The Guns N' Roses bassist's go-to combination pairs a Hot Stack Jazz Bass bridge pickup with a Quarter Pound P-Bass neck for aggressive, hum-free tone.
Seymour Duncan has launched the Duff McKagan Signature PJ Pickup Set, capturing the exact configuration the Guns N’ Roses bassist McKagan has relied on since the late 1980s for recordings and world tours. The set combines a Hot Stack Jazz Bass bridge pickup with a Quarter Pound Precision neck pickup, delivering the tight low end and sharp attack heard on classics like “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle”.
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McKagan’s signature sound began when he used his first record advance to buy a Fender Jazz Bass Special with a split-coil Precision pickup in the neck and Jazz pickup in the bridge. After swapping the original bridge single-coil for a Seymour Duncan Hot Stack Jazz Bass pickup, he eliminated hum while gaining extra output, crucial for cutting through Marshall stacks on stage.
Years later, McKagan discovered the Quarter Pound P-Bass pickup’s large-diameter alnico 5 magnets and high-output coils added an exciting dimension to his sound. Pairing it with the Hot Stack Jazz bridge created the powerful combination he’s used ever since, across his work with Velvet Revolver and other projects.
The new signature set replicates this exact pairing, bearing McKagan’s distinctive skull and crossbones logo. Both pickups are hum-cancelling and hand-built in Santa Barbara, California, fitting most standard PJ routes without modification.
This combination delivers the punchy, thunderous tones needed for rock, punk and funk while maintaining clarity and definition. With plenty of grit and attitude, the set offers high output without sacrificing note articulation – an essential for bassists who need to be heard in aggressive, high-volume settings.
For more on the Duff McKagan signature PJ pickup set, head here. For local enquiries, head here.
