Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

[Captain Metal]

I was thinking of re-installing Blackouts ABH-1 into my Ibanez RG 20th Anniversary, but the clerks at Guitar Center tell me I'd be better off to go with EMG 81's and 85's. Blackouts are considered "weak", and though it's been over a year since I had them in, I had no problem with them, and I never sat down to compare them with the EMGs in my Schecter. Are they right? If I want a killer metal sound, should I stick with Blackouts?

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Two words Guitar Center. Nobody publishes a ******bag directory in the United States because everyone knows where to find them, they're working at Guitar Center. Guitar Center employs McDonalds drive thru rejects who don't know how to make change.

 

[cakire82]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

They are hotter than 81 and 85. Also more dynamic and organic. EMGs tend to have more clarity though.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackouts, the pickups that were designed to be bigger, louder, more aggressive versions of the EMG-81 / 85 set?

yeah they're weak as **** man, get yourself some lipstick tubes.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Music store clerks aren't the most highly-screened employees you'll find. You'll get much better advice on this forum. We know about, and do, things few of them can comprehend.

 

[alteredbeast]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Two words Guitar Center. Nobody publishes a ******bag directory in the United States because everyone knows where to find them, they're working at Guitar Center. Guitar Center employs McDonalds drive thru rejects who don't know how to make change.

+1. GC will employ anyone as long as you have a heartbeat, and have heard of such an object called a guitar. thats funny, i find blackouts to have more clarity than emg's. when i switched my guitars over to blackouts, it was like some lifted a down comforter off of my amp.

 

[ricc]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Music store clerks aren't the most highly-screened employees you'll find. You'll get much better advice on this forum. We know about, and do, things few of them can comprehend.

+1. If I don't know something, I'll ask here. And not just music stuff

 

[sosomething]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I was thinking of re-installing Blackouts ABH-1 into my Ibanez RG 20th Anniversary, but the clerks at Guitar Center tell me I'd be better off to go with EMG 81's and 85's. Blackouts are considered "weak", and though it's been over a year since I had them in, I had no problem with them, and I never sat down to compare them with the EMGs in my Schecter. Are they right? If I want a killer metal sound, should I stick with Blackouts?

Anybody wanna guess the retail markup differential between Duncans and EMGs?

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Music store clerks aren't the most highly-screened employees you'll find. You'll get much better advice on this forum. We know about, and do, things few of them can comprehend.

YEAH!!!!! Well, have to say the gal in the pickup/accessories department was cute, but misinformed. Everyone seems to have a "preference" for EMGs,
but that's because they're more familiar with them. I liked them when they were installed before, and I had no problem with them. I like the Blackouts Metal pickups for my other Ibanez, love how they give that cool feedback.

Interesting, though, how the lowest bottom bridge setting selected doesn't sound as "heavy" as in the next up bridge setting. The guitar has a bridge/middle/neck configuration.

Nice to come to where the actual experts are on this forum!!! :cool2: Funny, on the Ibanez site, they said pretty much the same thing about Guitar Center
employees as everyone's saying here!!

 

[blueman335]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Nice to come to where the actual experts are on this forum!!! :cool2: Funny, on the Ibanez site, they said pretty much the same thing about Guitar Center employees as everyone's saying here!!

Most of us aren't experts per se, but we work with this stuff regularly, and bounce ideas off other forum members, so we are often on the cutting edge of developments in guitars. Altering your set-up changes the EQ, as does swapping magnets, pots, and pole pieces. Some guys here wind PU's. A few are wizards with wiring diagrams. A lot of talent and creativity.

Glad you're here. Stick around.

 

[marvelous_seven]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackouts isn't weak,in fact that Blackouts don't compatible with Sustainiac pickup because they said "the magnetic sensitivity of these pickups is so great that the driver wire cannot be run anywhere near them",instead EMGs are still great to use with Sustainiac means Blackouts are more powerful than EMGs.
That's one thing to consider for sure.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackouts are not weak, they are hotter and far superior to the EMG 81 and 85. Much more dynamic also. You can get some really great cleans out of the Blackouts.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Captain Metal, why don't you let us know what amp you're using, how you tune your guitar, what music you like to play, etc. IMO, these things make all the difference when deciding between blackouts and emgs.

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Captain Metal, why don't you let us know what amp you're using, how you tune your guitar, what music you like to play, etc. IMO, these things make all the difference when deciding between blackouts and emgs.

.
I play a Peavey TripleXXX on the Crunch setting; I use standard tuning while
using dropped-D tuning often as well as having a 7-string tuned to B and another 7-string I think tuned to A (I think), and a 6-string sometimes tuned to C#.
I like to play metal, sometimes I try to invent thrash riffs on 7-strings while
practicing a few leads on 6-strings. My favorite bands would include Iron Maiden, Nevermore, Slayer, Children Of Bodom, Sabbath (of course), as well as Dream Theater. Death metal is great, as well as some prog-metal bands.

 

[ponch]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackouts are not weak, they are hotter and far superior to the EMG 81 and 85. Much more dynamic also. You can get some really great cleans out of the Blackouts.

Wow that's a fantastic opinion rather than a fact.

... last time I checked I was able to take my bassman from clean to soiled my pants by flicking a switch, even moreso if you have a boost switch. I've played the blackouts, but they feel more forgiving than a set of either SA's or 80 series pups. Id rather go Emg any day of the week. I personally feel Duncans blackouts dont come close, kinda like a novelty.

 

[Franknfilms]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

.
I play a Peavey TripleXXX

As do I. The xxx crunch channel distortion is a bit dark no matter how you eq it imo, the ultra channel has insane amounts of gain that can get muddy. I think the emg 81 is a great match for this amp, brightens up the crunch, stays clear in the ultra. I've tried the blackout ahb1 bridge as well and didn't get the same results. I tune to drop C. If you really like a tight, sharp, and brutal sounding attack on the rhythm, the emg 81 is still king. If you want thicker power chords, more output/distortion, and the best pinch harmonics you've ever heard go with the blackout.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

if you really love what the emg 81 has then try the emty

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

As do I. The xxx crunch channel distortion is a bit dark no matter how you eq it imo, the ultra channel has insane amounts of gain that can get muddy. I think the emg 81 is a great match for this amp, brightens up the crunch, stays clear in the ultra. I've tried the blackout ahb1 bridge as well and didn't get the same results. I tune to drop C. If you really like a tight, sharp, and brutal sounding attack on the rhythm, the emg 81 is still king. If you want thicker power chords, more output/distortion, and the best pinch harmonics you've ever heard go with the blackout.

Hmmm, big decisions. So it's just a matter of what you prefer more soundwise than which is a stronger active pickup?

 

[B2D]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

A few things.

I owned a pair of Blackouts for a brief period and I actually got rid of them because they were too powerful for me. I attach a few adjectives to a set of Blackouts, but weak is not and will never be one of them. They're very hot but they're also very dynamic and the do offer nice clean tones.

If the GC employees told you that a) Blackouts are weak and b) you'd be better off with EMGs, they sound like they're a) people that have never heard these pickups and b) are putting their preferences ahead of yours. Only you can decide what works best for you.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackouts, the pickups that were designed to be bigger, louder, more aggressive versions of the EMG-81 / 85 set?

yeah they're weak as **** man, get yourself some lipstick tubes.

:lmao:

I was about to say: a lot of BS is said on the guitar selling floor. At many stores. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes intentionally, sometimes innocently.