EMGs vs. Seymour Duncan Blackouts

[[Insert Name Here]]

I've recently decided to put a new set of pick-ups in one of my guitars and was looking at an active set. I already have EMGs in one of my other guitars and I like them, but I thought about trying out a set of the Blackouts. So I was wondering if anyone knew how they compared to the EMGs as far as sound, response, that sort of thing... Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Get EMG 81's with the 18 volt mod, no active pickup sounds better.

 

[Harry Hughes]

It depends really. Some people like the compression EMGs offer.
However if you like more headroom and dynamics from your pickups, EMGs are not for you.
Personally I think Blackouts improved on everything I didn't like about EMGs: less compressed, more headroom, much better cleans and even lower noise and no need to do the 18 volt mod.

 

[[Insert Name Here]]

Thanks for the opinions guys... I decided to go with the Duncan Blackouts (thanks Petrovsk) and I'm gonna install them tonight...

 

[Bryant]

My suggestion is that you get the Duncan, simply because you already have an 81. A good guitarist is going to exploit what sounds good on his/her rig. Simply by "riffing" you are going to find that different pickups have different strengths and weaknesses. If you use a different pickups in your axes, you will have guitars that have different tonal qualities and sound better doing different styles of solos and chord progressions. I think you will be better off as a player by using different pickups in the guitars.

Bryant

 

[Stormwatch]

I'm a Duncan man, put them in all my guitars, and have Blackouts in my Jackson Rhoads.
But I prefer passives to be honest, I'd go for a Duncan Distortion/59 or JB/59 set if I were you.

 

[Stormwatch]

Hey, presumably you're Scottish! Wanna buy my Jackson RR3 with Blackouts in it?! I'm selling it to pay for the snow white DK2M I just bought.

 

[[Insert Name Here]]

My suggestion is that you get the Duncan, simply because you already have an 81. A good guitarist is going to exploit what sounds good on his/her rig. Simply by "riffing" you are going to find that different pickups have different strengths and weaknesses. If you use a different pickups in your axes, you will have guitars that have different tonal qualities and sound better doing different styles of solos and chord progressions. I think you will be better off as a player by using different pickups in the guitars.

Bryant

Thanks for the advice, you make a very good point. I did decide to go with the Blackouts and just installed them Friday night. So far I've been very pleased with them.

Hey, presumably you're Scottish! Wanna buy my Jackson RR3 with Blackouts in it?! I'm selling it to pay for the snow white DK2M I just bought.

Yeah I am Scottish (well partially anyway). Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy another guitar right now otherwise I'd take you up on the offer. In fact, I have too many as it is and need to sell a few myself. Thanks anyway though.