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

[Lucy Diamond]

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

I'm putting a Black Winter set in my RG and thought of going with a Quarter Pound in the middle.

I have a RW/RP Quarter Pounder in the middle of an L500XL and a Pearly Gates on one of my jems. I thought about it.

I'm leaning towards a hot stack. We'll see.

 

[RustInPeace]

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

Looking to get a set of these for my KM-7. Do they really sound like the emg het set? cause they are probably my favorite pickups but dont come in a 7 string version!

 

[LazNovak]

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

I have a RW/RP Quarter Pounder in the middle of an L500XL and a Pearly Gates on one of my jems. I thought about it.

I'm leaning towards a hot stack. We'll see.

Cool. I was thinking of putting a hot stack or a YJM too. Not sure yet. The guitar needs fret work so it will be a while. I actually just put EMG H3s in my 87 Charvel 3A and they sound killer. They came with my Jackson soloist but sucked in that guitar so I installed an AirZone/Air Norton combo which is killer. I'll probably change the EMGs out for the Distortion Mayhem set or JB/59.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

Looking to get a set of these for my KM-7. Do they really sound like the emg het set? cause they are probably my favorite pickups but dont come in a 7 string version!

Someone may have used that description to clarify themselves along the way on the internet. The Black Winters were initially an exclusive release in Scandinavian countries a year before most people were able to get them here in the States. The Black Winter is older than the Het Set so it may sound similar to some guitar players but that is where that ends. The Black Winter design came first, so if anything, James' signature pickups sound like these. Having said that, if you are looking for punch, clarity, string separation, excellent crunch, excellent cleans and and excellent overall response to ANY style...yes, the Black Winters will suit your seven string just fine.

Cool. I was thinking of putting a hot stack or a YJM too. Not sure yet. The guitar needs fret work so it will be a while. I actually just put EMG H3s in my 87 Charvel 3A and they sound killer. They came with my Jackson soloist but sucked in that guitar so I installed an AirZone/Air Norton combo which is killer. I'll probably change the EMGs out for the Distortion Mayhem set or JB/59.

I haven't used EMGs in a while. Once I learned how to control my gain with the volume knob, I went almost completely passive. I still have an '81/ '85 set in my Les Paul Custom though. I'm just waiting on a good idea for that pickup change.

I'll tell you though...now that Duncan has been offering BLACK CHROME as an option, I'm in a world of happy.

 

[Dahla]

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

Looking to get a set of these for my KM-7. Do they really sound like the emg het set? cause they are probably my favorite pickups but dont come in a 7 string version!

I compared the BW and Het set once. I have some clips if you'd like.

To me, they were similar (as pickups are through the same rig). The het set is a little leaner in the bass, and has "harder" mids. (The BW seemed a wee bit softer overall). That is probably the active factor and the output difference though. They blended wonderfully in the mix though.

I love my het set, and I love the BW.

 

[RustInPeace]

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

Thanks guys! No here is a question that has been burning through my mind.... The SD site says the BW's eq is about a 6/6/6 across the board... Is this just them being silly with the 666 thing or are they really that balanced overall? I keep reading things about balance then hearing someone say they have a bit more high end..

 

[LazNovak]

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

I haven't used EMGs in a while. Once I learned how to control my gain with the volume knob, I went almost completely passive. I still have an '81/ '85 set in my Les Paul Custom though. I'm just waiting on a good idea for that pickup change.

I'll tell you though...now that Duncan has been offering BLACK CHROME as an option, I'm in a world of happy.

The EMG H3 is passive. I have a Schecter Damien Elite 8 with active 808s and hate them. I'll be switching them out asap with Pegasus/Sentient.

Yeah, I hear you. Black chrome is nice!

 

[Iron1]

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

I compared the BW and Het set once. I have some clips if you'd like.

I love my het set, and I love the BW.

I'd love to give those a listen, if you wouldn't mind posting them.

 

[Dahla]

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

I'd love to give those a listen, if you wouldn't mind posting them.

I have to dissapoint, I'm afraid. I tried finding the clips, but they appear lost. Abolished by the gods of harddrive cleanliness...

I'll check my backups, but it would just be easier recording new ones perhaps.

Crap. I was sure I still had that project with all those clips around somewhere.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

Thanks guys! No here is a question that has been burning through my mind.... The SD site says the BW's eq is about a 6/6/6 across the board... Is this just them being silly with the 666 thing or are they really that balanced overall? I keep reading things about balance then hearing someone say they have a bit more high end..

Hi there [waves],

Yeah...a bunch of us think it is silly.

Posts 88 and 89 of this thread are comments from Dahla and me saying it's closer to 8/8/9 to my ears and 7/8/9 to Dahla's.

I still think it would be funny to just make it w/t/f but that's just the natural born easter egg seeking wise-ass in me

 

[Edgecrusher]

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

Hi there [waves],

Yeah...a bunch of us think it is silly.

Wasnt it Olsen that relayed that the 666 thing came from keith? and that it was his "perception" but he was actually being serious... for that matter all the BMT's are just some guys perception of it. You could even say that you thinking its 889 is not so different from 666 just you think its a bit more pushed than keith does.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

I'd love to give those a listen, if you wouldn't mind posting them.

I haven't heard the HetSet at all.

People seem happy with them. Is it true that they are a crisper version of the '81 and the '60?

I know he likes the look of pole pieces in particular but there must be more to it than that.

 

[omg81]

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

Hi there [waves],

Yeah...a bunch of us think it is silly.

Posts 88 and 89 of this thread are comments from Dahla and me saying it's closer to 8/8/9 to my ears and 7/8/9 to Dahla's.

I still think it would be funny to just make it w/t/f but that's just the natural born easter egg seeking wise-ass in me

Thought the same. I'm no expert really, but Duncan says the Distortion is 5/8/9 which would mean it would be much treblier than the BW, and I can't help but think the opposite, judging from mine. 6/6/6 also sounds like much less output than it actually has.

 

[Iron1]

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

I have to dissapoint, I'm afraid. I tried finding the clips, but they appear lost. Abolished by the gods of harddrive cleanliness...

I'll check my backups, but it would just be easier recording new ones perhaps.

Crap. I was sure I still had that project with all those clips around somewhere.

Hate when that happens. Thanks for looking. If you get around to doing new ones, lemme know.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

Thought the same. I'm no expert really, but Duncan says the Distortion is 5/8/9 which would mean it would be much treblier than the BW, and I can't help but think the opposite, judging from mine. 6/6/6 also sounds like much less output than it actually has.

Well...for a while...when the Winters were just in Scandanavia, people were comparing them to distortions. "They are like the distortions only this....or...that..." They are a clear, high output pickup and that is pretty much where the comparison ends for me. I'm a little spoiled because of the amps I use and I rarely try to keep a pickup description at just "sounds like". To me The Black Winters and the Distortions FEEL completely different. The Winters track your playing mercilessly. There is no give...they are SO tight. The Distortions loosen up in certain places on the neck which is why I use them in most of my guitars. The Winters can do blues, but for me Distortions handle blues better. I prefer Winters with the volume on 6 or 7 for Jazz.

 

[El Supremo]

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

Kinda on a Thrash binge lately (a lot of Sodom mainly), so I've been looking at some higher output pickups for my Les Paul Custom.
Black Winters seem like a good choice as I thought the DD was a little too fat on leads and need something leaner, but with a high output and a neck pickup that has absolutely no boom whatsoever on the lower strings higher up the neck.

Been looking at the Dirty Fingers too. Also has 3 ceramic mags from what I know (or thought I know) and the description seems similar to the Winter. Anyone compare those? Or the Black Winter set against the Dimarzio D-Activator set? The cleans on the latter weren't really to my liking.

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

Kinda on a Thrash binge lately (a lot of Sodom mainly), so I've been looking at some higher output pickups for my Les Paul Custom.
Black Winters seem like a good choice as I thought the DD was a little too fat on leads and need something leaner, but with a high output and a neck pickup that has absolutely no boom whatsoever on the lower strings higher up the neck.

Been looking at the Dirty Fingers too. Also has 3 ceramic mags from what I know (or thought I know) and the description seems similar to the Winter. Anyone compare those? Or the Black Winter set against the Dimarzio D-Activator set? The cleans on the latter weren't really to my liking.

Hi there, I'm a thrash player from way back. My experience with the Dirty Fingers goes back about 7 years when I did some time in the Gibson showroom in New York. I gravitated towards guitars with Dirty Fingers while I was there because I had heard stories that originals were hard to find and that the new ones were different. From the countless hours I spent A/Bing old VS. New Dirty Fingers I can tell you that they are nothing like the Black Winters.

Black Winters are their own animal...completely. For me, their beauty lies in the ability to turn the volume down and have the same pickup only cleaner. The volume knob will clean up the pickup and not diminish it. The only way I can explain them if you haven't tried them is that they sound like what you need them to sound like at all volumes. I know that sounds magical but that's my experience.

To me, Dirty Fingers just sounded like hot Gibson pickups. I remember always thinking "great...they make a high output pickup but I'd still put Duncans in instead."

So basically, if you play a heavier blend of music and you buy a Gibson that comes with Dirty Fingers it will most likely take you a little longer to want to replace your pickups. Some people would be happy with them...you are here so I am speaking to you as if you wouldn't be.

Whatever you do, enjoy in good health and keep thrash alive.


~LD

 

[El Supremo]

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

Sounds (black) magickal indeed .
Cleanup with the guitar's volume is certainly a good thing to have as my JMP MV doesn't have channel switching.

Keep seeing good things about the neck pickup too. A bit anxious about putting a ceramic in the neck position as I'm so used to a5 mags for neck pickups. On the other hand I'm really annoyed when things get too boomy on the low strings and ceramics will probably help with eliminating that to a certain degree. Think I'll try a set very soon anyways. Thanks!

 

[Lucy Diamond]

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

Sounds (black) magickal indeed .
Cleanup with the guitar's volume is certainly a good thing to have as my JMP MV doesn't have channel switching.

Keep seeing good things about the neck pickup too. A bit anxious about putting a ceramic in the neck position as I'm so used to a5 mags for neck pickups. On the other hand I'm really annoyed when things get too boomy on the low strings and ceramics will probably help with eliminating that to a certain degree. Think I'll try a set very soon anyways. Thanks!

Oh...I was the SAME way.

I've used the Pearly Gates in the neck for D E C A D E S. I'm like "What's this gonna be like!?!?" It's amazing.

 

[LazNovak]

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

I just found this video of Rick Graham reviewing the Black Winters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yFm-eQ05Rw