Blackhawk vs Aftermath in a JP musicman (this decision is killing me)

[vinniemallet]

Hey guys sup!?

So I'm here asking for some help to pick a new pickup, I'm not satisfied with the Liquifire/Crunchlab combo, I'm feeling the crunchlab being too dark for rythm and I was looking for something different. I'm about to buy the aftermath combo or the blackhawk combo for my Musicman JP12-7 but I still not sure about the real difference between them, I like the ideia of the Blackhawks being based in a active pickup sound with passive dynamics but I also enjoy the Aftermath being tight as $%&# and good for low tunings. My guitar is based on this combinations:

25,5 scale
Mahogany Neck with ebony fretboard
Basswood body with mahogany toneblock and maple top
Tuned Drop G# or Drop Ab

I basically want br00tal, not saying a pickup full of output but a pickup with power, tightness and clarity at the same time. I'm not really inside vintage things and sounds so I just wanna basically transform my jp12-7 in a killing machine guitar. Influences being like: King Conquer, Whitechapel, Periphery, Veil Of Maya, The Faceless, Northlane etc. Basically br00tal and prog. What you guys think would be better? Any opinions about the Blackhawks and about the aftermaths here?

Thanks a lot!

[darrenw5094]

Metal is not my department, but the Painkiller sounds brootal and tight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQc_VAFI1fs

[darrenw5094]

Actually i didn't see you had narrowed it to the Aftermath or the Blackhawk.  :lol:

[vinniemallet]

Haha no problem! Painkiller is not my thing to be honest, I tried one some time ago, have a lot of mids and it's punchy but maybe too much for me.

Actually i didn't see you had narrowed it to the Aftermath or the Blackhawk.  :lol:

[Sarkasis]

Aftermath is going to sound more angry and abrasive than the Blackhawk, which I hear sounds more polished. I like my Aftermath, but I guess it's similar to the Painkiller so if you didn't like that the Aftermath might not be what you're looking for.

[fhn_lopes]

If you have a JP6 is because somehow you like petrucci's tone, right?

Assuming that, it's easier when you point to what era of JP's tone you're after... I'm not talking about nailing the tone, but to get the overall feeling.

If you seek early polished Ibenez era tones, I think the blackhawk is the one for you. Very clean yet powerfull, but with that really polished tone (it probably comes from the "active" side of the pickup).

If you seek 2000's era tones (metropolis pt2, 6 degrees) I'd say get a C-Bomb. Tight, muscular, clear and agressive.

If you seek nowadays tones I think the aftermath is the guy, as I hear petrucci's tone being more mid focused and somewhat a bit smoother in the low end.

If you like those fluid tones for easy fast picking/arpeggios in the neck position, I'd recomend you to take a look at the cold sweat neck, but not sure how it would balance with the other bridge pup's above.

I think all 3 pickups work well with low tunes too

[vinniemallet]

Hi man! Thanks for the aswner! Well to be honest I liked the painkiller I just think it's not my thing, the pickup is really full of mids and really really concetrated, I need something tight and agressive but with the power to sound full (it's really to explain haha) what's the biggest difference between the aftermath and the painkiller?

Aftermath is going to sound more angry and abrasive than the Blackhawk, which I hear sounds more polished. I like my Aftermath, but I guess it's similar to the Painkiller so if you didn't like that the Aftermath might not be what you're looking for.

[vinniemallet]

Thansk for the aswner but as I mentioned before I'm not trying to achieve any JP tone haha. I have a JP12-7 and ye I know its a petrucci signature but that doesnt mean its gonna sound like his sound. I bought the guitar because of the fantastic neck profile and wood combinations (one of the best ever for me) but I liked your comment and you gave me good references to compare the pickups I'm really between the aftermath and the blackhawk, I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on the Aftermath since you said it's more modern and designed for a "nowadays tone", the blackhawk seems more versatile right?

If you have a JP6 is because somehow you like petrucci's tone, right?

Assuming that, it's easier when you point to what era of JP's tone you're after... I'm not talking about nailing the tone, but to get the overall feeling.

If you seek early polished Ibenez era tones, I think the blackhawk is the one for you. Very clean yet powerfull, but with that really polished tone (it probably comes from the "active" side of the pickup).

If you seek 2000's era tones (metropolis pt2, 6 degrees) I'd say get a C-Bomb. Tight, muscular, clear and agressive.

If you seek nowadays tones I think the aftermath is the guy, as I hear petrucci's tone being more mid focused and somewhat a bit smoother in the low end.

If you like those fluid tones for easy fast picking/arpeggios in the neck position, I'd recomend you to take a look at the cold sweat neck, but not sure how it would balance with the other bridge pup's above.

I think all 3 pickups work well with low tunes too

[Slartibartfarst42]

I need something tight and agressive but with the power to sound full

Of the pickups I've tried, that sounds like a Miracle Man to me.

Of the ones you've mentioned, the Black Hawk seems very versatile and the Aftermath is as dry as a desert. The Aftermath seems to be comparable to the DiMarzio Super Distortion in many ways based on what I've read in recent threads.

[braintheory]

I agree, Miracle Man would be perfect for the bridge.  The aftermath and painkiller will lack the fullness (and the high mids of the PK can be annoying) and the black hawk will lack the aggression.  The aftermath also has a very "concentrated" sound you were talking about like the PK.  Also, the AM definitely has a dry sound like people mentioned, but not nearly as dry as most people on the forum say (those "drying out the sahara" comments are ridiculous and misleading). 

Also, the Miracle Man is also super tight (probably at least 90% as tight as the aftermath) and the lows are punchier and bigger, but it also has way more pronounced and sharper highs than either the PK or AM.  But the scoop in the upper mids and slight scoop in the center mids keep it darkish sounding, but that's also due to its huge, growly low mids, which give it the fullness.

For the neck, you also might like the Painkiller.  It's very punchy, focused, articulate, but still fluid.     

[Sarkasis]

Hi man! Thanks for the aswner! Well to be honest I liked the painkiller I just think it's not my thing, the pickup is really full of mids and really really concetrated, I need something tight and agressive but with the power to sound full (it's really to explain haha) what's the biggest difference between the aftermath and the painkiller?

In a way the Aftermath is even more full of mids. The Painkiller emphasizes the high mids and has more highs, and has more of a cold ceramic kind of precision, the Aftermath is just as tight but focused more on the whole midrange spectrum and has less lows. They're both pretty hot, very tight triple-magnet ceramic pickups so I guess there's some family resemblance.

If you can be more specific about what you're going for and how you want to go about it maybe there's another pickup that would also work for you. The alnico BKPs can be quite tight as well.

[vinniemallet]

Hi guys and thanks for all answers! Well I tried a miracle man like 1 year ago in a rg 1527 and wasn't really my thing, ofc could work in a different way in my guitar but I don't know, I just saw the Nolly video about the Black hawks and I really enjoyed the pickup, it sounded aggressive and maybe would be a good way for me since I enjoy some things about active pickups but I really love at the same time the clarity and pick response of the passive pickup. Like I said I was looking for something brutal but at the same time with a bunch of dynamics, a pickup that can easily respond to my pick attack and strength, I think the aftermath for the pick response would be the better choice but I feel the black hawk can do the same. I was listening to the Northlane album and they have a bunch of riffs going from heavy riffs, breakdowns etc to a bunch of riffs like this one on min 1:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdVW-uoikUg all recorded with black hawks. I'm thinking about going for a calibrated set of black-hawks with ceramic bridge because my guitar really have a dark combination of woods (I feel the alnico being more tight and less mid and treble so the ceramic can sound better and open the sound of my guitar). What you guys think? Someone correct me if I'm being dumb or totally wrong haha! One more time I really appreciate the effort and the help in this forum!

[JimmyMoorby]

The black hawk is extremely aggressive and brutal.  I've aways described it as such and can't see how any one could say otherwise. My only 'criticism' is it's not as versatile as people make out but it's way more angry than my nailbomb but a different and less versatile beast entirely.  I went for the alnico version as I had a weak / bright super strat guitar and it's turned it into an absolute metal monster.  I also chose the alnico version because I play in E flat.

If I were you i'd go for the Black Hawk ceramic bridge because of the drop tunings you use.  I'd imagine either the alnico or ceramic magnets would be cool for the neck pickup if used for soloing depends what youe after, id probably go ceramic again for more modern tones and drop tunings whereas as id personally go for alnico.  Hell the aftermath pickup could be good for this as people say it sounds petrucciesque and obviously Misha uses this pickup too.  I think both Misha and Petrucci have a great soling tone although I prefer Petrucci a lot more personally.

If you want extreme the black hawk is the way to go.  Lots of people recommend the miracle man which is fair enough but it sounds mushy and flabby to me I dread to think what it would sound like with drop tunings but thats just me as if i play extreme music it's more agresive thrash or death metal as opposed to all this newer stuff!

[vinniemallet]

Thanks for the review man! I'll give blackhawk set a test! I'm really looking forward to sound brutal and really dynamic, like you said maybe going ceramic it's the best option, I totally agree with u about the miracle man I felt the same in the rg 1527 I tested! Thanks for all aswners I guess this topic is closed for now :D!

Cheers!

The black hawk is extremely aggressive and brutal.  I've aways described it as such and can't see how any one could say otherwise. My only 'criticism' is it's not as versatile as people make out but it's way more angry than my nailbomb but a different and less versatile beast entirely.  I went for the alnico version as I had a weak / bright super strat guitar and it's turned it into an absolute metal monster.  I also chose the alnico version because I play in E flat.

If I were you i'd go for the Black Hawk ceramic bridge because of the drop tunings you use.  I'd imagine either the alnico or ceramic magnets would be cool for the neck pickup if used for soloing depends what youe after, id probably go ceramic again for more modern tones and drop tunings whereas as id personally go for alnico.  Hell the aftermath pickup could be good for this as people say it sounds petrucciesque and obviously Misha uses this pickup too.  I think both Misha and Petrucci have a great soling tone although I prefer Petrucci a lot more personally.

If you want extreme the black hawk is the way to go.  Lots of people recommend the miracle man which is fair enough but it sounds mushy and flabby to me I dread to think what it would sound like with drop tunings but thats just me as if i play extreme music it's more agresive thrash or death metal as opposed to all this newer stuff!

[Kiichi]

Just a quick throw in if it is of any use still on the AM: When I tried my set I would not really assosiate the bridge with JP personally. The neck on the other hand really got me the feel of early Petrucci tones. That Awake feel was there for my liking. Playing things from that aera, especially the intro solo of Innocence Faded was always a joy.