Brand New, complete in original box.

SEYMOUR DUNCAN HD-B-N Hades Gates Humbucker Bridge Nickel

• Signature model: Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
• Position: Bridge
• Type: Passive dual-coil humbucker
• Magnet: Alnico II
• DC resistance: 8.9 kΩ
• Output level: Higher than a traditional vintage humbucker, with a muscular character and pronounced mids
• Wiring: Shielded 4-conductor cable, allowing various wiring configurations depending on the installation
• Cover: Nickel
• Mounting legs: Short, making installation easier on many compatible guitars
• Manufacturing: Hand-assembled in Santa Barbara, California, USA
• Applications: Blues, blues rock, classic rock, hard rock and high-gain riffs

Some guitarists have an instantly recognizable sound, capable of turning just a few notes into a true signature. Billy Gibbons unquestionably belongs to this category. Since the early days of ZZ Top, his playing has combined bluesy riffs, generous overdrive, full-bodied mids and cutting harmonics, with a unique ability to make a guitar sound thick, aggressive and incredibly expressive all at once. With the Hades Gates, Seymour Duncan takes the recipe of the legendary Pearly Gates a step further, offering a more muscular humbucker designed for guitarists who want that vintage spirit with an extra dose of power.

The distinctive character of this pickup comes from its combination of an Alnico II magnet and enhanced winding. Alnico II delivers a warm response, naturally prominent mids and a relatively smooth attack, while the additional winding provides greater output and density. The result is a full, lively and powerful tone that retains the organic character of a traditional humbucker without sacrificing bite. The bass adds body to riffs, the mids help the guitar cut through the mix, and the treble retains enough presence to bring out the nuances of your playing.

In the bridge position, the Hades Gates is particularly impressive for blues-rock riffs and rhythm parts that demand plenty of character. Chords sound thicker, attacks have more authority, and notes retain excellent consistency when you turn up the gain. Its sound recalls the raw, warm character of Texas rock, with a tonal texture that prioritizes personality over artificial aggression. It also excels at lead playing, where its pronounced midrange helps notes cut through naturally and allows harmonics to become particularly expressive.

The extra output is also ideal for making the most of a tube amplifier or overdrive pedal. This pickup pushes an amp into crunch more easily while retaining a touch-sensitive response. By adjusting picking dynamics or the guitar's volume control, players can move from warm blues tones to much more cutting rock sounds. This is therefore not simply a pickup designed to deliver more distortion, but a model intended to make your tone livelier, denser and more immediately effective in a rock setting.

The Hades Gates is an obvious choice for ZZ Top fans, but its appeal extends well beyond Billy Gibbons' repertoire. It is equally suited to players who appreciate electric blues, classic rock, traditional hard rock and high-gain tones with rich mids. In a Les Paul or a similarly designed guitar, it can deliver greater presence and bite, particularly when the original pickup lacks character or output. Its standard humbucker format makes it easy to install in many compatible guitars, while the four-conductor cable opens up a range of wiring possibilities, depending on the other pickups and the instrument's electronics.

The Seymour Duncan Hades Gates HD-B-N is an excellent choice for giving your guitar a more distinctive blues-rock character, with generous mids, expressive overdrive and a carefully controlled boost in output. More muscular than a classic vintage humbucker, yet still warm thanks to its Alnico II magnet, it is a particularly appealing option for guitarists looking for a lively tone full of personality, capable of moving from soulful blues to hard-hitting rock with ease. A signature pickup that truly lives up to its name and invites you to rediscover the full energy of Texas rock.