SD Blackouts or EMG 81, 85's?

[Venom Spitter]

Which ones are better?

 

[jcbakz]

blackouts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifCzlqVryYM

 

[capoeiraesp]

Blackouts hands down. Try the mick thomson series; incredible tight low end and punch.

 

[Umbralegio]

Blackouts anyday. But i actually liked the Normal version (AHB-1) more.

 

[Mehnike]

I say if you currently have emgs or have played them a lot and are used to them, go with emgs. If you've never tried either of them, you wont know any difference and will probably go with blackouts anyways because of the sheer amount of people supporting them on here.

I played emgs for a few years and then decided to put blackouts in of my guitars and now miss the clear chug of emgs. But this is all personal preference once again... I'd go with an 81/60 combo.

 

[Phlegethon]

if you wonder which set would better suit your needs ask yourself if you like clean guitar sounds. from what I've heard from listening to them the blackouts as good as they are really struggle to do actual cleans. there's always a hint of breakup in them no matter what rig I've listened to. depending on what you like to play this may or may not be a problem.

that seems to be one of the best ways of determining whether or not you want to go with emg's or blackouts IMO. . . both emg's and blackouts handle "t3h br00t4als" handily (although it should be noted they have slightly different voices. I'm trying to be as objective as possible while leaving subjective bias out of this)

 

[Murmel]

I say if you currently have emgs or have played them a lot and are used to them, go with emgs. If you've never tried either of them, you wont know any difference and will probably go with blackouts anyways because of the sheer amount of people supporting them on here.

Before I had even tried a guitar with actives I could here a notable difference between Blackouts and EMG...

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I say Blackouts simply because EMG refuse to put out 7 string pickups that fit in a normal pickup route. Fuck any company that tries to make proprietary bullshit. I've passed up so many guitars because replacing the pickups wasn't as simple as popping new pickups in. Pickup rings are ugly, people usually butcher EMG routes if it wasn't an OEM job, and until just recently there weren't any pickup covers made to retrofit passives.

In short, fuck EMG and what they've done to 7 string guitars over the past 10 years or so that they've been available.

 

[GeoMantic]

I say Blackouts simply because EMG refuse to put out 7 string pickups that fit in a normal pickup route. Fuck any company that tries to make proprietary bullshit. I've passed up so many guitars because replacing the pickups wasn't as simple as popping new pickups in. Pickup rings are ugly, people usually butcher EMG routes if it wasn't an OEM job, and until just recently there weren't any pickup covers made to retrofit passives.

In short, fuck EMG and what they've done to 7 string guitars over the past 10 years or so that they've been available.

^THAT

It's horrible what they are doing to the 7 string market. I don't even know how many guitars that I would have loved to buy if replacing pickups was easy, and although you can buy covers to retrofit the passives, I still find the covers to be a hindrance. Something about the size of them just make me feel like I have to be aware of them while I'm picking.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Yeah, the covers were only available until recently though. I would actually consider a guitar with EMG's now, but that didn't used to be an option, or at least I didn't know about it until a couple months ago.

 

[vampiregenocide]

I say Blackouts simply because EMG refuse to put out 7 string pickups that fit in a normal pickup route. Fuck any company that tries to make proprietary bullshit. I've passed up so many guitars because replacing the pickups wasn't as simple as popping new pickups in. Pickup rings are ugly, people usually butcher EMG routes if it wasn't an OEM job, and until just recently there weren't any pickup covers made to retrofit passives.

In short, fuck EMG and what they've done to 7 string guitars over the past 10 years or so that they've been available.

True words.

 

[AhsanU]

Simple answer: Blackouts.

They just sound so much more better. The EMG's sound lifeless to me in comparison.

 

[Key_Maker]

For me, EMG, the blackouts sounds dull, dark, lacking of clarity and definition, ok, they sound big, but i really preffer definition over massive omph.

And de 7 strings housing... stop bitching about, stop crying and if you don't like them, just don't buy the guitars with big housing, problem solved...

 

[Mehnike]

For me, EMG, the blackouts sounds dull, dark, lacking of clarity and definition, ok, they sound big, but i really preffer definition over massive omph.

And de 7 strings housing... stop bitching about, stop crying and if you don't like them, just don't buy the guitars with big housing, problem solved...

This EXACTLY.

exactly.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

For me, EMG, the blackouts sounds dull, dark, lacking of clarity and definition, ok, they sound big, but i really preffer definition over massive omph.

And de 7 strings housing... stop bitching about, stop crying and if you don't like them, just don't buy the guitars with big housing, problem solved...

I just said I didn't buy guitars with them. I'm more into custom guitars now so I can get passives anyways.

When half the decent 7's come with that route though, before covers were available, it was a big problem. Not so much anymore, but I don't like supporting companies that do stupid proprietary bullshit like that. Their claim that they are unable to fit the preamp into a passive housing is BS, as SD proved you can indeed fit an active pre-amp into a 7 string housing, and making a housing to fit regular cavities would have been a decent investment, since 7 string guitars are quite popular now. SD made the investment, and they sell quite a few Blackouts, so obviously it was worth it to them. Hell, they even made an extra housing to retrofit EMG's. Now that's awesomeness in a company.

As for which sounds better, I don't like either so that's a whole different discussion

 

[Umbralegio]

For me, EMG, the blackouts sounds dull, dark, lacking of clarity and definition, ok, they sound big, but i really preffer definition over massive omph.

EMGs sound is sterile. You cant do anything bout this. If you want clarity and definition - i would go a good passive, it will sound better imo. The only reason to get an active pickup is that power and oomph youve already mentioned.
And.. no, Blackouts are not dull actually.
And yeah, guitars routed for 707s are just stupid.

 

[Key_Maker]

EMGs sound is sterile. You cant do anything bout this. If you want clarity and definition - i would go a good passive, it will sound better imo. The only reason to get an active pickup is that power and oomph youve already mentioned.
And.. no, Blackouts are not dull actually.
And yeah, guitars routed for 707s are just stupid.

Is just my opinion about BO.

Also, the BO still sounds "sterile", just bigger, but still they are Active.

I'v tried a lot of Passive PUs but nothing likes me, or they sound weak, or dark, or loose, that's why always come back to EMG.

And (i said this in other topic), EMG has such a big presence in the market because for guitar manufacturers are cheaper as a product and routing is far more quick that passive ones and the have an huge stock for provide everyone. Is not so hard to choose for ESP, Schecter, etc.

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

Doesn't mean they're not douche bags for providing that excuse to guitar manufacturers

And that's what it is, an excuse. Do you honestly think that extra little bit makes THAT much of a difference to their CNC machines? They might save like one bit every 5000 guitars or something stupid. I'd say it hardly makes a difference when you're already routing. Probably takes about half a second too.

 

[Key_Maker]

Doesn't mean they're not douche bags for providing that excuse to guitar manufacturers

And that's what it is, an excuse. Do you honestly think that extra little bit makes THAT much of a difference to their CNC machines? They might save like one bit every 5000 guitars or something stupid. I'd say it hardly makes a difference when you're already routing. Probably takes about half a second too.

I know, but, there's a ton of guitar makers that has provided some nice 7s with passive, Iby and Music Man are the best in that aspect, i could bitch about the tons and tons of guitars with awfull pasive pus out there, but that is like

we should be playing guitar, not bitching bitches


and of course, with EMGs

 

[JJ Rodriguez]

I don't want more Ibbies and I don't like JP's

Like I said, it's not such a big deal now with those covers, but I don't like supporting companies that do that kind of thing.