# 8 String pickup shootout. Same amp, same guitar, no bull, no frills.



## KnightBrolaire (Apr 4, 2017)

*Overload with the Juggs installed.*





So this is going to be an ongoing thing for me with this overload rhea 8.* If you just want to hear the clips then the link is here: https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout*
I've got some cash right now and wanted to finally explore some pickup options for 8 strings since there's not really a lot of in-depth demos exploring the versatility of the pickup. I tried to make these clips with as few variables as possible (same guitar, same amp sim/cab sim, same settings, no post production, no drums, the sound is going straight from my kemper into my scarlett 2i4 and then to studio one 3 pro edition). If you want to learn more, I explain the profile used etc. in the playlist description on soundcloud.
I tried to encapsulate some different styles like jazzy cleans, fingerpicked cleans, meshuggah esque riffs, sludgy stoner rock esque riffs, death metal esque riffs, devin townsend style riffs to test chord clarity (riffs use extended chords involving 7th/8th string ), etc. This is by no means exhaustive or super precise but it will give you a good feel for the pickups and how they sound in this guitar (whether they will sound similar for your rig is of course, up to you).
List of pickups that I've tried in here so far/Sound Overview:
*BKP Aftermath bridge* (no demos of this one, sold it to buy C-pig)- Very tight, clanky/metallic sounding, takes gain very well, very clear/percussive but I hated it. Actually pretty good for 80s hair metal tones like Ratt though..
*BKP Ceramic Warpig bridge/Cold Sweat neck*-The C-pig destroys/roars under gain, it's a savage pickup, but also pretty versatile, good clarity, takes gain very well, my only complaint was it felt a bit bright in the high end on this guitar. The Cold Sweat is awesome, it's very clear, has a rounder high end so it doesn't get icepicky, and is oh so amazing for high gain leads/shredding.
*Duncan Omega (bridge only)* Probably my favorite pickup so far, it's tight, it snarls under gain in a unique sounding way, takes gain extremely well, very clear on the lower strings, the high end is less than the C-pig in this guitar and overall it's a super balanced pickup
*Duncan Pegasus (bridge only)*-A more polite version of the Omega basically. It's super versatile, takes gain very well, great clarity, but lacks the snarl of the Omega (that ceramic magnet really makes a difference). A little bigger sounding than the Omega but not huuuge like the C-Pig or Juggs.
*BKP Juggernauts (bridge and neck)*- I've wanted to try these for years. Great clarity on the low end, pretty tight, takes gain very well, relatively versatile but they have a distinct sound that you either love or hate. I like the low/low-mid bump they have, it gives them a nice chug sound. Don't have much to say about the neck pickup because I'm in love with the Cold Sweat. 

Pickups I'm still testing/waiting on: 
Duncan Black Winter bridge (currently installed, just need time to demo them)
Dimarzio Eclipse bridge (ordered).
Elysian TAP 8 (ordered)
Bare Knuckle Black Dog bridge (ordered)
Lundgren M8 (I can swap these from my vader eventually).


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## mnemonic (Apr 5, 2017)

Cool man, I'll try to check out some clips later. 

Always cool to see multiple reviews from a single person using the pickups in a single guitar through a single amp. Really cuts down on the amount of other factors at play. 

At some point soon I'm gonna be looking for pickup upgrades for my 8 as it is next on the list, so this is great info!


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## jemfloral (Apr 5, 2017)

:thumbsup:


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 5, 2017)

the eclipse 8 bridge showed up today, it's gonna be about 2 wks or so for the elysian to show up and at least a month for the black dog to show up. Hopefully I can have clips for the black winter and eclipse 8 up by next weekend.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 10, 2017)

UPDATE:
Black Winters are dope. Tight, mean, thick, pretty balanced in this guitar (no skewed eq like the c-pig where the treble is a bit much in this guitar). Stays clear for extended chords ( little less than the Omega or Pegasus but still pretty damn clear) too. Clips soon, though I have to warn you they'll be fvcking loud since the pickup sits way higher in the cavity than the others I've tried so far (screws are realllllly long, I might have to cut them down eventually).

Also currently talking to avedissian pickups about getting a scythe 8 string version made. Apparently Pallbearer has 7 string versions of it.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 13, 2017)

Update: Got some clips made of the Black Winter bridge. 
https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/seymour-duncan-black-winter-8-string-bridge-pickup
Also updated the mega playlist to include the black winter clips:
https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 14, 2017)

currently testing the eclipse bridge.


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## IGC (Apr 15, 2017)

Sweet thread bro I had a skim over all of your clips and IMO the C Pig sounded the best! Now I know what I will be purchasing if I get some shelf ERG pickups. Did you use the same volume/tone pots/ guts and Jacks for all? 500k pots? What caps?


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 15, 2017)

IGC said:


> Sweet thread bro I had a skim over all of your clips and IMO the C Pig sounded the best! Now I know what I will be purchasing if I get some shelf ERG pickups. Did you use the same volume/tone pots/ guts and Jacks for all? 500k pots? What caps?



C-pig is a savage pickup, probably one of my favorites next to the black winter or omega. It wasn't the best fit for this guitar though.
yup none of the pots/jacks/wiring/caps changed. Literally just swapped pickups in and out of the same guitar. Some pickups like the pegasus and black winter are a bit louder due to mucking around with the master volume on my kemper/being closer to the strings (I couldn't adjust them due to the screws protruding from the baseplate).


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## IGC (Apr 16, 2017)

I've had to shorten pickup adjusting screws. Fun fun


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## EdgeCrusher (Apr 18, 2017)

Thanks for taking the time to put these together! It would be cool if you could edit a quick sample of all pickups back to back in one track with timestamps to make it easier to hear the differences. I'm really curious what you think about the Eclipse.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 18, 2017)

EdgeCrusher said:


> Thanks for taking the time to put these together! It would be cool if you could edit a quick sample of all pickups back to back in one track with timestamps to make it easier to hear the differences. I'm really curious what you think about the Eclipse.



I could probably throw some clips together later in the week. The Eclipse is definitely more modern voiced (like the juggernauts) though the EQ is different. Eclipse feel tighter, and higher output than I expected them to. They sound great under very high gain and have pretty good clarity (on par with the omega/pegasus/juggs imo). They feel a little bright in the high end in this guitar (not as much as the C-pig though). They're a bit pronounced in the low end but not enough to make them flabby. Pretty balanced overall, though there is a very juggernaut vocal quality sound to them at times, which isn't really my thing.

EDIT: After playing with them a bit more they can get a very tight aggressive sound with minimal tweaking needed (I can seriously just turn on my boost and they tear .... up). definitely a pickup worth picking up if you're on a budget but want a more modern voiced pickup that's pretty versatile.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 20, 2017)

added some back to back comparison clips to the playlist.
https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 21, 2017)

Quick clip of the eclipse https://www.instagram.com/p/BTKEiqugpcf/


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 22, 2017)

black dog and elysian tap 8 both on the way.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 23, 2017)

Eclipse bridge with juggernaut neck clip
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTOvT0tgtCp/


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 24, 2017)

Elysian TAP8 is here. Adam is a cool dude to work with, he sent me progress pics of the pickup being wound/potted and kept me updated regularly.













Also doing some work on my strandberg. The SFTY3-8 pups I had in there can now be demo'd in the overload.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 24, 2017)

https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout
Added Dimarzio Eclipse clips to the shootout playlist.


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 26, 2017)

Got the Elysian TAP 8 installed. Really digging these so far, they have really great clarity, a really nice snarl under high gain and they're pretty tight. A tad bright on the high end for my tastes though. Adam recommended the modern wind with ceramic bar magnets/alnico v slugs for the inside coils. Clips will probably be up friday or saturday


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## KnightBrolaire (Apr 28, 2017)

Avedissian Scythe 8 bridge is on the way.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 2, 2017)

avedissian scythe 8 and black dog 8 are both here. gonna make the elysian clips tomorrow,then test the black dog.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 3, 2017)

Elysian demos are done and added to the shootout playlist.
https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout


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## BubbleWrap (May 3, 2017)

Nice work! Looking forward to hearing the SFTY-3.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 3, 2017)

BubbleWrap said:


> Nice work! Looking forward to hearing the SFTY-3.



thanks, clips for those should be up in a week or two.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 3, 2017)

the avedissian scythe is pretty nice, not as clear as the elysian but still pretty clear. Definitely has a thicker, snarlier tone under high gain. It's also a relatively tight pickup. I'll add more info as I play with them more.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 11, 2017)

Avedissian Scythe 8 clips are up!
with all the other clips :https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout
just the scythe clips: https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/avedissian-scythe-8-bridge-pickup
Now onto the SFTY3-8 set.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 15, 2017)

SFTY3-8 pickups are great, I had this set in my boden 8 before I decided to throw them in this guitar for the shootout.
Thick, pretty tight,and mean but not as clear as the avedissian, omega or elysian pickups. Both the bridge and neck are pretty balanced eq wise imo. 
The neck is nice but isn't as smooth in the high end as the cold sweat. 
Not as much low end as the avedissian or c-pig but still a fair amount. Mids aren't overly present like in the aftermath I used to have. In this guitar they have a brighter high end, though not shrill like the c-pig was.


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## Shoeless_jose (May 15, 2017)

Awesome threadd. When i go on to night shifts next week i will headphone up and listen to all clips. Excited to hear black dogs. My 8 has nazgul in bridge so nice to get to hear all the alternatives


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## KnightBrolaire (May 15, 2017)

Dineley said:


> Awesome threadd. When i go on to night shifts next week i will headphone up and listen to all clips. Excited to hear black dogs. My 8 has nazgul in bridge so nice to get to hear all the alternatives



haven't done the black dog yet, but clips should be up sometime next week.


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## BubbleWrap (May 16, 2017)

How would you compare the sfty-3s to the Pegasus/sentient/omega, if you don't mind?


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## KnightBrolaire (May 16, 2017)

BubbleWrap said:


> How would you compare the sfty-3s to the Pegasus/sentient/omega, if you don't mind?



The sfty3-8 bridge is tighter with a little bit more treble than the pegasus or omega. I feel like they have a little bump in the low end somewhere that gives them a nice thickness and makes chords feel huge. The tightness really lends to the chunkiness of palm mutes and chugging. cleans are nice, easily on par with the pegasus and omega. Split sounds are useful for spanky tones. It doesn't quite have the snarl of the omega but it has its own unique sound under high gain. It's more of a roar like the avedissian or c-pig. The neck pickup is pretty comparable to the sentient. It's not a very dramatic eq for either the bridge or neck pickup but they do have their own vibe compared to other relatively balanced pickups.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 16, 2017)

SFTY3-8 Clips are up:
SFTY3 only: https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/instrumental-sfty3-8-pickup-set
All pickups : https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/overload-rea-8-pickup-shootout

Black dog is next.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 25, 2017)

I really dig the Black Dog. It's got a voice kind of like the Black Winter bridge but with more mid emphasis and a snarly evil sound under high gain. Has plenty of low end in this guitar too and surprisingly tight. A bit bright on the high end in this guitar though. It feels more like a good death metal/sludge pickup than a more modern sounding pickup, though it can definitely djent if you want it to. The coil split is super spanky too.


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## BigHandy (May 26, 2017)

On the second segment (I guess it's the whole bridge) of the Hevy Devy part the Omage just wins the prize obviously. It has much more define and strongly characterized sound on those lower tones, very modern and Djenty I would say. Tho I didn't listen else than the C-Pig, Jugger and the Pegasus for now to compare. Tho' I'm not sure if it's not also affected by some change in your topical play style on that session... ?!


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## KnightBrolaire (May 26, 2017)

BigHandy said:


> On the second segment (I guess it's the whole bridge) of the Hevy Devy part the Omage just wins the prize obviously. It has much more define and strongly characterized sound on those lower tones, very modern and Djenty I would say. Tho I didn't listen else than the C-Pig, Jugger and the Pegasus for now to compare. Tho' I'm not sure if it's not also affected by some change in your topical play style on that session... ?!


The C-pig has a lot more low end than the omega, juggs or pegasus. It also had a weird sharp high end in this guitar that I didn't get along with. It's a tad darker on the 7th/8th strings in this guitar, though it has good clarity on the other strings. The Pegasus is similar to the Omega but without the snarl and a bit more low end, it's also not quite as tight sounding. Still pretty clear though. The Juggs have around the same low end as the pegasus or so (not quite c-pig levels). They also have that very distinct vocal/cocked wah voice that misha loves. They also have good clarity though whether you'd like the vocal quality is a matter of taste. Omega and Pegasus are hands down the most balanced eq wise in this guitar, and the most versatile. All of the pickups are more than capable of djenty tones.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 29, 2017)

Welp I'm out of room on my soundcloud so can't really upload anymore clips without deleting previous clips. I'll post some instagram vids of the black dog through my mesa later.


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## Arshu123 (May 31, 2017)

Which pickup is your favourite? Why?


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2017)

Arshu123 said:


> Which pickup is your favourite? Why?


That's a hard question, I can't really narrow it down to one absolute favorite.
I love the black dog for the snarling evil high gain tone, it just sounds so unbelievably mean with a tubescreamer and a boogie.
I love the elysian for the clarity and overall balance. It can do literally anything I threw at it well, though I think it excels at modern metal (I did get the modern wind lol).
I love the avedissian and SFTY3 for doomy/sludgy stuff and their unique, thick roaring tones.
I loved the eclipse and omega til I tried the black dog and elysian, they all embody similar characteristics (snarling high gain tone, versatile, great for modern metal). I think the black dog and elysian are better clarity wise, plus I love the voicings of those more than the omega or eclipse.


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## Arshu123 (May 31, 2017)

Cool. I vote Elysian


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2017)

quick clip of the black dog through my boogie f30:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUxRUsMAoES


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 2, 2017)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kile6q5nypv7k7m/Black Dog Medley.mp3?dl=0
some more black dog clips, this time with the kemper using the same settings as my other clips. Tubescreamer is on throughout so it's a bit tighter and nastier than the base sound of the black dog.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 14, 2017)

Made more Black Dog clips. All of them are compiled in this link.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d1fw42rqz69lgy7/AABiCZfo-RrGWMThJVrXPaQwa?dl=0
Also made D-Activator clips:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/md62xsjuvv8dy67/AABKNHkkdTU5UaQZ0Dy3fngla?dl=0


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## mnemonic (Jul 14, 2017)

D-activator sounds pretty cool. Maybe I'll give that pickup a shot in one of my guitars.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jul 14, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> D-activator sounds pretty cool. Maybe I'll give that pickup a shot in one of my guitars.


yeah they're pretty good pickups. not my favorite but still pretty versatile.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 1, 2017)

decided to test a guitarmory matador. will post impressions/clips once I get it and install it.


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## KnightBrolaire (Sep 22, 2017)

Finally got around to installing the Matador and first impressions are that it's slightly darker on the low end than the black dog and has a thicker voicing, and doesn't quite have the snarl that the black dog has. It's still a mean sounding pickup, just different from the snarling rabid aggressiveness of the black dog. Clarity is great across all the strings. The high end is defined but slightly warmer than the black dog. Seems pretty versatile so far. 
I also installed a BKP emerald in the neck and it's also quite clear/versatile so far. It cleans up exceptionally well but it's not as warm on the high end as the cold sweat, nor is it that round/smooth.


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 5, 2017)

Matador clips are done: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yruhdpshnuvrbw6/AAD2vxgMXLhy0d5umLfvwlt_a?dl=0
I included high gain clips from 2 different setups, the jotun is the baseline (same as all the other clips I've made) and the other is a fortin jvm410 profile with sinmix's KSE cab DI. Settings are exactly the same (everything noon) except the jvm has a hint of reverb.


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## gingerman (Oct 18, 2017)

Thank you very much for your efforts put into this. We really really appreciate it!


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 29, 2017)

guitarmory polaris is the next pickup I'm testing.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 5, 2017)

made a video demoing the omega in my all mahogany avenger 8 through my boogie f30. I made it after I got off a 12 hr shift/I was sick so there's some flubs, but it'll give you a decent idea of how the pickup sounds.


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## Hollowway (Nov 6, 2017)

When you say "tight," are you referring to a lessening of the low end? Typically, when we talk about an amp as tight, it's because the low end is cut, and the mids are increased. Is that what you mean with these? I'm trying to get an idea, because I have a couple of the ones you've tested, but most I've never heard in person.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 6, 2017)

Hollowway said:


> When you say "tight," are you referring to a lessening of the low end? Typically, when we talk about an amp as tight, it's because the low end is cut, and the mids are increased. Is that what you mean with these? I'm trying to get an idea, because I have a couple of the ones you've tested, but most I've never heard in person.


I meant more that it has a faster response than the other pickup. It's more of a feel thing that becomes really obvious through my setups since the pickups are the only thing really changing. The c-pig for example, tracks pretty quickly but it also has a lot of low end, while the scythe also has a lot of low end but doesn't track nearly as well/have as tight of a response.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 6, 2017)

Polaris is here. clips will be up wednesday


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## Acme (Nov 7, 2017)

The Omega bridge sounded really sludgy in that video. I cannot feel any tightness at all, but this may be because of the camera audio.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 7, 2017)

Acme said:


> The Omega bridge sounded really sludgy in that video. I cannot feel any tightness at all, but this may be because of the camera audio.


The boogie and the guitar are different from what I used for my other soundcloud clips so it's not going to sound as tight/bright. The guitar is definitely darker/thicker sounding than my swamp ash 8. The f30 is also a darker sounding amp (at least on the contour channel where there's extra bass/mids and saturation). In person the Omega is still a tight sounding pickup that tracks well, I guess it doesn't translate through my video, probably because I filmed it with my cellphone.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 8, 2017)

first impressions of the polaris: has a little stiffer feel compared to the matador, likely due to the midrange bump and the tighter low end. It feels like it's a bit darker overall too. Reminds me of the black winter's voicing to an extent. I have the pickup pretty backed off from the strings right now so I'll report back after playing around with the height/testing it in other amps.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 25, 2017)

made a video of the elysian modern winds aka Goliaths in my knightro pioneer ms8:


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## laxu (Nov 26, 2017)

Going thru a quick listen of the clips on Soundcloud the Pegasus was probably my favorite. It seemed like the most versatile while the others are more one trick ponies suited for heavy styles.

I have a BKP Juggernaut in my brand new Skervesen Shoggie 8 and had to really mess with the pickup height to mitigate the midrange bite it has. It's great for hard rock and metal rhythm sounds but can sound nasal for single notes.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 26, 2017)

laxu said:


> Going thru a quick listen of the clips on Soundcloud the Pegasus was probably my favorite. It seemed like the most versatile while the others are more one trick ponies suited for heavy styles.
> 
> I have a BKP Juggernaut in my brand new Skervesen Shoggie 8 and had to really mess with the pickup height to mitigate the midrange bite it has. It's great for hard rock and metal rhythm sounds but can sound nasal for single notes.


Pegasus is a great pickup, especially once I threw a ceramic magnet into it. The elysian, black dog, matador and omega are also very versatile imo. The rest of them were definitely more metal oriented. I hated the cocked wah voicing of the juggernaut bridge. I liked the chunk it had in the low end and when I'd play chords though.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 27, 2017)

KnightBrolaire said:


> first impressions of the polaris: has a little stiffer feel compared to the matador, likely due to the midrange bump and the tighter low end. It feels like it's a bit darker overall too. Reminds me of the black winter's voicing to an extent. I have the pickup pretty backed off from the strings right now so I'll report back after playing around with the height/testing it in other amps.


So I've played around with the polaris a bit more and it's tight/tracks really well. They chug really well and take a shine to big chords just fine, it has a beefy thick sound kind of like if mastodon/clutch/pelican/down/crowbar played 8 strings. It's not a super clear sounding pickup but works fine for extended chords. I don't know whether the chords would hold up in a full band mix if you put it in a darker guitar, but in an ash bodied guitar it's a nice sounding pickup. It wouldn't be my first choice if you're looking for uber versatility or a lot of clarity, but if you want a good beefy sounding bridge pickup for thicker/southern metal/sludge riffage this is a good choice. 
Videos/clips for the polaris should be up on wednesday or thursday.
Adam from elysian pickups has a new model in the works and I'm thinking about trying it or a guitarmory orion/bkp ragnarok.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 30, 2017)

guitarmory orion is on the way. polaris clips will be up tomorrow.


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 1, 2017)

KnightBrolaire said:


> So I've played around with the polaris a bit more and it's tight/tracks really well. They chug really well and take a shine to big chords just fine, it has a beefy thick sound kind of like if mastodon/clutch/pelican/down/crowbar played 8 strings. It's not a super clear sounding pickup but works fine for extended chords. I don't know whether the chords would hold up in a full band mix if you put it in a darker guitar, but in an ash bodied guitar it's a nice sounding pickup. It wouldn't be my first choice if you're looking for uber versatility or a lot of clarity, but if you want a good beefy sounding bridge pickup for thicker/southern metal/sludge riffage this is a good choice.
> Videos/clips for the polaris should be up on wednesday or thursday.
> Adam from elysian pickups has a new model in the works and I'm thinking about trying it or a guitarmory orion/bkp ragnarok.


Actually I changed my mind, these should hold up well for a lot of genres, not just southern metal/sludgier/doomier esque stuff. They're not the clearest pickup out there but they do feel like a clearer black winter. nice percussive chugs/tremolo picking, tight bass response and can get real mean sounding.
Oh yeah, here's the clips:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/h8jris4qiqrc46k/AACpqsn1CvrYTFxBtMHPLvI-a?dl=0


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 6, 2017)

orion is here. will give my thoughts after playing with it for a while.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jan 16, 2018)

orion is an interesting pickup. not too hot, stays tight and clear on the low end, but is quite bright on the high end in this guitar. mids are kind of snarly, though not to the extent of say the black dog or elysian modern/goliaths. It cleans up really well and when split can get extra chimey cleans like the goliaths. it can do warmer blues/jazz cleans when you roll off the volume/tone knobs too. It's great for chugging riffs, death metal and even djenty stuff. A TS style boost gives it that extra bit of snarling aggression for rhythm work, though like I said, there's a bright high end in this guitar, and the boost exacerbates that. I really like it for gojira esque riffs or deftones/devin townsend esque wall of sound riffs since it has cut and feels tight but not stiff. It's a very good choice for a more medium output pickup that can cover a pretty big amount of tonal ground.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2018)

I got sidetracked by my 6 string shootout thread but Orion clips should be up later tonight. Foxbat set is on the way for testing as well.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2018)

Orion clips are up. I tried to show off the regular sound and the split coil sound for most riffs.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/prz21590qsodhvf/orion8_mkivDropE.flac?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/60dd269e57jhan5/orion8_mkiiiStandard.flac?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6xgz0zfmh1gjxz5/orion8_mkiiicleans.flac?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ir8rk2bc1oregn0/orion8_jotunbr00tz.flac?dl=0


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## LeviathanKiller (May 31, 2018)

I'm trying to decide what to get for my 8-string. Guitarmory recommended me the Voyager set. Not sure if I should get the ceramic set or A5/A2 set.


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I'm trying to decide what to get for my 8-string. Guitarmory recommended me the Voyager set. Not sure if I should get the ceramic set or A5/A2 set.


 Idk, I've never used the voyager set, I can't really give you any advice about it.


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## LeviathanKiller (May 31, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> Idk, I've never used the voyager set, I can't really give you any advice about it.



So far you've tried the Matador, Polaris, and Orion from them right? Are the Foxbats going into your 8-string?


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> So far you've tried the Matador, Polaris, and Orion from them right? Are the Foxbats going into your 8-string?


Yep


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## LeviathanKiller (May 31, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> Yep


My 8-string is mahogany. What set out of those (if any) would you pick?


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## KnightBrolaire (May 31, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> My 8-string is mahogany. What set out of those (if any) would you pick?


Orion and matador would do well in mahogany. Polaris would be too dark/thick. Orion is a good choice if you want a more metal pickup.


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## cesar (Jun 3, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> Orion and matador would do well in mahogany. Polaris would be too dark/thick. Orion is a good choice if you want a more metal pickup.


Hey brolaire, any chance of reviewing the x-bars or death are from lace?


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 3, 2018)

cesar said:


> Hey brolaire, any chance of reviewing the x-bars or death are from lace?


https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/strandberg-os8le-lace-x-bars-demo
lace xbar demos i did a while ago


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## cesar (Jun 4, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/strandberg-os8le-lace-x-bars-demo
> lace xbar demos i did a while ago



Hey, thanks man!

I really liked the low end, quite full sounding.
The strandberg is 28" on the 8th string right?
The tuning is in those clips is?
I am wanting to get an ormsby Goliath since they have nice payment plans and tune the lowest into an E1 but was worried that the scale would not be good enough for that.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 4, 2018)

cesar said:


> Hey, thanks man!
> 
> I really liked the low end, quite full sounding.
> The strandberg is 28" on the 8th string right?
> ...


The strandberg is 28" scale on the 8th string and the guitar was in Drop E
the ormsby has a slightly longer scale than the strandberg (28.2" vs 28") and can more than handle E1 with the stock pickups. I wouldn't recommend the x-bars over the stock goliath pickups honestly.


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## cesar (Jun 4, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> The strandberg is 28" scale on the 8th string and the guitar was in Drop E
> the ormsby has a slightly longer scale than the strandberg (28.2" vs 28") and can more than handle E1 with the stock pickups. I wouldn't recommend the x-bars over the stock goliath pickups honestly.



Cool, the Goliath seems even more a better deal now.

I saw that Ormsby last batch was shipped some days ago and you had one pre ordered hehe.
Would be nice if you could post some samples and make a little review of the guitar too, if it would not bother you to do so.
Also, the bridge system seems better than string Tru body since I was thinking in putting a High G, and not having sharp angles would be a blessing.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 4, 2018)

cesar said:


> Cool, the Goliath seems even more a better deal now.
> 
> I saw that Ormsby last batch was shipped some days ago and you had one pre ordered hehe.
> Would be nice if you could post some samples and make a little review of the guitar too, if it would not bother you to do so.
> Also, the bridge system seems better than string Tru body since I was thinking in putting a High G, and not having sharp angles would be a blessing.


I have videos/a review of the goliath in this thread:
http://www.sevenstring.org/threads/ngd-get-out-of-mah-swamp.329896/


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## cesar (Jun 4, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> The strandberg is 28" scale on the 8th string and the guitar was in Drop E
> the ormsby has a slightly longer scale than the strandberg (28.2" vs 28") and can more than handle E1 with the stock pickups. I wouldn't recommend the x-bars over the stock goliath pickups honestly.




Oh, amazing, thanks man I really appreciated your help.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 21, 2018)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2R5LG4A-nYtNjk0ZDBLSzVPbWc/view?usp=sharing
found an old video I made of the 808x pickups. Guitarmory Foxbats are here, just waiting to install them this weekend.


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## gienek (Jun 22, 2018)

@KnightBrolaire,

If you mind, recommend me some pups? I have stock rg2228 and i like D Activators but they too much output for me. Can you recomend me something close wise-sounding but slightly more headroom.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 22, 2018)

gienek said:


> @KnightBrolaire,
> 
> If you mind, recommend me some pups? I have stock rg2228 and i like D Activators but they too much output for me. Can you recomend me something close wise-sounding but slightly more headroom.


if you're looking to stay with dimarzio, I'd say try the eclipse pickups. They've got a good amount of output but clean up far better than the d-activators. They're not quite as thick sounding as the d-activators but still deliver excellent high gain tones. 
eclipse clips
https://soundcloud.com/skwisgaar-sandervaal/sets/dimarzio-eclipse-bridge-pickup
d-activator clips 
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/md62xsjuvv8dy67/AABKNHkkdTU5UaQZ0Dy3fngla?dl=0


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## gienek (Jun 22, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> if you're looking to stay with dimarzio, I'd say try the eclipse pickups. They've got a good amount of output but clean up far better than the d-activators. They're not quite as thick sounding as the d-activators but still deliver excellent high gain tones.



I tried to put D Activator neck in bridge which is about 360k hot. That came as same the same output as Eclipse bridge by default. And that is too less power, especially for 7 and 8 string to get proper sound definition. So thats led me to Ionizers but i think theyre too vintage'y and not as "cold" as DA.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 22, 2018)

gienek said:


> I tried to put D Activator neck in bridge which is about 360k hot. That came as same the same output as Eclipse bridge by default. And that is too less power, especially for 7 and 8 string to get proper sound definition. So thats led me to Ionizers but i think theyre too vintage'y and not as "cold" as DA.


I've found that you don't need high output pickups with 8 strings, if anything I prefer more medium to medium hot pickups since they tend to have better clarity on the low end.. The voice of the pickup also plays a big part in if the pickup retains clarity ime. Bass heavy pickups like the ceramic warpig are dark on the low end and muddy up the overall sound. 

You could also try the duncan black winters, they're relatively high output and might be more up your alley. demos of that set are a couple of pages back in the thread.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 21, 2018)

found some old aftermath clips
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4uxbur9emc4g327/aftermathkarnie2.flac?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cta5gkklmws74rp/aftermathTarpits.flac?dl=0


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## LeviathanKiller (Aug 28, 2018)

I just noticed you got those Foxbats in your Rhea 8. Can't wait to hear about your experience on those.
My Atlas set is my favorite so far (having Red Stone, Polaris, and Orion in other guitars at the moment) but I have both the ceramic and alnico sets of the Foxbats waiting to be installed.


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## KnightBrolaire (Aug 28, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I just noticed you got those Foxbats in your Rhea 8. Can't wait to hear about your experience on those.
> My Atlas set is my favorite so far (having Red Stone, Polaris, and Orion in other guitars at the moment) but I have both the ceramic and alnico sets of the Foxbats waiting to be installed.


I've heard good things about the foxbat sets. I'm going to record a couple more clips with the orion bridge and then I'll install the foxbats. I'm thinking about grabbing an 8 string patriot since I liked the 6 string version so much.


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 6, 2018)

some extra lithium clips I made with my mesa mk3 (dl for best quality):
https://app.box.com/s/cv5rgmhlqphcsq64diqafb4sn85q28fd
https://app.box.com/s/7g1hm25pu0t1a08p74b3hoj5ilobrwjq
https://app.box.com/s/75u3ni4kub2quzkovpu2odrdv4umojk5
I'll have DI clips of the orion up tomorrow as well.


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## Gmork (Oct 7, 2018)

Anyone use MJS pickups? 
From canada, been in business for 30 years and do custom 8s and fanned etc.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 7, 2018)

so since i sold my kemper recently all future clips will be done with my mk3 and fsm, which kind of undermines the core concept of this shootout (ie remove as many variables as possible). i'll try and provide DIs as well.
i'll be recording some extra orion clips tomorrow through my current setup and then finally installing the foxbats.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 8, 2018)

Here's some newer guitarmory Orion clips.
clean (halo) channel:
https://app.box.com/s/12narc5v498beyebdzighcidm73akrt9
brootz (FSM) channel:
https://app.box.com/s/1bvaskxc8qwpgbs25gtrfdo5rqgn398m
DIs: 
https://app.box.com/s/a9gphgws5etxctlio29xgk44w06bm39g
https://app.box.com/s/vbz2ysei6p82nc8l94kvz8xa53qpwwpg

MK3 clips:
clean:
https://app.box.com/s/anknbnig23d3dosv24azj4dao3wozgl3
dirty:
https://app.box.com/s/j4dsyz15qaai095vgbmteh0ex5b5ahd9
DIs:
https://app.box.com/s/9aglliu7mdrqc7h28j2ndwt96pkktw8t
https://app.box.com/s/2sqmez8bul9m6j05w3onydzfrkb6vlp8


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 9, 2018)

here's a DI I made with the elysian goliaths/my Mk3 :
https://app.box.com/s/8jya0dnctsmw4kllt14cte1mux5zniux
non DI version of that clip: https://app.box.com/s/rl6hiu5f8mo6wrnj21d0s23dlpn190hp


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 10, 2018)

initial thoughts on the foxbat set:
The bridge is interesting, it can run the gamut from doomy/blues stuff to tighter more technical riffage (though it struggles clarity wise for techier stuff if not split). It has plenty of growly aggression and low end/midrange (but not in an obnoxious way). The high end is definitely warmer than the orion. The split coil sounds are excellent and much clearer than the base sound but obviously it makes them far more susceptible to noise/hum issues under high gain. 
The neck has a great smooth feel that translates into buttery smooth lead work. It's got a very rounded warm sound in this guitar, which is surprising considering the guitar/my amps are relatively bright. I much prefer this to the bkp emerald I had in the neck previously (which is great for bright jangly cleans/chord work but lacks the warmth and smoothness that I prefer for leadwork).


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## LeviathanKiller (Nov 10, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> initial thoughts on the foxbat set:
> The bridge is interesting, it can run the gamut from doomy/blues stuff to tighter more technical riffage (though it struggles clarity wise for techier stuff if not split). It has plenty of growly aggression and low end/midrange (but not in an obnoxious way). The high end is definitely warmer than the orion. The split coil sounds are excellent and much clearer than the base sound but obviously it makes them far more susceptible to noise/hum issues under high gain.
> The neck has a great smooth feel that translates into buttery smooth lead work. It's got a very rounded warm sound in this guitar, which is surprising considering the guitar/my amps are relatively bright. I much prefer this to the bkp emerald I had in the neck previously (which is great for bright jangly cleans/chord work but lacks the warmth and smoothness that I prefer for leadwork).



I just installed my set yesterday and my thoughts are the same.

I prefer the Atlas set for metal stuff but the Foxbat set is very versatile.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 11, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I just installed my set yesterday and my thoughts are the same.
> 
> I prefer the Atlas set for metal stuff but the Foxbat set is very versatile.


I'm going to keep playing around with my amp settings but so far I don't particularly like the foxbat bridge through my mk3. It feels too muddy unless I split it. The split sound is great. I think the neck would pair really well with the orion bridge though.


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## LeviathanKiller (Nov 11, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> I'm going to keep playing around with my amp settings but so far I don't particularly like the foxbat bridge through my mk3. It feels too muddy unless I split it. The split sound is great. I think the neck would pair really well with the orion bridge though.



I can definitely understand that. It's pretty warm and slightly fuzzy feeling to me. I don't see that it would pair well with a mk3 unless you want a super thick sludgy tone.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 11, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I can definitely understand that. It's pretty warm and slightly fuzzy feeling to me. I don't see that it would pair well with a mk3 unless you want a super thick sludgy tone.


the mk3 is a bright and midrangey amp that can thicken up considerably but it's never sludgy unless i want it to be. i'd say the foxbat is the thickest and warmest of all the guitarmory pickups i've tried so far, even moreso than the polaris. we'll see how it sounds with the fsm.


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## LeviathanKiller (Nov 11, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> the mk3 is a bright and midrangey amp that can thicken up considerably but it's never sludgy unless i want it to be. i'd say the foxbat is the thickest and warmest of all the guitarmory pickups i've tried so far, even moreso than the polaris. we'll see how it sounds with the fsm.



I have the Polaris and Foxbat (both in alnico 5 and ceramic) and don't hear it being thicker

Did you try each set in the same wood?


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 12, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> I have the Polaris and Foxbat (both in alnico 5 and ceramic) and don't hear it being thicker
> 
> Did you try each set in the same wood?


 every pickup in this thread barring a few (lundgren m8, xbar, 808x, elysian goliaths) has been in the same guitar, with the same string/riffs/amp settings. That was the whole point of this shootout.
I reviewed the clips I made of the foxbats vs the orion clips and the foxbats are definitely thicker/warmer sounding comparatively, but not necessarily muddy.
Here's some foxbat clips. DL for best quality, the streaming sound is quieter than the DL version for whatever reason 
FSM (guitar in standard):
https://app.box.com/s/nueksjrnoqlpr4xefp89rs8oykz10tgb
FSM (guitar in drop E):
https://app.box.com/s/0wgm18sh2tbpuu0wovkrny3fw9d52lzj
MK3 cleans:
https://app.box.com/s/h8n1tad38nxi9re7y83uq95kfloh2wzm
Mk3 br00tz:
https://app.box.com/s/l3sy30q51q3xs6marq2jdyhtdw6i6j2y


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## LeviathanKiller (Nov 12, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> every pickup in this thread barring a few (lundgren m8, xbar, 808x, elysian goliaths) has been in the same guitar, with the same string/riffs/amp settings. That was the whole point of this shootout.
> I reviewed the clips I made of the foxbats vs the orion clips and the foxbats are definitely thicker/warmer sounding comparatively, but not necessarily muddy.
> Here's some foxbat clips. DL for best quality, the streaming sound is quieter than the DL version for whatever reason
> FSM (guitar in standard):
> ...



Yeah my Orions are definitely brighter than even the ceramic Foxbats imo.
For me from darkest to brightest it's:
Polaris > Foxbat (alnico 5) > Foxbat (ceramic) > Atlas (alnico 5) >= Orion > Red Stone

Polaris is in mahogany bolt-on
Foxbat A5 is in swamp ash
Foxbat ceramic is in mahogany
Atlas A5 is in swamp ash
Orion is in mahogany
Red Stone is in mahogany

I wonder if you or I got a slightly different specimen than the usual. Or if ours are just different than each others.


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 12, 2018)

LeviathanKiller said:


> Yeah my Orions are definitely brighter than even the ceramic Foxbats imo.
> For me from darkest to brightest it's:
> Polaris > Foxbat (alnico 5) > Foxbat (ceramic) > Atlas (alnico 5) >= Orion > Red Stone
> 
> ...


yeah, from my tests in terms of darkest to brightest:
polaris>matador (aka scud alnico 8 now)>foxbat (alnico v)>patriot (6 string version)>orion
I think I just got used to the orions, so it felt like a big shift, but it's probably more due to the eq differences (ie the foxbat has more low end and less high end than the orions). 
The patriot bridge was bright in my mushok baritone, so I have a feeling the 8 string version might be ear rape in this guitar. 
I might grab a voyager set after I test the patriot 8 bridge.


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## LeviathanKiller (Nov 12, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> yeah, from my tests in terms of darkest to brightest:
> polaris>matador (aka scud alnico 8 now)>foxbat (alnico v)>patriot (6 string version)>orion
> I think I just got used to the orions, so it felt like a big shift, but it's probably more due to the eq differences (ie the foxbat has more low end and less high end than the orions).
> The patriot bridge was bright in my mushok baritone, so I have a feeling the 8 string version might be ear rape in this guitar.
> I might grab a voyager set after I test the patriot 8 bridge.



Voyager is next on my list
Maybe a ceramic Atlas set too though


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## KnightBrolaire (Nov 28, 2018)

Not really part of the shootout, but since I turned basically this thread into my experiences with 8 string pickups in general, here's a long video showing how the lithiums sound through my mk3 (less compressed versions of the audio files are back on pg5 of the thread).


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 3, 2018)

Made some DIs/noodling clips of the duncan omega and elysian goliaths.
omega
DL for best quality, yadayada
cleans: https://app.box.com/s/3y6zcc6fz2i4tjkofni8cjyc12g1i6xg
DI version: https://app.box.com/s/k97044buzmjpcah5ytbw5yn8itud1xe1
br00tz: https://app.box.com/s/lgkk6r1u2wm02uclvii1o8p00y5f7ifx
DI : https://app.box.com/s/ceq1634meofvxibcuy6opfymocshllle

goliaths
clip showing off the coil split sounds/misc: https://app.box.com/s/sxytek183jq9681rqvf8g3trnpb4lb0c
DI: https://app.box.com/s/pqrlmryice4jxm303teeml0k990mnu6a
br00tz/misc: https://app.box.com/s/jkn61xr7k3ojikkxl9kp95qr2n8yz5y8
DI: https://app.box.com/s/04aghq4bsnybb6eck3a0avmxrvjq5omp


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 18, 2018)

I made some DIs of the Goliaths straight into my interface/DAW.
https://app.box.com/s/okeevixig918nufy0y0y4trsmugqxv43


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## KnightBrolaire (Jun 7, 2019)

Some random clips of the Elysian Goliaths through my Mk3. 
https://www.mediafire.com/file/42mw12xxqfif3qs/Ktele8Mk3lowmidgain.zip/file


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 27, 2019)

Epilogue: I sold the Overload I used for testing 8 string pickups. I felt that continuing this shootout wasn't viable any longer since I didn't really enjoy testing 8 string pickups anymore. Hopefully I can help other people make a slightly more informed decision when buying pickups with this thread.


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## MerlinTKD (Nov 2, 2019)

This thread should be stickied.


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