Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

bldrst

bldrst

New member
After doing a mag swap, a ceramic from a DD in a JB was an improvement but not enough...

Anybody else been through this? I have a 2014 Jackson USA Rhoads V, RR1, (w/Floyd). I want more power and overall bigger/fatter/fuller sound, the usual complaint... plays amazing but I want a sound that compares/comes with that playability?

What is the best magnet to pop in the JB, A8? If I go that route... Or am I better off putting in a new Duncan BW or Nazgal?

Thanks for the input.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

I've always thought that throughout any magnet swap, a JB tends to sound like a JB. Maybe EQ'd a little differently, but if you don't love a JB already, I've found a magnet swap in that pickup won't change your mind.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

Mincer said:
I've always thought that throughout any magnet swap, a JB tends to sound like a JB. Maybe EQ'd a little differently, but if you don't love a JB already, I've found a magnet swap in that pickup won't change your mind.
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Yeah, it improved the tone, to my ears, maybe some aggression. But the RR1 still needs more, for me. I'm either adding an A8 in there or replacing the pickup with EITHER a BW or a Nazgal.

So, A8, BW or Nazgal in a Rhoads RR1 V?

Thanks again for the input.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

A magnet swap will only cost a few dollars to try so thats what I’d try first.
If that doesn’t work for you I’d then look into another pickup.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

bldrst said:
After doing a mag swap, a ceramic from a DD in a JB was an improvement but not enough...

Anybody else been through this? I have a 2014 Jackson USA Rhoads V, RR1, (w/Floyd). I want more power and overall bigger/fatter/fuller sound, the usual complaint... plays amazing but I want a sound that compares/comes with that playability?

What is the best magnet to pop in the JB, A8? If I go that route... Or am I better off putting in a new Duncan BW or Nazgal?

Thanks for the input.
Click to expand...


Depends on what kind of fuller/bigger/fatter sound you're going for IMO. If your top priority is crushing low-end chug, I'd say Nagzul for sure. If you're looking for cut/bite/snarl, go for the Black Winter.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

dave74 said:
Invader
Click to expand...

I'm familiar with the Invader, I have one in a solid maple strat with a Floyd - it kills!

I was thinking that one of these other options would be even bigger...?

Have you compared either to the Invader in your ax?
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

weepingminotaur said:
Depends on what kind of fuller/bigger/fatter sound you're going for IMO. If your top priority is crushing low-end chug, I'd say Nagzul for sure. If you're looking for cut/bite/snarl, go for the Black Winter.
Click to expand...

That crushing low end would be more of what the V is lacking, that might be my choice. I could add the A8 to the JB anyway and try that too.

Do you think the A8 has the kind of low end the Nazgal offers?
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

I'm pretty well versed in the Jackson RR camp.

The A8 isn't going to be worlds different than the Ceramic you've already tried, but it does impart its own flavor. It's definitely worth a shot if you already have the mag to try. The JB8 is a great pickup in its own right.

The Nazgul is aggressive, but it's low end comes across a bit differently in different guitars. It's likely to be very percussive in your RR1.

Some other options...

At the entry level price point, the Invader is probably your best bet for high output with notable thickness. Tends to work really well in these guitars.

For a little more money, you have the Black Winter, which is a more balanced version of the regular Distortion. Good bass response and plenty tight. Plus, the split sounds are really neat.

Step it up another notch and you get the often overlooked PATB-2 "Distortion" Parallel Axis, which is one of the hottest and heaviest sounding pickups in SD's production lineup. Definitely thickens up a bright guitar, but can be "too much" at times in my experience.

At the top end of the price range, I can tell you that the twin-blade El Diablo from the Custom Shop will turn any RR1 into an absolute firebreather!
 
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Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

Neither the Nazgul nor the Black Winter are fatter than the JB, IMO. Bolder, faster, tighter, more immediate, and more aggressive, yes. But both are more about focus and aggression than about fatness, IMO.

Perhaps look into the Invader or Alternative 8.
 
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Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

I always sort of thought the Nazgul as a JB to the 10th power. Tighter, more aggressive, with a similar EQ profile.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

Rex_Rocker said:
Neither the Nazgul nor the Black Winter are fatter than the JB, IMO. Bolder, faster, tighter, more immediate, and more aggressive, yes. But both are more about focus and aggression than about fatness, IMO.

Perhaps look into the Invader or Alternative 8.
Click to expand...

This is true. I was going more on the OP's desire for more power, which, given his guitar and profile, seemed to involve more aggression.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

bldrst said:
That crushing low end would be more of what the V is lacking, that might be my choice. I could add the A8 to the JB anyway and try that too.

Do you think the A8 has the kind of low end the Nazgal offers?
Click to expand...

I haven't tried the A8, so I can't say. But plenty of folks here have.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

masta' c said:
I'm pretty well versed in the Jackson RR camp.

The A8 isn't going to be worlds different than the Ceramic you've already tried, but it does impart its own flavor. It's definitely worth a shot if you already have the mag to try. The JB8 is a great pickup in its own right.

The Nazgul is aggressive, but it's low end comes across a bit differently in different guitars. It's likely to be very percussive in your RR1.

Some other options...

At the entry level price point, the Invader is probably your best bet for high output with notable thickness. Tends to work really well in these guitars.

For a little more money, you have the Black Winter, which is a more balanced version of the regular Distortion. Good bass response and plenty tight. Plus, the split sounds are really neat.

Step it up another notch and you get the often overlooked PATB-2 "Distortion" Parallel Axis, which is one of the hottest and heaviest sounding pickups in SD's production lineup. Definitely thickens up a bright guitar, but can be "too much" at times in my experience.

At the top end of the price range, I can tell you that the twin-blade El Diablo from the Custom Shop will turn any RR1 into an absolute firebreather!
Click to expand...

Excellent choices, thanks for that breakdown!
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

Rex_Rocker said:
Neither the Nazgul nor the Black Winter are fatter than the JB, IMO. Bolder, faster, tighter, more immediate, and more aggressive, yes. But both are more about focus and aggression than about fatness, IMO.

Perhaps look into the Invader or Alternative 8.
Click to expand...

For the most part, I agree with this. The Black Winter has more low-mids, though, which gives the sound a lot of body.

Oddly enough, I've rarely found the JB to be particularly "fat" in an RR1 and I've owned a few RR1's that came stock with them. It usually sounds very balanced in those guitars, but I've had to move to a fuller/warmer sounding pickup more than once.

As you state, the Invader is the next logical step (in the SD line) for filling out the sound after a JB and the most economical choice beyond a simple mag swap. The Alt8 is a fair suggestion, but if he doesn't dig the results of a JB with an A8, the Alt8 may not give him what he's after.

Moving away from SD, pickups like the Tone Zone, Illuminator and Suhr Aldrich stand out as pickups that "JB lovers wanting more warmth" might enjoy.


Mincer said:
I always sort of thought the Nazgul as a JB to the 10th power. Tighter, more aggressive, with a similar EQ profile.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the case.
 
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Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

Ok, I'm leaning toward the BW. Having 3 Ceramics mags like the Invader seems good, without the Hex screws, which is interesting. I've had a bunch of Bill Lawrence L500XL pickups and the blade pickups are like that design, so I don't want to do blades (El Diablo) on my RR1 V. (Curious about "The Slug"!)

Seems the output of a DD or thereabouts is fine, but more chuggin' low end would add to the "body" of the sound. I'm happy with my '78 in my GLPC, RTM in my solid maple Warmoth soloist, Invader in my solid maple strat w/Floyd...

There seems some difference of opinion regarding the Nazgal vs BW for the better chug/lows. I guess the deciding factor between those two would be in a RR1 V.
 
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Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

The Black Winter does not have more low-end than the Distortion. It's not far off, but if anything, it has less.
 
Re: Black Winter or Nazgal in a RR1?

I have a JB8, and I think it sounds like a cross between a JB nd a DiMarzio SuperDistrotion. But based on what you are saying, I'm not feeling that for you either. The Black Winter is gonna be close to the Ceramic JB, so no. The Invader? Perhaps.

However....based on the more, more, more I'm reading, have you considered Blackouts?
 
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