500T or Black Winter for my Gibbo?

[Rex_Rocker]

So I've got the lone 500K potentiometer. I'm preparing to wire my guitar up. However...

I was looking through my pickups, and I remember I have the BW in there. Having second thoughts now.

I remember the BW being tighter, more aggressive, and with lots of attack. I remember the 500T being looser, dirtier, but with lots of 90's-sounding grind. Slightly lower output too.

So.... not sure what to do now.

BTW, I'm also debating about an SH-6N, a DiMarzio Super 2, or Evo Neck in the neck.

Opionions?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm 55% 500T, 45% BW. But I'm not sure.

If I go 500T, I'm 95% SH-6N, since visually, it maches. But if I go BW, I could do any in the neck, since it's not going to match anyways.

 

[weepingminotaur]

What will you be playing on this guitar?

 

[Mincer]

The BW will have more mids, which isn''t a bad thing at all.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

What will you be playing on this guitar?

Melodic Death Metal. Think At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, old In Flames, Arch Enemy, etc. Some Gothenburg-inspired 2000's Metalcore too, I guess.

I mean, the BW is supposed to nail the Scandinavian sound. But does it really? IMO, it's more modern than 90's.

Dark Tranquillity and Amon Amarth both used the 500T at some point.

I'm sure both pickups can pull that sound off, tho.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

The BW will have more mids, which isn''t a bad thing at all.

I remember the 500T being pretty mid-heavy as well, just a bit looser than the 'Winter, which is razor tight.

Objectically, the BW is the better pickup, really. But the 500T has a lot more of a dirty vibe which I also like.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Melodic Death Metal. Think At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, old In Flames, Arch Enemy, etc. Some Gothenburg-inspired 2000's Metalcore too, I guess.

I mean, the BW is supposed to nail the Scandinavian sound. But does it really? IMO, it's more modern than 90's.

Dark Tranquillity and Amon Amarth both used the 500T at some point.

I'm sure both pickups can pull that sound off, tho.

I'd still go for BW. It's got that tight, searing quality that is perfectly suited for all the kvlt stuff.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'd still go for BW. It's got that tight, searing quality that is perfectly suited for all the kvlt stuff.

Well, Melodic Death is not really kvlt, LOL.

But the 500T is kinda chainsaw like, excep it's looser and fatter in the low-end.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Well, Melodic Death is not really kvlt, LOL.

But the 500T is kinda chainsaw like, excep it's looser and fatter in the low-end.

Yeah, fair enough. But I still think the Winter would do melodeath well. Having said that, it depends on whether you want that looser, fatter bottom end from the 500T. If it were me, I'd definitely want tighter bass for Arch Enemy and such.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah. That's why I'm undecided. Not sure if I want the more modern (or at least 2000's) cleaner low-end or the more 90's dirtiness.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Also, not sure how the BW would do with a single 500K pot. Whenever I've had it, it was with either a single 250K volume pot or with 500K volume and tone pots, and the attack was VERY emphatic.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Alright... went for the 500T.

Amazing. Incredible. All I wanted. It is as I remembered. Nasty, grindy, dirty with lots of character.

Distortion Neck... better than I remember, but still... meh. LOL.

It's not muddy. It's not weak. But it's kinda cold. Not warm like I like my neck pickups, but not because it's too bright or too scooped, but because it's kinda... too attacky? Raspy?

I wonder what would happen if I drop an A8 in there. I don't want to lose the output it has right now. That's perfect. But I do want a slightly less raspy attack. Slighthly more warmth. But A8 is not really warm, is it? And A5 I feel would take too much of a toll on the output since I'd not only be replacing a regular Ceramic magnet, but an oversized one.

Suggestions?

 

[jeremy]

i think a8 might work for you. its a bit warmer/fatter than ceramic usually, though i havent tried this specific swap

 

[Aceman]

Go all-in and get the Distortion Mayhem set.

 

[jeremy]

if hes happy with the 500t and not sure about the sh6n, im not sure thats great advice. they do match well, but switching the bridge pup isnt going to fix the neck pup

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm actually undecided. I don't mind the Distortion Neck, really. It has a nice clean tone. Almost EMG 60-ish. But I like my leads smoother. I'll try an A8. If not, I'll probably try to find a Norton (non-Air) or something.

I do like the Distortion Mayhem set, but I didn't want to spend more money, LOL. I already had the 500T and Distortion Neck, so in they went.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Alright, spent some serious time with the 500T. Reporting back.

Sooooo happy I made the change. I love Fishman Fluence Classics... but playing through the same pickups after a while, even if I love them, gets kinda boring to me.

So right off the bat, this is MUCH hotter. Like, no comparison whatsoever. This pickups DESTROYS an amp's input. It's easily one of the hottests pickups I've tried, second only to the Black Winter or the X2N. So at least in that regard, it's a 180 degree change.

It's also got the Swedish chainsaw mids, much like the Black Winter. Really brash, in your face, emphatic high mids. However, the bottom-end is kinda dirty and more old-school compared to the BW (or at least what I remember since it's been at least 6 or 7 months since I've had the BW in a guitar).

Even if the low end is kinda dirty, and many people mentioned it was kinda loose, it's way tighter, more controlled, and easier to play through than the Classics. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Classics, but the tone of the 500T is just so much more Metal.

The Distortion Neck... I'm warming up to it... but still would like it to be a little rounder. I've made up my mind to try an A8 magnet in it. Will report back.

Really happy I made the swap. Perhaps I'll try the BW soon in the same guitar, but for now, I'm really happy.

 

[Demanic]

A8 ain't going to do it.
Put an A4 in.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

A8 ain't going to do it.
Put an A4 in.

Wouldn't that drop the output too much?

 

[Cynical]

Melodic Death Metal. Think At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, old In Flames, Arch Enemy, etc. Some Gothenburg-inspired 2000's Metalcore too, I guess.

BW for certain based on this.