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**jem777az** · 01-09-2003, 11:35 AM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

The Invader is a very nice pickup, but for strictly 80's metal I'm not too sure its the best choice. I have one in my XTRR which is alder, but it has an Ebony board unlike your guitar which will have maple. I think the Invader sounds great in an alder bodied guitar. Its only downside is that it doesn't clean up that well. Its a balls to the wall high output metal pickup.

I would suggest either a Duncan Custom or JB in the bridge. There were and still are a ton of 80's guitarists who used these models. They both clean up much better than the Invader. Out of the two I prefer the Custom its not quite as bright as the JB IMO.

**chrisolson** · 01-09-2003, 03:04 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Neck pickup? [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] I'll have to try one of those sometime!! [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I was thinking about it over lunch (yeah - I have no life and lots of time to think - scary...), Jake E Lee used JBs also, as did Warren Dimartini. EVH used the Custom in the early days. So there are some big names that define the 80's for ya - and I don't think many of them used anything in the pickup class of the Invader - even Viv Campbell used the Full Shred for awhile, and I've had that pickup as well - NOT my favorite either - I found it to have nice overtones, but there was something off in the EQ, and it didn't have the gain of the JB, which I had in most of my other guitars at the time.

**StuTDavis** · 01-09-2003, 03:23 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

I'm just curious about this, and maybe it might actually help someone by asking...

You guys who say you like the Invader, but "it gets muddy" or whatever...have you ever tried sticking an EQ in the mix and LOWERING the lowering the levels with it?

I ask, because, chances are, if you think a pickup "gets muddy", you probably already know, but, what's happening is you are acutally just overdriving the front end of your amp--feeding it more Input through the pickup than the amp was designed to handle, so it distorts the signal. In particular, when you feed it a lot more "bass" in the signal, and overdrive the front end, this causes "mud". So...if you like the pickup otherwise, you could try using an EQ pedal to lower the bass frequencies in particular and, if it still distorts on your clean channel, you could try lowering other frequencies, and/or drop the overall Output Level on the EQ until it's not distorting anymore. This would be a way to help the guitar be more versatile, sound better, and not "muddy up" your amp's distorted signal, or cause unwanted distortion to your clean channel.

Just thought I'd plop that on there, in case it might help someone.

[ January 09, 2003, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: StuTDavis ]

**Econ** · 01-09-2003, 03:39 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Thanks a lot guys forall the responses. I guess the Invader is then out of the question. I already have a GMW Guitar (Mahogany body with maple cap and ebony board) that has a JB trembucker. I can get nice sounds when soloing, but I find it a little thin on the bass side. I need something similar to the JB but with more bass response. Maybe the Custom is the way to go.

**jem777az** · 01-09-2003, 05:05 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Originally posted by StuTDavis:
[QB]
You guys who say you like the Invader, but "it gets muddy" or whatever...have you ever tried sticking an EQ in the mix and LOWERING the lowering the levels with it?

QB]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have an Invader in one of my guitars and have no problem with it getting muddy at all. I think it all depends on what kind of wood the guitar is made of, and more importantly what your eq settings are and how much gain you have.

**Blitzkrieg** · 01-09-2003, 05:20 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Wood is a huge factor...a pup might sound amazing in a lighter alder body but sound muddy and dry in a heavy mahogany bady.

**sully** · 01-09-2003, 05:39 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

another fan of the duncan distortion over here... cant go wrong with one, imo

sully

**Erock420** · 01-09-2003, 06:47 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

I used to have an invader in my SG. It sounded like ****t. Duncan Distortion all the way! Go to the website and you dont have to buy the sample CD, the clips are downloadable in like 10 seconds, go there and crank up your speakers, they used the same axe, amp and settings for all the different models, the subtle differences are really amazing once your ear notices them.

**SARJ** · 01-09-2003, 06:48 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Muddy Invaderitis is easy to cure. Currently I use my Jackson DK2 equipped with a Duncan Distortion in the bridge through my Morely Wah, BOSS Metal Zone, DOD FX9 Delay and then into my CRATE GX65. I generaly suck all the mids out, crank the bass and dial in my treble to about 6 on my amp and then suck the mids out on my Metal Zone and adjust the bass and treble accordingly. I cannot use this same setup with an Invader eqipped guitar, namely the Fender Tom Delong Strats I used to have and the one I'm about to get. I have to re-set bottom/mid/top to un-mud it. An EQ pedal would not be such a bad idea though. I think the combo of an Invader in a bolt-on guitar tuned in D, B, C and drop D sounds great. The bolt on neck keeps it sharper and way less muddy than on a set neck or neck through. The Fender TD Strat I bought is made of alder and I've heard the Invader in basswood, mahogony and poplar and it does seem to be much more muddy in those types of woods especialy mahogony, but that could just be me. One thing I'm going to try is to put one of my spare Distortion buckers in my new Strat to see if it makes any difference when tuned to D, C, and B and then go from there. Bottom line, if I had to choose just one pickup I would choose a Seymour Duncan Distortion, but it's fun to try new things. Best advise would be to just try it out. If it sounds like you want it to sound, keep it. Be critical and try everything before finalizing your decision. The 3 pickups that define 80's metal to me are Seymour Duncan JB, Seymour Duncan Distortion and the EMG 81.

**TattooedCarrot** · 01-09-2003, 07:11 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

I have an Invader in an alder warmoth strat and I use it for heavy heavy stuf. I play in drop Db and C# through a rectoverb and it isn't muddy at all. Very crisp but lots and lots of low thump.

For 80's stuff I'd stick with a JB (too bright for me in alder), Custom (good choice), or Distortion.

**slayer** · 01-09-2003, 07:49 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

EMG 81 [img]graemlins/drool2.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img] I loved the TD Stat with the Invader, thru a Peavy XXX, not muddy at all and was awsome plam muting with it [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] I ordered a TD Strat and didn`t have enough credit on my MF card, so now I can`t get it [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/poke.gif[/img] Jack.

**toejam** · 01-09-2003, 11:49 PM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

I have two Invaders in my Kelly XLR. It's a bolt on neck/rosewood board, poplar body. I think they sound great and aren't muddy and seem to clean up pretty well, IMO. They do have more bass punch and some mids, but the highs seems well-balanced in there, too. I think they need to be lowered a little since the amp seems to pick up more overtones and harmonics when doing fast stops.

I think the Full Shred would be a great pup to compliment it in the neck since it's got more highs. Jackson uses this combo on the USA Warriors. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[ January 09, 2003, 10:51 PM: Message edited by: toejam ]

**vitovanhalen** · 01-10-2003, 01:06 AM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

I'm with Jem on his recommendation. I have all three mentioned throughout this thread and of those the Duncan custom is my favorite. FYI - Vivian Campbell used the Invader for most Last in Line and sacred Heart recordings and in all his guitars on both those tours.

**chrisolson** · 01-10-2003, 01:19 AM

Re: Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80\'s metal?

Are you talking 80's HEAVY metal - Metal Church, old Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, - things of that nature, or are you talking more like 80's Pop Metal - White Lion, Poison, Bon Jovi, etc.?

The JB and the Duncan Custom are both cool pickups! Some of my favorites - but let's not forget the Duncan Distortion - George Lynch's early pickup of choice. The Custom Custom is also very cool - I'm a JB guy, and I think the Custom Custom is similar in texture to it.

I've had a Kramer Beretta (the old one with the tilt-back banana headstock) that had an Invader in it - I thought while being very loud, it lacked character and you really had to keep your gain in check otherwise it got REALLY muddy. That's one pickup I'll just never like no matter how hard I try to talk myself into it...

[ January 09, 2003, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: chris_olson ]

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Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80's metal?

Is the Seymour Duncan Invader a good pickup for 80's metal?

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