Suggestion to replace SD Distortion

[Lag Again]

I currently have a Jackson RR24Q (mahogany with maple neck 25'5) with SD Distortion in it. I like the tight lows but i find highs a bit harsh and mid lacking a bit. I'm thinking about switching the Distortion for either a Nazgul or a Black Winter. I don't know which one to choose. I'd like some suggestions / feedback.

I also have a LTD black metal arrow nt (mahogany with macassar ebony neck 25'5) with emg 81. I really love the tone i have with the emg 81 if this can help.

I'm into melodeath / black / metalcore. For example, children of bodom / kalmah / belphegor / as i lay dying / all that remains... I play with a evh 5153 stealth through a 212 g12h30 cab.

 

[BabUShka]

I had a Distortion installed in my ESP Eclipse.
Great pickup, but a little bit "too much" of the good stuff or my taste. I changed to SH5 instead, very very happy with that. Also have a SH5 installed in a Schecter ATX Blackjack.

I know its a matter of taste, but I prefer my two SH5 over the Nazgul 7 in my AW-7. Actually considering to swap the Nazgul to a SH5-7 eventually.
Its angry, but not too hot. Tight and cuts well through a mix, but not too bright. Very well balanced pickup imo.

 

[STRHelvete]

I had a Distortion installed in my ESP Eclipse.
Great pickup, but a little bit "too much" of the good stuff or my taste. I changed to SH5 instead, very very happy with that. Also have a SH5 installed in a Schecter ATX Blackjack.

I know its a matter of taste, but I prefer my two SH5 over the Nazgul 7 in my AW-7. Actually considering to swap the Nazgul to a SH5-7 eventually.
Its angry, but not too hot. Tight and cuts well through a mix, but not too bright. Very well balanced pickup imo.

I second that. The Custom is my favorite pickup. I have a Distortion in the neck and it's a little too much of everything but I don't use my neck pickup enough for me to care.

 

[Lemonbaby]

I currently have a Jackson RR24Q (mahogany with maple neck 25'5) with SD Distortion in it. I like the tight lows but i find highs a bit harsh and mid lacking a bit.

Mids lacking in a Seymour Distortion? Are we talking about the same pickup?

 

[gnoll]

Distortion should have quite a bit of mids. Black Winter might have slightly more overall but eh, I'm not sure exactly. If the highs are harsh from the Distortion then I would be wary of the Nazgul, but that's based on what I've heard from clips. I have never actually bought a Nazgul because it seems so bright and harsh in clips.

 

[gnoll]

Custom is scooped compared to Distortion.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

Mids lacking in a distortion seems insane to me. It's much middier than a nazgul or black winter ime (I swapped a nazgul for one in my main guitar recently). The black winter is more balanced in the mids it pushes and has less high end, so I guess it covers one of your requirements.

If you need EVEN MORE MIDS, then look into a dimebucker. That's like the most mid forward pickup SD makes ime. It won't solve the harsh high end issue but you could always swap your tone capacitor for something darker. It's way easier to cut high end than it is to try and add it back in tbh.

 

[Choop]

Mids lacking in a distortion seems insane to me. It's much middier than a nazgul or black winter ime (I swapped a nazgul for one in my main guitar recently). The black winter is more balanced in the mids it pushes and has less high end, so I guess it covers one of your requirements.

If you need EVEN MORE MIDS, then look into a dimebucker. That's like the most mid forward pickup SD makes ime. It won't solve the harsh high end issue but you could always swap your tone capacitor for something darker. It's way easier to cut high end than it is to try and add it back in tbh.

As far as mid-forward, what about the JB? I always thought the Dimebucker sounded more scooped but it does have a ton of high end.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

If the mids are lacking I don't think it's the pickup lol. The distortion + it's variants all have a shit-ton of mids.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

As far as mid-forward, what about the JB? I always thought the Dimebucker sounded more scooped but it does have a ton of high end.

The JB probably isn't going to do the job if the distortion isn't doing it right now. The dimebucker is very middy and bright ime. There is a slight scoop in the low mids kind of like the custom, but it's nowhere near as dramatic of a scoop. It's a pretty solid pickup and a lot of people hate it because they never gave it a fair chance.
Here's a clip I did of the dimebucker with my Archon :

 

[gunch]

nailbomb ceramic

 

[Choop]

The JB probably isn't going to do the job if the distortion isn't doing it right now. The dimebucker is very middy and bright ime. There is a slight scoop in the low mids kind of like the custom, but it's nowhere near as dramatic of a scoop. It's a pretty solid pickup and a lot of people hate it because they never gave it a fair chance.
Here's a clip I did of the dimebucker with my Archon :

Ah you're right, not as bad as I remember. I think it's just all that high end that makes it sound like it has loads of presence. Ooo another good option could be the Jupiter -- I feel like I remember thinking it sounded like a Dimebucker with more mids.

 

[Grindspine]

I have a Distortion, which has been one of my mainstays for years. Along this thread, some of what people are calling "mids" seem to be varying a lot. The Distortion has a ton of high, mid, and fairly firm low end content. The Dimebucker is great, but has an even higher resonant peak, so can get even harsher. The same goes for the Black Winter and Nazgul.

The Omega, to me, is a bit more rounded and mild, while still able to stay articulate and have the ability to growl when needed. The Invader might also be an option, as that has a very unique top end, due to the oversized oxide screws. The SH-5 Custom will be turned down, but is still a ceramic mag. The SH-11 Custom Custom has a lot of mids with a more tapered treble response too.

If you really want to explore, try sticking an Alnico II, Alnico V, or Alnico VIII into your current pickup. Mag swapping takes just a bit of patience, but can really fine-tune a pickup.

 

[Hoss632]

For me 100% the Black winter. Probably my favorite passive pick up out right now. I like how the highs seem a little rolled off and the low mid aggression that it has. And surprisingly they have nice cleans as well.

 

[BabUShka]

What I experienced with the Distortion is that it sounded like it has a lot of distortion (ofc...) and huge amount of highs. I couldn't hear the mids that well, even though they probably are there.. While for the SH5, it has probably less mids, but the pickup still cut better through a mix than the distortion as it soundes more powerful, than just distorted.

 

[Lag Again]

Exactly m my experience. I don't dislike the Distortion. I know it's a middy pick up but i simply feel like its high end overwhelm the mids.

What I experienced with the Distortion is that it sounded like it has a lot of distortion (ofc...) and huge amount of highs. I couldn't hear the mids that well, even though they probably are there.. While for the SH5, it has probably less mids, but the pickup still cut better through a mix than the distortion as it soundes more powerful, than just distort

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Mids lacking in a distortion seems insane to me. It's much middier than a nazgul or black winter ime (I swapped a nazgul for one in my main guitar recently). The black winter is more balanced in the mids it pushes and has less high end, so I guess it covers one of your requirements.

I would have said the Distortion and Black Winter (bridge models) have very similar amounts of mids, but the reduced high-end of the Black Winter will often give the perception of it having more mids.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I would have said the Distortion and Black Winter (bridge models) have very similar amounts of mids, but the reduced high-end of the Black Winter will often give the perception of it having more mids.

The black winter has more low mid content and isn't quite as upper mid heavy as the distortion. The distortion has a lot more high end comparatively.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

The black winter has more low mid content and isn't quite as upper mid heavy as the distortion. The distortion has a lot more high end comparatively.

You've definitely spent more time with both of these models than me (and far more time comparing pickups in general), so I'm not going to disagree and will listen out for this when I get a chance. However, I would say the Distortion's greater presence in the highs can conceal the high-mids bump a bit.

Differentiating between high-mids and highs (or low-mids and lows) isn't always straightforward - my initial impression is whether a pickup is brighter (or darker) than another, rather than whether that difference is a result of highs / high-mids (or lows / low-mids) or a combination of the two, until I really spend time comparing. From what I've read online, there seem to be common misconceptions about some DiMarzios for this reason, with people mistaking high-mids / highs for the D Activator and Evolution bridge models, and considering some darker models to be "too bassy" when they actually have relatively tight bass but a lot of presence in low-mids.

In the case of Distortion vs Black Winter, the Distortion is clearly brighter and has distinctly more highs (the high-mids being less obvious to me), while the tight bass of both possibly causes me to perceive the Black Winter's extra low-mids as "more mids".

 

[Sir_Shreddington]

I used a Duncan distortion years ago...like so long ago I would age myself if I told anyone. I really did like that pickup, but I was tuning down and playing through a recto at the time so the highs were tempered. I've always been interested in a Nazgul or Black Winter, but haven't gotten the chance to try them out.

This post has been pretty informative, honestly. Black Winter seems like a killer pickup and probably worth looking into. From what I've heard, it fits your requirements.

I'm coming out of left field here, and am going to recommend a Motor City 2nd degree black belt. I have a pair in my #1 and it just slays. I like and play black/death metal too, and don't let the more vintage spec scare you. Especially if you are playing through a 5150 III. That amp has more than enough gain on tap to get you where you want to be. The clarity, definition, and slightly larger bass response (but still tight) might be what you're looking for. I also have a pair of Detroiters that are similar but have more of a mid-range grind to them, and tighter bass response. Those are my two favorite pickups of Wade's line. Definitely worth the extra $30-$50 imo. If you can swing it, and don't mind waiting a little while for Wade to get to your order, I would given them a try.