, and Jason Mays of Working Class Music and Play Jason. 

Philip Sayce “Mother” Stratocaster® Pickup Set

In May, we released the Philip Sayce “Mother” Stratocaster Pickup Set. Our first signature set with blues-rock mainstay Philip Sayce, “Mother” is based on the slightly underwound 1958 pickups that replaced the stock set in Philip’s 1963 Fender Stratocaster of the same name. 

Our Custom Shop team took great care to precisely recreate the pickups from “Mother,” and the results speak for themselves. Philip Sayce’s “Mother” Stratocaster Pickup Set was one of our most buzzed-about sets of the year, allowing players to inject the clear, full-bodied sound that is the hallmark of Philip’s guitar tone into their own instruments.

Black Winter Rails

In 2024, we launched our Rail Series with four of our most popular high-output pickups: the JB Model, the Jazz Model, Nazgûl, and Sentient.

In June 2025, we expanded that line to include the much-requested Black Winter Rails humbuckers. Built for the heaviest, most extreme metal genres, this evolution combines the crushing aggression of the original Black Winter with the modern advantages of rail design. The result is a passive pickup that delivers searing high-gain tones with even greater string-to-string balance, tightness, and sustain.

Joe Bonamassa “Bolin Burst” Humbucker Set

September saw the release of a very special set of pickups—the Joe Bonamassa “Bolin Burst” Humbucker Set.

Released through our Custom Shop, this set is based on the humbuckers from a very special 1960 Gibson® Les Paul® that Tommy Bolin played throughout his career. This guitar, now known as the “Bolin Burst,” was acquired by Joe Bonamassa after an extensive 10-year search. 

Featuring Alnico 2 magnets, the bridge pickup provides a dynamic and barky sound, while the neck pickup sings with warmth and clarity—especially through your favorite overdriven amp.

A portion of the proceeds from each “Bolin Burst” Humbucker set will be donated to the Tommy Bolin Endowment and Tommy Bolin Memorial Fund.

JB Jr. for Tele®

In October, we released the highly requested JB Jr. for Tele. Designed specifically for Telecaster bridge routes, this single-coil-sized humbucker captures the beloved punch, harmonic sparkle, and searing highs that made the original JB a classic.

The reception for this drop-in Tele bridge pickup has been tremendous. YouTubers like Ryan “Fluff” Bruce and Kyle Bull have given it glowing reviews, and we’ve been thrilled to hear incredible feedback from guitarists around the globe who are finally able to inject that JB tone into their Telecasters without dusting off a router. 

Duff McKagan Signature PJ Pickup Set

For years, Duff McKagan’s weapon of choice has been a Fender® PJ bass loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups. And, in November, we gave bassists a new way to harness that same tight low-end and sharp attack Duff is known for with the Duff McKagan Signature PJ Pickup Set.

Featuring our Quarter Pound P-Bass® pickup in the neck and Hot Stack Jazz bass® pickup in the bridge, this combination is sure to inspire anyone seeking an aggressive, hum-free bass tone, perfect for both stage and studio use. It even features Duff’s distinctive skull & crossbones logo on the neck pickup for a little extra flair! 

New Options for Slash’s Signature Pickups

It’s been an honor working with Slash to create his original signature APH-2 and Slash 2.0 humbucker sets. Previously, these have only been available with vintage specs—long mounting legs, single-conductor braided wiring, and standard bridge spacing. 

In November, we expanded Slash’s signature humbucker line to include new options. Now, guitarists can get both of Slash’s signature sets with short mounting legs so they can fit in a wider variety of guitars and be direct-mounted. The short-leg version also features four-conductor wiring for coil splitting, series/parallel wiring, and phase switching. 

Slash’s pickups are also now available with a Trembucker-spaced bridge pickup, which will perfectly align strings with pole pieces in guitars with Floyd Rose® style locking tremolo bridges, six-screw vintage Fender® tremolo types, or two-point fulcrum tremolo bridges.

Dino Cazares “Machete” Humbucker

December brought the release of the much-requested Dino Cazares signature Machete humbucker! Previously exclusive to Dino’s signature Ormsby® guitars, Machete is an active humbucker in a passive mount that delivers aggressive clarity and crushing power, engineered for players who demand articulation and low-end definition without sacrificing organic feel.

Other Cool Releases and Projects

2025 wasn’t just about new pickup launches; we also introduced a new amplifier, a new take on a well-loved pedal, a limited run to highlight a significant milestone, and a tribute to one of our favorite film franchises.  

Pickup Booster Mini

Our newest pedal, the Pickup Booster Mini, is our classic Pickup Booster in a pedalboard space-saving size. This mini pedal delivers the same boosting and tone-shaping power of the iconic Pickup Booster that players have sworn by for two decades—we just made it easier to find room for it on your board.

It delivers an extra push when you need it, along with our unique resonance switch for added versatility. This special switch makes the pedal interact directly with your pickups, letting your single coils emulate either a chunky humbucker sound perfect for classic rock and blues, or a high-output tone for soaring leads. Running humbuckers? Position 1 adds some teeth to your sound, while Position 2 can give you a hint of that ‘cocked-wah’ filter sound that’ll make your solos cut. 

PowerStage 700 Bass Amp

In March, we released the newest addition to our PowerStage series: the PowerStage 700 Bass amp. 

While our other PowerStage power amplifiers are designed for guitarists to pair with a modeler or analog pedal, the PowerStage 700 Bass is a full-featured standalone bass amplifier. Designed by Seymour Duncan’s legendary engineer Kevin Beller, a lifelong bass player, this 700-watt bass head delivers unparalleled clarity and performance in a lightweight, rugged package. Whether plugging in on stage or in the studio, PowerStage 700 Bass provides tight low end and rich harmonics, with a footswitchable built-in overdrive for an extra layer of sonic versatility. 

A Spinal Tap Tribute 111k DCR Humbucker

Few films have had a bigger impact on a generation of musicians than the original Spinal Tap. To celebrate the release of Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, our Custom Shop built a one-off humbucker as an homage. 

The resulting humbucker delivers an eye-watering, earth-shattering 111k DCR—because of course, it had to go to (one hundred and) eleven! We believe it to be one of the highest-output humbuckers ever made, and we asked our friends Ryan “Fluff” Bruce and Mike Squiers to put it through its paces in a YouTube video, which you can watch above.

Bloc Party Silent Alarm 20th Anniversary Hot Tele® Limited Edition Pickup Set

In October, we honored the 20th anniversary of Bloc Party’s 2005 debut album ‘Silent Alarm’ with a Reverb.com-exclusive limited release: the Silent Alarm Hot Tele® Pickup Set.

With hand-ground Alnico 5 rod magnets and special high-output coils, the Hot Tele Set’s low-end punch and smooth highs have been a top choice for Bloc Party’s live and studio use. 

20 sets of these special high-output tele pickups were built by our Custom Shop, with the striking ‘Silent Alarm’ cover art etched into the neck pickup’s chrome cover. The bridge pickup’s flatwork features Kele and Russell’s printed signatures, and each set comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Okereke and Lissack. 

Exciting Partnerships with Guitar Brands

We’re honored to work with so many remarkable guitar builders and manufacturers, providing pickups for their incredible guitars. We saw our pickups loaded into dozens of guitar models from some fantastic brands in 2025. 

In January, Orangewood released their Juniper II Live Rubber Bridge model, a parlor guitar that boasts a rubber bridge, a solid mahogany top, and a 24.75” scale length. Its pickup of choice is our Hot Rails pickup, which is wired up with an optional coil split and tone/volume knobs for additional tonal versatility.

Introduced at NAMM and released in February, the ESP LTD Andy LaRocque ALR-II in See Thru Purple is a fitting tribute to the King Diamond guitarist. It features neck-thru-body construction, a 24.75” scale length, a quilted maple top, and comes loaded with a JB Model in the bridge and a Custom Stack in the neck. 

Also teased at NAMM 2025, the Sterling FLUFF Artist Series Stingray is a deceptively powerful rock machine. Released in June, its specs include a 25.5” scale length, a roasted maple neck, a hardtail bridge, and locking tuners. Fluff opted to include a JB Jr. in the neck position and a JB Trembucker in the bridge, ensuring his newest signature model delivers some serious growl.

July saw the release of PRS’s newest Mark Holcomb signature guitar. Crafted for speed and precision, it features a mango top, a 25.5” scale length maple neck, and an ebony fretboard with a 20” radius. It comes equipped with Mark’s signature Scarlet and Scourge pickups, which deliver focused low-end punch and crystal-clear articulation, ensuring complex chord voicings, coil-splitting, and drop tunings remain defined and dynamic.

In August, ESP released the ESP LTD Signature Series AS-1FR in Lime Burst finish, an update to Alex Skolnick’s signature model. Its features include a mahogany body, set-thru neck construction at 24.75” scale, three-piece maple neck, Macassar ebony fingerboard, 22 extra-jumbo frets, Floyd Rose 1000 double-locking tremolo, and comes loaded with the Alex Skolnick signature humbucker set.

strandberg* guitars released their new Boden Standard N2 models in October: the N2.6, the N2.7, and the N2.8. In addition to the new Titanium-reinforced Roasted Maple EndurNeck and new multi-scale EGS ARC hardware, each guitar in the Boden Standard N2 series features our Sentient and Pegasus humbucker configuration, delivering a balanced tone that is equally at home with crushing distortion, classic crunch, and pristine cleans. 

October also saw the release of the Jackson Pro Series Corey Beaulieu King V (KV6Q / KV7Q). The six- and seven-string models feature a resonant mahogany King V body with serrated points, a quilt maple top, through-body neck construction, a 12-16″ compound radius, an ebony fingerboard, and 24 jumbo frets. Both the KV6Q and KV7Q ship with the Corey Beaulieu Damocles™ Signature Blackouts®, which are ideal for metal players seeking warm, complex chording and singing leads.

In December, Fender released a trio of Iron Maiden signature Stratocasters®: the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster, the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster, and the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster, each with its own Seymour Duncan pickup configuration.

The Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster boasts a 9.5-14″ compound radius, a rosewood fingerboard, a Floyd Rose® R2 double-locking tremolo, and a Seymour Duncan pickup set consisting of a JB TB-4 in the bridge, an Antiquity Texas Hot in the middle position, and a ’59 SH-1N in the neck. 

Meanwhile, the Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster has a 7.25″ radius rosewood fingerboard, vintage tall frets, a vintage-style synchronized tremolo with bent steel saddles, a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. SJBJ-1B in the bridge, and a JB Jr. SJBJ-1N in the neck.

Finally, the Limited Edition Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster, built by Andy Hicks, is constructed with a two-piece select alder body, which is finished in NOS Olympic White and paired with an oil-finished ‘60s-style Oval “C”-shaped walnut neck. It comes with a trio of Seymour Duncan pickups: a Hot Rails bridge and neck and a JB Jr. in the middle position.  

Later in December, Cort launched the stunning KX500 Pale Moon, which features a mahogany body, a five-ply roasted maple and walnut neck, an ebony fingerboard, stainless steel jumbo frets, and, of course, a Pale Moon ebony veneer top which offers dramatic woodgrain patterns, making every guitar visually unique. It includes a set of our Sentient & Nazgûl pickups, which are optimized for modern metal and high-gain clarity.   

Special Visits

We love meeting up with our artists, and it’s always great when they’re able to make the trip to Santa Barbara to tour the shop, film a few videos, and work on exciting new projects. These special visitors didn’t only stop by to say hello—many of them filmed with us for our #RiffSchool and #MyDuncanMoment videos, which you might have seen on social media.  Here are just a few of the artists we were able to spend some quality time with in 2025.

Slash

Pictured with our CEO, Marc DiLorenzo.

Duff McKagan

 

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Joe Bonamassa

 

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Brad Paisley

Pictured with Philip Sayce, Marc DiLorenzo, and VP of Engineering, Kevin Beller

Philip Sayce

Pictured with Maricela “MJ” Juarez and Seymour W. Duncan

Bloc Party

Pictured with Associate Director of Artist Relations & Product Marketing, Zack Cramp

Becky Baldwin

 

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Tropa Magica

 

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Dino Cazares

 

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Howard Leese (Heart)

Pictured with Michael Leese, Marc DiLorenzo, and Maricela “MJ” Juarez

Looking Ahead to 2026

2025 was an incredible year for Seymour Duncan, and we already have so much in the works for 2026, including a few very special releases for our company’s 50th anniversary. To stay up-to-date with our new products, Custom Shop limited runs, company news, and more, join our email list. We’ll see you in the new year!