Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Does it have a mid cut? That seems to be the thing I notice the most, a long with a boost in the highs just a little. That's what I've noticed so far, and that they're pretty articulate.

By the way, no further compression is really needed on Distortion, because the sound is already compressed when distorted.

Yes, but all the audio on YouTube is compressed because of the format that they use.

Shootin...thank you very much.

I was definitely NOT talking about using a compressor pedal or effect. I was talking about digital audio codec file compression.

And yes Max...there is mid cut for daaaaaaays.

I'm telling you folks....everything you need is hear.

From what I've read about how different and full and completely revolutionary and amazing the Zephyrs are, it just feels to me like These Black Winters might be the common mans Zephyr.

Seymour Duncan really needs to start setting up kiosks in guitar stores with Winter loaded guitars just to see. They are NOT just high output pickups...these things are something new and beautiful.

Honestly...if I were physically capable, I'd cry.

 

[chris effect]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

I'm thinking Black Winters for my SG when I spring for new pups in it.

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

And yes Max...there is mid cut for daaaaaaays.

I think he's talking about mid scoop not mid cut like lots of cutting mids.

I hope to God they don't have scooped mids, that's almost 100% the opposite of why I bought them. (still haven't gotten the wiring done)

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Shootin...thank you very much.

I was definitely NOT talking about using a compressor pedal or effect. I was talking about digital audio codec file compression.

And yes Max...there is mid cut for daaaaaaays.

I'm telling you folks....everything you need is hear.

From what I've read about how different and full and completely revolutionary and amazing the Zephyrs are, it just feels to me like These Black Winters might be the common mans Zephyr.

Seymour Duncan really needs to start setting up kiosks in guitar stores with Winter loaded guitars just to see. They are NOT just high output pickups...these things are something new and beautiful.

Honestly...if I were physically capable, I'd cry.

You're welcome, no problem.

And in my experience, I would say that the Black Winters are well balanced with extra top end presence. About like if you had a flat 31 band EQ and boosted the very top few sliders, imho. Because when they were in my Explorer, the woofy low mids that Exporers are typically known for came through, but in my JS Series King V, I hear all the tones that you'd expect from an Alder body with a Maple neck and a Rosewood board, plus the extra top end.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

You're welcome, no problem.

And in my experience, I would say that the Black Winters are well balanced with extra top end presence. About like if you had a flat 31 band EQ and boosted the very top few sliders, imho. Because when they were in my Explorer, the woofy low mids that Exporers are typically known for came through, but in my JS Series King V, I hear all the tones that you'd expect from an Alder body with a Maple neck and a Rosewood board, plus the extra top end.

Hey wow...you know whay!?!?

I don't think I get those because I have an Explorer Pro!?!? I have a much smaller body style than you do and that might make a difference.

Now I'm all curious about normal Explorers.

Hmmmmmmmm...

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Hey wow...you know whay!?!?

I don't think I get those because I have an Explorer Pro!?!? I have a much smaller body style than you do and that might make a difference.

Now I'm all curious about normal Explorers.

Hmmmmmmmm...

Oh duh, I forgot that your's is a Pro. And yeah, that would make a difference.

On a different note, anybody got any suggestions for single coils and single coil sized humbuckers to go with a Black Winter bridge. I'm thinking a Lil' Screamin' Demon for the middle slot on my Jackson DK2S (leaving the stock sustainiac in the neck, though). And for my DK2 Eerie Dress a Lil' Screamin' Demon neck and maybe a Twang Banger in the middle? Anybody got any other ideas?

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

My band played at a friend's wedding reception on Saturday night and I played the cheap V with the black Winters in it. The over all sound of the band was different because we weren't in the basement and were playing on the back deck of our friend's house, so I had to adjust my EQ a little.

And the Black Winters? They ripped some ass! Aside from the fact that I like to have some more mids dialed in with my Mesa Triple Rec, they had a very similar sound to the EMG Het Set (the same point Dhala made a few pages back) that the other guitarist was playing through in his ESP/LTD M series and Peavey XXX.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that I won't be putting BWs in either of my guitars that have Ebony fretboards, but as I eluded to in my question, I will be putting them in my guitars with Rosewood fretboards.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

My band played at a friend's wedding reception on Saturday night and I played the cheap V with the black Winters in it. The over all sound of the band was different because we weren't in the basement and were playing on the back deck of our friend's house, so I had to adjust my EQ a little.

And the Black Winters? They ripped some ass! Aside from the fact that I like to have some more mids dialed in with my Mesa Triple Rec, they had a very similar sound to the EMG Het Set that the other guitarist was playing through in his ESP/LTD M series and Peavey XXX.

Also, I've come to the conclusion that I won't be putting BWs in either of my guitars that have Ebony fretboards, but as I eluded to in my question, I will be putting them in my guitars with Rosewood fretboards.

Interesting.

I was actually thinking of dropping one in my SG VOODOO which is swamp ash with an ebony board.

Do you think it might be too bright? Is that why?

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Interesting.

I was actually thinking of dropping one in my SG VOODOO which is swamp ash with an ebony board.

Do you think it might be too bright? Is that why?

For my tastes, yes, but your's may be different. The theory I have in my head at the moment is if I run Black Winters in my Cheap V, and the two Dinkys that I use (all with Alder bodies, bolt on Maple necks, and Rosewood boards), and then run Distortions in both my USA King V and USA Soloist (both Alder bodies with Maple neck through, and Ebony boards), I can hopefully switch back and forth between guitars with minimal EQ adjustments.

........or at least that's my theory.........

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Sounds like a plan man.

Hopefully it works out for you.

I can tell you this....I can switch back and forth between my Explorer Pro with Mahogany body and Maple to my other Explorer Pro that is all mahogany with the winters in them with no problems and I haven't even changed the pickups in the maple top one yet.

(was that confusing???...that's why I name all my guitars.) I think it will work out for you though.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Sounds like a plan man.

Hopefully it works out for you.

I can tell you this....I can switch back and forth between my Explorer Pro with Mahogany body and Maple to my other Explorer Pro that is all mahogany with the winters in them with no problems and I haven't even changed the pickups in the maple top one yet.

(was that confusing???...that's why I name all my guitars.) I think it will work out for you though.

Thanks.

Sounds like, in your case, the Black Winters are making up for a lack of a Maple top.

And as far as what I'm thinking about, I think it'll work to. The hardest decision is deciding just what to put in the middle and neck slots of the Dinkys smd the Soloist, since they are all in HSS configuration.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Thanks.

Sounds like, in your case, the Black Winters are making up for a lack of a Maple top.

And as far as what I'm thinking about, I think it'll work to. The hardest decision is deciding just what to put in the middle and neck slots of the Dinkys smd the Soloist, since they are all in HSS configuration.

My Jem has a Bill Lawrence L500XL in the bridge and a pearly gates in the neck. I put a quarter pounder in the middle and it does a great job the higher output L500XL and the relatively tame Pearly Gates. These are clearly NOT the pickups you are talking about but they are higher output than normal and The Quarter pounder hangs with both of them. If you want to go full on hum cancelling, the custom shop can do a single coil housing for the Pearly Gates which would be great...especially in the Alder Jacksons.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

My Jem has a Bill Lawrence L500XL in the bridge and a pearly gates in the neck. I put a quarter pounder in the middle and it does a great job the higher output L500XL and the relatively tame Pearly Gates. These are clearly NOT the pickups you are talking about but they are higher output than normal and The Quarter pounder hangs with both of them. If you want to go full on hum cancelling, the custom shop can do a single coil housing for the Pearly Gates which would be great...especially in the Alder Jacksons.

The Quarter Pounder is one that I've been considering for the middle, and the PG is by far my favorite neck pup. And I might do just that. BW bridge, QP middle and PG Jr neck.

And I don't see why a PG wouldn't work, now that you mention it, since I ran mine with my one of my Dimebuckers in my Les Paul for several years and it did just fine output wise.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

So the Black Winters would be too bright for Alder bodied guitars with Ebony Fretboards? I thought with the darker characteristics it might balance out some of the brightness.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

So the Black Winters would be too bright for Alder bodied guitars with Ebony Fretboards? I thought with the darker characteristics it might balance out some of the brightness.

For my tastes, yes. Ebony is a very bright sounding wood, and Black Winters have more on top than Duncan Distortions. So it should balance out halfway decent for me if I run DDs in my Maple neck through/Ebony fretboard Jacksons and Black Winters in my bolt on Maple neck/Rosewood fretboard Jacksons.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

For my tastes, yes. Ebony is a very bright sounding wood, and Black Winters have more on top than Duncan Distortions. So it should balance out halfway decent for me if I run DDs in my Maple neck through/Ebony fretboard Jacksons and Black Winters in my bolt on Maple neck/Rosewood fretboard Jacksons.

So Duncan Distortions would fit better huh? I like to have a very balanced tone, and I also like to have mids, but I can dial that in on the amp.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

So the Black Winters would be too bright for Alder bodied guitars with Ebony Fretboards? I thought with the darker characteristics it might balance out some of the brightness.

That was stated as a matter of personal taste.

You should try the Winters and see for yourself. You can always tame the brightness with different value caps or your tone knob.

I personally don't see the wood of the fretboard affecting sound to such a serious degree. [This is my taste and my opinion]

So now we have an average of opinions here and all you can do is try it and see if you like it.d

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

That was stated as a matter of personal taste.

You should try the Winters and see for yourself. You can always tame the brightness with different value caps or your tone knob.

I personally don't see the wood of the fretboard affecting sound to such a serious degree. [This is my taste and my opinion]

So now we have an average of opinions here and all you can do is try it and see if you like it.d

Fair enough, my only fear is that I want to get all the tones I like first hand. I don't want to install and then say, "Oh well, I don't like this, that, etc..." I want to get it right the first time.

The Black Winters seem very interesting, and I want to try them. I guess maybe I should just pull the trigger?

I want something fairly versatile, and can at least achieve a good clean tone, which from what you've stated before, is what can be done. Are they naturally scoopy? Or do they have a solid midrange? I like to have a nice midrange voicing, plenty of lows, and some clarity with the high without sounding harsh and ice-picky.

 

[qwerty]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

I decided to play a little with the pickup height. It made all the difference!

What height did you set it at?

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Black Winter owner.... Feedback so far????

Fair enough, my only fear is that I want to get all the tones I like first hand. I don't want to install and then say, "Oh well, I don't like this, that, etc..." I want to get it right the first time.

The Black Winters seem very interesting, and I want to try them. I guess maybe I should just pull the trigger?

I want something fairly versatile, and can at least achieve a good clean tone, which from what you've stated before, is what can be done. Are they naturally scoopy? Or do they have a solid midrange? I like to have a nice midrange voicing, plenty of lows, and some clarity with the high without sounding harsh and ice-picky.

Like Lucy said above, it's a preference thing for me, which is why I will only run the BWs in certain guitars.

And as far as the EQ of the Black Winters themselves, like I said above, to my ears they are very well balanced with some extra top end. Good solid mids, just the right amount of lows without getting muddy, and a bright top end (about like turning up the presence knob on an amp). So they're not scoopy at all.

But if there's any quirkyness to the natural tone of your guitar, it's gonna come through, like it did in my Explorer. In fact, they sounded like dog s*** in my Explorer. But in my JS series King V, they sound brutal. And the cleans are awesome.

And, again, like Lucy said, if the top end is a bit much for you just throw a bigger tone cap in the control circuit. Or go to a 250k tone pot if you're running a 500k.