Many guitarists know the simple truth; change your tone voicing by switching out the capacitor on your tone pot. This has led many guitarists on a long quest for finding the ultimate cap to achieve their tone. Usually though, most bassists never think that changing the capacitor on their tone knob will unlock the tone that they’ve been seeking. We’ll talk about some of the benefits of using different value tone caps in your bass, as well as a couple of easy tips to give you some more options. Continue reading “Bass Tone Caps: From The Top”

Here at Seymour Duncan we think of ourselves as family – not just within the company, but with everyone who loves music, whether it be bedroom players, the geezers at the local open mic, the hero on a stadium stage in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, or those same fans themselves. As readers of our blog, we want you to think of us as family too. The aim of this series is for you to get to know us a bit better, so this will be an occasional series where we profile the people who make Seymour Duncan the special company it is.
Continue reading “Getting To Know SD – #1: MJ”

Part of what we believe in is supporting musicians and those who have a deep desire to learn and constantly develop as a musician. That’s why we have teamed up to offer several scholarships at Musicians Institute. If you think spending each and every day in Hollywood at a college full of musicians and studying things like music theory, sweep picking, harmony and a whole bunch of music styles sounds like fun, then this might be right for you. Not to mention you’ll get to spend lots of time with famous artists who will answer your questions and show you their technique.
Continue reading “Seymour Duncan Musician Scholarships”

The Seymour Duncan Custom Shop will make pretty much anything, from the most accurate vintage-recreation pickups to some pretty out-there stuff. Case in point: SLUG. On the surface it looks like the Hawkbucker (a 10.1k humbucker with plenty of low end and a moderate output), but inside it’s a very different beast indeed. SLUG uses Ceramic magnets (the Hawkbucker uses Alnico V) and its DC Resistance comes in at a whopping 48k. It’s the most powerful passive humbucker we’ve ever produced. It lives for stoner/doom metal. It’ll drink all your beer and go through your stuff, but it’ll also help you move house because it’s cool like that. It once hog-tied a Rancor. It patched things up between Mork and Mindy when things were looking a little rough. It likes long walks by the swamp. REAL long walks. It was the one who nicknamed John Wayne ‘The Duke.’ It drives you home when you’ve had too much to drink and then it hides your phone so you can’t drunk-text your ex. It’s SLUG.

Continue reading “Introducing The Seymour Duncan Custom Shop SLUG”

Guitarists have long wanted to alter the sound of the electric and acoustic guitar with outboard gear. From the compression of analog tape and the tube-powered mixing console itself back in the day, to the staggering array of pedals and devices available now, guitarists can at least agree that there are no lack of choices. While the outside world (I mean, non-guitarists) don’t understand our obsession of arguing what sort of transistors are in our fuzz boxes or how many effects we can have on at once, we get it. Almost to a fault. While this article is certainly not for the guitar-cord-amp type, it splits up the effect argument into two well-matched camps, the individual pedals and the multieffects. Remember though, words can only go so far – in the end, you have to plug in for yourself. Continue reading “Cage Match: Individual Pedals vs Multi Effects”

For a while I’ve been looking for the

perfect allround set to go in either a Les Paul or Super strat and I believe I stumbled on the set that ticks all the boxes for me. I wanted a bridge pickup that was hot but not overly so. Great harmonics, singing leads with enough edge to cut through the mix without sounding too thin or thick. I want my rhythm parts to be chunky and crunchy but when I roll back the volume I want clarity.

Continue reading “Review: Alternative 8/Screaming Demon Set”

In 1987, Jason Becker was one of the fastest rising stars of the world of guitarists. Having joined Cacophony with Marty Friedman at just the age of 16 and played on Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off, his skills were on full display. Becker was a highly experienced neo-classical metal guitarist who would incorporate every manner of playing: sweep picking, alternate picking, arpeggios, tapping and inventive use of harmonics. But his amazing rise to the top was cut short as he was diagnosed with ALS, which eventually causes a loss of muscle control. But that hasn’t stopped Jason at all, in recent years he has been seen on the cover of Guitar Player, starred in a documentary, worked on a signature guitar, and finished a signature pickup with Seymour Duncan that had been started before ALS claimed his ability to play.

Who are your musical heroes? Man, I could go on and on. In no particular order: Peter Gabriel, Marty Friedman, Steve Hunter, Bob Dylan, Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Debussy, SRV, Stevie Wonder, Philip Glass, Uli Jon Roth, Michael Lee Firkins, Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Hiromi, Trevor Rabin, Morse, Alan Hovhaness, Morten Lauridsen, Dan Alvarez… Continue reading “Jason Becker: The Interview”

You no longer need a 7 or 8 string guitar to get the punch you in the chest ruthlessness of the Nazgûl or the enhanced dynamics and string separation of the Pegasus. As of today these pickups are now shipping to stores in 6-string versions. The Nazgûl was developed for extreme metal players who required a massive and aggressive tone that still maintained plenty of articulation. The Pegasus was developed for prog and modern metal players who needed plenty of aggression but required enhanced dynamics, more harmonic richness and defined string separation so individual notes don’t get lost in the mix.
Continue reading “6-String Nazgûl, Sentient and Pegasus Now Available”

Misunderstanding the modes of the major scale is common among guitarists. We practice them in all keys, up and down the fretboard, in sequences, with different rhythmic groupings. The secrets to these mysterious inversions of the major scale lie in the chords they are played over. This article will explain some ways we can hear the unique sound of each mode, and develop interesting chord progressions that allow us to hear them in their native habitat. Continue reading “Mode Mania: Hearing the Unique Sounds of Each Mode”

Let’s face it: guitars are fashion accessories, and guitar makers know this. It isn’t good enough that we’re on stage rockin’ the place, we gotta look good doing it. Guitarists choose their instrument for many reasons but we all know the player that puts looks above all else. Instead of focusing on, say a Flying V vs Les Paul debate, this one will take a turn towards the flash. Someone must be buying guitars with everything trimmed in gold, abalone, jewels, or exquisite carvings, because guitar makers keep making them. Some of us prefer to take a more proletarian approach and we see guitars as tools. Too much focus on the instrument itself takes away from our hot licks and that minor 7th arpeggio we just played. This is the battle of bling, baby!

Shiny! I want it shiny! More! More!

Carved and inlaid small parlor guitars entertained this Baroque household.

Continue reading “Cage Match: The Battle of Bling”