Would you pay $1200 for a set of these Duncans?

[Coyote]

Seymour Duncan Zephyr™ Silver Pickups give you everything you love about electric guitar, but more. Richer tone, more explosive dynamics, more responsive touch, a deliciously dense but wide-open sound.

Zephyr Silver pickups combine four distinct innovations unbound from pickup tradition:

Silver Wire Coils — Known as "The Great Conductor" among metals, silver and silver-plated wire's sonic excellence is well established in high fidelity audio applications, including moving coil phono cartridges, vacuum tube amplifier output transformers and cabling. Just as silver in audio makes music reproduction more convincing and alive, in pickup coils it gives your guitar punchier, jumpier, burstier feel with harmonically dense, dripping tone.

Nickel and Stainless Steel Bi-Metallic Pole Pieces — Combining these two premier transformer metals to shape and focus the magnetic field disturbed by your guitar's vibrating strings further contributes to the vivid, energetic sound of Zephyr Silver.

Glass Fiberfill Nylon Bobbin — Every dialectric material imparts its own sonic properties. In listening tests of new, more stable bobbin materials, we chose glass-filled nylon for slight advantages in definition and detail, as well as excellent material stability and consistent finish.

Cryogenic Treatment — Supercooling materials renders permanent improvement to their grain structure. Also an established enhancement in high-end audio, where cable, vacuum tubes and even entire electronic components are cryogenically treated for improvements in clarity and realism, we achieved similar results for guitar tone by cryogenically treating completed pickups, copper and silver alike. Cryo treatment enhances string definition and boosts the "way huge" potential of your guitar.


Each of these options is now available with any Custom Shop order, but in combination they lend our new premium Zephyr Silver pickups uniquely fast transients, wider but smooth frequency response, deeply rich harmonics, and unprecedented midrange tone density, with audible gains in string detail, articulation and overall definition. Slighter touch produces expressive sound, yet peak dynamics are more explosive, making your guitar feel more energetic and alive. We consider Zephyr Silver the most expressive pickups so far. They are not inexpensive, but from squeaky clean to buzzsaw grind, you'll hear and feel more power, projection and expression from any electric guitar.

Zephyr Silver Humbuckers
Set: $1,195
Single: $595.95

Zephyr Silver Stratocaster® Pickups
Set: $1,195
Single: $395.95

Zephyr Silver Telecaster® Pickups
Set: $995
Single Tele® Lead: $549
Single Tele® Rhythm: $449


Link

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And of course I'm interested...

[Nitro Express]

Cork sniffing. My brother was an audiofile and one his most prized possessions was a tube power amp that had transformers wound with 100% silver wire. The claim was those transformers sounded better than copper wound transformers. I didn't think they sounded any better than my McIntosh power amp.

[neuralfraud]

Cork sniffing. My brother was an audiofile and one his most prized possessions was a tube power amp that had transformers wound with 100% silver wire. The claim was those transformers sounded better than copper wound transformers. I didn't think they sounded any better than my McIntosh power amp.

WAS? Thank fuck for that!

Let's not get into $400 volume knobs and shit now.

I do however, admire your McIntosh. Those guys knew how to make good sounding gear.

/wish I could afford one
//with the IDS-25 speaker system...
///check out http://roger-russell.com

[indeedido]

My standard pickup configs sound just great to me.

[jhale667]

Geez, even if the custom-wound set of humbuckers I'd won HADN'T been free, I know going by the Porter Price list I could still buy at least 3 sets of these! Still, wouldn't mind a "Custom 8" version of that to check out...

[Coyote]

Or a Custom 5...

[jhale667]

Or a Custom 5...

True. Speaking of those puppies, also just picked up an un-oriented A5 (UOA5) to try in a Custom...supposedly less scooped with more pleasing highs than the regular A5...should be getting the guinea pig..I mean, new guitar body back soon, will compare it to the regular ceramic, A5 and A8 to see which makes it scream loudest...


Think I'll hold off on the cryogenic treatment for the moment...

[VAiN]

I think that's just insane. The best rock music in the world was recorded on 'lo-fi' equipment by today's standards.. I'm all about being a guitar snob and all, but that's just silly.

[Nitro Express]

WAS? Thank fuck for that!

Let's not get into $400 volume knobs and shit now.

I do however, admire your McIntosh. Those guys knew how to make good sounding gear.

/wish I could afford one
//with the IDS-25 speaker system...
///check out http://roger-russell.com

Was because of death not because of choice. It took a fatal heart attack to stop his audiophile ways and to get him away from his crazy Japanese audio geek friends.

[Nitro Express]

My standard pickup configs sound just great to me.

If expensive silver wound pickups were the real secret to the early VH tone, I would sell my organs to buy one. Good thing I know Ed wasn't using them.

[jhale667]

I think that's just insane. The best rock music in the world was recorded on 'lo-fi' equipment by today's standards.. I'm all about being a guitar snob and all, but that's just silly.

Yep, there's an old saying about (paraphrasing) "some of the most timeless music ever recorded was made on gear that was probably crappier than what your average kid owns today..."

[Coyote]

True. Speaking of those puppies, also just picked up an un-oriented A5 (UOA5) to try in a Custom...supposedly less scooped with more pleasing highs than the regular A5...should be getting the guinea pig..I mean, new guitar body back soon, will compare it to the regular ceramic, A5 and A8 to see which makes it scream loudest...


Think I'll hold off on the cryogenic treatment for the moment...

What? Ya don't want to preserve anything for the future?

[Coyote]

Yep, there's an old saying about (paraphrasing) "some of the most timeless music ever recorded was made on gear that was probably crappier than what your average kid owns today..."

with less money than the price of an iPod...

[Matt White]

Incredible......

What some people wont waste money on.............

P T Barnum was SOOOOooooooooo right.....................................

[jhale667]

Incredible......

What some people wont waste money on.............

P T Barnum was SOOOOooooooooo right.....................................

Silver IS a better conductor than copper, but holy crap 10x more expensive than a regular ol' Duncan (sale pricing, not list)? I mean, I like regular ol' Duncans...

My inner gearhead wonders if (and a more thorough reading of the link after work makes me think not yet) they eventually offer the full line wound with silver wire, they'd have to completely rework the wind "recipe" for each variation ('59, JB, Custom, whatevs) or it's just the same amount of turns of 43g or whatever wire per bobbin as the regular versions, just silver-flavored... would they sound like enhanced versions of the standard, or completely different animals?


Back to the "classics were made with crappy gear" school of thought...wonder if those pickups have TOO much clarity to achieve "classic" sounds, y'know?

[Coyote]

Back to the "classics were made with crappy gear" school of thought...wonder if those pickups have TOO much clarity to achieve "classic" sounds, y'know?

Isn't that what effects are for? To make your tone all vintage-y 'n' shit...

[Matt White]

Silver IS a better conductor than copper, but holy crap 10x more expensive than a regular ol' Duncan (sale pricing, not list)? I mean, I like regular ol' Duncans...

My inner gearhead wonders if (and a more thorough reading of the link after work makes me think not yet) they eventually offer the full line wound with silver wire, they'd have to completely rework the wind "recipe" for each variation ('59, JB, Custom, whatevs) or it's just the same amount of turns of 43g or whatever wire per bobbin as the regular versions, just silver-flavored... would they sound like enhanced versions of the standard, or completely different animals?


Back to the "classics were made with crappy gear" school of thought...wonder if those pickups have TOO much clarity to achieve "classic" sounds, y'know?

EXACTLY what I'm driving at my friend.......

we both know that the majority of the CLASSIC sounds we lust after were created with (now) PRIMATIVE hardware....in many cases operating in a WRONG manner! LMAO

Too many people think that they'll find that "magic box" which will make them sound like (insert name of fav Guitar Legend)............

We know that the vast majority of "tone" is right in our two hands.........

I was just thinking how reCOCKulous the major mags have become....hawking outrageously priced gear....that no one outside a gigging Professional musician would actually need as the "Great new thing".......

I'll stick to the old "tried-and-true"...and just PLAY!

[Hardrock69]

I think this is stupid. These pickups are for people with more $ than intelligence. And, people who like to brag about having something like this, even though it will not improve their ability to play, their ability to write songs, or their ability to get a good sound out of the rest of the fucking signal path. Granted, pickups are the fifth item in the signal path (Brain->eyes->fingers->strings->pickups), but these things are for snobs who want to buy idiot shit like diamond-encrusted volume knobs, solid platinum fretwire and solid-gold hardware, just so they can boast that they spent $5,000 on a goddamn volume knob, or 13 grand on hardware.

I can understand Seymour wanting to experiment, and cryogenic treatment is a proven fact....saw a 20/20 special on cryogenically freezing engine blocks that blew my mind.

But I guess he just wants to be known as the producer of Rolls Royce pickups.

[Nitro Express]

Yep, there's an old saying about (paraphrasing) "some of the most timeless music ever recorded was made on gear that was probably crappier than what your average kid owns today..."

Very true. Pot metal castings, Kluson unsealed tuners, bent sheet steel chrome plated. It gets no cheaper than an old P-90 or a Fender single coil. I doubt they were carefully measuring windings or magnetic strength either. Fender always bought wood according to price. If ash was cheaper that day they ordered ash if alder was cheaper they ordered alder.

[Nitro Express]

Silver IS a better conductor than copper, but holy crap 10x more expensive than a regular ol' Duncan (sale pricing, not list)? I mean, I like regular ol' Duncans...

My inner gearhead wonders if (and a more thorough reading of the link after work makes me think not yet) they eventually offer the full line wound with silver wire, they'd have to completely rework the wind "recipe" for each variation ('59, JB, Custom, whatevs) or it's just the same amount of turns of 43g or whatever wire per bobbin as the regular versions, just silver-flavored... would they sound like enhanced versions of the standard, or completely different animals?


Back to the "classics were made with crappy gear" school of thought...wonder if those pickups have TOO much clarity to achieve "classic" sounds, y'know?

You can measure the difference with a highly sensitive ohms meter but can you hear the difference. The human range of hearing is quite narrow.

[Nitro Express]

I think this is stupid. These pickups are for people with more $ than intelligence. And, people who like to brag about having something like this, even though it will not improve their ability to play, their ability to write songs, or their ability to get a good sound out of the rest of the fucking signal path. Granted, pickups are the fifth item in the signal path (Brain->eyes->fingers->strings->pickups), but these things are for snobs who want to buy idiot shit like diamond-encrusted volume knobs, solid platinum fretwire and solid-gold hardware, just so they can boast that they spent $5,000 on a goddamn volume knob, or 13 grand on hardware.

I can understand Seymour wanting to experiment, and cryogenic treatment is a proven fact....saw a 20/20 special on cryogenically freezing engine blocks that blew my mind.

But I guess he just wants to be known as the producer of Rolls Royce pickups.

Ha! If you are playing silver wound pickups you need a silver braided cord. A silver wired amp with silver wound transformers with speakers with silver wound bobbins in them. Then you need to bless the rig with urine from full blooded cherokee virgin and sacrifice her to the god of sound.

[Hardrock69]

LAFF MY FUCKING ASS OFF!


My point exactly!

[Nitro Express]

LAFF MY FUCKING ASS OFF!


My point exactly!

If your neighbor has the all silver pickups and you want to out show the fucking bastard then you get the gold wound pickups. The next thing you know he will go out and get the platinum wound pickups and go into horrible debt with a loan shark and blow his kid's college fund just so he has the satisfaction of shitting bigger than you do in the equipment wars.

[Coyote]

If your neighbor has the all silver pickups and you want to out show the fucking bastard then you get the gold wound pickups. The next thing you know he will go out and get the platinum wound pickups and go into horrible debt with a loan shark and blow his kid's college fund just so he has the satisfaction of shitting bigger than you do in the equipment wars.

Lookin' like a douche in the end, 'cause 10-to-1 says that guy can (at best) do "Three Lock Box"...

[jhale667]

I think this is stupid. These pickups are for people with more $ than intelligence. And, people who like to brag about having something like this, even though it will not improve their ability to play, their ability to write songs, or their ability to get a good sound out of the rest of the fucking signal path. Granted, pickups are the fifth item in the signal path (Brain->eyes->fingers->strings->pickups), but these things are for snobs who want to buy idiot shit like diamond-encrusted volume knobs, solid platinum fretwire and solid-gold hardware, just so they can boast that they spent $5,000 on a goddamn volume knob, or 13 grand on hardware.

I can understand Seymour wanting to experiment, and cryogenic treatment is a proven fact....saw a 20/20 special on cryogenically freezing engine blocks that blew my mind.

But I guess he just wants to be known as the producer of Rolls Royce pickups.

The target demographic for these seems to be what in my music retail days we'd refer to as "guitar weenies" - the doctor, lawyer, whatever that dabbled in high school, college and whatnot, then gave up and went on to a "normal" life, yet misses it and is resentful of those that didn't and somehow thinks that buying a $15K PRS somehow gives them some renewed guitar cred, once they can boast "I spent $15,000 dollars on this!" Doesn't make them any less a shitty player than they were, but they think they're getting something else for all that extra $$$ spent. Doesn't happen. Music isn't about "bragging rights".


I'm ALL ABOUT tonal improvements (if one has ability, and a decent basic tone to start with), but this seems ridiculous at that price.

[Nitro Express]

My uncle is a concert pianist. He was in the market for a new Steinway and it so happened that the largest Steinway showroom in the US is in Salt Lake City (A Steinway in the living room is a big status symbol in Mormonland). Anyways he wanted to play as many pianos as he could because they all differ and some sound better than others. The Steinway dealer said most of their sales are to people who never play the piano. They want the Steinway name and they want a grand piano in their living room to make it look more luxurious. He said the up side of that is it keeps Steinway in business so they can make pianos for players. It's the last all handmade in the USA piano company left.

The up side on my uncle getting a new Steinway is he gave us his old Bosendorfer grand. What's nice is two of my kids play the piano and my wife does as well. It's in our living room and my oldest daughter probably plays it an hour a day. She just took to the piano and is a natural, so it's nice to have a nice piano for the family to play.

I see the high end pickups and guitars being marketed to rich people reliving their youth as a income source that keeps companies going that also make more affordable things for real musicians. The high end fly fishing shops around here do the same thing. Wall Street types will fly in here from New York City and buy $1000 fishing reels, $2000 rods, expensive waders and clothes. They will use it to fish for a week, go back to New York, brag about their fishing trip in Wyoming and probably never use the stuff again. But they infused a lot of money into our local economy, created some jobs, and better yet, they leave but their money stays.

[jhale667]

The coils sure do look cool, I'll give 'em that...still wonder if there's a hugely appreciable difference tone-wise...

[Hardrock69]

I do tend to agree, Nitro.

I mean, if Seymour is able to sell these to the guitar-weenie demographic, it will only help his company to survive, and might even create more jobs for some peeps in his town.

Can't argue with that.

[Nitro Express]

I do tend to agree, Nitro.

I mean, if Seymour is able to sell these to the guitar-weenie demographic, it will only help his company to survive, and might even create more jobs for some peeps in his town.

Can't argue with that.

Look at the thing. It's a standard humbucker made from off the shelf components. The only premium in it is the silver wire. Now honestly, how much extra did that cost? Compare the cost to the price and Seymour has a pretty good profit margin.

[Hardrock69]

Silver is at a high mark now....something close to 40 bucks an ounce. But it does not EVEN take close to an ounce to create a single pickup.

It is a cash grab.

I can understand doing it for experimentation, but you are right...no fucking way it costs a lot to make.
No valid reason for charging that much, except GREED.