Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

[maxdave2010]

Hey there people,

This has been an ongoing problem, and I would greatly appreciate any advice you guys can give me.

I've been using a single SH-8b Invader in the bridge of my strat for a while now, Van Halen style. It's my first Seymour Duncan, and an incredible pickup, but I've found that it's just far too bassy for my liking.

I can get a nice rhythm tone if I dial in some treble, but then it makes anything higher than the D string WAY too piercing.

If I get it so my solos don't puncture your eardrums, then it seems to make the rhythm stuff far too sludgy and dark.

I've spent the last couple of months desperately trying to find the sweet spot in my eq, but to no avail. I'm starting to suspect that this is just the nature of the pickup, and I'll probably have to change it. Is this my only option?

If I have to replace it, I've been thinking about maybe a SH-4 JB or a SH-5 custom. I've also considered the SH-12 screamin' demon, as I've always been a fan of George Lynch and Dokken

If anyone thinks they can pin down my problem - even if it's just confirming that the pickup is not for me - it would be a HUGE help, this is driving me nuts!

-Dave

P.S.
I play a modified squier strat through a Marshall DSL 401 (one of their smallest valve amps) and I mainly play a variety of metal and stoner rock, ranging from Van Halen, Metallica, Clutch, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, that sort of thing. I'm basically just trying to get a nice rockin' sound, but the invader seems a bit too extreme for my taste!

 

[Diego]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

The Custom could do it for you. It's really thick and middy, and hardly gets muddy. It has JUST the right amount of treble.

Personally, I don't like the JB on alder/poplar bodies for hard-rock/metal tones. Some guys love it. I have it on my basswood Ibanez and it kills. You should give it a shot, it's brighter and a bit thinner than the Custom, it cuts through the mix like no other.

Both pickups will give you great tones, although the JB is less compressed, it's plain better on leads IMO, but it isn't too tight sounding, while the Custom is chunkier, very tight sounding, but the leads sound a bit more 'blah' IMO.

Both are very versatile, too.

The Screamin' Demon could get uber-trebly and not chunky enough for Pantera and Metallica, BTW. I'm not so sure it would be a good match.

 

[theodie]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

The Invader can get muddy and very bassy at times and usually is best for rhythm work. The Custom will be a good pick.

 

[Danglin' Fury]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

Check the tone capacitor on the tone pot. If it says .047 or has a 47 in the code, change it to a 223. I had a .047 micro farad in my Dean and the Invader was muddier than hell. I changed the cap and it lost alot of that 31 Hz mud. Some people say that changing the cap will only affect tone on tone knob roll off. In high gain situations, it will affect the tone all the time. Also, if you have 250 k pots for your tone and volume knobs, that will make any humbucker sound dark. If they are 250 k, change them to 500 k. This will brighten things up a bit, but if you have single coils also, they may be too bright for you. If none of this helps, get a SH-6 Duncan Distortion. It has mids for days and plenty of low end punch w/o getting muddy. AWESOME metal pickup! my 2-cents.:smokin:

 

[roadstar II]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

disconnect the tonepot(s) set the invader lower and that should do it for ya
if not go up to a 1 meg volume pot

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

1 meg pot not a bad idea, and also just try lowering the bass side of the pickup and or raising the polepieces on the DGBE strings. If you happen to have some DiMarzio style hex/Allen poles laying around, you could replace the huge poles on one of the coils (probably slug coil). The DiMarzio hexes and the Invader poles are interchangeable. Or at least they were in the 80's...

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

They still are. That was going to be my suggestion. I've been anti-invader since they came out, until recently I got one in a trade guitar and swapped the poles. Now it's great.

 

[revolution]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

You def. need a 500k or higher value pot. If the Invader won't do it for you then try the Parallel Axis Distortion or a Duncan Distortion

 

[heymcz]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

I've also considered the SH-12 screamin' demon, as I've always been a fan of George Lynch and Dokken

:yell: Don't do it, the Demon sounds nothing like Dokken!!! Lynch used the regular Distortion (SH-6) or a JB on those records, and trust me...it sounds a LOT better than the Demon. You know on Lynch Mob II, where George's tone is all watery and thin? That's the Demon. Wicked Sensation is the Distortion. 'Nuff said!

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

I've been using a single SH-8b Invader in the bridge of my strat for a while now, Van Halen style. It's my first Seymour Duncan, and an incredible pickup, but I've found that it's just far too bassy for my liking.

I can get a nice rhythm tone if I dial in some treble, but then it makes anything higher than the D string WAY too piercing.

If I get it so my solos don't puncture your eardrums, then it seems to make the rhythm stuff far too sludgy and dark.

If anyone thinks they can pin down my problem - even if it's just confirming that the pickup is not for me - it would be a HUGE help, this is driving me nuts!

-Dave

Hi Dave,

What you first need to do is understand the nature of the pickup and use whatever eq'ing and dial around the nature of the beast- allow the pickups' nature to breathe and not be hindered by smothering or flattening because of over-eq'ing at the amp. This also can include overdoing it with distortion- unless that is the desired effect.

Since the Invader has huge bass response you DO NOT have to dial in alot of bass at your eq section. If you use good amount of distortion, this will also factor in some low-end. Just dial in enough low end to brace the low end of the pickup and your guitars low-end and it should not be muddy at all. Also, not scooping your mids will help.

If you were to follow that advice, you will find that your treble will probably need a good decrease, to the point where you listen for the very top end of the highs OF THE PICKUP and use the treble knob to meet the treble of the pickup. Then you will be able to discern if you would like to decrease it a little more for warmth are a slight increase for a little brightness.

If things sound slightly dark, depending on the nature of the pickup, you can increase the eq's mids little by little til it sounds transparent but good to you.

As far as pickup suggestions, Seymour Duncan pickups are the way to go for hard rock and heavy metal tones- organic and full bodied.

Hope you get your tone straight. -JD

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Invader too bassy. Any suggestions?

I've suggested this before, and I'll do it again....

Try rewiring this pickup as a "parallel" wired humbucker. The output will be reduce a bit, the tone may clean up enough for you. It does not cost anything but a little time...and an inch of solder.