Comparing two classic high-output passive humbuckers in the bridge position on my BC Rich Mockingbird. 3 Clean riffs 4 Varied types of lead 2 Riffs (high-frequencies) 2 Riffs (low-frequencies)
I like to run my Duncan distortions through a Ibanez Tube Screamer... It gives me those upper Midtone spikes like a half-cocked wah pedal and increases the harmonic response as well.
Damn right. Still my favorite pickup and I've been using them since 1985. I've woned a lot of Duncans, many JBs, but they don't have that special thing the Super D has. The Super D is also warmer to my ears. It cuts through without being brittle and chords really breath and roar and the leads sing. The only other pickups that come close are the Super 3, the Tone Zone, Air Zone, Norton and X2N, and they are all by DiMarzio. I rarely use a nick pup but when I do it's often the Air Norton, DiMarzio PAF 36 or PAF Pro. All great pickups. But the Super D is king. If I use it in a single pickup ax I set it up with a series/parallel switch and use the parallel for cleans. If it's got a neck and middle pup I add coil splitting. But I mostly play single bucker axes like my Hofner Shorty which has a Super D and totally screams. I don't pick or strum as aggressively as I did when I was younger and I love the power of the Super D to give added power to my playing.
Both awesome. For me I prefer the cut of the JB that would work better in a context with a band. A lot of the Super Distortion bass would get lost with a bassist and drummer added. Still, I love the Super Distortion too. These two pickups will never die.
Through an all tube amp is the best way to test pickups, I went from a jb to a sd and the difference was massive, the super distortion had better sustain and sounded thicker.
In general I preferred the thicker sound of the DiMarzio, it seems to be the more versatile tone. But if I was playing music that was more in the vein of the low-frequency riffs from this video, I would go with the JB. Those riffs cut through so much more clearly on the JB.
Either one....they both are legendary pickups. Nice demonstration. I like the bite of the JB....and the warmth of the Super Distortion. They both do everything well....
The way I’ve long described the biggest difference is the DiMarzio humps your lo-mids and the Duncan humps your hi-mids. The difference in output is more apparent if you run an old school “British style” setup too, as the Super Distortion hitting the preamp hotter gives you more gain... nonetheless, the DiMarzio being hotter is likely why it sounds brighter overall, despite not favoring that end of the frequency spectrum.
They sound almost exactly the same. Just goes to show that some guitarist obsess to much over gear. There are two quality categories with picks ups: Good-enough and Garbage. But for real the Dimarzio has a little more tightness and sizzle in the mids, but its the kind of difference you could tweak on the amp EQ.
@@firmans12 I like them both. I've used a number of DiMarzios, Duncans, EMGs and some rare brands. Both the Super D and JB have a lot of musical history under their belts. I find that the JB generally cuts through a mix a lot easier because of how amps work these days. It's no big deal to find an amp with ultra high gain these days, hasn't been an issue since about the mid 80s. I know that DiMarzios have this reputation as "pickups that cut through the mix" but it's not as true these days. JBs cut through better because they're designed more to work with distortion rather than kick an amp into distortion. Very different approach than the Super D. They have a smoother distortion, but can get very nasty while remaining clear at higher levels of gain than the Super Distortion. They also have much better harmonics. If you want a Duncan that just goes for the throat with crunch the Duncan Distortion really delivers. I just took one out of a Schecter because it was too mean for what I needed, so I replaced it with a JB. The Custom is a great balance of crunch and clarity. I recommend the Custom original which is ceramic for metal, the Custom Custom which has an Alnico 2 is also good for metal but not for chugging if that's your thing, because it's the loosest sounding of the Customs. But its very warm, sweet, and also has great harmonics. The Custom 5 is Alnico 5, very bright, and has a great crunch, harmonics, all that stuff. But I use the Full Shred more than any Duncan these days. It's got razor sharp crunch and attack and the warmth and sweetness of an A5 mag. It's like the Custom 5, but toned down on the brightness. It has a lot of treble but it's the kind you can work with unless you have a very bright guitar. Whichever pickup you choose always remember that your amps settings will shape most of your tone. You can have a great pickup and a great amp, but if your settings don't work it won't sound right.
Great work and comparison! Super Distortion was my first humbucker I ever played in my dad˙s Aria LP copy. Wanted to love the Duncans but never gelled with any of them. Nowadays Gravity Storm is my favorite bridge pickup.
Same! I've tried everything out there. I've been playing for almost forty years. Duncan was always a Johnny Come Lately. DiMarzio pioneered the replacement pickup, got it down to a science. I think Duncan is too hung up on mystique. DiMarzio is just more practical as a company. Their pickups are simply more useful to me and most players. They're a lot more fun to use. Duncans are really too flat, too narrow in spectrum. I switch pickups around in my guitars till it get it right. At the moment I've got everything perfect. Got an X2N and Super 2 in my Schecter; Norton/Air Norton set in my PRS; Tone Zone/Air Norton in my strat; Tone Zone/Virtual P90 in my Yamaha Pacifica; and Norton/Air Norton in my Yamaha Revstar. They all sound absolutely out of this world. I own some Duncans, and while some are okay, like the Full Shred, I find they just lack the broader, more complex tonal spectrum I get with DiMarzios. Also, DiMarzio customer service is world class. They are just wonderful people to deal with. I've been ordering pickups from them since 1986. They always get the order right and even toss in extras now and then like strap locks and the like. Great company. Hats off to Larry DiMarzio and Steve Blucher and everyone there who design and build such fantastic products.
Slight differences between the two, but not near as much as I would have expected. I already bought a Duncan JB for my current build, but was toying with the idea of going with a Dimarzio SD instead. I think this video convinced me I'd be happy with either one, so there's no point spending the money to buy a different pickup. Maybe on my next build I'll go with a Dimarzio SD just to change it up a little.
the wood of the guitar has much to do with it.. a denser wood found on Les Paul type of guitars would sound very different to a modern basswood Jackson, Ibanez rock type guitar with the pickup featured in the video.
@@LFC-Star indeed it does. I have a Jackson with a poplar body which seems very similar to Alder and has the same density... a little on the Bright side but balanced. I put in a Duncan JB to replace the stock Jackson pickup and there was indeed no real distinguishable difference between the two and the JB just sounded too sterile (although I do like the upper mid Spike from the JB) ... I swapped the JB for a Duncan distortion and the low mid-tone hump of the Duncan Distortion similar to the super distortion made the difference and balanced out my guitar and now it sounds like a whole other animal. I like to run it through a Ibanez Tube Screamer if I want to boost those upper mids... this setup gives me the best of a tight low-end from the Distortion with the singing upper mid Spike like a JB.
I think the part where they most differed is in the high frequency riff, you can sort of distinguish the fizzy character of the top end of the Dimarzio in constrast with the nasal character of the SD, but even then in a mix those differences would be phased out completely. Great demo!
Both great pickups, without a doubt. I've been using Super Distortion for a long time, but now I'm more a JB user, once I think they're a bit more versatile for cleaner and least agreesive tone.
This is a very good comparison! Definitely the same experience I had with my Poplar bodied Jackson Dinky... the stock pickups were not bad and we're both waist very similar to a JB but with ceramic magnets. It was recommended that I swap it for a actual Duncan JB so that's what I did and I honestly found almost no difference between the stock Jackson pups and the Duncan JB, overall I wasn't happy with the JB it was a bit too sterile for me. I was looking for more growl so I swapped the JB for a Duncan distortion and it made a huge difference... the super Distortion was my other choice but I was worried about it being too muddy in my particular guitar Since Poplar behaves a lot like alder.
In this video the JB does it better for my ears. Especially when you were playing that lead part and it melted into feedback. And I’m a Dimarzio player. (36th Anniversaries)
I have both. A JB in an Explorer EXP 83 (The model without the pickguard, like James Hetfield) and a Super Distortion in a Fender Strat. I love 'em both. The Gibson has an alder body and maple neck with a rosewood fretboard and the strat has a poplar body (it's a mexican strat from 2005 iirc) and maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. The Super Distortion has a slightly fuller sound to my ears through my own rig, and it does so here as well.
Sweet. I always wondered about back to back comparisons with these two. I'm after a Super Distortion for one of mine but was thinking about putting a JB in it instead and if not, another Perpetual Burn like I have in another guitar because that thing sounds fucking magical :D
Considering how different they are spec wise (different magnet, number of winds, specs etc) I'd have expected them to sound totally different. Not happened.
The JB is more vocal and focused, holds it together better when cleaning up. The Super Distortion has some extra harmonic content, is nastier with more gain in the top frequencies. Jb for lead word. Super Distortion for rhythm.
@@sallucido7859 same here! I replaced a stock Jackson pickup with a Duncan JB and they sounded almost identical. I loved the the JP fordleigh door but it had no balls with anything else in my guitar. It got swapped for a Duncan distortion and the better harmonic content and overtones with the Duncan distortion paired with the tighter low-end was exactly what I was looking for... this video shows me that I would have had a similar experience had I went with the super distortion. I like to run my Duncan Distortion through a Ibanez Tube Screamer, it brightens up the upper mid-tones and allows it to really sing with lead work so I kind of get the best of both worlds.
Agree, totally ! that's really how a demo should be done, by far the best. and I've seen a loooot. Just one sample after another, quick to the point. Really enjoyed it! You really helped me made my the decission (DiMarzio ^^). Thanks dude ! :)
I have decades of experience with both pickups and I always prefer the Super Distortion and DiMarzio in general over Duncan. I find too many Duncans to be painfully bright. I find the Super D to be a great example of the DiMarzio approach to tone, especially with high output, distortion class buckers. I've tested both brands in real world situations and I'm always much happier with DiMarzio, and the Super D bridge and Air Norton or PAF 36 Anniversary neck are my go-to sets. They also sound great when coil split. I find the Super D gets a warmer distortion than the JB.
I installed the SD on my Ibanez and it works well. Dimarzio SD tends to be better with basswood guitars than mahogany guitars because it gains the bass and mid sound for basswood. The duncan JB works great with mahogany body because it gains the middle-treble sound. Both are excellent bridge pickups.
Umm, what were you smoking dude? Mick Mars and Ace Frehley were both frequent user for Dimarzio SD in their les Paul which has a mahogany body and neck and yet it sounded great. Listen to Mötley Crüe- Too fast for love and shout at the devil album and you can clearly tell Mick was using a modded Dimarzio SD or some sort.
@@shawneec1111 I just shared my experiences with the SD. Do you have any problem? Both pickups can use with every type of guitar because it is also the guitar. :)
which is why I'll put a Tone Zone & Air Norton in my mahogany Les Paul type guitar.. think they'll suit it better according to the woods. Yes basswood is brighter sounding so a Super Distortion would suit it.
I would say they do sound very much the same I agree completely. And dimarazio is not a name you here as much as Seymour Duncan. And I think it's why people have made up their mind on Seymour Duncan. I'm gonna give the dimarazio a chance this time. If Steve Via uses them trust me they are good.
I liked both PU's but the DiMarzio Super Distortion sounded a bit muddy in the mid to lower registry to my ears... of course I've spent many years playing loud guitar and burning out the higher frequencies of my hearing. lol I gravitate towards PU's that have more high end and single coils. ( *Great shoot out!* You did an excellent job playing the same riff comparing both PU's at the same volume!)
I just bought a BC Rich Mockingbird from this video came from France on Reverb. My Mockingbird has a neck thru. Killer Guitar, the neck is wider than I normally like. Guess I have to get used to it.
both are excellent for their applications in hard rock and for lead guitar especially. jb has more of a brightness to it, sd has a "sizzle" sound which is also nice.
These are both great pickups and I've owned both. In my personal experience of recording and playing live, the JB just cuts through better. But I would actually go for the Duncan Distortion. It cuts through, it's tight, has screaming harmonics, incredible sustain, and can cover the ground from the sort of 70s classic rock I play to 80s traditional metal, and beyond.
From my experience and futur buyers the super distorsion is probably better, the jb can sound kind of mid pushed in a bad way... But ofc most pickup can sound good if you adapt to them in EQ and playing... But I somehow "regret" to have put a jb sh4 humbucker on my mustang. I'm sure a sh6 or something would have been better
JB for everything, Super Distortion sounds more aggressive for being ceramic, I liked JB more ... it sounds softer for being Alnico and the mids and solos sound less snarling and more rounded which is a characteristic of Alnico, I love pickups and Alnico and also ceramic, but Super Distortion is fantastic, I would have them both on different guitars, they are the flagships of the brands, everyone likes it and very rare to dislike the versatility of them in all possible connections, wonderful, great demo video, congratulations for the job.
Great insight, yes overall I prefer the Super Distortion but the JB is my favourite humbucker for cleans. And yes, ideally I'd have the 2 on different guitars
Dimarzio sounds very similar in my opinion but heavier. Seymour Duncan is clearer and cleaner in sound, so it has that Slash sound. I love the dimarzio though.
The only way I might use a JB is on a mahogany body through a Mesa Boogie amp (Mesa is on the bass heavy side). The JB is a good reference point, but there are better Duncan pickups- RTM, Screamin’ Demon, Pearly Gates, etc. For classic hard rock, through a Marshall, anyway. The Dimarzio Super Distortion is great in almost every hard rock application, on any wood body, and through most amps... Cleans up not bad, either. On a darker sounding amp, though, no... Marshall amps? Absolutely, any day of the year.
The Dimarzio Super Distortion definitely has more clarity than the Seymour Duncan JB! Actually that's why I have replaced the Seymour Duncan pickups in my Jackson's for Dimarzio!! Well I use the Evolution humbucker because it's super articulate!
I've used Duncans and DiMarzios, but I find DiMarzios work better for me overall because they are more articulate. They also sound more full with chords. There are Duncans that are an exception, like the Full Shred, Custom, etc, but for the most part they don't deliver like DiMarzios. But you don't really know what a pickup can do unless you have a solid amp, at least a tube Marshall. You need some gain to work with so the pickup can do its thing. I find the Tone Zone, Norton, Super 3, X2N, D Activator and D Activator X sound incredible through a good tube amp.
I have both pups on different KC guitars and I do like both but the Dimarzio SD pup is very unstable in high gain mode and especially when used with a wah. Overall, I like the JB4 when it comes down to it. It just has a better, fully saturated tighter tone in my opinion!
Very nice demo! Both are great sounding pickups, but with different character. The DiMarzios definitely have more defined, smoother mids and less top end bite. I'd be very happy with either set in my guitars.
Dimarzio for the win across the board - However i did enjoy the JB - and if that was what was available i would be happy with it , but the SD seems like it was just made for those sounds in my head from the classic hard rock albums and does it all well . thanks for the detailed comparison
Update oct 2022-after many,many experiments my conclusion is 1- alnico 5 = best 2-ceramic = ok 3= alnico = flubbiest thus i have come to appreciate jb and alnico 5 pafs in les paul guitars and tube amps - alnico 2is too flubby, ceramic to plain yet harsh - so JB for the win-haha
I have both of these pickups in different guitars and I love them equally. The JB is so well rounded and can do anything. The Super Distortion might be the best pickup out there for leads. The high notes just scream with that pickup.
good job. they both sound great but I prefer the Alnico which, as you say, is more noticeable at low gain. I have had JBs in the past but wouldn't have a problem getting the Dimarzio next time I need something like that.
I’ve played both pickups a bunch. JB is a great pickup and I respect it. But the super distortion cranked up through a good tube amp and you’ve reached guitar heaven. It just transcends. Those transient harmonics you hear a bit of in this demo, become beautiful musical chaos in your tone. That cut on single notes makes them sing and sing but they are huge and warm. Not harsh in anyway. Despite being ceramic, the warmth is really there and the low end has a feel that’s unique. It moves the ground around it. Mids cut and it doesn’t lack for attack. Just an all around amazing pickup.
