pickups for a seven

[thanny XIII]

hey everyone. since i cant ever make my mind up about stuff, im gonna get new p'ups for my seven string. so recomendations would n]be aswome.

[Guitarzan]

what are you gonna play with the 7 string?

might help narrowing it down.

[The Geoff]

www.dimarzio.com

 

 

G.

[doc taz]

Oh yeah... the DiMarzios are great. They have the Blaze pickups, which come stock in Ibanez Universe guitars. Many of the standard models also come in 7 string versions. I do remember you saying some other time that you wanted a black metal tone, so I'd personally go for the Blaze, or the Evolution.

 

Seymour Duncan has many of their models in 7 string versions. EMG also has some 7 string pickups, but require some additional routing because it uses a 5 string bass pickup shell. As in cutting out some extra wood, then filling in some gaps later, that is, but some players swear by them.

[thanny XIII]

MMM dimarzio's sound good, yeah im going for black metal.

[Xplorer]

What about the EMG 707? Seems to be the metal thing to do!

[huafist]

For my sound, I use DiMarzio's (I use a tone similar to a Vai/Satch sound).

If I were doing hardcore metal, I'd be using EMG's.

[Guitarzan]

for maximum evilness EMG

but make sure you like the accoustic properties of your axe, because the EMGs will not colour the tone like a passive pickup will.

they are unforgiving in that regard, but what ever you do you can bet your evil bum you will hear it.

i was going to say "ass" but i edited....Doh!

[Big Red 67]

I want a bariitone!

 

Edit for the i.

 

I am so conflicted by Zans avitar. Must be "art"!

[Griffinator]

Originally posted by Xplorer:

What about the EMG 707? Seems to be the metal thing to do!

Man, what is it with the new crop of metalheads that think sterility is a good sound?

 

Why bother with an expensive axe if you're just going to slap a pickup in it that would sound just as good strapped to a broomstick?

[Xplorer]

I think for most of todays metal the individual note clarity of the EMG active pickups make them popular. It seems to be becoming a standard. I use Lawrence pickups (L-500, and XL-500) but I also have a passive EMG H4. I personally like the Lawrence ones. I don't know much about 7 strings, but I would think a ceramic pickup could come across as mushy if you were really busy player.

[doc taz]

Originally posted by Xplorer:

I think for most of todays metal the individual note clarity of the EMG active pickups make them popular. It seems to be becoming a standard. I use Lawrence pickups (L-500, and XL-500) but I also have a passive EMG H4. I personally like the Lawrence ones. I don't know much about 7 strings, but I would think a ceramic pickup could come across as mushy if you were really busy player.

In most cases, ceramics tend to have a brighter, tighter tone than some alnico models. Many of the aftermarket 7 string hb's use ceramic as the main magnet, including the ones I mentioned earlier. The EMG 707's use alnico magnets, but most of the tone for those pu's come from the active EQ, not so much the magnets.

 

As for what actually comes with my 7...

 

The pickups are Ibanez's Axis models; AH1 for the neck, and AH2 for the bridge. A close look, and they appear to be like DiMarzios. Surprisingly, they sound like them, too. Not exactly, but close enough for me.

 

The neck pu on my 7321 7 string is ceramic, which is bright, yet punchy without being too muddy. It's great when I use it in parallel mode, like a strat/p90 sound. Probably close to an Air Norton, or a slightly overwound PAF 7.

 

The bridge (alnico) is fat, warm and powerful, with good bass content, yet trebly enough without being too thin. It's much noisier in extremely high gain, but still has a lot of definition. This one's closer to a Breed, or Evo 2, with a midrange boost.

[The Geoff]

I believe DiMarzio has developed Ibanez's pickups from the early 70s.

 

The original pups in my ST-105 were Ibanez V2s, but owed a lot to the DiMarzio Super Distortion, although they were tonally apart.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

G.