X2N In Mahogany

Maz

Maz

New member
I've been thinking about some new pickups for my guitar-to-be. Both of the guitars I'm currently looking at come with a JB/59 which will be going into my Epi SG. I tried finding some info on the X2N, being an EMG player for the past couple years, I want something with similar our higher output. The guitar in question right now has a hardtail bridge, Mahogany body, Quilt Maple Top, Maple Neck, and Ebony Fretboard. I tried searching google for anything telling me about putting an X2N in a Mahogany Body, only finding people saying it's amazing in alder, meh in basswood, and a not enough to bass an opinion on Mahogany.

I'm wondering if any of you who have experience with the X2N can tell me if it's worth it in Mahogany, or if it gets too muddy and dark to bother. I was thinking that the Maple neck and top, and ebony fretboard might help bring a little brightness to it, and hopefully keep the X2N sound while being not as dark. Or at that, would I be better off with a pickup like a Full Shred, Super 2, or an Evo?

I initially attempted to email DiMarzio directly, only to be given a one sentence answer telling me the Pros of a D Activator X compared to an X2N.
And even then, the information I was given was that it cleans up the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings. Not exactly what I was looking for.


Maybe I should mention, the guitar I'm talking about is an ESP Horizon NT-II. Hoping that I have the patience to save up for an ESP Standard or a USA Select Jackson. :sigh:
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Mahogany is where I like the X2n best. I've tried it in several guitars, but it just rules in mahogany. I think the website says something about 'sledgehammer'...that's accurate. It pounds with authority, but doesn't get too loose & undefined like many H.O. p'ups. It's drawback, at least in series, is that it isn't pretty clean & wants to overdrive everything. If I don't reduce the gain (from my normal setting) on my clean channel, it becomes a mild crunch channel.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Maz said:
I've been thinking about some new pickups for my guitar-to-be. Both of the guitars I'm currently looking at come with a JB/59 which will be going into my Epi SG. I tried finding some info on the X2N, being an EMG player for the past couple years, I want something with similar our higher output. The guitar in question right now has a hardtail bridge, Mahogany body, Quilt Maple Top, Maple Neck, and Ebony Fretboard. I tried searching google for anything telling me about putting an X2N in a Mahogany Body, only finding people saying it's amazing in alder, meh in basswood, and a not enough to bass an opinion on Mahogany.

I'm wondering if any of you who have experience with the X2N can tell me if it's worth it in Mahogany, or if it gets too muddy and dark to bother. I was thinking that the Maple neck and top, and ebony fretboard might help bring a little brightness to it, and hopefully keep the X2N sound while being not as dark. Or at that, would I be better off with a pickup like a Full Shred, Super 2, or an Evo?

I initially attempted to email DiMarzio directly, only to be given a one sentence answer telling me the Pros of a D Activator X compared to an X2N.
And even then, the information I was given was that it cleans up the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings. Not exactly what I was looking for.


Maybe I should mention, the guitar I'm talking about is an ESP Horizon NT-II. Hoping that I have the patience to save up for an ESP Standard or a USA Select Jackson. :sigh:
Click to expand...

The X2N and the Invader are going to have comparable if not MORE output than EMGs.

Looking at your avatar I think I should mention that Syn uses Invaders.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Luke Duke said:
The X2N and the Invader are going to have comparable if not MORE output than EMGs.

Looking at your avatar I think I should mention that Syn uses Invaders.
Click to expand...

I was at guitar center Thursday night, I played a Syn Custom and I didn't like the Invader as a bridge pickup. It sounded a lot better in the Mahogany/Ebony in the neck to me. Although, it sounded really nice coil-tapped in the bridge.



Guston7 said:
Mahogany is where I like the X2n best. I've tried it in several guitars, but it just rules in mahogany. I think the website says something about 'sledgehammer'...that's accurate. It pounds with authority, but doesn't get too loose & undefined like many H.O. p'ups. It's drawback, at least in series, is that it isn't pretty clean & wants to overdrive everything. If I don't reduce the gain (from my normal setting) on my clean channel, it becomes a mild crunch channel.
Click to expand...

I actually like a little bit of crunch on a clean channel, I'll probably end up putting an Invader or a PAF Pro in the neck and putting in a push-pull. I take Jazz Band for my elective, and we're not allowed to use effects, so having a little built in crunch would be nice for our "funk" songs.
 
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Re: X2N In Mahogany

Maz said:
I was at guitar center Thursday night, I played a Syn Custom and I didn't like the Invader as a bridge pickup. It sounded a lot better in the Mahogany/Ebony in the neck to me. Although, it sounded really nice coil-tapped in the bridge.
Click to expand...

Too thick?

Zacky uses the JB and you hear a lot of that for rhythm work. The Invader is SOOO hot you have to ride the volume knob between rhythm and solo work. Also you have to monkey with the height. Have you tried a Distortion?

On the X2N I've currently got an old one in my Cleveland Guitars superstrat sounds great. I also tried it in my Les Paul and it was a BEAST. I don't exclusively play metal so long term it wouldn't have worked for me, but it sounded great.

Luke
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

The X2N is going to be loud, tight, and have lot's of highs, mids and lows in whatever it's in: Mahogany, Maple, Plywood, whatever.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Luke Duke said:
Too thick?

Zacky uses the JB and you hear a lot of that for rhythm work. The Invader is SOOO hot you have to ride the volume knob between rhythm and solo work. Also you have to monkey with the height. Have you tried a Distortion?

On the X2N I've currently got an old one in my Cleveland Guitars superstrat sounds great. I also tried it in my Les Paul and it was a BEAST. I don't exclusively play metal so long term it wouldn't have worked for me, but it sounded great.

Luke
Click to expand...

I've tried the Distortion in a Ibanez RG. I liked it a lot, considering I don't like a lot of things that go into basswood. My big issue was it started getting a little muddy to me when I hit Drop C.
I change tunings a lot, partially my reason for wanting to move the JB/59 to my SG. The Distortion might be worth abusing the Guitar Center 30-day return policy :approve:





Aceman said:
The X2N is going to be loud, tight, and have lot's of highs, mids and lows in whatever it's in: Mahogany, Maple, Plywood, whatever.
Click to expand...

You just inspired me to do another summer guitar project...

As for the X2N I'm mostly concerned with the lows, I don't want to throw it in a Mahogany body, tune down to Drop C and find out I'm getting lost with the bass.
 
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Re: X2N In Mahogany

The X2N SLAYS in mahog. Had one in my mahog superstrat for a good while. Just couldn't handle it's unrelenting balls-to-the-wall tone. Effing killer pup if all you want to do is smash-your-face-in metal. Ace provided a great tonal description.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

I had an X2N in an Epiphone Les Paul which, in theory, was mahogany. It sounded awesome! I sold both gutiar and pickup, should have kept the pickup.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

I forgot to say compressed, and so hot it's stupid. You just have o love it.

Series/Parallel/split for awesome flexibility.

I had it in a Kramer STRIKER...Plywood. It was AWESOME.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Aceman said:
I forgot to say compressed, and so hot it's stupid. You just have o love it.

Series/Parallel/split for awesome flexibility.

I had it in a Kramer STRIKER...Plywood. It was AWESOME.
Click to expand...


Is it compressed like EMG 81 style compression? I hate the compression of the EMGs, whole reason I'm going passive.



How would an X2N compare to a DD or an FS in the bridge of the same guitar for mainly being a lead guitar player?
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

I don't want to contradict Ace here, but he's all messed up on this one. Just kiddin'. I don't think the p'up itself is compressed. If you play it through something that stays clean w/a lot of headroom, you'll see that the x2n actually has great dynamics. I think it usually comes off as compressed because of what I said earlier...that it hits the front end of pedals/preamps so hard that they are at or near clipping. Obviously, with that comes compression. Whereas the emg is somewhat headroom limited (compressed) by its own internal preamp. Which is why many people that want better dynamics out of them go with 18v. JMO...I might be all messed up.

As for the name, I've wondered that forever! x2n=times 2 normal HB power? Who knows? Stuff like that drives me nuts.
 
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Re: X2N In Mahogany

X2N has one of the highest outputs on every passive PU line. 510 mV is really a crushing output. Evolution has 400. For comparison.
But Actives tend to have even higher. EMG's for instance are around 1200 to 1400mVs. They use a battery to get that :)
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Daemon, as many have mentioned here, it is exceedingly difficult to compare pickup output among different brands because they use different techniques to rate their output. For example, Dimarzio measures them at normal height in a solid-body guitar; "A" string picked, others muted: RMS (AC) voltage into a 100K ohm impedance measured 350 milliseconds after the initial pick attack. As far as I know NO other company conforms to this rating system. Therefore, it ONLY means something when comparing Dimarzio to Dimarzio. I don't know the EMG test conditions, but in my experience (and yes I have both pickups currently installed), there's no way an EMG81 has over twice the output of an X2N in normal playing situations.
 
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Re: X2N In Mahogany

Guston7 said:
Daemon, as many have mentioned here, it is exceedingly difficult to compare pickup output among different brands because they use different techniques to rate their output. For example, Dimarzio measures them at normal height in a solid-body guitar; "A" string picked, others muted: RMS (AC) voltage into a 100K ohm impedance measured 350 milliseconds after the initial pick attack. As far as I know NO other company conforms to this rating system. Therefore, it ONLY means something when comparing Dimarzio to Dimarzio. I don't know the EMG test conditions, but in my experience (and yes I have both pickups currently installed), there's no way an EMG81 has over twice the output of an X2N in normal playing situations.
Click to expand...
I totally agree, but I just put there the information I could get from their official sources.

I know that the X2N is as loud as a F-16.
But I also know that when hit hard, the EMG 60a was much much louder than the X2N, or PATB-2 (very loud PU), so much that I had to put the gain down and re adjust channel insert gain on recordings. EMG is louder when pushed, and they know that. What they did with their X series is to put the gain down. So the output is lower and hard hitting won't cause problems anymore. This wasn't an issue with vintage amps, since pushing the amps where necessary. But these days, modern amps don't like to be pushed, neither does the modellers and direct recording software.

In very close future, JB like output will be the king again, and people will return to 10kOhm, 300mV PUs for their clarity. The amps and softwares are doing a good job already, no need for extra loud PUs.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

Guston7 said:
I don't want to contradict Ace here, but he's all messed up on this one. Just kiddin'. I don't think the p'up itself is compressed. If you play it through something that stays clean w/a lot of headroom, you'll see that the x2n actually has great dynamics. I think it usually comes off as compressed because of what I said earlier...that it hits the front end of pedals/preamps so hard that they are at or near clipping. Obviously, with that comes compression. Whereas the emg is somewhat headroom limited (compressed) by its own internal preamp. Which is why many people that want better dynamics out of them go with 18v. JMO...I might be all messed up.

As for the name, I've wondered that forever! x2n=times 2 normal HB power? Who knows? Stuff like that drives me nuts.
Click to expand...

That's what I don't like about my EMGs, lack of headroom. I don't mind a little compression but it doesn't mix well with distortion. I'm looking for those better dynamics, screaming harmonics, and clarity of notes.


I'm interested in what X2N means too. Maybe Extra Double "something"?




Are Invaders and DDs good in mahogany? I might give an X2N, a DD, an Invader, and an SD a try.
 
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Re: X2N In Mahogany

Maz said:
That's what I don't like about my EMGs, lack of headroom. I don't mind a little compression but it doesn't mix well with distortion. I'm looking for those better dynamics, screaming harmonics, and clarity of notes.


I'm interested in what X2N means too. Maybe Extra Double "something"?




Are Invaders and DDs good in mahogany? I might give an X2N, a DD, an Invader, and an SD a try.
Click to expand...

If you want headroom, you shouldn't check too overwound PUs. both X2N and Invader lack Headroom. DD can sound Huge in Mahogany, but it's up to wood quality and characteristics. It aslo depend on fretwire, neck and board sound. Begin with the DD, or even Custom.
 
Re: X2N In Mahogany

daemon barbeque said:
If you want headroom, you shouldn't check too overwound PUs. both X2N and Invader lack Headroom. DD can sound Huge in Mahogany, but it's up to wood quality and characteristics. It aslo depend on fretwire, neck and board sound. Begin with the DD, or even Custom.
Click to expand...

I like the sound of the DD, when I listen to it next to a JB I suddenly don't like the JB. I might try throwing either a DD Mayhem set or a PG and a DD in the guitar. I'm not as worried about wood quality, I'm looking into ESP Standards and USA Select Jacksons, I feel like putting a DD in the bridge will give me that sound I'm looking for. Most of the Duncan pups I've played were in Basswood, which doesn't help a lot; I'm too clumsy for basswood. :15:
 
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