Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

[Dejoblue]

My main guitar is this '87 Kramer with Blackouts (below); 3 piece maple neck thru, ebony board and with what appeared to be ash wings

I LOVE the tone of the Blackouts but have grown tired of the compression and lack of dynamics so I am looking for a passive pickup to replace them.

I have decided on an SSL6 for the neck single coil which has been described as the David Gilmore signature single coil but with flat pole pieces for modern rock tones. But I am open to suggestions that fit with a bridge humbucker as a pair.

What are you guy's recommendations for a passive SD humbucker that sounds close to the Blackouts and pairs well with the SSL6; or other combinations?

As far as the tone I am after, like I said I love the blackout tone, dislike the dynamics. Also here is a playlist of covers I do to give an idea of what I am trying to cover: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-OJ-yLQryiSeks0eQwHxFZ0LiVicOFhW

It had a JB that was too honky and I have also tried a SH11 Custom Custom which was too warm/muffled.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Cheers!

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

I’m surprised you didn’t like the JB. A good chunk of your set list has JB written all over it.

Maybe a Custom 5 might be a good fit. It’s plenty hot with some scooped mids going on. You won’t get that honk you didn’t like with the JB.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Bill Lawrence L500XL fits that bill to a t. If you want to stick with Seymour Duncan the Dimebucker is a copy of the L500XL. The STK-S6 would be a good choice for the neck as it is a noiseless version of the SSL-6 and sounds almost indistinguishable from the noisy version.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Go with a Duncan Custom SH-5. If it doesn't work for your guitar, nothing will.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

In case you don't know, the recommended Custom and Custom 5 are mag swaps from the Custom Custom if you still have it.

 

[Dejoblue]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. Kinda going where I was thinking.

Any word on how the SH-16 '59/Custom hybrid does metal? I had come down between that, a Custom and was also looking at a Bill Lawrence L500XL. The Custom 5 seemed like it might be best but it just has less definition to my ears.

I love Nuno's tone but the Dimebucker seems really hot, and I'm reading that the Bill Lawrence L500XL is in the 12-14K range of the Custom Custom I already like a lot in my other guitar which I have a series/parallel switch where I love to run in parallel and get all the articulation of single coils but the output of a humbucker; which is similar to how the Blackouts sound to me.

Does the Dimebucker/Bill Lawrence L500XL clean up well? Time to scrounge for Nuno and Dime videos I guess.

Also while price isn't a concern, is there a tone difference between Bill Lawrence USA and the Bill & Becky? Because the price difference is huge.

Thank Christopher, watching this Keith Merrow video again the Blackouts and Dimebucker do sound very close to each other:

Gah! Decisions, decisions!

More suggestions are welcome.

Cheers!

 

[Dejoblue]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

In case you don't know, the recommended Custom and Custom 5 are mag swaps from the Custom Custom if you still have it.

Yeah it is in my other guitar, seemed like a lot of hassle. Might reconsider it though.

Is there a forum consensus on magnet suppliers? Recommendations are welcome

Also will age effect tone much, my SH-11 is from 2010.

 

[Dejoblue]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Go with a Duncan Custom SH-5. If it doesn't work for your guitar, nothing will.

Gah, another one, heh, guess I should get some magnets to swap in my Custom Custom then.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Keep in mind that the 'Gilmour-ish' sound of the SSL-6 is with it in the bridge position. In the neck, you'd need something more vintage-y. Going down in output in the bridge would also help with compression and dynamics. I don't think I'd go hotter than a Hybrid if dynamics are important to you.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. Kinda going where I was thinking.

Any word on how the SH-16 '59/Custom hybrid does metal? I had come down between that, a Custom and was also looking at a Bill Lawrence L500XL. The Custom 5 seemed like it might be best but it just has less definition to my ears.

I love Nuno's tone but the Dimebucker seems really hot, and I'm reading that the Bill Lawrence L500XL is in the 12-14K range of the Custom Custom I already like a lot in my other guitar which I have a series/parallel switch where I love to run in parallel and get all the articulation of single coils but the output of a humbucker; which is similar to how the Blackouts sound to me.

Does the Dimebucker/Bill Lawrence L500XL clean up well? Time to scrounge for Nuno and Dime videos I guess.

Also while price isn't a concern, is there a tone difference between Bill Lawrence USA and the Bill & Becky? Because the price difference is huge.

Thank Christopher, watching this Keith Merrow video again the Blackouts and Dimebucker do sound very close to each other:

Gah! Decisions, decisions!

More suggestions are welcome.

Cheers!

The L500XL may have a high DCR reading, but this is one of those cases where DCR does not equate to "heat". The L500XL sounds excellent clean or with any amount of gain, it also has one of the best split tones I've heard from a humbucker.

The tone difference between the L500XL and Dimebucker I'd not enough in my opinion to pick the Dimebucker over the L500XL (they are so close in tone and both are so transparent to the inherent tone of the wood that the differences between the models aren't always the same, depending on the guitar). I'd just go with whatever is cheaper. Usually it's an L500XL, but I have on occasion seen a Dimebucker go for really cheap.

 

[Dejoblue]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Any suggestions on where to buy magnets? I have a SH-11 Custom Custom I could swap out a ceramic bar to make it a SH-5 Custom and an Alnico 5 bar to make it a Custom 5.

StewMac has some pretty crazy prices. Would hardware stores have bar magnets?

Looks like used Dimebuckers go for around $65 which is only $10 more than a L500XL so unless a used L500XL comes up I'll be looking for that.

Thanks again for the help guys.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Try mojotone.com

 

[Dejoblue]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

Try mojotone.com

Thank you! Holy moly yeah $3 is a lot better than $8 at StewMac.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Pickup Swap Recommendations From Blackouts to Passives

No problem!