The short version. I appreciated it, actually made it easier to pick em apart. Also the camera angle made it easier to cop this F-n riff thats been eating my brain since the original vid came out. This is the final jeopardy music for the apocalypse. Congrats...
This is exactly how a pickup comparison should be. especially the last 3 minutes with the guitar only. In this video everyone could here the big differences between the individual pickups. Great job guys
I totally agree...I like Ryan Bruce's videos, but in his EMG comparison for instance he had one riff he played the 57/66 and Het Set on, and another riff he did the 81 and 81X on. Really wasn't a four-way comparison as the riffs were pretty different. And again, the guy seems swimming in gear, so you try going around looking at say Lace pickups, and every video is a different guitar, overdrive pedal, amp, post EQ (he at least is good about sharing all that info) and it's about useless if you're trying to use his vids to compare a Nitro Hemi, Wino, Drop N Gain, Heshers, and Deathbucker, for instance. Different styles, riffs, amps, eq settings, everything. It's okay for gear whore GAS induction, but less than ideal for apples to apples comparisons. This video was great, because for my money the classics - SH5 Custom & SH6 Distortion - are KILLING it for my money for what I want. And I already own both. Keith, you just saved me some moolah!
I have the Distortion, Nazgul and JB installed in 3 of my guitars and can honestly say the Distortion is the best for metal by a noticable margin. If you are looking for a slightly warmer very versatile pickup that can do rock and metal, go for the JB.
I bought a dimebucker equiped RR3 years back and hated it because it's so shrill (it's also setup with just a a volume and no tone circuit so it's like an audio ice pick of death)... now going back to it I realized I was just butthurt that it made my sloppy playing more pronounced (on top of being too stupid to tweak my EQ settings) haha Now I double track that guitar along with either my Evo equiped strat or semi hollow with a Breed and it's a massive fucking sound.
Arsam Khalilian I’m surprised amps were swapped tho (I know it went along with the genre). Makes sense for genre specific players, but how would a Sentient sound in a Mesa Roadstar? Instead of TripRec? Same amp. Possibly an off/on Screamer or something? But...I totally appreciate the value of this. INCREDIBLY! Fucking awesome! And, yes. Absolutely something you can listen to repeatedly without losing it. Good shit!!
Much unlike other people's comments, I can stare at your comment to infinity. After staring at your comment for over 700 hours, it downed on me, "I can reply". Now I'm going back to staring at your comment.
I wish more companies showcased their products in a similar way. This is amazing and really helped me to get properly oriented before buying. Thank you to the people at Seymour Duncan who made this!
Man, that is one tasty riff! Please make part 2 with all those pickups but with the Nazgûl and Black Winter too. And some clean phrasing would be great too!!
he did an updated comparison with all of the pickups in this comparison and he added the Nazgul, Mark Holcomb Omega, Pegasus, Custom 5 and Dave Mustaine Live Wire. but without the 59 custom hybrid, AHB2 and Gus G
I was actually quite surprised and to my ears the 59/Custom hybrid was extremely well suited to this guitar in terms of what I like to hear in a metal sound. Very well balanced. The Alternative 8 was disappointing to me. The JB didn't suit this guitar, way too much mids. Wasn't too fussed about any of the blackouts. Thank you for making possibly the best guitar video ever.
Wow! The Dimebucker sounds awesome. Has a lot of cut. I can't believe people don't appreciate it. I like the JB and 59/Custom Hybrid too for that mid presence, but they don't have as much high end.
I have to say, the distortion had real bite and sounded distinctive per notes. Since it was played before the fullshred, totally hear it being pretty much a better pup.
That tone is awesome. Heavy as shit with a nicely pronounced midrange. The Distortion's my favorite, but I liked most of the others, too. The only one I really didn't like was the Dimebucker.
What a great comparison video! This is how it should be done. My favorites are the Custom and 59/Custom Hybrid, I'm between these two for my Strat. I also like the JB and have them in my Schecter. Full Shred, Alternative 8, Dimebucker...yuck, not my thing.
The JB and the Custom 59 sound best to my ears.. maybe it's the spuds. But I have taken my JB out of my Les Paul, and tested it in my Strat, and it sounds thinner, got to be the different wood in the body and neck. Then you have the amps, so it's not just Pups, it a mix of all the above. IMO, you need to match your Pups to the your style, and guitars wood. PS.. you do need an ear for tone, your not going to be able to just throw a Pup in a guitar and have amazing tone.
Not the wood. Proved in all tests to this day that it does not make any difference at all. Probably has something to do with the potentiometers on the Strat, if I'm not mistaken strats usually have 250k pots and LPs have 500k or the reverse.
250k pots lower the frequency, so it reduces the amount of highs you get, if i would have went with a 500k, it would have been even brighter, so there has to be something else to make the tone change, the Strat has a swamp ash body, maple neck, huge jumbo frets, and a different style bridge than the LP, LP has mahogany neck, and body with a maple cap. it's not a huge difference, but you hear the different tones very easy. I'm no rocket scientist, but you can take a LP, and Strat off the shelf, switch out the pups, and still not get a Strat to sound like a LP, or LP to sound like a Strat.
That's on the pots. Experiments conducted showed that if nothing else but the wood changes (the specific one I'm mentioning the guy just moved everything, even the neck and the electronics and strings), there is no tone change at all. And there would be no reason to be a tone difference, I guess, if it did there would be a difference from when you play with the guitar against your body or not, as there is in acoustic guitars which also sound different according to the wood because it is the wood that emanates sound, but the electric the sound is captured directly from the strings. Traditionally it was thought that the science was the same, wood = tone too in electrics, but this was proven wrong lately, but manufacturers never stopped with the claims, mainly Gibson, because many people would go to the seven hells after a mahogany even if it was expensive as fuck, and many people did experiments on this that were done wrong and kept the myth up (like the Rob Chapman video where he grabs two different guitars that have different sound and claims it was from the wood).
But wood quality is still important as it defines if the guitar is really solid, if it responds well to temperature changes, if it maintains tune well, if it handles a string gauge well, and other things.
Not saying wood makes a difference, but just what the guitars are made from to compare, the only thing that was switch was the pickup, and it sounded different, why doesn't fat Strats sound like a LP's.?
I'm a year late but I would just like to sincerely thank you for this, I think every pickup buyer says "well I want X output, but which?" and this is just 15 minutes of excellence for that
I think the Distortion sounded the best by far. I was planning to put a new JB in my guitar but after watching this video I'm definitely going to go with the Distortion it sounded much better.
Certainly picked a good guitarist for the demo. And that riff damn, never even got bored of it. Refreshing they put so much effort in to a really nice demo like that.
Ten years later and I’ve learned, it depends on the application for the song. For the style of this song and in the band mix, the distortion, dimebucker and invader fit the best. Second would be the JB for its ability to stand out so well-especially with single notes. Maybe some eq to clear the congestion a bit and open it up would do wonders. Third is the A8. It’ sounds scooped but still present/not lost and has a very unique character that still fits the songs vibe.
Thanks a ton for taking the time to film this, and all of the soldering and string changing you did to make this happen. Helped me out a TON on selecting a new pickup.
Firstly, thanks Keith for this wonderful piece ("Pillars of Creation"). Overall the SH-16 owns this showdown. It is also really versatile in other settings (clean, lead, tapped, etc). I don't understand how anyone can like the Dimebucker. Perhaps our dearly departed genius had a hearing disorder? (I engineered once for a guitarist who really had a hard time hearing treble and was only happy when treble was set to 11 and was stripping the paint off nearby woodwork).
+xxxnstuffxxx I think Dimebuckers have their place in extended range guitars like the one used in this video, the higher treble would be less pronounced and still retain some of the nice harmonics. (Dimebag pinches)
Yeah I know I put the dimebucker in a guitar and was really disappointed! I also bought his distortion pedal and hated it as well. although his signature crybaby is awesome! I love dime but I guess I don't love his sound. on the other hand I put a duncan distortion in a cheap guitar and it ripped! made a cheap guitar sound killer!
Ah well, don't hate the man. He didn't even use the Dimebucker and he had nothing to do with those shitty distortion pedals with his signature. To get his tone you need to get the amps he used along the EQ racks.
Dude....Beyond THANK YOU for this video. AWESOME to hear the differences between the pick-ups FINALLY in one place!! Those JBs are as sweet as it gets....Love them!!!
This guy can make a banjo sound good and heavy. Part of the tone is the hands. My personal preference is the Custom. Well balanced pickup with this particular rig. Keith and Ola have the best pickup comparisons for metal hands down.
This video is a good way to figure out which pickup pairs well with the construction of the guitar you're planning on putting it in and what you want out of your tone. Want to tame the brightness of a maple-necked bolt-on? JB is probably a good choice. Want a fat low end? The alternative 8 is your pickup. Like squealing harmonics in your distortion? The blackouts are a good choice. I think the Distortion and the Gus G fit the guitar and amp settings the best, with a slight edge to the Gus for having a slightly "tighter" sound to my ears/preferences.
Distortion was the most balanced with the custom being a close second. The alternative 8 is my favorite and is just so damn fun to listen to. The Gus G blackout was the only good blackout JB is for grunge and more set it and forget it metal tone the invader is so overrated. so compressed you can actually hear the noise in the background....
I have the Alternative 8 on a LTD EC-200QM (Agathis Body), and I must say, I don't know if it's the weird wood/pup combination or what, but the sound is just badass. I mean, *really* badass. Love them, hope to get a nice recording interface to show you. When recorded with my little POD it sounds like a regular *but still badass* guitar. Great review, and really awesome riff. Thanks man.
To me, the Alternative 8 sounds like someone dialed off all of the bass, scooped the mids , and cranked the treble on their amp. In other words, a hair dryer
I don't know what about the Invader puts me off a little :D Maybe it's the poles. BTW, on this video the Distortion and Active Blackouts Bridge sounds quite the same in the mix while they sound different on their own :D
Thanks for doing this vid, I bet it was a real pain in the ass to do, swap pups, jam an awesome riff, swap pus and repeat. I appreciate you took the time to do it, the most honest side by side comparison I've heard. Thanks, Keith!
yeah, it's a baritone guitar, which means the length from bridge to nut is a good bit longer than most guitars. It makes the bass tones sound absolutely amazing, IMO
Not replying on the guys behalf, but I like it because they have meaner character. You can boost the mids on a naturally scooped pickup and it'll sound very different to a pickup with more natural mids. If you compare a JB and a Dimebucker but boosted the dimebucker mids to the same level as the JB, they would indeed sound very different.
I might be alone on this, but the JB really brought out the what the guitar had to offer. Lot of mids and harmonic content. Not huge bass, and it almost seems on the edge of getting pinched harmonics constantly. It's like a classically voiced pickup with more bite. I like it.
Check out a Bill Lawrence 500xl. It will eat up that JB all damn day...Actually, it will eat up all these pick ups. The best pick up I have ever used in 40 years of playing...And, you can't beat it for 64.00 bucks...
Eddie Steele I agree, and the Wilde (bill lawrence the person, not bill lawrence usa) 500xl was the pickup that Duncan reverse engineered to create the Dimebucker. Wilde / Keystone (Bill and Becky Lawrence's pickups) are hands-down the best pickups for the money I've ever experienced. I have Keystone true single coils in my strat and tele copies and they never fail to freak out my friends who have super-high-dollar guitars with boutique pickups. You don't have to pay a ton for great tone. Those 500xl pickups are the bomb, and they sound totally gorgeous clean as well!
Maybe because is the first one but "distorsion" is my favourite!! Amazing guitar, killer sound, and kickass RIFF!!! I could be listening to it over and over and over and over...
Just by having a quick listen to the end of this video, I'm favouring the blackouts. They have a mid frequency with slight cut in the mids, slither of boost to the high, pure flat bass response. Definetley a nice tone. That dimebucker wow, kinda crazy high 6k10k boosting, perfect for dive bombs and squeelz
SH5 Custom...this video definitely saved me the trouble of going with a hybrid 59/C. Custom has bigger balls. IMO the hybrid is for folks who think the Custom is "too much" haha.
Not for nothing, but to my ears, the Distortion and JB sound best. Would those be alright to fit into a Jackson JS32 Quilted Arch Top Dinky with basswood body (rosewood fretboard)? I'm thinking either of those and a SH-2 Jazz in the neck and I'm golden.
Is that Jackson a good guitar ? I dont have lots of money and need a decent 2nd guitar. Im used to play Ibanez guitars, is the feel of the neck similar ?
infernapeDLS Hey man, to be honest, I had an Ibanez once and didn't like it all that much. The neck was great, everything else not so much. This Jackson JS32Q Dinky is AWESOME. Has many features that the much more expensive lines carry. Solid guitar. The neck is a dream to play on. I'm switching the pickups in two days to a PATB-1 set which is the savior of floyd-rose equipped guitars. I recommend this guitar and if you switch the pickups and get a good setup, you will have a guitar that compares in sound and playability to the ones that cost over $1000.00. Trust me.
socialdef3 Yeah I think its personal preference, But yeah my cheap 6 string Ibanez plays better than the 450$ RGA7, so price is not really what makes a guitar feel good, But I might buy that Jackson coz it looks good and has everything I need
Take advantage, its probably cheaper where you're at, I paid $400+ here in S. America! If you change the pickups you'll have a great playing guitar. If worse comes to worse, you can sell it.
i had excellent results with both the full shred and the distortion in my js32t kelly, but mine is the old one with the indian cedro body. never had a jb in the bridge position, can't say anything about it. full shred is a veeeery tight, but very fat tone and the leads are to die for, and the sh6 is just pure mayhem. more output, less refinement, just raw brutality. never tried the sh2 in the jackson, but the one in my schecter tends to be a bit boring i think, and not very reactive to the way you pick. if you can find one, the full shred's neck version is the best neck pickup i ever tried, worked wonderfully in both my schec and my jackson.
This is exactly what I need to help with my baritone tele project. I originally thought I'd need a high output, ceramic, Distortion for my axe, but now I'm leaning towards the more open sound of the Hybrid. Thanks a heap.
That's an interresting and usefull initiative. And it's a fu##ing success ! Personnally, love the old school / heavy metal / middy tone of the Distortion. Wether it's a Di M. or Seymour D., you can never be disappointed by a mic when there's "Distortion" in it's name !
I can't decide between the Alternative 8 or Dimebucker, they both have a really clear sharp sound which I love, hate it when it sounds like its underwater or behind closed door, I need a sharp sound xD But I can't decide!
thanks man!!! JB for sure!!! super versatile and still passive! i need something for rock and country too. the black outs are was to bassy for my ear. my drummer got pissed cuz he heard my bass more than our bassist.. the JB will kick ass!!!
Still waiting on Glenn Fricker to explain why there is such a big tone difference in these pickups, when he claims you won't hear a drastic sound difference from pickups with high gain amps...
@@endezeichengrimm I learned a lot from Glenn's channel on recording. He's got some great info available. But I unsubscribed from his channel a little while back because I was tired of his brand bashing. Take his Gibson V issues for example, he said it himself that he could have returned it or get his cash back, but didn't. Instead, he uses it has clickbait for almost every other video. You haven't seen him to that with is broken down 100k Neve console. But hey, he mentioned Keith's video on picks ups more than once... the first time being almost 2 years ago... Still hasn't done it. If he wanted to lay this to rest, he should meet up with Keith and get this done again... Like Keith did. A lot of tone differences in this video and I doubt Keith manipulated it, might have, but I highly doubt it.
Really awesome demo! Thanks for helping in my Hot Rod quest for my Les Paul. You got about 40 hits from me and my guitar friends that I referred to help me out...haha
this is nothing less than the greatest pickup comparison ever posted to youtube.
And maybe the best riff ever written. ALSO Merrow is a god to be that consistent
The short version. I appreciated it, actually made it easier to pick em apart. Also the camera angle made it easier to cop this F-n riff thats been eating my brain since the original vid came out. This is the final jeopardy music for the apocalypse. Congrats...
Imagine thinking this is actually not a sale pitch for sd.
Imagine not realising everyone knows that
i can listen to this forever
That Riff makes every pickup sound amazing.
This is exactly how a pickup comparison should be. especially the last 3 minutes with the guitar only. In this video everyone could here the big differences between the individual pickups. Great job guys
I totally agree...I like Ryan Bruce's videos, but in his EMG comparison for instance he had one riff he played the 57/66 and Het Set on, and another riff he did the 81 and 81X on. Really wasn't a four-way comparison as the riffs were pretty different.
And again, the guy seems swimming in gear, so you try going around looking at say Lace pickups, and every video is a different guitar, overdrive pedal, amp, post EQ (he at least is good about sharing all that info) and it's about useless if you're trying to use his vids to compare a Nitro Hemi, Wino, Drop N Gain, Heshers, and Deathbucker, for instance. Different styles, riffs, amps, eq settings, everything. It's okay for gear whore GAS induction, but less than ideal for apples to apples comparisons.
This video was great, because for my money the classics - SH5 Custom & SH6 Distortion - are KILLING it for my money for what I want. And I already own both. Keith, you just saved me some moolah!
Sounds incredible 10 years later
0:00 Intro
0:06 Distortion (Full Mix)
1:02 Full Shred (Full Mix)
1:58 Invader (Full Mix)
2:56 JB (Full Mix)
3:52 Alternative 8 (Full Mix)
4:50 '59 / Custom Hybrid (Full Mix)
5:46 Custom (Full Mix)
6:43 Dimebucker (Full Mix) **My Fav**
7:40 EMTY Blackout (Full Mix)
8:37 Blackout Metal (Full Mix)
9:33 Blackout Standard (Full Mix)
10:30 Gus G. Fire Blackout (Full Mix)
11:27 Distortion (Isolated)
11:38 Full Shred (Isolated)
11:49 Invader (Isolated)
11:59 JB (Isolated)
12:10 Alternative 8 (Isolated)
12:21 '59/Custom Hybrid (Isolated)
12:32 Custom (Isolated)
12:44 Dimebucker (Isolated) **My Fav**
12:55 EMTY Blackout (Isolated)
13:05 Blackout Metal (Isolated)
13:16 Blackout Standard (Isolated)
13:27 Gus G. Fire Blackout (Isolated)
13:38 DAW View
That must have been A TON of work.
Very nicely done. This is some of the best advertising imaginable.
I have the Distortion, Nazgul and JB installed in 3 of my guitars and can honestly say the Distortion is the best for metal by a noticable margin. If you are looking for a slightly warmer very versatile pickup that can do rock and metal, go for the JB.
The JB and the 59/Custom Hybrid sound the best to me, they have a lot more mass than the others.
The clarity of the Dimebucker is a wowser
Indeed, I have one in one of my axes and its a very bright sounding pickup.
Sounds like it doesn't have any mid range.
Oh,its got mids
I bought a dimebucker equiped RR3 years back and hated it because it's so shrill (it's also setup with just a a volume and no tone circuit so it's like an audio ice pick of death)... now going back to it I realized I was just butthurt that it made my sloppy playing more pronounced (on top of being too stupid to tweak my EQ settings) haha Now I double track that guitar along with either my Evo equiped strat or semi hollow with a Breed and it's a massive fucking sound.
Glad you have improved in playing and knowledge of equipment....rock on!
I am not even looking to buy pickups. I just want to listen to this riff on loop which is one of the greatest metal riffs of all time.
The song is Pillars of Re-Creation by Keith Merrow
Unlike guitar solo's this is something you can listen to infinitely
Arsam Khalilian Fake Pickup. Believe me. I know the best pickups.
Arsam Khalilian I’m surprised amps were swapped tho (I know it went along with the genre). Makes sense for genre specific players, but how would a Sentient sound in a Mesa Roadstar? Instead of TripRec? Same amp. Possibly an off/on Screamer or something? But...I totally appreciate the value of this. INCREDIBLY! Fucking awesome! And, yes. Absolutely something you can listen to repeatedly without losing it. Good shit!!
Ive listened to this so much that keith should play something else from now on..
Much unlike other people's comments, I can stare at your comment to infinity. After staring at your comment for over 700 hours, it downed on me, "I can reply". Now I'm going back to staring at your comment.
I hope you got paid for this, fuck changing 12 sets of pups to record one demonstration!
he also changed the pontetiometers to demostrate the blackouts
I chose the JB
gives a totally new feeling to my distortion, love it!
59/custom hybrid is my favorite
I agree. Sounds really great!
Cool story.
Yea, WTH? What strange wizardry is this? I'm scared, going to lie in my tub of JBs till the world makes sense again...
I want the tabs to this crazy riff, i can't stop hearing it on repeat !!!!
I regularly come here just to listen to the riff. Fucking sick.
I wish more companies showcased their products in a similar way.
This is amazing and really helped me to get properly oriented before buying.
Thank you to the people at Seymour Duncan who made this!
59/Custom wins, second one maybe Distortion. It seems that most "metal" pickups sound quite thin and hollow... (scooped mids?)
59/custom wins for me here. sounds like the JB with a bit more low end.
The jb has gotten every bridge slot I've had since 95... FINALLY a worthy contender is amongst us... I love a good scrap, let's get in ON!
Through YOUR stuff, I liked the distortion and gus g. They really stood out and had more character, imo.
Man, that is one tasty riff!
Please make part 2 with all those pickups but with the Nazgûl and Black Winter too.
And some clean phrasing would be great too!!
he did an updated comparison with all of the pickups in this comparison and he added the Nazgul, Mark Holcomb Omega, Pegasus, Custom 5 and Dave Mustaine Live Wire. but without the 59 custom hybrid, AHB2 and Gus G
59/custom hybrid. Difficult to handle but for me, the best sound ;)
I chose, after watching this vid, the Hybrid/59 because it seems to have the best sounding tone (passive).
I just noticed that at about halfway through this video, I had the biggest grin on my face. I could listen to this all day.
I was actually quite surprised and to my ears the 59/Custom hybrid was extremely well suited to this guitar in terms of what I like to hear in a metal sound. Very well balanced. The Alternative 8 was disappointing to me. The JB didn't suit this guitar, way too much mids. Wasn't too fussed about any of the blackouts.
Thank you for making possibly the best guitar video ever.
It is so great how most people can agree on the compact performance of distortion.
The Distortion had some delicious palm muting
Cool story.
What a riff!!! Still so good years later.
1. JB
2. 59/Custom Hybrid
Wow! The Dimebucker sounds awesome. Has a lot of cut. I can't believe people don't appreciate it. I like the JB and 59/Custom Hybrid too for that mid presence, but they don't have as much high end.
Wow... sick guitar playing and sound
I have to say, the distortion had real bite and sounded distinctive per notes. Since it was played before the fullshred, totally hear it being pretty much a better pup.
That tone is awesome. Heavy as shit with a nicely pronounced midrange. The Distortion's my favorite, but I liked most of the others, too. The only one I really didn't like was the Dimebucker.
Funny thing is I liked the Dimebuckers better than anything else here.
@@TrickyPickins Yea same. The dimebucker was bright and zesty. Me like.
What a great comparison video! This is how it should be done. My favorites are the Custom and 59/Custom Hybrid, I'm between these two for my Strat. I also like the JB and have them in my Schecter. Full Shred, Alternative 8, Dimebucker...yuck, not my thing.
The JB and the Custom 59 sound best to my ears.. maybe it's the spuds.
But I have taken my JB out of my Les Paul, and tested it in my Strat, and it sounds thinner, got to be the different wood in the body and neck.
Then you have the amps, so it's not just Pups, it a mix of all the above.
IMO, you need to match your Pups to the your style, and guitars wood.
PS.. you do need an ear for tone, your not going to be able to just throw a Pup in a guitar and have amazing tone.
Not the wood. Proved in all tests to this day that it does not make any difference at all. Probably has something to do with the potentiometers on the Strat, if I'm not mistaken strats usually have 250k pots and LPs have 500k or the reverse.
250k pots lower the frequency, so it reduces the amount of highs you get, if i would have went with a 500k, it would have been even brighter, so there has to be something else to make the tone change, the Strat has a swamp ash body, maple neck, huge jumbo frets, and a different style bridge than the LP, LP has mahogany neck, and body with a maple cap. it's not a huge difference, but you hear the different tones very easy.
I'm no rocket scientist, but you can take a LP, and Strat off the shelf, switch out the pups, and still not get a Strat to sound like a LP, or LP to sound like a Strat.
That's on the pots. Experiments conducted showed that if nothing else but the wood changes (the specific one I'm mentioning the guy just moved everything, even the neck and the electronics and strings), there is no tone change at all. And there would be no reason to be a tone difference, I guess, if it did there would be a difference from when you play with the guitar against your body or not, as there is in acoustic guitars which also sound different according to the wood because it is the wood that emanates sound, but the electric the sound is captured directly from the strings. Traditionally it was thought that the science was the same, wood = tone too in electrics, but this was proven wrong lately, but manufacturers never stopped with the claims, mainly Gibson, because many people would go to the seven hells after a mahogany even if it was expensive as fuck, and many people did experiments on this that were done wrong and kept the myth up (like the Rob Chapman video where he grabs two different guitars that have different sound and claims it was from the wood).
But wood quality is still important as it defines if the guitar is really solid, if it responds well to temperature changes, if it maintains tune well, if it handles a string gauge well, and other things.
Not saying wood makes a difference, but just what the guitars are made from to compare, the only thing that was switch was the pickup, and it sounded different, why doesn't fat Strats sound like a LP's.?
I'm a year late but I would just like to sincerely thank you for this, I think every pickup buyer says "well I want X output, but which?" and this is just 15 minutes of excellence for that
I think the Distortion sounded the best by far. I was planning to put a new JB in my guitar but after watching this video I'm definitely going to go with the Distortion it sounded much better.
For any wondering what the song is, it's Keith Merrow's original song "Pillars of Re-creation", you can buy it on his website
This video makes a huge difference!!! It was very educational!!!
On purity and saturation of a sound absolute winner *Distortion! Second place with a big gap *Dimebucker. later 2 years / now is a sound Invander
Certainly picked a good guitarist for the demo. And that riff damn, never even got bored of it.
Refreshing they put so much effort in to a really nice demo like that.
Ten years later and I’ve learned, it depends on the application for the song. For the style of this song and in the band mix, the distortion, dimebucker and invader fit the best. Second would be the JB for its ability to stand out so well-especially with single notes. Maybe some eq to clear the congestion a bit and open it up would do wonders. Third is the A8. It’ sounds scooped but still present/not lost and has a very unique character that still fits the songs vibe.
Invader!
The Best Pickups video ever!!!
We want more...
Like from 2022
I need the tab of these riffs! :D
BTW I prefer Alternative 8, cause of that tasty fat glitchy sound while picking! awesome!
Thanks a ton for taking the time to film this, and all of the soldering and string changing you did to make this happen. Helped me out a TON on selecting a new pickup.
Alternative 8 for playing lead, custom for playing rhythm
best pickups comparison I have ever seen
Ijust noticed, that guitar has 26 fretts
+Jeff Cantrell It has a long neck.. Long one...
baritone men
Love the SH-6 distortion. The original Blackout.....I think it is quite a versatile pickup.
Getting my Horizon with 59/custom this week. Sounds promising (from an EMG player.)
Did you get the white E-II? That’s what I got.
@@joshbarnes6759 No DKSB went for more traditional look.
So glad I have a KSR Gemini being made. This video is sick. Tone is on point.
59/custom hybrid for me !
Absolutely yes
Best pickup demo hands down.. period. Perfect playing to demonstrate. You've gained a new follower.
Cheers.
Firstly, thanks Keith for this wonderful piece ("Pillars of Creation").
Overall the SH-16 owns this showdown. It is also really versatile in other settings (clean, lead, tapped, etc).
I don't understand how anyone can like the Dimebucker. Perhaps our dearly departed genius had a hearing disorder? (I engineered once for a guitarist who really had a hard time hearing treble and was only happy when treble was set to 11 and was stripping the paint off nearby woodwork).
o
+xxxnstuffxxx I think Dimebuckers have their place in extended range guitars like the one used in this video, the higher treble would be less pronounced and still retain some of the nice harmonics. (Dimebag pinches)
Yeah I know I put the dimebucker in a guitar and was really disappointed! I also bought his distortion pedal and hated it as well. although his signature crybaby is awesome! I love dime but I guess I don't love his sound. on the other hand I put a duncan distortion in a cheap guitar and it ripped! made a cheap guitar sound killer!
Ah well, don't hate the man. He didn't even use the Dimebucker and he had nothing to do with those shitty distortion pedals with his signature. To get his tone you need to get the amps he used along the EQ racks.
Nobody was hating Dimebag! Hell no! But just because we love him doesn't mean he had no flaws. This was probably the least of 'em. ;)
Distortion and JB for me they sounded great. Good mid punch but clear bass and perfectly crisp highs🤘🏼
i can listen to this riff all my life
Dude....Beyond THANK YOU for this video. AWESOME to hear the differences between the pick-ups FINALLY in one place!! Those JBs are as sweet as it gets....Love them!!!
by the way, after this video, I bought a DIMEBUCKER, and now my guitar sounds like HELL.
Thank you :D
This guy can make a banjo sound good and heavy. Part of the tone is the hands. My personal preference is the Custom. Well balanced pickup with this particular rig. Keith and Ola have the best pickup comparisons for metal hands down.
Distortion or Custom for me.
Emrah Otlu 59!
Gilbert X well custom does it very well too :)
Thanks to this amazing comparison video I've finally decided on my next purchase. Alternate 8s!
Jesus... The Alt-8 and the Dime sound like they're coming to eat me.
This video is a good way to figure out which pickup pairs well with the construction of the guitar you're planning on putting it in and what you want out of your tone. Want to tame the brightness of a maple-necked bolt-on? JB is probably a good choice. Want a fat low end? The alternative 8 is your pickup. Like squealing harmonics in your distortion? The blackouts are a good choice.
I think the Distortion and the Gus G fit the guitar and amp settings the best, with a slight edge to the Gus for having a slightly "tighter" sound to my ears/preferences.
dont be sorry for the repetition when this song is fucking awesome ! !!
This video helped me make up my mind...a set of 59' C.H. or Duncan Custom's with gold covers to match for my SG Custom
Distortion was the most balanced with the custom being a close second.
The alternative 8 is my favorite and is just so damn fun to listen to.
The Gus G blackout was the only good blackout
JB is for grunge and more set it and forget it metal tone
the invader is so overrated. so compressed you can actually hear the noise in the background....
+cave digger Agreed. Alternative 8 has very unique sounding midrange. All the other pickups sound the same with slightly different EQ.
I have the Alternative 8 on a LTD EC-200QM (Agathis Body), and I must say, I don't know if it's the weird wood/pup combination or what, but the sound is just badass. I mean, *really* badass.
Love them, hope to get a nice recording interface to show you. When recorded with my little POD it sounds like a regular *but still badass* guitar.
Great review, and really awesome riff. Thanks man.
This really helped me. I really don't like the Alternative 8 haha.
To me, the Alternative 8 sounds like someone dialed off all of the bass, scooped the mids , and cranked the treble on their amp. In other words, a hair dryer
Then again, I just watched another hot pickup comparison video and the alt 8 sounded better there.
He had better recording equipment for the newer video and to me it looks like I'll be either getting Alt8, Nazgul or Black Winter :D
timoteus96 Awesome! I went with the Invader.
I don't know what about the Invader puts me off a little :D Maybe it's the poles. BTW, on this video the Distortion and Active Blackouts Bridge sounds quite the same in the mix while they sound different on their own :D
Thanks for doing this vid, I bet it was a real pain in the ass to do, swap pups, jam an awesome riff, swap pus and repeat. I appreciate you took the time to do it, the most honest side by side comparison I've heard. Thanks, Keith!
Distortion was so much more balanced than most.
Cool story.
@@ezeudoezikeuzor9970 its actually true if youre not listening with your head up your ass
And custom
@@ezeudoezikeuzor9970 get a life.
Custom hybrid sounds just like the less input distortion. Both absolutely great
It's when the demos are right beside each other you get a true taste of the comparison. Love it
Dimebucker ! Amazing
IMO , for this style & riff , i thought the GUS G . Blackout was pretty cool !
10:30 Gus G starts ...
Winners SH-5 and SH-6
yeah, it's a baritone guitar, which means the length from bridge to nut is a good bit longer than most guitars. It makes the bass tones sound absolutely amazing, IMO
personally a fan of the dimebucker!
I'm curious, why do you like the scooped mids sound?
Not replying on the guys behalf, but I like it because they have meaner character. You can boost the mids on a naturally scooped pickup and it'll sound very different to a pickup with more natural mids. If you compare a JB and a Dimebucker but boosted the dimebucker mids to the same level as the JB, they would indeed sound very different.
Yeah, I liked that too, and I don't know jack shit about sounds, I just like the sound of it.
I'm not here for the pickups rather for keith's playing. So eargasmic!!
DIMEBUCKER!!!!! for sure, have one loaded in my Jackson, kills
I might be alone on this, but the JB really brought out the what the guitar had to offer. Lot of mids and harmonic content. Not huge bass, and it almost seems on the edge of getting pinched harmonics constantly. It's like a classically voiced pickup with more bite. I like it.
There's something about that JB.. ;)
Check out a Bill Lawrence 500xl. It will eat up that JB all damn day...Actually, it will eat up all these pick ups. The best pick up I have ever used in 40 years of playing...And, you can't beat it for 64.00 bucks...
I will do that if I get the opportunity :)
Eddie Steele
I agree, and the Wilde (bill lawrence the person, not bill lawrence usa) 500xl was the pickup that Duncan reverse engineered to create the Dimebucker. Wilde / Keystone (Bill and Becky Lawrence's pickups) are hands-down the best pickups for the money I've ever experienced. I have Keystone true single coils in my strat and tele copies and they never fail to freak out my friends who have super-high-dollar guitars with boutique pickups. You don't have to pay a ton for great tone. Those 500xl pickups are the bomb, and they sound totally gorgeous clean as well!
jamasters62 Bareknuckle Juggernaut. That's it.
Maybe because is the first one but "distorsion" is my favourite!! Amazing guitar, killer sound, and kickass RIFF!!! I could be listening to it over and over and over and over...
where can I learn this riff?! Its badass!
www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/keith-merrow-pillars-of-creation-tab-s86011t0
BurningStapler Thank you!
BurningStapler Can I have your babies for sending us all that link?
BurningStapler thanks a lot for this!
Thanks but I learned it a long time ago.
Just by having a quick listen to the end of this video, I'm favouring the blackouts. They have a mid frequency with slight cut in the mids, slither of boost to the high, pure flat bass response. Definetley a nice tone. That dimebucker wow, kinda crazy high 6k10k boosting, perfect for dive bombs and squeelz
any one tab this out yet?
i would appreciate it!
thanks!
sounds awesome
SH5 Custom...this video definitely saved me the trouble of going with a hybrid 59/C. Custom has bigger balls. IMO the hybrid is for folks who think the Custom is "too much" haha.
Not for nothing, but to my ears, the Distortion and JB sound best. Would those be alright to fit into a Jackson JS32 Quilted Arch Top Dinky with basswood body (rosewood fretboard)? I'm thinking either of those and a SH-2 Jazz in the neck and I'm golden.
Is that Jackson a good guitar ? I dont have lots of money and need a decent 2nd guitar. Im used to play Ibanez guitars, is the feel of the neck similar ?
infernapeDLS Hey man, to be honest, I had an Ibanez once and didn't like it all that much. The neck was great, everything else not so much. This Jackson JS32Q Dinky is AWESOME. Has many features that the much more expensive lines carry. Solid guitar. The neck is a dream to play on. I'm switching the pickups in two days to a PATB-1 set which is the savior of floyd-rose equipped guitars. I recommend this guitar and if you switch the pickups and get a good setup, you will have a guitar that compares in sound and playability to the ones that cost over $1000.00. Trust me.
socialdef3 Yeah I think its personal preference, But yeah my cheap 6 string Ibanez plays better than the 450$ RGA7, so price is not really what makes a guitar feel good, But I might buy that Jackson coz it looks good and has everything I need
Take advantage, its probably cheaper where you're at, I paid $400+ here in S. America! If you change the pickups you'll have a great playing guitar. If worse comes to worse, you can sell it.
i had excellent results with both the full shred and the distortion in my js32t kelly, but mine is the old one with the indian cedro body. never had a jb in the bridge position, can't say anything about it. full shred is a veeeery tight, but very fat tone and the leads are to die for, and the sh6 is just pure mayhem. more output, less refinement, just raw brutality. never tried the sh2 in the jackson, but the one in my schecter tends to be a bit boring i think, and not very reactive to the way you pick. if you can find one, the full shred's neck version is the best neck pickup i ever tried, worked wonderfully in both my schec and my jackson.
This is exactly what I need to help with my baritone tele project.
I originally thought I'd need a high output, ceramic, Distortion for my axe, but now I'm leaning towards the more open sound of the Hybrid.
Thanks a heap.
beast as fuck riff
That's an interresting and usefull initiative. And it's a fu##ing success !
Personnally, love the old school / heavy metal / middy tone of the Distortion. Wether it's a Di M. or Seymour D., you can never be disappointed by a mic when there's "Distortion" in it's name !
DimebuckeROAR
I can't decide between the Alternative 8 or Dimebucker, they both have a really clear sharp sound which I love, hate it when it sounds like its underwater or behind closed door, I need a sharp sound xD But I can't decide!
Andrew Kelley Same here, man. Tough decisions.
I think I've watched this video about 50 times since it was posted. It never gets old, and it always kicks so much ass. Love it.
alternative 8 WOWWWWW
thanks man!!! JB for sure!!! super versatile and still passive! i need something for rock and country too. the black outs are was to bassy for my ear. my drummer got pissed cuz he heard my bass more than our bassist.. the JB will kick ass!!!
Invader \,,/
I definitely like this version better than the studio version. It just sounds a lot more warm and energetic to my ears
What song is it?
Still waiting on Glenn Fricker to explain why there is such a big tone difference in these pickups, when he claims you won't hear a drastic sound difference from pickups with high gain amps...
Fricker is a clickbait troll. Ignore and block him.
@@endezeichengrimm I learned a lot from Glenn's channel on recording. He's got some great info available. But I unsubscribed from his channel a little while back because I was tired of his brand bashing. Take his Gibson V issues for example, he said it himself that he could have returned it or get his cash back, but didn't. Instead, he uses it has clickbait for almost every other video. You haven't seen him to that with is broken down 100k Neve console.
But hey, he mentioned Keith's video on picks ups more than once... the first time being almost 2 years ago... Still hasn't done it. If he wanted to lay this to rest, he should meet up with Keith and get this done again... Like Keith did. A lot of tone differences in this video and I doubt Keith manipulated it, might have, but I highly doubt it.
@@Joey.Darkwoods-Studio Just from my own playing experience, I can confirm; the pickups do make a difference.
@@endezeichengrimm Same here...
Really awesome demo! Thanks for helping in my Hot Rod quest for my Les Paul. You got about 40 hits from me and my guitar friends that I referred to help me out...haha