Seymour Duncan SH-3 Stag-Mag

HB with 4 conductor wire for coil split capability.

Installed in a '79 Guild S-300 Lefty in both bridge and neck.
Replaced the Original Guild neck PU and a Dimarzio (Super Distortion?) bridge.

Changed out to these to give more versatility/single coil options.
Dimarzio was good in HB but split sounded way too thin. Guild neck pup was too dark for me.

Running through a Sansamp Tri AC to a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. Also tried it on my Roland Cube 60.
I also put in an on/off/on mini toggle which gives me the option to split to north SC, full HB or South SC which replaced the phase toggle which I thought was kind of useless as it only works with both HB's on and never used anyway. Plus, being a lefty I put the pu's in upside down because of the staggered pole pieces. Now, people have said the SC position is very thin in SC mode but for me using the dual split - the upper (for me South SC) is VERY MUCH like a Strat SC!! I agree that when I use the lower SC option it is very thin, but try the dual split I've done and I think you'll change your mind on this Pup! The same goes for the neck - when you use the coil closest to the neck, BOOM! VERY close to classic Strat. Again maybe it's because I have them installed upside down, but for me these Pup's are staying put!

I would definitely buy these again using the same setup I've mentioned above. I read online about this similiar setup from a man named Alex Hast as he modified his Guild with these pups, but used the full Jimmy Page wire mod. I've been playing for almost 25 years and have been in various garage bands. I've also been in a classic rock cover band for over 11 years. I do own a 1992 Am. Strat with a jb jr. bridge with coil split and love that guitar just as much - so I can compare the tone with that to my Guild. My Strat sounds amazing - classic tone - and the Stag Mags in the Guild comes VERY close - not strat, but very close.

Pickup features: 2 singles coils in-series (passive)
Impedence or other specs: 16.2K or around 8K per coil

Model of guitar or bass: Custom Big Apple Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Specifically chosen for this guitar
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan JB Trembucker
Artists using this pickup: Noone else that I know.
You musical style(s): Metal & Blues
Reason for pickup change: I chose the Stag-Mag (SM) because I was looking for the ultimate splittable Neck humbucker. The following were found: Rio Grande double tallboy (interesting except for the annoying tall structure). The Dually Hot-Gold is close to the Stag-Mag but you must NOW chose between 2x13.2k or 2x6k. At roughly 2x8K the Stag-Mag is perfect for the bridge or with some height adjustments great for the neck.

Perceived output level: One coil sounds very bluesy (lot's of quack), fairly hot (like a Fender Tex Special). noiseless. Great for a searing Blues tone whether it be at the bridge or at the neck.
Tone: I guess it's bright because it's not muddy but it's NOT snappy like a vintage single coil (more like the Duncan Alnico II Single coil then the SSL-1). This is what I like about it - since I'm coming from the humbucker side of the equation the non-snappyness is great to my ears.
Sonic evaluation: Mostly Fat Strats through a JCM 600 with a THD Hotplate (2 x greenbacks). The JCM 600 is like a JTM without the tube rectifer, with a Master volume and more gain.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For deep Blues to power Blues the SM delivers.

Comments: The SM is meant for the bridge since it's about 8K per coil so in-series it's around 16.2K. I dropped it down a bit for the neck and it sounds great. It's like having 2 lower output Duncan Classic Stacks together. So YES, it's perfectly splittable since it's actually 2 single coils put together. Warning: it doesn't sound like a humbucker at all ... but I guess it depends what your feelings are towards stacked single coils. IMO the lower output helps to maintain a SC tone.
To understand it you start with the split mode.
Now the fun part, engage the 2nd coil and you get a clean boost. The volume goes up approximately 50% (maybe more) to my ears which isn't that much but enough if you need that extra punch. The tone stays the same so you can actually play, say, the rhythm in SC mode and engage the 2nd coil for the solo.
The Stag-Mag is probably never going to leave that guitar since it simply suites it perfectly. With a JB in bridge I got all I need for any type of music style.
PS: The Stag-Mag looks mean as can be :) ... like a chainsaw chain.
It get's a '10' because it's so unique and it delivers. LP players looking for a Fender tone ... try a Stag-Mag in the neck. People will be asking questions because they never heard an LP sound so quacky.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Duncan JB
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan JB
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Hard rock, rock, funk
Reason for pickup change: I wanted a single coil sound in the neck position

Perceived output level: normal output
Tone: This pickup sounds very clean in the humbucker mode but has no sustain. When split, the Stag-Mag sounds sharper and thinner than the cleanest single coil I' ve ever heard. It's like an out-of-phase sound and it's very compressed.
Sonic evaluation: I use a Hiwatt 100 w tube amp, a Marshall cabinet with greenbacks, a Yamaha FX 500 effect processor and Boss compressor + noise gate.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is useless for the heavier music styles

Comments: I liked the look of it with the staggered magnets so I bought it.
I soon found out that it sucked so I put the JB back in my SG because it's still the best humbucker I've ever heard. Maybe one day I will come across a full-size humbucker that can really imitate the single coil sound of a Fender Strat ...

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: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Carvin AP-11 SC
Other pickups on guitar: SD QuarterPound and Jazz
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-medium output humbucker
Tone: Very bright for a humbucker
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is one of the brightest sounding humbuckers I've heard. The inherent brightness of the Carvin Bolt brings this out even more. It retains a lot of the character of a Strat single coil in a humbucker. When split, it sounds very much like a standard Strat pickup, although some may find it a bit on the thin side.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It's a good match for someone who wants Strat like sounds in a humbucker package. If you want more common humbucker tones, you probably want to look elsewhere.

Comments: The most surprising thing about this pickup was its brightness, particularly when it was installed on a bright guitar like the Bolt. I wasn't quite prepared for it to be this bright. However, I do like the tone of it since it gives me a nice, hot, Strat-like bridge sound that's hum-free. Rolling back the tone slightly helps cut the bite when I need to. I'm not sure if I would use it again, since I'll probably want to go for a more traditional humbucker sound like that found in the SD '59 or Pearly Gates (which I also considered for this position).