[charles22880]

i just spec my carvin out and i wanted to replace the pick-ups due to the reviews and opinions of people on this forum, what would be a good match of pick-ups on a all mahogany guitar with a flamed maple top and ebony fretboard, im looking for clarity and punch.

thanks in advance
charles

[Aled Smith]

Seymour Duncan Blackouts if thats your thing
Dimarzio D sonic 7 and Paf Pro in the neck
or just buy two random ones and see how it goes

[cataclysm_child]

I'm in the same situation. I got a koa neck with maple birdseye fretboard and swamp ash wings. I want a q-tuner in the neck, and was thinking about either DiMarzio X2N/D-activator/D-sonic in the bridge.

Saw a video on youtube where a guy had the X2N in his 6-string carvin. So I sent him a message:

"Carvin X2N
Hey man,

I'm looking for a new bridge pickup for my Carvin DC727 and I found your video when I searched for X2N.

I just wonder what you think about it?

My Carvin have a koe neck-through with swamp ash wings... Do you think the X2N would sound good in it? I'm also open for other pickups if you have anything you want to recommend. Also been thinking about the d activator...
I'm looking for a metal-pickup btw... for a mostly downtuned guitar...

I would appreciate it if you could help me out here.

Thanks,
Michael"

---

"Hey Michael,

My main guitar now is a DC727 it is a mahogany neck and body with a quilted maple top. Below is a link to a picture of it.

http://aethyria.com/board/Attachment...427ddddddd.JPG

To be honest I really hated the Carvin pickups that came in it.
I replaced them with Dimarzio D-Activators in both the neck and bridge and I am in love with them.

I don't know how the X2N will sound in a 7 string, I actually considered it when I put the D-Activators in but I am glad I went with the D-Activators I am extremely happy with them and they are much more versatile then the X2N that is in my other carvin.

Another thing worth mentioning is I am using D Addario 7 string sets the ones that have a 59 for the B string, the 59 really helps keep the B in tune. I was having trouble with anything smaller on the B. I think they are called EXL 110-7 D'Addario and I highly recommend them for the Carvin DC727 the gauges are .059, .046, .036, .026, .017, .013, .010

Oh and another thing. Carvin made the pickup routes slightly to small which really sucks. You will have to sand the pickup routes a tiny bit to get the pickups in there. Another good thing about the D-Activator is that the base plate on them is made of plastic so you can actually sand the sided of the base plate as well to help get them in to your carvin with out any major modification.
I was able to get them in without to much trouble but it would have been very helpful if Carvin would use standard route sizes.

Your best bet will be Dimarzio's because the 7 string pickups by them have plastic base plates most companies have metal base plates (they also sound better).

When I installed mine I used a dremel tool to sand down the ears and the sides of the base plate and then I took some extremly fine sandpaper and sanded the insides of the pickup route and I got them in there without any cosmetic damage but it was a very tight fit and I can not move them around, they are in their for the life of the guitar.

Final thought, I love D-Activators more then anything I have tried through out the years.

Cheers,
Jeff"

So it seems like d-activators sound good in a mahogany guitar.

I'm still not sure though. The d-activator sounds like a good pickup, but that x2n looks so much cooler, haha. I was thinking about starting a thread and ask about it here on ss.org

You also have the pickup-guide if you haven't read it already.