Duncan RTM - Believe the hype!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kapo_Polenton
  • Start date Start date
sahlomonic said:
Man, I just couldn't get along with the RTM, but really wanted to. Tried it twice in two different guitars - Charvel DeMartini snakeskin with stock RTM, and have an MJ wound RTM in a mutt guitar. It was all mids in my experience, and sounded a bit thin.

I still have the MJ RTM lying around somewhere, I guess I'll dig it out and give it another try.
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Exactly what the Roxy fixed for me.
demondestroyer said:
What tonenerd pup is closest to the evh wolfgang bridge? I really like that pup for rhythm and leads from hard rock to metal.
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Ask @scottosan. I'm guessing the Sunset.
 
Fun story, I have a Roxy waiting to go in an LP style guitar where the Dimarzio 36 anni was sounding just too thin. As for the JB2, what I like is the softened highs but the tighter lows. Yes it is a ton of mids but that's where I live so naturally a great fit.

My one off Tonenerd Wicked 8 though. Oh she's wild and chewy. F-cking great pup for some of that early VH grease. Dare I say the words " Fair Warning" ish? I could be off but that's what it feels like to me. Everything the SH-11 wishes it was.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Fun story, I have a Roxy waiting to go in an LP style guitar where the Dimarzio 36 anni was sounding just too thin. As for the JB2, what I like is the softened highs but the tighter lows. Yes it is a ton of mids but that's where I live so naturally a great fit.

My one off Tonenerd Wicked 8 though. Oh she's wild and chewy. F-cking great pup for some of that early VH grease. Dare I say the words " Fair Warning" ish? I could be off but that's what it feels like to me. Everything the SH-11 wishes it was.
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The Roxy will like be more open on the upper end (karrang) than the JB2, but flatter mids.
 
scottosan said:
The Roxy will like be more open on the upper end (karrang) than the JB2, but flatter mids.
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That's cool, I can't have everything sounding the same so I'm looking forward to the diversity.
 
I've moved to Tone Nerd pickups but my fave version of the JB was with a rough cast A5 magnet
 
frontline205 said:
I also use a Duncan RTM in my favorite Floyd Rose guitar. A seafoam green Kramer Imperial from 1987. The RTM can even do modern metal because of how tight it is compared to the traditional JB. More output too so I suppose it has a high wind. It's an amazing pup and because they don't sell that well really you can still order them with the Warren Demartini autograph backplate. His actual signature too. All of mine came with that. I ordered it cause I liked the Demartini Charvel's but they work really well in any Floyd Rose style guitar and effortlessly pull off all the 80's tricks.

I almost put one in my Washburn 333 but left in the Bill Lawrence for the Dimebag tribute.
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I don't find the RTM brighter than the JB. It's hotter, lower resonant peak of 4.4k vs the JB's 5.5k with a lower q factor. It's a smooth sounding pickup with great feel and bounce, but I find it can be dark and boomy under certain scenarios
 
scottosan said:
The Roxy will like be more open on the upper end (karrang) than the JB2, but flatter mids.
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The Roxy is the ultimate "kerrang" pickup IMO

More open on the top end, but the low end is relatively tight and focused.

I guess I'd have to play with it on a superstrat to know, but in my Les Paul and BC Rich Ignitor it behaves very similarly.

Kapo_Polenton said:
That's cool, I can't have everything sounding the same so I'm looking forward to the diversity.
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The Roxy is the main squeeze in all of my more recent clips, if there's something specific you want to hear I can record something for you 👌
 
DanTravis62 said:
The Roxy is the ultimate "kerrang" pickup IMO

More open on the top end, but the low end is relatively tight and focused.

I guess I'd have to play with it on a superstrat to know, but in my Les Paul and BC Rich Ignitor it behaves very similarly.



The Roxy is the main squeeze in all of my more recent clips, if there's something specific you want to hear I can record something for you 👌
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I'm for some high precision measurement equipment now so that I can better plot various pickup frequency response.

JB 5.5k resonant peak
Aldrich 5.8k resonant peak
Roxy. 6.1k resonant peaks

So, the upper mids are sure shifted up contributing to the "kerrang"
 
I have a custom shop JB that measures where the RTM is with a rough cast A5. I think it does get a bit too boomy as noted above. just a bit too much grit, and mid. Perfect if that is what you are looking for. I'm not using mine either, rather just the production JB's for me.
 
Are you guys using a tone pot? I've noticed since going without a tone pot on my JB2, it is a bit too edgy. Almost like the tone pot tamed it some and made it feel girthier. Now all I hear are the mids. The RTM however, is fantastic without a tone pot. I should take a peek at the VOL pot value on the snakeskin to see what it is. Are they 300 or 500k pots. Will have to do that tonight
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Are you guys using a tone pot? I've noticed since going without a tone pot on my JB2, it is a bit too edgy. Almost like the tone pot tamed it some and made it feel girthier. Now all I hear are the mids. The RTM however, is fantastic without a tone pot. I should take a peek at the VOL pot value on the snakeskin to see what it is. Are they 300 or 500k pots. Will have to do that tonight
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They are 500k.
 
Bronco said:
I have one in my DeMartini Performance Koa and I love it. You are dead on about the squeals too...it's like I could probably pick out every time Warren played that guitar on Infestation based on the harmonics alone.
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That's badass. How cool is the Performance guitar? Do you find yourself reaching for it often?
Thanks for the feedback.
 
Bronco said:
Performance make great guitars for sure -- I have two. The De Martini Koa and a standard Corsair with the De Martini neck profile (slim D is what I'd call it).
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Legend has it he had to put those on the backburner due to endorsements with Charvel but now can start working them back in to his live rotation. He certainly uses those guitars as his main studio guitars..
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Legend has it he had to put those on the backburner due to endorsements with Charvel but now can start working them back in to his live rotation. He certainly uses those guitars as his main studio guitars..
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Is Warren playing live anymore ? He left Ratt a few years ago
 
It was a bummer he was not in the Geico commercial either. I still get a kick out of it though.

 
scottosan said:
I don't find the RTM brighter than the JB. It's hotter, lower resonant peak of 4.4k vs the JB's 5.5k with a lower q factor. It's a smooth sounding pickup with great feel and bounce, but I find it can be dark and boomy under certain scenarios
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I was saying tighter, probably because of that resonant peak you were mentioning
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
We are always going on about the various VH1 and VH2 pups out there from the 78 to many other alnico II based pickups but if you are stuck and looking for a humbucker that will do everything 80's and sound mean doing it.. grab this pup. I've been rocking it for a week and although it is close to a simple JB with alnico 2 , it is also chewier. If you've got a hard on for Zakk style harmonics, look no further. It has to be more than just a magnet swap in a JB, I suspect it is wound a bit differently as it carries more weight but still cuts. Expensive yes but it's killer. I'm moving this up to number 1 for me.

Tonenerd pickups also get an honorable mention ,not shy on quality and the Wicked8 pickup is well.. "wicked". I think it holds my second favourite bridge humbucker spot.
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Well I must chime in. I balk at purchasing this pickup due to people's response and mainly because it is an Alnico II. No matter what wind or this and that, there will be compromise. You will never ever get the same as a JB in this case because of the magnet difference.
And notice it is less resonant peak? People say it's smoother, still bright. Yeah it can still be bright but will not have the 'clang' of an Alnico 5 magnet.
After tone chasing for decades with pickups... the Alnico 2 pups have their place, but for me personally I must have the Alnico 5 magnet in whatever. I have the Evenly Voiced Harmonics from 2002, a '78, Pearly Gates, Custom Custom and the EVH Wolfgang sitting in a box.
The box I have for pickups in heavy rotation, for output and tonal differences, includes JB AH Metal Fatgue '59s, Jazz Neck and bridge Motor City Pickup's 2nd degree black belt Planet Tone 1978 Pasedena [ALL Alnico 5]. Thats it.
No matter how I psyche myself up...anything with Alnico 2 will yield great smooth lovely results. But not thee results I want and only achieve with my Alnico V pickups.
So be weary...if you know you favor Alnico 5 over an Alnico 2 performance...well let's just say I will pop in a JB if I want the Ratt sound.
 
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