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Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

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  • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

    So, I've had the Black Winters for over a week now and tested it at different pickup heights with a couple of my fav pedals through my JMP 2204.

    Great clarity, extremely tight and cutting without getting harsh. Backing off the volume, you get a clean sound that really lets the guitars natural tone come through.
    They work best for me with an OD808 in front of it. Without the overdrive, the bass response does get a bit overwhelming. It's certainly not muddy or loose, there's just a lot of it in my Les Paul (which is a real picky brat as are all my ebony board axes) and the Winters tend to really bring that out.

    The neck pickup makes leads effortless and fun with a defined attack and is even tight enough to do some rhythms with it.
    The bridge pickup, like Lucy Diamond said, works great if you dial in your amp gain to your desired max. level and then use the guitars volume to go from tight and searing metal tone to chunky rock tone to clean.
    There's certainly some compression going on which makes leads on both pickups sing fluidly, but there's still enough headroom for dynamic rhythm playing.

    Compared to the Distortion (with which they're often compared), they're tighter, have better clean and lead tone and have more definition and clarity (string to string and overall presence). Compared to D-Activators they have a far better clean sound and more of an organic growl to them.

    In the end, I have to say they're a bit more allround then I was searching for personally (as I already have the Aldrich set for that). They're amazing pickups for sure, but I feel they're not the perfect match for this particular guitar and amp combo, for my taste, at this time.
    I'd still highly recommend them to anyone looking for hot and versatile pickups with a modern voicing though.

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    • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

      Thanks for that review. Based on what you said I feel they would work well with my setup. I have a juiced up JCM800 2205 50 watt. I usually have to crank the bass to get some good low end.

      But... you mentioned you have the Aldrich set. Someone told me to drop that set in my LP because it will make it even more killer. What can you tell me about that set and what guitar do you have it in?

      Thanks!

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      • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

        The Aldrich set is now back in my Custom. Doug Aldrich himself described it as a really hyped up PAF, and that's what it is basically
        .
        The bridge is very tight for an A5 pup, has lots of harmonic content, a bright yet rounded top end and punchy upper mids. The neck is very clear and articulate with tight bass control.
        Both pickups clean up very well and you can get a kinda single coilish chime and sparkle out of them, while both handle high gain well without getting muddy or harsh. Lots of depth to the sound and plays well with just about any amp or pedal combo.

        Really allround pickups too with less compression and a more open sound than the Winters (which are very focused with a drier sound). Although more of an 80's hard rock voiced pickup to my ears, the tight bass control (though nowhere near as tight as the Winters) and clarity make it an excellent pickup for heavy stuff as well.

        Can't really compare it to any other pickup myself, though I've hear people describing the bridge version as a really tight Custom Custom.

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        • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

          Whoa!!!

          My winters really came through in my first trial audition yesterday.

          I was on the red channel of my Single Rec Solo 50 and I started off with just the drummer. I could still hear every note...and that guy was LOUD.

          Then he's like "Ok...play me your most mellow riff." so I switched over to my neck pickup and rolled off the volume STILL on the red channel and I got a nice bluesey tone for sime 9th chords and some Jazzy stuff...again...over the drummer. It was great.

          Then the second guitarist stepped in and everything was just nice and even.

          It was an odd experience. I think they liked my sound. Our personalities seemed to vibe. They asked me back specifically because of the way I handled NOT getting a guitar part right. The other guitar player kept playing it over and over and I was getting in the zip code but not nailing it. I wasn't down on myself about it because I knew it was something I could get easily if I just sat with it and I guess they saw that. I dunno...we'll see next week for the final try out.
          For the record, Lucy Diamond is a stage name and a movie reference and I'm a guy.

          Also, the Dimarzio PAF Pros that came in my 1991 Blue Floral Ibanez Jem are some of the best paperweights ever made.

          What are you doing right now? Thread.

          Follow me on Instagram: @LucyDiamond777

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          • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

            Good to hear the Winters are working for you in a band situation. Would be hard to fathom these things getting lost in any mix.

            Anyways, personality is always a big thing in bands. If you gel in that department, it's half the battle.

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            • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

              Hey Lucy, glad the jam went well and the BWs worked out!

              Originally posted by El Supremo View Post
              The Aldrich set is now back in my Custom. Doug Aldrich himself described it as a really hyped up PAF, and that's what it is basically
              Thanks for the Aldrich breakdown. I haven't played the LP through the Marshall enough to know what the pups are doing so I'll have to wait and see if and when I change them out.

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              • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                Got to test mine out on Friday in a band setting. What a great set of pickups these are. I run a 5153 50w with a pod hd500x using 5cm (5th cable for channel switching on 5153), and boy did they deliver. I've been playing a bunch of skate punk/ska with these new guys and I could cover a lot of different tones using these, from crushing rhythm distortion on the blue channel to crystal clean ska chording on the green. Is it weird that im using a 7 string with black metal pickups to play punk? Dont care!

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                • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                  Awesome! Glad they're working for you! I've decided to put a set in my Charvel and go another route with the Les Paul.

                  Originally posted by RustInPeace View Post
                  Is it weird that im using a 7 string with black metal pickups to play punk? Dont care!
                  Definitely not weird and no you should not give a crap! lol

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                  • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????



                    Short clip of the bw's. I was aiming for a chunky dark tone and they really helped me nail what I wanted.

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                    • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                      that some ear candy dude, i think you've nailed it, sounds awesome.

                      got a pegasus that i've still not reaped the rewards with.

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                      • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                        From what I can hear on these junk speakers it sounds great. I'll have to check it out when I get home.

                        Thanks for sharing!

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                        • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                          Cool sound. Reminds me of Unleashed's sound, the Victory album specifically.

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                          • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                            That sounds good.

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                            • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                              Holy Cr@p!!!

                              700th post.

                              I wanted it to be here.

                              See you around guys.

                              Keep your Winters Black \m/,

                              ~LD
                              For the record, Lucy Diamond is a stage name and a movie reference and I'm a guy.

                              Also, the Dimarzio PAF Pros that came in my 1991 Blue Floral Ibanez Jem are some of the best paperweights ever made.

                              What are you doing right now? Thread.

                              Follow me on Instagram: @LucyDiamond777

                              Comment


                              • Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

                                So after really reading this thread in-depth, I am seeing some surprising results about these pickups. Needless to say, I am a little more intrigued about them and closer to pulling the trigger on them. However, I have only one real question about these, and how they work with Basswood. I have only seen a select few replies about using these in basswood, and would like more info on how the BW's work with this wood.

                                I am in a heavy debate on what to put in a guitar i just finished - a '67 Flying V 7-string - and I can't make up my mind on which set to get for this thing. It's primarily used for metal, stuff like Crowbar, Type O Negative, Slipknot, Fear Factory, Sevendust, ect. But it will also be used for classic stuff like AC/DC, Deep Purple, Toto, and other such stuff that requires more diversity. While I was initially set on a set of EMG 81-7H's, as I have been a long time active user. But I am now torn between a couple sets of Duncans for this thing instead. My choices are:

                                Actives:
                                -Fishman Fluence Modern 7 set, especially for the dual voicing and the coil split features...
                                -EMG 81-7H's
                                -Seymour Duncan Retribution 7's, Phase 1 set, despite my severe hatred of the Blackouts for how crazy hot they are...

                                Passives:
                                -S.D. Black Winter 7's
                                -S.D. Distortion 7's
                                -Lace Alumitone Deathbucker 7's
                                -S.D. Invader 7's

                                The guitar is a basswood body, bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, 24.75" scale, T.O.M. w/ Stop tail. Tuned standard E w/ low B, and possibly down a half step in the future if I wind up with a second one...

                                I have seen all the rave reviews about these in a lot of mahogany bodied and necked guitars, but am looking for more insight on their results in basswood. I used to be dead set on the DiMarzio D-Activator 7's, but am tired of those already. I am looking to finally start venturing more into the Duncan realm, and am having a tough time making up my mind. Would the Black Winters be what I am really looking for? Any insight and recommendations would be helpful.

                                thanks all!

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