Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

[BrockSamson]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I put Blackout Metal in my Jackson bridge and an Livewire Classic II in the neck that originally had an 81/85 setup.

Yeah my EMG's sat for over a year not being used.

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

The GC clerks seem to feel that EMGs are better simply because the Zakk Wylde set is a big seller there. Blackouts don't have that "name" recogntion. They've obviously never heard of
Dino Cazares, and some others.

 

[lex666]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I've got 2 Explorers both with blackouts.

I've also got 2 other guitars with EMG's - one of them a Les Paul.

Whoever told you the Blackouts were weak does know what he's talkign about. Probably never even heard 'em.

IMO, the Blackouts cover more on the low end and high end making them sound more powerful. EMG's sound kinda mid-range focused. BO's sound fuller & ballsier.

IME: always do the opposite of what a GC employee tells ya. He never knows what he's talkin' about.

 

[jmh151]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Guitar Center employees are pretty horrible. They're always trying to push whatever product gives them the biggest profit margin. They generally have zero knowledge of any products and merely steer you towards, again, whichever product they get the biggest profit on. Their salesmen rely on commission and how many sales they make, and how much profit they bring in. One time I bought a used Fender Eric Clapton strat from them- I picked it out myself, no one helped me, I went to buy it and had 3 salesmen fighting over who got the commission or credit for the sale. They always try to upsale you as well.

There's a Sam Ash down the street from my Guitar Center. I've been going there lately. The store is generally empty in comparison, but they have better gear. Their salesmen are honest and don't try to push any products on you.

Back to the topic. I had both the EMG Zack Wylde (85/81) set in my Les Paul, and then tried the Blackouts. The Blackouts were much more powerful.

 

[Terpdudematt]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Don't knock all GC employees. I've known a few good ones who knew their stuff. Most big chain stores have lots of employees who don't know their product.

 

[B2D]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Don't knock all GC employees. I've known a few good ones who knew their stuff.

Like me.

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Don't knock all GC employees. I've known a few good ones who knew their stuff. Most big chain stores have lots of employees who don't know their product.

Some of the people there are good and knowledgeable. They warn me to watch out for the newbies, since they act like they don't have a clue.

 

[chris_tw21]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackout's with the new covers and 18 volt mod would better then emgs.You could also put the emty neck in the neck.

 

[B2D]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Blackout's with the new covers and 18 volt mod would better then emgs.You could also put the emty neck in the neck.

Tone is subjective. I wouldn't say the Blackouts are "better". Just different.

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

Was at GC yesterday. They're still trying to sell me on Zakk Wylde EMGs.
Don't know how to tell them that I prefer the Blackouts. Plus, they're cheaper. Oh well, I'm all about the metal, I shouldn't have to worry about what they think. They should worry about what I think.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

In defense of EMG's they do have a couple of advantages. Their modular no-solder system is appealing to those who are new to pickup replacement, they have a good variety of tonal offerings from classic to modern and you can drastically modify your tone with their addon tone circuits.

SD for their part do not have a comprehensive selection of active versions of their passive pickups, newbies find the installation of actives confusing and there are no active tone shaping addons. Also the component values used for SD's actives make sourcing replacement parts harder and many standard wiring modifications for passive pickups need to be recalculated to function correctly with an active circuit.

 

[Diego]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

And why should you convince them?

I'll never forget the argument I had with a luthier/guitar tech who told I should NEVER wire a tone pot to a bridge Strat pickup,
which I'd done and he noticed when he opened my Squier. He even was a bit insulting with his adjectives.
Because, you know, it kills the classic sound, and it's not what everyone's been doing for 40 years.

I asked him to assemble my guitar back, and left the store. He didn't see one peso from me.

 

[chris_tw21]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I'am not talking about tone,I'am talking about being even,clear,having more power and less noise.I would not replace emgs with blackouts but a paf guitar maybe.

 

[BrockSamson]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I may rip the EMGs out of the guitar I just put them in and put in a set of Blackout Metals as every guitar I put them in, just feels weak compared to the one with the Blackout Metals.

 

[BrockSamson]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I may rip the EMGs out of the guitar I just put them in and put in a set of Blackout Metals as every guitar I put them in, just feels weak compared to the one with the Blackout Metals.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

It's a simple matter of saying, "I'd really prefer to try the…" I've been there, in particular in one small shop where the guy only ever wants to sell what he has in stock. Sometimes it's the right product for what I want to do, and sometimes it's not.

Don't you hate that?

You're the customer, and it's your money. It's also not as if they're trying to save you from a disastrous mistake that will ruin your guitar, blow up your amp, and burn your house down. More likely they're trying to save themselves from special-ordering something.

Quoted for TRUTH!!!!

 

[Darth Nihilus]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I was a EMG guy since 1991. I tried the Blackouts and that was all it took. The Blackouts EMTY are my new favorites.

 

[B2D]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

It's a simple matter of saying, "I'd really prefer to try the…" I've been there, in particular in one small shop where the guy only ever wants to sell what he has in stock. Sometimes it's the right product for what I want to do, and sometimes it's not.

You're the customer, and it's your money. It's also not as if they're trying to save you from a disastrous mistake that will ruin your guitar, blow up your amp, and burn your house down. More likely they're trying to save themselves from special-ordering something.

Lots of salespeople make the mistake of trying to sell things that THEY like, that fit THEIR needs, not the customer's. One of my current co-workers does this and it's almost painful to watch...

Special orders at GC now are easier for the salespeople to do than they've ever been. We use an Internet-based system that pulls from stock at the DC (not the same warehouse as Musician's Friend) rather than direct from the vendors, so it saves on shipping and time.

 

[Captain Metal]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I was looking at the Seymour Duncan chart and it says that the Blackouts 7 and 8 strings, Blackouts Metal and the EMTY Mick Thomsen pickups all have high output (which I imagine is great for metal tone) but that the regular Blackouts don't have that feature. Would I be missing something by putting regular Blackouts back into my 6-string guitar?

 

[B2D]

Re: Are Blackouts considered "weak"??

I was looking at the Seymour Duncan chart and it says that the Blackouts 7 and 8 strings, Blackouts Metal and the EMTY Mick Thomsen pickups all have high output (which I imagine is great for metal tone) but that the regular Blackouts don't have that feature. Would I be missing something by putting regular Blackouts back into my 6-string guitar?

The regular Blackouts are pretty hot as it is. They were too hot for me, and I like hot pickups.

The Blackout Metal pickups and EMTY sets are supposed to have a REALLY high level of output, but I haven't tried those.