pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

[awjb]

Hi,

I'm currently running the following rig...

- Peavey Triple X with jj 12ax7's and jj kt77s
- Maxon OD 808 overdrive pedal
- marshall 1960b cab with combination of v30s and t75s
- Halo pt7 with baritone 27" scale, alder body, maple neck, ebony fingerboard Tune-o-matic bridge, with an emg 81-7 pickup in the bridge position.

So I love the highs, upper mids, saturation and articulation that I can get with the current rig, but it needs more beef in the lower end. I suspect this lack might be due to the pickup combined with the alder body of the guitar.

Is there a seymour duncan pickup (for 7 string) that will reproduce the qualities of the emg 81-7 described above but with more balls in the lower end?

 

[greekdude]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

blackouts?

 

[BartOfDarkness]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

You really can't miss with a blackout and it will be easy to swap out too, but I'm also going to reccomend the DiMarzio Evolution. I have an evo in my newest guitar and it has a lot in common with an 81, as it has that same sort of cutting high end, while adding some balls and being a lot more organic. I'm not sure how easy it is to fit a DiMarzio in a soapbar rout though, or how the seven string version compares, as DiMarzio does tend to tweak things between six and seven string models.

 

[greekdude]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

The equivalent from Dimarzio would be the D-activator.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

The equivalent from Dimarzio would be the D-activator.

My first instinct was that, until he said he wanted more beef in the low end. Still probably the best option for everything else being asked for.

 

[Mincer]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

Are you looking to stay active? Then the Blackouts is a great choice. If you want to go passive, the JB is pretty close too.

 

[awjb]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

Thanks for the suggestions. I've gotta go to work now, but when I get home I'll check up on the suggestions.

Regarding active or passive, I'm not too fussed, whatever will give me the end result. The music I write/play is basically a combination of later cannibal corpse and suffocation, so busy riffing, lots of muted 1/8 and 1/16 notes etc. So I need something that will cut through the mix with alot of presence, but not sound thin either. As I said my current setup has alot of good qualities but is a little weak in the low end - would be good to get something that moves the cab more.

Cheers

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

Does EMG have an 85-7?

 

[greekdude]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

http://www.emgpickups.com/guitar/7-and-8-and-9-string/seven-string/85-7.html

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

Personally, I don't think Blackouts are a good match to the Peavey XXX. I own one and have owned the standard Blackout AHB-1B. The XXX as it is has LOADS of gain which can be a bit hard to control, and the Blackouts' extreme output doesn't help at all.

I would think the 57-7 could be a better solution, although the 57 has a bit less upper-mid focus than the 81, it also has slightly beefier lower-end.

The 85-7 or the 707 *might* also work, but keep in mind those pups are more lower-mid-oriented and are a lot more held back in the high-mids compared to the 81.

 

[awjb]

Re: pickup choice to replace emg 81-7

OK. I have been reading about some of the suggestions and looking at youtube vids of emg vs "". Still undecided at this stage, although I do agree with what Rex_Rocker said about the Triple X. It has loads of gain and does need to be tamed. I haven't heard of the 57-7 so will check that out now.

What are the basic pros and cons of alnico vs ceramic btw?