I swapped a Duncan Custom for an old Super Distortion last night...

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Nev

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I've got an early RG 760 that's made of Basswood, with what appears to be an ebony neck Hum/single/single.  Changed the humbucker from the original IBZ to a Duncan Custom long ago.  It seemed to give it more power and balls than the IBZ.  So last night, I swap the Custom for an old Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker.  It had only three wires, the white appeared to be hot while the black was combined with the bare wire and soldered to the pot.  I got sound so I must have done it right. :P  Anyway, after getting it all together and tuned up, I plugged into my JVM that was tweaked for the same guitar with the Custom in it.  I first noticed at full volume up on the RG, I was getting a "squeal" from feedback that didn't happen with the Custom.  I backed down the gain and that helped a bit, but I wasn't expecting it to be too big of a difference...which it kinda was.  I lowered the Super D further away from the string to help as well.  I'm still messing with it but it seemed to me that getting the harder harmonics at the 2nd fret G and B string were coming a little easier.  Wondering if anyone else has any input on this, or has a Super D in a Basswood RG.  Do you hear any tonal differences between the two the Duncan Custom and the Super D?

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Offline RayBarbeeMusic

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Re: I swapped a Duncan Custom for an old Super Distortion last night...
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2016, 08:17:47 PM »
Manufacturers did not wax pot their pickups until some time in the late 80s.... I potted many by hand before that.  That Super D may be old enough to be un-potted, hence the squeal.  If you don't know how to pot it, ask around with local techs, or do an internet search if you want to try yourself.  It's not hard, but you have be careful or you can melt your bobbins.

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Offline darkbluemurder

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Re: I swapped a Duncan Custom for an old Super Distortion last night...
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2016, 07:49:39 AM »
I have not tried them in the same guitar but I have (had) both and my guess is that the Super Distortion has quite a bit more midrange than the Custom, and significantly more output.

Cheers Stephan
Area 67, Area 58, Area 61, VV Pro 54, Injectors, VV HB2, Virtual Solo, SDS-1, Area T, Area Hot T, Area T 615, Virtual Hot T, Chopper T, Bluesbucker, Breed set, Air Norton, Super Distortion, DLX+ set, DLX-90, DP240, DP198, DP168, VPAF b, AT-1, Mo' Joe, FRED, Super 2; GS b

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Offline DarthPhineas

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Re: I swapped a Duncan Custom for an old Super Distortion last night...
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2016, 07:36:50 PM »

I have not tried them in the same guitar but I have (had) both and my guess is that the Super Distortion has quite a bit more midrange than the Custom, and significantly more output.

Cheers Stephan


I'd double down in that
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Offline Aceman

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Re: I swapped a Duncan Custom for an old Super Distortion last night...
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2016, 10:16:36 AM »
I don't know about output.  I think the custom is as much or more.  Mids - definitely more.

If it's an old SuperD I say potting is the problem.  Missing a spot of wax maybe.