Duncan Blackouts: Who has spent time comparing them to EMGs??
- Thread starter J.DavisNJ
- Start date
You're in luck Joe, my bridge model (Ceramic) just arrived today! I'll be doing a shootout between it and an EMG 81 (and then both at 18v) soon, just gotta break these strangz in a bit more. The neck model is Alnico, but as far as I could tell from spec-scouring on their website it's otherwise identical to the bridge model (unlike the 85 and 81, which are quite different besides the magnet). And then there's the Blackout Metal, which is also Alnico, that I'll wanna give a go as well! And my EMG 85 is gone, so I won't be able to compare it to the other two - good riddance! 
Cool! Maybe you'll actually listen to it this time (unlike the DI shootout)
Doh! I did listen to them actually! But, I became lazy and forgot to post...
By that time it was already revealed.I want to buy a direct box. Would you say the countryman is the bees knees?
-Joe
Most definitely! Especially since you're a passive guy; if you were only active, I'd say the Redeye would be the better bet cuz it still sounds good and can be a re-amper (though my upcoming shootout will determine whether it's as good at that as the others in its price range!)
Well to be honest brah, I love EMGs, but ONLY for metal! I like passive for pretty much everything else. Right now I have passives in the Les Paul.
Which would you say would work well with both passive and active? I don't mind paying a bit more for tight quality.
-Joe
Which would you say would work well with both passive and active? I don't mind paying a bit more for tight quality.
-Joe
Haha you'll have to excuse me...the brah thing is a stoner-induced word thrown around be me and the boys. It just comes out sometimes haha.
Cool, maybe I will pick that one up.
-Joe
Cool, maybe I will pick that one up.
-Joe
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
slashvanyoung
Dopefish lives!
Does SD still produce the "Heavy Metal LiveWires" or have they been replaced by the Blackouts?
I still have an old one (from the first run) in my Warlock. They were designed to be run at 18 volts (without a mod) and the output of these is just insane. Clean playing absolutely impossible but awesome distorted... Maybe I should stick it in a decent guitar
I still have an old one (from the first run) in my Warlock. They were designed to be run at 18 volts (without a mod) and the output of these is just insane. Clean playing absolutely impossible but awesome distorted... Maybe I should stick it in a decent guitar
Yeah, the Livewire Metal has been replaced by the Blackout metal, actually, which seems to be a bit more reasonable So there are three Blackouts, the AHB-1 Bridge and neck, and then the AHB-2 (metal)
So there are three Blackouts, the AHB-1 Bridge and neck, and then the AHB-2 (metal)
Jaymz
Stymphalian Productions
slashvanyoung
Dopefish lives!
Oh, thanks! It seems like they hadn't much success competing with EMG when they first went active with the LiveWires...
Really looking forward to your Blackout samples because I'm thinking about replacing the 81 in my Les Paul with a Blackout, having a Frankenstein config with an 85 and a Blackout.
Really looking forward to your Blackout samples because I'm thinking about replacing the 81 in my Les Paul with a Blackout, having a Frankenstein config with an 85 and a Blackout.
slashvanyoung
Dopefish lives!
Haha that crossed my mind for a second.
And maybe spread rumors about how much more awesome the output transformers were back in the day... oh wait, that was something else
i'm about to get the same configuration going on very soon...i stuck a blackout in the bridge of my jackson a while back, and in doing so also removed the neck humbucker along with the middle single coil, and will be putting an 85 in the neck pretty soon
only time will tell how they'll stack up against each other...
Temps
Member
- Aug 13, 2008
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My Jackson SLSMG came with an EMG 81/85 set, and then my COW7 came with a EMG 707.. switched all those for Blackouts.
In the SLSMG I always prefer how the 85 sounded in the bridge and the 81 sounded in the neck, so I had already swapped those around. I switched to the Blackout Bridge and Neck, in the bridge & neck respectively. Both of them are way ballsier than the EMGs. The bridge, especially, had a lot more bass and got rid of the super scooped EMG 81 sound and just left me with shitloads of mids and probably too much lows.. with my Stiletto it sounded fine but with my Invader, it got a little muddy, so I ended up switching them around so now the bridge blackout is in the neck and the neck in the bridge. The Neck model in the bridge has a great, punchy, articulate chug and still has gain coming out its ass. All my 6 string drop B tunes are with the Blackout Neck in the bridge.. and then the Bridge model in the neck gives the fattest, smoothest lead sound you could possibly want.
And then the 7 string Blackout Neck just destroys the 707 in every way.. but I was never a fan of any of EMG's 7 string pickups.
In the SLSMG I always prefer how the 85 sounded in the bridge and the 81 sounded in the neck, so I had already swapped those around. I switched to the Blackout Bridge and Neck, in the bridge & neck respectively. Both of them are way ballsier than the EMGs. The bridge, especially, had a lot more bass and got rid of the super scooped EMG 81 sound and just left me with shitloads of mids and probably too much lows.. with my Stiletto it sounded fine but with my Invader, it got a little muddy, so I ended up switching them around so now the bridge blackout is in the neck and the neck in the bridge. The Neck model in the bridge has a great, punchy, articulate chug and still has gain coming out its ass. All my 6 string drop B tunes are with the Blackout Neck in the bridge.. and then the Bridge model in the neck gives the fattest, smoothest lead sound you could possibly want.
And then the 7 string Blackout Neck just destroys the 707 in every way.. but I was never a fan of any of EMG's 7 string pickups.
I gotta say, I often don't like the 85 in the bridge, but I ALWAYS don't like it in the neck. The 81 IMO is amazing there, since it's such a bassy spot on the guitar to begin with, so the cut of the 81 works perfectly. And, if you'll notice my sig...
slashvanyoung
Dopefish lives!
Yeah, the 85 pushes like crazy around the lowmids and bass but to me it sounds just so much smoother (Alnico porn) and less compressed/sterile than the 81. And since I don't use the neck pickup for rhythm playing the boomyness of the 85 isn't really an issue.
I guess, I've just fallen in love playing rather clean blues stuff with it.
I guess, I've just fallen in love playing rather clean blues stuff with it.
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