Seymour Duncan SH-2N Jazz Neck

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: gibson M III
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: SH-1 model 59
Other pickups on guitar: TB-6 Duncan Distortion
Artists using this pickup: me ...
You musical style(s): symphonic metal
Reason for pickup change: The 59 is a very good P-U but it is falling into mush under high gain distortion .

Perceived output level: medium
Tone: some said like a perfected strat P-u : treebles mediums tight basses , but less shiny than 59 model , and amasing definition related to a high resonance peak , not much distortion but.....
Sonic evaluation: guitar into Boss GT-3 and Ampeg VL1002 hooked with the four cable method . I write here for the first time to say i have found the neck pickup . I set it close to the string to get more power and distortion , and it gives it because it never gets muddy even under huge distortion . It's not very sparkly but you can add highs and when you slap the string it scream !! I tried Di-marzio Humbucker from Hell ( good but no basses , that's why people say Di-marzio are more precise ...) and SD 59 very good but not with a heavy saturation . This one is the one if you want punch with your neck Humb .

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All styles for good players only cause it is clear , articulate and it won't scream under a soft hand

Comments: So this is nearly perfect , but for metal you have to boost the signal and add treebles and it works great .

Pickup features: you know.....
Impedence or other specs: you know....

Model of guitar or bass: '75 Les Paul 3-p'up Special Edition
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: various Duncans & DMz's
Other pickups on guitar: SD JB bridge, C5 middle
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Roots, Blues, vintage rock, country, Gospel (old & new)
Reason for pickup change: This guitar is a "sandwich"-body, thin laminated maple neck, from the early days of the Gibson Nashville factory....very flawed sonically; typical of that era. Some folks hold the opinion that the routing for the middle pup also kills some of the tone. I really didn't know much about guitars when I bought it new; it was a Les Paul, you know? It was supposed to be the best! Anyway, this axe has always been EXTREMELY mud-heavy in the neck slot, while lacking brilliance in all positions. It's just never had that nice maple chime like a Les Paul should.

Perceived output level: Better than the crap pups that came with it, but a little less than the previous PAF-type replacements. "Thinner"...but toneful.
Tone: In this guitar, very balanced. Compensates well for the inherent muddiness of the neck position.
Sonic evaluation: Long ago I put DMz Super Distortions in this axe - good for the bridge & middle, a disaster in the neck. Changed neck to DMz PAF Pro - much better, good balance tonally with the Super D's, but still not a clear PAF sound. DMz Super II was the same tone but WAY too hot. Next tried Duncan Pearly Gates N - clearer, better definition and brilliance but still too much down low. Duncan '59 was about the same but with less brightness. Tried a JB for kicks - no good for neck, but made itself a permanent home in the bridge hole. So following Seymour's advice I put the Jazz in the neck slot and VIOLA! The pickup is PAF-ish but "thinner", more articulate, like the ads say - each picked note is more distinct, meaning if you're a sloppy lead player it'll be more obvious with the Jazz. I don't think it puts out much more upper-highs, but the highs just stand out more, a different balance. In this guitar, that lighter low-midrange is just what the doc ordered.
What especially nice is that in spite of this "lightness", the pickup splits well without wimping out. It maintains all of its character while putting a Fenderish zing on top. But sorry - no beautiful Strat quack....just a good usable sound nonetheless.
Finally I can set up the amp for the best bridge crunch tone and still get a wonderful neck sound, dirty or clean.
The Jazz/JB combo also sounds fantastic together. With my Vox Valvetronix I can get a very Bloomfield-y middle tone with several of the models. Even though the two pickups sound very different to my ears they make a magical pair. They both respond well to the same EQ & drive settings.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: My amps now are a Vox AD60 Valvetronix, a Tech 21 Trademark 120, a POD (running thru the Tech 21 outputs), and an old Princeton-Reverb.

Comments: If it was stolen, that would mean the whole guitar was stolen since stealing pickups out of guitars is probably a rather tedious, impractical kind of criminality....I'd buy an Epi or Heritage Les Paul and put the JB/Jazz combo in it.
I've been playing for 40 years now (my God!!!) But I'm still developing my tone ears and getting closer to what I really want to hear coming back at me from my own amp. This Les Paul has always been problematic - it's been a battle getting a good sound out of it but I've had it way too long to just give on it, although several other guitars find a lot more use in my hands. For guys with similar top-less guitars I recommend the Jazz. The seeming "thinness" might seem a little strange or disappointing at first but stick with it, you might find it really brings out your guitar's capabilities.
I haven't tried it but I'll bet the Pearly Gates bridge might also make a great companion to the Jazz neck, being rather thin & twangy as well.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul copy (made out of friggin PLYWOOD)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Fecal Impaction Pro
Other pickups on guitar: a crappy overtone-laden bridge humbucker
Artists using this pickup: guitar teacher, plays jazz
You musical style(s): rock, hard rock, jazz, fusion
Reason for pickup change: the stock pickups probably costed 50 cents to be made by some kid in a sweatshop in a country where they have no guitars! Old pickup was too noisy, not loud enough, inarticulate, muddy, not enough presence at all, couldn't cut through jelly!

Perceived output level: Medium, probably wouldn't overdrive much, but I wouldn't know
Tone: Plenty of mids, VERY nice clean sound
Sonic evaluation: I run this baby into a Fecal Impaction guitar (haha... a Les Paul copy made of plywood and a fake top), and into a Peavey Bandit (mmmmmmmmm... yummy). I used to play with a Godin Radiator, and it's stock pickups didn't do the job. The godins have a cool sound and all, but playing hi-gain got to be a real hassle, on top of the feedback and noise, and pick-attack that was comparable to headbutting your guitar.
This pickup is GOOD. The main benefit of using it is a really articulate sound. You could play John Petrucci or Steve Morse type runs on a dirty channel without getting a headache from the heavy pick sound. Clean, it plays chords beautifully. You can hardly go wrong, just go easy on the Mid and you'll be OK.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play an even amount of heavy riffs to dirty power chords to sustain-laden leads to clean passages and twangy clean riffs. This pickup could cover all those grounds when played with the bridge pickup, but by itself it's best at lead and clean passages.

Comments: I'd probably buy it again if I lost it, but I might want to try other stuff out. I'm not too big of a fan of the midrange and bass on this pickup, but with some EQ tweaking and blending with the bridge pickup, this pickup can cover all my bases.
I really can't get over its articulate sound. Tremelo picking is no big deal now!
I'm not completely satisfied, but I need a good bridge pickup with slightly scooped mids to do the trick.

Pickup features: Humbucker passive
Impedence or other specs: No idea

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock 490 series gibson
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan JB Bridge
Artists using this pickup: I dont know
You musical style(s): flamanco fusion with just a touch of indie pop/punk rock
Reason for pickup change: I get bored with my sound quickly,,,stock gibson's didnt have the clean sound I was looking for so I decided to mix things up...

Perceived output level: Hotter than the stock p'ups
Tone: Nice overall job, no mud, not to trebly, not harsh, well balanced
Sonic evaluation: I play straight through a Fender Twin(evil). It was really easy to eq this guitar with this amp to get nice clean and excellent distortion

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: If it were destroyed, I would probably cry. As for the stealing of the pickup-mad props to the man that steals my pickup and not my guitar.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Standard 1979
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Gibson
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Gibson
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, fusion
Reason for pickup change: After 22 with the same PU, I was going to try something new. For 22 years I have been thinking of Seymour Duncan. "Maybe they are a little bit better than Gibson?", but it took a while, before I took the last step to replace the Gibson Humbucker, and now I'm glad, I did.

Perceived output level: Very clear, and at the same time warm and clear, just as Seymour says.
Tone: Therefore, nut muddy at all, it is sweet and balanced.
Sonic evaluation: I use a Yamaha DG 60 digital amplifier. The SDjazz sings and sustains, and are better than the stock Gibson. When I take a big jazz-chord like a G13, you can actually hear every note in the chord. With the stock Gibson, you get a diffuse signal (but still good).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I think, that the SD jazz is good for everything. Jazz, fusion, rock, blues - you name it. There are no problems with distorted sounds, the SD jazz works very good in this area too.

Comments: I must admit, that the SD SH-2 jazz are the best PU I've ever tried. It just a little better than a stock Gibson from 1978/79, but it is an important little step towards a better sounding instrument. It is clearer and warmer, and it makes your instrument goes a class up. It is a much better choise than DiMarzio-PU's, which are too focused on high output (instead of tone), I've tried their AlDiMeola-line.
So after 22 years with my Les Paul Standard, it has now got the PU I was having in my mind all the time. And now I'm going to replace the bridge-PU with a SD Antiquity.

Pickup features: Humbucker voiced for clean
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 85 Gibson SG Special
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio PAF Pro
Other pickups on guitar: JB
Artists using this pickup: Seymour Duncan?
You musical style(s): Typical 30 year old stuff (me being 30ish, that is)
Reason for pickup change: Do we really need a reason?

Perceived output level: Not hot, lower than high gain pickups
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: Fender Twin. Great clean pickup. Very balanced. Nice articulation. Is willing to distort if it has to. Very trebly for a humbucker, but definitely humbucker tone. Great Depth, especially when sitting fairly close to strings. String to string balance out of the box is not great, but can be adjusted with the pickup mounted and the guitar plugged in.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good offset for combo w/distortion pickup in bridge.

Comments: It does what they said it would quite well. I might try something else, but this one is a benchmark for the others. Like it a lot.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom guitar
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: -
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan custom
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): A bit of everything
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone: Warm and smooth
Sonic evaluation: Sounds real warm and good for blues or anything really

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is suitable for the neck position

Comments: Overall its a great sounding pickup

Pickup features: Humbucking, 4coil wiring
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone G400 (SG copy)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epi POS
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Tone Zone
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues, classic-oriented rock, harder rock styles, punk
Reason for pickup change: Stock PU had no definition, muddy.

Perceived output level: Moderate output - more than you'd think from Duncan's website.
Tone: Clear open with well-articulated treble & a solid & smooth bottom end.
Sonic evaluation: Used with a Fender Princeton, with a RealTube OD pedal, sometimes a compressor. Also VS Route 66.
Wow, what a nice pickup! Bluesy runs have a Fenderish smooth, tuneful well-rounded tone, almost woody. But with the authority of a humbucker. Chord work is clean & also authoritative, with no mud. Coil-split, this can give sounds like an electric-acoustic.
When overdriven it maintains its tunefulness, you lose no character. Damn nice pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For blues, occasional folky things, and for the most voluptuous Woman tone, can't be gbeat. Would be good for ska. Not a metal PU!

Comments: I'd definately buy another one. I love this PU. Been playing 19 years, have a Strat, a Ric, and this SG.
This has one of the sounds I always wantred out of an electric, I happy.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Check Duncan Website

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson LP Classic
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock 496R
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan 59er
Artists using this pickup: Does it really matter?
You musical style(s): I guess you would call it Vintage Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: The 496R with it's high output and ceramic magnet made for nothing more than aggressive mud.

Perceived output level: Medium output. Certainly not hot but no lame either.
Tone: Sounds like a perfected Strat pickup.
Sonic evaluation: 2000 Honeyburst LP Classic through a silver faced, tweaked 68 Fender Super Reverb.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: British and American Rock from the late sixties through the seventies. This pickup is an outstanding rhythm and clean soloing pickup.

Comments: If something happened to it, I would get another one. I've been playing since 1967. I have an SG too. Back to the Jazz: I guess one of the major reasons it's valuable is because it's a humbucker with a nice, crisp, tight yet sweet sounding balance, possessing a slight kick in the ass on the high end. I'm a Gibson man but I can appreciate a great sounding Strat. This pickup does it. I can't stand a muddy neck pickup. Obviously the 498R was right out. The Gibson, Duncan and DiMarzio PAF remakes were still too dumpy and tended to fall out on the high end. I really don't feel that the Jazz is missing anything. Unless something better comes along, I'm a happy camper with this pickup. And yes, it blends really well with the bridge pickup.

Pickup features: Humbucker -Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez Artist AM 70 ( semi hollow)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: SH4 on bridge
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to improve overall quality of the guitar and looking for more versatility : no splitting possibility with stock ones.

Perceived output level: A bit weaker than stock Ibanez one, but I can get a good crunchy sound.
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: fender Princeton chorus ( solid state ) for clean and crunch tones. Old italian valve amp for more punch.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Jazz, a bit of blues and ZZ TOP-like boogie

Comments: Been playing for about 10 years with stock pick ups. I changed for more versatility. I thing as many other people this pickup is misnamed : you don't get the fat old tone with it. I was looking for something traditionnal, i got something different and, well, it took me to different feelings, so i dont regret it. This pick up is good whith clean tone, but unconsistant when overdriven. the big surprise is the sound when split : bright, fatter than real single coil, very interesting. It perfectly mixes with the bridge SH4 ( split )giving an out of thick but phase sound.
If it were stolen and i'd still be as poor as i am, i'd buy a warmer one ( benedetto ? ) but would expect it to be 4 conductors and to sound as good as the SH2 when split.
If it were stolen and i were rich, i'd keep that axe like it for modern jazz rock or ECM style, and buy an archtop for trad sounds.