This is how a demo should be done. Thanks man!

@Arcturian1111

3 жыл бұрын

Great job.

@claudiosuarez1256

2 жыл бұрын

yes , indeed great comparison 🙂👏👏👏

I prefer the blue shirt. Charcoal one is a bit too wooly.

@sheumack

3 жыл бұрын

The charcoal one is warmer. The blue one stands out more in a mix.

@jaychen2000metal

3 жыл бұрын

I was like #69 lol

@LeivReed

3 жыл бұрын

So this is where we meet now!

@mariusergo8647

3 жыл бұрын

@@LeivReed Folksters gone dad rock unite ✊🏻

@Arcturian1111

3 жыл бұрын

Lmfao

You are a legend for doing such a useful comparison. Now I have a better idea of what a Super Distortion sounds like.

Excellent demo. Clearly shows the difference in sound between the two pickups. Great job!

Super Distortion is one of the all time greatest things ever invented! God bless Larry Dimarzio.

@stringdoc

4 жыл бұрын

Amen!

@gotleibschepardson1065

4 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more

@TVoltG

3 жыл бұрын

Take a Dimarzio Super Distortion and replace the ceramic mag with an Alnico 2 and smile ear to ear.

@angusorvid8840

Жыл бұрын

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.

@shanetx81

9 күн бұрын

@@TVoltGold comment but wow. I have not thought of this and I love the idea. Must try.

I like the Super Distortion. It's chunky yet tight on the bottom strings. I also love how leads have a cocked wah type sound.

@alexanderholden82

2 жыл бұрын

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.

A really well put together comparison, awesome work man.

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 both sound like great pups! Thanks for the demo bro 🎸🎸👍

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.

One of the best comparisons I've ever seen on KZread! No eq, no backtrack, a budjet guitar. Everything is just straight in your face. Thank you!

Very, very similar. Thanks for the great A/B demo. This is how is should be done.

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....

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.

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.

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.

Always been a super distortion guy!

Both models sound fantastic to me. I’d say if I were forced to choose a favorite, it would be the DiMarzio, but not by a wide margin.

Ok. I'm buying the DiMarzio for my LP. This video was a final confirmation for me. Thanks!

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!

Outstanding demonstration!!! Thanks mate!

Loving the variation on the channel!

Awesome comparisons thanks a ton!

Nice to see this channel is still going after all these years.

@guitarist6494

3 жыл бұрын

Videos may be several months slow, but they’re always coming

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.

i had my JB in Schecter ZV for 2 years and i love it. but also i have no idea how come this super distortion is sounds beautiful like JB. nicely done!

Definitely the best demo I’ve ever seen. As someone who works in controlled testing I applaud this demo.

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 ! :)

Clean:Seymour Duncan jb Dirty:Dimarzio

@guitarist6494

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly

@firmans12

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah the dimarzio clean has that plastic sharp pick attack where JB is much smoother

@angusorvid8840

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

2 legendary Old boys! Old but Always Gold.

I ordered the DiMarzio SD for my LP Standard yesterday. This video just confirms my decision.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Both pickups sound amazing

Thanks for the video! Very well done!

DiMArzio was always my favorite. Grew up with the brand. For me, nothing even sounds close, or better.

@guitarist6494

3 жыл бұрын

Same

@angusorvid8840

3 жыл бұрын

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.

@aiden_macleod

3 жыл бұрын

@@angusorvid8840 X2Ns are a fricken beast. Also, could you break up your comment?

Hello! I'm giving a new upgraded life to my first guitar (Ibanez GRG270), so I got just one question: What Single Coil to pair with DiMarzio Tone Zone (Neck) & DiMarzio X2N (Bridge) in HSH configuration? Cheers

You sure know how to make a great demo my friend!!

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.

@guitarist6494

4 жыл бұрын

Amp EQ and different pickups are a different type of EQ/sound, its very subtle but I agree with what your saying

@ryananthony4840

3 жыл бұрын

But the subtle different might be bigger when it comes to cutting through the mix where you're competing for frequencies maybe...

@number1Don

3 жыл бұрын

@@ryananthony4840 That subtle difference shouldnt be depended upon via the pickup, maybe pedals, amps, or mixer settings could provide the edge..

@zool84

2 жыл бұрын

The feel under the fingers is completely different. But that’s the limit of YT.

@thegoodfoke3606

2 жыл бұрын

great comment, i loved both!

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

@guitarist6494

4 жыл бұрын

I've never tried the PB but heard good things about it

@nicwilson89

4 жыл бұрын

@@guitarist6494 I'd be interested to see/hear your thoughts if you manage to get one from somewhere from comparison :D

I’ve always preferred the Seymour Duncan jb, but that’s just me. Keep SHREDDING the axe ogre style!

Dimarzio SD really iron maiden and heavy metal 🤘

3:31 This riff can only legally be played with a Super Distortion.

@angusorvid8840

3 жыл бұрын

Or a Super 3 which I use. DiMarzio rules.

@Arcturian1111

3 жыл бұрын

Totally agree, it sounds amazing.

@qtheband751

3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same thing.

@paddycoombes9455

3 жыл бұрын

steve clark wrote it not phil

@qtheband751

3 жыл бұрын

@@paddycoombes9455 It doesn’t matter who wrote it. It matters who played it and recorded it using a Super Distortion. That would be Phil.

Good demo. I thought the Duncan had more definition. Both sounded really good. Nice job.

Great video comparison & playing! I agree with your assessment... the Dimarzio has a little something extra, but they both sound great!

Super Distortion for me !......sound fuller and meetier .....tx for the demo

Great comparison,thanks!

Shockingly similar. Very effective clip.

I have a super distortion in my bridge pickup, and an off brand on in my neck, planning on getting a twin DiMarzio to put in my neck to match

Hi! What a bright and ringing sound! What is a tree in a guitar? what is the soundboard made of?

Nice comparison, thanks. Sounds very similar.

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 would have never expected Smash Bros Brawl music in a tone comparison video, gg

Wow - the Super Distortion has great overtones. How did I make it through the 80s without one? Now I need one.

@LFC-Star

4 жыл бұрын

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.

@pigxstix

4 жыл бұрын

Surprisingly articulate and not as hot in reality as they appear in spec.

@aiden_macleod

3 жыл бұрын

Ace Frehley used them exclusively. That's what I call Rock and Roll!

@alexanderholden82

2 жыл бұрын

@@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 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.

Great job! Still deciding if i want the Super Distortion or the Dominion in my Bridge

Can I pair the JB's with the dmarzio hs3's?.... Because I have a hss guitar

Great comparison! Thanks for making this. Looking for an brick PU upgrade for my Squier Affinity Stratocaster HSS, which is an amazing budget guitar. I love both of these pickups, but I'm leaning toward the DiMarzio Tone Zone.

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

3 жыл бұрын

I strongly disagree....the Dimarzio had cooler lead tones.

@alexanderholden82

2 жыл бұрын

@@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.

The smash soundtrack? I love it, was not expecting it

@timbuk1126

2 жыл бұрын

Which part is that?

@any-jam4467

2 жыл бұрын

@@timbuk1126 0:53

Thank you for playing mr. Brightside🥲

I'm going with the SD on this one. Mick Mars had this one on his LP haha great video! Which amp are you using?

@vincedelapena

2 жыл бұрын

When you say SD, do you mean Seymour Duncan or Super Distortion? LOL

do you know how to measure the output . I know ohms is but magnet strength effects it as well

Very cool video...thank you

The S Distortion has some treble roll off which can help in brighter amps and a bit thicker.

I want a bc mockingbird, awesome looking guitar.

Listening on my phone they sound very similar. However the dimarzio seems tighter around mid range where the JB seems to have a slight more harmonic and open air to it.

Great job. Beautiful guitar. What model is that?

Love the JB been a huge fan of it for years! But the Super Distortion is something very special! A lot more balls too which I like in a guitar tone.

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!)

Love the guitar!

Of all makes and models; What humbuckers would you recommend with push pull for a glam metal sound (motley crue, Skid row, poison), for a PRS Custom 24 SE, does this come with PRS 85 / 15s?

@guitarist6494

4 жыл бұрын

Cristhian Chacón These are probably the 2 most ideal/sought after humbuckers for an 80s glam tone. BUT... if your aiming for a Skid Row, Crüe and Poison tone, you should probably look at getting a strat (guitar with an alder body) and maple fretboard. That alone will change your sound and get it much closer sounding than just changing the pickups. (I know Mick Mars used to use a Les Paul and Skid Row’s guitarist mainly played a rosewood guitar) but I have a Charvel (alder body/maple fretboard) and it sounds perfect for playing that style.

@crisguitar17

4 жыл бұрын

@@guitarist6494 Thank you very much for your help, that Charvel is very beautiful, unfortunately in my country they do not sell them.

Love ‘em’ both 🤍🖤

The second LOW riff is from some song? Or is it original?

They sounded very similar, but I thought the Dimarzio had richer harmonic content, and some sweet overtones.

@mcfek7575

3 жыл бұрын

That is due to the ceramic magnet

they are both great! As usual i find the JB excels on open string harmonic content and the Dimarzio on single notes

@Aniki82

2 жыл бұрын

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

Super D. Does the Super Distortion have less low mid than D Activator?

I'll have to go for the JB. Considering the amp I use and my pedals, I don't need a hot pickup. The Super Distortion had a lot more breakup in the cleans (To be expected by the name). lol. And I don't actually change the volume of tone knobs on my guitar, although, if I did, I'd install a treble bleed circuit.

Always preferred The Seymour Duncan to the Dimarzio especially for those metal tones.

Was that second clean riff from Super Smash Bros. Brawl? I think its the song when you're looking at trophies.

so, which pickup should take the neck position to be the perfect "partner" (so to speak) for the Super Distortion on the bridge?

@wyattdoodat

3 жыл бұрын

Dimarzio PAF Pro. A match made in heaven...(well, Staten Island) tone-wise, output-wise.

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.

@cliffords2315

6 ай бұрын

They are both tried and true, the TWO Original Rock N Roll Humbuckings, are still the best after 50 years

Was hoping to here some pinch harmonic comparisons, since every pick-up handles them differently. Next video???

Very subtle, but I'd say the JB is a tiny bit brighter. Both VERY good pickups...

@indytheshredder

3 жыл бұрын

shows how subjective this stuff is cause to me the JB sounded warmer lol

DiMarzio SD are generally made to sound epic in guitars with large mahogany slabs such as a Les Paul style guitars.

They both sound great, makes it hard to say which I like better withouth being in the room

I agree with your conclusion.

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!

Came in expecting to like the JB more, came out liking the Dimarzio with it's clarity.

@2216sammy

4 ай бұрын

JB has far more clarity LOL.

What's the button for the expresso?:-7

Anyone know if there’s a sound difference when putting a humbucker in the neck instead of bridge ??

@davolthe1261

4 жыл бұрын

You mean putting bridge pickup on neck position? I actually read someone putting neck dimarzio evolution pickup on bridge position idk how it works thought but yeah you can, usually bridge pickup has much louder output then neck pickup and more hot.

which one would handle drop b better????

Idk why but when you started playing Mr Brightside I burst out laughing

I like them both.

What was the song played on volume 1?

@johnper2302

4 жыл бұрын

Mr. Brightside

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.

JB definitely has a darker tone. I like the clarity on the SD better.

DiMarzio Super Distortion is my favorite pickup and sounds great on a cranked amp, while rolling back guitar volume to 1-2 stays crisp and little to no spitty artifacts. Unfortunately my current Guild black Bluesbird has a JB on bridge. Just got spoiled by my DiMarzio Super Distortions , you get everything your amp has to offer with an DiMarzio Super Distortion!