Livewire heavy metal, WOW!!!! This thing is scorching!

[theodie]

I was at Brisk's house yesterday and had the pleasure of playing his Live Wire Heavy metal in one of his teles. I must say this pickup has probally double the output of any pickup I have EVER played including anything made by EMG, X2N, Invader, XL500, etc. This pickup was flat out sick, it pounds an amp so hard! I played it through 2 different setups, a Traynor YCV 40 and also a Fender Champ with a Duncan SFX-03 in front of it. Through the Traynor it made the Traynor sound like a Marshall full stack. The Traynor was on its gritty channel but, with most guitars it sounds like some bluesy kind of grit, not a whole lot of it at that. The Live wire hit it and it did sound like a cranked Marshall! I kid you not! With a pedal and the champ you could pull off metal with it also! I was very surprised it did that well myself. I went in nopt having many expectations but, my mind was changed quickly!

If you folks like high output and are playing one of the other pickups I have mentioned, you MUST try one of these! It reminds me of a cross between a Custom, A distortion, and an Invader but, with ALOT more output. You will have to turn the gain down alot though! This would also be a GREAT pickup for the younger crowd looking to play metal through a small bedroom amp or an amp with not much distortion on its own.

The cool thing about this pickup, it dosent sound like an active either! Sounds like a passive that has been boosted to all hell! The tone charts say the output is off the scale, I didnt know it was going to be that high! ALOT higher than I expected!

[Erlend_G]

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

Well... i'm mostly into low-output passives though... and boost them with my Boss EQ pedal if i need to overdrive the amp more .

Sounds like a cool pickup!

[theodie]

Thanks for the tip, Dave!

Well... i'm mostly into low-output passives though... and boost them with my Boss EQ pedal if i need to overdrive the amp more .

Sounds like a cool pickup!

Granted I was playing it through small amps that were not made for tons of gain, it made my XL500 sound weak with no punch in comparision! Think of an Invader with 65% more output at least, alot more clarity, and not quite as much lows, you got the livewire IMO. Folks that like the Invader but wish the Invader had more clarity, should really get one of these!

[Luke Duke]

Good description Dave!

When I played D!ck's for the first time I was blown away that the sheer POWER the pup has.

Luke

[MonkeyKnifeFighter]

Your not helping my overwhelming desire to get a set of these!

With that much output one may need a "cutter" instead of booster pedal just to keep things controllable during a change to more passive pickups.

Does anyone know what type of pots (long, short) come with a set of these? Are there different sets?

~MkF!

[Nightburst]

I always wondered how the low end on the livewires is. How would you compare the bottom end to the Custom's?

[Kac]

Dang it! now I have to try one. I just wish my Mustaines would get here, I'm really lookin' forard to jammin' on those.

Rock on ~ Kac

[Akrin]

Folks that like the Invader but wish the Invader had more clarity, should really get one of these!

Man, when you explain it that way it really makes me want a 7-string LW-HMET

[theodie]

I always wondered how the low end on the livewires is. How would you compare the bottom end to the Custom's?

I thought it was in the same neighborhood actually. I didnt have a custom to compare it to there and I didnt try it through my own rig but, I would say it is in the neighborhood.

[theodie]

Dang it! now I have to try one. I just wish my Mustaines would get here, I'm really lookin' forard to jammin' on those.

Rock on ~ Kac

Kac, when I played it, I thought of you becasue of the Invader conversations we have had. I was thinking, Kac would be all over one of these if he heard it.

Yes folks, you will not need a booster of any kind with one of these babys! You will have to turn the gain down from your usual settings also. Hard to belive but, its a true MONSTER!

[Kac]

Kac, when I played it, I thought of you becasue of the Invader conversations we have had. I was thinking, Kac would be all over one of these if he heard it.

Yes folks, you will not need a booster of any kind with one of these babys! You will have to turn the gain down from your usual settings also. Hard to belive but, its a true MONSTER!

AHH!!! you suck! don't ya know I'm a poor college kid!! ha ha!
yeah I'll prolly be pickin' up one of these SICK pups, then I can prolly skip my ZW-44 wylde overdrive...

Rock On ~ kac

[jackass]

dude, now i really wanna get 1 of those LW-HMETs, but since its an active pup, what would be a suitable different neck pup for metal style of playing? cuz I don't know whether an active/passive configuration is recommended. I know the livewire can be bought in a set but the livewire classic is meant for clean tones.

[Akrin]

I know the livewire can be bought in a set but the livewire classic is meant for clean tones.

Not really. Everything I've heard about the Livewire Classic says that it sounds amazing, both clean and with distortion.

[jackass]

yea, i guess there's a reason that it comes as a set, but do you have any suggestions for a different neck pup that would be a better alternative? or do active pups only function as a set?

[brisk]

Yeah if you want to da kick ass metal pickup, just shut up and get metal livewire. If you have a highgain amp, you may need to significantly reduce gain. Also, you wouldn't need an OD/Distortion pedal anymore.

[theodie]

yea, i guess there's a reason that it comes as a set, but do you have any suggestions for a different neck pup that would be a better alternative? or do active pups only function as a set?

They are best used as a set.

[theodie]

AHH!!! you suck! don't ya know I'm a poor college kid!! ha ha!
yeah I'll prolly be pickin' up one of these SICK pups, then I can prolly skip my ZW-44 wylde overdrive...

Rock On ~ kac

I thought you made the big bucks becasue you are on the radio!

[Kac]

I thought you made the big bucks becasue you are on the radio!

oh yeah ~ that's a great payin' gig right there...

[pinto79]

I have to concur with Dave on these. I have a few (I've blown up a couple too... )

I'm putting a Metal in the bridge and a classic bridge in the neck of a guitar I'm building. I hope to have it finished this summer. I will post clips.

They eat EMG's for lunch. Absoluely amazing for metal.

[Marcel]

I was just listening some 85 vs lwm clips on another forum!
I wasn't sure which I like better!

Bottom end is overrated with pickups... so why do bands always got a bass player?!?
Less bottom before distortion tights up the sound....
The same with highoutput pups... just turn the gain down a bit!

I play a EMG85 -> TS (which cuts the bass and add more gain)
and it really helps to get a modern tight sound imo!

Maybe things change if you play without a band etc...