Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

[sanchanrp]

I want to purchase a guitar and replace their bridge pickups with Duncan Invaders SH-8. I love Avenged Sevenfold and their sound from City of Evil to Nightmare and beyond. I am confused on how to approach buying guitar for these pickups. My price range can be 200-450. If I could avoid a high price, then I would, as long as I have a guitar that plays great with new invader pickups. I liked the JS32 jackson, but I hear that non-floyd roses aren't that great. So I can go over $300 if I can have a guitar with no fret buzz and have a great setup. I also hear that invaders don't have best cleans, that doesn't bother me at all. I'm pretty they'll sound fine, but won't be like some fender low output type clean. I mainly use computer vst/plugins instead of real amps to generate my sound.

Guitar ( $300, I thought about getting, but most likely won't since tremolo isn't great, at least what Ive seen)
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Jackson/JS32-Dinky-DKA-Electric-Guitar.gc

Pickups
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Seymour-Duncan/SH-8-Invader-Pickup.gc


tldr; I'm not sure on how to purchase a guitar and then replace with duncan invaders. My price range is 300-400 for a great guitar.

 

[dave74]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

My suggestion would be to find a used guitar in new-ish condition.
This will allow a much greater selection of slightly higher-quality guitars for about the same price.

Now as for the invaders, I'd either get them from MF on a 10-15% coupon sale (they do this like every month, just sign up for their emails),
or, since you like Avenged you might want the actual trembucker version with the chrome poles. (no longer in production but still can be had new)
https://www.amazon.com/Seymour-Duncan-SH-8SGb-Synyster-Humbucker/dp/B00885MGPQ

They say the regular spaced invaders are fine with trems due to the enlarged hex-caps,,,,,,,,but if it were me I'd go for the trembucker so the poles line-up with the strings equally.

As for what guitar would mesh well with the invader;
If it were a bolt-on then I'd go with an alder, ash, or full-maple body.
With a neck-thru it shouldn't matter as much what the body-wings are, if it's a maple neck they'll go well with it.
Avoid full-mahogany guitars and basswood bodies with the invaders IMO.

 

[sanchanrp]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

Thanks. I thought about used as well.

These are my selection for used.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Electri...profileCountryCode=US&profileCurrencyCode=USD

I won't get those synyster gate pickups, they don't change the sound at all. Its just the look of it.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

I'd add that any brighter sounding guitar (especially with a trem) is a good candidate for an Invader. It also helps if you have a decent midrange control on your amp, as these pickups tend to overtake the mids a lot.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

Way back when, I loved the Invader in an old MIJ Ibanez RG470. Crunchy as all get out.

What amp are you using? That's going to make a lot more difference than the pickup. Also, look up old interviews with Mr Gates. I'm pretty sure he used a Les Paul for most of their recordings at that time.

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

Yea good point JB_, if A7X used LesPauls, then perhaps grabbing up a used Epiphone Les Paul and some used Invaders and he should be well on his way. Or perhaps a used GibsonLPJ or Faded LP then swap out the pickups later on...

Id use all of my cash to buy the best guitar I could, then worry about pickups in a few days.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

I have one of these, picked it up at Guitar Center used for ~$300 but this one is close:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Jackson/SLX-Soloist-Solid-Body-Electric-Guitar-113367819.gc

IMO it's hard to beat the setup on these out of the box, excellent quality, the Floyd Special can be improved upon but is useable.

 

[Coma]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

Avoid full-mahogany guitars and basswood bodies with the invaders IMO.

I absolutely LOVE the Invader in a mahogany guitar. But then again, I've always favored EQing my sound to be VERY bass heavy.

 

[undeadstrife]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

Are you referring to the pickup in the neck position? If so that is a sustainiac stealth pro. It does change the sound depending on the toggle switch position. It can either be a tool used for almost infinite sustain (I say almost because the battery will die eventually) or it can be used in the other position to make the sustain come off as a harmonic instead of the original note.

EDIT: Unless you mean the symour duncan synester invader, which in my opinion does change the sound.

 

[dave74]

Re: Duncan Invaders help choosing guitar. (Please help, thank you)

I absolutely LOVE the Invader in a mahogany guitar. But then again, I've always favored EQing my sound to be VERY bass heavy.

Now with a maple neck I think it works great in mahogany.