These Retribution pickups were designed with Dino Cazares of Fear Factory and Divine Heresy to provide the essential attack, clarity and increased headroom that 7 and 8-string players like Dino have been asking for. They feature a specially tuned preamp with just the right amount of gain, enhanced attack definition and maximum string clarity.

Like the standard Blackouts series and alt.metal Blackouts, they maintain an organic open sound that isn’t sterile but instead is huge and powerful with a lower noise level and an increased dynamic response compared to other active pickups. Dino Cazares says of the Retribution, “It has a richer tone that’s more evenly voiced so the low string is not fighting with the high string. It’s a very crunchy sound, great for low tunings. It has more articulation in the pick attack and the distortion has less unwanted noise and compression.”

These pickups were designed with extended range players in mind by maintaining definition on the low B and F# strings. Like the Blackouts complete calibrated set for 7 string guitars (passive and soapbar sized) and 8 string guitars (soapbar sized). Each Retribution is wound and assembled at the Seymour Duncan factory in Santa Barbara, California.

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Neck position has an Alnico 5 magnet.

Bridge position has a Ceramic magnet.

For years Dave Mustaine, the legendary charismatic leader of Megadeth, relied on our passive JB and Jazz humbuckers to record some of the most influential riffs in the history of Metal. But like most extreme players, eventually you just want more. We worked with Dave to voice a set of high output active humbucker pickups that deliver the distinct tonal character of the JB/Jazz combo, but with extra ferocity and gain.

The Dave Mustaine LiveWire set is perfect for players who want to try active pickups without drastically veering away from the tone of the passive pickups they’ve become accustomed to. The smooth upper midrange crunch of the JB and the articulate warmth and clarity of the Jazz neck remain intact while the custom tuned active preamp delivers the increased output and touch sensitivity only an active pickup can provide.

A unique covered passive humbucker look embossed with Daves signature also ensures these will look and sound great in any guitar. We include pots, mounting hardware, capacitors (active pickups require a special cap value), battery clip, stereo output jack, and wire needed to install these high output humbucker pickups.

The original Blackouts high-output active bridge humbucker delivers all of the power and full-bodied punch that today’s metal players demand from an active pickup. You get the high-output signal level of an active pickup, with a more organic feel and open tonal response that allows the true character of your guitar to come through. The treble and bass response is extended beyond the range of traditional active pickups and has been carefully balanced with a slightly scooped midrange for the perfect crunch.

This pickup excels at screaming pinched harmonics and is articulate enough for hyper-speed riffage, with responsive dynamics across the entire fretboard. Pair it with the Blackouts neck humbucker for a perfectly matched set. If your metal goes into extended-range depths, Blackouts are also available in 7- and 8-string versions.

With clear highs and crushingly tight lows, these pickups will make your riffs speak all the way down to low B or dropped A (for 7-strings) and low F# or dropped E (for 8-strings). No matter how much gain you run, these pickups can handle it, with a dead-quiet, muscular performance.

Whether your instrument is routed for passive or active pickups, there is a Blackout that will fit it. These high-output active pickups come with the pots, hardware, quick-connector cables, capacitor (active pickups require a special cap value), output jack, battery clip, and wire needed for installation. If your guitar already has active pickups with quick-connector cables, you should be able to simply unplug them and plug in your Blackouts.

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6 String and 7 string neck positions have an Alnico 5 magnet.

6 string and 7 string bridge positions have ceramic magnets.

8 String neck position has a Ceramic magnet.

Originally created in our Custom Shop for Blues Saraceno, this pickup was voiced to have the tonal character of a P.A.F., but with the power to cut through for Blues’ dynamic playing style. As Blues put it, this pickup provides a “‘notched’ tone with a ‘honky,’ old-school, retro vibe.”

Great for all styles of rock and blues, the Parallel Axis Blues Saraceno model behaves very nicely under any amount of gain. Like all Trembuckers, the Parallel Axis Blues Saraceno Trembucker features a wider pole piece spacing, perfect for symmetrical positioning under the strings of guitars with a tremolo or wide-spaced hard tail bridge (2” or wider from the center of the Low E to High E directly over the bridge pickup).

Hand made in Santa Barbara, CA, the Parallel Axis Blues Saraceno medium output humbucker pickup uses our unique dual-pole design for added sustain, an alnico 5 bar magnet, 4-conductor wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal free operation.

The Sentient humbucker was originally designed to accompany the 7 and 8 string passive Nazgûl and Pegasus bridge pickups. It delivers a balanced, versatile tone that fits right between our iconic ’59 and Jazz model neck pickups. You’ll get pristine cleans, and fluid leads under high gain. The Sentient is a very articulate vintage output pickup with great dynamic response and a wide harmonic range. It works great for low tunings in all humbucker-equipped guitars.

This passive 7 and 8-string humbucker comes with a black soapbar cover with one row of exposed poles for a modern active look and is a quick retrofit into any guitar with an active rout. It is also available with standard open-coils, or with a black metal humbucker cover, both in a classic passive mount to easily fit in any guitar with that traditional routing. Pair with the passive Nazgûl or Pegasus bridge humbuckers for a perfectly balanced metal tone.

Hand built in our Santa Barbara, CA factory, the Sentient uses an alnico 5 bar magnet, nickel silver bottom plate, 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance.

The Sentient humbucker was originally designed to accompany the 7 and 8 string passive Nazgûl and Pegasus bridge pickups. It delivers a balanced, versatile tone that fits right between our iconic ’59 and Jazz model neck pickups. You’ll get pristine cleans for intricate chordal and single note runs with fluid leads under high gain. The Sentient is a very articulate vintage output pickup with great dynamic response and a wide harmonic range. It works great for low tunings in all humbucker-equipped guitars.

It is available in 6, 7, and 8-string options. The extended range options come in a choice of a standard open-coil look or black metal humbucker cover, both in a classic passive mount that easily fits in any guitar with traditional routing. Or, we also make it in a standard active mount size with a black soapbar cover with one row of exposed poles for a modern look. Pair with the passive Nazgûl or Pegasus bridge humbuckers for a perfectly balanced metal tone.

Hand built in our Santa Barbara, CA factory, the Sentient uses an alnico 5 bar magnet, nickel silver bottom plate, 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance.

This unique Trembucker (F-spaced) pickup combines our dual-pole design, a powerful ceramic magnet, and over-wound coils for a huge, screaming tone with a clear, articulate high-end and plenty of grind on the bottom. Chords will have a thick, saturated edginess, and leads will jump out with over-the-top midrange harmonics.

The Parallel Axis Distortion is often paired with a PA-TB1n Original Parallel Axis Trembucker or PA-STK1n Parallel Axis Stack in the neck position for versatility. Like all Trembuckers, the Parallel Axis Distortion has a wider pole piece spacing, perfect for symmetrical positioning under the strings of guitars with a tremolo or wide spaced hard tail bridge (2″ or wider from the center of the Low E to High E directly over the bridge pickup).

Hand made in Santa Barbara, CA, the Parallel Axis Distortion high output passive humbucker pickup uses our unique dual-pole design for added sustain, a large ceramic bar magnet, 4-conductor wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal free operation.

The Duncan Distortion is our original high-output passive humbucker pickup. It incorporates a massive ceramic magnet and hot coil windings to deliver powerful but balanced rock and metal tones with rich upper-midrange harmonic content. Lows strings are tight and mean while the high strings scream with harmonics, making it a go-to pickup for hard-hitting crunch rhythms and blazing lead tones.

The Distortion neck pickup is specifically designed for use with the Distortion bridge model. It provides the highest output of all our neck humbuckers—hot enough to deliver smooth, fluid solo tones under gain, while still being capable of bell-like clean tones. For a super-flexible setup you can pair a Distortion bridge with a ’59 or Jazz neck pickup and cover a huge array of styles. In addition to being offered in 6-string humbucker and Trembucker spacings, the Distortion is also available in 7- and 8-string models, making it perfect for modern, extended-range metal playing.

7- and 8-string Distortion pickups are available with standard open-coils or black metal humbucker covers for a passive mount style, and black soapbar covers with one row of exposed pole pieces for a cool, modern active look—all quick retrofits for any guitar with those traditional routs. Rock and metal players all over the world looking for a high-output passive humbucker pickup continue to rely on the Duncan Distortion.

Hand built in our Santa Barbara, CA, factory, the Distortion uses a large ceramic bar magnet, nickel-silver bottom plate, 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance.

The Duncan Distortion is our original high-output passive humbucker pickup. It incorporates a massive ceramic magnet and hot coil windings to deliver powerful but balanced rock and metal tones with rich upper-midrange harmonic content. Lows strings are tight and mean while the high strings scream with harmonics, making it a go-to pickup for hard-hitting crunch rhythms and blazing lead tones.

The Distortion neck pickup is specifically designed for use with the Distortion bridge model. It provides the highest output of all our neck humbuckers—hot enough to deliver smooth, fluid solo tones under gain, while still being capable of bell-like clean tones. For a super-flexible setup you can pair a Distortion bridge with a ’59 or Jazz neck pickup and cover a huge array of styles. In addition to being offered in 6-string humbucker and Trembucker spacings, the Distortion is also available in 7- and 8-string models, making it perfect for modern, extended-range metal playing.

7- and 8-string Distortion pickups are available with standard open-coils or black metal humbucker covers for a passive mount style, and black soapbar covers with one row of exposed pole pieces for a cool, modern active look—all quick retrofits for any guitar with those traditional routs. Rock and metal players all over the world looking for a high-output passive humbucker pickup continue to rely on the Duncan Distortion.

Hand built in our Santa Barbara, CA, factory, the Distortion uses a large ceramic bar magnet, nickel-silver bottom plate, 4-conductor lead wire for multiple wiring options, and is vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance.

Our reproduction of the 1960s single coil Tele bass pickup has vintage output and sounds like a mix of modern P-Bass thump and Jazz Bass cut in a Vintage P Bass Pickup. Our Antiquity II for Single Coil P-Bass uses the same wind and construction method as the original. We calibrate the magnets for a well weathered tone with greater sustain, and cosmetically replicate over 50 years of wear and tear.

The sound is warm and full, with that unmistakable old school tonal character. Hand made in our Custom Shop, it has four alnico 5 rod magnets for that traditional sound, period correct gray bottom flatwork, the coil is wound with plain enamel magnet wire, and protected with wax coated string. The hookup wire is the classic cloth “push back” wire for vintage P bass pickup style.