A Trio of 8's.... The verdict

[BloodRose]

Yes, Im posting another update about the Alternative 8... This is fast becoming a favorite pickup!! A soon as I get some money, Ill be ordering more to try in other guitars.

Here is my new discovery....
My amp has a Clean, Crunch and Ultra channel.. The Alt 8 sounds great even when the volume is rolled back. I still sounds huge. It doesnt get thin, but simply cleans up. So, I feel I have at least 6 channels.. I can be on Ultra, roll down the volume and get a crunchy tone, switch to crunch and get a dif tone and then roll back up and get more.. you get the idea..
This is a great pup!!!

Its high gain but again, very clear, and responsive and doesnt sound fizzy or anything.. Its really almost like stepping on a boost pedal.

[papersoul]

Cool, I want to avoid spending big dollar on hand wound pickups and this would save money! Thanks for the neck comparisons!

I'll have to get you guys pictures so you all can recommend black coils or covers.

[Rowan]

Yes, Im posting another update about the Alternative 8... This is fast becoming a favorite pickup!! A soon as I get some money, Ill be ordering more to try in other guitars.

Here is my new discovery....
My amp has a Clean, Crunch and Ultra channel.. The Alt 8 sounds great even when the volume is rolled back. I still sounds huge. It doesnt get thin, but simply cleans up. So, I feel I have at least 6 channels.. I can be on Ultra, roll down the volume and get a crunchy tone, switch to crunch and get a dif tone and then roll back up and get more.. you get the idea..
This is a great pup!!!

Its high gain but again, very clear, and responsive and doesnt sound fizzy or anything.. Its really almost like stepping on a boost pedal.

Yeah I'd like to try it in other guitars as well. I think it would have been interesting in my EC400AT but I just sold it to finance a cab. The Alt 8 would probably be godly for solo tone in a heavy LP or explorer. But I know for sure it sounds great in a PRS or Hamer style guitar with 25" scale and maple cap

[papersoul]

So it really doesn't sound too compressed or thin with a hot amp? I am just worried, excuse me.

[BloodRose]

nope.. Buy one.. If it doesnt float your boat, exchange it or sell it.. Ill be buying more Alt 8s. It sounds big like a Tone zone only over the whole range and no mud.

[Sanford]

I'll have to get you guys pictures so you all can recommend black coils or covers.

Option 3: black covers?

[papersoul]

Thanks, I was going to get a used WCR Herc or something similar but the Alt 8 is intriguing. I was afraid it would be too 80s metal as some have said. I am not looking for a hair metal pickup. LOL.

Does it do classic rock ok?

[Ascension]

the Custom 8 for leads. Again, not that the others cant do leads, they can.. I just LOVE the squish and bloom of the C8.

I agree with you on the solo ability of the Custom 8 it RIPS through a hot high gain amp for solos!!
Here is my MG 120 Washburn Custom 8 through the Zinky/Whitford 100 watt Prosonic. this is plugging straight into the head with no effects.
http://www.box.net/shared/80qal8ug4k
Here is the same guitar into the Zinky/Whitford head showing the dynamics of the pickup and amp.
http://www.box.net/shared/m6pbbva0co

[BloodRose]

yeah, the pup is amazing! I find it very expressive. Sounds incredible in the Salas and in my Kramer too.. That amp is all that and a bag of fries bro!!! And playing, as always, top notch!!

Im really interested for you to try an Alternative 8 and get your take on that one

[anewdefguitarist]

how do they sound in an already thin sounding guitar? is it a real open sound like the C5??

[sombersoul]

how do they sound in an already thin sounding guitar? is it a real open sound like the C5??

I recently installed the Alt 8 in my Gibson SG. Before that I had the C5. I find the Alt 8 meatier (thanks to the punchy mids, I assume). It produces an open and raunchy rock tone in my setup.

[BloodRose]

how do they sound in an already thin sounding guitar? is it a real open sound like the C5??

It is a big muscular sounding pickup. Make a thin guitar sound hearty. I like the tone zone cuz it can sound big, but that one is big on the lowmids and low end.. The Alt 8 is big thru the whole spectrum..

[Rydock]

What does everybody think of a JB8 compared to the alt8 and custom8?

I agree with you on the solo ability of the Custom 8 it RIPS through a hot high gain amp for solos!!
Here is my MG 120 Washburn Custom 8 through the Zinky/Whitford 100 watt Prosonic. this is plugging straight into the head with no effects.
http://www.box.net/shared/80qal8ug4k
Here is the same guitar into the Zinky/Whitford head showing the dynamics of the pickup and amp.
http://www.box.net/shared/m6pbbva0co

Beautiful clips. Is the rhythm track on the first clip played with the same guitar?

The tone on the second clip is so good. It's meaty and has lots of Chunk, but still very clear. Does the alt8 has that sort of chunk to it too?

[BloodRose]

Yeah, the Alt 8 has a very stout chunk.. Very big sounding.

Ive yet to try a JB8. I need to get some more A8 bars and give one a try. Ive not been in a hurry to do that since Im so satisfied with the Custom8 these days..

[Quicksilver689]

I agree with you on the solo ability of the Custom 8 it RIPS through a hot high gain amp for solos!!
Here is my MG 120 Washburn Custom 8 through the Zinky/Whitford 100 watt Prosonic. this is plugging straight into the head with no effects.
http://www.box.net/shared/80qal8ug4k
Here is the same guitar into the Zinky/Whitford head showing the dynamics of the pickup and amp.
http://www.box.net/shared/m6pbbva0co

Just curious - what did you use for your neck PU on these clips? and BTW - great playing on Demo #2 - your playing smokes bro!

[marvelous_seven]

Sorry for the revival of an oldie thread
I think this is one of the most comprehensive thread regarding A8's Seymour Duncan pu,so I guess I'm gonna ask too.
BloodRose,which one of these babies will suited to "downtuned chunky chugga chugga" thing in mahogany superstrat?
Mine is balanced acoustically with a bit warmness to it like you'd expect from a mahogany guitar,and I'm tuned down to drop C.
So which one would you recommend for me?

[Kam]

This is a good thread. Makes me really wanna try out an Alt 8.

[Koreth]

What does everybody think of a JB8 compared to the alt8 and custom8?

I can't speak as to the Custom 8 and the Alt 8, but my experience with the JB8 is thus:

Initial impressions:

Wow. Loud. The A8 magnet makes the pickup louder than before. I suppose that is to be expected, since the stronger A8 magnet is supposed to make for hotter output. The JB8 has plenty of lows, and while big, they're not muddy or woofy like the JB was in comparison. They are big, but tight. The big low end doesn't seem to impede clarity, IMO.

As far as the mids go, there's a definite difference. The JB had all the crunch in the upper mids, the JB8 has it's mids spread across the whole range, so there's plenty of low mids and mid mids in addition to the high mids, so the spike is gone, and the JB8 sounds thicker by comparison. I kinda like it, but admittedly I'm still in the honeymoon stage at this point. I may change my mind. Also that upper-mid spike makes it easier for the JB to cut through a band mix. The JB8's lack of that upper-mid spike may work against me when trying to fit into a mix. I dunno. I'll see how I sound with the rest of the band next practice.

As far as highs go, I definitely noticed the rounded off, A2-like highs of the A8. I'm on the fence here. On one hand, that kinda makes the JB8 sound darker than the JB. But when it comes to sustained notes in solos, the rounded off highs definitely makes for a sweeter sound. However, when playing palm-muted riffs, it feels like the rounded off highs cause me to loose some of the attack which keeps things tight-sounding. I also don't know how the rounded off highs will affect how I sit in the mix with the band. Again, we'll have hear how things go next practice. I can always (and probably should) tweak the EQ on my amp.

Following up regarding sitting in the mix in a band context:

Success! Last night I was at a practice/jam with my fellow bandmates, and I was able to fit into the mix just fine. I'll describe the situation here.

The other guitarist plays a Schecter C-1+ (mahogany back and neck, maple top, Duncan Designed version of the Distortion for pickups), through a Marshall JC-2000 driving a Marshall 1960AV cabinet loaded with V30s. So he has absolutely no lack of mids to help him sit in the mix.

I play the aforementioned Ibanez RG through Mesa/Boogie Nomad 100 driving a Peavey XXL 412 Slant, loaded with Peavey Blue Marvel speakers. I can't find much about the frequency response of Blue Marvel speakers on google, but what little I can find suggests they're nowhere near as middy as V30s.

Last time I had to nearly dime my gain, mids and presence to not be utterly drowned out of the mix by his Marshall at the same volume when the Marshall's mids on 6. Last night, I was able to sit just fine in the mix, with my presence and mids backed down closer to where I have them when I practice alone, and his mids were dimed this time. I consider that a definite success. With the upper-mid spike spread out across the whole range of mids, it is a bit harder to get lead passages to really stick out of the mix, but at least now my EQ knobs have a greater useful range and I'm not vanishing from the mix at all other times, so I don't think it will be too difficult to dial in a sound that cut through the mix for leads just fine.

I'm very pleased with the sound of the JB8 at this stage.

[IanBallard]

The magic really happens with A8 pickups when you back them up more than you normally would... even as much as 3 nickels down, last fret pressed. Seriously. You wanna hear every note when the gain is cranked? You want chimey "ring" on the clean channel? I swear, I think it's a crime an A8 isn't used more. A8 has more gauss potential than even ceramic, so they are usually VERY strong and sometimes people have them too close to the strings and decide it's too hairy or thick. Back that puppy up!

Good reviews, BloodRose!

[rammer69]

I agree with you on the solo ability of the Custom 8 it RIPS through a hot high gain amp for solos!!
Here is my MG 120 Washburn Custom 8 through the Zinky/Whitford 100 watt Prosonic. this is plugging straight into the head with no effects.
http://www.box.net/shared/80qal8ug4k
Here is the same guitar into the Zinky/Whitford head showing the dynamics of the pickup and amp.
http://www.box.net/shared/m6pbbva0co

DAMM, now i want a CUSTOM 8 , i have SD DIST 8 & love it, your playing sounds great to me,