What are the hottest passives you've tried?

[dave74]

Dirty Fingers are always 98.6 degrees of hotness!

 

[Aceman]

Interesting. So is the 500T hotter IYE than the DF?

You know - it's been so long since I played DF's I can't be sure. I do know they are in that "zone" of pickups I mentioned.

 

[Securb]

Interesting. So is the 500T hotter IYE than the DF?

IIRC the BL-designed Gibson Velvet Brick is hotter than both.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Actually the stark contrast of Nile vs Avenged tones just goes to show that a pickup in itself isn't a specific tone.

Invaders are not bright, but they certainly are not all bass either. IMO they have an almost active feel when playing. Notes jump out so easily.

They really are good in guitars that need some thickening in the mids, especially if you like lower mids and/or have an amp like the typical marshall.
I like them for brighter-toned guitars that have floyds. IMO not the best for big tight beefy strings, although Karl uses big gauges iirc.

My invaders are custom-shop gates trembuckers so maybe they are wound slightly brighter though, not sure, but they can be very full yet still have a nice crunch.
Like the x2n they must be set lower than normal because of those poles sticking way up, but not quite the distance as the x2n must be set.

I like the Invaders visually. Same as the X2N. I just don't think I'd gel with them. I like brighter humbuckers overall, even on bright guitars.

I always wondered if the polepieces help increase the output or they were just an aesthetic choice. Because it is by far the darkest-sounding Duncan. It doesn't quite fit the usual Duncan sound signature, IMO.

 

[nienturi]

X2N and Invader as far as i can remember. But they are no match for S.Duncan Livewire Metals. They were real flame throwers. But literally i hated them bc they were way too compressed and too dark

 

[dave74]

I like the Invaders visually. Same as the X2N. I just don't think I'd gel with them. I like brighter humbuckers overall, even on bright guitars.

I always wondered if the polepieces help increase the output or they were just an aesthetic choice. Because it is by far the darkest-sounding Duncan. It doesn't quite fit the usual Duncan sound signature, IMO.

You'd be much more likely to gel with the dimebucker than the invader. Invaders are certainly on the darker side, but they do get an unfair rap of being bassy or muddy when they actually are a very mid-focused pickup, albeit lower and center mids with a notch out of the upper mids and lower treble range. They do have a clear presence though. Just like the emgs they are not a pickup for anyone wanting great dynamics in their pick-attack.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

You'd be much more likely to gel with the dimebucker than the invader. Invaders are certainly on the darker side, but they do get an unfair rap of being bassy or muddy when they actually are a very mid-focused pickup, albeit lower and center mids with a notch out of the upper mids and lower treble range. They do have a clear presence though. Just like the emgs they are not a pickup for anyone wanting great dynamics in their pick-attack.

I've tried the Dimebucker, but I did try it on a guitar that made every pickup I dropped in it sound weak and thin. I bet I would've liked it if Itried it on my old Prestige or LTD or my current Gibbo.

 

[El Dunco]

The invader was the hottest, also the darkest. People advised against using the 7 string version of it, it had a voicing to it that was downright evil! Perfect example here into a dual rectifier for some pummeling industrial goodness.

https://www.reverbnation.com/cult99/song/13666274-rage-forge

It’s a great candidate for the demud mod and sounds absolutely amazing for thrash and death metal in standard tuning.

 

[El Dunco]

Side note with massive content/trigger warning (I’m not editing it in because I’m sick to death of it erroring out every time I try) the bio for that project:

Cult '99 is a gritty vortex of spiteful, nihilistic and existentialist frustration lashing out at the common people. Cult '99 crushes the lowest common denominator under anvil-heavy industrial guitars after lulling them with almost seductive, robotic and hate-injected vocals spitting out a message of the illusory falsities of life.

It might seem cute/pretentious along with its lyrics about mass murder, but unfortunately it’s the real deal with a very sad story behind it. This is a project I did with Cedric, one of my best friends. He was a very troubled kid. When we would hang out, we would have a great time and the real Cedric was such a nice, sweet guy but his home life with his millionare parents living it up in a mansion but forcing him to live in a caravan in the backyard really messed with him.

They didn’t noticed he was groomed and m*lested by a local p*dophile, no justice was served and he didn’t get any therapy. They didn’t even give him any extra attention when he narrowly avoided jail time trying to buy a machine gun from a guy who ratted him out to the cops as he was serious about committing mass shooting. His parents neglected him same as ever. I would let him crash at my house as long as I could and this is one of a few songs we made together, he wrote all the lyrics and I performed all the parts entirely under his direct.

Ultimately, I couldn’t be there for him often enough and after checking into hospital over suicidal thoughts, being kicked out because they “don’t have to keep him longer than 24 hours” despite pleading with them he felt he would try again, he tragically hung himself in the caravan, all alone and left to his own devices even after the first attempt.

It’s a great song and the context makes the intent come across in a way that feels so convincingly visceral. The “spray bullets at the masses” line sends chills down my spine knowing he really wanted to do that had I not given him the attention and company to stop him.

He was no Elliot Rodger. People loved him, he was a real ladies man but when his serious issues surfaced, so many people besides me gave up on him. Seeing an unread message in my inbox after I learned what happened to him breaks my heart and makes me feel like I really let him down and could have saved him if I had just seen it and answered​​​​​​.

There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help him had I known how he was feeling. Unfortunately what I learned with my Dad taking his life a month after, when people lose so much hope that they’re serious about doing it, they won’t give you any sign that anything is wrong.

I’m just glad there’s a cool song to remember him by with the Invader suiting the vibe to a tee.