EMG 808x or Blackouts?

[allseeingeye]

I just ordered a set of Blackouts for my RGA8 today. I cannot wait to toss those stock Ibby pups!!

 

[Dayn]

I haven't tried Blackouts, myself. I've heard them, and... they're just far too overpowering for me.

I had EMG 808s. I used the 18v mod by rigging up a battery harness and my word did they sound more open.

But then I put 808Xs in them with just one battery. They sounded less compressed and... more dynamic, really. Unless you like the standard EMG sound, I'd recommend the X series instead. For my cleans, I don't even use an amp. Direct line-in sounds perfect to me.

Besides, EMGs come with the quick-connect system!

 

[HOKENSTYFE]

Get an 85/81x, 8-string set. Awesome solved.

 

[JLocrian]

Blackouts for sure

 

[noise in my mind]

I had blackouts in my old rga8 and they sounded great. Very tight and focused on the low end. I had a regular 808 in my old agile and thought it was too muddy. This 18volt mod intrigues me though. Sounds like it's worth a shot for the the money. I am curios though how a blackout or 808x would sound with the 18volt mod?

 

[Veritech Zero]

I know most everyone here loves their blackouts, but I really can't stand them in 8 string guitars, but I'm not really a fan of the regular EMG line up either. Both have WAY too much gain inherent in the pickup. I find that the blackouts are even muddier than the 808 pickups. Though you can get a really driving distorted tone from them, unfortunately with that low 7th and 8th string it is just too much. I much prefer the EMG X series over anything, or at least until they release the 57/66 in a 7 and 8 string variation. But fair warning the EMG X series are a lower gain pickup, so in comparison to your 808s, you will need to turn up the drive just a bit to achieve the same amount of distortion, but I feel that they are much more tight and responsive.

Best solution would be to find someone with them and see for yourself.

Oh and to answer the question of how Blackouts sound with 18v of power. They don't, they aren't made to work with 18v and therefore do not. I thought I did something wrong at first when I wired up a guitar with a switch to go between 9v and 18v on blackouts to hear the difference and they went from normal to sounding like they had a dead battery. But after just direct inputting the 18v on several guitars with Blackouts I discovered that that is how they sound. Try for yourself if you feel the need, maybe you will have different results, after all, it only costs MAYBE $1 for the wiring to do so. And adding another 9v of power to the EMG X series guitars yields a very shrill and fragile tone. Unless you are into that, I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[Given To Fly]

I know most everyone here loves their blackouts, but I really can't stand them in 8 string guitars, but I'm not really a fan of the regular EMG line up either. Both have WAY too much gain inherent in the pickup. I find that the blackouts are even muddier than the 808 pickups. Though you can get a really driving distorted tone from them, unfortunately with that low 7th and 8th string it is just too much. I much prefer the EMG X series over anything, or at least until they release the 57/66 in a 7 and 8 string variation. But fair warning the EMG X series are a lower gain pickup, so in comparison to your 808s, you will need to turn up the drive just a bit to achieve the same amount of distortion, but I feel that they are much more tight and responsive.

Best solution would be to find someone with them and see for yourself.

Oh and to answer the question of how Blackouts sound with 18v of power. They don't, they aren't made to work with 18v and therefore do not. I thought I did something wrong at first when I wired up a guitar with a switch to go between 9v and 18v on blackouts to hear the difference and they went from normal to sounding like they had a dead battery. But after just direct inputting the 18v on several guitars with Blackouts I discovered that that is how they sound. Try for yourself if you feel the need, maybe you will have different results, after all, it only costs MAYBE $1 for the wiring to do so. And adding another 9v of power to the EMG X series guitars yields a very shrill and fragile tone. Unless you are into that, I wouldn't recommend it.

I think the jargon gets mixed when we talk about output and gain. A stronger signal comes from the 808x's compared to the 808's. EMG talks about it being a clean gain. My experience was after putting 808x's in my guitar, which took the shop awhile, I got the guitar home and proceeded to clip every single track I tried to record through my Eleven Rack. Nothing had changed on the Eleven Rack and my other guitars were recording at the same levels. Then I realized it was the 808x's.
The 808x's do have a deceiving sound though. My first reaction was "Where did the bass go?" After about 15 minutes you realize EMG cleaned it up which made the pickups sound more open, something not often heard with active pickups.