Nailbombs output question

[Jason Muxlow]

Hi, all...

Bullet points for clarity:

• Recorded rhythm tracks on 7-string with an Invader pickup
• Recorded leads on an SG with Nailbombs (SN# NB1007 - matched pair)
• Recorded DI for all guitars.

Surprised to see that the Nailbombs tracked a much "softer" / quieter / weaker DI signal than the Invader. They didn't even track as hot as my bandmates stock Ibanez pickups.

It sounds great, but aren't NBs supposed to be "high output" humbuckers?

I wouldn't even care to ask but I had some fancy pants wiring done (6-way Free Way switch / Hovland caps) and am wondering if something got wired wrong.

Thanks!

[ericsabbath]

surprised?
the invader is one of the hottest output pickups out there
it has 3 huge ceramic magnets and those ugly screws
I'm not sure if even a c-pig would reach that output level

the nailbomb was actually much hotter than I expected from an alnico 5 pickup

[Jason Muxlow]

I'm not a gear head at all, so I don't really keep up on what's hot or not.

If that doesn't raise any eyebrows here, I'm a happy guy.

[Keven]

BKP's are softer, true but listen to the tone. the clarity you get from the pups is awesome. it's not just about mashing the amp with too much output. it's about putting out what the guitar is meant to.

[Jason Muxlow]

As I said, they SOUND great. I just thought they were a high-output pickup, which in light of the complicated wiring I had done made me question whether the wiring was done correctly. They're not, my wiring is good (thank god) and I'm happy. No complaints.

[Keven]

apologies if my reply felt condescending. it really wasn't. i had the same doubts as you when i got my first BKP's but with thorough listening i knew that what i was missing really wasn't missing from my tone :D

glad you get on with your NB's. i sure love my BD. it's a shame i ordered mine a year ago. Tim just started putting out alot of options for 7 strings :(

[Transcend]

Also the stock ibanez pickups especially if theyre the new actives or the v7/v8 are really really hot hence how muddy they are.

I also thought that BKPs would be a lot hotter but as previously said i soon realised it was all in the ton e

[Tim]

You're comparing Nailbombs which are Alnico powered with ceramic powered pickups so they won't have similar output. If it's a fire-breather you want then that's where the Painkiller comes in, masses of output but plenty of clarity and definition with it.

[ericsabbath]

Also the stock ibanez pickups especially if theyre the new actives or the v7/v8 are really really hot hence how muddy they are.

the INF models are also VERY hot
and for some reason, the bridge model is alnico and the neck is ceramic  :?
my friend swapped them for a warpig set and got disappoint with the output compared to the stock pups
he wanted something in the gibson 500t ballpark. so he swapped th bridge warpig for a painkiller

[Antag]

Yeah, I found something similar when I first put nailbombs in.

But despite the relatively mild output, they have so much aggression & dynamics to them.  Sorry if that isn't a great description, but they just have something I can't quite put my finger on that rewards really aggressive playing.

Also, for me they feel hotter in brighter guitars - that old post I linked above was when I put them in a LP, but when I put them in an alder strat, they seemed to "sizzle" the clean channel a bit more, as if they suited the wood combination a bit better (NB: it was the same pickup that I swapped from LP to DK2M so not a variation between two different ones).

& regardless of output they leave the Invader for dead in terms of clarity...

[Transcend]

I can second the different woods/guitar theory too as i found it to be a lot better in superstrats than in my les paul.

It seemed as if all the thick wood of the LP was holding the PUP back somewhat

[Alex]

I have an Invader as well, I consider the fact that I bought it youthful folly nowadays.

Way too hot, compressed and undynamic. My EMG81 has more dynamics and a more transparent sound.

Heavy sounds aren't about output really, especially since nowadays most preamps have way more gain than you need. The nailbomb should smoke the Invader in terms of tonal quality.