Seymour Duncan
Encyclopedia
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan
and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta
, California
, USA. Starting around 1983-84 Seymour Duncan pickups were first used in Kramer Guitars
as standard equipment along with Floyd Rose locking trems
.
and humbucking
varieties. It has recently moved into the guitar effects pedal market.
Some pickup examples include the SH-1 '59, Little '59, Hot Rails, SH-8 Invader, SH-2 Jazz, SH-4 JB, Alnico Pro II, Blackout, SH-10 Full Shred, SH-6 Distortion and SH-1PG Pearly Gates. Famous users include After The Burial
, Slash
, Eddie Van Halen
, Jeff Beck
, David Gilmour
, Billie Joe Armstrong
, Billy Gibbons
, Scott Ian
, Synyster Gates
, Dave Mustaine
, Mark Hoppus
, Blues Saraceno
, Michael Amott
, George Lynch
, Willie Adler
, Tommy Kessler
, Kiko Loureiro
, Wayne Static
, Zacky Vengeance
, Angus Young
, Mick Thomson, Mark Morton
, Yngwie Malmsteen, Warren DeMartini
, Dimebag Darrell
, Dino Cazares
, Michael Wilton
, Gus G Nuno Bettencourt
and Corey Beaulieu
In the custom shop and during the 80s and 90s certain employees did special winding. The Pickup code reflects this with an additional letter following the pickup code, most famous being J (for example JBJ) which stands for Maricella Juarez. Following is the list provided by Seymour Duncan:
Seymour Duncan also produced a small line of guitar amplifier
s during the 1980s and '90s. Although short-lived due to the company's lack of reputation as an amp builder, the amplifiers are well respected and sought after today.
Seymour W. Duncan
Seymour W. Duncan is a guitarist and guitar repairman, but is best known as the man behind Seymour Duncan Company, the manufacturer of guitar pickups, bass pickups, and effects pedals located in Santa Barbara, California. Born in New Jersey, Seymour grew up in the fifties and sixties, during a time...
and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta
Goleta, California
Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA. Starting around 1983-84 Seymour Duncan pickups were first used in Kramer Guitars
Kramer Guitars
Kramer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. Kramer produced aluminum-necked electric guitars and basses in the 1970s and wooden-necked guitars catering to hard rock and heavy metal musicians in the 1980s; Kramer is currently a division of Gibson Guitar Corporation...
as standard equipment along with Floyd Rose locking trems
Tremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
.
Products
The company produces a large range of pickups for both guitar and bass, both single coilSingle coil
A single coil pickup is a type of magnetic transducer, or pickup, for the electric guitar and the electric bass. It electromagnetically converts the vibration of the strings to an electric signal...
and humbucking
Humbucking
For the purposes of this article, "hum" is defined as "an unwanted signal, generally at the frequency of the local A.C. electrical supply" ....
varieties. It has recently moved into the guitar effects pedal market.
Some pickup examples include the SH-1 '59, Little '59, Hot Rails, SH-8 Invader, SH-2 Jazz, SH-4 JB, Alnico Pro II, Blackout, SH-10 Full Shred, SH-6 Distortion and SH-1PG Pearly Gates. Famous users include After The Burial
After the Burial
After the Burial is an American heavy metal band from Twin Cities, Minnesota. The group is currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released two of their three full-length albums through the label...
, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
, David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
, Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
, Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
, Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
, Synyster Gates
Synyster Gates
Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:...
, Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
, Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
, Blues Saraceno
Blues Saraceno
Blues Saraceno is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis...
, Michael Amott
Michael Amott
Michael Amott is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the bands Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars, and Carnage, as well as a member of the death metal band Carcass. He is the older brother of Christopher Amott...
, George Lynch
George Lynch
George Lynch may refer to:*George Lynch *George Lynch *George Lynch...
, Willie Adler
Willie Adler
William M. Adler is the rhythm guitarist in the groove metal band Lamb Of God. He is the younger brother of bandmate Chris Adler.Willie joined Lamb of God after the first guitarist, [Keven Maglasang ], left the band...
, Tommy Kessler
Tommy Kessler
Tommy Kessler is American guitar player currently in the new wave/rock band, Blondie. He joined the band in April 2010, replacing guitarist Paul Carbonara who had left Blondie to pursue other projects. When not touring with Blondie, he performs as a guitarist in the fictional 1980's Rock Band...
, Kiko Loureiro
Kiko Loureiro
Kiko Loureiro is a Brazilian Heavy metal guitarist who has worked with bands such as Angra, Silent Moon, and Blezqi Zatzas....
, Wayne Static
Wayne Static
Wayne Static is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and programmer for the industrial metal band Static-X. He released his first solo studio album Pighammer on October 4, 2011.- Early life :Static grew up in Shelby, Michigan before moving to Chicago and eventually...
, Zacky Vengeance
Zacky Vengeance
Zachary James Baker, better known by his stage name Zacky Vengeance, is the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American metal/rock band Avenged Sevenfold.-Biography:...
, Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
, Mick Thomson, Mark Morton
Mark Morton
Mark Morton may refer to:* Mark Morton , New South Wales politician* Mark Morton * Mark Morton , co-founder of Morton Salt* Mark Morton , guitarist with Lamb of God...
, Yngwie Malmsteen, Warren DeMartini
Warren DeMartini
Warren Justin DeMartini , nicknamed Torch, is the lead guitarist for Ratt, a popular American band during the mid-to-late 1980s Los Angeles glam metal scene.-Early life:...
, Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
, Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares
Dino Cazares, born in El Centro, California, is a Mexican-American musician and the guitarist for Los Angeles-based industrial metal group Fear Factory. He also plays in the metal bands Divine Heresy and Asesino.-Biography:...
, Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton is an American guitarist for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and began recording in 1981...
, Gus G Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Bettencourt
Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt is a Portuguese guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme whose hits include the acoustic ballads "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted"...
and Corey Beaulieu
Pickup designation and winders
- A Raul Araiza Single Coils
- B Leticia Bautista Single Coils
- C Catalina Padilla Rails
- D Debbie Nyquist Humbuckers
- E Edward Madrigal Humbuckers
- G Gloria Ocompo Humbuckers
- J Maricella Juarez-83' on HB-SC-STK-RAILS
- J Janice Salazar-till 83' Stacks
- L Lidia Daniel Humbuckers
- L Leticia Quintero-87'-90' Stacks & Rails
- M Martha Cameron HB-SC
- O Oti Mora Stacks & Rails
- P Lupe Perez-86' on Rails
- P Patty Vasquez-till 86' Stacks & Rails
- R Connie Rocha Single Coils
- V Joe Velez Single Coils
- X Mai Xiong Stacks
Seymour Duncan also produced a small line of guitar amplifier
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
s during the 1980s and '90s. Although short-lived due to the company's lack of reputation as an amp builder, the amplifiers are well respected and sought after today.