Checking Out The New Seymour Duncan ALT.METAL Pickups!

[@jonsierra723]

So mick Thomson pickups without the “seven”written on the side. Cool I always wanted to try those out lol

[@felinekaiju4517]

I already have the bridge 7. Might wait to see if I can make a profit😂

[@mpexus]

Shhhhss dont state the Obvious cause when I did he got upset ;)

[@RiffsAndBeards]

No one get upset my guy. I don't care what anyone says about a guitar pickup. I hope you have a great day :)

[@russellzauner]

@@RiffsAndBeards Letterkenny fan identified

[@jonsierra723]

@@RiffsAndBeards ignore the trolls lol. But in all seriousness how did you like it? Does it all compare to the micks pick up? Or do you think it has its own sauce

[@What-bq6zl]

My C-7 Blackjack has the Seymour Duncan JB and Seymour Duncan 59 passive humbuckers. I love them. They are perfect for anything I want to play. I get everything from brutal ripping tones for metal to smooth jazz and twangy country tones. They are perfect for me.

[@Ronny1031]

Pickips look dope. I have the Mick Thomson Signature Jackson. Cool to see that even if these aren't exactly the same, there's something comparable if i want to swap the bridge pickup in my other guitar

[@timjenkins502]

So the mick Thompsons with a different name lol

[@hellofx]

Fluffy : Let me introduce the new "Metal " pickups folks . . . . Glenn Fricker : . . . . Lemme introduce y'all guitar losers with our brand new speakers . . . .

[@nazarf1884]

Bridge pickup had the upper mid bump similar to blackouts EMTY which is a plus point for this pickups 👍..

[@malcolmrff]

They’re the same pickups. It’s just a rebrand.

[@GodofThundah333]

Soooo Mick Thomson blackouts essentially? Gotcha. Lol

[@stug5041]

Great video, congrats on the new endorsement if that’s what this is! Idk why you’re getting hate my guy - appreciate all the sick vids!

[@saltyphucker777]

Thanks, Fluff. Would love to hear you demo the 7-string set of these pickups some time too. 😃

[@madmoe70]

Great demo! The pickups sound great.

[@joshrexben]

I have the EMTY set and they are my favorite actives after playing most EMG models and a few Fishmans. Even still, I find myself switching back and forth between the passive black winters and the EMTYs. These sound sick though!

[@jus10_lee]

I wonder if these are possibly a rebranding of the Mick Thomson Blackouts now that he's no longer with SD.

[@colelewis9940]

they are

[@CommanderOfChicken]

I would be some serious money on it. I've never met anyone who actually had a blackout set.

[@1tofallen123]

@@CommanderOfChicken I do.

[@jeffarab4947]

Love the mick thomson set I have em in my dinky drop A

[@AAAA-lt9hq]

Speaking of rebadged pickup designs, the George Lynch Super V was another short-lived/relaunched pickup from Seymour Duncan's Custom Shop that came out around 2013 just before George left Seymour Duncan and they had to drop his name from promoting the Screamin' Demon. I've always wanted to try a Super V out. I'm sure Duncan could probably build me one under another name, but I don't know if I like it enough to pay custom shop price when I could just have a pickup designed to my own specs (essentially the lows of a Demon and the top end of a Full Shred or Parallel Axis Original).

[@kmw5100]

I fully expected to like the high gain tones with these, I was not expecting to like the cleans as much, but it's got a nice compression without being too much in the top end.

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

Would have been nice to hear a different guitar through the same setup to show how much was from the guitar and how much was from the rest of the chain. I would guess that the pickups sound like any other pickups and he just had a nice tone from the setup it was going through.

[@Zombie_13x33]

are these the mick thompsons but rebranded? i have them and they chug pretty decent. they were a decent set and i didnt think they would give up on them

[@derekharris3011]

These pickups sound incredible! Definitely will consider getting them.

[@jacef5739]

A tweak to Micks since he plays Fishman now?

[@MuffDiver71]

My thoughts too.

[@andrij.demianczuk]

My hot take - I still love my EMG 81-85 set. Go ahead. Flame me.

[@jonsierra723]

Nah I’m with you. At this point if a bought a guitar with Emgs I wouldn’t change them. I’ll just get a six band eq if wanted them to sound a bit different

[@bosco_bosco]

The classics

[@infinidominion]

They are unstoppable, try an 85 in bridge if you ever get the feeling

[@mindthedrift.]

At some point you listen to your ears and realize that EMG pickups sound awesome haha

[@colelewis9940]

@@mindthedrift. its not like 90% of metal albums have an EMG on it, nah they must suck!

[@Illegal-Swede]

To me they sound tight and controlled but a bit non-descript. Yes, they chug but they don't have the raw character I personally look for to playing heavy music. I have a Fishman Richard Z pickup in one guitar and it has the tightness and the rawness that I like. It's probably like food and what seasonings you prefer.

[@DeanBaco]

I have an import MT Jackson with his signature pickups that I got at a steal, one of my favourite guitars (among some that are a lot more expensive!), great sounding and responding pickups!

[@felinekaiju4517]

Pretty much the AHB-3 with some tweaks, hopefully without the signature series tax.

[@MrBruchman]

I wonder how many of your pickup videos I’ve watched since your “pickups don’t matter” video. But I’m just here for the guitar playing.

[@RiffsAndBeards]

It's funny tho cause the video is called "Do Aftermarket Pickups Matter Anymore?" yet everyone insists its called 'Pickups Don't Matter'. Mandela Effect or something.

[@adamkahn8645]

@@RiffsAndBeards well we found out real quick that those Fluff Fishmans certainly dont matter anymore lol. who are you gonna endorse next week? lol

[@RiffsAndBeards]

@@adamkahn8645I was with Fishman for 10 years ya chode

[@adamkahn8645]

​@@RiffsAndBeards ​ so it took 8 years to get your own Fishman, and youve already jumped ship. just making observations lol. what it tells me is either Fishman is garbage or its a money grab. either is fine with me, just making observations.

[@colelewis9940]

@@adamkahn8645 MY best guess, Fluff didn't end up using the multiple voices on the Fishmans that much, what happens is when you change pickup modes is you are going to end up then wanting to change your settings on the amp. It ends up being just annoying imo. It is much more logical for you to just have, a bridge pickup you like a neck one, done. No modes to make you want to mess with your gear and settings instead of just playing I only have the Fishman classic set, but the multi voice thing is imo almost a scam. The second mode on the bridge just sounds louder with even more treble, the second voice on the neck idk who likes that or why, it sounds disgustingly hollow and weird. The regular neck mode is far superior. As far as I can tell virtually no one with working ears like the second bridge voice on the Fishman modern set, it is like blasting treble through your ear, and no one uses it, everyone uses the modern mode over it, and again the second voice on the neck sucks. The single coil modes all sound extremely thin and grating on my ears, like the pickups were not bright enough already. Good god the sounds I hear online from those are truly awful. If you want to hear good things about Fishman. The modern set if you just use the regular modes, it is good. It will cut through a mix very well without being too ice picky. The way they do not lose any treble at all when you lower your volume is very very nice. The classic set it sounds like a JB with even more of something going on in the mids, if you are to be honest the classic set is basically a JB 59 set with the ability to be quieter or louder, again the way your volume doesnt change your tone is very nice. On EMGs turning down your volume still changes the sound a bit, not anything like passives, but not as perfect as the Fishman. Fishman are not garbage and you acting like they are is what we call being a child. I can tell you the negatives but the idea they are garbage, sorry that is just dumb.

[@bigmasherX]

Hey Fluff- Thanks for the video. Love the pickups. Curious.. does the kit come with some kind of 9V adapter plate for the guitar? IOW, How do you have the battery wired in and accessible from the outside? Thanks!

[@adamkahn8645]

I also am lead to believe since Mick Thomson has gone from SD to Fishman, these are just EMTY's in different packaging lol.

[@adamkahn8645]

and before a lynch mob comes for me..... thats not an insult to the EMTY pickups. I used EMTY's before switching to Fishman Adler's

[@marcelojulio]

Hi Fluff, so... I listened to this video several times and honestly I found the sound of the EMGs in that 24v mod test video more pleasant than these new SD pickups and don't get me wrong, they don't sound as blurry as Mick's old EMTYs However, they still sound blurred but with highs and mids that didn't exist in the EMTY set.

[@barry3045]

Searching FORD PICKUPS brought me here 👍

[@jhonpasquez6145]

😂😂

[@GuapDolo]

Lmao 🤣🤣🤣

[@SamBrockmann]

Welcome to the riff side.

[@barry3045]

@@SamBrockmann built Duncan tough

[@MeatCatCheesyBlaster]

Nothing heavier than a truck

[@Gruppe_11]

Love my "black winter" but for active prefer the emg 66/57

[@Diplomat440]

Sounds good. I have yet to find a pickup that sounds better than the Black Winter.

[@paula1543]

What are your thoughts on the new Squier Debut Stratocaster (Amazon Exclusive) ? Would love to see an unboxing/ review on your channel.

[@gregbrooks2841]

Sounds good but I love my blackouts they just kill it.

[@aeugmk2]

Blackouts sound fantastic and have some great bottom end on my e flat guitar!

[@DavidMadeira29]

Very clean look, at least in matte black. Namastè.

[@gnarlantlers70]

Active pups sure do help with line noise in high gain applications - ehx hum-debuggers do too tho.

[@viniciusrossado9528]

What are your thoughts about this pickups for power metal like, Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian, Angra and so on..?

[@mindthedrift.]

Did you calibrate the pickup height when you put them in? I think they sound sick.

[@ryanbobadilla2527]

I hope these get different cover colorings like brushed chrome and gold.

[@legoharry100]

How do these compare to the EMG Daemoniums that the Jim Root Jazzmaster came with?

[@RiffsAndBeards]

My Jazzmaster came with EMG 81/60 set

[@legoharry100]

@@RiffsAndBeards oh that’s right, the white one has the Daemoniums, my b. How do these Duncan’s compare to the 81/60 then?

[@doctoribanez]

I have emg 81/85. , Duncan distortion/mayhem, i just got a jb/jazz set and love them lol

[@JosephGallagher]

Hve you tried GFS pickups?

[@skin_ticket]

Wtf, which differentses between those and emty set?

[@gaberox1]

I was so bummed when Mick left Jackson and SD. I have his signature Jackson and I love that guitar and pickups. I have a Jackson Jeff Loomis that I wanted to drop Micks EMTYs in now I still can. This is awesome.

[@DavidJosephBoth]

I love Jeff's pups. What don't you like about them compared to micks?

[@gaberox1]

@@DavidJosephBoth The set in my Loomis soloist are incredibly noisy I even took it to a tech who said all the wiring was good and he checked all the soldering. Maybe I got a bad batch but my EMTYs are dead quiet. Even with the noise gate it's hard to get clean chugs. I want to like them but they annoy me.

[@nvmbrsdoom5]

@@gaberox1 That's interesting, I have a set of the Loomis pickups and mine are fairly quiet. It is possible that there's something wrong with your set or some other component causing an issue. But yeah if you're looking for clean chugs and low noise I think this Alt.Metal set will work just fine.

[@gaberox1]

@@nvmbrsdoom5 Ya it's a total bummer I'm kinda wanting to just sell the soloist and get Jeff's Jackson Kelly instead. That guitar is so sick.

[@justinvzu01]

Not all roads lead to active pickups. Most guitarists in the super tight djenty genres use passive pickups, because they have a more open characteristic.

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Just meant you will at least look into them at some point.

[@chidbro23]

most of the djent guitarists i know use active pickups 😅

[@jeleopard]

Only to then squash the hell out of them with compression anyway. You can absolutely play the same music with actives. Many do.

[@o.phillips2522]

​@@chidbro23 Periphery, Architects, Meshuggah, Tesseract, Northlane, Sleep Token, etc. All these dudes play passive

[@HeyItsAsmus]

I'm still trying to figure out how Fishman lost you after a signature pickup.. I'm so confused. They sounded awesome, and if Fishman made pickups and tones you have never heard of or seen before, then how did SD sway you....?

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Well, first of all it doesn’t work like oh you have convinced me ok you got me. It’s more like, you’ve had every kind of pizza ever created for 10 years and maybe a sandwich simply sounds good now. Like that.

[@misterringer]

Sounds good. Like pretty much every high-gain focused active pickup.

[@michaelstewart2437]

Still using the 24 volt mod in that guitar?

[@ehambright]

Are they similar to the Jeff loomis sig 6 string set

[@rockmovieswithtyler1989]

🤔...Wondering how these would sound with either of the Grunge pedals?🧐

[@DanielBobke]

Are they splittable with a 5-way switch or push/pull pots?

[@colelewis9940]

No

[@DanielBobke]

@@colelewis9940 Thanks...I thought not but wanted to ask. The focus seems to be the chugs, so split sounds is probably best left to other pickups.

[@michaelrichardson8343]

Since SD stopped making the Mick Thomson EMPTY AHB-3 this looks like their “here you go, try these”. I believe they are really close to those, I hope because I love the sound and feel of them. 🤘

[@christophermichaels4144]

I bet they are just renamed

[@BagusWibisono]

Awaiting for chrome/gold version

[@stevensutherland5443]

I just picked up the mick Thomson blackouts and put them in my arrow 1000 tuned to B. Absolute love them.

[@Durkhead]

Take a drink everytime someone mentions glen fricker in the comments

[@SamBrockmann]

Glenn the prick, you mean?

[@MeatCatCheesyBlaster]

Who is that

[@SamBrockmann]

@MeatCatCheesyBlaster , a jackass who runs another guitar-based channel. He is very bombastic, is seemingly incapable of keeping his opinion on religion to himself, and hasn't enjoyed any metal that has come out since basically 1990 but claims to be a metalhead.

[@lowtunedg9211]

@@MeatCatCheesyBlasterno one important, just a loud guy who thinks he knows everything

[@vanlaeresven]

Glen fricker Glen fricker Glen fricker Glen fricker Glen fricker Glen fricker

[@oyoyoyubilinegra]

That tone achivable if you correctly use every humbuckers on the market. Only Mising Issue

[@riccardocuoghi2071]

Wait, Seymour Duncan artist? What about Fishman?

[@MetalGuitarGuy]

so you are a Fishman artist and a Seymour Duncan artist? how does that work?

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Not with Fishman anymore🫣

[@PearlHarbor138]

I don't wanna be a Debby downer... but i'm pretty sure... these are just a rebranded mick thompson set...

[@RiffsAndBeards]

slightly tweaked and rebranded yep

[@PearlHarbor138]

@@RiffsAndBeards ok so I’m not crazy. But what is kinda weird to me, is that I could have sworn I saw these also on a Bill Kelliher guitar before he went to mojotone? But instead of it being a black set it was a gold cover. Also you left fishman?

[@GoldChains5150]

@@PearlHarbor138you probably right lmao. The Thomson is sick tho. I had those at some point and they were fun.

[@mpexus]

So this is basically the Mick Thomson Signature rebranded? ;)

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Next you’re gonna say the 6505 is a rebranded 5150

[@mpexus]

@@RiffsAndBeards Similar but not the same thing at all and the Duncan's ARE IN FACT Thomson's without the name attached ;)

[@davidbrooks1374]

Those Mesa amps just beg for an overdrive pedal put in front of it to boost the highs and cut the flubby bass.

[@bucknasty69]

Don’t need one with hot pickups like this.

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

So what's the $250 difference that sets these apart from other humbuckers? 🤔

[@colelewis9940]

I think your math is a little off there brother

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

​@@colelewis9940 you're right, the pickup set is actually $258. The implication is that we already have humbuckers in our guitar, so what would be the reason for the swap? They're just humbuckers, they all sound pretty much the same, and "pretty much the same" will be even less noticeable in an environment where people are going to hear your music, like at a gig or in a recording.

[@colelewis9940]

@@MichaelSheaAudio So you are just totally against changing pickups, thats cool man.

[@MichaelSheaAudio]

@@colelewis9940 Not totally. I change pickups for aesthetics or output. I prefer higher output pickups, especially for coil splitting. It's just wild that reviewers still talk about pickups as if they have specific tonal qualities that set them apart from other pickups. They might be a little different when clean, but put any gain on and those minor differences start to disappear. Plus we have EQ in pedal form or in a DAW, so you can just change the sound coming out of your guitar if you want. There are other parts of the signal chain that will have a significant impact on your tone, pickups only make a tiny difference. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@colelewis9940]

@@MichaelSheaAudio "It's just wild that reviewers still talk about pickups as if they have specific tonal qualities that set them apart from other pickups. They might be a little different when clean, but put any gain on and those minor differences start to disappear" Sounds like you have severe hearing loss, are you old? If you cant tell the difference between a 57 style Gibson humbucker and an EMG 81, your ears are literally broken. I agree the differences aren't as big as some might be led to believe, but you are taking that to an extreme and illogical place. There is more to tone than just smoke on the water powerchords, if you cant tell the difference with trying to play a Decapitated song with a dimarzio tone zone and a EMG 81, there is something going on with your ears. It is more than just output.

[@Brendan_Breakdown]

They sound friggin awesome 😮

[@BOATIE141]

Thank the guitar speaker and EQ settings, not the pickups

[@serritt005]

Fishman fluence is the best active pickups imho

[@cookerama6265]

All these people crying "what about fishman".... when is the last you said to a friend that changed jobs/companies "oh no, what about company ABC....". This is Fluffs job. A better offer came along. Doesnt mean Fishman, or Balaguer, or Bearcombers are now bad..... this is just a different path.

[@bucknasty69]

The number of people in the comments that don’t get how endorsements work is surprising.

[@SamBrockmann]

These sound phenomonal. I used to have some Seymour Duncan blackouts, and they were better than EMGs but not by much. I think these are on par with Fishman Fluence pickups.

[@jackel1994]

the bass tone adding to the guitar in the full mix version gave me a semi. Thank goodness for bass players even for how much shit they understandably get.

[@centocerez]

EMG 57/66 are still untouchable to me.

[@ShaneSaiyan]

Looks like I won't be needing the comically overpriced BNIB EMTYs that have been living in my Reverb cart xD

[@DROPTUNED]

Nothing like the first generation of blackouts.... prefer them to emgs or fishmans,... but my main pickup of choice it's a passive Gibson 500T ceramic.... nothing beats a 500T for me....

[@t_separator]

One of the most brutal and overlooked pickups.

[@saltyphucker777]

Absolutely agree. The Gibson 496R/500T made me fall in love with ceramic pickups forever. They remain my favorite set to this day. 😃

[@bucknasty69]

The 500T is so sick. I bought an old Flying V that came with one stock in the bridge; sounded so good I never bothered changing it. The Dirty Fingers is also another killer Gibson high gain pickup. I’ve got a 1979 Les Paul Custom with a set that’s absolutely killer.

[@arsinix13]

Basically repackaged Mike Thompson’s, but at least they’re keeping the pickup set going because it’s an amazing pick up set

[@sanjsurativideo]

Nice!

[@Sc3neShit]

You supposed install Fishman Fluence.

[@psychological6707]

Gee. So glad this is a demo, and not a review! So totally different from your previous reviews. 🙄

[@andrewbecker3700]

That Root gee tar needs a black speed knob. That cheapy hat looks out of place.

[@adamstrachn]

Cool beans Fluff! Appreciate the demo ✌🏼

[@MeatCatCheesyBlaster]

What’s Alt Metal, is that like heavy Alanis Morissette

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Oasis.

[@brandonanderson2066]

Nobody is heavier than morissette

[@PeanutButterPavement]

I thought you were a Fishman artist?

[@onbedoeldekut1515]

So they sound like every metal pup on the market. Pickups only give a basic palette, it's the amp and signal chain doing ALL the heavy lifting. Thanks for the gaslighting, you're a star.

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Damn someone has some TRAUMA sheesh

[@TedintheShed]

"Batteries are for flashlights."

[@watkinscharles829]

Damn,I love that guitar!!!

[@christophermichaels4144]

Hold up micks just left and these look like his set is it juts re named 😂

[@NobotyBoi]

Rebranded EMTYS

[@lukecowley4949]

What happened to being a fishman artist??

[@damonstewart70]

I like you fluff, you rock and stuff but.........all roads DO NOT lead to active pickups. Some people such as myself find them,"sterile" sounding. Or too ,"hi-fi" believe it or not some people actually do like organic old school tones with new age riffage. Now I'm DEFINITELY NOT saying actives don't sound good. All's I'm saying is they aren't,"Better". Well for me they aren't, I'm good with a Duncan distortion,super 3 or if I want to go extreme a DiMarzio x2n. But all roads don't lead to active pickups

[@RiffsAndBeards]

It’s just a video my guy. Take a breath.

[@damonstewart70]

@@RiffsAndBeards hey man I made the statement with no animosity or anger . Just that when I started playing guitar lots of people told me for heavy music use active. After spending hard earned high school money I was truly disappointed. All's I was trying to say is people should say... example,"for me" active pickups are a must for metal. But anyway thanks for one of the top ten guitar channels, reviews and bad ass playing,youz definitely go hard man

[@RiffsAndBeards]

@@damonstewart70 I simply meant if you play heavy music, at some point you are gonna check out actives. Thats all :)

[@abedhanna6896]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@TwistedOreo]

This pickup is infused with McDonalds Sprite

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Mountain Dew or go homeeeeeee

[@TwistedOreo]

@@RiffsAndBeards it better be Baja blast or voltage

[@CommanderOfChicken]

"I love fluence pickups because they're the only pickup not using a 60+ year old design"

[@RiffsAndBeards]

“I love pizza. I will only ever eat pizza for the rest of my life. Nothing else ever again.” -no one ever

[@bucknasty69]

Do you not know how endorsements work lol

[@NickandShan]

I’m just not a fan of SD Actives man. The original BO I tore out of every guitar I’ve had them in. Sad to see you leave Fishman for them but SD is a phenomenal company and make some of the best Passives around. Just not actives in my worthless opinion

[@StanX85]

Funny name fail for Germans. The first thing we read means “old metal” so basically trash. But maybe it’s the right for a thrash-metal band, lol

[@psychological6707]

Shill. Didn’t this guy say he would never do pick up reviews again?

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Like I say in the video this isn't a review, just a demo. Now move along.

[@psychological6707]

It’s still a video about pickups you’re getting paid for bro. Going against your own narrative. Plus you made your JR look basic.