Active pickups for baritone guitar

[DeadandBuried]

After playing a friend's Jim Root strat I was loving the sound of actives and a planning to get myself a new baritone guitar 26.5 or 27 inch scale to play the usual drop tuned metalcore chug riffs.

And I'm also thinking of moving to active pickups for the first time after being a passive user all my guitar playing life. But I want at least 1 guitar in my arsenal to have actives for variation and contrast.

The EMG 81/60 was great in the strat but are the Blackouts worth a go? I know a couple of my favourite bands use the AHB-1 and the Mick Thomson set.

Tuning as low as drop a so need something to hold the chunk but not get too flubby. Needs to cut though and be clear. Usually play a 5150 style amp (via a Kemper profiler).

The guitars I'm interested in getting are the PRS SE 277, Ibanez RGIB21 or the Axion Black Label, a brand called EastCoast T1 who do a 27" baritone Tele style guitar and a Reverend Descend. Have only tried some of them as there's stock supply issues with alot of them in the UK.

 

[Hsb]

I havent played them but since Mick and Jim will tune down to drop A, I dont think you would go wrong with the Mick Thomson set and since you have played the Jim Root set, you know those will handle the chug as well. Jim has his own set of EMGs

 

[DeadandBuried]

That strat had the standard EMG 81/60 I think not Jim's signature set. But nevertheless I really liked them. I like the Blackouts too, the AHB-1's not the 3's that I think are Mick's signatures.

 

[Mincer]

The Blackouts set was designed for this sort of thing.

 

[alex1fly]

I'd get the guitar first and worry about pickup swaps later. You can get really mean sounds simply by having that lower tuning going through a 5150 profile. The JR Strat with EMG 81 gets a specific sound because it drives the amp so hard - mimic this by setting up a boost before your amp and lots of compression, if you can. And you don't have to go EMG - any pickup known for tightness and articulation in low tuning will scratch the itch, I think. However I'm a big fan of the EMG installation system and if you're making a guitar-buying decision based on the EMG 81, get an EMG 81 instead of another brand.

Full Shred in my 7 string tuned to Bb standard/drop Ab is monstrous.

 

[DeadandBuried]

The Blackouts set was designed for this sort of thing.

Hmm not checked out the Loomis ones much, will have to now. Thought it was between AHB-1 and the 3.

 

[DeadandBuried]

I'd get the guitar first and worry about pickup swaps later. You can get really mean sounds simply by having that lower tuning going through a 5150 profile. The JR Strat with EMG 81 gets a specific sound because it drives the amp so hard - mimic this by setting up a boost before your amp and lots of compression, if you can. And you don't have to go EMG - any pickup known for tightness and articulation in low tuning will scratch the itch, I think. However I'm a big fan of the EMG installation system and if you're making a guitar-buying decision based on the EMG 81, get an EMG 81 instead of another brand.

Full Shred in my 7 string tuned to Bb standard/drop Ab is monstrous.

Yeah I mean I'm still waiting to try out 3 other guitars - the PRS SE 277, one of the Ibanez models and the Reverend. I just wanted one guitar with actives, I don't see many PRS's with actives though. I know other brands have come along since EMG, 10-15 years ago it was the go-to for metal pickups. But BKP are expensive, so are Fishman.

Depending on the guitar it'd likely to be one of the EMG or Blackouts.

 

[Inflames626]

DeadandBuried , after playing EMGs for about 26 years and Blackouts since they came out, I'd say, the lower the tuning, go with Blackouts.

AHB-1s have more low end and are "rounder" like an Alnico pickup would be. The AHB-3s are brighter and cut through, adding definition to lower tunings. I think of the AHB-1s as more of a chugging pickup, and the AHB-3s for solos and melodies. The AHB-3 is, to my ear, more balanced and more to my taste, but the AHB-1 sounds thicker for rhythms.

A 7 string and the Dino Cazares pickups (which I don't see used/talked about much) might also be worth a go? They seem even brighter than the AHB-3s.

In my experience with EMGs they just sound thin if you tune below D standard. I still have super low guitars with EMGs just to have that sound, but given my preferences, I'd pick Blackouts. I have the AHB-3s in a C standard guitar and AHB-1 Blackouts in Db standard and B standard guitars.

You might have better luck going with Alnico 5 variants like the EMG 85, but I prefer the 81.

Something else is you'll have better luck if you go with the 18 volt or 24 volt mods (I'll leave it to you to Google those), but it's just more time and expense when Blackouts get you closer to a fuller sound without all the modifications.

I don't see AHB-2s talked about a lot for low tunings. Those seem to be highly polarizing pickups. People seem to like them for a harsh black metal sound, a genre which actually often uses higher tunings.

As a last note, if you are recording, in my experience EMGs sit in a mix better than Blackouts, but Blackouts have the troublesome low mids notched out almost perfectly. I usually roll off below 100 hz, boost around 200 hz, and leave everything else flat until around 2 khz, which I boost again. I roll off above 5 khz. Anything between 200 hz and 2 khz that causes problems gets notched out.

With EMGs, they usually get help in the low end with EQ and the low mids are tweaked a lot. Blackouts get the lows and highs tightened up to keep them from clashing with other instruments but the mids are mostly left untouched.

If you want to hear the AHB-3s, this is a recording I did from 2014 or so. The song is in C standard. It isn't really chugga chugga but it shows how well the AHB-3s handle Gothenburg Sound death metal.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/goliaths-disarm-their-davids

Hope this helps.

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I love the Mick Thompson emty Blackouts! the most of all the actives I have used. They are my favorite actives ever.

They are tonally better in my opinion than the ahb1 set, which seemed a tad dark and muddy.
​​​​​
They are so much better than the 85/81 emgs as well, which while those are very quiet, have a plastic sterility to their tone.


​​​​​​My humble 2 cents worth

 

[DeadandBuried]

DeadandBuried , after playing EMGs for about 26 years and Blackouts since they came out, I'd say, the lower the tuning, go with Blackouts.

AHB-1s have more low end and are "rounder" like an Alnico pickup would be. The AHB-3s are brighter and cut through, adding definition to lower tunings. I think of the AHB-1s as more of a chugging pickup, and the AHB-3s for solos and melodies. The AHB-3 is, to my ear, more balanced and more to my taste, but the AHB-1 sounds thicker for rhythms.

A 7 string and the Dino Cazares pickups (which I don't see used/talked about much) might also be worth a go? They seem even brighter than the AHB-3s.

In my experience with EMGs they just sound thin if you tune below D standard. I still have super low guitars with EMGs just to have that sound, but given my preferences, I'd pick Blackouts. I have the AHB-3s in a C standard guitar and AHB-1 Blackouts in Db standard and B standard guitars.

You might have better luck going with Alnico 5 variants like the EMG 85, but I prefer the 81.

Something else is you'll have better luck if you go with the 18 volt or 24 volt mods (I'll leave it to you to Google those), but it's just more time and expense when Blackouts get you closer to a fuller sound without all the modifications.

I don't see AHB-2s talked about a lot for low tunings. Those seem to be highly polarizing pickups. People seem to like them for a harsh black metal sound, a genre which actually often uses higher tunings.

As a last note, if you are recording, in my experience EMGs sit in a mix better than Blackouts, but Blackouts have the troublesome low mids notched out almost perfectly. I usually roll off below 100 hz, boost around 200 hz, and leave everything else flat until around 2 khz, which I boost again. I roll off above 5 khz. Anything between 200 hz and 2 khz that causes problems gets notched out.

With EMGs, they usually get help in the low end with EQ and the low mids are tweaked a lot. Blackouts get the lows and highs tightened up to keep them from clashing with other instruments but the mids are mostly left untouched.

If you want to hear the AHB-3s, this is a recording I did from 2014 or so. The song is in C standard. It isn't really chugga chugga but it shows how well the AHB-3s handle Gothenburg Sound death metal.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/goliaths-disarm-their-davids

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply man. I don't really know the major differences between the AHB-1 and 3 so that was really helpful. I'll be mainly playing rhythm so chunking on the lowest 2 strings and playing single note riffs. Won't be doing too many leads, I'm not really a shredder. Just want that nice tight clear sound when chunking breakdowns! I believe this guy plays the AHB-3's and he's playing his own songs during a live stream:

https://youtu.be/7sdVuuHJIL8

7 strings just confuse me so I probably won't go down that route lol. Can barely play a 6-string properly haha.

I do know about the 18/24v mods. Supposed to be higher output and better. Lowest I'll tune to is probably drop a. A set of the AHB-3's will probably cost the same as the 24v modded EMG's maybe, haven't calculated that yet but yeah probably better to get the right pickup in the first place. EMG's get a good rep for sitting well in a mix and just being a good metal pickup.

I liked the tune, as you say not quite the same style but it sounds great recorded. What guitar were they in?

 

[DeadandBuried]

I love the Mick Thompson emty Blackouts! the most of all the actives I have used. They are my favorite actives ever.

They are tonally better in my opinion than the ahb1 set, which seemed a tad dark and muddy.
​​​​​
They are so much better than the 85/81 emgs as well, which while those are very quiet, have a plastic sterility to their tone.


​​​​​​My humble 2 cents worth

Ah ok, tht's cool. What guitar are they in? I don't want dark and muddy for sure, under low tunings esp with high gain.

I mean I played my friend's Jim Root strat in drop c# and I liked that compressed sound, some don't. But yeah didn't go lower than that to really see how they chunk'd.

 

[Dahla]

In my experience with EMGs they just sound thin if you tune below D standard.

Huh?…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

Ah ok, tht's cool. What guitar are they in? I don't want dark and muddy for sure, under low tunings esp with high gain.

I mean I played my friend's Jim Root strat in drop c# and I liked that compressed sound, some don't. But yeah didn't go lower than that to really see how they chunk'd.

I have them in both of my explorers. Tuned Drop B.
they flat rip.

 

[DeadandBuried]

I have them in both of my explorers. Tuned Drop B.
they flat rip.

Nice man, can't beat a cranked tube amp through a 4x12! I'll be going lower than drop b and I haven't heard many demos with the AHB-3's tuned that low. Well, I guess if Mick uses them and Slipknot tune to a then there's that.

 

[Inflames626]

Ultimately you can't go wrong with either. I'd say find whatever you can used and go with that, keeping in mind that the mods to the EMGs will always increase your costs even though EMGs aren't hard to find. After EMGs, you'll find Blackouts, with the AHB-1s being more common than the AHB-3s.

 

[Inflames626]

DeadandBuried , thanks. The AHB-3s are in an import Jackson Kelly KE3 crimson swirl, 25.5", bolt on, Floyd Rose, 24 frets.

My stuff has a lot of post production though so take it for what it's worth.

The amp sim was Pod Farm 2.5 with a Marshall JCM800 boosted with a Tube Screamer.

 

[DeadandBuried]

Ultimately you can't go wrong with either. I'd say find whatever you can used and go with that, keeping in mind that the mods to the EMGs will always increase your costs even though EMGs aren't hard to find. After EMGs, you'll find Blackouts, with the AHB-1s being more common than the AHB-3s.

Yeah right now I'm leaning towards the AHB-3's, but won't discount the EMG81's.

I really like this guy's tone and I believe he uses the AHB-3's on a baritone guitar.

https://youtu.be/XJO46Y0vwTY

I think he also uses a Peavey style amp with a tubescreamer. His chugs are nice and chunky and tight.

 

[Inflames626]

Yeah right now I'm leaning towards the AHB-3's, but won't discount the EMG81's.

I really like this guy's tone and I believe he uses the AHB-3's on a baritone guitar.

https://youtu.be/XJO46Y0vwTY

I think he also uses a Peavey style amp with a tubescreamer. His chugs are nice and chunky and tight.

DeadandBuried , based on that clip, I think an EMG81 through a Peavey 5150 will get you that sound. I hear a lot of harsh saturation in the upper mids that sounds like a 5150 to me. The lows are nice and might be a bit much for an 81 but maybe not an 85. Or you could mod the EMGs to run in 18 volts (or an EMG X which is the same) or go with the 24 volt mod.

AHB-1 Blackouts will get you a bigger chug. AHB-3s will get you a tighter chug.

It's hard to recommend pickups without doing trial and error yourself. I'd try finding EMG 81s and Blackouts on the used market first and then going from there for the rarer varieties like the AHB-3s. I'd only buy new if it were a really hard to find pickup like a Dino Cazares model.

 

[Silver]

I have a standard Blackouts set in my warmoth and they sound killer!

I play in standard tuning only, so dont have experience with them for drop tuning, but they sound spectacular for my use.

 

[Mincer]

Blackouts are great in any tuning, as long as the gain level is high.