FAKE Seymour Duncan Pickups
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- I recently found some suspicious looking "Seymour Duncan" pickups on Aliexpress...
Join me while I shoot them out against the real thing!
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After listening to the counterfeit pickups the actual Seymour Duncans sounded like there's a heavy blanket over everything.
Obviously the build quality is terrible, they don't have a proper base plate and they probably aren't even potted but they sounded so much better that it's kind of insulting that SD are putting out the other set at that price point.
They definitely sounded less compressed. They had what I assumed was a ground wire but I'm honestly not even sure 😂
@@sixstringtv1 just goes to show how basic a guitar pickup is on a fundamental level: even ones that barely function can still sound passable.
That being said I think cheap humbuckers tend to be nowhere near as awful as cheap single coils, so that probably didn't hurt their chances.
@@casanovafunkenstein5090 It's more like all these Aliexpress videos have showed how great sounding pickups u can get at a faction of the price of the branded ones! The branded ones are probably worth less than 10 bucks/piece, just like the Chinese ones, but sold at an insane margin at 100 bucks per piece 🙉💰
There are fake seymour duncan pups with the engraved nickel back plates being sold by these sellers aswell.
I actually bought ones S-D as they call it pickups from Aliexpress but for 70 USD. They had great reviews and what not. I had it installed by a master in a local guitar service for my 300 USD guitar and when I asked what he thinks - nothing. The only thing he noticed that the wire was a bit different. Sound wise, looks wise - similar or identical to originals. And my guiitar sounded way better than with stock pickups. So it really depends on the quality of the fake pickup (or maybe stolen / made bypassing the check, who knows). So for fun experiments on cheap guitars that might not bne the bad option
So after binge watching all of your videos, I have to say that your audio has improved substantially… but you are still getting some clipping on the guitar. Also, thanks for the fender string recommendation and making me feel less alone in only wanting to own Strats despite loving metal. Keep up the good work.
I'm learning... 😂😂
And fuck yeah! Strats for metal all the wag
Im so glad your channel is growing, keep up the good work bro :D
Will do! 😎
They sound nothing alike, expectedly.
This shows just how great your amp/mic setup is! You actually made these fake Duncans sound not bad at all, and as a passive guy I do kinda prefer them.
It'll be interesting to see them being put up against other passive humbuckers (like the Brute Force on your Kramer or the Bill Lawrence on the Washburn).
BTW really looking forward to the Jackson video :)
After that awful flying V experience there will definitely be a Jackson video
@@sixstringtv1 I have a new Jackson that marked b stock and it has a lot of problems but it was 300usd off so it was decent deal but yeah Jackson qc is ass
@@puurito8706 It's worth noting these issues are always related to the same guitars - The V Kaylen has highlighted with poor QC has exactly the same issues in this video - ua-cam.com/video/-5DdoxVsUCQ/v-deo.html Also the JS32 range which I am assuming you purchased as I can't think of another Jackson at that price. They often need setting up and upgrading, but it is a very cheap guitar so I would expect that. The recent USA models are also overpriced but I don't need to buy one and I've had good experiences with Jackson overall. I'm absolutely chuffed to bits with this guitar - ua-cam.com/video/Y869l1kHm7E/v-deo.html - It looks like they need to review their QC on specific guitars. I'm sure they will get onto this once enough people blow the whistle. They are owned by Fender!
@@hrgiger
Jackson seems to have taken a nosedive in QC since Fender ownership and the incorporation into the Fender plant.
My Japanese '91 Soloist Pro (Chushin Gakki factory) had a slightly high locking nut shelf but otherwise a stunning instrument, with minimal filler around the inlays, super smooth fret edges and shrap paint lines.
A bit of sand paper attached to an old Floyd nut soon sorted the nut slot.
My USA SL2H on the other hand...
Well the nut shelf was routed at the correct depth!
Unfortunately some of the inlays were lifted and the metallic black paint was obviously left too long before the clear coat was applied as it has lifted in a small spot and flakes at the slightest nock.
I've heard of a number of USA models suffering with the clearcoat lifting.
The mother of pearl Jackson logo also looks to be a smidge chopped at the bottom as it touches the headstock binding.
I had the inlays sorted along with getting a stainless steel fret job and an R4 nut for the wider string spacing.
I'm not disappointed as I bought it super cheap and now have steel frets.
My Indonesian Ibanez RG 970 had poorly leveled frets, a nut shelf so high it should've been a lap steel, an off centre locking nut that is too narrow for the neck and the wenge fretboard was rough as stray dog's arse.
Yes, it's a third of the price of a USA Jackson, but this is still at a price point where you don't expect this lack of QC.
@@pauln6803 Worth noting the newly released USA Jacksons have just come down in price to just under 2 grand - That sounds just about right for an American build.
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for the vid! Super interesting and it's always funny to see these fake branded products, whether it's for guitar or anything else. Also it's great to see someone using a 'non-metal' guitar shape for metal, I have a Jazzmaster-Strat hybrid that I use from metal to blues to indie and everything in between, so it's great to see someone also break the pointy guitar status quo!
Only Strats here 😂
Way better than any stock Ibanez pickup I've tried.
That's for sure
these are basically stock ibanez pickuups, probably made in the same factory's
Great video. I'm really enjoying the counterfeit content!
Glad you are 😎
Yeah! Genuine counterfeit content ;)
"How can you turn a 2 Dollar product into 100 Dollar?" Wake up guys, it's just a VERY SIMPLE coil.
hahaha the fake ones sound better than the "originals" maybe they're made out of PURER copper, or the varnish for the wire is prettier I don't know
I use fake sd jb/Jazz in my jackson rhoads, definitely a big upgrade from the stock.. Cost $25 for the set
Link me
@@sixstringtv1 say please
pretty please
Oh yeah I saw them quite often online, always too good to be true
The v I believe is the Corey B signature from trivium. I can't spell his last name and I don't feel like googling it right now 😂
You just sold me on the Aliexpress ones.
Havok song = like
I can hear the difference but I am curious, if you were to watch your video back on your phone would say the difference is more or less noticeable than when playing them in person??
Much less noticeable after it was mic'd up and when played through a phone speaker
The fake ones sound way thinner, but the guitar plays its part as well.
Yep. I'ma get me a set of those s-d American pups! 😆For real though, they don't sound bad, and I wouldn't hesitate to use them in a budget build.
180 dollar discount what a deal!!
Right
A slight correction to an otherwise on point video- the SD Blackouts would not have the embossed metal baseplate shown here but rather a black epoxy void (much like your favourite EMGs) with a PCB mounted. It will say "Designed by Ken Beller" and "Hybrid Differential Preamplifier" and one end will have solder connections while the other will have the quick connect ... connection.
There are definitely also EliExpress fakes that will try to mimic this look though.
Interesting, I couldn't be bothered to take the pickups out of the Jackson and check the back cause I would've had to restring it and waste an entire new set before sending it back
@@sixstringtv1 I don’t blame you, dude. He’s right, though. It’s look like the back of an EMG, really and would have a smaller sticker with the info on it. All of their active stuff looks like that on the back. Only the passives have that embossed metal baseplate. Good stuff otherwise, though! Glad I found this channel! KDH turned me onto your channel and I dig the info, (sick) playing a humor. Kind of falls in line with my sense of humor. Either way, keep it up, dude! Did you used to post on the Kramer forum, BTW?
I recently just bought a pair of fake emgs to use as neck pickups in two guitars that I'd split one pair of actual emgs across in their respective bridges (did you get that my boi). One of them, the '85' looks reasonably legit and sounds like an 85, but the 81: LOL rather than the sleek silver logo it looks like a two year old wrote it using white out.
Whoever made the 85 earned their $4 pay for the day.
I can't believe you don't have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. You make very good videos. I'm thinking if you played more? It might help? I have a tagline for you to try on for size, ready..."welcome to sixstring tv, where we take the R out of guitar" on a video where you do your best American accent would be funny, put the R back in guitar with the American accent. But definitely more playing, since you're a very good player. Your "never do this to guitars" short got A LOT of views, it seems that vague titles seem to work, people don't like to not know what's up it seems. I really like your videos, you seem cool, and you can play. I think you'll blow up soon. Keep up the good work!
Your channel has quickly become a favorite of mine.
I'm glad! 😎😎
So... the video is over a year old but I have something to say. I owned several sets of fake chinese pickups. SDs, EMGs, others. There are manufactureres who make really good pickups and do a way better job of faking them (like with the realistic backplates or EMG-style connectors.)
I do that because if I want to upgrade shitty pickups I know you can get really good ones from China for a reasonable price. The fake brand logo is the icing on the cake.
None of them sounded bad. Also it's another proof that guitarists are listening with their eyes. I've had fellow guitarists tell me guitar x sounded way better than before after changing the pickups. Okay, that might be. But I also got told the same as I just switched the covers of the old ones to SD or EMG covers...
Any such closed-cover pickup will have a black epoxy mold on the back, not a metalic baseplate. Only the open-style humbuckers have that familiar metalic plate. As for the sound, they sound absolutely the same after UA-cam encoded your video. And most of us listen through a laptop speaker or over the smartphone. All in all, although you can quite clearly hear the difference "live", it doesn't really make sense for a bedroom player not to buy these, since in the end his YT videos will sound the same to the audience who watched his/her videos on consumer-ready speakers. I for one love cheap gear from AliExpress, I bought thousands (with no exaggeration) and the quality is far less inferior to the price gap.
That last sentence is 100% true, but there was a very audible difference... unless maybe you're listening through a Galaxy S3 without headphones 😂
@@sixstringtv1 laptop, but definitely no headphones :D everything sounds the same that way, with all the pluses and minuses :P
Oh, they have them with the silverbacks now they say Seymour Duncan and they’re like 60 bucks apiece
They sound Pretty freaking good
The real ones sound warmer and more dynamic.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the fakes. When you think about it, pretty much all pickups are a magnet, some copper wire, and polepieces, there's not a lot in the recipe. I think it's quite difficult to make really shitty sounding pickups these days. Sure, really great pickups are another beast, but really shitty ones are few and far between.
That Corey Beaulieu sig is so sexy
Garbage. The ridges had yellow sticky shit everywhere, the Floyd arm didn't fit, the tuners were Jackson's in-house tuners, all for 1300€....
@@sixstringtv1 fucking Jackson.....
@@sixstringtv1 that guitar IS garbage
@@sixstringtv1 Jackson guitars to me are starting to feel like the Dinklebergs to Timmy Turner's dad
The fake ones are actually pretty good 😀👍🏻
I appreciate the use of Havok riffs
You have the Steve Vai wind in your hair down pat.
If you are going for the sound of the first two albums of sepultura (and many more obscure shitty produced thrash Bands from the late 80’s) These Ali express fakes are the bomb 💣
Hey, I just found your channel today and I’ve loved every video I’ve seen so far. Have you ever considered changing your channel name? You could probably transition between names; for example, sixstringtv to sickstringtv to sickstring, or something like that. If you’re comfortable with it, using a name or nickname also seems to work well. On another note, I don’t mean to come off as toxic, I just want to help the channel grow, because you’ve got great content. I especially loved the video about how the correct way to play guitar is personal.
Glad you enjoy my videos 😁
I don't really see a reason to change my channel name, I'm quite satisfied with the current one
@@sixstringtv1 cool, I also forgot to mention, I have the same weird upstroke tapping technique. I didn’t even realize until I watched the video either lol.
The cheap knock offs sound just old Slayer to me
Fake stuff like this is why buying used guitars that are "upgraded" is more risky these days. I stay away from upgraded and repaired guitars.
I stay away from those in general, cause I wanna upgrade guitars myself. I rarely ever find a pre-upgraded guitar that's exactly to my taste
Liked the jam. Original composition? Listening over the phone the fake "S-D" pickups didn't sound half bad for playing metal rhythm with, surprisingly. I assume you had some minor help in your signal chain, compression maybe. We've all heard worse. Regarding the non-ground, probably tough to get a good ground anyway with a plastic baseplate and cover. I imagine that could be fixed but it wouldn't be worth it unless you had the last pickups on Earth and absolutely had to use them. Thanks Kaylen, enjoyed!
The song is It Is True by Havok 😁
@@sixstringtv1 That’s it! I was like who the hell is that. I recognized it just couldn’t remember.
I'll just buy dimarzios new to be sure. A great thing about dimarzio is that they are ALL usa dimarzio. There's no "designed by" or anything like like. Makes things simple.
True
buy direct from DiMarzio! support a family business...
If they put half this much effort into making a real pickup as they do a fake one they might have actually made something decent.
They should've put the effort from making a fake Seymour Duncan pickup cover into making the pickup sound decent
@@sixstringtv1 To be fair, they did sound GOOD! And for the price, they absolutely beat the Duncans into submission!
Brand name is the issue not the quality I wish they would stop copying well-known pickup names
i love how ur hair is blowing even tho ur in a room
Fan, baby 😎
Would be interested in you doing a video on Strat rail pick ups. Also… your take on replacing trem block with a brass one
Brass parts are always nice, and heavier trem blocks are cool. And maybe I will make that video 🤔
Imitation is flattery.
Might wanna go watch glenn. With that much gain the pickups don't matter one bit i bet if you black the screen and mix them back and forth not one person would get it right. Do multiple swaps and no certain order. Watch heads explode as they get it wrong. The only thing that is ever noticed is the difference in single and humbucker when playing high gain. Clean is a diff story.
EMGs check, sound like sh*t, check...hey thats inauthentic sh*t!
These are for builders/modders who want to scam people. They work and that is enough to fool someone who doesn't know anything about pickups.
For starters active vs passive is not a good comparison and of course there will be a difference
‘MadeInMurica’ 😂
You know what would be nice? To buy some EMGs!
That would be the opposite of nice
Er, Bruh .. Did you SEE Sixstrings EMG review?
It weren't pretty, lol
Thing is I DO Love their modular plug and play pup system - so I kinda retro'd my NON Emg's to plug into it
Sorry EMG - how about some hot loud bass passives (a La Dimarzio) and a passive high-wound blade?
ah shit, he got the Herman Li fan
I prefer to think of it as the Steve Vai fan
I have a AliExpress Seymour Duncan and it sounds good to me and I record with it. Change the tone capacitor to orange drop .022 and you're good to go.
Just about to install ALI TB-4 in mine this week. tell me more about the orange drop and why? T.I.A.
@@thomaswilson5228 orarage drop caps are more popular .022 or .047 but i would buy a push pull pot and connect both .022 and .047
@@chickaboomboom2726 WOW! ali JB-4 sounds real good. Was a pain in the ass to install though. mount holes were drilled and tapped too small. Had to drill larger and make new threads with self tapping screw in order for adjusting screws to work. Sounds terrific though compared to oem in my jackson dinky rev.
@@thomaswilson5228 cool
@@thomaswilson5228 orange drop tone cap you can go .047. Or .022 mf. I'm using 022
It is true! Awesome song. Fitting lol
The pickups are not true 😂
Very nice "Alone Again" Dokken vibes, 100% love the fan (no sarcasm)
😎😎
sometimes he goes to buy Duncan designed pickups, these are normal Blackouts but produced in Asia, most often they can be found in cheaper schecters
Now that you pointed out the fan it's all I can see 😂
Fake Seymour Duncan? Look, I won't be a teenager again. I can't take some dust 📴 my eyes since the firsts problems with the ADAC interface. And I don't really need 16 tracks to record Nirvana. Plus, that Axel and Rob De Niro files, are all these bus drivers neglecting that bike Chris Cornell was so happier for? Black hole sun tabs, with Paul? I guess that thinner Earnie Ball pickle is really making a tone difference. I don't know. Namastè.
What do you think of the real Seymour Duncan actives compared to real EMGs?
Duncan wins. Always
@@sixstringtv1 With such flattery you are spoiling me!
@@sixstringtv1 are they compressed sounding?
@@samanderson6079 yes, not to the degree of an emg, though.
What was the song in that first demo
I fuckin love all the havok riffs man, I never see anyone play their stuff
😁😎
9:18 what song is that? Thats a killer riff and looks fun to play.
Fuzz Universe by Paul Gilbert
@@sixstringtv1 cool thanks!
It Is True is such a good Havok song
So many fake humbuckers hahaha some are not bad
Really liked your playing on this👍
Thanks 😎
Really been enjoying your channel.. I appreciate that you're just being yourself and not acting like a UA-camr if you know what I mean.. just don't transform into a Stevie Terreberry type personality please lol.
I'd quit before I'd start making faces and kicking water bottles, that's the Sixstringtv guarantee
@@sixstringtv1 🙏🙏🙏
Hey man weird question I know but how do you like that Kerry king signature JCM? I can’t decided between that or just a standard JCM800.
Go for the KK if you can afford it. If you flip one switch it's a stock JCM800, but flip that switch again and it's got all the gain you need
it sounds like the chibson duncans are microphonic, i could hear the pick hitting the strings
That just happens with some pickups. Definitely not microphonic, more of a matter of picking technique and type of pickup
Ooh ...what is that riff at 9.53? That is some tasty shit.
Saw some Slash Seymour's on Ali last night and gotta wonder how close they sound.
Yeah, cause its nothing special to produce a coil.
I guess they sound almost entirely what I'd expect for 23 euros - They sound a lot like a set of low output humbuckers I replaced very recently in a mid priced guitar I got for about £350. I'd love there to be an affordable set of good pickups but it always turns out to be a myth! Does anyone know if there is a holy grail of affordable quality pickups? I always end up spending way too much on them.
If you want good cheap shit try seeing if you can find the pickups they put in cheap Kramer Barettas. Sick
@@sixstringtv1 Do you know what they are and if they can be bought separately?
@@sixstringtv1 Just found a few second hands for around £40 but doesn't look like I can find much in the way of single coils or neck humbuckers, but assuming they are good, that would slash one price in half!
Wilkinson is very good and very cheap
@@MetalheadArepa- Gah! I'd completely forgotten about them! Yeah I have a a guitar with some really good P90 styled pickups. They work fine! Thanks for reminding me!
I once (I suspect) got given fake Seymour Duncan Bass p'up from a Welsh music shop - I suspect they gave me the old ones, and the pickup box, after upgrading antoher bass - they didnt sound bad, really, but ...
What i'd REALLY like to know is, are S-D's anything like as hot and Loud as Dimarzio Ultra Jazz?
Fake EMG's got my attention .. But really really bad, right ? Let's watch Mr Hum ...
Counterfeits sounded thin in comparison but not that bad. Maybe a good hair metal sound.
change your tone caps to .022 if you're using .047 get orange drop caps
I had to do my research video before buying my EMG 81/85 pickups.
Cuz China sells alot of fake stuff.
There’s a video on how to spot the difference.
Have you tried the active set?
What jackson is that?
Corey from Trivium signature. Absolute piece of junk, don't touch it
@@sixstringtv1 jackson is recentley disappointing
@@firepheonix2530 Depends on which Jackson guitar you buy. Some of them are disappointing - The JS32s always require a few upgrades and some of the recent models are overpriced. I have seen those V guitars have quality issues on another channel - However - Try the mirror finish Jackson SL3R Soloist for a really snazzy affordable guitar. It plays and looks incredible. I love that thing - People haven't been buying them because they look white in the pictures. When you see one in the flesh it's really stunning. I did a demo with one here... ua-cam.com/video/Y869l1kHm7E/v-deo.html
Did you play a grave danger riff in this?
Heu slong again!! I just taught one of my students that!!
Didn't know playing metal riffs can make your hair so much ; )
😎😎
Noob question: What is it that differentiates between good & poor quality pick ups is it material’s, manufacturing or both?
Honestly no idea. I wish I knew how to make pickups myself
The magnet or ceramic quality ... The quality of the copper wire used to wrap them ... Quality of the case they're put in ... How well or if they are potted at all
The youtuber Dylan Talks Tone has a bunch of videos on pickups and their construction.
I got back into guitar recently and wanna get a new electric guitar do you think you could possibly do a review of the ibanez grg121sp?. That would be great. Also just found ur channel, keep up the great work bro 👍🏿
Not really a very interesting video, but I've played one in a store and it was what you'd expect. With a good setup and some fresh strings it's about as good as anything in that price range
@@sixstringtv1 ok awesome, thank you
sorry, its confusing.
I see a guy "randomly playing"
first 2 at the same time then 1 . without any explanation which one is which.
Can't tell the two guitars apart?
@@sixstringtv1 no. it doesnt say whith which one you started and switching like 400 times, so how do I know which one is which?
@@jpjay1584 ... I explained in great detail that one has the original SD pickups and one has the knockoffs, and I switch between the same two guitars. If you can't keep up that sounds like a you problem
@@sixstringtv1 I see. thanks. I will watch it again.
ive sold guitar center guitars with these in them.
Police are on their way
@@sixstringtv1 i knew you were an under cover brother
you lost me as soon as you used a fan to blow your hair back, reminds me of the 80s hit song by Roger Vadouris “Get used to ”
Your hair just isn't as nice as mine
@@sixstringtv1 I have to admit its been quite awhile since I had long hair, my teenage years are well behind me
aside from the clean tone on the authentic set i think they both sound like crap lol
:/
Dude... You f**king RIP!
NICE!
Thanks! 😎😎
@@sixstringtv1
Can you tell me?
What was that tune you were jamming?
(...starts just after 4:30...)
It Is True by Havok 😎🔥
whats the ouput on the passive set
Jack shit. Nothing. 😂
i didny know mia khalifa plays guitar !
USA made guitars are not overpriced, thats ignorant talk. Inflation is too high, thats the true reason and its not guitar makers fault. In fact the more we continue to send wealth out of our country, the worse inflation will get. So you might save $ on an import guitar. But you paying for these choise in everything else you buy like gas, rent, etc. Facts.
No no, you just misread it. It says Seymourn Dunkened
@@NeungView 😂that works too
i almost bought these for a guitar i was restoring but i knew they would sound like shit. there are seymour duncan invader knock offs out there that sound similar to duncan designed detonator pickups for the same price, so i went with that.
They sounded great in this video though!! 🤘 Even beat the Duncans in the 2nd faceoff 🤘 I've heard the real and fake Invaders in videos and they all sound like SHIT!!! The ones on this video sound 100 times better. Dunno nothing about Detonators, but if they sound anything like Invaders... maaann...
Didn’t that V have poop stains in the ridges?
Yeah. Disgusting
Chinese invaders from Amazon ftw! 2 for $19.99!!!!! Yeyah!!!!!
mic is peaking imo
"imo" 😭
@@sixstringtv1 you know when my monitors are making "BZZZZ" noise on palm mutes
The mic is peaking imo
Ngl the fact that you're buying new guitars simply to demo and return is kinda trash tbh...
Not your problem tho is it
@@sixstringtv1 Nope...stilled subbed and still watch lmao
sounds the same. youre crying lol
The same? 💀💀💀
Another !
I own a beautiful fake Suhr H,S,H, 2014 made in 🇺🇸 so there u go 😆 🤣 but only paid 300.00 beautiful dark red dark quilt top very cool 😎 but it's a fraud!! Did not know was a fraud 😳 but I have it plays very well.
As long as it plays well 🤷♂️
couldn't hear a big difference with distorsion, that just shows that tone comes from speakers and in the end pickups aren't that important, we just need some that aren't noisy. thanks for the informative content !!
It's crazy that I think everything now from fake Gibson's to fake bigsby's it's fucking despicable.lol i feel really bad for unassuming noobs ..really uncool.. another cool video man......👍🤘🍆........🤔... No homo no homo
Gnar
Are you sure the EMGs are really fake?
If they look the same and sound like crap, then that's the COMPLETE EMG EXPERIENCE.
Fair enough
Ohh, me-owwww!
I had a 'cheapo EMG' in my BAss that was just great - sadly they do so few options now - One type Passive the Geezer Signature set, and thats it!