Active to passive swap out

[carvincrazy]

hey guys,

I'm brand new to this site so please forgive me if I sound lame.

Anyway, I have a Schecter C7 hellraiser and I really hate the EMG 707TW's it came with. Normally I would think nothing of going from active to passive but there's something very different about this guitar that worries me...

The bridge is abnormally high up because the neck was set in at an odd angle (i.e. it needs to be that high or I would just have dead notes all across the fretboard). As a result, the pickups need to be abnormally high as well. On top of that, this particular guitar was cut from some weird, lightweight African mahogany. These two factors seem to give me virtually zero sustain and a very hollowed out tone that want's to be full bodied but falls very short, if that makes any sense.

I know that the EMG's don't help this, but I'm worried that no matter what pickups I use, the guitar is doomed to forever sound like crap because of the body wood and the fact that the pups are so far away from any resonance from the body.

I've compared this 7 string to similar models that have a normal, heavier mahogany body/neck, rosewood fretboard, and EMG 707's. The EMG's definitely seemed to play a large roll in this sound I don't like, but the other models with heavier, more resonant and sustaining wood DID sound a bit better.

I'm really worried this guitar's tone is just doomed to piss me off no matter what pickups I use.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions/experiences like this before?

 

[HOKENSTYFE]

While I am not a fan of Schecter, I am fond of those who have Blackouts installed in them & turn them beast. As actives go, EMG's are going to have a more "Glassy" tint of sound to them. Pretty common. But the Seymour Duncan Blackouts should fill out that "Hollow" sound you're getting from your guitar.

So in short, have you thought of Blackouts?

Welcome.

 

[MetalBuddah]

One thing about converting a hellraiser to passives....I am pretty sure there is not a ground wire coming from the bridge. I had to get somebody to drill and install one for me on my Hellraiser 6 string. Was a pain in the ass. You are better off with blackouts

 

[carvincrazy]

I have considered Blackouts. They're actually the only active 7 string pickup I like. My only concern is, I, stupidly, never listened to their clean tone. I play/compose a lot of progressive and experimental music, so I really need a versatile and responsive pickup. Something similar to a modern high gain with slightly scooped mids is my most frequent tone, but I do use the clean a fair amount as well. And one of the biggest problems I have with the EMG's is the clean seems to just die out and fade, and just has not depth or full body to it.

How are the Blackouts in comparison?

 

[HOKENSTYFE]

I have yet to try the Blackouts, myself. Johnny Shnizz on Got-Djent.com or Mojojojo378 on YouTube has a Schecter Blackjack with Blackouts. You might want to check out his videos, tutorials or his free downloads on Bandcamp.com under the band name, ForTiorI.

He's a "Bedroom" musician, producer, engineer and has great tutorials on YouTube. To get a better idea how Blackouts will sound from a "Non"-professional, DIY(Do-It-Yourself) artist, check his stuff out.