chassless
Don'tDeserveMyGuitar
^ lovely little family you got there! Since we're all suckers for pickup comparisons, do you have anything to share on that? 
SD Black Winter Worship thread
- Thread starter Blytheryn
- Start date
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Ironbird666
Well-Known Member
Are you adjusting pickup height with the VST's or the actual amps themselves? It will make a difference if you perform setups on the amps you paln on gigging with rather than the computer software. Cranked up, high power amps screaming through big cabs just react different. Also, follow KailM's advice, especially laying off the gain. BW's are pretty loud to begin with (I have them in 4 guitars currently) and cranking up an amp only making them slam the input harder. I'll also second the statement regarding lowering the pickups. If you lowered them, maybe lower them a bit more. You might be surprised...
NosralTserrof
Well-Known Member
Does anyone have any DI .wav files of these pups that they'd like to share?
episode666
Member
on this track all guitars have Black winters...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjD7jZgv2o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjD7jZgv2o
Made adjustments with both and I completely agree - the BWs are really loud, first I thought they sound a bit muddy, so I've lowered them and raised the poles a bit. The last time I put the poles back in order to tame them an lowered them a bit more. Hopefully I'll record some samples that are not a complete disgrace and will share them if anyone is interested in how do they sound in hardcore/crust/grindcore/whatever context.
Thanks again for your input, guys.
elkoki
Well-Known Member
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@ Ofu:
I run a 6505 too. I don't know if you've listened to my clips which are sprinkled throughout this thread, but I'll post a couple below to give you a reference. I pretty much use the same settings all the time for my standard 6505 death metal/black metal tone unless I'm fiddling with my HM-2 which requires some alternate adjustments.
Anyway, in the clips I'm going to share, I'm using a mahogany LTD Explorer copy with the BW set. I have a 412 cab loaded with Eminence Governors (real similar to V30s) and Swamp Thangs. Most often in my recordings, I just mic one of the Governors.
First off, with the regular 6505 especially (not as much with the 6505+), you need to boost it with an OD pedal. Pretty much any OD will do -- just set the level to max and the gain all the way off. Tone somewhere in the middle. I run an MXR Custom Modified Badass OD, with the 100hz knob set to cut just a hair MORE bass in front of the amp when using my Black Winter guitar.
Amp settings are as follows: Bass 6.5-7, Mids 6, Highs 5.5-6 Resonance 6.5, Presence 5. Preamp gain: IMPORTANT: 3 to 3.2 out of 10. Lead channel; don't know if I mentioned that. You don't need any more than the "low 3s" on gain when you're boosting it. The tone becomes fully-saturated at that point, and pushing the gain beyond that just over-saturates the tone and makes it muddy. And I like a very saturated tone, so that's saying something.
But also, my sound is also heavily dependent on my MXR 10-band EQ in the effects loop. Firstly, I set the 16khz slider to -6db, which takes care of all of the fizz. Next, I boost the 2khz slider a bit because that brings out the grind of the amp a bit more and helps cut through the mix. I run my 1khz slider slightly boosted but not quite as much as 2khz as well. I cut the 500hz slider by -6db. IMO, the amp has a bit too much in that region and it doesn't really help the sound in any way. Too much in that area just gives the tone this "vowelly" cocked-wah sound. Going further down, I set the 250hz slider to "0" -- neither cut nor boosted. At 125 hz, I boost between 3db and 6db. That may sound like a lot, but I already cut quite a bit of bass going into the preamp with my OD pedal. Adding it back in with the EQ pedal brings out a massive "thump" without it being muddy whatsoever. The sliders below that are in the sub-bass range and as long as they're at 0 or below you're good.
Anyhow, those settings provide a massive, yet focused tone that responds well to a lot of different playing styles. It is not really a modern metal tone per se -- it has a healthy amount of bass but is still tight enough for very fast palm-muted riffing and pretty much any old-school death metal, black metal, and thrash. My favorite album tones come from the mid-90s through the early 2000s. I'm not a real fan of this new approach to metal tone where the guitar is made to sound like a duck with tourette syndrome.
Anyway, here's some recordings of the tones I'm getting:
https://soundcloud.com/kailm-1/6505a
https://soundcloud.com/kailm-1/the-gathering-of-hostsfist-of-the-heavens
hey man so how do you record your clips? interface, mic , etc?
I mic up one of the speakers in my cab; either an Eminence Governor or Swamp Thang and the mic goes into a Presonus Audiobox USB, and then directly into my DAW (Studio One). I generally double or quad track, depending on the situation. For bass guitar I plug right into the Audiobox interface and use virtual amps and cabs, as I don't own an actual bass amp. But for guitars, and the tones I go for, nothing beats a real tube amp and cab pushing some air, close-mic'd with a quality microphone.
Dudley
Well-Known Member
Anyone with experience of Black Winters in alder super-strats tuned to Bb? I recently put a set of BW's in my ESP Horizon and love them so much that I'm considering replacing the EMG 81's in my M-II (maple neck-through, alder body, ebony fretboard, Floyd Rose) with them as well.
The Horizon is in E standard with 10's and the M-II will be Bb with a low 64, so quite difficult to extrapolate from one to the other how it'll sound. Tight enough for Decapitated/Cannibal Corpse/Spawn Of Possession style riffing?
The Horizon is in E standard with 10's and the M-II will be Bb with a low 64, so quite difficult to extrapolate from one to the other how it'll sound. Tight enough for Decapitated/Cannibal Corpse/Spawn Of Possession style riffing?
rebornself27
Well-Known Member
Would the black winters work for swamp.ash or should I go for the nazgul?
mnemonic
Custom User Title
Can anyone compare the Black Winter to either the SH5 'Duncan Custom' and/or the JB? I have two seven strings and will likely be swapping pickups around and I'd like to consider the Black Winter for one of them.
One is my Mayones Setius (all mahogany, maple top) which is the darker of the two, a bit scooped and tons of bottom end (currently loaded with SH5). The other is an old Schecter Avenger, mahogany body maple neck, with a 'Duncan Designed' in now, but I plan to put my spare JB-7 in it for comparison purposes. The Avenger is more balanced sounding, bit clearer, more high end and mids, less bottom end.
I'm sure some of that tone comparison is down to pickups and some is down to the guitar itself.
One is my Mayones Setius (all mahogany, maple top) which is the darker of the two, a bit scooped and tons of bottom end (currently loaded with SH5). The other is an old Schecter Avenger, mahogany body maple neck, with a 'Duncan Designed' in now, but I plan to put my spare JB-7 in it for comparison purposes. The Avenger is more balanced sounding, bit clearer, more high end and mids, less bottom end.
I'm sure some of that tone comparison is down to pickups and some is down to the guitar itself.
Shask
Well-Known Member
The Custom has more chuggy bass. It has a "slower" low end that sounds great for chugging, but is not exactly tight. The BW bridge still has solid bass but not as much, and is tighter. The Custom has scooped lower mids with a lot of upper mids and treble/presence, so it has a lot of that metallic clank scraping sound. The BW Bridge has a more balanced high end where the treble is just there, but doesn't stand out. It has more of a mid peak at a lower frequency.. more like 700hz or something (guessing....). The BW has A LOT more output, so it is more compressed feeling. The Custom is crazy dynamic.
Overall, the Custom is kind of scooped with a chuggy low end, and crunchy high end. It is very dynamic. The BW Bridge is more balanced across the spectrum, with a small peak in the mid-mids. It is tighter and clearer overall, but doesn't sound sterile like a lot of modern "tight, clear" pickups. The BW Bridge overall kind of reminds me of a mix of the Invader and the Distortion, but without the extremes of either, all ran through a "tight, clarity filter".
mnemonic
Custom User Title
Nice, really cool descriptions. Sounds like it could work well with my mayones as it could use more mids, I always have to turn up the mids on the amp when I use that guitar.
But I may get one and put it in the Avenger as its my new guitar and is getting way more play.
I'll try out the jb7 first for comparison purposes. Also I'm curious how the Duncan designed hb7 compares to a real JB, as its supposedly a Korean-made JB according to the SD website. At the moment it sounds good but not great. It has kind of a 'dry' feeling like it just doesn't have enough saturation.
But I may get one and put it in the Avenger as its my new guitar and is getting way more play.
I'll try out the jb7 first for comparison purposes. Also I'm curious how the Duncan designed hb7 compares to a real JB, as its supposedly a Korean-made JB according to the SD website. At the moment it sounds good but not great. It has kind of a 'dry' feeling like it just doesn't have enough saturation.
CaptainD00M
Lungsman
A little of a necro-bump but I wondered how the BW's would work for a sludge metal sound similar to the most recent High on Fire effort. I like my bass looser than about 90% of the younger people on this forum 
Also can anyone comment on what they sound like with Alinco's in them, I saw that JD27 mentioned putting A8's, has anyone done an A5 BW or even A2 - how does it sound etc?
Also can anyone comment on what they sound like with Alinco's in them, I saw that JD27 mentioned putting A8's, has anyone done an A5 BW or even A2 - how does it sound etc?
youngthrasher9
Ur Mom Is Too Much Gain
Well, I wouldn't recommend mag swapping unless you just played aren't happy with the tone.
As far your uses, the main thing you need to think about is what amp you're using. The black winter has knack of playing into whatever sound your amp is designed around. If you tune low, and adjust the bass control on the amp to taste, you should have no issue getting a stoner/sludge tone. It would actually be very pleasant, the pickup has a really nice woody grunt to it.
As far your uses, the main thing you need to think about is what amp you're using. The black winter has knack of playing into whatever sound your amp is designed around. If you tune low, and adjust the bass control on the amp to taste, you should have no issue getting a stoner/sludge tone. It would actually be very pleasant, the pickup has a really nice woody grunt to it.
takotakumi
Well-Known Member
What do you guys about putting a Black Winter on an Ash Ibanez RG?
I was going to do blaze custom or wait till a Warpig 7 pops out but I love the BW set on my 080. Dunno if the ash could make the BW sound a bit brighter or harsher hmm...
I was going to do blaze custom or wait till a Warpig 7 pops out but I love the BW set on my 080. Dunno if the ash could make the BW sound a bit brighter or harsher hmm...
TBH, I think people really over analyze the impact of wood species on tone. It is a fantastic pickup and if you like it in one guitar, chances are you're going to like it in another one. I thought it was bright at first, but now I love the tone, and have Eq'd my rig to take advantage of the BW's strengths.
In other news (shameless hype here) I'm nearly finished with a savage new black metal track that features Black Winters mixed with a Nazgul. Those two together are absolutely unholy...
In other news (shameless hype here) I'm nearly finished with a savage new black metal track that features Black Winters mixed with a Nazgul. Those two together are absolutely unholy...
Blytheryn
Musical Adam West
TBH, I think people really over analyze the impact of wood species on tone. It is a fantastic pickup and if you like it in one guitar, chances are you're going to like it in another one. I thought it was bright at first, but now I love the tone, and have Eq'd my rig to take advantage of the BW's strengths.
In other news (shameless hype here) I'm nearly finished with a savage new black metal track that features Black Winters mixed with a Nazgul. Those two together are absolutely unholy...
Please tell me there's some HM-2 on there. That's the unholy trinity of high gain guitar tone.
^^^Nah, no HM-2 this time. That's a gnarly combination, for sure, but not quite the right sound for black metal IMO. Awesome for death metal though. For this track, think Emperor meets Immortal meets Opeth.
chassless
Don'tDeserveMyGuitar
Sounds intense!
