[Inazone]

I'm thinking of replacing the JB in one of my alder Jackson DK2Ms with an Invader, as I've had excellent results with Invaders in basswood and ash guitars. I have other JB-equipped guitars (all basswood) that I could put the Invader in, but I already know how that sounds.

Anyone using an Invader in alder?

 

[playstopause]

I had one in an alder (multi-pieces) body of a Squier Stagemaster 7-strings and it was all kind of awesome. Mucho bite, tightness and attack. In one word : agressive.

 

[noodles]

No one should use an Invader in anything. Awful pickup, all mids and icepicks. I don't like the X2N, but it is way better at the same job.

 

[Ryan]

No one should use an Invader in anything. Awful pickup, all mids and icepicks. I don't like the X2N, but it is way better at the same job.

I'm afraid I have to agree with Noodz here. It's a frickin chainsaw. Bassy and messy gain all over the place. I had an X2N, and it was much the same with a little less bass.

 

[Inazone]

No one should use an Invader in anything. Awful pickup, all mids and icepicks. I don't like the X2N, but it is way better at the same job.

Well crap, now I have to pull the Invaders out of my other guitars. Why didn't someone warn me sooner, before I recorded with them? :scream:

I just haven't found another pickup that can make single-note riffs ala At the Gates sound sufficiently huge in standard tuning. That and the fact that we've played more shows without a bassist than with one, so middy + bassy = recipe for Swedish death metal meatballs.

 

[eleven59]

Also worked great for Tom Delonge.

 

[Josh]

Also worked great for Tom Delonge.

YouTube - Blink 182 - Dammit (live)

You're not helping his case :lol:

 

[eleven59]

You're not helping his case :lol:

Did you really think I was trying to? :lol: I don't hate Blink-182, but mostly because of the rhythm section, I'd never claim Tom was a good guitarist or ever had good tone live :lol: (in studio, when he was using other guitars and had a solid producer, maybe)

 

[Mike]

Well crap, now I have to pull the Invaders out of my other guitars. Why didn't someone warn me sooner, before I recorded with them? :scream:

I just haven't found another pickup that can make single-note riffs ala At the Gates sound sufficiently huge in standard tuning. That and the fact that we've played more shows without a bassist than with one, so middy + bassy = recipe for Swedish death metal meatballs.

You are literally the only person I know that likes that pickup. :lol: However, I suspect it'll be fine in alder, since my experience - admittedly quite a few years ago - was that it overwhelmed anything I put it in, kind of like how EMGs tend to severely lessen the wood in the equation, just not quite as extreme.

 

[Ryan]

I just haven't found another pickup that can make single-note riffs ala At the Gates sound sufficiently huge in standard tuning.

If I was in your shoes, I'd try playing around with some recording techniques. Layering guitars should help beefing up your tone along with some EQ in your DAW. And live, don't forget your amp has settings too

 

[noodles]

You are literally the only person I know that likes that pickup. :lol: However, I suspect it'll be fine in alder, since my experience - admittedly quite a few years ago - was that it overwhelmed anything I put it in, kind of like how EMGs tend to severely lessen the wood in the equation, just not quite as extreme.

Except I can get close to good tone with an EMG. :lol:

 

[MFB]

I really like the Invader that's in my Kramer :shrug: Sounds fine for what I use it for (Grindcore) and the recorded tones I've got of it aren't too harsh or anything; at least to my ears.

 

[playstopause]

Well crap, now I have to pull the Invaders out of my other guitars. Why didn't someone warn me sooner, before I recorded with them? :scream:

You kiddin', right? :lol:

Opinions are like assholes : everyone has one. If it sounds good to you, then you ears are your best judge.

 

[Daniel]

when I had my conklin I had an invader in the bridge and to my ears it sounded perfectly fine then again I never had a good amp :lol:

the conklin had a cherry body btw.

 

[noodles]

You kiddin', right? :lol:

Opinions are like assholes : everyone has one. If it sounds good to you, then you ears are your best judge.

Your sarcasm detector must have dead batteries. :lol:

 

[Inazone]

I think that I like the Invader for the same reason a lot of people don't, but only in the context of the very specific tone I like. I tried numerous amps, guitars and pickups when we recorded, and I really, REALLY didn't expect that a basswood guitar with an Invader would be the one I'd end up using. Then again, I also didn't expect to record solos with a $20 no-name pickup from the GFS clearance page!

I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't like the Invader in alder, as I've always thought of it as being tonally in between ash and basswood, which (to my ears) sound great with the Invader. In basswood, it's got a bit more low-end chunk to it, and cuts through a bit more in ash; alder will hopefully fall somewhere in the middle. Regardless, it should be a major improvement from the stock JB, which I merely tolerate.

Meanwhile, I still can't comprehend why people like EMGs, yet they are the go-to pickups for the very style I play.

 

[playstopause]

Your sarcasm detector must have dead batteries. :lol:

Nah, I just just verified and it's my english-french translator that had the dead batteries. Sacrebleu.

:lol:

 

[Kagami]

Yeah...

the X2N in my falcon sounds bland as hell which is the problem with the X2N, it's like a passive EMG 81... it is loud but can be very bland sounding. I dig the invader in my ninja, however, it sounds great although it could use some more definition. I need to get a distortion sometime.

 

[Inazone]

I dig the invader in my ninja, however, it sounds great although it could use some more definition. I need to get a distortion sometime.

This is going to sound absurd, but I actually found myself liking that lack of definition. Now, part of the reason for this is because we recorded in Pro Tools LE and knew from the start that we'd be up against the track-count limit, so double-tracking our rhythm parts had to be abandoned early on. Instead, we each played our rhythms once with two mics and a clean DI for three tracks total, and doubled as needed once we moved to a full Pro Tools system for mixing. That being the case, I wanted the most massive-sounding tone I could find with the gear I had at my disposal.

Although I've never recorded with one, I feel the same way about the old Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal distortion pedal. I really like tight, precise riffing, but just a touch of fuzz and/or mud appeals to me. Hell, I bought an HM-2 for future recordings, just in case.

Here's where my credibility goes right out the window, though: I really don't like the Duncan Distortion. My brother (also in UE) has one in his old neck-thru Charvel, and I don't care for it at all. My reasoning? It sounds too harsh. :shrug:

 

[Kagami]

If you want a thick and heavy sound it's hard to beat the Invader, it really kills at single-guitar stuff.