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Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

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  • Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

    I currently have the BW in one of my guitars and was contemplating putting them in another, but I've been really curious about the Alpha/Omega set lately for no logical reason.

    Has anyone here owned both the BW and AO sets or had a chance to compare them? If so, what were your impressions? Has anyone used the AO set for non-Periphery styles of music?

    Very curious!

  • #2
    Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

    I did, but in very different guitars for very different music. The A/O set had a ton of highs (too much for me). The BW set really surprised me with how musical they are. I think a lot of people might be turned off by the marketing, but the set is great for a lot of styles. It is certainly the most versatile of the 2 sets.
    Administrator of the SDUGF

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    • #3
      Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

      Interesting!

      Indeed, the BW set is surprisingly musical for what they are. SD sprinkled some crazy magical pixie dust on those models!

      That said, not sure I want more highs than the BW set already has. Hmm...

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      • #4
        Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

        I can see how the A/O set is wonderful for progressive metal, where you need that articulation. I can't see getting that set if that isn't your sole thing. It is a Very Good One Trick Pony, as they say.
        Administrator of the SDUGF

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        • #5
          Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

          Yeah, I need something versatile. I mean, there's always someone out there who "makes it work" (my favorite VH cover was done with an Ibanez RG with a stock V8 pickup...still have no idea how that guy got it to sound so good), but the BW set goes from melodic cleans to '80s rock to "da brootz" with ease. Maybe I'll just stick with them.

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          • #6
            Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

            The versatility of the Winters continually amazes me. I can go from clean to hard rock to metal to jazz to funk to pretty much whatever, just by playing with volume and tone and coil-splitting and tweaking the amp. Bridge pickup split is great for blues.

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            • #7
              Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

              The black winters are pretty versatile. I think more so than the alpha omega set. The alpha is bright and like a bridge humbucker sound in the neck position. The omega is pretty cool but definitely has a snarl and a snap to it that can lose legato playing at times. Bright set overall. The black winter set is warmer and thicker. I think of them as modern voiced distortions without as much “fry” edge they sometimes have. Wes Hauch does a wonderful demo of the neck black winter.


              I believe this is the blackened black winter neck model that Wes plays here. It has a double row of hexes that’s the only difference if I remember.



              The neck is definitely a winner. Somebody here said that the Steve Morse neck model is wound very high for a neck pickup and I hear some of the qualities in the black winter neck as well. Slightly dark and smooth but not really hot sounding. It seems to be overly wound too.

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              • #8
                Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                I love my sentient for cleans and low gain but not as much for high gain. I kind of want to use the black winter neck now except I don’t think the black color matches my Pegasus.

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                • #9
                  Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                  You can order a Black Winter in any color you want (mostly) through the Shop Floor Custom program.
                  Administrator of the SDUGF

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                  • #10
                    Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                    The alfa is a very, very clean neck pickup but with a fair amount of power. Almost too bright.

                    The omega is cut from that same tonal cloth and I feel it sometimes needs just a bit more oompf but I understand how great this set might work in a rig that uses a lot of fix, digital amps and too many guitarists in 1 band...

                    The black winter bridge is absolutely amazing and one of the best pickups SD makes. I havent tried the BW neck but I do know the sentient; a bw+sentient is imho a great, versatile set that should cover a lot of territory.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                      I have used both sets (Black Winter and Alpha/Omega). Both are excellent in their own right, but as others have stated here already, the Black Winter set is definitely the more versatile of the two.
                      I have the BW's in a couple of baritone guitars for heavy downtuned metal stuff, and I have a set of BW's in two other standard length guitars that I use for rock/alternative and even occasionally rock-blues stuff.
                      The BW's work amazingly well in all contexts and has this full, thick and articulate tone.
                      The Alpha/Omega sound great in the context of playing stuff where I need to add some brightness and cutting top to a darker sounding guitar, especially droptuned. But they're a bit too bright I think to be
                      considered as versatile and warm as the BW's can be.

                      And as mentioned before, I too say don't let the marketing sway you from the Black Winter. It might be primarily marketed towards the extreme Metal players out there but more and more people seem to be finding
                      out that they're far more useful than just for that style of music.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                        I appreciate the input, guys. Definitely some common themes emerging with the Alpha/Omega

                        I'm looking for more power and punch, not extra brightness. I figured the BW set would be the way to go and that looks to be the case.

                        Thanks for your help!

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                        • #13
                          Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                          Originally posted by Bowtomecha View Post
                          Wes Hauch does a wonderful demo of the neck black winter.
                          That's some of the best playing/tone I've ever heard.
                          The Artist Formerly Known As Drunken Bowling

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                          • #14
                            Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                            Wes Hauch is great. He has a new dual-rail 7-string pickup (the Jupiter) that I've been really curious about.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Black Winter vs Alpha Omega set...Who Has Tried Both?

                              Originally posted by masta' c View Post
                              Wes Hauch is great. He has a new dual-rail 7-string pickup (the Jupiter) that I've been really curious about.
                              I'm not a big seven string player anymore (mostly using six string baritone scale guitars these days) but when I got to play around a bit with the Jupiter at NAMM I was really impressed with it.
                              So I'm hoping a six string version is potentially going to happen and rival it, I'd definitely give it a whirl.

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