# Deciding (Aluma-tones versus BKP)



## crg123 (Jul 5, 2012)

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about finally upgrading my pickups in my Septor Elite 827. The stock pickups are Blackouts (which are actually not to bad for actives).

I was thinking about getting a aftermath/coldsweat BKP combo, but because of pricing issues and installation I'm now leaning more towards the Lace X-bar and Death-bar (I think its a the 4.0 sized one). I havent heard much on the death bar, I want a good distorted sound but I need alot clarity to satisfy me. I usually keep my gain at 3 or 4 on my amp with a Maxon 808 in front.

I've heard alot of good things about these pickups. I know Tosin supposedly uses the X-bars in his Strandberg. Also some of the clips Raphat put up really blew me away. I also heard the installation from a Blackout to a Aluma-tone bar is quite simple (any advanced details I might know about?)

Some general info that might be useful in helping me:
Guitar specs:
27" Scale
Hipshot bridge
Neck through
Mahogany wings
maple/Ebony neck
ebony fretboard
inline headstock

Personal style:
I play alot of progressive metal - ranging from stuff like Vai to blotted science to AAL to Scale the Summit and also stuff like Fellsilent/ Periphery/ Sikth

What I want in a pickup upgrade: 
Kinda of the normal stuff but basically
* More clarity and balance when playing large chords (particularly when distorted)
* Better dynamics (blackouts don't kill them completely like most actives do but the compression is definitely noticeable)
* Along with chord clarity, single note clarity (obviously)- but what I mean is when I'm transferring fast around the neck I want all the notes to really shine through and not blend together.
*Ease of installation is a small factor too because I don't want to be cutting up pickups/ my guitar just for a simple upgrade

So between the pickups
Xbar/Xbar
Deathbar (B)/Xbar(N)
BKP (Aftermath (B)/ColdSweat(N))
Other BKP/ other brand setup (recommend by posting)
Just keep the blackouts and save money lol

Any help would be great, thanks guys... I'm very indecisive


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## Guamskyy (Jul 5, 2012)

Well lace pickups are active pickup sized, but they are passive pickups, so from changing from blackouts to lace or even any other passive pickups out there, you would need new volume pots, tone pots, and an output jack. But some hole drilling will be required for the lace pickups because each corner of the lace's have screw holes; no screw holes in the middle.

For a tonal comparison, I can't tell you what would suit you more besides reading the descriptions on their websites and reading reviews on the forum. In about 1-2 months from now my custom guitar will be in, an acacia guitars custom 8 with lace aluma x-bars. Can't help you right now unfortunately.


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## crg123 (Jul 5, 2012)

A new output jack? Interesting, I knew about the hardware change but I did not know about the jack thanks! Would I need a knew 3-way selector too ( I don't think it would but just in case).

I heard about the 4 screw install. Is it hard to do or is it just a simple modification that won't hurt the guitar? Also is there any way/ any need to adjust the pickup height?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 5, 2012)

The laces sound weird


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## iloki (Jul 5, 2012)

You don't need to change the output jack. The stock stereo jack will work just fine. You will definitely need new pots though. Lace suggests 250k pots with their pickups, because they are exceedingly bright by nature, and the 250k pots help tame that a bit (which you will need with the maple/ebony neck through)

If you go for a standard sized passive (BKP/dimarzio/sd/whatever) you can get EMG 40 bass housings and trim them to fit over the pickups, to make installation clean (and stealthy! lol)


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## Mega-Mads (Jul 5, 2012)

maybe Ceramic Nailbomb / Cold sweat combo 
Its the set which is usually reccomended for prog metal players


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## crg123 (Jul 5, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> The laces sound weird



How so? I'm interested in getting everyones feedback before I make a rash decision. I need to make sure these are good for a wide variety of technical playing, and clarity.

Also as far as BKP installation goes. I measure my friend's BKP on his S7+8 and it seems like the size (including tabs) is alittle bit larger then the Blackout route. I heard some people saying they had to grind the tabs down to the screws. I'm afraid that i'd do that and they still wouldn't fit in with the EMG bass covers. Are BKPs really work the extra 50 to 100 dollars per pickup? Like I said my friend (AnarchyDivine88) has Painkillers and Warpigs, which sound great, but the money is a big factor here for me.


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## Mega-Mads (Jul 5, 2012)

i've only tried the Deathbucker, and i did not like it.

Write to tim and ask him if he can make them fit a blackout route.


OH! and dont forget to swap your pots to 500/550k


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## crg123 (Jul 5, 2012)

Can anyone talk about the major differences between the death bucker versus the X-bar. It seems like right now most people are telling me to go with the deathbar/ X-bar combo instead of just X-bars.

Edit:

I want to make sure if I go with the Death-bars I wont have problems with clarity.


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## iloki (Jul 5, 2012)

the main difference is output from what i understand..

the deathbar is basically a higher output version of the X-Bar.. I could be wrong.. if you go with the lace bars, make sure you upload a demo track/video so that we can all hear


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## aawshred (Jul 6, 2012)

I think the lace alumitones are incredible. I have a set of deathbuckers in both of my 6 strings, and have played several of their ERG's with xbars/deathbars in them. 

I can say for sure that the deathbuckers have no issue with clarity whatsoever, they excel in it in fact. They are the clearest, most articulate pickup i've ever played. The response is slightly different than that of a Seymour duncan or BKP, but they afford you a lot of amazing tones. I'd say the deathbar (B) and xbar (N) combo would be really great for you. Both of them handle cleans extremely well, as well as dirty tones. 

The coil tap feature on the alumitones is also significantly better than an ordinary humbucker in coil tap mode in my opinion, it makes any guitar extremely versatile. 

So as far as the actual tone goes for any genre, they are tight, clear pickups. Chords ring out with definition, and they have great sustain. BKP's are amazing pickups too, but if you're looking for a slightly more unique and rich tone i would say the alumitones would suit you excellently.


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## crg123 (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks aawshred! I think that review might have pushed me over the edge. I told my self I'm going to wait a week or so to make the final decision! 

Really random question for anyone but does anyone in the Boston area that charges under 50 dollars for pickup installation? I've gotten pickups swapped for like 30 bucks back home, but I don't want to go back to CT just for that!

I might just try to have my friend do it (he's a mechanical engineering major) but I need to make sure I have an accurate schematic to show him. The ones on the Lace site: Lace Music Products | Since 1979 - Lace Sensor electric guitar pickups, Alumitone, bass pickups, California Acoustic pickups - A pickup for any style of music. aren't the best especially for someone who's never wired a guitar (but he has wiring a bunch of robots and 3D printers lolol).

Does anyone know a place or can someone draw up an accurate schematic for a Two humbucker, One Volume knob, One Tone knob, 3-way switch setup? This with a coil tap like aawshred was talking about. He's got me curious about it .

One specific question is how to wire the ground on a hipshot style bridge. (I'm sure this process is much simpler then I think it is)


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## crg123 (Jul 6, 2012)

I got bored and decided to do a mockup to choose between chrome versus black. Which do you guys think looks better?

Black







Chrome:





And for reference. Here's the original w/ Blackouts





Excuse the crappy photoshop work. I did it quick and without a mouse


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## iloki (Jul 7, 2012)

thats tough.. I think the black fit with the overall color scheme better, since they match your hardware.. but I think the chrome looks pretty awesome.. and really kinda unique lol


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## crg123 (Jul 7, 2012)

Ya that's my dilemma. Do I wanna keep the classy white look or make it into a futuristic cyborg 8 string! lol


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## iloki (Jul 7, 2012)

personally i think i would go for the chrome, its different enough, but it doesn't clash lol


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## crg123 (Jul 9, 2012)

Decided to go black pickups- Deathbar, X-bar combo. Any recommendations for a cheap place to grab the new hardware 1 vol, 1 tone, one jack (Is this really necessary?) I'm also thinking about the coil tap idea. Not sure though.

Also looks like I'll be selling some 8 string blackouts in the near future!


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## aawshred (Jul 9, 2012)

definitely do the coil tap with a push-push pot (or push pull if you prefer), the tapped neck pickup sound is insanely musical and fun to play! same for the bridge pickup.


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## crg123 (Jul 9, 2012)

Do you have a wiring diagram for that, so I can show my friend? Whats the difference between a push-push (never heard of this one ) and push-pull? Also do I really need to change my tone pot and my stereo jack? Also what do you think about 250k versus 500k pots, I've seen mixed opinions with them. Thanks!

Edit: Another idea I was playing around with is just having two volume knobs instead of a tone knob. I heard good things about taking those out (not sure about with these pickups though), plus I never use the tone knob on my guitar.


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## crg123 (Jul 10, 2012)

WOOT! Just bought a Deathbar 4.0 and a X-bar 4.0 (both black) to be wired with two volumes (no tone knobs) and both will be push-pull for coil tapping abilities DDD. Super Psyched!


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## aawshred (Jul 10, 2012)

crg123 said:


> Do you have a wiring diagram for that, so I can show my friend? Whats the difference between a push-push (never heard of this one ) and push-pull? Also do I really need to change my tone pot and my stereo jack? Also what do you think about 250k versus 500k pots, I've seen mixed opinions with them. Thanks!
> 
> Edit: Another idea I was playing around with is just having two volume knobs instead of a tone knob. I heard good things about taking those out (not sure about with these pickups though), plus I never use the tone knob on my guitar.



Ill try and find the wiring diagram, i believe its somewhere on their website. Personally i would go with the 250k push push pot. Push-push operates like a pedal switch almost, you push it once and it comes up slightly engaging the coil tap, then just push it again back into a normal knob position. Pulling to engage the coil tap can actually be kind of hard on the fly. 

As far as the 250k vs. 500k goes, personally i think the 250k sounds clearer and handles gain slightly better. i started out with a 500k pot which worked great and sounded great still, but the 250k just refined it some.


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## crg123 (Jul 10, 2012)

Thanks for the help man! Is it really weird to just have 2 volume knobs (both push pull, unfortunately I already bought them, push-push sounds cool!)? I hope thats possible. I'm trying to figure out how I would wire that.


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## celticelk (Jul 11, 2012)

crg123 said:


> Thanks for the help man! Is it really weird to just have 2 volume knobs (both push pull, unfortunately I already bought them, push-push sounds cool!)? I hope thats possible. I'm trying to figure out how I would wire that.



Guitarist's guitarist Richard Thompson plays a Ferrington solidbody with three pickups; his only controls are volumes for the individual pickups - no switches or tone controls. "You get infinite tones by blending the pickups."


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## crg123 (Jul 11, 2012)

I didn't even think about that! I'm even more excited now, didn't think that was possible...
I'm still a little worried I'll like my blackout 8s better. Has anyone had experiences with both? I'm hoping these pickups can achieve a good level of grit/ power that I like in my tone.


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## ZXIIIT (Jul 12, 2012)

crg123 said:


> I didn't even think about that! I'm even more excited now, didn't think that was possible...
> I'm still a little worried I'll like my blackout 8s better. Has anyone had experiences with both? I'm hoping these pickups can achieve a good level of grit/ power that I like in my tone.



I've had the 7 string version of the Blackouts, currently I have a Deathbar 3.5, and both sound very good, the Blackout is more compressed since it's active, and the Deathbar sounds like a poofy/loose Aftermath.


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## crg123 (Jul 12, 2012)

My rig is Keeley 4 knob Compressor >Boss NS-2 (noise supressor)> Maxon 808 OD >Blackstar HT-5 > [ Effects loop = Boss GE-7 EQ > ISP Decimator)

Hopefully I can use that with the Lace pickups to really mold the tone into what I want, since the frequency response of the Lace's is supposedly a lot more then a standard humbucker. That combined with the endless pickup blending of the 2 vol's and coil taps, should be sick! 

Do you guys I could even use this setup to make the Lace's sound tight like an aftermath if I so desired haha?


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## ZXIIIT (Jul 12, 2012)

No, the Aftermath is way tighter than the Lace, it will sound great, but it won't be an Aftermath.


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## crg123 (Jul 12, 2012)

Haha I figured, thanks though!


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## crg123 (Jul 13, 2012)

Can anyone by any chance tell me the general EQ of the Deathbar and the X-bar. By this I mean like the standard on shown here (red,white and blue) https://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/main/pickups.php?cat=humbuckers&sub=contemporary&pickup=aftermath

Its not listed on Lace's site. I basically want to know the kinda sound I'm going to need to sculpt. I know I should prolly just wait till they're installed... but I was figuring it'd be fun to know how I'm going to go about shaping my new tone and also I figured it'd give me a better idea of how they sound (probably should've asked that before I ordered them.... oh well lolol)

Ideally I would like something like this for example Bass 6/10 Mid 7/10 Treble 4/5 or something like that idk. A distinction between low mids and high mids would be helpful too.

Just a random inquiry! Thanks guys

I'm also a bit worried that these pickups are super low output. I noticed that lace put the numbers at 2.4k for the X-bar and 5 k for the death bar (as seen here: Lace Music Products | Since 1979 - Lace Sensor electric guitar pickups, Alumitone, bass pickups, California Acoustic pickups - A pickup for any style of music.)

Compare that to the 14.7k of the BKP Aftermaths. Is that just because lace pickups are setup different or are these pickups like super low vintage output and I just didn't know haha


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## Scattered Messiah (Jul 13, 2012)

I would be interested in an Eq / comparison of the Deathbar and the X-bar as well.
Concerning the output: the Ohm-rating is kinda misleading on this one, in my opinion. You got a "completely" different design, different materials and so on, so I would not count on "aftermath has more Ohm = aftermath has more output"?
However I really don't know more^^


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## aawshred (Jul 14, 2012)

The alumitones are unique in that the actual unit representation of the output doesn't really mean it's that low output. They're entirely different than normal pickups, and they're pretty standard output. Not hot like a Painkiller or something but its the perfect amount of output for your tone to be extremely clear and articulate. 

As far as the EQ goes, it seems very balanced across the guitar. I've never found myself thinking "these seem to have a lot of mids" or anything like that, they're just like extensions of the instrument. But there may be some EQ kind of chart somewhere.


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## crg123 (Jul 14, 2012)

Thats actually pretty cool because that'll allow me to really control the tone of my guitar a lot more. I received them today, I'll install them sometime this coming week. I'll let you guys know how it all turns out! 

One question any recommendations for installing these things? (as far are the 4 screw part goes)


Edit: I find it funny how much the BKP pickups have gone up on the poll since I ordered it. When I ordered it was a 5 BKP to 9 Lace ratio haha, oh well I'm sure I'll be happy with my choice!


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## crg123 (Jul 16, 2012)

For anyone interested:



> Hello David, and thank you for your email. The Alumitone X-Bar and Deathbar pickups are fairly flat in response. On a scale of 1 to 10 it&#8217;s like this:
> 
> Treble 7.8/10
> Mid 8/10
> ...



Guess who's getting coil taps dual coil taps BEFORE Tosin! lolol

Edit: Mods can we make this a thread about my X-bar/ Death bar analysis and dual volume/ coil tap setup rather than a poll since I made that decision already? (take away the poll and change the name?)


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## crg123 (Jul 17, 2012)

Batteries out! Tonal range and dynamics in!

So the good:

Holy hell these pickups are phenomenal! So glad that I went with lace. They're so clear and articulate even at high gain levels. Plus they look badass in my guitar.

The taps are ridiculous. I'm in love with these. I didn't even change setting yet. Can't wait till I'm able to dial in my perfect tone! 

The Low notes are tight and extremely clear, and unmuddy. ERG Heaven!

The bad:

My Deathbar came with some tiny dings in it. Nothing big but slightly annoying.

Also upon installation one of the magnets on the X-bar cracked slightly! I freaked out. My tech said he's never seen anything like it. It doesnt effect the magnetic field though, but I was shocked that they broke so easily (it was when he was just adjusting the height). I think there should be a disclaimer that these are alittle more fragile then a standard pickup. Not to say the pickup is made poorly, but someone who might not understand this new construction could make the same mistake!

I've contacted lace on both issues, and I'm getting them sorted out once they respond.

Also, as I figured they lack the agression of the blackouts but remember I havent adjusted my settings yet, so that critique may change!

I'll leave you guys with some pictures


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 17, 2012)

Yeah youre initial impressions seem in line with how I felt. They definately lack aggression though and that bugs me too much.


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## crg123 (Jul 17, 2012)

I'll agree they really should call it a deathbucker lol, but I think the overall sound and clarity makes up for the lack of agression, I can easily dial that back in using my setup (Maxon 808> Keeley compressor>NS-2>Blackstar Ht-5> (Loop) GE-7 (rhythm)> GE-7 (Lead)> ISP Decimator.

I feel my rig has the capability to really create any (most) tonal shaping, I really wanted a dynamic pickup with lots of tonal response and clarity. Mix that with the coil taps and the blending ability in the middle position I think I found my match! We'll see in a month what I think.

Edit:

Just cranked the attack on the decimator, and I got my lost agressive. Easy as pie!

Edit 2: Using the 2 volumes as a kill switch is way too much fun on an 8 string haha

Edit 3: For all you wonder how it sounds for tight djent tone, it pretty good, but it sounds way better coil tapped on the bridge for some reason. Its almost like adding another tubescreamer (well sorta) - boosts mid range and cuts lows, theres a little cut in output (very subtle) but thats what really clears up the sound actually


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## Scattered Messiah (Jul 17, 2012)

Looks sick 
Good to know about the brittle magnets, though!
I just ordered a Deathbar and an Xbar for my Carvin, having the pushpulls & caps already here and designing my diagram.


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## Ishan (Jul 18, 2012)

I just got a Deathbar and installed it in my Agile, it's solid as a tank. Maybe you got a bad one.
I find it pretty tight and aggressive to be honest, but I had a pickup from Oni in there before which was, for lack of better terms, "polite" and "PAFish".
It's pretty perfect for what I do.


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## crg123 (Jul 19, 2012)

Another interesting thing I discovered about these pickups. They actually seem to allow the guitar to resonate more because of the gap created by the pickup shape. Originally I was going to seal these up (for dust reasons) but I'm glad I didn't. Its weird but awesome at the same time. 

I think this may be one of the tricks to the clarity of the pickup. Another funny thing I noticed when I unplug, The body even seems to vibrate a lot more. lol

It's interesting, so I figured I'd share.

Edit: Thats more how I meant it...


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## narad (Jul 20, 2012)

crg123 said:


> Another interesting thing I discovered about these pickups. They actually seem to allow the guitar to resonate more because of the gap created by the shape. Originally I was going to seal these up (for dust reasons) but I'm glad I didn't. Its weird but awesome at the same time.
> 
> Its like a semi-hollow body kind of a sound when played without a plug. I think this may be one of the tricks to the clarity of the pickup. Another funny thing I noticed when I unplug, The body even seems to vibrate a lot more like an acoustic ! lol
> 
> It's interesting, so I figured I'd share.



Heh, I'm glad you like them but my skepticism meter is maxin' out here.


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## crg123 (Jul 20, 2012)

Anything I can help clear up? The thing you quoted was more of an interesting observation, It probably sound like its a lot more dramatic side effect than I mean. Basically the guitar is definitely a little louder then what im use to a standard solid body being and it seems to make me notice the guitars vibration more.

I should probably edit that a little bit, since it is quite an exaggeration ... now that I realize it. It was more of a moment of excitement that I wrote that in haha. I do think that this increases sound level/resonance unplugged contributes to the pickup though (Just a theory though).

Edited above since I semi-hollow and acoustic parts were too extreme of examples of what I meant.


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## celticelk (Jul 20, 2012)

My swamp ash OAF 8 is the most acoustically resonant solidbody electric I've ever played, and I'm sure that the pseudo-chambers created by the Lace pickups within a standard EMG-sized route play a role. Just so you know that it's not just you.


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## crg123 (Jul 20, 2012)

Glad I'm not going crazy! haha


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## ForThisGift (Jul 20, 2012)

I have an Agile 828 with an Aftermath in the bridge and an OAF 8 with a DeathBar in the bridge and an X-Bar in the neck. I dare say that I prefer the Deathbar for both high and low gain scenarios. Chords sound loud and clear with high gain while single string work sounds articulate.

I really don't have any complaints about either pickup. The X-Bar in the neck allows me to dial in tones ranging from spanky up-in-front to nice and warm with little effort. If you are looking for versatility, my vote goes with this combo.


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## crg123 (Jul 20, 2012)

^ Thats great to hear! I'm somehow even more glad I chose these then I was before haha


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 20, 2012)

celticelk said:


> My swamp ash OAF 8 is the most acoustically resonant solidbody electric I've ever played, and I'm sure that the pseudo-chambers created by the Lace pickups within a standard EMG-sized route play a role. Just so you know that it's not just you.



My arc300 with a ToM style bridge is louder, and has pickup rings. ToM style bridges tend to be really loud but I dont think the Lace pups have anything to do with it


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## mr_ormus777 (Jul 25, 2012)

I'm considering an installation of an Xbar and Deathbar combo in one of my DC800s, does anyone know if they just slot straight in to the existing routes or is some surgery needed? Thanks in advance


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## aawshred (Jul 26, 2012)

crg123 said:


> Batteries out! Tonal range and dynamics in!
> 
> So the good:
> 
> ...



That is awesome to hear! They look extremely badass in this guitar, congrats dude. And im glad you like the way they sound, i agree with you on the tone of the pickups. Although some think they don't have the same attack and tightness as something like an Aftermath, they are still very punchy but very unique and organic, and add some really amazing character to your tone.

Huge bummer about the dings, and the crack especially. Let me know how it goes contacting lace about that, hopefully it gets sorted out.


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## iloki (Jul 26, 2012)

mr_ormus777 said:


> I'm considering an installation of an Xbar and Deathbar combo in one of my DC800s, does anyone know if they just slot straight in to the existing routes or is some surgery needed? Thanks in advance



You just need to get the right size bars. The 4" I believe is what you need for the DC800 and will fit without any modification to your existing routes.


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## crg123 (Jul 27, 2012)

aawshred said:


> Huge bummer about the dings, and the crack especially. Let me know how it goes contacting lace about that, hopefully it gets sorted out.



The dings they said are part of the process of making them/ the aesthetic they go for. They're really not noticeable once installed.

As for the crack Lace was nice enough to offer me a trade in offer. I'm sending them my damaged pickup and they're giving me a brand new one! They responded very quickly to my emails (within a day or so).

Overall great experience with the company and they're produce. A+ (golf clap)


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## T-e-r-r-y (Jul 27, 2012)

Hmm, I could be sold on these now! Although I'd love to hear from someone how the bridge pickup responds to a tone control.

I'm a big fan of that fat, tone-halfway down, lead kinda thing...


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## Creech (Jul 31, 2012)

I just put a set of Deathbars in a RGA8, and I do not like it, at all. It's clear, it's an upgrade from what I had, but they SUCK with high gain, IMHO. They sound Burstbucker-ish. If you're looking for a shit ton of sizzle in your distortion tone, get them. After all the cash I dumped getting them, having the guitar rewired, and driving across a county 4 times, I've entertained the thought of going Pete Townsend on it. Don't worry, I won't. But there may be an RGA8 for sale with Deathbars, soon.


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## crg123 (Jul 31, 2012)

Weird. Sorry they sounded like that for you man. Whats your rig setup if I can ask? Maybe we can try and figure this one out for you. Also what kind of music do you listen to/sound do you want. Also did you use 500k or 250k vol and tone knobs. Did you make sure to switch out the supplied active rated ones? I own burstbuckers and they sound nothing like that kind of voicing, so I'm curious if there may be a wiring issue.

I should also note that my guitar is a maple neck through with ebony strips and fret-board, so its natural brightness seems to work well with the pickups. I'm wondering why your getting a sizzle tone, as thats more of what I would describe when I was using my active pickups.


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## Creech (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm going into a JSX. I have an agile 7 with Blackouts, a Les Paul, and a custom built 7. I compared all of them yesterday, they sound like the the burstbuckers in the paul. There is something in the higher frequencies that I just do not like. The volume knob was replaced, a tone knob added, and the jack was replaced. I noticed this morning, it seems the tech put a piece of foam under the bridge pickup, I guess he needed height? I wonder if that has something to do with it. I am utterly frustrated about this.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 31, 2012)

That was my experience too, I just mailed the pickups out to Lace yesterday though and they will be taking a look at them and sending me new ones.


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## crg123 (Jul 31, 2012)

Thats very frustrating if this is a normal thing. Lace sending out possible duds that is. I really hope this is not the case or that its a super rare situation. I know that stealth and you both had the same issue, whereas others (me included) dont have the same experience. If if you think it might be a dud tell them what issues your having and they'll be happy to help. They have great customer service.

Btw I noticed there are two large lines on your deathbar bridge. Are those cracks or some sort of damage to the pickup?

It might be a height issue with the bridge. If yours has foam padding up the bridge pickup you should e able to adjust the height like a normal pickup (looser = higher)

NOW BE CAREFUL (sorry for the capslock but it needs to be emphasized!)

You need to make sure you adjust the height slowly in a X pattern (ex top to bottom right to top right to bottom left). If you do not do this the pickup with BREAK. I had this happen to me and the issue is being fixed as we speak. My tech accidentally tightened to fast and not in that pattern and the results were the magnet bar cracked.


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## Creech (Jul 31, 2012)

No, they're not cracks, it's just some kind of white paint or something. That was the very first thing I noticed about the pickups. They were like that when they came in the mail. I thought I could just wipe it off, but no. There's two similar lines in the neck pup


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## crg123 (Jul 31, 2012)

Odd, thats not normal I don't think. Atleast that prominent. Mine have a few tiny marks from the process of making them, but nothing like that.


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## Creech (Jul 31, 2012)

That's the other thing; I can't adjust the height on the bridge. The foam is wedged in there, but the 4 screws are just tight enough to be flush. You can push down on the pickup and it'll move. So it can't go higher. I have no idea why he used foam, does yours have anything under them?

I'm having a chat with the beard on Facebook, it might be the pots. They're 250k: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/POT_MINI_250K_WD250S


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jul 31, 2012)

Mine had foam. They adjusted fine though.


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## crg123 (Jul 31, 2012)

My pots are 250k push-pulls I bought from allparts. Both are volume knobs since I don't like the affect tone knobs have on a pickups sound (seems to restrict it)

I think your tech didnt understand how to use the foam from the pictures haha. Your suppose to put it under the place where the legs of the pickup touch the body. That way you can easily adjust it. Your guy seems to have put the foam somewhere in the middle of the cavity for some reason. I have foam just the bridge in that way and it works just fine for adjustment. Also it looks as if he used the foam that holds the pickups in the packaging and not the darker and denser foam that comes in tiny blocks.


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## Ishan (Aug 7, 2012)

I've tried numerous thing with the Deathbar I have but still have that annoyingly loud 50Hz hum. Using high gain settings without a noise-gate is just impossible with it.
I'm thinking of sending it back to lace to get another one, I still love the tone


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## Rap Hat (Aug 11, 2012)

I'd been thinking about tossing a push-pull in my Pendulum since having only one pickup is kinda limiting, and your praise pushed me over the edge . It took me two days and four failed attempts because of how Lace sets up the tap (protip: when the X-Bar splits, it changes which wire is ground) but now that it's done I'm pretty happy! I've been able to keep the minimalist/clean look of the guitar while giving me double the tone options. A misunderstanding of the diagram orientation led to a reversed tap (up is hb, down is sc), though I'm growing on this and will probably use tapped as my main sound.

I don't know which coil it's using while split and there's not a huge difference between the two tones, but it's got a definite single-coil sparkle and less low-mids. It seems to be close in terms of noise, with maybe a smidgen more when facing certain interference. No 60cycle hum though!

It's definitely a mod I'll recommend for anyone using the Lace pickups... who doesn't want more sounds out of their guitar?


Minor derail, but crg123, I'll toss you the impulses this evening if you still want them. I'm the king of distractions and totally forgot I was supposed to send them


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## Creech (Aug 11, 2012)

Don't know if you guys saw this, but I recorded some stuff the other day and threw it up on sound cloud:

RGA8 - Lace Aluma Deathbar


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## torchlord (Oct 30, 2021)

crg123 said:


> Thanks aawshred! I think that review might have pushed me over the edge. I told my self I'm going to wait a week or so to make the final decision!
> 
> Really random question for anyone but does anyone in the Boston area that charges under 50 dollars for pickup installation? I've gotten pickups swapped for like 30 bucks back home, but I don't want to go back to CT just for that!
> 
> ...



Yes, Guitar Electronics .com will do schematics for any future guitarist or techs that want something unusual for their pickup scheme. I had them make me dual mono while keeping the regular output with my pickup selector. I put the two direct mono out jacks in the battery cavity that once was used for the active pickups, so that I could access each pickup directly if I wanted. I think it cost about 35 dollars at the time for the custom schematic.

https://guitarelectronics.com/guitar-wiring-resources/


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## narad (Oct 30, 2021)

When I saw a thread about someone asking to compare aluma-tones with something, I knew it was gonna be a necrobump.


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## torchlord (Oct 30, 2021)

Creech said:


> That's the other thing; I can't adjust the height on the bridge. The foam is wedged in there, but the 4 screws are just tight enough to be flush. You can push down on the pickup and it'll move. So it can't go higher. I have no idea why he used foam, does yours have anything under them?
> 
> I'm having a chat with the beard on Facebook, it might be the pots. They're 250k: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/POT_MINI_250K_WD250S


Yes the foam Idea they had was weird. I felt if you kept adjusting the pick up multiple times the foam didn't rebound that well pushing the pick up backup quick enough. I wound up using the long springs that came with my Dimarzio pickups that I never used and put one on each screw. I would love to know why Lace didn't go this route.


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## KnightBrolaire (Oct 30, 2021)




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## torchlord (Oct 30, 2021)

narad said:


> When I saw a thread about someone asking to compare aluma-tones with something, I knew it was gonna be a necrobump.



The information I added could be helpful for anyone in the future that bought these pickups or pickups in general.


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## crg123 (Nov 1, 2021)

Lmao. The pickups are long gone (I was the one being quoted). I f'ing hated them. Agree though the information is helpful for those looking for things like that. Thanks Torchlord.


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## lewis (Nov 1, 2021)

crg123 said:


> Lmao. The pickups are long gone (I was the one being quoted). I f'ing hated them. Agree though the information is helpful for those looking for things like that. Thanks Torchlord.


Did you end up with deathbar too?
Other than split tones on the x bar neck being godlike. The other tones were horrendous to me.


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## Zhysick (Nov 1, 2021)

lewis said:


> Did you end up with deathbar too?
> Other than split tones on the x bar neck being godlike. The other tones were horrendous to me.



I liked the Deathbars on bridge... and neck. OK, you can kick me out now...


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## crg123 (Nov 1, 2021)

lewis said:


> Did you end up with deathbar too?
> Other than split tones on the x bar neck being godlike. The other tones were horrendous to me.



I went with the death bar bridge and X-bar neck. Agreed the split tones on the x-bar were amazing but it wasn't worth keeping them just for that.



Zhysick said:


> I liked the Deathbars on bridge... and neck. OK, you can kick me out now...


 Maybe they just worked better for your set up haha. I also hated the Tosin Fluences I had in my Aviator and people seem to want to burn me at the stake for having that opinion lol. It's what ever works.


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