Black Dog vs Alnico Nailbomb - 7 string PRS

[timmy_pix]

Evening all,

My PRS SE SVN needs some new pickups, and I've narrowed it down to the Black Dog or the Alnico Nailbomb.

Mahogany body, maple neck and top, 26.5" scale, tuned to drop G (ie, drop A one step down). Acoustically the guitar's quite bright with a round bass, not a whole lot of presence in the mids.

Musically, I've recently joined a band that's best described as progressive metal - Gojira/death metally style riffs with Opethy cleaner sections.
Here's some cr@ppy practice demos to give you an idea:
(Song 1)https://www.dropbox.com/s/asih60cfwslaspx/Brothers.wav?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR1yUUzxePp-M0dGGYCEmn_ZWXEp3fmDuuQ2ZbXcPndvm1wlwhIZ5GSStMs;
(Song 2) https://www.dropbox.com/s/b7p7woirofivlh3/####!!alt.wav?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR2sQZIYqg7ntUEUJUM6LcOs2JALL79dmcezVoAcoEWAHjJ-8zOsr5QAOJ8

I've spoken to the BKP team on the phone, and they recommended, in order, 1) Black Dog, 2) Holydiver, 3) Alnico Nailbomb.
They described the Black Dog as being less hot vintage and more "low-output modern", with strong mids, an aggressive tone and excellent clarity, which basically ticks all my boxes.
I've just put a Holydiver set in another guitar and it does what I want there, but I don't think it's what I want from this guitar. The BKP team said to basically think of the Black Dog as a tamed Nailbomb, so if I do want more output that's probably the way to go, but it does come with a whole load of extra bass.

I'm 90% set on the Black Dog - everything I've read (pretty much every thread on this forum and others) and my conversations with the team certainly push me that way. It's got the mids this guitar needs, the aggression, but it can be dialed back quite happily too. I've also read plenty about the A-Bomb not always coping well with low tunings.

All that said, I'm listening to the modern metal clips on the website and I keep being drawn to the Nailbomb, and the Black Dog just sounds like it's lacking some bass and is a little honky for me. Now it could be that my guitar and the tuning will be providing all the low end I need and the guitar, as I say, needs mids.

So, am I overthinking this and worrying over nothing? Has anyone got experience of either/both in a similar application?

This is all bridge pickups I'm talking by the way - I'm assuming matching neck is the best way to go with either set, and both sound nice on the clips. I have to say I've been a little disappointed to with the Holydiver neck in the set I've recently acquired, so if anyone thinks either pickup has a better match than the calibrated set, please say.

[darkandrew]

I love my Nailbombs so much that I've got already got them in 2 guitars and I'm thinking about putting a third set in another guitar. They don't have as big a bottom end as you possibly think - yes They are "full" in the lower regions but not excessively so. They have a reputation for not liking low tunings, although one of the guitars I've got a set in is permanently tuned down to D Standard and has fairly heavy strings, and that sounds great but I've never taken it lower. Sonically I'd describe them as being very flat but with quite a high high frequency peak which gives them their distinctive cutting edge. They also have a very distinctive raspy / hairy characteristic to their sound which I love but some people aren't so keen on. As I've said, I really like them, in fact I'd go so far as to say that they are my favourite pickup but it's quite a personal thing and one man's wine can be another man's vinegar.

[Telerocker]

The polysol wire sets the Black Dog apart from the other vintage(hot) pickups. It's the most modern lower output BKP.  I would follow the advice of the BKP-team.

[gila_crisis]

I can't speak about the Black Dog, but I have 2 sets of Nailbomb Alnico in a Baritone guitar, and a 7 string guitar.
I love these pickups a lot (had then first in the baritone, and I liked them so much I got a set also for the 7 string).
For the these NB handles really well low tuning. I've never had the feeling something is wrong.

[timmy_pix]

Thanks Joel - what tuning have you got the Nailbomb in on your 7? Does it stay tight and clear? Also, how would you say the cleans are?

[gila_crisis]

you're welcome Timmy!

standart 7 string tuning: B-E-A-D-G-B-E
guitar has 25.5" scale, korina body w/makassar top, mahogany neck w/ ebony fretboard.

rarely I go down to Drop A.

yes it stays tight. CLean are also very good, but note that I'm a fan of clean sounds done by HIGH gain pickups.

[ericsabbath]

Those songs are absolutely amazing!

I wouldn't go with the nailbomb for that, though
It has darker mids and sound bassier than I'd like for that sort of sound

I love the bouncy low end you get from the holy diver in low tunings with heavy strings, while retaining the prominent mids and I'd say it would be the best fit for the songs you posted
But, the black dog ain't far from the holy diver voicing
It's just leaner and less compressed, so it will sound great too

[ericsabbath]

Is there a link for more of your band recordings?

[timmy_pix]

Cheers Eric! I can't take any credit - this is a project I've recently joined where one guy's written basically an album's worth of material and now he's turning it into a band, so these are the quick demos he sent me to learn from. It's progressing nicely but we don't even have a name yet!

As for pickups, I emailed Ben, who fought the Black Dog corner extremely well. The Nailbomb is, as you say, probably too dark and with reports of it struggling with low tunings, the Black Dog bridge is the safest bet. Aggressive but still quite open.

As for the neck, I was leaning Emerald but Ben pointed out that while the A4 sounds lovely, it might struggle with clarity at the low end which I get. He suggested maybe to look at the VHII but ultimately I think the Black Dog is a better fit for this guitar.

Ordering them this week so I'll post a review once they're arrived and fitted, hopefully in a month or so.

[ericsabbath]

As for the neck, I was leaning Emerald but Ben pointed out that while the A4 sounds lovely, it might struggle with clarity at the low end which I get. He suggested maybe to look at the VHII but ultimately I think the Black Dog is a better fit for this guitar.

I think you might enjoy the neck cold sweat
A little less output than the VHII, but brighter, slightly middier and less bassy
I liked it better than my neck emerald, specially paired with the holy diver

[timmy_pix]

I get what you mean, but I'm really not that big a fan of bright neck pickups - especially in a 24-fret guitar, I want the neck pickup to sound fat and thick, which is why I love the Emerald so much. It's fat, weighty but incredibly clear.

I actually preferred the VHII clips to the Black Dog neck clean clips on the website - fatter and a more bell-like top end - but with this being a baritone down a whole step (and then again on the low string), it's got plenty of low and high end already, and it's the mids that it needs. Ben was quite adamant that the Black Dog neck would be a better match for my guitar, and I think I see what he means - the VHII would be emphasising the low end and high end. I'm hoping the end result will be a balanced neck sound that isn't flubby but also isn't too bright.