[DevourTheDamned]

Im planning on getting a Schecter Diamond Series C7-FR, not the Loomis [although i want it terribly] but sort of the same thing, you can find it in a few places, its essentially the C7, but with a floyd rose double locking tremelo and NOT 707's >.<
Thats actually the reason for the thread; this thing has Duncan Design HB-105 active pups in it. you can read about them and hear a sound clip on the Seymore DUncan website. They are supposed to be a more affordable version [crappier sounding] of the Blackouts [which i hear PWN BALLS] but its all i can afford atm. I plan to change the pups out eventually, but while im waiting, i want a cheaper solution to getting closer to the sound of 707s or something, now the only two options i can see are to mod them up with an 18v mod, or get an Afterburner installed, the problem is, idk which would give me more gain, beastyness and low end output, nor do i know which would be cheaper to do. i just want some opinions on the function to general price ratio of the two, or which one you guys think would work better. I play mostly Death Metal and heavily distorted Progressive stuff, so please let me know.

[newamerikangospel]

For intricate, technical metal, you dont want gain from a pickup (IE high gain pickups sound like they are a drunk reading shakespeare). You want focus.

The 18volt mod will open up the pickups more, so it will make them more like a preamped passive (on EMGs anyway, dont know about the 103s or whatever). I would say try it out. There is a thread on here about a totally non-invasive 18v mod done with a DIY harness. Dont remember where though.


And I would say NO to the afterburner.

[Zer0]

I would say neither, just a good set of pups.

I don't know if anyone has tried the 18v mod on Duncan Designeds before, and regardless it wouldn't add "beastyness" just some more headroom.
The afterburner is an interesting beast. Through a Powerball and slo100 it sounds like shit, murky and sloppy, through a JCM900 and other Marshalls it sounds good (in my experience). Bottom line is if you have a gainy enough amp it at the very least adds very little. Good pickups are what you need.

[DevourTheDamned]

hmm, well thats 2 very different opinons, lol.
i wish i had some experience with at LEAST one of the two things im asking about...
price-wise, which is more affordable?

[darren]

18v mod will cost you the price of a 9v battery and a couple of battery clips.

Afterburner is $45. EMG-AB After Burner - Variable Gain Boost Control - Guitar by GuitarPartsDepot.com

Save your money and buy 707s (or Blackouts) if that's what you really want.

BTW, Blackouts are designed to run with high headroom on a 9v circuit, and the 18v mod is not recommended. Dunno if that applies to the Duncan Designed models as well.

[DevourTheDamned]

thanks! that actually helped alot.
i saw how much the AB's were before, i just didnt know if it would cost me some ungodly amount for something so simple as an 18v mod, i had no idea, lol.
but yeah, i think i am gunna save my money for the blackouts or 707's, cuz i know the 707's are beasty as hell and i love them, but theyre soooo expensive, blackouts are a bit more price friendly but idk how the sound compares to the 707's.

[newamerikangospel]

Try the 18volt mod, since you may want to keep it with the 707s as well

[ibznorange]

the afterburner and the 18v mod arent going to do the same thing really.
you dont double the output of the pickup running at 18v. it adds headroom, and i noticed a bit of an output jump on the 60 series with it, but only minor. the afterburner is a <20dB adjustable boost, thats a lot of gain really.

[DevourTheDamned]

the AB sounds liek the better choice for me then, but im still having trouble figuring out exactly what you all mean by 'headroom' lol
forgive my n00bish behavior.

[D-EJ915]

I used the afterburner on the old ESP FB-200 (had HZs) and it was lame as hell, maybe it's different with actives but it was just more buzzing bees imo.

An afterburner will NOT make them sound like 707s, only shitty pickups will * D-EJ915 hates 707s. Seriously though it won't sound anything like those. If you really want 707s just buy 707s, the SDs don't sound like them.