If I hate EMG's would I hate...........

[Ancient Alien]

SD Blackouts?
I am wondering if I would hate the sound of the blackouts for a 7 string compared to and EMG 81 7 string pup.
I know I hate the 81 6 string due to it's lifeless and sterile tone.
I know they are great for chugga chugga metal stuff, but they are an epic fail as far as rock, blues, funk and fusion in my opinion.
Anyone have an opinion on these?
They will be going into a brand new Ibanez S7420, Mahogany body, maple neck w rosewood.
Thanks

 

[glpg80]

you know im wondering this too. subscribing to this thread. because ive never liked EMG tones but i find myself liking blackout's with Mark Day's "mid boost" modification - it seems like a winner of an option for me - but i cant get over the active 9V battery ordeal....ive never been able to agree with that for some reason?

how long do the batteries normally last in these things?

 

[JakeAC5253]

If this is in any way related to your other thread about searching for a 7 string pickup I may have something to add. I hate EMG's as well, their 6 string models. I love the EMG 707. Something went right with that pickup that I haven't found in their other pickups. That's been my experience anyway. Your experience may differ.

Also, if you are looking for a pickup that isn't going to only do metal and other high gain styles where tightness and clarity are key to the sound, passives are really the way to go. The Duncan Custom is a great pickup and it's got tons of clarity and a tight low end which should make it great for any style IMO. The Custom-7 should be the same or very similar.

 

[lolzgreg]

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

 

[M.Axel]

If your going for blues, rock, funk and fusion i wouldnt look at the blackouts...id look at a good set of passive pickups with enough output for the heavy stuff but with an organic and usable tone when you roll back the volume. My personal choice would be something like a bareknuckle nailbomb or holy diver maybe a suhr aldrich set.

 

[jet66]

I actually liked the Blackouts, and didn't like the EMG 81 and 85. (I didn't hate the EMG's, I just never really took to them.) I moved in to lower gain territory, so the Blackouts went in to my son's RR5. The SD's are pretty hot, they do the fusion thing pretty well, but I couldn't get much of a funky clean tone, I'm just too used to passive singles for that. They still had a little of that passive feel, as far as dynamics go, more so than the EMG's IMO. I had them in my Suhr M2, which is a pretty bright guitar. They weren't overly bright in it, but I couldn't say how that will translate in mahogany. My experiences with both EMG and SD have only been in 6 strings, and I would consider another set of Blackouts for one of my guitars for straight up rock/hard rock/metal.

 

[Ancient Alien]

Thanks for the replies guys...
I'm going to pass on both EMG and Blackouts due to the fact that you can't split them.
They only work with a 3 way, and that is not for me.
My favorite clean tones come from splitting, parallel, phase etc.

Greg knows
Like last night with my custom shop strat loaded with Aldridge, FL/FL with a 5 way and two push pull pots

I do not want to jump into any of these boutique pickups either simply due to the fact that I have never really dug anything I've heard from them.
Probably gonna look for some good old SD's.
I still want to be able to get a super tight high gain chugga chugga tone from the bridge if need be, but I want to be able to get sweet tones from rolling off the volume, and splitting etc..
Maybe a Custom and a Jazz?
A Custom Custom and a Jazz?
59?
I dunno

 

[Digital Jams]

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

I know people use them but I have to take Greg's word even though he made me listen to a Mills with k100s

 

[Ancient Alien]

If this is in any way related to your other thread about searching for a 7 string pickup I may have something to add. I hate EMG's as well, their 6 string models. I love the EMG 707. Something went right with that pickup that I haven't found in their other pickups. That's been my experience anyway. Your experience may differ.

Also, if you are looking for a pickup that isn't going to only do metal and other high gain styles where tightness and clarity are key to the sound, passives are really the way to go. The Duncan Custom is a great pickup and it's got tons of clarity and a tight low end which should make it great for any style IMO. The Custom-7 should be the same or very similar.

Yes.
I'm going to rip the new guitar apart and do a bunch of upgrades.
Especially the pickups, switch, pots and maybe a few little things to the trem like posts.
I was wondering the real difference between the Custom and the Custom Custom for the bridge as far as overall tone, clarity and lack of MUD for the low B.
Also the neck....
I love the Custom/Jazz setup in a 6, but it's been a while since I've played them.
I've owned just about every pickup that SD and Dimarzio makes, I just can't recall what sounded best to me.
I've been very spoiled with my Suhrs pickups, and havent bothered with pickup swaps in a while, especially in 7 strings

 

[Ancient Alien]

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

I know people use them but I have to take Greg's word even though he made me listen to a Mills with k100s

LOL.
We all make mistakes
Greg came down to my studio last night and I did a pickup swap in his new LP, and it came alive.
So now I'm itching for pups.
Damn GAS.....

 

[lolzgreg]

Also, if you are looking for a pickup that isn't going to only do metal and other high gain styles where tightness and clarity are key to the sound, passives are really the way to go. The Duncan Custom is a great pickup and it's got tons of clarity and a tight low end which should make it great for any style IMO. The Custom-7 should be the same or very similar.

The Custom is a fantastic pickup. I use one in my Dean, and I have reamped guitars that were loaded with a Custom, and a Custom 7, and they were some of the best sounding reamps I've ever done.

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

I know people use them but I have to take Greg's word even though he made me listen to a Mills with k100s

It was blended with V30's, alright? Also, I liked it better when it was all V30s, toward the end, but I still sold it because my Recto 4x12 sounded better.

Thanks for the replies guys...
I'm going to pass on both EMG and Blackouts due to the fact that you can't split them.
They only work with a 3 way, and that is not for me.
My favorite clean tones come from splitting, parallel, phase etc.

Greg knows
Like last night with my custom shop strat loaded with Aldridge, FL/FL with a 5 way and two push pull pots

You're right. It sucks you can't split the 7 string EMGs, but you can on 3 of the 6 string models (the 81TW, 89, and 89R).

That Mahogany bodied Strat did sound fantastic last night

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

I know people use them but I have to take Greg's word even though he made me listen to a Mills with k100s

LOL.
We all make mistakes
Greg came down to my studio last night and I did a pickup swap in his new LP, and it came alive.
So now I'm itching for pups.
Damn GAS.....

It's funny how we were talking about cabinets last night... The world doesn't know of the monster we may end up creating

Thanks again for your help on that Paul! I was playing the thing today after intonating it some more and it sounds SCARILY similar in tonality to my Dean. The Custom in the Dean and the JB in the Paul must have a complimentary balance that makes it overall sound quite linear in frequency response. I was almost stunned that they really weren't too far off. The Paul definitely has that TREMENDOUS thick, chewy neck pickup sound, and a bit more chunk in the low end, though.

Any luck finding tuners or a nut? We're going to have to do some research

 

[JakeAC5253]

I know people use them but I have to take Greg's word even though he made me listen to a Mills with k100s

Yeah, I wasn't a fan of the K100's either Greg, sorry

They just weren't 'lolzgreg'

 

[Juggernaut]

https://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/I ... ctive.aspx

exactly what you need......maybe

 

[Mustaine-who?]

Blackouts sound TERRRRIBLE.

Dumb post is dumb...

There are 3 different models of Black Outs. Out of those...2 have a neck models that also does well in the bridge. Like any PuP...they have to match up to the guitar...amp...cab...and sound you are going for.

FWIW...I thought the AHB-1 bridge sounded meh...but when I put the neck in the bridge...yeow! Thick...grindie...organic...thick leads.

I'm installing a AHB-3 neck in the bridge of my Caparison TAT tomorrow...I'm expecting great things!

 

[leib10]

I played the Blackouts in a Schecter V-1. Didn't have much time with them, but they seem to be darker and fuller than the EMG's, which I'm not fond of at all. I don't know why people play with them- so artificial and "digital" sounding, completely inorganic. Maybe I'm just a passive pup guy.

 

[Spaceboy]

I "hate" EMGs, but I ordered some a week ago, and I'm about to slice open my 7-string to fit them in. I can't get the response I want from any passive pickup I've played with over the past year, and I've been through a stack. I read bad things about the Blackouts in comparison to EMGs, so I didn't even bother with them.

 

[Ancient Alien]

https://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/Daily/News/Seymour_Duncan_Introduces_Blackouts_Modular_Preamp_to_Make_Any_Pickup_Active.aspx

exactly what you need......maybe

I have a brand new EMG Afterburner that I never used.
I think I'm gonna install it with whatever passive pups I put in it...

 

[Ancient Alien]

Greg, I'll get you a new nut, or if you want, I can cut you a fresh bone nut.
Maybe want to get an Earvana nut since it is a LP
I'll get you the price on the tuners also. Whatever cost is....

 

[Ola Englund]

I LIKED Emgs, needed something new and fresh, the blackouts did the trick. Best active pickup I've ever used.

 

[noob_pwn]

I used to use them, big step up from EMG's but too much output in my opinion, overbearing low mids can sound muddy in darker guitars, especially under gain in a low tuning. Cleans are horrid, EMG cleans are MUCH better in my opinion and I used both brands for about 3 years