Awesome sound. I especially like the neck position sound. Twangy and crisp but still dark and mysterious. It's both warm and cold sounding a the same time.
I did the unthinkable ... I took my gibson Les Paul Tribute, I got completely sick of the 498T and 490R mud ... no matter how I set them up they sounded way too dark and muddy at any level of gain except light crunch or clean. I install a Black Winter set, with the 300k pots expecting nothing ... simply put: THEY ARE AWESOME!!!! Not as face ripping as with 500k pots but omg! The clarity, harmonics and feeling are of another world! they have that warmness with crisp clarity that I can't really put into words, sound great on clean, crunch, light gain and full blown 11 gain ... not juist for metal these pickups!!! OH NO!!! Not at all!
Black Winters are super rad. Bought a used mark 1 Schecter KM-7 a few years ago, and the previous owner loaded with Black Winters. I'm always so pleasantly surprised by how great they sound clean. The Black Winter / 5150 III EL34 / Plumes - Palisades combo gives me life.
Badass tune! Thanks for making this video. It's one of the better reviews I can find. Sounds great. Solidified my choice to buy a Black Winter set. Thanks MHP!
My Charvel came with the Nazgûl Trembucker Blacked out. I decided to order the Black Winter in Red and Blacked out. We’ll see how different it sounds and looks 🙂
That sounds good! Beautiful tones! I recently bought a Fernandes guitar with an Floyd Rose, an SD Black Winter in the bridge and an Fernandes active sustainer element in the neck. I'm trying the SD Black Winter pickup on my Orange Crush RT 35 and Marshall tube amp today. Thanks for the inspiration!
@ Metalhead productions Awesome vid; I am sort of split between the Fishman Modern set and SD Black Winters. I play straight Death metal, so ofcourse I would want to have the thickest sound possible. But I did notice that the Fishman have a great amount of midrange attack which was a bit mellow with Black Winters. But correct me if I am wrong. And I'd be grateful for your verdict. The axe is ESP LTD EC1000 (All Mahogany)
Cool video, but you have WRONG specs. DCR for 6 string is: 13n & 16.6b/for 7 string is:16n & 20.4b/for 8 string is: 18.2n & 23.2b. You have 6 string version.
@Metalhead Productions I just got my Solar and I'm gonna replace the pickups as well. I want to get more flesh to my sound, a bit more Cavallera, so would you recommend Black Winter or Lace Aluma X? Oh I forgot to mention I play on a 7-string, standard tuning or drop A.
Hey Man,another great video.I was debating about getting black winters a while ago but never did in the end.Im thinking on my next adventure about maybe getting these or Fishman classics?.which would you go for?.Thanks
Depends, I love both. The classics are in my top 3 for fishman, but the black winters are probably in my top 5 pickups ever. The classics are going to be less output, more versatile with the three voicings, but the black winters have this nastiness and thickness that the classics don't, and are much hotter. If I was going for an all arounder guitar, the classics, if I was putting them in a guitar for stuff like death metal, black metal and thrash metal, the black winters.
Since you own both, I figured id ask. I have always loved these pickups but I also am very interested in the Fishman Devin Townsend set. Both set are extremely versatile, Fishman for obvious reasons but a split Black WInter is a very pleasant sound. Which set do you prefer?
Definitely very different. The Dev fishmana are my favorite high output active pickups. They're pretty tight and cutting, one of the few pickups that doesn't need a boost. The black winters awesome of my favorite passive pickups, a fatter and darker than the dev set, depending on the amp and tuning, might need a boost. Dev set is more versatile and the coil split is gorgeous. The black winters are thick, and uniquely nasty. Hard to choose really.
Hi yeah! I need help here, I'm split between two guitars (1) ESP Ltd EC1000 - Black Metal 6 string, All Mahogany, Black Satin, Single humbucker Blackened Black Winter Or (2) ESP Ltd EC1000S Fluence Tiger Eye (exact same as yours). I play Death Metal, so for me high gain output is important but also, I would like to sound like Opeth instrumentally. Could you give me your insight and ask me whether I didn't give you the info for deiciding which one to go for?
I wrote the music for this, I have it up on my Bandcamp, and the intro music is a song called without god, and it will be released on an album I'm working on.
question: How come you got a higher DCR results? while at SD website says it only got 16.6kOhms DCR, how did that happen? did you added some modifications aside from the wirings?
I plan to put a Crunch Lab in the bridge and a Winter at the neck, I don't know why, I am still undecided, but would that be a good idea, is the neck good with winters? I am Prog, Thrash and Black Metal, sometimes death metal too, and I am trying to get it all in one.
Sounds great. How do you record your guitars? I’ve sold some gear with the intent of purchasing EZ drummer 2 and either a two notes captor X or the archetype nolly plug in. Kind of torn since I already have some more expensive tube amps but can’t mic them in my new place due to neighbours. Great video dude. Subscribed.
I go into one of my amps, then into a two notes captor, I'm looking to upgrade to a captorx, then into a two notes cab pedal then into my interface for all my guitar tones.
Metalhead Productions thanks for helping me make my decision. You have an excellent choice in gear. Debating buying a fortin pedal to replace my old Zakk Wylde mxr overdrive.
@@JayBruceWorld that zakk ODs are cool. I had one back in the day. I do really love my Fortin boosts and drives, the hex in particular is one of my favorites.
Sick vid brotha. How does the black winter compare to the stock Duncan solar. My new solar v with evertune sounds a tad thin maybe cause of the evertune system. What would I expect from the swap? Thanks in advance.
The duncan solar pickups are fairly balanced and neutral sounding, and there isn't a lot of output going on the black heaven is hotter, chunkier, and more aggressive.
Excellent video 🤘🤘. I have a question for you? I have a Duncan full shred in the bridge and a jazz in the neck position of my Charvel pro mod. In your opinion.... Do you think just getting the one bridge winter black and keeping the jazz in the neck would be a good combo??? Or just go full winter black in both positions?? I greatly appreciate your opinion, great playing too man🤘🤘
Honestly it's a very good pickup. Yet I'm not sure to keep it or get the full winter set. Time will tell. Thank you very much for your opinion, and again... Great pickup. Yes I play metal, but when you flip up to the neck position pickup the sound is smooth yet has a little bite to it. Tough choice. Yup... Us guitar players lol.
@@bruce5168 haha I get it. I asked if it was already good for you because for a lot of metal playing, we're using the bridge, and I love the black winter for that. The output, the huge midrange, so good, love how it hits my amps. The black winter neck pickup pairs great with the bridge, really hot and mid focused, but if you already have a neck pickup you like, which you do, I'd say don't worry about it and just go for the bridge.
Great video man! Is the solar guitar swamp ash? If so those black winters are really surprising. Heavy tone with a really pronounced sweetness and vocal-like dynamic, really evident in some parts of the song. I'm also curious about the Mad Hatter too, looking to get a single volume kit. How much do you think that contributes to the tone?
Yeah, swamp ash, and honestly, the body wood doesn't play the role in a guitar tone that so many think it does. The pickups, guitar construction and even things like pick thickness and material are what are going to actually effects your tone. I've had black winters in a couple of all mahogany guitars, one alder and this swamp ash and the pickup sounds the same in all of them. Yeah, the mad hatter stuff definitely adds back some top end clarity. I have a video on the terminator system where I have a before installation and after and there is definitely a noticable difference in tone.
@@MetalHeadProductions So, you think they will sound good on my ESP SV? 25.5'' with fixed bridge. It's an alder body guitar, with maple neck and ebony fingerboard. The guitar is very bright and resonant, i'm worried about they could sound too sharp without enough depth.
Dude picks so gently I couldn’t possibly compare any tone he gets. Pick attack matters so much when it comes to tone. He seems to dig them so good on him.
Nah man. These pickups sound good. He’s clearly playing in the style and using the tone they are meant to play. Black metal don’t sound like Metallica. It’s meant to be raw and cutting. Matter of opinion though. 🤘🏻
Proud owner of Black winter. Glorious pickup.
Bridge or neck?
@@Apexanderth3gr8 Bridge
hea1_b0t cool thinking about picking one up today
@@hea1_b0t Im seriously considering to buy it... how yours hold up? im curious
@@lordberly great, works like a champ.
Awesome sound. I especially like the neck position sound. Twangy and crisp but still dark and mysterious. It's both warm and cold sounding a the same time.
I did the unthinkable ... I took my gibson Les Paul Tribute, I got completely sick of the 498T and 490R mud ... no matter how I set them up they sounded way too dark and muddy at any level of gain except light crunch or clean. I install a Black Winter set, with the 300k pots expecting nothing ... simply put: THEY ARE AWESOME!!!! Not as face ripping as with 500k pots but omg! The clarity, harmonics and feeling are of another world! they have that warmness with crisp clarity that I can't really put into words, sound great on clean, crunch, light gain and full blown 11 gain ... not juist for metal these pickups!!! OH NO!!! Not at all!
Hell yeah man. Badass you played a SKELETONWITCH song in this.
I put one in my 86 G&L Rampage, incredible. Incredible guitar neck with an incredible pickup.
I own the black winter matched set and I wouldn't use any other pickup. Best pickups ever 😊
Black Winters are super rad.
Bought a used mark 1 Schecter KM-7 a few years ago, and the previous owner loaded with Black Winters. I'm always so pleasantly surprised by how great they sound clean.
The Black Winter / 5150 III EL34 / Plumes - Palisades combo gives me life.
Props for the Red Ribbon army sweatband lol
Badass tune! Thanks for making this video. It's one of the better reviews I can find. Sounds great. Solidified my choice to buy a Black Winter set. Thanks MHP!
Those are riffs from a skeletonwitch song called unending everliving, those guys write killer riffs, and use black winters. Love these pickups.
@@MetalHeadProductions They really sound great. I can't wait to get a set. Maybe for Xmas...
Skeletonwitch was exactly what I wanted to hear through these. Fuck yeah.
My Charvel came with the Nazgûl Trembucker Blacked out. I decided to order the Black Winter in Red and Blacked out. We’ll see how different it sounds and looks 🙂
Black Winters are hands-down my favorit e 6 string Duncan 🤘
Killer demo, bro! You really show all that this pickup is capable of! Great playing too! 👍
Thanks man, rocking two Invaders at the moment. Gonna pick up these for my next set 🤘 Very informative dude, thank you.
i like this pivckup in combination with the wgs reaper hp speaker for black metal tones
That sounds good! Beautiful tones! I recently bought a Fernandes guitar with an Floyd Rose, an SD Black Winter in the bridge and an Fernandes active sustainer element in the neck. I'm trying the SD Black Winter pickup on my Orange Crush RT 35 and Marshall tube amp today. Thanks for the inspiration!
I swapped the ceramics for an Alnico 9. Makes it even better sounding.
Great work! Didn't you know you were Red Ribbon though..
I just recently tried the BW 7s and was shocked by how much they sound like the Custom
@ Metalhead productions Awesome vid; I am sort of split between the Fishman Modern set and SD Black Winters.
I play straight Death metal, so ofcourse I would want to have the thickest sound possible. But I did notice that the Fishman have a great amount of midrange attack which was a bit mellow with Black Winters.
But correct me if I am wrong. And I'd be grateful for your verdict.
The axe is ESP LTD EC1000 (All Mahogany)
This video made my day 🤘
Cool video, but you have WRONG specs.
DCR for 6 string is: 13n & 16.6b/for 7 string is:16n & 20.4b/for 8 string is: 18.2n & 23.2b. You have 6 string version.
Funny enough I'm not seeing any of the resistances listed on the Lundgren site anymore so I can't confirm.
I heard Behemoth in there! Sounded like Daimonos from Evangelion. Sweet demo too
Skeletonwitch vibes for sure
It’s absolutely skeleton witch hahahah
Thought the same shit bro
@Metalhead Productions I just got my Solar and I'm gonna replace the pickups as well. I want to get more flesh to my sound, a bit more Cavallera, so would you recommend Black Winter or Lace Aluma X? Oh I forgot to mention I play on a 7-string, standard tuning or drop A.
Personally, I prefer the black winters out of those two, but in my solar 7 for drop A I use a Ragnarok and I really dig that.
Hey Man,another great video.I was debating about getting black winters a while ago but never did in the end.Im thinking on my next adventure about maybe getting these or Fishman classics?.which would you go for?.Thanks
Depends, I love both. The classics are in my top 3 for fishman, but the black winters are probably in my top 5 pickups ever. The classics are going to be less output, more versatile with the three voicings, but the black winters have this nastiness and thickness that the classics don't, and are much hotter.
If I was going for an all arounder guitar, the classics, if I was putting them in a guitar for stuff like death metal, black metal and thrash metal, the black winters.
Need these
Since you own both, I figured id ask. I have always loved these pickups but I also am very interested in the Fishman Devin Townsend set. Both set are extremely versatile, Fishman for obvious reasons but a split Black WInter is a very pleasant sound. Which set do you prefer?
Definitely very different. The Dev fishmana are my favorite high output active pickups. They're pretty tight and cutting, one of the few pickups that doesn't need a boost. The black winters awesome of my favorite passive pickups, a fatter and darker than the dev set, depending on the amp and tuning, might need a boost.
Dev set is more versatile and the coil split is gorgeous. The black winters are thick, and uniquely nasty. Hard to choose really.
@@MetalHeadProductions Awesome, thanks for the insight! It will make choosing a pickup set for my current build much easier.
Hi yeah! I need help here, I'm split between two guitars
(1) ESP Ltd EC1000 - Black Metal
6 string, All Mahogany, Black Satin, Single humbucker Blackened Black Winter
Or
(2) ESP Ltd EC1000S Fluence Tiger Eye (exact same as yours).
I play Death Metal, so for me high gain output is important but also, I would like to sound like Opeth instrumentally.
Could you give me your insight and ask me whether I didn't give you the info for deiciding which one to go for?
Great ... what the group is called and what track you play at the beginning of the video ...thx
I wrote the music for this, I have it up on my Bandcamp, and the intro music is a song called without god, and it will be released on an album I'm working on.
@@MetalHeadProductions Great...what's the thickness of the strings
@@NESMRTNOST 11-56
These or Seymour Duncan hot rails for metal/hardcore? Need help kings.
question: How come you got a higher DCR results? while at SD website says it only got 16.6kOhms DCR, how did that happen? did you added some modifications aside from the wirings?
I plan to put a Crunch Lab in the bridge and a Winter at the neck, I don't know why, I am still undecided, but would that be a good idea, is the neck good with winters? I am Prog, Thrash and Black Metal, sometimes death metal too, and I am trying to get it all in one.
Personally I really like the black winter pickup set, but the neck is s great neck of pickup
Holy shit! Are Black Winters that hot?! 18k for the neck an 23k for the bridge?
Not entirely sure, but ohms don't necessarily translate to output, they can but it's kinda complicated
No mutes correctament!!!
Sounds great. How do you record your guitars?
I’ve sold some gear with the intent of purchasing EZ drummer 2 and either a two notes captor X or the archetype nolly plug in. Kind of torn since I already have some more expensive tube amps but can’t mic them in my new place due to neighbours.
Great video dude. Subscribed.
Get the captor. Love mine. Why use a sim if you can have the real thing and already own good amps.
DaveElwoodCutter thanks brother, that’s a good point!
I go into one of my amps, then into a two notes captor, I'm looking to upgrade to a captorx, then into a two notes cab pedal then into my interface for all my guitar tones.
Metalhead Productions thanks for helping me make my decision. You have an excellent choice in gear. Debating buying a fortin pedal to replace my old Zakk Wylde mxr overdrive.
@@JayBruceWorld that zakk ODs are cool. I had one back in the day. I do really love my Fortin boosts and drives, the hex in particular is one of my favorites.
Sick vid brotha. How does the black winter compare to the stock Duncan solar. My new solar v with evertune sounds a tad thin maybe cause of the evertune system. What would I expect from the swap? Thanks in advance.
The duncan solar pickups are fairly balanced and neutral sounding, and there isn't a lot of output going on the black heaven is hotter, chunkier, and more aggressive.
What's your preference between Black Winter and Nazgul for 6-String?
Black Winter Waay Sweeter Cleans
I just scored some of these for free lol
Killer score
Hey man nice video! Where’d you get your shirt?
Excellent video 🤘🤘. I have a question for you? I have a Duncan full shred in the bridge and a jazz in the neck position of my Charvel pro mod. In your opinion.... Do you think just getting the one bridge winter black and keeping the jazz in the neck would be a good combo??? Or just go full winter black in both positions?? I greatly appreciate your opinion, great playing too man🤘🤘
The black winter is higher output and more mid focused than a fullshred for sure.
@@MetalHeadProductions so get the set, better off?? Cause I thought just the bridge. Keep the jazz,
@@bruce5168 that jazz is a good neck pickup, I'd you dig it, keep it
Honestly it's a very good pickup. Yet I'm not sure to keep it or get the full winter set. Time will tell. Thank you very much for your opinion, and again... Great pickup. Yes I play metal, but when you flip up to the neck position pickup the sound is smooth yet has a little bite to it. Tough choice. Yup... Us guitar players lol.
@@bruce5168 haha I get it. I asked if it was already good for you because for a lot of metal playing, we're using the bridge, and I love the black winter for that. The output, the huge midrange, so good, love how it hits my amps. The black winter neck pickup pairs great with the bridge, really hot and mid focused, but if you already have a neck pickup you like, which you do, I'd say don't worry about it and just go for the bridge.
Great video man!
Is the solar guitar swamp ash? If so those black winters are really surprising. Heavy tone with a really pronounced sweetness and vocal-like dynamic, really evident in some parts of the song.
I'm also curious about the Mad Hatter too, looking to get a single volume kit. How much do you think that contributes to the tone?
Yeah, swamp ash, and honestly, the body wood doesn't play the role in a guitar tone that so many think it does. The pickups, guitar construction and even things like pick thickness and material are what are going to actually effects your tone. I've had black winters in a couple of all mahogany guitars, one alder and this swamp ash and the pickup sounds the same in all of them.
Yeah, the mad hatter stuff definitely adds back some top end clarity. I have a video on the terminator system where I have a before installation and after and there is definitely a noticable difference in tone.
@@MetalHeadProductions Thanks for taking the time to reply dude! I'll be picking up some black winters and mad hatter system for definite 🤘
@@MetalHeadProductions So, you think they will sound good on my ESP SV? 25.5'' with fixed bridge. It's an alder body guitar, with maple neck and ebony fingerboard. The guitar is very bright and resonant, i'm worried about they could sound too sharp without enough depth.
@@matteog.6909 I don't think you'll have an issue with the black winters not sounding deep enough or too bright at all.
On the EVH 5150 III, was that the Stealth version?
Yeah that's the version I own
Deciding between these, deathbuckers, or dimarzios, do you have any input on what I should pick?
Depends on what you're playing, but of those, personally I prefer the black winters.
Hi mate, have you ever tried Black Winters in a 7 string? Got any examples?
I have and I just put up a comparison video that includes the black winter 7 string pickup
Thinking of putting these in a schecter pt. What do you guys think?
They sound best in a solid Mahogany body or an Alder Strat in the bridge. They sound shrill in basswood guitar's.
What tunings are those riffs in? Sounds sick
those riffs are from a skeletonwitch song called unending, everliving, originally played instandard, but Im playing in c#
@@MetalHeadProductions thanks! Those black winters and low tunings are a perfect fit.
I think neck pickup suck's to my taste
Dude picks so gently I couldn’t possibly compare any tone he gets.
Pick attack matters so much when it comes to tone. He seems to dig them so good on him.
How do they compare to bkp aftermath?
this vs. EMG 57?
are these pickups on the darker side or bright side??
Lots of mid range and definitely more lower mods than cutting upper mids.
Love these pick ups really want to get a set but I can't justify £200 or so quid for the pair
I saw they're worth it for sure, but I feel ya
sound kind of weak and cheesy to me closer to ded leopard vs Metallica old. think emg 57 66 sound way better
Nah man. These pickups sound good. He’s clearly playing in the style and using the tone they are meant to play. Black metal don’t sound like Metallica. It’s meant to be raw and cutting. Matter of opinion though. 🤘🏻