Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

[dehanson1]

Still trying to decide on new pups for all mahogany Gibson Sg. Been seeing great reviews on the Black Winter set. My questions are 1.) Will the BWs work in an all mahogany guitar. 2.) Ive heard some describe the BW bridge as a "better sounding Duncan Distortion".... We know they are good at extreme metal ect but will they do 80s metal or are they too extreme for 80s metal. I also hear thy clean up pretty well? 3.) Finally, Is it possible to get a "blues crunch" type sound out of the BWs perhaps or are they just too extreme for blues??

To sum up, I am looking for something versatile that will do metal, clean and blues....I like what I am reading about the BWs but not sure if they are versatile enough for me.....Any real world users out there with input.?

Thanks

 

[orpheo]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I'm very surprised by the versatility of the BW bridge pickup (haven't tried the neck pickup but that's because I have an issue with ceramic neck pickups). It's a really, really, really good pickup. it's less gritty than the distortion, but as tight. It's like the best of the distortion and the best of the JB, with a flavor of its own. I love using it for 80ies rock and metal, too.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Still trying to decide on new pups for all mahogany Gibson Sg. Been seeing great reviews on the Black Winter set. My questions are 1.) Will the BWs work in an all mahogany guitar. 2.) Ive heard some describe the BW bridge as a "better sounding Duncan Distortion".... We know they are good at extreme metal ect but will they do 80s metal or are they too extreme for 80s metal. I also hear thy clean up pretty well? 3.) Finally, Is it possible to get a "blues crunch" type sound out of the BWs perhaps or are they just too extreme for blues??

To sum up, I am looking for something versatile that will do metal, clean and blues....I like what I am reading about the BWs but not sure if they are versatile enough for me.....Any real world users out there with input.?

Thanks

Your probably just fine...other than the blues crunch part... this part would be a gamble... some people would dig it.... others wouldnt. BW''s are tight... most blues is played pretty loose... Can it be done? sure but would be sub optimals... but i dont think this is such a bad thing

There is always the danger of trying to make pickups too versatile... you wind up with compromises everywhere and none of the sounds are great... its better to have pickups that do 1 or 2 things great and are ok at the others.

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I'm very surprised by the versatility of the BW bridge pickup (haven't tried the neck pickup but that's because I have an issue with ceramic neck pickups). It's a really, really, really good pickup. it's less gritty than the distortion, but as tight. It's like the best of the distortion and the best of the JB, with a flavor of its own. I love using it for 80ies rock and metal, too.

Wow, that sounds promising...what guitar/wood type are you playing it in? Out of curiosity, what neck pick up are you using? What is it about ceramic neck pups?

Thanks

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Your probably just fine...other than the blues crunch part... this part would be a gamble... some people would dig it.... others wouldnt. BW''s are tight... most blues is played pretty loose... Can it be done? sure but would be sub optimals... but i dont think this is such a bad thing

There is always the danger of trying to make pickups too versatile... you wind up with compromises everywhere and none of the sounds are great... its better to have pickups that do 1 or 2 things great and are ok at the others.

Yeah, I hear ya...Let me ask you this....if I went with a BW bridge, in your opinion what is a neck pup other than the bw neck to match with it that would get me in a more bluesy place and still clean up.....Ive heard some say don't use a 59 neck in all mahogany its too bassey....

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Yeah, I hear ya...Let me ask you this....if I went with a BW bridge, in your opinion what is a neck pup other than the bw neck to match with it that would get me in a more bluesy place and still clean up.....Ive heard some say don't use a 59 neck in all mahogany its too bassey....

59 is fine in mahogany... normally it just needs a height adjustment... My pick though would be the Pearly gates neck... its just a bit ruder than a 59 yet sounds killer clean and under gain.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I use it in a les paul.

Ceramics are too hot for my taste. too congested. too thick. not nearly enough clarity. I love the screaming demon. has plenty of output for the black winter. I'm running it NOW with a 'Vintage p90' from seymour duncan. and that pickup also has plenty of output to go with the BW.

I never cared much for ceramic pickups... I never cared much for the SH6N, but I swear to any deity you like, that pickup SMOKES in the bridge of a strat. Or any other guitar for that matters.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I was surprised too. I think the BW can do all genres of rock, hard rock and metal pretty well.

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I use it in a les paul.

Ceramics are too hot for my taste. too congested. too thick. not nearly enough clarity. I love the screaming demon. has plenty of output for the black winter. I'm running it NOW with a 'Vintage p90' from seymour duncan. and that pickup also has plenty of output to go with the BW.

I never cared much for ceramic pickups... I never cared much for the SH6N, but I swear to any deity you like, that pickup SMOKES in the bridge of a strat. Or any other guitar for that matters.

So your running a screaming demon neck with the bw bridge or the vintage p90 with the bw bridge?

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Listening to sound sample on sd site just now...the alnico pro 11 sound slightly hotter than a 59.....would the alnico pro 11 work in mahogany and with a bw bridge or a distortion bridge.....?? Any opinions on the alnico pro 11 neck?

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I use it in a les paul.

Ceramics are too hot for my taste. too congested. too thick. not nearly enough clarity. I love the screaming demon. has plenty of output for the black winter. I'm running it NOW with a 'Vintage p90' from seymour duncan. and that pickup also has plenty of output to go with the BW.

I never cared much for ceramic pickups... I never cared much for the SH6N, but I swear to any deity you like, that pickup SMOKES in the bridge of a strat. Or any other guitar for that matters.

The screaming demon is traditionally a bridge pup right? But our saying ou run it in th eneck with a bw bridge?

Thanks

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Listening to sound sample on sd site just now...the alnico pro 11 sound slightly hotter than a 59.....would the alnico pro 11 work in mahogany and with a bw bridge or a distortion bridge.....?? Any opinions on the alnico pro 11 neck?

Based of those sound samples, the biggest and hottest sounding pickup that duncan makes is the Custom 5. Take those with a grain of salt.

 

[Securb]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

This write up I did on the pickup speaks to your question.

http://www.tmrzoo.com/2013/55930/guitar-gear-review-seymour-duncan-black-winter-one-trick-pony

 

[orpheo]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

So your running a screaming demon neck with the bw bridge or the vintage p90 with the bw bridge?

the demon is one of my favorite pickups in the neck, yes. In fact, it's one of the finest neck pickups I tried, really.

I used the bw with a demon in one guitar as well as with the vintage p90. love 'm both

 

[LonePhantom]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I tested both of the BWs and was amazed by the versatility. Combinations of the pickups covered almost all sonic ground you might ask for.

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I'm very surprised by the versatility of the BW bridge pickup (haven't tried the neck pickup but that's because I have an issue with ceramic neck pickups). It's a really, really, really good pickup. it's less gritty than the distortion, but as tight. It's like the best of the distortion and the best of the JB, with a flavor of its own. I love using it for 80ies rock and metal, too.

Ok so I am almost 100 % sold on a BW bridge but I am curious. How does the bw bridge mesh with all mahogany guitars like an sg? Every one says the Distortion sounds great in all mahogany. Just wondering how it will do or if the distortion is better suited for Mahogany. Secondly, with the bw bridge ive got my metal and rock tones covered but since the bw bridge probably isn't going to do blues, I need a neck pup that will get my blues tones.
Between the 59 neck and the screamin demon, which one is gonna get the better blues tones? I am guessing the 59? How does the screamin demon do on blues tones? I don't mind getting away a a bit from a "traditional pure vintage" blues tone...in fact a little tightness is ok....but just a pup that will pull off blues to go with the bw bridge....59 or screamin demon? And again, how does the bw bridge fair in all mahogany?

Thanks a bunch

 

[orpheo]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Can't say for sure but I'm 99% positive it will work very well. But a 100% mahogany guitar isn't perse similar to another. The Sg sounds fierce. Punchy. Gnarly. A '57 lp custom sounds thick lush and fat. Just because the lp is thicker.

But yeah. For an sg, go with it.

 

[dehanson1]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Can't say for sure but I'm 99% positive it will work very well. But a 100% mahogany guitar isn't perse similar to another. The Sg sounds fierce. Punchy. Gnarly. A '57 lp custom sounds thick lush and fat. Just because the lp is thicker.

But yeah. For an sg, go with it.

OK what do you think about the 59 neck vs screamin demon dilemma to get some blues tones?

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

I have a '59 neck in a semihollow that gets great blues tones all day long.

 

[Securb]

Re: Black Winter: Are they versatile enough for....

Ok so I am almost 100 % sold on a BW bridge but I am curious. How does the bw bridge mesh with all mahogany guitars like an sg?

The guitar in my review was a mahogany Dean split tail. The pickup sounded fantastic. No matter what I threw at it, it handled. No you will not get a "blues crunch". However, if you pop a Jazz or a PGn in the guitar you can get you "blues crunch" tones from the neck pickup.