Closest match
brighter
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared directly.
high confidence
Seymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6)
Hot, tight and aggressive, with forward mids and a bright top end.
Hotter than 74% of the 280 bridge humbuckers we have
- Ceramic magnet: the strongest pull: tight lows and a sharp attack
- More mids than a typical Seymour Duncan
- Brighter than a typical Seymour Duncan
“The Duncan Distortion is similar to your EMG 81, strong upper mid cut but with a little more bass and slightly warmer.”
Like the Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6), but…
- WarmerSeymour Duncan Black Winterdarker · −7% output88 match
- HotterSeymour Duncan Synyster Gates Invader (SH-8GS)+20% output · Ceramic magnet88 match
- Less hotBare Knuckle Aftermath−13% output · Ceramic magnet80 match
The closest pickup in each direction that still fits the same slot. See every match
Specs
- DC resistance
- 16.6k
- Inductance
- 7.50 Hmeasured, 1 reading
- Magnet
- Ceramic
- Coil
- Hum-cancelling
- Resonant peak
- 5.5 kHzSeymour Duncan's own test load
high outputbrightmid-forwardtight & aggressive
From Seymour Duncan's published specs ↗ (opens in a new tab). Traits come from these specs by stated rules.
Fits the bridge of a Les Paul, SG, PRS Custom 24, Superstrat (HH) or HSS Strat.
Also in the set
Similar pickups
280 fit the same slot · ranked on measured specs · top 40 shownUpgrading from the Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6)? Put it on the map and see what sits where you want your tone to go.
Each score is how close a pickup is on measured specs, out of 100. The meter shows how many of those specs we could compare; a grey score means few could be. Filters cover the top 40. How scoring works
- Compare →
brighter · scooped mids · more bass
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared directly.
Compare →high confidencedarker · more bass
No inductance for one of them, so output leans on DC resistance; tone charts compared directly.
Compare →high confidencehotter output · darker · more bass
Output compared on measured inductance; tone charts compared directly.
Compare →high confidenceno spec differences found
No inductance for one of them, so output leans on DC resistance; tone charts compared against each maker's average.
Compare →medium confidencescooped mids
No inductance for one of them, so output leans on DC resistance; tone charts compared directly.
Compare →high confidence
What others say
Demos, reviews and forum posts, quoted word for word and linked to where they were published. No reviews collected yet.
Seymour Duncan - Distortion Neck and Bridge Guitar Pickup - Mayhem Set - Review
DiMarzio SUPER DISTORTION vs Seymour Duncan DISTORTION SH-6 - Bridge Guitar Pickup Comparison
Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 vs DISTORTION SH-6 - Passive Bridge Pickup Guitar Tone Comparison Demo
Seymour Duncan INVADER SH-8 vs DISTORTION SH-6 - Passive Bridge Guitar Pickup Comparison Tone Demo
Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6 with '59 Neck SH-1n Test
Duncan Distortion METAL
“the Super D and DD are two VERY different sounding pickups.”
Comparing with DiMarzio Super Distortion
“The DD is very different from the SD. As mentioned the DD is tight, percussive and hot, while the SD is big warm and fuzzy.”
Comparing with DiMarzio Super Distortion
“Of the two the DF is closer to the SD than the DD.”
Comparing with Gibson Dirty Fingers, DiMarzio Super Distortion
“The Duncan Distortion is similar to your EMG 81, strong upper mid cut but with a little more bass and slightly warmer.”
“I may add that the Duncan Distortion is definitly a tight sounding pickup and it retains clarity even when playing fast stuff..”
“Both the Nazgul and Duncan Distortion have very aggressive mids.”
“The Real Duncan Distortion is A very High output pickup though (which can be good and bad), With Great Tight bottom end, Thick mids, And Cutting highs.”
“The Duncan Distortion is a brighter pickup that's more open sounding because of that.”
“I'd say the Duncan Distortion has more grind and bite, while the Super Distortion has a warmer, thicker, old school tone (in Gibson-style guitars, anyway...”
“I see that the Duncan Distortion has more mids and treble than the Distortion Parallel Axis...”
“Duncan Distortion tight, aggressive, high output.”
“Is the Duncan distortion bright and open sounding.”
Compare side by side
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs Seymour Duncan Black Winter
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (SHPG-1)
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs DiMarzio Super Distortion
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs Gibson Dirty Fingers
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs Seymour Duncan Custom (SH-5)
- Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6) vs Seymour Duncan Synyster Gates Invader (SH-8GS)
Played the Seymour Duncan Distortion (SH-6)?
Tell other players how it sounds in your guitar. These are visitors' own comments: checked for spam before they appear, but not fact-checked like the sourced quotes above.
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