Distortion vs Black Winter

[UnderTheFlame83]

If you had a choice between the Distortion and the Black Winter which one do you prefer and why?

[AdrianSD]

Bridge or neck? Distortion in my opinion is a one trick pony. BW can do more, it sounds huge without being in your face and it cleans up really well with the volume pot. In saying that, both sound great at volume into the speaker of choice.

[UnderTheFlame83]

Bridge position.

[Mincer]

The Distortion is more highs, the BW is more mids. The BW is more versatile, the Distortion does 1 good thing. I'd go the BW, as I like the tone of the pickup better, but it is a judgement call. What does the guitar need? What kind of sound do you like?

[Rex_Rocker]

The Distortion has more sizzle, agreed, but the Black Winter has more bite. They're both bright/clear pickups.

The Black Winter is tighter, but the Distortion is pretty tight as well.

I like both, but the Black Winter is probably my favorite passive for what I play. I feel it's like a modernized Distortion. It's also hotter and more hard-hitting.

[Masta' C]

I echo what Rex said. As chance would have it, I actually have a BW set arriving today for my latest project. The bridge pickup is everything I like about the regular Distortion and more.

[beaubrummels]

Bridge or neck? Distortion in my opinion is a one trick pony. BW can do more, it sounds huge without being in your face and it cleans up really well with the volume pot. In saying that, both sound great at volume into the speaker of choice.

+1 and the BW splits to a Fender-like stratty sound in my Jackson. The Distortion, whether I split to slug, split to screw, parallel coils, just sounds like a louder or quieter Distiortion IME. That's not a bad thing, but it's not that versatile. For me I would use the BW more than the Distortion. If I was in a heavy metal / 80's tribute band, I'd probably prefer the Distortion in at least one of my guitars for the gig.

[weepingminotaur]

I've never actually used the Distortion, so I can't speak to that pickup, but the Black Winter bridge is phenomenal, one of my favorite pickups. Mid-heavy with grind, cuts through the mix without being harsh, really responsive to tone and volume knob movement, and it splits superbly. You can cover a surprisingly wide range of styles with the BW bridge.

[Aceman]

Distortion. Because
a) It is what I have
b) It does what I want it to do!

[Masta' C]

Distortion. Because
a) It is what I have
b) It does what I want it to do!

Why do you resist, Ace? All these years...still haven't given the BW a fair shake?

[Aceman]

Why do you resist, Ace? All these years...still haven't given the BW a fair shake?

I don't hate the Black Winter - I just love the Distortion for the exact differences that the black winter has...

[esandes]

[dave74]

On those shootouts my ears tend to gravitate towards the models with more high-end clarity. Nazgul, Alt-8,Omega,Dimebucker,Custom
In the flesh after hitting the amp's EQ it's a completely different thing, not to mention that the lows are hard for me to gauge without playing it myself.

[Masta' C]

On those shootouts my ears tend to gravitate towards the models with more high-end clarity. Nazgul, Alt-8,Omega,Dimebucker,Custom

I've been fortunate enough to have played all of those, some in multiple guitars.

• Nazgul is tight with a wonderfully thumpy bottom end and a unique high-mid structure that really cuts. It has a "mean" sound to it in a mix with lots of clarity. Unfortunately, it can be picky like a JB (reasonably balanced in some guitars, overtly honky in others) and is a little over-the-top for some styles. It doesn't play nice with every setup, but when it clicks, it's a monster!

• The Omega is tight and articulate with a muscular midrange focus and brighter overall response that works very well to balance out darker guitars. There really isn't another SD voiced quite like it. It's not as "hot" as you'd expect and, on its own, it lacks a bit of body down low, but that's also why it's one of the best options for "busy mixes" and multi-guitar bands.

• The Alt 8 has a noticeable upper-mids emphasis, but the top end doesn't get overly piercing or thin. That said, it can be a bit "dry" sounding in some guitars. It has some low-mid weight, but the bottom end isn't quite as tight as some of the others mentioned here (though certainly not "loose" either).

• The Custom, of course, is pretty much good at everything. Hot, punchy, and lively, but controllable. A moderate low end with a bit of bounce that tightens up nicely under gain, a very balanced midrange, and a top end that is plenty clear, but doesn't over-emphasize any single frequency. A true "jack of all trades" pickup that should be the starting point for anyone getting into SD's higher-output models.

• The Dimebucker is a closet slayer that doesn't get enough love these days. Like the "Bill Lawrence" design it's modeled after, the Dimebucker harnesses qualities of both a Distortion and an overwound Tele bridge pickup to create something that combines classic pickup character with modern clarity and articulation. Very punchy with screaming harmonics and a cool twang when backed off or split.

With all that said, the BW combines the tightness and clarity of the Omega/Nazgul with the thickness of the Distortion and the balanced, "do it all" voicing of the Custom. EVH? Check. Pantera? Check. Periphery? Check. Dokken? Check. The BW has growl and fullness with plenty of bite and an extra dose of aggression when you dig in. Plus, it sounds incredible split. It's a modern classic whose branding as a "black metal" model does it a bit of a disservice, IMO.

If SD pared back their "high-output" offerings to just the Custom, JB, Black Winter set, and the Alpha/Omega, 99.9% of "high output" players would have their needs met.