Okay... sell me on the Invader

[Venometal]

I don't think I have ever physically used one now that I think, I just always thought I would never like it. My favorite pickup is the Alt 8 of course, but I have all my guitars for different sounds. For Death and thrash metal on my alder bolt on jackson dinky, tell me what I'm in for. I also play the X2N and I threw that in this particular guitar and It just sounded way to flat. I like the X2N for D tuning or lower. I just not sure how I would like the invader sound in this guitar tuned a half step down. SELL!

 

[Invader09]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I use Invaders in my SG... always tune half or whole step down. Sounds amazing to me ! Pretty good at a step and a half down too !

 

[uOpt]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

It is very very warm. Warm, that's the only word to describe it, maybe "thick". It is not aggressive at all.

Pure rhythm pickup.

Sounds good clean with coils in parallel. Might do decent leads in parallel? Not sure whether I tried.

I sold mine but bought another one back so I guess I kind of like it after all?

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

Pure rhythm pickup.

+1

It's an awesome pickup for metal rythm playing. If I only ever played rythm guitar I'd have Invaders in all my guitars.

If you want to know how it'll do on death metal songs, check this out (and their albums):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZfzCzc0Bt8

I sold mine, but like Uopt, am thinking of buying another one...I really did like it a lot...
For solos though? Not for me. Actually, watching that clip I linked to, I LOVE the rythm part Dallas plays, and hate Karl's lead tone, so...guess that proves my point! (To me anyway).

 

[bagouser]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I have mine in a one pickup BC Rich guitar and I only use it for extremley heavy metal. There is no neck pickup on this guitar, so It's used mostly for rythmn stuff. I will say that thru a tube amp, there really is no "clean" sound. Even without any gain booster or fuzzbox, the "cleans" are sharp and bitey. I've recorded a few solos with it, and while it delivers, there are better pickups for that style of playing. It doesnt have enough highs or sparkle to play chorus-drenched clean parts or delay-soaked leads, but it DID respond to finger tapping stuff well. You may want to add a pedal EQ that you can kick on for leads.
It almost seems to have too much gain when I kick on my Dist pedal. The volume knob helps a little.
It has seriously boosted lows and mids, so if you detune, it will still keep it's character.
palm muted riffs are fat and beefy, fast, black metal-esque single note lines are also not muddy.
I've tried it with tighter music like old punk and early 90's metal (I said Metal, not hair/glam) and it does that very well too. LOTS of growly, cabinet shaking sustain.
I think going from an Alt 8 (which also has boosted lows and mids) would be a well-advised move.
Judging by your axe collection and the Chuck S. Memorial Avatar. you play some pretty heavy metal.
If this is true, the Invader will not dissapoint you.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I have mine in a one pickup BC Rich guitar and I only use it for extremley heavy metal.

You need to add a push/pull and coil split that thing. The Invader does split nicely.

 

[bagouser]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

You need to add a push/pull and coil split that thing. The Invader does split nicely.

thanks, man......never thought of splitting it. all my Schecters have the "tapping" feature, so maybe I could use such a thing for a more tame and hopefully more bright sound out of the Invader because to be honest, it isnt that versatile as it stands now. The term "Metal Only Guitar" is a good description.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

thanks, man......never thought of splitting it. all my Schecters have the "tapping" feature, so maybe I could use such a thing for a more tame and hopefully more bright sound out of the Invader because to be honest, it isnt that versatile as it stands now. The term "Metal Only Guitar" is a good description.

That's why I suggested it. The Invader is surprisingly great when split for clean tones. If you fit a push/pull and turn the volume down a bit you'll get some really useable clean tones from that guitar, it'll be a lot more versatile.
It's a REALLY simple mod, very cheap, and, in a guitar like yours, well worth doing.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

i thought i read one of fusion's and/or frank falbo's posts re pole swaps on the invader, re the holes being too big for regular duncan allens or fillisters but the allens from a super distortion would fit?
if this is correct, i need to go digging and find that superD. i got an invader the other day, want to try it stock, with pole swaps and swap 2 alnico mags in place of the big ceramic before splitting it and making an invader/DDn hybrid. then more mag swaps etc.
will post results

EDIT - found it, they are the same size thread-wise and the invader poles sit as normal on the super D's bobbins. the superD's poles seem to be slightly taller, so there's about 2-3mm of screw poking out of the bobbin. i imagine the superD with the invader poles will be an awesome riffing pickup; am hoping the dimarzio poles in the invader won't be too bright...

 

[El CHupacabra]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

To describe it in a word,

LOUD

I'm not sure it's possible to get any clean tones from that little puppy.

 

[Brown Note]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

sell you an invader, huh? Metallica's first 3 albums were recorded with this baby on bridge position.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I don't mind it for soloing. A mate of mine has invaders in his guitar, not sure what body wood it was, but it was anything but muddy sounding even when I was fooling around with death and thrash metal riffing in D standard, so it definitely can work when paired with a bright guitar.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

tom delonge used one in blink 182 in their prime (late 90s/early 00s) and i wouldn't call it too dark. my ex had one in her guitar's bridge position(ibanez RG), and it was probably one of the thickest, chunkiest sounding guitars i'd ever heard!

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I was under the impression JH used an Explorer with Dirty Fingers in it on the first 3 Metallica albums. Has he changed his story again?

As for the Invader, I've got one in an import Jackson 7-string (USA Duncan - swapped out by previous owner) and really like it. It's definitely better suited for rhythm IMO, but then if you've got enough gain and EQ you can do shredding solos on a lipstick :lol:

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I was under the impression JH used an Explorer with Dirty Fingers in it on the first 3 Metallica albums. Has he changed his story again?

As for the Invader, I've got one in an import Jackson 7-string (USA Duncan - swapped out by previous owner) and really like it. It's definitely better suited for rhythm IMO, but then if you've got enough gain and EQ you can do shredding solos on a lipstick :lol:

AFAIK, i thought he used a DD set for MoP while kirk used the invader set in his jackson V.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

I don't know who used Invaders in Metallica, but that pickup IS that tone!

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

Dr Ad, yes the Dimarzio Hex poles do fit as you now found out. I wasn't sure if the Dimarzio poles are longer than what I used as I bought a box of 100 and I believe they were 1/2" in length and the DImarzios might be 9/16" or 5/8" even. I had to actually stuff a spacer (I think I used a bit of scrap paper) down in each hole as the 1/2" pole piece was too short (Ideal length would be 9/16") and the strong magnetic pull on the pole pieces sunk them down below the bobbin.

In any event the Hex Pole mod does eliminate a bit of the mud to make the pickup more useful for soloing. It is still thick but tames it somewhat by adding needed treble.

 

[Brown Note]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

Invader can do solos with ease. It's not like the pickup lacks all the treble(!!), it's just a bit touchy on the gain setting and too much gain *will* make it sound messy. It's actually very good in taming very bright guitars to produce smoooooth highs, for examble Neoclassical with invader bridge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QHve_gcJB8

EDIT: Just for reference, blackout metal is darker than the invader and it's also pretty **** great for soloing!

 

[Diocletian]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

The Invader clearly doesn't lack for gain, but, I dunno, for solos I found it to be almost single coil-like. The notes don't seem as fluid as most other humbuckers.
To be honest, the link I posted shows exactly what I mean, even though it's not designed to.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Okay... sell me on the Invader

Dr Ad, yes the Dimarzio Hex poles do fit as you now found out. I wasn't sure if the Dimarzio poles are longer than what I used as I bought a box of 100 and I believe they were 1/2" in length and the DImarzios might be 9/16" or 5/8" even. I had to actually stuff a spacer (I think I used a bit of scrap paper) down in each hole as the 1/2" pole piece was too short (Ideal length would be 9/16") and the strong magnetic pull on the pole pieces sunk them down below the bobbin.

In any event the Hex Pole mod does eliminate a bit of the mud to make the pickup more useful for soloing. It is still thick but tames it somewhat by adding needed treble.

this is indeed what i'm finding, although i was luckier with the pole swap.
the clean tone's surprisingly interesting as well - really big and scooped. would sound great through a big fender
it's a really loud pickup, and with the hexs in i'm pretty much EQing flat
can't wait to hear it through a bigger amp (just moved into a new building)