TemjinStrife
Power Metal Cellist
Hey guys,
So, I just got my first seven-string, a Dean EVO Special 7 body and neck from eBay. Long story short, it's all put together and set up now with a set of super cheap Duncan Designed JB-7/Jazz-7 clones I snagged for $7 shipped off of eBay earlier this year.
However, I can't get any definition from the bottom string with anything approaching a metal amount of drive/distortion. It's great for rockabilly and clean stuff (especially with the coil tap I wired in) but distortion (of almost any kind) basically "flabs out" on me through my Line 6 PODXT/powered monitor system, which is weird because I can use the same system for fuzzed-up electric bass and it sounds fine... so I'm thinking it's a guitar problem.
It's a 25.5" scale set-neck seven with a mahogany body and maple top, currently strung with the only seven-string set I could find locally, a 10-59 D'Addario set. I've also since managed to find a .66 and a .72 for sale individually at a local store but I haven't managed to test them out yet.
What would you guys recommend, pickup-wise? I intend to upgrade the bridge pickup at least, as the neck pickup sounds great clean and distorted (if again a bit flabby on the low strings), I just haven't figured out with what yet. I'm looking for maximum versatility, from clean to 60s and 70s rock and rockabilly to metal with good definition on all strings.
I'm leaning towards a real JB-7 in the bridge, but I've heard good things about either the Drop-Sonic or D-Activator (can't remember which, they're both Dimarzios with a D in front). Is the difference between the Duncan Designed and the real SDs that pronounced?
Thanks for your help!
So, I just got my first seven-string, a Dean EVO Special 7 body and neck from eBay. Long story short, it's all put together and set up now with a set of super cheap Duncan Designed JB-7/Jazz-7 clones I snagged for $7 shipped off of eBay earlier this year.
However, I can't get any definition from the bottom string with anything approaching a metal amount of drive/distortion. It's great for rockabilly and clean stuff (especially with the coil tap I wired in) but distortion (of almost any kind) basically "flabs out" on me through my Line 6 PODXT/powered monitor system, which is weird because I can use the same system for fuzzed-up electric bass and it sounds fine... so I'm thinking it's a guitar problem.
It's a 25.5" scale set-neck seven with a mahogany body and maple top, currently strung with the only seven-string set I could find locally, a 10-59 D'Addario set. I've also since managed to find a .66 and a .72 for sale individually at a local store but I haven't managed to test them out yet.
What would you guys recommend, pickup-wise? I intend to upgrade the bridge pickup at least, as the neck pickup sounds great clean and distorted (if again a bit flabby on the low strings), I just haven't figured out with what yet. I'm looking for maximum versatility, from clean to 60s and 70s rock and rockabilly to metal with good definition on all strings.
I'm leaning towards a real JB-7 in the bridge, but I've heard good things about either the Drop-Sonic or D-Activator (can't remember which, they're both Dimarzios with a D in front). Is the difference between the Duncan Designed and the real SDs that pronounced?
Thanks for your help!