Duncan "Everything Axe" set - Opinions?

Midgekey · March 19th, 2006, 11:53 PM

Anyone out there using this set? It's intended for a Strat/3-singles guitar. It consists of a JB jr. for the bridge, Duckbucker for the middle, and Lil' 59 in the neck. I'm thinking of replacing my EMG DG-20 setup with this instead & would like to know what others think of the Duncan set.

My goals are that I want a versatile pickup configuration to cover rock, jazz, and countryish stuff. I'd be putting it into an ash-bodied Strat w/maple board & am looking to tame some of the harsh top end.

Hope I haven't picked a topic that's been covered already. I tried a search for the Everything Axe set & came up empty handed.

Thanks!

rockycreeker · March 21st, 2006, 11:28 AM

I can't say I've tried the Duncan set you mentioned - although I'd like to - but I do have the EMG DG-20 setup in my Strat (I had it in there long before they actually called it the DG-20) and I can't think of a more versatile setup - although I know I'm in the minority as EMGs are "in" like some brands except with heavy metal folks.

My problem is I can't play any other guitar on stage cause I'm so used to my Strat's playability and to the punch and sustain of the EMGs. I know output isn't everything, but I feel I get great tone also with the EMGs - to me they are the working musician's pickups due to their flexibility, low impedance output that drives effects well, their grounding setup that minimizes shocks when you touch a mic, etc, etc.

I would consider the SD everything setup for a second Strat - but for my #1 guitar - I'm keeping the EMGs in. That didn't answer your question, but the EMGs have really worked for me.

Midgekey · March 24th, 2006, 12:08 AM

I agree with you RockyCreeker, I love the versatility of the EMGs, and not having a ground wire is cool too. I have the SA set with an SPC in another Strat, and just adore it.

My story is that I bought this ash Strat intending to put an SA set and SPC into it & "clone" my other Strat. I picked up the DG-20 set as I wanted to replace the pickguard also and thought the DG-20 would be an easy way to do all that. It was about the same $$$, and I also got the EXG control which I had always been curious about anyway. I figured if I didn't like the EXG, I could remove it and add a passive tone control. I was a little disappointed to find out that the DG-20 set doesn't use separate SPC & EXG controls, they're on the same board & I'd have to keep both in.

I found that I really don't like the EXG control all that much, at least not on this particular guitar. I kept it turned down most of the time, as any treble boost was too ice-picky. I also found that I liked how the guitar sounded acoustically, but I wasn't getting that sound out when I plugged it in - which is not my experience with the other guitars that I have put EMGs into. So over the weekend I removed the hybrid EXG/SPC control set & replaced it with an SPC and a passive tone control as an experiment. This worked much better for me.

The ash axe has a distinctly different voice than my other Strat, (Ash and alder really do sound dramatically different from each other, much more than I had thought possible, or had noticed until I really got to spend time with both...), but the acoustic tone of the axe is coming through nicely and I like it a lot now.

I'm still interested in finding out more about this Duncan set, but will probably keep the EMGs in this axe for the forseeable future.

March 19th, 2006, 11:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
Midgekey TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Woodbury, MN Posts: 28	Duncan "Everything Axe" set - Opinions? Anyone out there using this set? It's intended for a Strat/3-singles guitar. It consists of a JB jr. for the bridge, Duckbucker for the middle, and Lil' 59 in the neck. I'm thinking of replacing my EMG DG-20 setup with this instead & would like to know what others think of the Duncan set. My goals are that I want a versatile pickup configuration to cover rock, jazz, and countryish stuff. I'd be putting it into an ash-bodied Strat w/maple board & am looking to tame some of the harsh top end. Hope I haven't picked a topic that's been covered already. I tried a search for the Everything Axe set & came up empty handed. Thanks! __________________ - Mjyke "I'd like to help you out, but I've got these sacks..."

March 21st, 2006, 11:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
rockycreeker Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 377	Re: Duncan "Everything Axe" set - Opinions? I can't say I've tried the Duncan set you mentioned - although I'd like to - but I do have the EMG DG-20 setup in my Strat (I had it in there long before they actually called it the DG-20) and I can't think of a more versatile setup - although I know I'm in the minority as EMGs are "in" like some brands except with heavy metal folks. My problem is I can't play any other guitar on stage cause I'm so used to my Strat's playability and to the punch and sustain of the EMGs. I know output isn't everything, but I feel I get great tone also with the EMGs - to me they are the working musician's pickups due to their flexibility, low impedance output that drives effects well, their grounding setup that minimizes shocks when you touch a mic, etc, etc. I would consider the SD everything setup for a second Strat - but for my #1 guitar - I'm keeping the EMGs in. That didn't answer your question, but the EMGs have really worked for me. __________________ Playing music is a permanent sickness

March 24th, 2006, 12:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Midgekey TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Woodbury, MN Posts: 28	I agree with you RockyCreeker, I love the versatility of the EMGs, and not having a ground wire is cool too. I have the SA set with an SPC in another Strat, and just adore it. My story is that I bought this ash Strat intending to put an SA set and SPC into it & "clone" my other Strat. I picked up the DG-20 set as I wanted to replace the pickguard also and thought the DG-20 would be an easy way to do all that. It was about the same $$$, and I also got the EXG control which I had always been curious about anyway. I figured if I didn't like the EXG, I could remove it and add a passive tone control. I was a little disappointed to find out that the DG-20 set doesn't use separate SPC & EXG controls, they're on the same board & I'd have to keep both in. I found that I really don't like the EXG control all that much, at least not on this particular guitar. I kept it turned down most of the time, as any treble boost was too ice-picky. I also found that I liked how the guitar sounded acoustically, but I wasn't getting that sound out when I plugged it in - which is not my experience with the other guitars that I have put EMGs into. So over the weekend I removed the hybrid EXG/SPC control set & replaced it with an SPC and a passive tone control as an experiment. This worked much better for me. The ash axe has a distinctly different voice than my other Strat, (Ash and alder really do sound dramatically different from each other, much more than I had thought possible, or had noticed until I really got to spend time with both...), but the acoustic tone of the axe is coming through nicely and I like it a lot now. I'm still interested in finding out more about this Duncan set, but will probably keep the EMGs in this axe for the forseeable future. __________________ - Mjyke "I'd like to help you out, but I've got these sacks..."