Pickup Comparison! (Duncan JB, Nazgul, Distortion, EMG81/81tw & Fishman Fluence Modern)

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Thanks for supporting the channel!
Thanks for watching my pickup comparison in my ESP LTD Phoenix Black Metal and Arctic Metal Guitars. All the guitars and pickups are going through the same Line 6 Helix Native Presets as well as the same York Audio MES 412 OS IR. Let me know which pickup is your favorite here and why!
Pickups in this video:
- Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB
- Seymour Duncan Nazgul
- Seymour Duncan SH-6 Distortion
- EMG81
- EMG81tw
- Fishman Fluence Modern (Voice 1 & 2)
Guitars used in this video:
- ESP LTD Phoenix Black Metal (x2)
- ESP LTD Phoenix Arctic Metal (x2)
York Audio Impulse Responses: www.yorkaudio.co/
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe along with the bell and follow SDS at:
/ sonicdrivestudio
/ sonicdrivestudio_official
/ jon_symons
#pickupcomparison #seymourduncan #fishmanfluence
Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction (Watch First!)
FULL MIX COMPARISONS:
03:21 Duncan JB (Clean)
03:34 Duncan Nazgul (Clean)
03:48 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Clean)
04:01 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Clean)
04:15 EMG81tw (Clean)
04:29 EMG81 (Clean)
04:42 Duncan Distortion (Clean)
04:59 Duncan JB (Heavy 1)
05:10 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 1)
05:21 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 1)
05:31 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 1)
05:42 EMG81tw (Heavy 1)
05:53 EMG81 (Heavy 1)
06:04 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 1)
06:15 Duncan JB (Heavy 2)
06:26 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 2)
06:37 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 2)
06:48 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 2)
06:59 EMG81tw (Heavy 2)
07:10 EMG81 (Heavy 2)
07:21 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 2)
07:31 Duncan JB (Heavy 3)
07:42 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 3)
07:53 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 3)
08:04 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 3)
08:15 EMG81tw (Heavy 3)
08:26 EMG81 (Heavy 3)
08:37 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 3)
ISOLATED COMPARISONS:
10:30 Duncan JB (Clean)
10:43 Duncan Nazgul (Clean)
10:57 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Clean)
11:10 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Clean)
11:24 EMG81tw (Clean)
11:38 EMG81 (Clean)
11:51 Duncan Distortion (Clean)
12:08 Duncan JB (Heavy 1)
12:19 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 1)
12:30 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 1)
12:40 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 1)
12:51 EMG81tw (Heavy 1)
13:03 EMG81 (Heavy 1)
13:13 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 1)
13:24 Duncan JB (Heavy 2)
13:35 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 2)
13:46 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 2)
13:57 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 2)
14:08 EMG81tw (Heavy 2)
14:19 EMG81 (Heavy 2)
14:30 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 2)
14:40 Duncan JB (Heavy 3)
14:51 Duncan Nazgul (Heavy 3)
15:02 Fishman Fluence Modern Active (Heavy 3)
15:13 Fishman Fluence Modern Passive (Heavy 3)
15:24 EMG81tw (Heavy 3)
15:35 EMG81 (Heavy 3)
15:46 Duncan Distortion (Heavy 3)
16:01 Conclusion

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thomann Affiliate: www.thomann.de/intl/index.html?offid=1&affid=3210 Sweetwater Affiliate: sweetwater.sjv.io/k0mGvx My personal Thomann recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/cv37zixo68 My webstore for Captures, presets etc: ko-fi.com/sonicdrivestudio Thanks for supporting the channel!

[@davidrobert4246]

They didn't sound that different from each other, at least not as much as I was expecting. All of them sounded great, I'd be happy with any of these in my guitar.

[@beatmasterbossy]

This is the thing I find. Find a good one that generally works for your sound, within that, there's no one that's far greater than everything else, you can almost just do the one that looks the coolest.

[@DudeMcGuybro]

Depends on the context and speakers you're listening on. I'm on studio monitors and there's a very large difference to my ears. These differences are huge when it comes to recording, and pairing the right pickup with the right head, with the right cabinet to get a balanced sound in a mix. You'll find that some amps and pickup combinations don't mix, like pickles in peanut butter, and other that mix like peanut butter and jelly. Live or for practice it honestly doesn't make that much of a difference, which is where most people are using these, but to a recording engineer, these are massive differences. You might be happy with a JB in your guitar, but when you go to record your mix there's this annoying woofing sound in the mid range you can't get to go away because of the pickup selection, you'd wish you'd have considered it sooner. Trust me LOL. That being said, a focusrite scarlett is under 100 bucks, and reaper (DAW) is free. I encourage everyone to try and set up their own little recording booth and test for yourselves.

[@h0tsex0r]

If you are middle-aged people you may be unable to hear any distinctions above 8k-10k which will be very noticeable to younger listeners.

[@davemaverick8438]

@@h0tsex0r frequencies above 10k in distorted guitar is just unpleasant sizzle which is subdued and eqed in many cases, which doesnt define core /body and character of guitar sound anyway... and people over 50 can hear up to 12-14k ...

[@sanny8716]

@@DudeMcGuybro Don't you just eq the heck out of it anyway though?

[@wills8705]

It's amazing how the JB stands the test of time. All around, it's the best thing out for decades now.

[@Coggler101010]

Can't agree more.

[@alvarg]

legit like I here so many good pickups but then here JB again and I'm like yeah that's better.

[@GabrielSouza-yk9yz]

Yeah, best humbucker ever made, works almost with everything

[@LukeCannotSkate]

I've tried so so many Pickups. Here I am after 10 years, JB in both guitars. Clean is great, crunch is great, high gain is great, clarity, punch, warmth, all those attributes.

[@sleevelessace]

yup! so glad i bought one for my kramer baretta special it transformed it into a machine

[@mystdeisanto9647]

I hated EMG 81 for years with no reason because read dozen people say them bad in forums. Then one day I tried one, and I was blown away. That's the sound I've been searching for years! Tight, articulate, and clearest & punchiest mid I've ever tried!

[@therapscallion23]

I have 60/81 powered with 27volts. damn, i loved it so much.

[@Nasty_Riffs]

Just bought a KH-602 and has his signature bonebreakers, my mh1000 fr has 81s. The 81s completely blow them away, they most definitely destroy the passives emgs in my jackson and alexi as well. Will be putting a 81/60 combo in the kh asap. Not even looking at anything else.. Pretty sure people are buying other pickups because they are popular and their favourite players are using them.. because they get paid too, remember that guys.

[@IcedFIame]

@@Nasty_Riffs Bonebreakers are EMG 81/60A set with a green logo.

[@stolenlaptop]

You know something funny my experience is backwards. I wanted a emg 81 so bad then when I got one I didn't like it as much as the cheap passive I had. I use them in a few guitars still but they just seem lifeless to me.

[@JA-ng7yo]

I learned not to listen to the ones that this one is better than that one. It's all what you're looking for in a sound. I really like my sd black winters.

[@Raivis909]

JB is really impressive, it plays almost everything. Even though Nazgul is more percussive and tight to my ears, JB is still a kick ass pickup. Distortion sounded super cool as well. It had that chonk sound to it.

[@SapperRJMorgan]

Agreed.

[@willch19]

I really liked the JB but I ended up settling on a PAF... for metal believe it or not. It's really chimey and crystal clear on the upper register with the right amount of mids too. I couldn't believe it myself after all those years of pickup swaping from dimarzion titans to nazguls to invaders. The low DCR PAF beats them all. There's plenty of gain in the Plexi or JCM and a horizon drive to really make it chug.

[@DavidRavenMoon]

The Distortion is a JB with a big ceramic magnet. An Invader is a Distortion with big pole pieces. 😃

[@Raivis909]

@@DavidRavenMoon Never liked how Invaders sound in sound demos, weirdly enough.

[@OokisMcFlookis]

I agree 100%. I like you

[@WillVRam]

RIFF MODERN 1 ( 4:59 - 6:04) 4:59 Sey JB 5:10 Sey Naz 5:21 Fish act 5:32 Fish pas 5:43 81 TW 5:54 81 6:05 Sey Dist 5:03 Sey JB 5:14 Sey Naz 5:25 Fish act 5:36 Fish pas 5:47 81 TW 5:58 81 6:09 Sey Dist 5:07 Sey JB 5:18 Sey Naz 5:30 Fish act 5:40 Fish pas 5:50 81 TW 6:02 81 6:14 Sey Dist RIFF MODERN 2 (6:15 - 7:31) 6:16 Sey JB 6:27 Sey Naz 6:38 Fish act 6:49 Fish pas 7:00 81 TW 7:10 81 7:21 Sey Dist 6:21 Sey JB 6:32 Sey Naz 6:43 Fish act 6:53 Fish pas 7:04 81 TW 7:15 81 7:26 Sey Dist 6:23 Sey JB 6:34 Sey Naz 6:45 Fish act 6:56 Fish pas 7:07 81 TW 7:18 81 7:29 Sey Dist RIFF MODERN 3 (7:13 - 8:51 ) 7:32 Sey JB 7:43 Sey Naz 7:54 Fish act 8:05 Fish pas 8:16 81 TW 8:27 81 8:38 Sey Dist 7:37 Sey JB 7:48 Sey Naz 7:59 Fish act 8:10 Fish pas 8:21 81 TW 8:32 81 8:43 Sey Dist 7:39 Sey JB 7:50 Sey Naz 8:01 Fish act 8:12 Fish pas 8:23 81 TW 8:33 81 8:44 Sey Dist 13:33 Sey JB 13:44 Sey Naz 13:44 Fish act 14:06 Fish pas 14:16 81TW 14:27 81 14:38 Sey Dist 14:41 Sey JB 14:52 Sey Naz 15:03 Fish act 15:14 Fish pas 15:24 81TW 15:35 81 15:46 Say Dist Love the video. Thank you! Favorited this one!

[@corytaylor8673]

I did it blind first time. Every time the JB and fluence passive were the ones I was loving. I'm always amazed how well the JB holds up. Great video as always!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Awesome! Thanks

[@ronnieredneck9162]

I’m telling ya the JB is an absolute classic for a reason. I go back to it over and over. Another one for crunch that always gets me is the Distortion .. always grabs my attention . Generally not a ceramic guy though. Now that I said that I’m thinking Nazgûl for a drop B LTD Phoenix. My LTD Evertune EC is drop c or c# is already a JB. I think the added articulation of Nazgûl might just be the right fit. It’s a little cooler and sweeter. I want the black metal phoenix but feel like I’m missing the boat if I don’t get the classic me with the custom and the phat cat. Just seems like an all around winner. But that black metal with the charcoal Nazgûl…😮hot Damn that’s sharp.

[@duartelucas8129]

The fluence active sounded awesome on the heavy 2

[@giopereperez4532]

Completely agree jb is more colorful and balanced and the fish man fluence passive same thing just with a modern touch

[@nelsonward7981]

@cory taylor, my thoughts exactly. The EMGs sound fizzy

[@cpamiseso]

JB is amazing, it really survives through times and era. Still holds some sound til date. Had one, and plays well still from metal back in the days and now more into rock/blues stuff.

[@apidas]

bruh, that's the basic one. you simply stuck with the default and didn't bother to try the others

[@M.S-Music]

@@apidas You seem like someone who falls for marketing. The JB has been around for ages and still handles everything well, countless great albums have JB´s on them past to date. just tweak your amp and enjoy....

[@cpamiseso]

@@apidas Well, dude, I tried every number you can toss it to me. SH1 to SH15 I literally bought/sell and installed in my lab rat Ibanez RG. I found JB is the most liked among others. I like and stuck with default? Good for me I think, it shows I enjoy basic yet versatile. Other than JB, Invader, Duncan Distortion and Dimebag ones are also awesome! Paralel Axis is my 2nd most loved one, I had this one for years as well.

[@jimbo0411]

agreed, the EmGTw81 was the weakest and thin in the mids hollow. The Distortion was pushed 80's mids weaker bottom end. The Jb the best. Active stuff is tight but flat.

[@ScottFuckinRitchie]

All the pick ups didn’t sound as different from each other as I was expecting them to like changing the speakers

[@Rouwiinator]

With PUs there's definately a more subtle difference especially when only comparing Humbuckers but there are some that might differ a little more. When considering different PU types like single coil or p90 I think you can have quite the difference.

[@jrannanpaa]

I got same impression and there might be two root causes for that: 1) mahogany through body construction ”eats” the characteristics (found little similar with my LP) or 2) the artificial SW amp spoils everything. Might be both to some extend…

[@ScottFuckinRitchie]

@@jrannanpaa I think that pickups just don’t matter as much as we thought. Now changing to a single coil or paf would change it more, but still not nearly as much as changing the speaker.

[@jrannanpaa]

@@ScottFuckinRitchie, I agree on that with this kind of setup, however, if more versatile real amp and/or guitar would be used, the case would be very different. ESP/Ltd Phoenix + compressed heavy distortion + SW amp setup suggests, it does not matter that much. In fact, this is a setup I personally dislike just because of this. And this video just underlined what you wrote with given circumstances.

[@AniJudaism]

When you are going for distorted muddy tones you’re not gonna get much of a difference because the gain drowns out the tonal variance. You really hear the difference in pickups in clean tones and also bluesy slightly overdriven tones. I don’t know why metal people even swap out pickups because they aren’t gonna get a difference in the pickups when they say “let’s distort the sound of those pricy pickups”

[@JDubbHawks]

The nazgul sounded like the jb but tighter and heavier. Amazing!

[@thechrisricci]

I always liked the Duncan Distortion. It's got a nice growl. But I was surprised at how similar all the pickups can sound.

[@stefevr]

I LOVE the fact you keept the riffs going without a gap as most people do, this might be the most well thought out pickup comparison I've seen, subscribed!

[@12to3Guitars]

The fade-outs/silence between takes in other videos totally throw off my ear. Definitely agree- great video.

[@OnyxSkiesXIX]

It really wasn’t expecting it but that JB just killed it, definitely my fav all around.

[@togelz]

There is a reason that JB usually is one of the first few names we hear when talking about pickups in general, too the point it almost becomes industry standard (personally i'd say it is an industry standard), not only JB have a chunky bite if you wants to play rock/hard rock/metal but it also versatile across many genres

[@anthonydavella8350]

Between the Dim Super D and the JB there really isn't much left to improve

[@seanortigoza4727]

The way you come up with these riffs are just so mindblowing. It's not that complex but the rhythm and simplicity is just so gnarly.

[@nathanv.4397]

With all that gain the differences start to become subtle. I really appreciate videos like these. Thanks for the work

[@eddieotvazhin1026]

EMG 81 and Seymour Duncan JB my favorite on this video, And of all time. Thank you, beatiful comparsion.

[@OfficialSNMvids]

I might be a little biased, but I preferred the EMG 81, and I've been playing on that pick up for over 20yrs ;) This is probably one of the best pickup comparison vids out there kudos!!! \m/

[@mattwalsh9413]

Yeah theres something different and cool about the 81.

[@_mysilentblue2227]

Duncan Distortion is my first pick and I'm blown away how timeless the JB is, made in 1976... WTF??? Very nicely done, great comparison. I'd like to hear a totally dry, pickup to the interface and thats it no amp no cab, just to hear with no coloration at all. As always you really do great, clear, concise comparison.

[@kipkorner]

Finally a comparison video that actually makes sence! so many times you have a let's compare these 2 humbuckers, puts one in a strat and one in a SG.... Thanks for the effort! amazing video!!!

[@UMCmetal]

great test, thanks a lot for the time invested!

[@martin3076]

The JB and the 81, though different, just really nail their sounds. I liked the clarity and edginess of the Fluence Active and fullness of the DD. The Nazgul shifts the resonant peak for a more articulate, modern sound. These slight differences in tone would help them layer well in a mix. But if I had to pick just one it'd be the JB.

[@ronb7481]

It was only the SH-6 that I found stood out as noticeably different, brighter. Was great to see the old JB able to be in the pack.

[@ChaoticWrath]

As a relative newcomer to this topic, this is hands down the best video format I've seen. The side-bar highlighting each individual pickup by name and timeline in the video was an absolute win, you earned a subscriber!

[@randolphcarlisle2976]

Why does this have to come out right before work! I'll watch it later, thanks for the upload, Jon!

[@mattewins5424]

Genuinely shocked by the Nazgul & Fishman in active setting. I have LP’s with the 81 and JB in them and love them both, but those other two have opened my mind to alternatives to try. Great comparison video!

[@BrianAasen]

Duncan JB! And the EMG 81TW on second. They would sound amazing in a mix together! And also, amazing playing as always!

[@TheMirrorify]

Your comparison videos are gold standard.

[@mattmengel4622]

Yes!! Finally a comparison with chug parts! Just what have been waiting for. No one does heavy chunk crunch playing when comparing pickups. Also thank you for giving your thoughts. You played it you felt it, your opinion matters. And yes I have played most of these pickup and your thoughts are right on par. Thank you!

[@tonycarpaccio9550]

Holy crap the JB really sounds amazing.

[@zakkwyldesdmf13]

Now you know why the Fishman is loved by so many - it has the ability to really sound modern, yet the passive mode clearly resembles the JB.

[@FrankyFeedler]

Amen. Always preferred my Fishman-loaded guitar cause it has these airy mids sitting right there where I like 'em. Nice modern rock on lower gain and open and aggressive on high gain. Switched various guitars over since. You'd think some EQ could do the same and I tried, but it's just not the same in response.

[@manelalentorn]

Amazing Comparison! Congratulations!

[@patmanfirst]

amazing work ! big TY !

[@eds4754]

great video and well put together! I liked the JB most on almost every example here. Distortion was cool, and from the actives the 81 was my favourite (although maybe a little plain compared to JB and DD).

[@Nghilifa]

They all sound great really. To be honest, if the pickups are somewhat similar, in terms of output etc they'll sound similar imho. For me these days, I'm more "concerned" about what speakers I'm playing through than what pickups I'm using. Thanks for doing all this work though, you deserve a lot more subscribers!

[@voodoocustompickups2547]

Pickups are the very beginning of your signal chain, I'd consider them pretty important for shaping your tone

[@LandsOfDespair]

@@voodoocustompickups2547 Of course they are important, without them you will not have a signal :D But seriously, this comparison shows that you just need any of the good standard branded pickups. Less time you compare something - more time you are playing or writing music.

[@stevenkenny6586]

81 is still my fav pickup of all time lol. great vid!

[@borhksalduero9259]

Duncans are just pristine, articulate and simply my go to for me aaaaaaall the way!!! Nice comparison mate.

[@johnconnor6706]

Do a comparison with some Dimarzios, too. Get a Dominion, D-Activator, and Super Distortion and put them up against the JB, Custom, and EMG 81. That would be stellar! I'm really digging the tone/sound of the Dominion and wonder how it would fare against the others.

[@steelo_g]

Hell man, even the Tone Zone in my RGEW521 is amazing! I think the Tone Zone was DiMarzio's answer to the JB

[@dissonantstyle]

Maybe throw in an Evolution as well! One of my all time favorite PU's

[@r1deftone]

Love the 81's but I find myself lately going back to JB's. They just work well with every guitar and every amp.

[@JacobNates]

This was a fantastic comparison!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Thanks!

[@theRodofwar]

GREAT COMPARISON VIDEO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONE OF THE BEST ON KZbin !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TheGhostGuitars]

I always have loved the JB & and the Distortion, I have them both in a variety of guitars in my herd. They're much more versatile and works handily with almost any amp, pedal and guitar setups. Not to mention also very versatile in many genres and styles too. I've paired with so many different neck HBs with them, including a few middle output bridge HBs.

[@scottchamley181]

I'm a Duncan Distortion guy. However, this is a great video and I would gladly record other players using these pickups. Nice job!

[@springbloom5940]

SH12 all day, everyday

[@theharvardyard2356]

I've got Distortions in one of my favorite guitars but ironically I think I liked their sound least in these examples

[@blessedheavyelements8544]

Dayum!!!!! A LOAD of work not only to perform but to edit and make a video about. Best Regards and Best Wishes!!!

[@spekenbonen72]

Rocking an SD Distortion in my LP Standard since 2004. Raw like a chainsaw. Thanks for the comparison!

[@mysteriousnova600]

love my fishman's but I can't say I'm biased towards them, these all sound great.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Edit: thanks for the comments everyone! I'm going to also make a version of this comparison through an actual tube amp! Stay tuned! What's your favorite pickup in this comparison?

[@TudorAdrian]

Duncan JB takes this one for me. Still going strong

[@billzade8158]

For me the EMG 81. It's got a mid range thing that just sounds nice, especially for the kinds of music I play. I'd love to see you do an EMG shootout at some point, comparing the classics like the 60, 81, and 85's with some of the newer options like the 57, 66, retro 77's, and the Het Set. That's asking a lot, I know. The Seymour Duncans were great too, and if I'm honest with myself a smarter studio/live gig option as there's no battery to worry about.

[@jcugnoni]

Hard to say, the Nazgul is a good compromise between chug and articulation... But I actually preferred the more traditionnal 'old school' tones from the JB and even more from the Distortion. I usually don't like that much active pickups but the EMG81 has an un-matched character that both the Fluence and 81Tw don't provide. If I had to choose it would be the SD Distortion or JB for my taste.

[@javiereu]

The JB, the clarity and punch is unmatched.

[@lredsel]

It was close, but I was really surprised that the JB was my final pick across the board. Nazgul was really close, and might be the choice if I were using different headphones/speakers to listen to the video on

[@brutalgordonguitars]

Ah the duncan distortion so good i love this pick up tight and brutal 🤘 Great comparison 👏

[@freshestemo]

This is a great comparison video. I wish this exact video was out before I bought my first pickup. That JB though is really good.. I thought it sounded a bit weak, but damn it sounds really good with whatever you throw at it. May have to pick one of those up Great video!

[@moonorbust7740]

Oh no. This man has a million heads and now that he’s doing pickup comparisons…..we’re gonna see him make a wall of nothing but pickups😂 Cheers John, love your comparisons!

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Haha I don't think I will be doing many of these but never say never :) This was just very convenient because of the new Phoenixes I got and because I wanted to swap some pickups out. However, the thought of having one guitar in my collection that I use solely for pickup swapping is appealing. I need to think about it :)

[@moonorbust7740]

Yea that’s a good idea for future videos! I like single humbucker guitars as well, have you checked out the Black Metal series from LTD?

[@SonicDriveStudio]

@@moonorbust7740 haha yeah, they're in this video but definitely check out my last video too

[@akasgsvirgil9503]

This is probably one of the best comparison videos I've seen that really brings out the differences between these pickups. I think the Duncans outperformed the others. To my ear, the JB was the best. Then again, the Duncan JB is legendary. Its probably the best passive pickup on the market. It can be used for everything from face-melting metal to clean jazz. Fun story: Seymour Duncan built a guitar for Jeff Beck from pieces-parts that he had. At the time, Duncan had a prototype pickup that he called the "Jazz/Blues" or "JB". Beck loved the pickup. From them on, even though Seymour Duncan never officially renamed the pickup after Jeff Beck, players began referring to it as the "Duncan Jeff Beck" or "JB". True story.

[@sseltrek1a2b]

wow- the differences between these are all pretty subtle...nice vid...

[@audiobunny1767]

Best guitar channel on YT! ❤ JB and EMG 81, classics.

[@SonicDriveStudio]

Many thanks!

[@Gabetorres1976]

Wow I totally like the sound of the old school Seymour Duncan Distortion. I bet the feel vs the sound is a bigger difference.

[@evilfriends1550]

One of the greatest guitar oriented channels. I can’t get enough of your videos, they are super useful and your tones are always tasty. Keep up the great work! By the way, this video confirms my experience - JB is the tastiest and juiciest as far as melodic stuff and generally awesome but its low end isn’t as powerful or as tight as some competition, Nazgul is more modern and clinical, tighter, cleaner and I think also more similar to the Alpha/Omega set which I personally play in my main axe. Fluence Voice1 is very focused with a mid push, tons of clarity and is shifted in frequencies so a lower spectrum than the rest, feels less lively in comparison but fits the mix cleverly, Voice 2 is like a clean modern twist for a passive pickup (I just received those, can’t wait to put them into my 8 string and test them for the first time!), EMG is an awesome one trick pony, legendary for heavy riffs but not very expressive or tasty for bigger chords or lower gain crunch tones; also yes the TW seems different and I also prefer the regular 81 based on this video.

[@graphman8402]

thank you! You saved me from wasting time and money on these pickups, several of which I was considering purchasing... cheers!

[@alexsargeson]

Love your videos, awesome content. Been looking at both the black metal and Arctic metal series. For me I liked the EMG 81TW the most, then the JB.

[@beforehonour]

I didn't expect what my ear told me: The JB can crunch and has lots of definition, so it was the best for me. And the one pickup that was noticeably different (in a bad way) was the Fishman Modern Active, which seemed too mid-forward and kinda compressed.

[@pietarivuola]

The JB is an incredible pickup IMO. Shame that it's not available for 8-string guitars, as the brightness of it would be very much needed there. The Nazgul is thankfully very close, so I might end up getting it... Thanks for the comparison!

[@pgman5416]

So between these pickups and your consistent playing, i first played this video without looking and the tone differences sounded so smooth and “normal” i wouldve just chalked it up to being deliberate in the writing or mixing. They all sound amazing and compliment each other here.

[@guitardude32787]

This was a great demo dude! That nazgul is just something else. Also interesting hearing the fishmans and emg's adding so much more low end compared to the duncans.

[@x3a3x3]

I’ve been using Duncan JB’s for almost 25 years, they are very versatile and sound good for everything. Maybe not the heaviest for modern metal but they hold themselves against the other pickups here very well.

[@zartizzfire9648]

So telll me what is the heaviest for modern metal, answer fast....

[@mdwayne741]

Definitely....can hold it's own, if not win.

[@chrisb5561]

Always been a fan of the JB and the EMG 81 but the Duncan distortion actually sounded the best to me

[@timbuk1126]

It's definitely the most aggressive

[@rexomusprime]

This is a great demo and comparison. I can hear the nuance and subharmonic variations between the pickups. I've been using EMG 81/85 for years. Sound great on one of my guitars, but not as good on a another. I really like the sound of the Seymour Duncan Nazgul, it had some nice clarity and bite in the mids. I will give those a try.

[@Altarzu]

Great comparison! Txs!

[@Samana009]

My opinion... all are sounding marvelous and the differences are absolutely negligible

[@mattmengel4622]

It’s hard to tell a difference when listening to KZbin. If you played them yourself you would hear and feel the difference….believe me.

[@LandsOfDespair]

@@mattmengel4622 Difference that worth 100$ per pickup, will not be heard in a regular mix and can be pretty easily thrown away with some EQ? Nah :D

[@stell4rt]

@@LandsOfDespair At first I thought that too, but having EMG's and fishman, use EQ all you want (and I have a rectifier so I don't think the amp is an issue), you just can't make them sound the same. I don't know much about sound engineering but being engineer, I would guess that you just can't simply make two pickups sound the same by only modifying great subdivisions of their spectrums. You would have to act on way shorter spectrums, close to the spectral sampling that the amplifier can resolve, let's say, 10 channels in bass, 10 in middle and 10 in high. You quickly realize that's never going to happen.

[@spikesguitarcamp]

They all sounded pretty awesome. I would say the Fishman Modern Active was my favorite all round, but the JB sounded amazing in the beginning with that sort of cleanish breakup if you could call it that..but really, were any of them noticeably worse, or better? No..and bro, that was some pretty badass guitar playing BTW! 🤘

[@HotRats73]

Great video! I love the distortion (I have then in my explorer) and the jb sounds super classic. The nazgul is a great modern pickup for sure.

[@msnrc]

Sick sounds!

[@tmtmtmtmtm]

JB still sounds the best to my ears. For a 45-year-old pickup that should really tell you something. Super balanced and articulate without leaning too hard into any style. Mr. Duncan is a god in the guitar community for a reason. Never overpriced either.

[@jeffwombold9167]

Even after putting a SD super distortion in a guitar years ago before I knew of such differences, and having many other guitars since, I still feel the SD has the clearest voice without being "sterile". It seems like it can bring out the nuances without sounding scratchy.

[@timbuk1126]

DiMarzio Super Distortion?

[@jeffwombold9167]

@timbuk1 Seymour Duncan. I don't think they call it the super distortion anymore, they renamed it, but I'm not certain of what.

[@timbuk1126]

@@jeffwombold9167 it's always been Duncan Distortion since 1980 when it was released.

[@jeffwombold9167]

@@timbuk1126 that's possible. I may have bought it even earlier than that.

[@timbuk1126]

@@jeffwombold9167 that would mean you have one of the OGs.

[@dylangadwa3119]

As much as I love NGD and NAD... New pickups excite me just as much when it comes to tone. As a kid, I swapped the stock pickup in my white Aria Pro II explorer with a DiMarzio X2N and holy shit... I was HOOKED on pickup rolling from that day forward. Thanks for another great video.

[@booganaga123]

Great video! The Nazgul sounds so good. I've been curious about the Fluence series but there are soooo many models now. If you did a video like this with some of those (specifically I've been looking at the Will Adler and Kieth Merrow ones) I would be super grateful! Thanks again for a fun video - great song to showcase how they all sound across the musical range.

[@teatime6414]

I think from the demos I’ve seen the Abasi ones are the best. Also there is another voice for clean. I think the fluence moderns lack a little in the clean department.

[@hawaiianpizza7]

I’m surprise at how JB always stands out and be that versatile in all “sound test” videos. Nonetheless the rest still sounded amazing and not significantly off.

[@Saurion1]

JB hands down, that pickup kicks some serious ass. Nazgul close 2nd.

I got a JB a few months ago and I'm impressed how much my sound got more strength. It is an undoubtful choice if you wanna play metal.

[@aligejter]

Amazing content, thank you.

[@Vestu]

I've been playing EMG81 for 15 years and it still is awesome for tight, punchy, low-tuning metal riffage but these days I'd prefer something a bit more... stringy, sparkly, breathing. So, Seymour Duncan JB and Distortion really stood out for me. Nazgul and The Fishman sound like they're meant for that modern, djenty metal sound with some mid-range punch.

[@timjenkins502]

To be honest my 2 favorite were the Nazgul and the Distortion, with the Modern (passive voicing) a close 3rd. The EMG81tw was my least favorite

[@normal.username]

Same here, though passive Modern and Distortion is 50/50 for me for 2nd. Edit: though I would probably prefer the Pegasus or Omega over any of these.

[@Raken531]

Dude, thanks for the video man, really great comparison. Already own a JB which I love, but was thinking about other pickups for other guitars, but I might stick with the JB after listening to this.

[@ishapeitsok]

your backdrop is the happiest image i can imagine!

[@ronnieredneck9162]

I’m telling ya the JB is an absolute classic for a reason. I go back to it over and over. Another one for crunch that always gets me is the Distortion .. always grabs my attention . Generally not a ceramic guy though. Now that I said that I’m thinking Nazgûl for a drop B LTD Phoenix. My LTD Evertune EC is drop c or c# is already a JB. I think the added articulation of Nazgûl might just be the right fit. It’s a little cooler and sweeter. I want the black metal phoenix but feel like I’m missing the boat if I don’t get the classic me with the custom and the phat cat. Just seems like an all around winner. But that black metal with the charcoal Nazgûl…😮hot Damn that’s sharp.

[@harryhewson2382]

I also play in Drop B and got a Pegasus in my JEM77 and prefer it to the Nazgul for my weird style of post metal/grindcore/death metal. For my tastes, the Pegasus offers more warmth and bloom to chords. It's not a "tight" pickup but is more "focused" in the low end. I do have a Nazgul in my Jackson 7 string that sounds cool for HM-2/Entombed worship.

[@Wheresthepepsibismol]

I'm not a guitarist but a bassist I got a Squier Precision bass in C# standard with EMG HZ pickups.

[@MH-sn6hg]

The one thing that EMG has are some call it "balls" or "beef", in other words, they sound thick. Those who love the SD Distortion, would also love the brutal Custom 5.

[@rezolution6272]

I have the JB59 and the Fishman Fluence Moderns (Active) and not being bias, your comparison reinforced the value in my buying choices. Great tone btw \m/ \m/

[@chapichale1074]

JB 👌🏻 to go for.. my ears. 😍 Loved the comparison.

[@GearStuffandThings]

The fluence had some nice attack that the others did not. That being said they all sound perfectly usable. JB and Fluence speak to me.

[@SkibidiEugensson]

Fluence Actives do sound something line a single coil on a high gain indeed!

[@geno_crazed0308]

Hah, Did not expect to like the normal EMG81. Something about it just sounds right. The Duncan Distortion sounded somewhat similair but felt more alive. It's in almost all my guitars currently. I've noticed that that the Nazgul was a bit more woofy and aggresive. The fishman was quite annoying in the higher frequencies for my ears.

[@_mysilentblue2227]

yep same here, the fishman nasaly sound, I'm not a fan of the tube screamer either, similar tone.

[@geno_crazed0308]

@@_mysilentblue2227 yeah tubescreamers etc didnt really add anything for me. But it for sure work for others!

[@adrianhellstrom2927]

Emg 81 is like the default metal pickup for me because its very neutral sounding with good mids, just change amp and pedals to find the sweetspot:)

[@evo9467]

This was very cool. Seymor Duncan JB takes it all for me. I really enjoyed this comparison. They're all musical. I find the Seymor Duncan JB to have just the right balance of bite, bottom end, mid punch, and just the right amount of brightness without being thin. The Nazgul was a bit thin or bright to me, but my second favorite. The others didn't stand to the same standard to me, although they are very good. This is what is so cool about such a side by side comparison. Thank you for making this video. I was thinking of swapping my bridge pickup to a DiMarzio, but I will now be considering the SD JB.

[@AudioStream7]

That was perfect, thanks!! A lead tone comparison would be great too!

[@PopeyeFPV]

They all sound really good actually. But IMO, the EMG81 is the winner. NOTHING BEATS THE EMG81 as its the tightest, most refined.

[@nafis6668]

Less harsh too

[@PopeyeFPV]

@@nafis6668 💯

[@themaggot8]

the bad thing about EMGs is that they only do one thing well and that is high gain, but nothing beats them at it.

[@PopeyeFPV]

@@themaggot8 I agree with that actually. I think the EMG85 in the neck position might be a better choice for clean tones compared to the 81… The 85 being a warmer tone…I love them both.

[@themaggot8]

@@PopeyeFPV I used to love the 60 on the neck, but missed the warmth of the 85, that until the 60A was invented and got the best of both world. Nowadays I much prefer passive pickups, mainly PAFs Gibsons. I still have a 81/60A in my V tho since, to my ears at least, the others pickups that I use couldn't handle low tunings with clarity, and that V is tuned to D with a dropped A.

[@magnumopus511]

Great video comparison. 👍JB still reigns the most versatile, and my favorite EMG 81 still has more spark on the higher crunch.🤘 I'm a bit intrigued with the Fishman "hype" nowadays. So many players swear it's the best pickup today, it indeed has a different character, but this video proves it's not the "best". Maybe the most expensive.😉I liked the "ringy/chimey" crunch of the Fishman as opposed to the JB, Nazgul and EMG's very bright crunch. But hey, they are all great!, I just boils down to preference. I will install each on my guitars for unlimited tonal variations: Ibanez JEM/RG - Duncan JB(neck)/ Nazgul (bridge) Suhr Modern - Fishman passive (neck)/ JB (Bridge) EMG KH2 signature - EMG 81 (neck)/EMG 85 (Bridge)- never change the twins, they are perfect match eversince😆 Cheers!👍

[@apisdude]

nice progression!

[@priyotoshdas2163]

This is a great comparison video. I was thoroughly impressed by the 'Seymour Duncan Distortion', which even outperformed my present favorite 'Fishman Fluence'. Thanks!

[@Kristianfreknu]

They sound really close to each other

[@chugmonkey5033]

Although they seem to be the flavour of the month, I really dislike those Fishman Fluence pickups. In every demo I've heard they always sound really digital or something. I liked the Seymour Duncan's in this video. You should try the SH-10 Full Shred's. I love those pickups.

[@ronnieredneck9162]

Yup …

[@GaijinMo]

Flavour of the month? They've been out for years and have already been used on tons of albums.

[@RyRyTheBassGuy]

Full Shred is my favorite pickup. Both the 6 & 7 strings versions are killer. While, I don't like the Fluence either, they're definitely here to stay. I can see why people like them. Having two voicings is pretty cool even if the difference on the moderns is really slight.

[@HellAwaits72]

Just had a JB & Jazz put in my Soloist yesterday, great all around combination

[@spencer0216]

Dude I enjoyed your riffs more than the shootout 🔥

[@mpexus]

The Distortion has that Grit and Gnarly sound that no other can seem to "imitate". Even the Black Winter (not shown here) is more similar but also because it sounds more HiFi it kinda looses that punch. Hell of a Pickup Duncan manage to make with the Distortion :)

[@DavidRavenMoon]

The Distortion is a JB with a ceramic magnet. So they get three models from the JB coils (also the Invader). You can hear how the ceramic magnet tightens up the low end and adds bite.

[@buhimoth]

No surprises from me, but the EMG 81 absolutely smoked everything. I feel like the Nazgul came second, and JB third.

[@bigguschungus968]

personally I think the EMG's were the worst of the bunch.

[@buhimoth]

@@bigguschungus968 aaaallll righty then

[@slingshotcrazy]

Just had a Nazgul/Sentient set fitted into the ESP 401. The PuPs are worth more than the guitar and some may think given everything else bar the tuners (Gotoh locking) is still stock that this is overkill but, through my Randall RD100H and my Zilla Fatboy cabinet the difference is night and day and I used to want active's in the form of the classic EMG 81/85 set. So glad I gave these a try and they were a straight swap and were fitted in like 25 mins!!! Great comparison, especially love the timeline breakdown of the video with the bar in segments and the PuPs on their own on the right hand side of the timeline!!! You've just gained another sub. Kudos from the UK!!!