My Charvel DK24 isn't quite doing it for me. I've always wanted to try a Super Distortion and here's the results. You tell me how much pickups matter!!
I'm getting myself a DK24 soon and like you I'm not a big fan of the full shred. I was looking at getting a Dimarzio SD but the fitting issue has made me think again - I think I'll stick with Duncan but just find something a little hotter. Thank you for making this vid.
Good luck! There are almost too many choices available. I ended up going with the Dimarzio Transition pickups and they're working out great. I have another video with better sound samples. ....but yeah, I still have days where I want a regular JB. :) Let me know what you get. Cheers
Try replacing the hex poles with 3/4" steel fillisters on the FS. The bright sound is due to the 1/2" hex poles and that mod makes it at least of cousin of the Customs with a similar EQ profile. My fillister's are on the way and if I don't love it I may get the Super D
@@yesthatjake5601 Good tip! ......... except the hex poles look *so cool*. Vanity may get in the way of changing them. :) I tried a bunch of pickups in this guitar and ended up sticking with the DiMarzio Transitions. They work really well for this guitar and my rig.
I didn't like the FS in my Charvel until I swapped out the A5 magnet for an A2. Less tight, but thicker low end. Way better mids, and no ice pick high end. Love it now.
Very cool. I've never tried magnet swapping on pickups. Perhaps I should! BTW I ended up with DiMarzio Transitions in this guitar and it's about perfect. There are probably hundreds of pickup models out there that I would have been equally happy with. :)
At the very beginning I figured you probably wouldn't hear a lot of difference. I have 2 Charvels, one with the FS and the other with the SD. They sound very similar. For a Dimarzio, I would suggest an Air Zone. It's less hot compared to the SD and just has more overall tone.
Even Fricker admits that as the gain/distortion goes down, the importance of the pickup goes up. I would add to that-even if I can’t A/B the difference between the sound of 2 pickups….I CAN tell a drastic difference in feel. If the pathways between your ears and fingers say you’re playing the wrong pickup, then you’re playing the wrong pickup.
I have a charvel almost like yours mine also had the same pickup as yours. Mine has two humbuckers and Floyd Rose 1000. I tried different pickups , ended up with a Friedman classic + and sounds great . I think it captures all the nuances I hear . When the guitar isn't plugged in.
The Full Shred is too shrill and spiky for my tastes, which conversely means it's actually pretty suitable for metal chugging and downtuning. Good pickup but tbh it's like a poor man's PAF Pro which has all the clarity and benefits but more balanced tone and a wonderful vocal quality to the sound.
Interesting to hear from you those pickups have similar tones, I had no idead, I think I have no need to try myself a super distotion as I already have a fulls shred. By the way the SSL-6 and Alnico ii Pro I use in my Charvel SoCal (22 frets) but I turnd the pickup so slugs are closer to the neck, I am not sure if that has anything to do but the sounds from position 2 in those two pickups is really good. Not sure how that sounds in your guitar with 24 frets and the slug coil is further away from the neck.
Try the Duncan Custom Custom TB-11. It's got an alnico 2 mag, roughly the same output as the Full Shred, with a bigger, fuller low end, great clarity, lots of great, sweet harmonics, and less compression.
Hey, you're not wrong. I actually just stepped it down to a set of DiMarzio Transitions. They're still ceramic, but I'm really enjoying them and they balance well, as one would expect when you buy a set. :)
I don't think the differences are as subtle as you're saying. I'm listening on some Blue Sky ProDesk monitors and can hear how much darker the Full Shred is than the Super Distortion. Fricker isn't wrong that honestly from an engineers perspective if you want a brighter tone you just dial up some presence on the amp or move the mic closer to the cone. That would be way easier than changing pickups. But he is wrong in that from a guitar players perspective you're hearing the same amp, speaker and mic combination through several different guitars. You can hear what part of the signal chain you want to manipulate. Turning the treble or presence knob up when you pick up that particular guitar wouldn't sound the same as making that particular guitar brighter with a pup swap... You can hear that you need to make a change BEFORE the amplifier to fix that particular guitar's sound to be the way you want it. If going from a full shred to a super distortion was a change you liked; I'd imagine its because you're looking for a brighter sounding pickup. The full shred sounds like there's a thin blanket over the speaker you can't remove, it lacks presence; the super distortion has a lot more presence. If the super distortion starts to feel dark; I'd recommend a D-Activator or Duncan SH-5 Custom. The SH-5 custom has a ton of upper-mid/treble bite I think you'd really enjoy. All that to also mention; I can't hear shit of a difference between tone woods... But I got the LP and Strat correct on Fricker's humbucker difference video with the comment to prove it, that of course never made it into the follow-up video lol
I appreciate the feedback. I think I'm learning that my ears just aren't very sensitive at picking up stuff like this. Sometimes it feels really easy and other times I can't distinguish between much. Maybe this is part of aging. :( I appreciate the recommendations. I don't know how long I'll keep the SD in the guitar.
Hello, when Glen says that it dosnt make a difference... he is talking about "high gain" rhythm guitar tracking. Heavy Metal music "in the studio". His Yourube videos are about "recording guitar for the purpose of producing a metal song". In THIS case dont get hung up on humbuckers, it will not make a big difference... you need a guitar that will stay in tune and is intonated properly.
I agree with most of that. :) I gave my final thoughts in the next video. I tried like 9 pickups and ended up with the DiMarzio Transitions. They're fantastic IMO.
What tone are you going for from the charvel? In other words what didn't the stock p'u have that you need? The "FULL SHRED" is not my first choice either but i do not think the Super Distortion was the best option to replace it. The Super D is very one dimensional. Great classic 70's and early 80's rock p'u it is a one trick pony.
I guess I'm going for a fussion / shredder guitar w/ this one. I struggle to put what I didn't like about the stock pickups into words, which makes it tough to fix. I agree w/ your assessment on the Super D. I'm glad I finally got to play w/ one, but it didn't end up lasting long in the guitar. I ended up moving to a set of Dimarzio Transitions and couldn't be happier. I need to make another video w/ those.
I'm always surprised by how nice the Super Distortion sounds clean, for a humbucker with that name. Also thought it sounded a bit nicer and less harsh with distortion. The SD just sounds warmer and fuller to me overall than the FS.
I’ve seen Glen’s videos before, he might know a thing or two about producing a record but whenever he gives advice as a “guitar player” I always disagree with him. I don’t know the specs of your guitar as far as woods and all that jazz go but if your guitar is on the bright side I would recommend a dimarzio Tone zone. I generally lean towards ceramic magnet pickups but the tone zone (alnico5) is my choice for strats, specially if they have those stainless steel saddles that make the guitar sound brighter. The Super distortion is an awesome pickup but it works better when used with lots of gain. Another awesome ceramic pickup is the sh5 by Seymour Duncan, it has a PAF vibe to it but angrier, not as hot as a duncan distortion or a Dimarzio superD though, also quiet versatile.
Thanks for the feedback. This one is all mahogany with a maple neck/fretboard. I think part of my challenge is also not being able to pinpoint what exactly I don't like about it. It's difficult to solve a problem when you can't pinpoint it. :) I forgot I had an Air Classic neck pickup in a drawer. I put that in the neck last night. It sounds awesome but as expected does not balance well with the Super D. ..... still an interesting way to spend an evening. Cheers
I don’t think anyone plays full shred on clean or minimal gain. They are meant to be wide open. Would be like trying to play death metal on a single coil tele. Not the ideal application
Totally fair. Trust me I played this pickup on high gain a lot. It just didn't jive with me or my setup. I guess I was in a yacht rock mood when I made this. :)
Its very clear what s really missing. You could be a guitar nerd and try to look for the perfect tone, but if you dont have it in your fingers, youll never find it, ever. Keep practicing and improve your playing.
I'm getting myself a DK24 soon and like you I'm not a big fan of the full shred. I was looking at getting a Dimarzio SD but the fitting issue has made me think again - I think I'll stick with Duncan but just find something a little hotter. Thank you for making this vid.
Good luck! There are almost too many choices available. I ended up going with the Dimarzio Transition pickups and they're working out great. I have another video with better sound samples. ....but yeah, I still have days where I want a regular JB. :) Let me know what you get. Cheers
Try replacing the hex poles with 3/4" steel fillisters on the FS. The bright sound is due to the 1/2" hex poles and that mod makes it at least of cousin of the Customs with a similar EQ profile. My fillister's are on the way and if I don't love it I may get the Super D
@@yesthatjake5601 Good tip! ......... except the hex poles look *so cool*. Vanity may get in the way of changing them. :) I tried a bunch of pickups in this guitar and ended up sticking with the DiMarzio Transitions. They work really well for this guitar and my rig.
I didn't like the FS in my Charvel until I swapped out the A5 magnet for an A2. Less tight, but thicker low end. Way better mids, and no ice pick high end. Love it now.
Oh interesting. I've never done a magnet swap before. It doesn't look too complicated.
Very cool. I've never tried magnet swapping on pickups. Perhaps I should! BTW I ended up with DiMarzio Transitions in this guitar and it's about perfect. There are probably hundreds of pickup models out there that I would have been equally happy with. :)
At the very beginning I figured you probably wouldn't hear a lot of difference. I have 2 Charvels, one with the FS and the other with the SD. They sound very similar. For a Dimarzio, I would suggest an Air Zone. It's less hot compared to the SD and just has more overall tone.
Even Fricker admits that as the gain/distortion goes down, the importance of the pickup goes up. I would add to that-even if I can’t A/B the difference between the sound of 2 pickups….I CAN tell a drastic difference in feel. If the pathways between your ears and fingers say you’re playing the wrong pickup, then you’re playing the wrong pickup.
Yeah, that's good validation for where I've landed with this. Thanks!
I have a charvel almost like yours mine also had the same pickup as yours. Mine has two humbuckers and Floyd Rose 1000.
I tried different pickups , ended up with a Friedman classic + and sounds great . I think it captures all the nuances I hear . When the guitar isn't plugged in.
I've never tried a Friedman pickup, but I suspect I'd like them, as most of their stuff is great. Did you use the same one in the neck & bridge?
The Full Shred is too shrill and spiky for my tastes, which conversely means it's actually pretty suitable for metal chugging and downtuning. Good pickup but tbh it's like a poor man's PAF Pro which has all the clarity and benefits but more balanced tone and a wonderful vocal quality to the sound.
I mostly agree with you. .....but I will say all my other PAF style pickups smoke the Full Shred for that kinda thing. ;)
Interesting to hear from you those pickups have similar tones, I had no idead, I think I have no need to try myself a super distotion as I already have a fulls shred. By the way the SSL-6 and Alnico ii Pro I use in my Charvel SoCal (22 frets) but I turnd the pickup so slugs are closer to the neck, I am not sure if that has anything to do but the sounds from position 2 in those two pickups is really good. Not sure how that sounds in your guitar with 24 frets and the slug coil is further away from the neck.
oooh flipping the pickup is a good idea. I probably should have played with that more before buying a bunch of different ones.
Try the Duncan Custom Custom TB-11. It's got an alnico 2 mag, roughly the same output as the Full Shred, with a bigger, fuller low end, great clarity, lots of great, sweet harmonics, and less compression.
You should try stepping down to a medium output pickup. Maybe something without ceramic magnets. A5 or A2. Don’t be afraid of the mids!!!
Hey, you're not wrong. I actually just stepped it down to a set of DiMarzio Transitions. They're still ceramic, but I'm really enjoying them and they balance well, as one would expect when you buy a set. :)
@@BenBreard yes! I love that pickup..it's in my main guitar.
Super distortion is best.
I don't think the differences are as subtle as you're saying. I'm listening on some Blue Sky ProDesk monitors and can hear how much darker the Full Shred is than the Super Distortion.
Fricker isn't wrong that honestly from an engineers perspective if you want a brighter tone you just dial up some presence on the amp or move the mic closer to the cone. That would be way easier than changing pickups.
But he is wrong in that from a guitar players perspective you're hearing the same amp, speaker and mic combination through several different guitars. You can hear what part of the signal chain you want to manipulate. Turning the treble or presence knob up when you pick up that particular guitar wouldn't sound the same as making that particular guitar brighter with a pup swap... You can hear that you need to make a change BEFORE the amplifier to fix that particular guitar's sound to be the way you want it.
If going from a full shred to a super distortion was a change you liked; I'd imagine its because you're looking for a brighter sounding pickup. The full shred sounds like there's a thin blanket over the speaker you can't remove, it lacks presence; the super distortion has a lot more presence. If the super distortion starts to feel dark; I'd recommend a D-Activator or Duncan SH-5 Custom. The SH-5 custom has a ton of upper-mid/treble bite I think you'd really enjoy.
All that to also mention; I can't hear shit of a difference between tone woods... But I got the LP and Strat correct on Fricker's humbucker difference video with the comment to prove it, that of course never made it into the follow-up video lol
I appreciate the feedback. I think I'm learning that my ears just aren't very sensitive at picking up stuff like this. Sometimes it feels really easy and other times I can't distinguish between much. Maybe this is part of aging. :( I appreciate the recommendations. I don't know how long I'll keep the SD in the guitar.
Hello, when Glen says that it dosnt make a difference... he is talking about "high gain" rhythm guitar tracking. Heavy Metal music "in the studio". His Yourube videos are about "recording guitar for the purpose of producing a metal song". In THIS case dont get hung up on humbuckers, it will not make a big difference... you need a guitar that will stay in tune and is intonated properly.
I agree with most of that. :) I gave my final thoughts in the next video. I tried like 9 pickups and ended up with the DiMarzio Transitions. They're fantastic IMO.
What tone are you going for from the charvel? In other words what didn't the stock p'u have that you need?
The "FULL SHRED" is not my first choice either but i do not think the Super Distortion was the best option
to replace it. The Super D is very one dimensional. Great classic 70's and early 80's rock p'u it is a one trick pony.
I guess I'm going for a fussion / shredder guitar w/ this one. I struggle to put what I didn't like about the stock pickups into words, which makes it tough to fix. I agree w/ your assessment on the Super D. I'm glad I finally got to play w/ one, but it didn't end up lasting long in the guitar. I ended up moving to a set of Dimarzio Transitions and couldn't be happier. I need to make another video w/ those.
@@BenBreard The TRANSITION set is great! you made a great choice! 👍
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 thanks. I agree and it's been really fun playing them b
I'm always surprised by how nice the Super Distortion sounds clean, for a humbucker with that name. Also thought it sounded a bit nicer and less harsh with distortion. The SD just sounds warmer and fuller to me overall than the FS.
Yeah it's a killer pickup for sure. I pulled it out of the charger, but now I want another guitar because I like the pickup so much. :)
I’ve seen Glen’s videos before, he might know a thing or two about producing a record but whenever he gives advice as a “guitar player” I always disagree with him. I don’t know the specs of your guitar as far as woods and all that jazz go but if your guitar is on the bright side I would recommend a dimarzio Tone zone. I generally lean towards ceramic magnet pickups but the tone zone (alnico5) is my choice for strats, specially if they have those stainless steel saddles that make the guitar sound brighter. The Super distortion is an awesome pickup but it works better when used with lots of gain. Another awesome ceramic pickup is the sh5 by Seymour Duncan, it has a PAF vibe to it but angrier, not as hot as a duncan distortion or a Dimarzio superD though, also quiet versatile.
Thanks for the feedback. This one is all mahogany with a maple neck/fretboard. I think part of my challenge is also not being able to pinpoint what exactly I don't like about it. It's difficult to solve a problem when you can't pinpoint it. :) I forgot I had an Air Classic neck pickup in a drawer. I put that in the neck last night. It sounds awesome but as expected does not balance well with the Super D. ..... still an interesting way to spend an evening. Cheers
Dimarzio SD goes well. I think there are also better Duncan alternatives like the JB.
Yeah the JB is a classic for sure.
The SD is way way thicker and warmer. The FS just lacks all of this.
There's also something more interesting to my ears about it. It may just be because it's new to me though.
I like the Dimarzio a little better.
Same!
I don’t think anyone plays full shred on clean or minimal gain. They are meant to be wide open. Would be like trying to play death metal on a single coil tele. Not the ideal application
Totally fair. Trust me I played this pickup on high gain a lot. It just didn't jive with me or my setup. I guess I was in a yacht rock mood when I made this. :)
This guy is a goon
I've been called worse!
Its very clear what s really missing. You could be a guitar nerd and try to look for the perfect tone, but if you dont have it in your fingers, youll never find it, ever. Keep practicing and improve your playing.
Teach me I want to learn!