# Good 7-string pickups?



## grim7

Just got my first 7-string guitar.Its an Agille intercepter,but the bolt on one that has "cepheus" pickups there ok but i know there are better.What should i put in it?can i put passives where te actives were or should i get an active set?


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## Matti_Ice

grim7 said:


> Just got my first 7-string guitar.Its an Agille intercepter,but the bolt on one that has "cepheus" pickups there ok but i know there are better.What should i put in it?can i put passives where te actives were or should i get an active set?


 
U can do either. Just remember if you switch from actives to passives, you will need a 250k or up volume pot. With actives you will use a 25k volume pot. Must remember that! Personally my favorite passives are the DiMarzio Evolution and the X2N. If you want some monster gain and a super hot PUP the X2N is the way to go. Personally one of my favorite combos has always been the Evo in the bridge and (this sounds crazy) and Axis 7 (an Ibanez stock pickup) in the neck. 

My favorite active is the EMG 707. Don't really care for much more.

You always have Bareknuckle which are superb but...you're going to spend some money.


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## iamrichlol

It's entirely subjective of how much money you're willing to spend


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## BIGRIGG

Barenkuckles are great with tons of choices and help from their company/website. You are paying a high price tag, but that's always the way. Get what you pay for in life. And by life, of course I mean guitar.


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## Infamous Impact

It would help if you told us your budget and what sound you're going for.


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## grim7

i will spend 80 to 200 dollars a pickup going for a clear hi-gain sound at lower tunings (lowest being C standard). sounds like Michael Amot and Jeff Loomis


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## Infamous Impact

grim7 said:


> i will spend 80 to 200 dollars a pickup going for a clear hi-gain sound at lower tunings (lowest being C standard). sounds like Michael Amot and Jeff Loomis


A 7 string comes tuned BEADGBE standard... That's lower than C. Jeff uses EMGs, so those if you like actives, D Activators if not.


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## grim7

Infamous Impact said:


> A 7 string comes tuned BEADGBE standard... That's lower than C. Jeff uses EMGs, so those if you like actives, D Activators if not.


Well C on a Six string  not familiar with what it is on a 7 
so 707s or 81s?
and would the passives fit in place of the actives?


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## Infamous Impact

grim7 said:


> Well C on a Six string  not familiar with what it is on a 7
> so 707s or 81s?
> and would the passives fit in place of the actives?


If you want actives then you can get a set of 707(X)s or an 81-7 and 707. It's your choice. You need to do some routing to fit them in your guitar as it has passive routing right now.


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## Erick Kroenen

also the passives routing is different to the actives check very well


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## grim7

Infamous Impact said:


> If you want actives then you can get a set of 707(X)s or an 81-7 and 707. It's your choice. You need to do some routing to fit them in your guitar as it has passive routing right now.



The stock pickups are active so i think I'll do a pair of 707's just seems easier than replacing actives with passives


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## Stealthdjentstic

I would recommend you stay the fuck away from 707s because they are dogshit.


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## grim7

Well what do you reccomend me using then?


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## ibanezRG1527

nothing beats a good set of dimarzios.........blackouts are the shit as well


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## nothingleft09

Matti_Ice said:


> You always have Bareknuckle which are superb but...you're going to spend some money.


 
Yup, you're gonna spend some money. About $80 more than a set of EMG's if you get them at www.theaxepalce.com where I got mine. Nick will help you pick the perfect set for your guitar based on the woods used on it.  I 100% recommend Bareknuckles. I own a set and I won't own anything else, except maybe a crunchlab and liquifire Dimarzio set. But BKP's are the best IMO.


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## ibanezRG1527

grim7 said:


> Well C on a Six string  not familiar with what it is on a 7
> so 707s or 81s?
> and would the passives fit in place of the actives?



and here are all the notes.

A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#

ok, so start at B standard (for your 7 string obviously). detune 4 (or 2 steps) notes to bring it down the same amount as going from E to C (on a 6 string) which would give you a G on the 7 string. so for G standard, lower every OTHER string 4 notes (2 steps) as well. or you can do Drop G (like drop C on a 6 string) by lowering the B string 2 steps and every other string 1 step (2 notes)

so for 7 string drop C (drop G), its G, D, G, C, F, A, D 
for 7 string C standard (G standard), its G, C#, F, A#, D#, G#, C#

there you go, now you actually know what tuning youll be in


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## stevemcqueen

Bareknuckles are expensive but they are amazing. Something a bit cheaper are Dimarzios. I am about to put in a d'activator in the bridge of my Septor 828. I prefer passive pickups so that is all I will recommend. That is really a matter of opinion though.


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## dr_game0ver

Dactivator is a great PU, i like this, BKP is expensive but verry verry good, X2N...people like, people doesn't like because it sound too extreme, he's good for trash or nu metal, tonezone is a great dimarzio PU, active (EMG or BLACKOUT) is great with a 1500$ or more amp...

in my opinion, Dactivator on neck and Evo2 on bridge for dimarzio or hollydiver on neck and Painkiller for BKP


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## nothingleft09

stevemcqueen said:


> Bareknuckles are expensive but they are amazing. Something a bit cheaper are Dimarzios. I am about to put in a d'activator in the bridge of my Septor 828. I prefer passive pickups so that is all I will recommend. That is really a matter of opinion though.


 
I agree. It's $218 for 2 EMG 81-7 pickups. It's $180 for Blackouts and they sound like a bag of assholes. And those don't include shipping if you live in certain states. BKP Aftermath 7 calibrated set was $285 shipped to my front door. Emgs aren't much better than Blackouts. Why not save up the $67 and get the bareknuckle's instead? At the very least you can't go wrong with a crunchlab and liquifire.


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## ArkaneDemon

Dimarzio D-activators are great. I had them in my seven before I sold it, and I absolutely loved them. I'm not a fan of active pickups, speaking from experience they don't sound very organic. It depends on what sound you're going for.


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## The Grief Hole

Go for blackouts. They have really good clarity and pick up so much vibration/ string noise they will force you to become a decent, tight player.


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## sexybacon

Evo 7 in the bridge. Liquifire in the neck. Boom.
Seriously I have used this combination and it is very versatile and covers hi gain very well.


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