How can $200 pickups sound like shit?!?!?!?

[Mark Day]

Tons of bottom with the AHB3's.

Mark

Standard Tuning??

Yes, I tune standard and 1/2 step down. I found more bottom than passives and EMG's.

I had EMG's in all my guitars then switched to Blackouts. I have Aldrich's in my Suhr and LP, still have the Blackouts in 2 other guitars(that both previously had EMG's).

Mark

 

[EchelonEngineering]

Tons of bottom with the AHB3's.

Mark

Standard Tuning??

Yes, I tune standard and 1/2 step down. I found more bottom than passives and EMG's.

I had EMG's in all my guitars then switched to Blackouts. I have Aldrich's in my Suhr and LP, still have the Blackouts in 2 other guitars(that both previously had EMG's).

Mark

I don't know what to think...I just went downstairs again, 3rd time today. I traced all wiring. Changed battery again. Plugged it in...same result...I plug a schecter in with GFS pickups and then an Ibanez parts guitar with a Duncan Distortion, and they both sounded way better...So I tweak the amp settings....still the other 2 sounded way better. I'm about to give up on all these active pickups and just go back to what I know.

PS. Wicked youtube vid playing Panama on your AxeFx btw. Maybe its time to get me an AxeFx lol.

 

[Mark Day]

Tons of bottom with the AHB3's.

Mark

Standard Tuning??

Yes, I tune standard and 1/2 step down. I found more bottom than passives and EMG's.

I had EMG's in all my guitars then switched to Blackouts. I have Aldrich's in my Suhr and LP, still have the Blackouts in 2 other guitars(that both previously had EMG's).

Mark

I don't know what to think...I just went downstairs again, 3rd time today. I traced all wiring. Changed battery again. Plugged it in...same result...I plug a schecter in with GFS pickups and then an Ibanez parts guitar with a Duncan Distortion, and they both sounded way better...So I tweak the amp settings....still the other 2 sounded way better. I'm about to give up on all these active pickups and just go back to what I know.

PS. Wicked youtube vid playing Panama on your AxeFx btw. Maybe its time to get me an AxeFx lol.

Thanks Bro. Also make sure that the pickups are raised up very close to the strings.....they have very little magnetic pull and must be close to the strings to get optimum output

Mark

 

[JerryP]

Got the right pots in the guitar for those pickups?
Jerry

 

[Mark Day]

Got the right pots in the guitar for those pickups?
Jerry

Good point, must be 25k

Mark

 

[EchelonEngineering]

Got the right pots in the guitar for those pickups?
Jerry

Good point, must be 25k

Mark

@Jerry and @Mark. Thanks for the tip. I'll crack the back cover now and ohm em out.

 

[glassjaw7]

Some active pups sound thin and harsh into certain amps. Played an EMG 81 into an 800 and stopped after about 5 seconds.

 

[9ball]

i have ahb1 blackouts in one of my guitars and they sound pretty damned good.
very full sound.
i dunno how different they are from the blackout metals or MT's though.

 

[polaris20]

Some active pups sound thin and harsh into certain amps. Played an EMG 81 into an 800 and stopped after about 5 seconds.

Agreed. I still think the Blackouts sound like shit through the JSX in particular, so this isn't at all surprising to me. They do sound great through Mesas, Marshalls, and Riveras (in my experience).

 

[Mustaine-who?]

You need to check the wiring...especially the ends. They're quick connect...and they have this little arrow on one side that must be visible when you plug them into the PuP. Also...take a pic of the cavity and show us what you have in there. The PO might not have used the correct pots. BO's are not thin...and have loads of low-end.

 

[Chris6870]

The same way a $40k amp sounds like shit.

 

[RoidRage]

There Must be something wrong with either your pickups or the way they are installed.

I have 2 sets of them in my guitars, and they are the exact opposite of what you are describing... They Are Full And Punchy sounding With loads of bottom end
Much more than every passive pickup I have tried. If I had to critizise them I would say they are not very organic sounding, But way
More than some others and the EMG actives... So much so that you would only miss that if you directly compared to some of the best PAF type passives...

They were in the guitar that I used to make the video of My HG Jose Marshall, and were in Most of Mark Day's previous videos where he did everything from
Queensryche To Pink Floyd... And got Amazing Sounds... Nothing wrong with those Blackouts that's for sure...

Good luck in finding the problem...

Roid RAGE

 

[JerryP]

Got the right pots in the guitar for those pickups?
Jerry

Good point, must be 25k

Mark

@Jerry and @Mark. Thanks for the tip. I'll crack the back cover now and ohm em out.

The tone caps are different too. If someone just changed the pickups without changing the pots and caps it will sound bright and loud like you described.
Jerry

 

[Ventura]

There Must be something wrong with either your pickups or the way they are installed.

I have 2 sets of them in my guitars, and they are the exact opposite of what you are describing... They Are Full And Punchy sounding With loads of bottom end
Much more than every passive pickup I have tried. If I had to critizise them I would say they are not very organic sounding, But way
More than some others and the EMG actives... So much so that you would only miss that if you directly compared to some of the best PAF type passives...

They were in the guitar that I used to make the video of My HG Jose Marshall, and were in Most of Mark Day's previous videos where he did everything from
Queensryche To Pink Floyd... And got Amazing Sounds... Nothing wrong with those Blackouts that's for sure...

Good luck in finding the problem...

Roid RAGE

I liked this thread if for nothing more than this clip!! Nice work man

Hope this blackout scenario gets sorted out.

Wish I had more words of wisdom.

V.

 

[EchelonEngineering]

Got the right pots in the guitar for those pickups?
Jerry

Good point, must be 25k

Mark

@Jerry and @Mark. Thanks for the tip. I'll crack the back cover now and ohm em out.

The tone caps are different too. If someone just changed the pickups without changing the pots and caps it will sound bright and loud like you described.
Jerry

Update: I ohmed out the pots. Each were the 25k ohm previously mentioned potentiometers the pickups needed to sound good. 2nd, the tone cap is a .47uf cap which is what is recommended by Duncan on their website.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wi ... s_1v_1t_3w

This is the wiring diagram that I followed to double check the wiring. Everything is correct including connector orientation and pickup height.

Conclusion: I will be taking this guitar to a friend's house who has a couple different amps. This is the only conclusion I can come up with since everything else is in line.

 

[DEWD]

I like the regular blackouts but I couldn't stand the emty version. They sounded the same way to me....thin, lifeless and shitty in general. I tried everything too. FWIW, I was using Mesa and Diezel amps at the time.

 

[bravedude2]

User error?

 

[fuzzyguitars]

Guitar may be a dud

 

[Shark Diver]

Not much to add, except if you don't like them and others do - so what? If you don't like them just move on. But I would never equate $ spent with tone.

 

[glpg80]

it's worth mentioning the pickup's themselves could be duds. it has happened to EMG's before where the preamps inside of the pickups were defective which seemed like alot of the similar results you are getting after verifying that the wiring, quick connects, battery, pots, and tone caps are all correct and new.

i'd go as far as to call seymour duncan and see what they can do before selling them on the used market.