how grainy is the Invader?

[metalheadmilitia]

Hello,

Does the Invader have a lot of graininess and grind to it? Or does it have a smoothy sound?

Thanks

[karpathion]

I don't know if I would use the word "grainy" for a pup, but for da brutalz, it works very well.

[Despair]

Ever heard Corrosion of Conformity? They're heavy Invader users with a simple JCM800 setup.

I'd say it's got a fairly nasty ceramic bite, but rather a dark sound. Not just low on treble, but dark upper mids too. Very gutsy roar and great grind for riffs and rhythms. But a bit harsh, gets tiresome after a while. But that can be EQed out, or maybe doesn't show up in other rigs as much. Certainly less rasp on Metallica's first 3 albums where they used it heavily. But then, they used rack parametric EQs heavily, and stomp pedals into a Mesas with slaved Marshalls...

Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates uses them, and live manages to pull out a remarkably JB-like solo tone.

I still like the PATB-2 better for that sort of thing, no more compressed but better balanced: doesn't skip from highs straight to presence, so more versatile.

[ex-250]

that post needs a bit of clearing up (not to be a dick, i just used to be very obsessive about both bands...)

woody of COC uses an invader in an ESP into mesa rectifiers
pepper only ever used invaders with COC live, never on an album. only album pepper has used an invader on is down III. pepper always used a mesa .50 cal+ with COC. he's used JCM800s with down, yes. but not COC.

hetfield had an invader in his flying V on ride the lightning. thats it. kirk never used invaders. master of puppets was james' stock gibson explorer.

[black sunshine]

don't have an invader,but i have a detonator same thing really,anyway it's too muddy and dark,it's good for rhythm but thats about it,i swapped to an alnico 8 mag,it's better but still not what i'm looking for.

i'm going to pair it with a 1 meg pot that should bring in some high end.

[Despair]

that post needs a bit of clearing up (not to be a dick, i just used to be very obsessive about both bands...)

woody of COC uses an invader in an ESP into mesa rectifiers
pepper only ever used invaders with COC live, never on an album. only album pepper has used an invader on is down III. pepper always used a mesa .50 cal+ with COC. he's used JCM800s with down, yes. but not COC.

Argh! So what pickup did Pepper use, Distortion? I remembered reading at least one of the guitarists mentioning using it, and got jumped all over on here for talking about it, and have never dug through all the old magazines to check it. I'm pretty sure they said they both used JCM800s on Deliverance, but could easily have been that they were talking about using cabs from that series on both amps, it's been ages since I read that article...

Also, I was only talking about Deliverance-era rigs, I stopped following them after Wiseblood (lots of great songs, but overall very tiring to my ears, didn't care for the production at all). I'd swear I mentioned Deliverance in my original post, must have accidentally edited it out. *sigh*

hetfield had an invader in his flying V on ride the lightning. thats it. kirk never used invaders. master of puppets was james' stock gibson explorer.

You are very right, I meant Hetfield. And given my flu, I'm doubtless garbling other things. Sorry...

[karpathion]

that post needs a bit of clearing up (not to be a dick, i just used to be very obsessive about both bands...)

woody of COC uses an invader in an ESP into mesa rectifiers
pepper only ever used invaders with COC live, never on an album. only album pepper has used an invader on is down III. pepper always used a mesa .50 cal+ with COC. he's used JCM800s with down, yes. but not COC.

hetfield had an invader in his flying V on ride the lightning. thats it. kirk never used invaders. master of puppets was james' stock gibson explorer.

I'm gald someone else pays attention.

[formula73]

To be completely honest, I like the Detonator better than the Invader. I read it's only got the center oversized ceramic and not the 2 smaller on the sides? To my ears, it's still got the massive bottom and low mids with more grit and bite to it. Cheaper helps...

[bagouser]

"smoothness" is not one of the words that comes to mind when describing my Invader.

It's bassy, low midsy, with noticably decreased highs, a rough, jagged, barky type voice.
TONS of sustain. Punishes tube amps when using detuned palm chugging, but it's about as smooth as an old wooden rollercoaster.....

[malymal86]

I had a invader in my old Fender Tom Delonge strat, "man do i miss that guitar" but i hated the thing!!!! i just could not get that thing to clean up its way to dark and treble for my taste. so i put a sh-4 in my new strat and im much happier

[Inazone]

I have Invaders in two of my Jacksons, one basswood and one ash. In ash (and presumably other bright woods) it does get a little grainy, but nothing too severe. In basswood, it's not grainy, but also a little darker.

[bagouser]

I had a invader in my old Fender Tom Delonge strat, i just could not get that thing to clean up its way to dark and treble for my taste.

+1
There is little or no "clean" sounds from a bridge Invader. I mean, between "1" and "0" on the volume knob, you get sort of a clean sound with a hint of buzz, but "clean" is not a good word either.

Some users say I should try adding a tap switch, that it takes the "nasty" out of the pickup. Havent tried that yet, but I really only use the guitar with the Invader for really heavy metal rythmn guitar. It does that very well.

[appar111]

I don't know if I would use the word "grainy" for a pup, but for da brutalz, it works very well.

WTH does "da brutalz" mean?

[Varg]

WTH does "da brutalz" mean?

What the hell does WTH mean?

[LatsMcGee]

If you are tuning low and playing rhythms and using a mahogony body guitar the invader is your PU. The Invader neck is awesome split. It is a great pickup with mahogony bodies....

[Thurisaz]

If you are tuning low and playing rhythms and using a mahogony body guitar the invader is your PU. The Invader neck is awesome split. It is a great pickup with mahogony bodies....

Nile definitely agree. Helps if the amp is clear or bright though, like the JCM2000 they use.