[7 Strings of Hate]

excatly what i always thought, when people say that, in addition to saying that they blow away emgs, i kinda feel like they loose credibility in MY eyes atleast, because i'v owned tons of emgs and not an ounce of buzz or noise came from ANY of them

edit: morten, thats what i figured, that the emg's compressed a lot of the signal and the passives were much more dynamic

[djpharoah]

anyone?

[zimbloth]

EMGs really are noisier than passives. It's pretty much provable thing. It doesn't mean it will be noisy for everyone's rig, but in general, compared to Blackouts or most good passives they are. I can't even begin to tell you how many times over the last 10 years I've solved all noise issues in a guitar by just swapping out EMGs for passives (or more recently, Blackouts).

As for the comparison clips, I stand by what I said. Webclips mean absolutely nothing. There are a million variables in play. Just read reviews, listen to bands properly recorded songs that use the various pickups, and try it out for yourself with your own rig. There's not really any risk involved. Just about everywhere has return and/or exchange policies.

Blackouts sound great in the right guitar. I find they seem to favor darker guitars than bright ones, and the two different models seem to favor various wood combinations/amps. They won't necessarily "blow away" EMGs, but they certainly can. In the Jackson COW models my bandmates own, it was a huge improvement. In my BC Rich that had EMG 81/60s, it was a huge improvement. The bridge model in my ultra bright Rico Jr 7? Not the best match. Just too bright.

Bottom line, you'll never know a damn thing from some shoddy clip a guy recorded on his Line 6, just try em out. Do your homework first and you'll be alright.

Originally Posted by 7 Strings of Hate

excatly what i always thought, when people say that, in addition to saying that they blow away emgs, i kinda feel like they loose credibility in MY eyes atleast, because i'v owned tons of emgs and not an ounce of buzz or noise came from ANY of them

Well you can question my credibility all you want, but that doesn't change the reality of what I've experienced. They absolutely do buzz and have obnoxious uncontrollable feedback (even with noisegates) with every loud tube amp I've ever played. Just because you personally haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's not real.

My bandmate had to switch from EMG 707s to the Blackouts just so he could do staccato riffs without it squealing. The pickup switch alone fixed it 100%. It's real dude.

[Grendel]

Originally Posted by zimbloth

In the Jackson COW models my bandmates own, it was a huge improvement. In my BC Rich that had EMG 81/60s, it was a huge improvement. The bridge model in my ultra bright Rico Jr 7? Not the best match. Just too bright.

Good point. What about the Loomis? I

I'm considering the switch as well, but I'm nervous about spending $100 and not being totally happy with the switch. IMO, the 707's on my Loomis are somewhat sterile. I've had the same experience with 81's in another guitar. I simply want a more organic and dynamic tone.

Thanks.

[djpharoah]

Originally Posted by Grendel

I'm considering the switch as well, but I'm nervous about spending $100 and not being totally happy with the switch. I simply want a more organic and dynamic tone.

I am in exactly the same position and I think the only way to do this is to just go for it.

[TheMissing]

The Blackouts plug directly into an EMG harness, so you won't have to solder anything, or make any sort of alteration.

So I say buy a blackout, try it out, if you don't like it, it'll be practically brand new and you can sell it and probably make all or most of your money back.

Or if your careful enough you can return it to the store and say you changed your mind

[TimSE]

isnt it said that blackouts have a slightly more "scooped" sound too em?
not sure if thats wat is said or somethin i made up hah

Emg 707s all the way for me then if thats the case... got 2 7s with em and they rule

Id rather be able to scoop the sound if i want too with amp insted of having no choice but to have scooped

[djpharoah]

The EQ according to SD is something like 6/5/8 for T/M/B. I never even though to check that out... I guess I will try out the 18V mod on the 707s and install new strings+setup my guitar before I decide anything. I love mids and would hate to have a pup thats scooped, same reason I never liked the blaze bridge (i know they are totally different from each other).

[MerlinTKD]

Hmmm... anyone have any experience with Blackouts in basswood? And/or in a med to low gain setup?

[daybean]

im backing the EMGs as well, i have both blackouts and EMGs in my guitars. One s7420 has the an EMG 707 in the bridge and neck, the other s7420 has the blackouts. Both are great FUCKIN pickingups!!! The blackouts have a little more kick (very little), just messing with your rig a bit, will equal things out. but i still like my EMGs and play them more. The sound is more of what I like. People like different sounds. Just thought id add 2 more cents to the jar.