# Seymour Duncan Black Winter vs DiMarzio D Activator?



## Seamus McFlanery (Nov 7, 2013)

I have a Jackson SLSMG (mahogany neck thru, mahogany wings, ebony board) that I tune to C and B standard. I currently have a set of D Activators in it. While I like the sound that I get I am curious about the Black Winter pickups and I am jonesing to try them out. This would be the guitar I put them in so I would like to know what differences would I get by swapping/how do they compare?

I play mainly doom, death, black, melodeath and basically any form of extreme metal that usually goes with these tunings. The most versatility I would need would be good cleans and mid gain bits for when I do Dream Theater, The Sword and a few QOTSA songs on occasion.

My rig is usually a Mesa Boogie Roadster or a Marshall 6100LM through a 2x12 celestion V30s cab or my practice Yamaha THR10 if it is of any importance.


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## Seamus McFlanery (Nov 7, 2013)

bump


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## Seamus McFlanery (Nov 7, 2013)

Has anyone even played the Black Winter pickups yet? I know they just came out recently.


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## Mike (Nov 7, 2013)

Pretty sure the D Activators are the more versatile of the two pickups. The black winters are pretty brutal and what not and I think were created for black/death metal, but a lot of reviews on them say they're kind of a one trick pony. People who did not get along with the black winters say they're very fizzy and shrill. Honestly right now, the D Activators are my favorite 6 string pickup because of the clarity, balance, and how tight they are.


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## BillNephew (Nov 7, 2013)

The D'activators are the best you can get for now for what you're looking for. I put a D'Activator in the bridge of my MIJ RG570 and it's the best thing I've done for it. Everything is so tight and clear on it, even with fvckloads of gain.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 7, 2013)

I'd say get the Duncan Distortion instead.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Nov 7, 2013)

Another vote for the D-Activator  I love mine in both my DKMG and an RG I have. 

The Duncan Distortion would be a good in-between since the Black Winters are sorta based on them, but they can also do other sounds. Not as versatile as the DA set, IME, but still more so than the BW


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## oracles (Nov 7, 2013)

My vote goes towards the D-Activators as well. Alternatively, you could try the Dominion. It's lower output, but handles high gain awesomely.


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## serch777 (Nov 7, 2013)

I have a Black Winter set in a Mayones Regius tuned to B standard, and it absolutely slays for death and black metal, but also for alternative rock; the cleans are also really good too for an output pickup. I'd go as far as saying that they are the perfect pickup for mahogany downtuned guitars: they are tight, loud and al the notes have a lot of clarity in them.


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## Eliguy666 (Nov 10, 2013)

I have a set of Black Winters myself, and I recommend them wholeheartedly. The only problem I had was that the luthier who installed them wasn't very good.

The pickups are themselves excellent. Very deep sound, lots of sustain, and very organic. They can pick up that rumbling low noise you get if you leave a low string on long enough, which is excellent.

I'd myself recommend a brighter pickup in the neck and this in the bridge.

The pickup works well for death, thrash, black, and sludge metal. Power metal and shred not so much, but it'd be a bit daft to expect that of an extreme black metal pickup. Maybe use a tubescreamer if you want a very very abrasive sound.

Quite possible the luthier just messed up the wiring on the neck pickup and that breaks the tone of it, but I'm just glad to have it working after the ordeal I had getting it installed. We asked for a mid boost, never got one. Fist time we got it back, it was late _and_ didn't work.

Also, not much good wood tone can be expected from a BC Rich Nato/Maple bolt on. I also have a quite dark amp (Blackstar HT-5).


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## Seamus McFlanery (Nov 12, 2013)

Hmmm I guess I'll keep the D Activators for now. But I will in the future either pick a set of Black Winters or Distortions up because I do really want to try them out and if I don't like them, I am sure I can find use for them in another guitar. Just gotta wait till I get some money since I just bought a bunch of pickups and parts for other guitar projects.


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## Grindspine (Jun 28, 2014)

I am bumping this thread from last November to try to get a second round of opinions on the D'Activators vs Black Winters.

I am very used to a Duncan Distortion in the bridge of my USA Warlock NT and have not been completely happy with the EMG 81/85 (even at 18 volts) in my B.C. Rich Virgin. I have considered Black Winters, D'Activators, or switching up to EMG 81x/60x.

I know the 81, 81x, D Activator, Black Winter, and Distortion all have some similar characteristics, but just wanted to fish for a little more discussion on that group of pickups.


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## Desolate1 (Jun 29, 2014)

Despite their billing as this uber brutal pickup the Black Winters are a really a very versatile pickup. They clean up nicely when you roll the volume back and sound fantastic clean. So they are far from a one trick pony. Now distorted they are just vicious and are a great pickup for death/black metal. As I described to someone who asked me how they compare to SD Distortions they have all the good qualities of the Distortion but have a more present grinding mid-range and more sizzle up top and they sound better clean. I have only played a few guitars with D Activators in and I thought they where a good sounding pick up but they did not impress me like the Black Winter's have. I have a Black Winter in the bridge of my six string, I just converted my seven string over to them and by the end of the summer plan on getting a set for my eight string. At first when I seen them I thought they where a gimmick but after hearing them and especially after I put one in my six string I was a convert.


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## Grindspine (Jun 29, 2014)

I like what I have heard so far of the Black Winters, especially Keith Merrow's corpsepaint youtube vid.

Being a fan of the SD Distortion already, the BWs do seem like they're similar, just with more upper midrange grind.. maybe a higher frequency peak.

I know the Distortion TB-6 is staying in my USA Warlock for sure.

My Virgin, on the other hand, as much as I like the EMG 81, the 2nd battery for the 18 volt mod has been a problem with the way it is crammed into the control cavity. Also, I hate the 85 at the neck. D Activators could be a solution for that, but the EMG 81x/60x set or the Black Winter set could be serious contenders. I have seen a few comparisons between the EMG DLC set and the Black Winters on the Seymour Duncan forum, I think.


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## DarkNoon (Jun 29, 2014)

It all depends on what you like out of your pickup. BW's are not your typical high output pickup in the sense that you don't get that trebly screech that you'll get from most high outpick pu's. They're very full and bassy yet articulate and dynamic a the same time. You're tone will sound beefy and monstrous with a thick low end


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## robski92 (Jun 29, 2014)

I have a Deactivator in my RG7321 and black winters in my RG421 and I like the tone from the duncans much more than the dactivator. I have also found the the black winters to pretty versitile. I can get some good clean sounds out of the neck pickup and I really like the clean sound I get from using both at once as well.


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## MAJ Meadows SF (Jun 29, 2014)

All good comments here. I like both pickup sets but for metal the BW hands down. I'm a big BKP and KxK advocate too, just to note. Out of the recent metal oriented SD pickups the BW is my favorite. I agree with the previous descriptions; the grinding midrange is what sets these apart. They sit sonically between the Distortion and Nazgul, have classic ceramic magnet compression, and single note strength. They have more saturation than what has been popular in pickups as of late, which gives the hair or fuzz to their top end. The good part of this is that it never gets shrill and does not mush the clarity of chords. The beauty of the neck pickup cleans is another winning factor in these, and helps give a lot of versatility to a niche pickup set.

They are metal pickups for sure and if you like grinding mids, throaty low end, balanced compression and saturation then these are a good set to try. They are quite different from the Dactivators, which I think are tighter and very good in their own right. A lot depends on your rig and the guitar. I've had both pickups sound thin in certain instruments, and brutal, full, and balanced in others. Note the specs of each set when giving this thought. Knowing what the BW bridge can do I ordered a custom AV 7 string version for a brighter guitar and it is one of the best pickups I've ever played.


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## Grindspine (Jun 29, 2014)

Yeah, all very good comments. It may help to mention that I think the SD Distortion sounds great in my guitar that is maple neck through, rosewood fingerboard, alder wings, 24.75" tuned to Eb.

The Virgin, however, is bolt-on maple, rosewood board, basswood ply body, 25.5" and currently tuned down to B with heavier strings. The EMGs currently in it do have that consistent, tight sound, but do get fizzy without the 18 volts. 

It does sound like the overall consensus is pointing toward the Black Winters though. Deactivators do get a fair amount of respect so far in the thread, but the EMGx series pickups do not seem to be getting much consideration. Also worth mentioning is that either the Dimarzios or the SD BWs would be about $50 cheaper for a set.


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