Catching Up With the Legendary MJ from Seymour Duncan

[@sweetwater]

Thank you for checking out our interview with the Legendary MJ from Seymour Duncan! Watch more interviews with your favorite builders and artists by hitting those Like and Subscribe buttons!

[@scottdunn2178]

Can you just imagine how good Maricela's cooking is?

[@kevinmusso2397]

What an adorable lady. Very kind and devoted to her craft.

[@rb343]

Amazing how many artists have trusted her with their signature sound secrets!

[@docholst5404]

She is a Legend!

[@TractorMonkeywithJL]

Makes me want to buy some Seymour pickups. What a great employee to have.

[@seymourduncan]

MJ's the best! ❤️

[@jerrymckenzie1858]

She is quite the character, and I thought Don did a great job on this interview!

[@rickyjoeshippyful]

I've had a crush on MJ for a very long time now, and now I find out she makes pups AND tortillas harinas...my heart pattered.

[@RobertKeeleyTV]

Her documentation of the pickup specifications over all those years had to be instrumental in transforming Seymour Duncan from pickup winder to manufacturer.

Maricela is a sweetheart! So easy to talk to over the phone. Taking time to chat not just about gear but Mexican food etc... She personally hand wound the pickups for my 2018 Gibson Les Paul!! Lord bless her. A true gem in the musical world!

[@Meanguitarlicks]

She makes the tortillas de Harina!!! she made us some at NAMM years ago!!

[@ejd715]

I personally own over 30 guitars at least 20 of them have modern custom shop MJ wound or 1980s ones wound by her when she was in her early years at the company. We need more MJ's in the world these days.

[@CBGypsy03]

30 guitars !! Whoaaa that's a lot of maintenance no ?? I bet it's a gorgeous collection though 😊

[@themetalchronicles.9557]

I also for some bizarre reason get the vibe that MJ must be an amazing cook. This lady is one of a kind. She deserves her own star in the Rock hall of fame ,that’s for sure.

[@JudgeFredd]

The real unsung heroes of the music industry

[@chrisgreenwood4851]

Remarkable lady! Long life and happiness MJ!

[@MrPresentTime]

The industry - the world - needs more people like MJ. What a wonderful soul. Thanks for featuring her!

[@seymourduncan]

👍 agreed!

[@jan-michaelnelson6571]

Applause!!!!

[@LuisCaballero]

Soy muy afortunado de tener pastillas hechas por esta talentosa mujer :) // I am very lucky to have pickups made by this talented woman

[@FamilyTreeRG]

What a treasure of a video

[@gregmize01]

Cool!🎸

[@ThePeps1776]

She just wound my DDJ for me. Getting it Tuesday

[@TVoltG]

I have 3 Custom Custom "Custom Shop" MJ wound bridge pickups on shelf for future guitars. They are fantastic. They are wound a little more at 16.1k. Huge sounding. I have them in 4 of my Les Paul style guitars.

[@ToneNerdPickups]

Hate to break it to you, but MJ only hand winds single coils. If you got MJ humbuckers, they are machine wound and guided, she's just loading and unloading the machine.

[@MichaelGuy]

I love MJ!!!!

[@IsabellaCatherine19XX]

I have a Seymour Duncan '59 assembled and or/wound by MJ. It's been sitting in a box for years just waiting for the right guitar. MJ is an inspiration and such a sweetheart.

[@georgeezzell4474]

This lady seems to be a great person. She’s such a sweetheart.

[@scottycaps]

MJ has made me numerous pickups and sets. A true legend! Thank you MJ for making me sound better than I am.

[@flapjack413]

MJ is such a rad lady... Legend indeed!

[@nellayema2455]

What a wonderful lady, crafts-person, and brand ambassador!

[@steveskwikstepmusic8343]

Watching MJ wind...it's incredible!!! Her personality is Amazing. What a star!!! God Bless you Maricela!!!

[@이태원-u5r]

40 years... Grandmaster!! and those glasses looks so cool and cute and lovely 👍🖤❤

[@jasonh2254]

I would love too make pickups Seymour Duncan would be my choice for employment wish they had more establishments so I could learn that art

[@AndrewMeixnerYT]

A few years ago I asked MJ for a custom set of Zephyrs and she was delightful and very helpful. Right away I could tell she was a very kind beautiful soul. This video shows her wonderful personality and I'd like to thank her and Sweetwater for this incredible video!

[@enthused7591]

I've heard the name Maricela, but I didn't realize she'd be this much of a legend in the personality department.

[@iagobroxado]

"Salsa & Guacamole" should be the name of Seymour's next humbucker LOL

[@stealingtomorrowband]

What a sweet lady... She has def helped shape the tone of guitarists tones for 40 years..just amazing..

[@markbuzard]

I want to see a movie about this woman

[@jeromehoens6963]

The Queen !!!😍🥰

[@dannydimercurio577]

The SD custom shop pickups I've played are truly special, all hand wound by MJ! I'd definitely recommend the upgrade to any player looking to try something inspiring in their guitar. Thanks for your hard work MJ! Awesome interview :)

[@rb343]

I wonder if she wound any of Dimebag's pickups? She is truly a part of music history.

[@andysixxlett2632]

Hmmm interesting… he was with Bill Lawrence in the beginning and ended with Seymour Duncan. So there’s definitely a possibility

[@billtice5057]

What an amazing woman! Such amazing stories!

[@larryadkisonjr.6141]

I love the brand Seymour Duncan, and my favorite is the Invader,,, this incredible muscle machine is my extension of sound. Thank you MJ,,, I love you, and God bless you, family, and staff always...❤

[@peteytwofinger]

imagine if she was related .... hey auntie , love you , could i get some bell like med low out put alnico sc's with tamales for lunch ? Also i love her style .

[@robert2628]

this Lady is such a sweetheart. 👍

[@user-Brianvh5150bp]

Wow what a wonderful woman she is open hearted to everybody he is wonderful person as well.I really have wanted to try the 78 pickup with Seymour Co. Im sure it is real good props to the best music store I know of for bringing MJ in.

[@tomcoryell]

The soul behind the tone.😎 I want one of those tamales!

[@lfader]

MJ stamp 😳 🔮🪄🪄🪄🔮 Love Maricela Juarez !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mortwally3510]

What a wonderful lady and wonderful talent and a kind soul that is one person that loves her job and is very dedicated to it that is a lost art nowadays👍😎🎸🎼🇺🇸🇱🇹

[@johnmeeks9308]

she is the queen love her

[@danieldaly8489]

That was great ! Thank you for sharing .

[@jeshely]

Sweet Bombón that is an epic new nickname for Seymour Duncan! 😁

[@markjohnson1020]

It's an honor to share initials with you. 😍

[@ramencurry6672]

She’s a god.

[@tankdarla637]

That was great!

[@BillyE5150]

I am honored to own a 78 Model with M.J.’s initials on it. The single most brown sounding piece of gear I own. I bought it used on eBay, but it is still a prize possession. Everything is connected.

[@mikemiller6628]

She is a nice lady with a great attitude and she knows her stuff.

[@jongonzalez6917]

I just received a set of Custom Shop MJ-wound Queenbuckers…can’t wait to try them out.

[@markseven762]

Wonderful lady makes wonderful pickups!! All it comes from inside!! Thank you lady!! I have sold so many Seymour Duncan pickups and three S.D Amps than all the others "salesmen" in Greece because you are far beyond from the other manufactures !! Thank you kindly Lady!!

[@idiotburns]

I have a Iceman with a Jazz/JB set made by MJ in 1982

[@reddsshaker3477]

I have a brand new Custom Shop Alnico Staple P90 for my Les Paul Custom that MJ built. It sounds incredible! ……Thanks MJ!

[@W.Eric.Anderson]

awesome vid!

[@PurerockSmokinBBQandMETAL]

amazing video

[@wozchoppar8387]

I have an old 80s Kramer with a Seymour Duncan PAF copy in it that was wound by MJ. Its an awesome pickup. The original owner must have ordered it from the custom shop. Cheers

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have got one of her PU's :-) courtesy of Mr ZZ. Long story :-)

[@lukeingram7655]

I lucked into a cream "MJ" JB about 10 yrs ago, new in the original box. Unfortunately at the time I didn't appreciate what I had and thought I'd make a few bucks with it on ebay. Sat for a week at $100 no takers. Dropped it to $80, another week nothing. Finally someone offered me 70 and I jumped at it. I look back now and just sigh at the whole affair.

[@ericwarrington6650]

Oh man...hi mj!! I'd love a set from you!!🎸❤️🤘

[@eduardonogueira8566]

💜💜💜💜💜

[@adamwatson6916]

I have noticed that when a seymour duncan pickup set goes from a custom set to a regular non custom shop regular production set their is a noticeable drop off in clarity and touch sensitivity. Not to say that the regular production pickups are not fantastic because they are and i have 4 sets of regular production Duncan's and they are all great but the custom shop pickups just seem a step above the regular ones . I had the chance to compare my duncan whole lotta humbuckers which are the regular production version to the duncan custom shop jimmy page set which both have the same specs but the custom shop set was a different beast and was just superior. The basic tone was the same but with the custom shop set there was just more of that tone . There was alor more clarity with the custom shop set which really says something because the regular ones were quite clear . The custom shop set were bigger sounding and more throaty and more raw . More raw yet somehow more refined. More touch sensitive . The bass and low mids were more firm and refined but yet had more grunt and growl and had thus throaty quality to the low end and low mids that you often only hear in the best gibson pafs from 59 . I have read that MJ winds all of the custom shop orders for the page spec pickups which they don't advertise you have to call and specifically ask for her to wind you a set of the Page spec Pickups . I would imagine MJ being the wimder for the custom shop version makes a large part of the difference and where they are a special order only item and not produced as a regular production model or even ac regular custom shop pickup alot more time can be spent on them and there is more time to pay attention to the finer details . I have also read that the custom shop pickups are made with higher quality components. I love that despite being higher quality duncan custom shop pickups are less expensive then gibson regular production pickups. Gibson wil not even sell the customshop pickups aftermarket

[@MyBichSustained]

Any day now YOU will wound my pickups.....Any day now....I'M SURE OF IT!

[@stevestarr6395]

A beautiful and wonderful woman who I’ve had the pleasure to speak to and have a custom pickup made for me by her. Besos! ❤️

[@redcomn]

Ok imma buy those bonnie set then

[@seymourduncan]

Good choice :)

[@iOnRX9]

i have 2 pickups made by MJ 1 on the way

[@superblondeDotOrg]

Fantastic video.. true artistry and dedication on display here. Though for reliability and precision I'll go with a computer modeled surface mount pickup like fishman fluence anytime, just like I want a guitar made from a CNC machine rather than by hand.

[@jackfriday31]

To me, that's the opposite of how I feel.

[@jeffsquires6620]

I have 3 sets of MJs pickups. Thank you and all the very best always. IRONICALLY all Joe bonamassas.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I want to go to her house for dinner. What a cool woman with a killer story

[@XxStonedImmaculatexX]

I thought she had retired?

[@SuperSeanXXX]

She wound my 78 model

[@seymourduncan]

Yeeesss! GO MJ! The queen of tone 👸

[@RoeShamBoe]

she needs a podcast where she just tells stories!!!!

[@seymourduncan]

now that's a great idea!

[@KSETONMTL]

Gotta tell Seymour to fire up a Podcast series!

[@HeadHunterJujujaja]

Rock history was conceived in the working hands of MJ. That is where tone starts for many of our heroes. MJ is truly a rockstar of here own.

[@thesisters1349]

I wish MJ was my auntie... Duncan pick-ups are the best in the world for a reason.

[@claudiaberumen]

She's mine and she's the best!

[@scottdunn2178]

I have a TB-4 "J" that came stock in my '94 ESP M-ll Deluxe.

[@peteytwofinger]

imagine if she was related .... hey auntie , love you , could i get some bell like med low out put alnico sc's with tamales for lunch ?

[@ArturoMawcinitt]

She’s amazing !! Love MJ 💯🤟🎸

[@Ottophil]

I wonder if shes ever hung out with Josefina Campos

[@MrSmiley1964]

I have 2 of her pickups in my guitars. The JB has been in several different ones, but resides in my Les Paul now. It's nice to see the person behind my favorite pickups.

[@Meanguitarlicks]

Love MJ she is the best!!!!

[@Rwtheking]

Someday I’ll get a custom shop pickup and I hope to have her wind mine.

[@ericwarrington6650]

How many miles of wire does 40 years of winding equate to?! Can you imagine??

[@philipcoaxum8792]

She honestly has wound her style of work to the moon and back by now.

[@rtaylor1105]

We love you Mj

[@InGrindWeCrust2010]

Master and legend. MJ has probably written down or forgotten more about pickups than many winders will ever learn. There are few people who have touched the tools of so many musicians and songs, from the most accomplished and famous to little hobbyists like me. And what a golden personality!

[@SlapMyBass3825]

She is the definition of a legend in the industry.

[@raymckenna188]

That was awesome she just sold a million pickups.

[@ericwarrington6650]

This is a fantastic American dream job story!! Ty Sweetwater for this! Wow what a personality to match this unbelievable story of legendary success in a male dominated industry at the time she started...I'm such a fan of her now...had no idea about the backstory

[@jameslonano5659]

The lady we knew from the sticker on our Duncan pickups became an internet legend in her own time! World famous among the dedicated and hardcore fans of pickups, right up there with Seymour himself. So in honor of MJ, I bought an AL pro II neck and Pearly Gates bridge for my latest project.

[@ahaua1]

Imagine the impact that MJ has had on all genres of music! I hope that she keeps up the good work.

[@rostrosocultos]

The best and the only Queen off Tone!!!

[@heavyjoechipman3594]

She such a sweet treasure! So is Sweetwater. I love you ALL!🎸❤☺💯👍

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

I would like to know the limits of what the Custom Shop will create, or what the Custom Shop is willing to create. Some months ago, I contacted the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop, looking to make a set of Hot Rails in the shape of a Jaguar pickup, but they straight-up told me they don't do that. Or, for that matter, I asked if they could make ANY Jaguar pickups into a humbucker. They told me they don't do that. Sadly, a standard single-coil shape does not fit into a Jaguar, so ONLY a Jaguar pickup will fit. So, how do I get humbuckers for a Jaguar? Who do I go to?

[@jed_shred_guitars]

She is so cool. I just got a el Diablo today from sweetwater and really happy to see her initials on it. The pickup is incredible.

[@EdMan57]

I had several phone calls with M.J. around 20 years ago. I wanted her to wind me vintage spec PAF type pickups with aged Alnico II magnets. M.J. recommended about 10% underwound on the neck position and 10% overwound at the bridge. One set was open coil zebra for my '95 Hamer Studio Archtop and the other set aged nickle for my USA Washburn P-3. Both sets really brought out the character and nuances of each guitar. M.J. was always so funny and charming on the phone, and never made me feel rushed. I might have to have her wind me a new set for my new Les Paul Standard. I'm sure M.J. will again have plenty of cool ideas.