Blackouts - Routing/Install Thread

[djpharoah]

I guess I made this thread for all of us interested in getting blackouts which are the size of dimarzios/SDs. Basically if you can just post in here which guitar you have and how much routing/sanding you had to do to get them in and if there was anything you noticed or would advice against.

This can be a great resource so that all this info in consolidated in one thread and all one has to do is look in here to get the information for their guitar. Photos would also be killer

Dimensions below from Seymour Duncan.
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Confirmed List:
Blackouts - 6 String
BC Rich Jr. V Deluxe (replacing: EMG 81/85) - Drop in replacement. No routing req.

Passive Sized Blackouts 7 String
Bernie Rico Jr Vixen 7 (replacing: Duncan Invader) - Drop in replacement. No routing req.
Carvin DC727 - They fit perfect in depth. Minor routing required for the lower ear of route. Easier than routing for Dimarzios.
Ibanez RG7420 - Neck shim req. if you don't want to route. (Might hold for RG76xx/Rg74xx series)
Ibanez S7 - Route out pup route at least another 3 or 4 mm out the bottom, possibly more. OR you could shim the neck and raise the bridge
Schecter Blackjack C7 - Very tight routes. Have to dremel quite a bit of wood out to get them to fit.
Washburn WG587. - No problems fitting the pickup cavity but the mounting rings were way too tight so I had to shave off some plastic.

Regular EMG Sized Blackouts 7 String
Jackson COW 7 (replacing: EMG 707) - Drop in replacement. No routing req.

 

[Ext789]

I also had to widen the standard pick up route tabs to get them in.

Don't you mean you had to widen the route for the tabs? Its a little unclear what you mean.

 

[djpharoah]

Don't you mean you had to widen the route for the tabs? Its a little unclear what you mean.

Oh - actually I didn't do anything - I dont have an rg7620. That was just an example. I don't know if you have to do that at all. But I guess what I meant was that the purpose of this thread is to take the apprehension out of getting the blackouts. I dont know - it sounded like a great idea this morning when i made this thread.

 

[Zepp88]

The routes on the Blackjack are VERY tight. I had to dremel out a bit of wood so they would fit. The stock pickups in there were even difficult to get in and out.

 

[djpharoah]

Thanks Mike. Thats what I wanted to kinda have on here - a reference for people so that you know people get the blackouts and then realize they have quite a bit of routing to do. This is sort of a heads up.

 

[frank falbo]

On my Blackjack C7 it was tight, but I didn't have to route anything. They were also tight in the mounting ring, but they pushed right in.

 

[st2012]

Kinda the same with my Washburn wg587. No problems fitting the pickup cavity but the mounting rings were way too tight so I had to shave off some plastic. Other than that they fit wonderfully.

 

[Toshiro]

On my Blackjack C7 it was tight, but I didn't have to route anything. They were also tight in the mounting ring, but they pushed right in.

Maybe the newer C7s have longer routs? I had to file mine to get the Blackouts into my 06 Blackjack.

 

[B Lopez]

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/pickups-electronics-general-tech/45851-blackouts-info-inside.html

 

[forelander]

How far is your neck pickup typically from the strings when fretted at the highest fret?

 

[Toshiro]

How far is your neck pickup typically from the strings when fretted at the highest fret?

My BO is at about 2mm. Though I think I stripped the shit out of the adjustment screws, fucking plastic, have to get some nuts and JBWeld them onto the ears.

 

[Chris]

[action=Chris]approves of this thread, and sticks it.[/action]

 

[zimbloth]

I've installed Blackouts in the following guitars without the need for any extra work whatsoever:

Bernie Rico Jr Vixen 7 (replacing: Duncan Invader)
BC Rich Jr. V Deluxe (replacing: EMG 81/85)
Jackson COW (replacing: EMG 707)

 

[noodles]

Mesh, would it help if I measured a few KxKs, from the bottom of the route to the strings?

 

[djpharoah]

I've installed Blackouts in the following guitars without the need for any extra work whatsoever:

Bernie Rico Jr Vixen 7 (replacing: Duncan Invader)
BC Rich Jr. V Deluxe (replacing: EMG 81/85)
Jackson COW (replacing: EMG 707)

Thanks a lot Nick.

Mesh, would it help if I measured a few KxKs, from the bottom of the route to the strings?

Sure - that would give more people an idea of what depth the routes are approx. on a KxK and kinda estimate what they might have to route out. Thanks Dave.

[action=Chris]approves of this thread, and sticks it.[/action]

Wow - my first sticky. Its cool - I am hoping to getting these pups from Nick in the future and just figured there must be a ton of guys woh must be wondering the same thing as me.

I have now updated the first Post to reflect the updated guitars. I will now post them under Passive sized (the main reason for this thread) and Regular sized.

 

[forelander]

Actually could someone tell me how far their pups are from the strings, unfretted, and fretted at the highest fret. Separate measurements for neck and bridge would be awesome.

I'm halfway to having them in an S7, and they fit the routes fine, except for depth. You're gonna have to route out at least another 3 or 4 mm out the bottom, possibly more. Right now I've taken about 3.5 mm out the whole route and a bit extra where the cable sits (I'll get better measurements when I work on it again). Depending on what people tell me about their heights, I may still need to take another mm off, though for that I think I'll just shim the neck. And unless you wanna shim the neck with a deck of cards, thats not really an option to get the pups in, in the first place.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/pi...ech/50838-today-i-routed-my-s7-blackouts.html
That's the thread about my routing.

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/pi...e-interested-s7-blackouts-any-pup-matter.html
That thread has info on the S7 route depths, but I'll restate here, the routes are a touch shy of 10mm deep. Blackouts are 20mm high. See an issue here?

A lack of wood between the bridge route and trem cavity has not yet been a problem, though it's getting closer and closer. Also keep in mind I've not used any power tools for any of my work (woulda been a fucking lot quicker and easier probably), nor hammers etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[Zepp88]

On my Blackjack C7 it was tight, but I didn't have to route anything. They were also tight in the mounting ring, but they pushed right in.

On mine I could barely get the stock pups back in after pulling them out

Really tight fit, the part that I dremeled was around the tabs.

 

[djpharoah]

Updated the original post with awesome pics of the blackouts and all their dimensions.

 

[forelander]

But not with all the info I posted on the S7?

 

[djpharoah]

But not with all the info I posted on the S7?

Done.