The rail way

Finally. Seymour Duncan now offers more pickups in its rail design. Simply put, these are existing models given the pole pieces-less rendering as seen above. The JB & Jazz models are offered individually or as a set (Hot Rodded).

Also available - Nazgul & Sentient (as a set as well).

Prior to this, SD rail models are limited & somewhat costly, the most affordable being the Dimebucker. The Slug, Jupiter & Diablo are custom-based models which retail for more. I bet there would be some peculiar characters who would claim they hear a different tone coming out of these ones due to the absence of pole pieces. 

Pics: Seymour Duncan

HR8

New stuff from Edwards - the Horizon goes 8-string + FR bridge. Not too many 8s sport the FR bridge, the one in this guitars is the FR 1000, 8-string version. 

If you don't fancy such bridges, this fixed bridge version is also available. Pickups for both guitars are Seymour Duncan's Nazgul / Sentient pair. 

Through-neck construction if you doubt playability & upper fret access. 

Pics: ESP Japan

With greenie

Spent some time with the greenie today. I actually have more than one mean greenie here, this is just something I'm happy I came across. It's an affordable guitar but well made, to me it's worth every cent. I'm also quite averse to finished necks but since I bought a Les Paul, adapting is everything. 

The pickups in this one are Seymour Duncan's Nazgul (b) & Sentient (n) pair. The Nazgul - won't appeal to players who are looking for some dynamic tones because it's not that appealing clean. It's also beyond what the traditional Distortion (SH-6) has to offer. It's a mean pickup with a singular objective of death & destruction. It's named after a malevolent character for a reason. The Sentient, on the other hand, handles both clean & distortion very well. If you think you need good cleans but not in the vintage territory, something like the Polyphia dudes or Yvette Young are chirning out, this is the pickup to get. 

ESP/LTD: 2020 (4)

More stuff from the LTD camp. The Snapper Deluxe models are also having new members & this SN-1000 is one of them. The highlight here is of course its sand-blasted finish & it features the Duncan Pegasus/Sentient pickup combo as well. I'm not a big fan of the Snappers, I prefer the STs. The Snapper's headstock is trying too hard not to infringe a certain other guitar of this nature but implying idea exhaustion. Nevertheless, all the Snappers that I've tried at the stores are above expectations, even the non-Deluxe models.

I know there are limited followings when it comes to semis but the PS is much overlooked when it comes to tone. This new one especially, is equipped with a pair of Duncan Phat Cats. These are essentially P-90-ish but not quite conforming to the P-90 blueprint so the tine there is unique. I have them in my Chinese Jazzmaster & they simply rule! The SN-1000 is another Deluxe model that seems to be punching above its weight. It has to. It's nothing less than a Deluxe model.

ESP/LTD: 2020 (3)

I'm putting two more models in the spotlight for LTD's 2020 releases. There will be others along the way, the manufacturer assured us this is only its Phase 1 of their new model announcements. The model you see above is still part of their top tier Deluxe range, the Horizon H-1001. That see-through quilt top is simply the highlight of this guitar.

It's also good to see a Viper making the numbers. Over the years, this model had been sidelined somewhat, dwelling in the shadows of other more popular outlines like the Eclipse & Mirage. It seems that the Seymour Duncan Pegasus/ Sentient pairing are the feature pickups in many of the Deluxe models, these two included. I must say that the Sentient is indeed one of the formidable passive neck pickups in the SD lineup but a little under-rated in the mean time. The Deluxe models are doing this humbucker a big favour by having it there to carry the tone through. The Jazz & '59 are the tried & trusted go-to models but these represent the old guard of Duncan pickups not that they are out-dated but the Sentient is the future that should be embraced. 

ESP/LTD: 2020 (3)

For 2020, the LTD camp made it a point to inject glory into the Deluxe range. These are in fact, top-of-the-line selection before we enter the signature side of things. The Deluxe range can be identified by the 4-digit reference in its model alpha-numerics. This stunning green monster here is the Deluxe H3. I'm a fan of the H3 as it's the lesser known Horizon models featuring an offset body while preserving the awesome curved top. Pickups in this one: Seymour Duncan Pegasus (b)/ Sentient (n).

Not forgetting the Floyd Rose fans out there. 

ESP/LTD 2020 (2)

More good stuff from the LTD camp. This has to be one of the best they have to offer in 2020; the M-Series featuring a simple, fixed bridge (Hipshot) & a through-body design. Plus point - this fade finish is just gorgeous. The M is often too tied down by a Floyd-type bridge which is further popularized by a certain Kirk Hammett. It's good to see a simple variant this time round which is an upper tier model.

This is another amazing fade finish & deserving for an upper tier EC model. The pickups for this 2020 manifestation is the Seymour Duncan Pegasus/ Sentient pair - thumbs up! 

New Edwards (June 2017)

New releases for the Summer by Edwards- this Snapper HSS featuring Seymour Duncans SSLs & 59/Custom humbucker.

Also a Horizon III featuring maple fretboard. Pickups: Seymour Duncan Sentient/ Pegasus. ✌🏽

EVH & friends

Last weekend's preoccupation- EVH 5150III LBX. I guess I have not heard it in action enough. The Jackson here is equipped with A Seymour Duncan Sentient in the neck. I've come to believe that this neck pickup is a great complement to all things high gain in terms of tone. Not referring to cleans, of course. If you wish for something that speaks when extra drive is served, this pickup will serve you well.

My Yamaha Pacifica here is a focus tool. I'd play this one to enhance some concentration when it comes to technicalities but this guitar with this pickup (Duncan's P-Rails) sounds impressive with high gain, angry amps in its full glory & then some split coil performance- mind the hum, of course. 

Schecter 2016: KM Mk II

Over at the Schecter camp, one of the 2016 updates is this Keith Merrow model. Unlike its predecessors, this MK-II version sports a more agreeable finish, nothing too striking or threatening to glow in the dark. Pickups remain passive- they are the Seymour Duncan Nazgul (b)/ Sentient (n) pairing. There is a very calming visual overview here but we know what it's capable of.

Pic: schecter.com 

The green meanie

The default pickups in this Jackson were a pair of EMG HZ. Those had to go not because they were sub-standard products in any way but they were not my kind of pickups. I think it's important for my instruments to manifest what I want, nothing else matters. So here were are: 1) Sentient (n) 2) Nazgul (b).

Nothing fancy, just a Bare Knuckle capacitor in the electronics, everything else was left in tact. You are looking at Beez's workmanship; tidy & very pro.

Poll: Next gen Duncans

Hey, everyone. Thanks for taking part in the recent Seymour Duncan poll. Well, the results aren't surprising. The Black Winter & Nazgul received a fair bit of fanfare because these two are the most featured pickups (by the manufacturer) in the mean time. Thanks to Keith Merrow, the Nazgul is a proven performer, every bit competent when distortion comes to play. It's a very versatile pickup in this aspect. The Black Winter is a surprise package to say the least. Despite being touted to be mean, this humbucker is giving the Nazgul a run for its worth in terms of versatility- every bit competent in terms of distortion & a little extremity in the mix. In fact, Seymour Duncan is currently pushing it for its versatility & not the dark & doom vibe it was conceived under. In terms of control, the Black Winter can be overbearing if one isn't careful with one's overall tone so that's the 'danger' right there- the possibility of losing control. From personal experience, this is true at higher amp volume.

The Pegasus & Sentient are not to be overlooked in this aspect. The former is the geek member in this bunch; it's not averse to drive but if one needs to draw blood, the Black Winter & Nazgul do it better so it takes a back seat. For prog applications, the Pegasus is ace. Also, if one isn't interested in extras in terms of punch, the Pegasus is recommended. That leaves us with the Sentient. This one, ladies & gentlemen, is the spectre of the '59 & Jazz but moving on in a driven direction. I absolutely love this pickup in the neck, it might just be my next fav humbucker in there. It gives that saturation & transparency of a clean performer but once drive/distortion kicks in, the Sentient holds its own.

There you have it, the next gen Duncans in a nutshell. I'm thankful that these are made available in the 6-string version as they started out as 7-string models (less the Black Winter).

It's the end of August, a turn of the season awaits. The final lap of the year is here. That's how time flies.

Seymour Duncan: The next wave

Nazgul, Sentient, Pegasus, Black Winter- these are the next-gen pickups by Seymour Duncan in the passive front. Less the Black Winter, they were initially meant for 7-string guitars & therefore appealed to a limited player base. However, the manufacturer (wisely) developed these in a 6-string format & they were made available this year. These are now in stock at Davis GMC.

Targetting the distortion fiends, these humbuckers have limited applications for clean-loving tone purists. They have a singular objective to manifest drive & distortion in loads but let me point out the fact that the Pegasus & Sentient models have something for those of us who hunger for good distortion or drive tones without treading the metal turf. The Pegasus is able to deliver some of the smoothest drive tones for fusion applications & the Sentient is an impressive performer in the neck position, for both clean & driven modes.

These are my personal take on them. In any case, I have not finished checking them out & have them fitted into 2 guitars so far; one fixed bridge model & another sporting a locking whammy bridge. Along the way I got distracted by the Perpetual Burn model but that's another episode for another day, not to be included here to avoid confusion.

Schecter: KM-7

Schecter's Keith Merrow model (KM-7) is now available at Davis GMC. It must cost a bomb, you say? The KM-7 in both black & gray finishes are kept below the $1.4K mark- this is absolutely fantastic in terms of affordability. Keep in mind that the KM-7 is a signature model with a pair of no-nonsense Seymour Duncan Nazgul & Sentient humbuckers.

Seymour Duncan @ DGMC

If you've been waiting for them, they are now available at Davis GMC. Recommended for those of us who are seldom on clean & pump up loads of distortion. Getting mine, of course.