Seymour Duncan Blackout Bridge vs. EMG81 - ROUND 2!! (and DTB content :D)

[Dylan S]

I think they both sound great. I do slightly prefer the blackout sound though because I'm a blackout man.

I wish I could get recorded Recto tones this good.

Quick question...my blackouts I ordered turned up yesterday, and they're going in one of my guitars that's had the 18v mod done to it. Do I have to un-do the mod? Can I just put them in with the mod still and they will be ok? or can I just take the second battery out and it'll be fine that way?

Thanks guys.

 

[Saculus]

The 18v mod is based on two 9v batteries in series. So if you remove one battery the circuit is broken so it won't work. Just remove the three clip harness and revert to a single battery.

 

[Dylan S]

Thanks mate.

Now enough thread hi-jack and back to the clip discussion.

I was worried I wouldn't like the blackouts in my hellraiser as much as I do in my loomis but now I think they'll sound great. The main thing for me was having to have to EQ my amp differently each time I changed guitars, so now I can stay pretty consistent, and still hopefully have some killer sounds too.

Blackouts to me feel a little better to play personally, and the sound of that comes through in the clips I think (for me anyway). They just sound like you can dig into them a little more.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well tone is a very personal thing, but I gotta say I'm with Ermz on this one!

Also, the Blackouts really suck to my ears. I'm so glad you've done these shoot-outs because I'd never entertain the thought of getting them.

And Ermz, thanks a bunch dude, tone praise means a lot coming from you since you're so picky, and I definitely always appreciate people's feedback (especially bad), as I've said, I can take it as well as I can dish it! (which is why it pisses me off when people clearly have listened and don't comment, perhaps of being afraid of offending me - in the words of another great song on the album this test riff was taken from, "HURT ME, I CAN TAKE IT!!" )

 

[Metaltastic]

And as for the results, I actually was a little tricky with the organization hehehe

81 a = 81 9v and 81 b = 18v, however, with the Blackouts its the opposite (BO a is at 18v, and sounds MUCH better/tighter to me than BO b at 9v! Still prefer both 81's over it though)

 

[Kazrog]

Definitely agree with the others, the 81 sounds the best. I haven't been too impressed with the Blackouts, having tried them myself in a friend's guitar. I bet an EMG 85 would sound even better.

 

[Metaltastic]

I bet an EMG 85 would sound even better.

My findings in this thread convinced me otherwise (obviously purely subjective, but while I don't think the 85 is at all unusable, back to back with the 81, especially at 18v, I know where my preference is!)

 

[Ermz]

Wow, those results are really surprising. I would've bet my ass that 81 B was the 9v version! Goes with the fever I guess. Nice one.

 

[Rupturemetal]

And as for the results, I actually was a little tricky with the organization hehehe

81 a = 81 9v and 81 b = 18v, however, with the Blackouts its the opposite (BO a is at 18v, and sounds MUCH better/tighter to me than BO b at 9v! Still prefer both 81's over it though)

Well then since you prefer the 81 ,you can sell me the blackout

 

[Metaltastic]

Sure! Only problem is it doesn't have the threaded mounting rings anymore (I had to remove 'em to get it to fit in my Ibanez, but when I get a replacement pickup, I'll take the rings off that and Krazy Glue them onto the Blackout like I did with my EMG85!)

 

[Instant_Noodles]

I also prefer BlackOut a to BO b. Thank you for doing this. >

 

[John_C]

So far i've been able to pick out 18V as being better than 9V in your tests, something i'm very glad of. It seems most noticable on the palm mutes to me, they seems much meatier and better defined.

I still do like the BO at 18V though, i find the 81 to be a little too lacking in low end. Then again i'm kindof tired of active pickups now anyway, the treble never seems open enough for me. Then again i've never owned any decent passives to date.

 

[Metaltastic]

So far i've been able to pick out 18V as being better than 9V in your tests, something i'm very glad of. It seems most noticable on the palm mutes to me, they seems much meatier and better defined.

I still do like the BO at 18V though, i find the 81 to be a little too lacking in low end. Then again i'm kindof tired of active pickups now anyway, the treble never seems open enough for me. Then again i've never owned any decent passives to date.

Totally agreed on the 1st paragraph, but not too sure on the second; you feel the treble sounds more open with passive pickups? It's the total opposite for me, I feel like actives have way more open treble (AKA clarity IMO), which is perhaps why some people don't like them. I agree the 81 is a bit lacking in low end, but I feel like that's more the guitar's doing cuz it's not overly heavy (like a guitar with a thicker body and mahogany neck would be, for example), so I'd rather deal with the slight thinness of the 81 in this axe until I can get a heavier (custom) than go for the loose mud (IMO) of the Blackout!

 

[John_C]

Now i really think about it i think it's the upper mids that i don't like desperately, the 81 always seems to pump out too much there and amps tend to turn that into a wash of fatiguing noise. Not to say that they're bad pickups though ofc, just i've had them in all my guitars and now i'm starting to tire of them.

The mids that i really like are scooped away, and the bit's i don't like that much are emphasised greatly.

 

[Mancha]

I`ve tried EMG-85 and EMG-81 on 9v and 18v in my Joe Perry Epiphone, but 81 with 18v always seams to be the tightest and most aggressive pickup, and it just sounds "right" for the rhythm tones I`m after.

Speaking of which, since I use the same pickup, and body wood is about the same as on Metaltastic's guitar, I tried to run the DI's through my own "sound" to see how much difference does a good hand make, and it was an instant win (not for me though, as I obviously need to practice more. A lot more, actually )

http://www.box.net/shared/4np425gba4

 

[Metaltastic]

Wow, that sounds pretty badass Mancha, what'd you use? And thanks for the props on the playing!

 

[53Crëw]

Thanks for posting this, Marcus. For me, I liked 81a the best.

Red channel, modern? Would you mind posting your amp settings?

 

[Mancha]

Wow, that sounds pretty badass Mancha, what'd you use?

Would you believe me if I told you it was Line6?

It`s Engl Powerball sim (which seams to quite enjoy the feed from 81) and Catharsis impulses.

 

[NickL]

The duncan is too low-middy for me. I have enough trouble in that region as it is. 81 sounds good.

 

[Metaltastic]

Agreed Brood, if I wanted more beef (which I do), I'd get a thicker-sounding guitar with an 81 (which I will, when my ship of money comes in ) Mancha, I can believe it's Line 6 through an impulse, amazing what a difference they make over stock Line 6 cab-sims!

And 53Crew, here ya go dude (except for these clips I had the presence slightly higher at 12:30 and the treble slightly lower at 11:30), and of course, the absolutely essential Low-Pass Filter at around 10.5k on the recorded tracks!