Duncan Distortion Vs Super Distortion Pickup Reviews [Difference]

Musicians with metal and rock genres know how effective a distortion pickup is. Different types of distortion pickups are available but Duncan Distortion and Super Distortion come with extra agility because of their tremendous feature and efficiency.

These pickups are so controversial that between Duncan Distortion Vs Super Distortion, the top-notch one is difficult to choose. As you can see both pickups are meant to distort sound coming from your electric guitar, the competition between them is a little bit hard.

The Primal Difference in Short –

The primal difference between a Duncan Distortion pickup and a Super Distortion pickup is that the latter is warmer, thicker, and more resilient in sound than the former one. Duncan Distortion is more about loud, bright, and tight which are absent in Super Distortion pickup. So, in terms of sound quality, these pickups vary from each other to a great extent.

Besides their sound quality, DD and SD pickups have great dissimilarities in other terms as well. Though they might look similar and resembles each other, they actually are different from each other. But they have some similarities including their name and magnetic features.

A short comparison table will help you to understand their differences big time. So, here it is…

Comparison Table:

Duncan Distortion & Super Distortion Pickup Reviews –

It is very usual that all pickups might look the same to you. But even though they sustain the same purpose, there are many differences in the tones they produce. Because different genres require different tones, the pickups vary from one another. The same goes for Duncan Distortion and Super Distortion pickups. Their individual reviews will reveal these facts soon.

About Duncan Distortion Pickup:

Duncan Distortion pickups are great because of their refined characteristics. They produce a highly clean sound with awesome bass tightness. Because of their unique screaming sound quality, most musicians have adopted these pickups for more sustainability.

The tightness of the pickup from the bottom remains the same for weeks so you can take the full fledge pleasure of this heavy pickup. Moreover, the sound is so bright and it never gets muddy. You can play your blues or country songs with this amazing pickup with great pleasure.

The most interesting fact is that the pickup can play full chords and barre or power chords without providing mud in the sound. Besides, Duncan Distortion pickups carry ceramic magnetic features. The magnet is thick enough to control the vibration of the strings of your guitar.

Besides, the amount of overdrive this pickup offers is just insane. This helps the pickup have more bite and grind. As a result, the robust sound of the instrument will be evident at the high end of the sound. You can get the actual taste of playing 80s guitar tone if you just use a Duncan Distortion pickup.

Things We Liked About / Pros-

• Offers a very robust, bright, ripped, and crispy sound and don’t get muddied later on.
• Comes with an authentic ceramic-based magnet feature to sustain its efficiency for a longer time.
• You will get absolute fun using the very pickup because of its tightness.
• Can play full chords along with power cords and provide immense overdrive for playing your desired music.

Things We Didn’t Like About / Cons –

• Because of its uptight nature of clean headroom, it’s hard to get saturated sound from the pickup.

About Super Distortion Pickup:

The Super Distortion pickup is just the right example of a distortion pickup. You will definitely fall in love with this pickup because of its promising sound quality. This pickup is a master of producing warmer, thicker, and darker tones at any cost.

The vintage old-school flavor is very evident in the sound. Most of the 70’s songs can be played with this magnificent pickup. This Super Distortion pickup has a ceramic-based magnetic field. With this very feature, the pickup offers what it has to offer anyhow.

Usually, this pickup is a bridge pickup but you can place it in the neck position as well. In this case, you will get more of a twisted and muddied sound and the amp should be low-gain to cope with the change. However, because the pickup has more midrange, it tends to distort at a lower volume.

This also leads the sound to be more saturated. In this condition, you can get the perfect warmth for making songs for heavy metal or hard rock genres. Mind that, this pickup is not easily going to set in your guitar. The low end in the sound is the result of less overdrive of the pickup.

Pros –

• Provides unbelievably warmer, creamier, beefier, and darker sound quality with a muddy texture in the tone.
• Perfect for playing old-school songs and 70s songs for their vintage flavor in the tone.
• Ceramic-based magnets allow the string to sound clear and jump out of the amplifier.
• This pickup is a blessing for rock players and strictly provides all types of tones for heavy music genres.

Cons –

• Because the pickup is heavy, it is a little bit difficult to install it into the soundhole of the guitar.

Differences Between Duncan Distortion Vs Super Distortion Pickup:

Only the differences can uphold the decision of choosing one between two renowned pickups. The reason for so many controversies around Duncan Distortion pickup and Super Distortion pickup is they are preferred by many musicians and at the same time rejected by other musicians. So, let’s see which one actually has more capabilities.

1) Sound Quality –

The first and foremost dissimilarity between Duncan Distortion and Super Distortion Pickup lies in their sound quality. DD is more straightforward, crystal clear, louder, and brighter in tone. On the other hand, SD gives off warmer, darker, thicker, and fat roars in the sound.

There is no scope to deny the fact that each tone is important to play a genre of music. However, Duncan’s Distortion is crispier than Super Distortion.

2) Midrange –

A distortion pickup is meant to distort sound as per its name and this name suits perfectly Super Distortion pickup. Because this pickup has more midrange, it easily can distort sound and even can produce saturated sound.

Conversely, Duncan Distortion pickup does not entirely follow its own name. It is in the sense that this pickup has less midrange and thus it cannot distort or saturate sound in the way a Super Distort pickup can.

3) Magnetic Feature –

There is not much difference in the magnetic feature of these Distortion pickups. They both carry ceramic-based magnetic feature that covers a great source for creating precise tone. However, there is still a slight difference in the magnetic feature that makes the Duncan Distortion pickup sound different from the Super Distortion pickup.

4) Flavor in the Tone –

The two pickups, Duncan Distortion and Super Distortion provide two different flavors in the tone. You will get more of an old-school vintage flavor like the 70s songs from Super Distortion pickup. On the other hand, Duncan Distortion is all about the flavor of 80’s songs.

5) Music Genre –

Even though both Duncan and Super are Distortion pickups, they provide sound eligible for different music genres. Duncan Distortion pickups with their crystal clear loud and screaming tones are fully devoted to creating tones for blues and country music.

Conversely, Super Distortion pickups are solely dedicated to the musicians who play heavy metal and hard rock songs. These genres require distorted sounds and this pickup is all about it.

6) Versatility –

In the case of versatility, both pickups have immense potential. For example, Duncan Distortion pickups have more grind and bite but less headroom. On the other hand, Super Distortion pickup has fewer grind and bite but much headroom.

Then again, the Duncan Distortion offers bass tightness and the Super Distortion offers twisted sound to a great amount. As a result, the decision of choosing the most versatile one is tough here.

7) Overdrive –

The Duncan Distortion pickup has more overdrive than the Super Distortion pickup. This is not a downside of Super Distortion pickup, rather it is the function of the pickup to cope with its defining characteristics.

So, which Guitar Pickup is Better?

As you can already tell that Duncan Distortion vs Super Distortion pickups are efficient and they are not comparable in the sense that they work for different music genres. So, in the end, it depends on the player. If he wants to play blues, bring him a Duncan Distortion, and if he plays rock or metal, a Super Distortion is for him.

FAQs –

Question 1: Are Super Distortion any good?

Answer: A Super Distortion pickup is a jackpot for a player who plays heavy genres of music at an intense level. The thick sound is so heavy that a metal player can easily like playing with it.

Question 2: What is resistance DiMarzio Super Distortion?

Answer: DiMarzio Super Distortion is a pickup made for a special purpose to kick the amp into its overdrive. Here, the DC resistance helps vastly to do the job perfectly.

Last Updated on December 6, 2022 by Perry Garner