Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Review quickie: Seymour Duncan Five-Two


This is a quirky pickup by Seymour Duncan. The Five-Two here refers to the magnets used in this pickup - Alnico II for the E-B-G strings & Alnico 5 for the D-A-E strings. This model is offered for both Tele & Strat applications. 

Likes
  • clarity
  • warm cleans
  • thick distorted tones
Dislikes
  • rather sensitive to pickup height adjustments

If there's any magic manifesting from this hybrid magnet design then it's proving its worth. The Five-Two has very good articulation across the frequencies despite the EQ chart suggesting a scooped setting. In clean mode, it sounds warm with an impressive midrange presence, again, contrary to what the EQ documented. I love this pickup for its lead / solo applications; it sounds very humbucker-ish without becoming mushy at high gain / drive levels. If you wish for a commanding lead tone without resorting to the ceramic discourse, then this pickup is it. I feel that it's rather sensitive to pickup height adjustments, more apparent in distorted settings.

Rating: 90%

Let Larry Basilio convince you:


Seymour Duncan: Five-Two
Availability: Davis GMC
List: $130

Pics: Seymour Duncan

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