more aggressive luke & photos

[jakedawgwhite88]

Hey guys I think everyone as seen our posts my band's music video here and we really like the big aggressive open sound of the jp. Before I joined the band I bought my luke and wasn't playing my tones that hard after I purchased my jp7 I realized that if I wanted to keep the lovely feel of my luke I needed a way to make it more aggressive. Enter pickup shopping spree I did a lot of research and eventually settled for the seymour duncan blackout. its the same size as the emg its not flat eq'd and its hotter and more open. I went with the mick thomson blackout ... i'm not a huge fan of that thumpy tone but the eq of the pickup seemed to reflect my amp eq preferences so I got it. Wow thats all I have to say. The pickup change requires very little effort and is compatible with emg clips pots etc. All I did was loosen the strings unscrewed the pickup unpluged the 3 pin plugged in the the blackout screwed it in and wolla whole different animal its an easy change and if you have some cash laying around and want to experience switching the luke pickup is the easiest pickup change ever!!

Now for PICS!!!!
pic with emg

blackout

Cool Headstock pics

 

[Tung]

nice! How do you compare the Blackout to the EMG? (playing wise). Is it that much better than the EMG? I've been thinking of active options for my JP6, the Blackouts seems promising.
Very cool shots of the Luke.

 

[Roubster]

Nice pics Jake! Makes me miss my sapphire black LUKE haha. So how does the Duncan sound compared to the 85? Seems like the blackouts have a lot of highs...but to me the 85 sounded sort of thin on the higher strings. If I were to get another LUKE I would probably want to get some kind of a fatter tone from the bridge.

 

[PaoloGilberto]

You've read my thoughts, my Luke will ship soon from Sweat (thanks you ) and besides the fact that I'm afraid not liking the neck :-( I am also anxious to see if the bridge pick up is aggressive enough for me.
and I was thinking at Blackout for a replacement.
A recording before (if you have) and after will be highly appreciated

BTW your Luke looks absolutely KILLER

 

[jakedawgwhite88]

i do have a crappy solo thing that I recorded once with the 85 and other pickups to test some soloing licks to get critiqued on I may record another track with the new and post the difference.... where can I post clips where people can get access to them.

the ducan is really responsive to pick attack... this blackout is great for palm muting chugga chugga and solo notes are very full sounding and squeallies fly out...with my high gain on the 85 it had a compression that was almost single coil sounding this is much fatter open and more agressive with more gain

 

[PaoloGilberto]

hmm, I think I might like the Blackout more than the stock pick-up from your description. can wait to hear a recording from you with it.
I saw they have HB 1 and Metal HB 2 which is not splittable they say.
is the HB 1 splittable or you lose the option to split coils with this pickup? (I am not sure how are the 5 switch positions on the Luke if one of them involves splitting the coils from bridge !?) (my Luke will be delivered soon )
any other modification needed , or just simply install it like you said, and that's it no other wiring or tech stuff needed ?

 

[Dante]

thing is, the 85 is a paf sounding pup, usually used in the neck. dean his swapped for an 81.

 

[jakedawgwhite88]

I don't think you can split the duncans ... at least when I talked to the duncan rep
I also talked to dean about the 81s I just am really digging this duncan ... and yes the install is that easy

 

[Whammy_Abuser]

You guys think the 85 sounds thin?
I'd be interested to know what you think sounds fat, the 85 is one of the fattest pickups I've ever heard! It's almost too fat, bordering on muddy.

Blackouts are VERY tight and articulate and definitley react and feel a lot different than EMGs, they also have a metric **** ton of output, fun pups, but not really for me.

 

[Headstock]

I am really intrigued by this, thanks for posting!

What made you decide on the SD over the 81? You/anyone know if the 81's as simple to swap out to ? Cost of pickups factor in at all? I am not sure what either of them run...

 

[jakedawgwhite88]

I agree whammy its different I don't think it sounds fat because it doesn't feel fat in my hands i guess. I did find it muddy and compressed too much.

headstock the 81 should be the same with the 3 pin connector. emg recently lowered the price on the actives and duncan's are still pretty high.

What intrigued me about the duncans is that they react closer to passive than emg's but with the neat active characteristics of defined squeals and harmonics it is very defined I really had fun at the last gig with it. and the volume is closer to the jp7 which is nice when switching guitars at shows.

 

[look_at_her]

(I am not sure how are the 5 switch positions on the Luke if one of them involves splitting the coils from bridge !?)?

Sorry,Paulo-85 is not splittable...If you want coil splitting go for 89 as I did
to my Luke-great result!Also afaik 81 TW offers coil splitting and is hotter than 85.
Have fun with your Luke when arrives

 

[PaoloGilberto]

I think I wasn't too precise with my Q , I thought stock option on Luke includes splitting the 85 in the bridge...
So let me ask again: with the Blackout in the bridge can you have exactly the same switching configuration as you had with the original pick up?

 

[look_at_her]

I think I wasn't too precise with my Q , I thought stock option on Luke includes splitting the 85 in the bridge...

No.Go to the MM main page,find the Luke and check out he wiring diagrams.
Cheers

 

[jakedawgwhite88]

The switching with the blackout is the same as stock 85

 

[PaoloGilberto]

thanks! I checked the wiring diagram as "Look_at_her" suggested and saw that the 85 is not splited

I saw your Luke has piezo , so that does not complicate things on switching of pick-ups as I see you described ... !?

don't forget about a recording please

The switching with the blackout is the same as stock 85