# Warpig vs SD Invader vs Aftermath vs SD Distortion *VIDEO*



## MiPwnYew (Feb 28, 2012)

I didn't see anyone post this up yet  so I figured I would


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## TRENCHLORD (Feb 28, 2012)

Warpig and Distortion are my picks on every style in this vid.
Warpig being #1 to my ears.


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## Vostre Roy (Feb 28, 2012)

Personnal order:
#1: SD Invaders (Damn, I was impressed, thought that the Warpig would come first)
#2: BKP Warpig (Like I said, thought they were going to be first, still I loved them)
#3: SD Distortion (Actually, almost on the same level that the Warpig, lacks a little of definition maybe)
#4: BKP Aftermath (Sounded thin but razor sharp, missing something compared to the other)

The death metal was pretty blackish, at first I listened to this video without watching it and I thought it was a black metal part ahaha. The skater/punk part was surprisingly good lol


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## xeonblade (Feb 28, 2012)

Damn, Aftermath sounds like it was put further from strings compared to other pickups.
I've heard a lot vids with Aftermaths sounding like they needed more gain, what's up with that?


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## Lorcan Ward (Feb 28, 2012)

SD distortion sounded the best IMO although their is little difference and some simple EQ could have them all sounding similar. I must look into some Seymour Duncans 7s. They aren't to popular around here.


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## Quitty (Feb 28, 2012)

drawnacrol said:


> SD distortion sounded the best IMO although their is little difference and some simple EQ could have them all sounding similar. I must look into some Seymour Duncans 7s. They aren't to popular around here.




The Duncan Invader is a surprising pup. It's got a mass ton of low end, but is actually surprisingly bright - and arguably the chuggiest pickup i've heard.
You can look up Ola Englund's comparison too with a big bunch o' duncans, and most of them (if not all) in basswood guitars.


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## GallCu (Feb 28, 2012)

The Invader is probably my favorite pickup of all time. It has great low mids.


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## demonlord78 (Feb 28, 2012)

Interesting! I'd have to say...

1. Warpig - Sounded much fuller and balanced than the rest. 
2. SD Invader - I had one of these in my seven and I can honestly say that this thing shreds. So much focused low end and tight mids. Only drawback was that my cleans were hindered a bit due to it's heaviness.
3. SD Distortion - This was on par with the warpig with the exception that the mids seemed a little scooped which make it seem like the guitar is undergained. Nothing a little eq can't fix.
4. Aftermath - Just didn't dig this one. Perhaps this would be more suited for rock.


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## KiD Cudi (Feb 28, 2012)

xeonblade said:


> Damn, Aftermath sounds like it was put further from strings compared to other pickups.
> I've heard a lot vids with Aftermaths sounding like they needed more gain, what's up with that?



It's just that the Aftermath is a VERY tight pickup and eats alot more gain than most pickups which means you can use more gain without out losing clarity/aggression.


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## Purelojik (Feb 28, 2012)

its funny cause i just replaced the alnico warpig in my les paul for the SD distortion and it sounds killer. the distortion used to be in my ibanez and i seriously hated how it sounded. the distortion just kills in my les paul. i was shocked too.

i have an aftermath going into a mahogany seven string im building along with a warpig neck i hope it works well.

i loved the warpig in the bridge but the damn thing was so high output. seriously people underestimate that thing. still the response is wonderful sounds great i just missed something. the distortions got this amazing low mid chunk and has a spongy bottom for that really satisfying chug. i seriously just spent 5 minutes just chugging cause i loved the sound lol.


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## guy in latvia (Feb 28, 2012)

wow, im suprised, i cant believe how much more i like the distortion! for the type of gritty raw tone that i like, the distortion is far superior sounding to the others!

does anyone know the specs of Keith's S7? I can see its a maple neck with a rosewood board. what about the body?


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## rippedflesh89 (Feb 28, 2012)

1.) Aftermaths - i just love how tight they sound... incredible pickups... although i think i like my miracle mans a tad more, but its hard to compare pickups when the aftermaths are in a mahogany body guitar and my miracle mans are in a basswood body guitar.

2.) Warpigs - i love how pissed off they sound, yet they stay pretty tight and focused.

3.) Distortions - maybe even more aggressive sounding than the warpig, but it seemed a bit too "fizzy" for me

4.) Invaders - never really liked these pickups... this video just clarifies that for me... too fat and muddy what for i use them for


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## Necky379 (Feb 28, 2012)

1) tied between warpig and invader, depends on the style. owned invaders never owned or played warpigs
2)distortion, a bit too harsh for me here but i've used them before, in certain guitars they slay imo
3)aftermath, doesn't do anything for me just based on the clips never played them in person


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## ZXIIIT (Feb 28, 2012)

Nice video, I need another 7 with a Warpig 

1. Warpig (very balanced!)
2. Aftermath (nice and tight)
3. Invader (more low end emphasized)
4. Distortion (very fizzy?)


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## Animus (Feb 28, 2012)

Yeah I saw this yesterday. Pretty much convinced me Bareknuckle pickups are not worth the extreme markup and hype they get. They sound good but I don't know if they sound 3 or 4 times more good.

And the Kemper sounds awesome!


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## shaggydogJV (Feb 28, 2012)

I think I enjoyed the aftermath over any of the others to be honest. The invader was a close second, with the warpig and distortion tying for last place. Something about those two were completely off putting for me.


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## rippedflesh89 (Feb 28, 2012)

Animus said:


> Pretty much convinced me Bareknuckle pickups are not worth the extreme markup and hype they get.



seriously???

this video proves it to me that they ARE worth the money... to me, the BKPs just sound a lot more crisp and organic than the other two... whether its the aggressive punch of warpig or the crazy tightness of the aftermath...

ive played quite a bit of different pickups and once i got my d-activators, i didnt think i would ever find a better pickup.... hell, i thought they were so good that there was no way the BKPs would be worth 2x the price... but i had no idea what to get one christmas, there was nothing i really wanted or needed... so i figured i would try some BKPs, and needless to say, i will probably never use another brand again (unless its a q-tuner or lundgren, those have me pretty curious as well)..

thats my two cents


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## cyril v (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for the comparisons Keith, wherever you are.

I'm not surprised at all that the Warpig was one of my favs from this test, since it is one of my favorites regardless. What is surprising is how well that Duncan Distortion performed, that tone is right up there with the Warpig in this test IMO. I've never used one before, but it will definitely be on my radar now. Invader sounded nice as well. Aftermath? Not my cup of tea at all.


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## Animus (Feb 28, 2012)

rippedflesh89 said:


> seriously???
> 
> this video proves it to me that they ARE worth the money... to me, the BKPs just sound a lot more crisp and organic than the other two... whether its the aggressive punch of warpig or the crazy tightness of the aftermath...
> 
> ...



Opinions and taste always vary I guess. What you perceive as crazy tightness I perceive as crazy thinness for example.  In general the BK's just sounded more dry which is not a bad thing if that's what your into. I liked the Warpig the best of the two BKs in this test.

My favorites in order: Distortion, Warpig, Invader, Aftermath.


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## rippedflesh89 (Feb 28, 2012)

Animus said:


> Opinions and taste always vary I guess. What you perceive as crazy tightness I perceive as crazy thinness for example.  In general the BK's just sounded more dry which is not a bad thing if that's what your into. I liked the Warpig the best of the two BKs in this test.
> 
> My favorites in order: Distortion, Warpig, Invader, Aftermath.



to each their own... tone is a very personal thing... so far i havent really seen one identical list in thread which is pretty cool


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## C-PIG (Feb 28, 2012)

Animus said:


> Yeah I saw this yesterday. Pretty much convinced me Bareknuckle pickups are not worth the extreme markup and hype they get. They sound good but I don't know if they sound 3 or 4 times more good.
> 
> And the Kemper sounds awesome!


 
i agree! this video just proves that you gotta let your ears do the talking , dont listen to the hype . The proof is in the pudding kids . the duncans owned this vid


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## TRENCHLORD (Feb 28, 2012)

Yeah, it's so hard to really know 4sure which one would sound best until dropping them in your own axe with your own pedals and amps.


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## rippedflesh89 (Feb 28, 2012)

TRENCHLORD said:


> Yeah, it's so hard to really know 4sure which one would sound best until dropping them in your own axe with your own pedals and amps.



so true... from my experience, the body wood the pickup is being put in makes a world of difference... if you put a great pickup in the wrong body, it will sound mediocre...

speaking great combos, i'm dying to try out a black dog in a mahogany bodied 7


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Feb 29, 2012)

Animus said:


> Pretty much convinced me Bareknuckle pickups are not worth the extreme markup and hype they get.



These arnt marked up. They are in a country thats currency is just worth more than ours.


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## MJS (Feb 29, 2012)

Cool of Keith to take the time to do that. 

The Distortion was definitely my favorite of the four.


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## AcousticMinja (Feb 29, 2012)

My list 

1. Seymour Duncan Invader - Seriously blown away by the awesomeness of that beast.

2. Seymour Duncan Distortion - Surprised as well, but then again, I've heard some sick tones with this thing

3. BKP Warpig - Damn. It's tied with second place. Sounds pretty gnarly. I'd love to try this one someday. 

4. BKP Aftermath - For my taste it wouldn't work so well. I have heard some delicious tones with this one, but it's just not my thing. However, I think it'd be awesome in a darker toned guitar.


Cool vid nonetheless


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## Marv Attaxx (Feb 29, 2012)

Interesting 
It would've been awesome to hear some dimarzios, too.


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## BadBovineNickel (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm just impressed someone could come up with such cool freakin' riffs, in all the varying styles, with such EASE!! 

(it seems to take my forever to come up with anything that cool...) 

Oh, and my preference:
1. Warpig
2. Distortion
3. Invader
4. Aftermath (always sounded dull to my ear...)


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## Animus (Feb 29, 2012)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> These arnt marked up. They are in a country thats currency is just worth more than ours.



one U.S. dollar = 0.627785799 British pounds

SD Distortion: $79.95
Warpig: £114.00 or $181 USD

2.26 times more expensive adjusting for currency value.


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## demonlord78 (Feb 29, 2012)

I'd much rather save $100 by purchasing a SD Distortion and reconcile the differences in eq with a few very minor tweaks on my amp. Sure, the BKP's sound great, but not enough to justify the delta in cost. Take a look at the graphic eq at the end of Keith's video and that will give you a pretty good idea of which frequences to adjust to match the Warpig. All IMHO of course.


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## Sepultorture (Feb 29, 2012)

For me

1. Warpig 
2. Distortion
3. Invader
4. Aftermath

Still Affirms my love of the Warpig as my Fav metal pickup


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Feb 29, 2012)

Animus said:


> one U.S. dollar = 0.627785799 British pounds
> 
> SD Distortion: $79.95
> Warpig: £114.00 or $181 USD
> ...



Are you dense dude?? 

Are you honostly expecting them to ship them to america and make half the money off each pickup?

There money is worth twice ours. Whats so hard to get about this?


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## Animus (Feb 29, 2012)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> Are you dense dude??
> 
> Are you honostly expecting them to ship them to america and make half the money off each pickup?
> 
> There money is worth twice ours. Whats so hard to get about this?



I don't know dude. Sorry you got your feelings hurt about your favorite pickups. I wasn't meaning they weren't good pickups. Only thing I was saying that Bareknuckles aren'&#8224; worth the extra cost for me and Seymour Duncan have pickups that compete on the same level imo. I could care less what they charge, or if it's to do with exchange rates or importation. It still works out being more expensive.

I replaced a JB on one of my guitars with a Holy Diver. It's a nice pickup but I wouldn't say necessarily any better than the JB, just.a little different.


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## KiD Cudi (Feb 29, 2012)

1. Aftermath (really tight & aggressive)
2. Warpig (brutal)
3. Distortion (fierce sounding)
4. Invader (muddy)

Fun with tone-words...


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## infernalservice (Feb 29, 2012)

I appreciate Keith taking the time to demo these pickups, but I think if anything it just shows which pickups are suited for certain guitars. He is playing a maple neck thru with what I assume is an ebony board. From that combo alone I expect the warpig and invader to shine. They work well in brighter guitars because of the thick low end and mid push. I think aftermaths sound great in all mahogany guitars, especially with rosewood boards. Distortions I have only played in Gibsons and they aren't too bad. Not my favorite SD pickup, but they compliment mahogany too.


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## guy in latvia (Feb 29, 2012)

you guys are forgetting that the sound difference is miniscule between the pickups. i wouldnt be able to tell the difference between any of them in a blind test. 

the differences really shine when it comes to feeling. playing them makes all the difference in the world. personaly i find that pickups are far more responsive to playing technique than any other factor.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 29, 2012)

If you have a set of really retardedly expensive headphones then the differences are way more noticeable. They're all very similar still, but in a recording situation where you're really going into details I think it matters a little more.



7 Strings of Hate said:


> Are you dense dude??



What? That made perfect sense to me, the money being worth twice as much doesn't seem to be the issue. He didn't even add shipping.

(though I don't think "markup" is the proper word to use...)


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## Vinchester (Feb 29, 2012)

You amurikans also forgot import tax. 

Back on topic, I'm very impressed with Warpig. Always thought that it's a bit too bassy but damn that's some powerful sounds!


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## Necky379 (Feb 29, 2012)

glad to see the invader get some love in this thread.


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## Andrew11 (Mar 1, 2012)

Having owned all 4 at one point, the warpig's the only one I still have.

1: Warpig (balanced is the best way to put it)
2: Invader (very close second by the way)
3: Aftermath
4: Distortion

Warpig and Invader are so full sounding and crunchy, Warpig wins a close one because its tighter in the low end. Distrotion and aftermath just sounded thin to me.


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## MistaSnowman (Mar 1, 2012)

For pure heavy tones...

1. Invader (just sick)
1a. Warpig 
3. Distortion
4. Aftermath (even though it has the most note clarity to my ears)


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## Ryan Duke (Mar 1, 2012)

Thanks for posting this. I usually see his videos when posted on Facebook, but somehow I missed this. My next purchase will be pick-ups, so this gives me more to think about.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Mar 1, 2012)

Animus said:


> I don't know dude. Sorry you got your feelings hurt about your favorite pickups. I wasn't meaning they weren't good pickups. Only thing I was saying that Bareknuckles aren'&#8224; worth the extra cost for me and Seymour Duncan have pickups that compete on the same level imo. I could care less what they charge, or if it's to do with exchange rates or importation. It still works out being more expensive.
> 
> I replaced a JB on one of my guitars with a Holy Diver. It's a nice pickup but I wouldn't say necessarily any better than the JB, just.a little different.



My feelings arnt hurt at all. I have a duncan loaded guitar too. I just wanted to point out that they arnt more expensive. The are more expensive for YOU, and americans, but to a brit, bkps are just as cheap. If it doesnt make sense to you, thats cool, but its not some conspericy to overcharge you as you sort of acted like. Theres a completely logical reason as to why they are more expensive to americans.


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## Pikka Bird (Mar 3, 2012)

^Really? Does that mean that in the UK you get a massive markup on SDs and DiMarzios for some reason? Because I'm in Denmark, and BKPs are two or three times as expensive as other well-known brands, and we're just across a small body of water, so shipping is low to here and there's no tax rape so I can't figure out why you're paying the same for Duncans as you do for Bare Knuckles.


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## chopeth85 (Mar 4, 2012)

I have a dean razorback explosion and in the first place, i have stock pickup neck plus sd dimuckler...i love the dimebucker but i wanted to taste the blackouts...It was a wrong decision; I prefer the sharp feeling of the sd. I installed a sh 2 in the neck to change a dimarzio evolution neck ( it was excesively nasal ) and the sh 2 was fine but i missed something... I discovered bk and put in the dean a miracle man bridge and a holy diver neck and it was the best purchase i've ever made for my guitar!

I have a 7 string that it had emg 707 and i changed them for a warpig bridge and cold sweat neck and the warpig is the best pickup I've ever played...It aggressive, precise, with the best tone that you can find in a ceramic humbucker , and the clean sound is amazing ! in fact i just ordered a mayones regius 7 custom and i've choose a calibrated bk warpig set. In the video i don¡t like at all invader, extremely muddy. My favourite in the video is the warpig and in the second place i think the distortion . I have aftermath in a maoghany body and it sounds better that the video shows.


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## sevenstringj (Mar 4, 2012)

rippedflesh89 said:


> Animus said:
> 
> 
> > Yeah I saw this yesterday. Pretty much convinced me Bareknuckle pickups are not worth the extreme markup and hype they get. They sound good but I don't know if they sound 3 or 4 times more good.
> ...









For me, Duncans have a certain smoothness to them that BKPs don't, while BKPs have a certain punch/bite to them that Duncans don't. And that's based on my own experience, nut just this vid. I took the BKP plunge based on the hype, and went back to Duncan. (I had 1 BKP rewound by Wolfetone.)

They're different. Not better.


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## velvetkevorkian (Mar 4, 2012)

Pikka Bird said:


> ^Really? Does that mean that in the UK you get a massive markup on SDs and DiMarzios for some reason? Because I'm in Denmark, and BKPs are two or three times as expensive as other well-known brands, and we're just across a small body of water, so shipping is low to here and there's no tax rape so I can't figure out why you're paying the same for Duncans as you do for Bare Knuckles.



A 7 string Aftermath open bridge direct from BKP: £114 + £5.95 postage
A 7 string Invader from Thomann: £71.76 +£10 postage

That's a ~£40 price difference in the UK, depending on how the /£ conversion at Thomann does. The BKPs are certainly premium priced here- round about 50% more expensive.


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## Blynd (Mar 5, 2012)

I vote for the Aftermath's but that's do to my playing style.


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## kostein (Mar 5, 2012)

This is a very cool video. I liked the Distortion the best. Thinking of picking up one of these in the near future


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## xeonblade (Mar 5, 2012)

Can you please STFU about prices? It's about tone so comment about that.
It's like comparing rosewood against ebony for fingerboard. Ebony is double the price of rosewood but people still use ebony because they like it better.


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## TRENCHLORD (Mar 5, 2012)

To my ears the Warpig and Distortion were close enough in character and frequency to be tweaked into relative equals during boosting and amping.

I just didn't dig the others as much on vid, but with higher amp or boost gain the aftermath would shine. Seemed to have the strongest fundamental tone of all, maybe because less gain, maybe not.


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## xeonblade (Mar 5, 2012)

TRENCHLORD said:


> To my ears the Warpig and Distortion were close enough in character and frequency to be tweaked into relative equals during boosting and amping.
> 
> I just didn't dig the others as much on vid, but with higher amp or boost gain the aftermath would shine. Seemed to have the strongest fundamental tone of all, maybe because less gain, maybe not.



I agreee. Keith should really boost (or pull the pickup a bit closer to the strings) that aftermath a bit because it sounded weak compared to others. Yeah I know, it's all same settings to make it as objective as possible, but different pickups require different settings anyways...


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## TRENCHLORD (Mar 5, 2012)

xeonblade said:


> I agreee. Keith should really boost (or pull the pickup a bit closer to the strings) that aftermath a bit because it sounded weak compared to others. Yeah I know, it's all same settings to make it as objective as possible, but different pickups require different settings anyways...


 
 Yeah there's a big difference between doing comparisons with identical settings, and comparisons with optimized settings.

edit; definetly appreciate the video though, it gives much needed point of reference for buyers.


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## teamSKDM (Jul 8, 2012)

The invaders chords made me want to vomit..


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## asilayamazing (Jul 8, 2012)

xeonblade said:


> Can you please STFU about prices? It's about tone so comment about that.


the tone isnt worth the price(per vid setup). id go for SD's in the guitar in the vid all day. if i got a SCREAMING(unlikely from hype) deal on a warpig id throw it in, but go distortion then invader.(if that was my setup in the vid)


EDIT: found this on the comments FWIW 

_"If anyone is interested in the different Eq's from the humbuckers (just rough&#65279; analyzed):
Invader +1,7db ;160hz, less attention in general for lower frequencies (like you have a guitar for normal and down tunings), -1,8db up to 0db ;660hz - 850hz, then 1 up to 0,4db ;850hz - 1450hz in comparison to the warpig.
XxXxpaulxXxX91 2 months ago
Sh6 has less bass then the aftermath, especially by 260hz (-2,6db), something like +1,5db from 550hz - 900hz,&#65279; more articulation at 1600hz, +2,5db and in general more treble than the aftermath beginning at 2300hz. This values/data are exemplary."_


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## Mega-Mads (Jul 8, 2012)

My opinion:
Duncan Distortion
Warpig
Invader
Aftermath


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## Carl Kolchak (Jul 8, 2012)

Thought all four sounded sub par on the "chugs and chord" section. Otherwise thought the Invader sounded better for everything else.


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## grunge782 (Jul 8, 2012)

I really think the Aftermath is an overrated pickup...

Warpig still wins. Can't beat that kind of fullness.


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## Jason_Clement (Jul 10, 2012)

Warpig and Distortion wrecked imo. Distortion might be my next 7 string pick up...


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## travis bickle (Aug 7, 2012)

great video!! this thread proves that tone is subjective. here are my choices based on this clip

1. bk warpig - perfect balance of high end bite, low end bloom, and punch. super clear and articulate as well. my favorite metal pickup, in the right guitar or course. 
2. sd distortion - been really curious about this pickup and was really pleasantly surprised by how well it held against the warpig. 
3. bk aftermath - felt that this tone was a bit on the thin side. 
4. sd invader - what a muddy mess. didnt like the tone whatsoever.


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## The Norsemen (Aug 7, 2012)

I really liked the Duncan Distortion and the Warpig was a close second.
The Invader sounds good too but it's too muddy when there's a lot going on.
I liked the clarity of the Aftermath but not the overall sound as much as the Distortion or Warpig.


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## rbd (Nov 20, 2012)

considering there was a single patch for every pickup, i feel that you could tweak them close enough to each other to fool most of us in a blind test. but it server well the purpose of showing the diferences between them.

that put, I'd say warpig/distortion first, aftermath, then invader.

now what would be fun would be to try the same pickup in different guitars with popular wood combos and see what is that "tone wood" thing all about. that and neck pickups...


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## maxoom (Nov 20, 2012)

Warpig - 1 best overall balance , clarity on chords , tight bottom , so musical 
Distortion - 2 a very very close second
Invader - 3 more bass not as much definition still nice a bit scooped
Aftermath - 4 WTF


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## RustInPeace (Nov 22, 2012)

1 Distortion - Great mid highs! Love it! Would go great with my Mark V - I love Ola's video with the Mark V and distortions in his s7 - same characteristics in this video.

2 Warpig - Very balanced! huge lows, do want to try! 

3 Aftermath - A bit disappointing - losses some saturation, very clear and articulate though.. perfect for the djentlemen i suppose, not for me.

4 Invader - Muddy mess, dislike. Ive tried these in a friends old schecter through a JVM i used to own, didnt impress at all.


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## Iamatlas (Nov 22, 2012)

I really love the Duncan Distortion in my Jackson 7 - Sounds so tight and focused in the bottom end, but doesn't sound too shrill in the high range - 
Maybe this dude had his too close to the strings, because I never had a problem with the "Fizz" you guys are talking about.


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## Francis978 (Nov 22, 2012)

For the playing in this video 
1. SD distortion, While I do like the Aftermath for my playing style, for the styles he presented here, it just dominated, and I do love this pickup as well, so so much <3
2. Aftermath, I just love the tightness of it, and the clarity you get, I prefer it for my playing style as I said, but it does lack in some areas of versatility compared to the SD distortion
3. Warpig, a very close second, evil sounding pickup!
4. Invader, kind of fizzy/muddy sounding imo


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## -OTW- (Nov 23, 2012)

My opinion doesn't matter but this is a great video. Thanks for posting.


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## CTDguitarist (Nov 25, 2012)

I really love this video I think it deadened a lot of the bkp craze because the Sh-6 sounds great. That being said The aftermath is my favorite. it doesn't have as much out put so IMO that's why is sound thin it needs a bit more gain. the sh-6 sounds really lively and nice. but it had those extra fizzy sizzles LOL. I feel the aftermath is just more refined, and a lot of people aren't looking for that. I will eventually buy an sh-6 for my 6 stringer.


_Posted from Sevenstring.org App for Android_


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