PRS + Invader

[JB_From_Hell]

Dropped an Invader in my PRS SE Custom 24 today. Used to be my favorite pickup, but it's been over a decade since I had one. Not sure if I prefer it to the HFS, but it's doing exactly what I was hoping for. Tons of harmonics, super chunky, just all out mean.

At the risk of disagreeing with almost every one else on here, I don't find it to be any sort of muddy mess. With my Tube Screamer-boosted-Recto based model, 10-52 strings in standard tuning, it's articulate enough for chunky thrash riffing. I have no problem believing this was the Master of Puppets pickup.

I was playing "Cemetery Gates" by Pantera, and could do the clean and heavy parts just by changing patches on my POD. The split sound is good, too. It's not as good as the DiMarzio Ionizer split, but very usable, especially if you tweak the volume and tone knobs a bit.

 

[Coma]

Re: PRS + Invader

I used to play Invaders in my Les Paul. Not the most versatile pup, but what it did do, it did with bravado. Also works extremely well in parallell mode in the bridge.

I owned the neck version of it as well, though I'm not sure I ever really used it much.

 

[EtaCarinae]

Re: PRS + Invader

I don't think Invaders are muddy either. They have a lot of bass. Some people's rigs cannot handle that well. I have never had a problem with Invaders being muddy through my rig. They are fun pickups!

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: PRS + Invader

Thank God it's an SE. If you put an Invader into a USA PRS The Gear Page implodes and the universe folds into itself until only a tiny chunk of carbon remains!

 

[Toejam]

Re: PRS + Invader

I had a pair of Invaders in a Jackson Kelly many years ago. I also remember them sounding great without being muddy.

 

[chris effect]

Re: PRS + Invader

I had a set in an ltd phoenix and they were a little too dark, but not terribly muddy. I swapped out the big hex caps for dimarzio style screws and it smoothed it right out. I typically use a boosted hot rodded plexi model and they weren't bad for modern metal. That guitar was kinda dark overall so ended up putting a dimebucker / 59 in it.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Diego]

Re: PRS + Invader

Oh man. I had an Invader set in my Ibanez SZ. I don't think it was muddy either, but highs weren't it's prominent thing for sure.
I did install a treble bleed, because the last thing I wanted was less highs when rolling the volume back. Made it a lot more useful.

But I much prefer the Custom bridge than the Invader. Not as chunky, but much more open and cutting.
I have no doubts either than the Invader was the Battery riff pickup. It has this texture to the attack that just makes you smile.

What I wasn't expecting were beautiful cleans from the Invader neck!
I thought it would be a compressed, thick screamer for long solos. It isn't.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: PRS + Invader

Don’t know what I’m doing with the neck pickup yet. Maybe a Distortion.

 

[NecroPolo]

Re: PRS + Invader

I've been using a lot of them since '94 or so and I don't think they are muddy at all. I always used them with moderate gain and used a lot of picking dynamics to separate verse from chorus, gentle from brewtal etc, sometimes the very same riff.

I think it is not any sort of versatile but it does its own thing to the extreme. Nice mid punch and attack, very dense texture, an ample of output and no treble hair at all. It puts the guitar in the mix without any unwanted attributes. I'd say it's still one of my fav bridge pickups, regardless of the decades passed.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: PRS + Invader

Invaders kick unholy ass!