what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

[Despised]

So I have finished a project that i have been working on since January, a '67 Flying V 7-string. While it is only a kit guitar, the thing plays and sounds rather good for the price paid for said kit. Now however, i am having yet again a hard time trying to decide what to run in it. Here is the basics of the guitar:

- Basswood body, - Maple neck, - 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard, - T.O.M w/ stop tailpiece, - tuned standard E-E w/ low B. *Finish: Natural w/black hardware, pickguard and pickups.
Primarily used for metal - Crowbar, Fear Factory, Sevevndust, Slipknot, ect. - but also used for equal amounts of hard rock and classic rock, such as Toto, Zeppelin, AC/DC, Deep Purple, ect...

So with this being the case, i know that a good 75% of what will be played on this will be in series humbucker mode for the vast majority of the tones I want. BUT, I also want something that has great coil split tonality too, making them more versatile and dynamic for playing stuff like Toto with. I am kinda bouncing the idea of the Invader set around, but have seen and heard that they are not that great when coil split. So I am kinda veering away from those because of that. I have also been a long-time active user, and have come to love the versatility of the EMG 707TW & 707TW-R, but can't get them in th normal humbucker sized housings, and who knows when and IF they will ever become available...

So as an alternative to the EMG 81-7H set i was considering, i am also looking into the new Fishman Fluence Modern 7 humbucker set for this. From what i have been seeing and hearing, it seems that these may be my best option, combining the versatility of the coil split option, as well as the second voicings these have, and being active on top of it.

So while i guess i still lean in favor of the actives, i am not opposed to a set of passives that can and will be good for this as well and get me the tonality and dynamics I am looking for. So what would you guys recommend?

 

[EDX]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

you might like a 59 on the neck to fill a little better with the hard rock thing, on the bridge, god, a 7 strings, if it was a 6 strings i would had said a mick thomson set or a dimebag set, but the 7 strings and coil split mades it a little harder, i don't know very well about the fishman, but from tha vids they sounds really nice, so don't discard them buddy, lace alumitones are also fitting in what you want, in fact, the deathbucker is so hot it can manage a dimebucker on th neck spot (probably as hot as the regular blackouts), and also splits very well sounding almost stratty, so check 'em, the black winters are extremely versatile and i had read how well they sound on basswood

round up
1) Black Winter-7 Set
2) Distortion-7 '59-7
3) Lace Alumitone Deathbucker and Humbucker 7

 

[Despised]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

Will have to check into the Black Winters... but from what i have heard of them in sound clips and demo vids, they sound like they have a higher high-end spike to them, and that might be too bright for what i am looking for though. And from what i have also gathered, tonality would be in the following order for these 3 pickups:
-Black Winter
-Nazgul
-Distortion

I know that i have had great results with the DiMarzio D-Activator 7 in basswood (various Ibanez RG & UV models...), so i was thinking something like that but in the Duncan line. And the Deathbucker has piqued my interest, but if it is as hot as a normal Blackout, then I may pass on that. Have tried them and pulled them out of my guitar every time because of that issue. I myself like the tone and dynamics of the EMG's better for actives, and the increased dynamics of the Fluence pickups has me that much more intrigued. But i will definitely keep the Black Winters in mind as an option now and hope they aren't too bright.

Right now my 3 issues that are bugging me aboutbthe 3 choices for actives I want are as follows:
-Neither the Fishman Fluence, or the EMG 81-7H's are available in a normal black plastic housing...
-Because of ^^^, I really do NOT want to have to paint a set of pickups for obvious reasons...
- EMG has not made the 707TW & 707TW-R in a passive sized housing yet, nor have or will they give a hint as to IF they will even make that an option for those pickups...

Now this last one really sucks, because the 707 and the TW versions of those ar by far my all-time favorite pickups yet. And i could deal with getting them in the brushed black chrome IF they were to even make them in the passive housing, but i really want the normal black plastic housing like it's 6-string counterparts, and like the Phase 1 Blackouts.

 

[LazNovak]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

Check out the Pegasus and Sentient.

 

[EDX]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

well, maybe not as hot as the original blackouts, but at least 1180mV (20 mV seems to be the minimal diference needed for a pickup set to balance) so thay might not be as ridiculous hot as the blackouts but they had active performance (not only output, but clarity, and noiseless operation) plus the're either black or chrome, DActivators had never been bad, i like 'em a lot really, it would be nice to know hot the guitar sounds acoustically, so we could suggest better, also is easier to tame high end than to add something that isn't there (i like to play with mi tone knob, unless i want a raw rock tone or a dime style attack to the ear i dial back my tone a little)

 

[Demanic]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...


Stick a set of these in, you won't regret it.

 

[Despised]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

View attachment 64431
Stick a set of these in, you won't regret it.

That's 2 that suggest the Deathbuckers... may have to look into them again.

 

[Aceman]

Re: what to put in a '67 Flying V 7-string for hard/classic rock & metal...

Bah - Distortions and call it a day.