Seymour Duncan SH-2N Jazz Neck

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1978 Ibanez Studio 300
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock neck pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Fusion/Jazz, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Shred
Reason for pickup change: I use the neck pickup for all of my leads. I like a warm, full sound where the notes run together when using distortion. The stock pickup provided this but also gave me a lot of noise and wasn't articulate enough. Also, I wanted a brighter clean tone for jazz riffs.

Perceived output level: Medium output
Tone: Well balanced, very bright and full sounding.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is extremely well balanced and articulate. Very smooth sounding. My lead tones are similar to Allan Holdsworth's tones and this pickup compliments my style very well. I do wish it was a little heavier in the mids, but that's nothing my amp can't take care of.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is perfect for jazz (hence the name Jazz pickup) and good for warm blues tones.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, I might try something for curiousity's sake. But I'm satisfied with the tone and since I went to the trouble of installing it, I'll keep it.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '62 Fender Reissue Jazzmaster
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock japan fender single coil jazzmaster pickup
Other pickups on guitar: seymour duncan sh-6 duncan distortion
Artists using this pickup: ? beats the hell outta me
You musical style(s): punk/surf punk/rock and roll
Reason for pickup change: because the stock jazzmaster pickup was weak, noisy, and didn't look cool

Perceived output level: Moderate,...but loud on the treble
Tone: Enhanced highs, and the bass seems to get lost on the pickup,...very midrange to trebly
Sonic evaluation: being used in my Jazzmaster with 1 megaohm pots (brighter than 500K used in les pauls) run through a pro co rat to a fender vibrolux custom amplifier. with the 1 megaohm pots both pickups are brighter yet can be turned down to gibson style muddyness with the tone pot. it has a very jingly-jangly sound to it, much like a jazzmaster pickup without the annoying buzz and hum. used in rhythm position clean it gets a nice LOUD yet clear and pretty articulate sound. very surfish, but when distorted, it seems really warm, almost too warm and distorts to fuzzy-ness type sound instead of a crunch. really good for ryhthm but don't try to solo with it cause it sounds like shit. the distortion humbucker in the bridge balances it out in the distortion zone,...both pickups used together give a nice sound over all. honestly though i wish i bough a '59 PAF pickup or a Distortion neck to balance out the bridge, but i like it for the surf punk that i play. check out what it sounds like at http://members.xoom.com/coughsyrup and look under THE MILKMEN and download the walk don't run mp3 to hear it clean and distorted in a studio situation,...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: surf guitar/punk/surf punk

Comments: if it was broken i would not buy the same pickup again. i hate it's warm fuzzy distorted sound; i wish it were just a little hotter,...only a little though. compared to a gibson it's pretty damn close to the 498R (the alnico V model used in gibson sg's)

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Washburn J6 Wes Montgomery
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Washburn neck pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Washburn bridge humbucker
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stock neck pickup too muddy, lacked articulation

Perceived output level: Medium output, about the same as the stock one
Tone: Extremely well balanced
Sonic evaluation: Mesa Boogie MK III combo and Line 6 Pod

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Well suited for Jazz or anything requiring clean articulate tone

Comments: This pickup transformed my inexpensive jazz box from a mediocre guitar to a beautiful sounding jazz guitar that compares favorably with much more expensive guitars. It is unbelievable how much better it sounds with this pickup. It has a clear, bell-like quality that lets each note sound distinctly, yet produces a warm smooth sound for soloing.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker w/ adjustable poles, and nickel cover.
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Guild X-170 Manhattan hollowbody
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock Guild SD-1 humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan SH-55 "Seth Lover" humbucker
Artists using this pickup: ???
You musical style(s): Alt-country, and a little Jazz
Reason for pickup change: The stock Guild's were very boomy. The bottom end was flabby, and just plain out of control. Too bad, because their treatment of the highs was dead on. In general Guild makes a decent pickup, but I knew I could get better.

Perceived output level: Substantially less output than the Guild SD-1. I think this would be considered a "weak" humbucker by most.
Tone: If you like the sound of a Tele lipstick neck pickup, you will LOVE the Duncan Jazz model. I think the 2 are identical in flavor. I own an American Standard Tele, and I can get the same sound out of this humbucker. It's that nasaly, bell-like single coil sound... luckily I love it. But be warned - this is not a typical 'bucker sound. It should be described as a "Tele rhythm sound in a humbucker".
Sonic evaluation: I play the hollowbody through a '65 Deluxe Reverb, and it has a very clear, chimey tone. But I don't think jazzers will be all too excited about this pickup, because it does not have that "pop" or honk of a PAF, or DeArmond style. Also, as others have said, it can be Hi-Fi like. There is not a lot of coloration, or compression. But it's clean, clear, and, well... shimmery, I guess. Definitely not too bright - middle of the road in every range (hence the Hi-Fi designation).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I would never put this in the bridge position - no bite. This was an o.k. match for my style, but only because I like that Tele neck sound. It should not be called the "Jazz" model, and I would suggest getting a more traditional pickup for that.

Comments: I wanted to clean up the bottom end of my jazz guitar, and this pickup did that perfectly. The rhythm position on the guitar is now tight, and clean. The combination of the Jazz model in the neck, and Seth Lover in the bridge is unique, and hard to describe. It doesn't sound like much else out there... I like the single-coilness of this pickup (no it isn't tapped), but if I could do it over again, I would get another Seth Lover - it just has more of the traditional jazz, and country type sound I want.
Overall, it's got a neat sound, and it does it well.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Highly modified Yamaha Pacifica
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Mystery-bucker
Other pickups on guitar: SD Alinco 2 Pro HB, Kent Armstrong SC
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Pop, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups sounded very bland

Perceived output level: Moderate - not a 'hot' pickup, though slightly more than stock
Tone: Balanced, open tone. Quite clear and articulate. This PU is misnamed - it sounds good, but doea not sound like Wes Montgomery or Grant Green - It should be called The Hi-Fi
Sonic evaluation: Evaluated in a home studio, through a POD, directly into the PC. I am using an alder guitar with a maple neck. The guitar also has a single coil middle PU and another Duncan HB at the bridge. I use a 5 way Mega switch and push/pull pots for lots of wiring combinations.
This pickup sounds nice clean. It is full and rich as you would expect in a neck humbucker, but it has a little peak in the highs that makes it sounds crisp too. Really Hi-Fi. It is not the sound I was looking for, but it is much better than the stock sound. Single notes sound good with distortion, but chords are reduced to mud.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play pop, standards and limited blues and rock. This PU is designed for use in the neck position, though they wind a version for the bridge position. This pickup produces tones I can use, but it is not optimized for any style. It is a good sounding, somewhat generic, humbucker. It is a little too thick for crunch and too thin for a clean jazz sound. It is supposedly one of Seymour's favorites - I am not sure why.

Comments: If this pickup was abducted by aliens, I would replace it with a Duncan '59 or Seth Lover in an attempt to get a good 50's jazz sound out of the neck position of my guitar. I've been playing for 20 years on mostly Strats and Les Pauls. This is my first wildly customized guitar and overall I am happy with the sounds it will produce. It will stomp any hi$ PRS etc to death, but I will probably switch this PU out for something else soon. It would be great for something, I just don't know what.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Squire Tele
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Fender humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan hot rails in bridge position
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: previous one lacked power and warmth

Perceived output level: clean, mellow and warm
Tone: from Carlos Santana to Herb Ellis
Sonic evaluation: Fender Squire tele through Fender Princeton

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: great for jazz, not great for metal

Comments: I would definitely replace it in any other guitar I may purchase. I've had Les Pauls that didn't sound this good.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 4 conductor

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan JB
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Alternative
Reason for pickup change: The stock neck pickup left much to be desired.

Perceived output level: Standard PAF
Tone: ABsolutely brilliantly clear, a really nice balanced sound, ideal in combination with a JB
Sonic evaluation: Guitar into a Trace-elliot amp via a rapidly growing number of pedals (see jb review). For a worthwhile comment see overall rating.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for alternative, probably not so great for metal or Urrrgh ( i can't bear to say this..... Country (vomit)) (sorry thats not fair).

Comments: I would buy this pickup again without a thought. The sound is everything I hoped for. Its great in combination with the SD Jeff Beck. When split, this pickup has a brilliant sound, going through an amp it, is a bit too trebly, but through a desk into a PA its sounds a bit like an elecro acoustic..No further comment

Pickup features: 4 conductor passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: See SD web site for details

Model of guitar or bass: Carvin Bolt Kit
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Carvin AP-11 SC
Other pickups on guitar: SD Stag-Mag and QuarterPound
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues with some jazz, classic rock, and rockabilly
Reason for pickup change: Building a new guitar

Perceived output level: low to medium-low output humbucker
Tone: emphasizes bass and lower-mids
Sonic evaluation: This is a very articulate and responsive pickup. It captures a lot of nuances of your playing, good or bad. It produces a nice smooth and warm tone and sounds good clean or with a little overdrive. It's really not designed for high gain distortion. It also sounds good split, capturing some of the essence of a standard Strat neck pickup. It does help cut down on the inherent brightness of the Carvin Bolt.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a good choice for blues, jazz, and classic rock sounds. I don't think it would be appropriate for metal or punk styles.

Comments: I've been very happy with this pickup. Its tone really fits in well on slow blues and jazz songs that I enjoy playing. This pickup will be at the top of my list anytime I consider building another humbucker equipped guitar or when I'm looking for a neck pickup replacement. I also considered the SD '59, but I thought that the Jazz would fit better with my playing style.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson telly
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Custom
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Hard rock
Reason for pickup change: Looking for a versatile neck-position humbucker in a hard-rock setting.

Perceived output level: Low-Medium to Medium Output
Tone: Very balanced in all frequencies for the neck position.
Sonic evaluation: Jackson guitar with a VHT, Marshall, or Soldano head and a 4-12 bottom.
This Duncan model excels at clean sounds. It produces rich, full, articulate, and well-rounded tones. The name "Jazz" is very appropriate, because that is the type of music that immediately comes to mind when you hear this pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The main fault I found with this pickup is that to my ears the distorted tones it produced were not very pleasing. Upon Duncan's own recommendation that this model was a good match for a Custom or JB in the bridge, I gave it a try, and it was definitely not what I was looking for. The lead tones weren't mean enough and didn't have that "singing" quality. It seemed to me that the pickup almost resisted overdrive.

Comments: A very good pickup for clean sounds, but it wasn't quite versatile enough for my needs. I would only recommend it for use it in a guitar that didn't have to produce a strong rock tone in the neck position; a '59 is probably a better overall choice for that application.

Pickup features: Passive-Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: custom strat with tele-neck
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: duncan 59
Other pickups on guitar: duncan super distortion,duncan hot stack
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock,jazz,fusion
Reason for pickup change: wanted something loud and smooth!

Perceived output level: very good pick-up,for blues/rock
Tone: extremely sweet sounding!
Sonic evaluation: I am using my strat on 5150 stack with digitech 256 and I can get
beautiful carlos santana sustain with this pick-up also can get
a very muddy sound with tone on 5......excellent when used clean
with chorus reverb!

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

Comments: if it were stolen I would replace it no doubt about it! been playing
for 10 years...own couple of jackson soloists..heard other dimarzios
didn't like them...EMG's sound cool but I hate the battery problem!
I highly recommend this pick-up...try it...you will understand what
I am talking about! excellent on an ES-335 have one of those too!