![]() The SM is so far ahead of the SD, it's not even close.īy placing the minute markers on the rehaut or chapter ring, they have given the dial the illusion of being much larger. The big difference between the two has to be the dial. I don't, however, like the crystal sitting out of the bezel on the SD. ![]() I would prefer a flat crystal myself on the SM. The SM is slightly more pleasing to myself, but the SD has full lume, so no real winner there. The bezels are equally good in their action. The case backs are similar with the SM being a cut above in quality. I then pulled it out to set the time, and when advancing the hands with every turn, it felt like the date was changing, though of course it wasn't. When winding, it felt like you are using the date quickset function. ![]() ![]() Upon receiving the SM,I wound it with the crown. The one place the SD comes out on top is the crown action. This results in a bigger cut out for the crown, which makes the case appear different from the side, from where the crown guards are. PS That clip went from zero to bounce in 20 minutes so excuse the slightly imperfect mix, gets the point across though I feel.The main difference being the crown, which on the SM is 1mm larger, which is significant when side by side. When I do my epic pickup demos I'll let you guys be the judge, but these things deserve more credit, I've never had a pickup so versatile genuinely versatile, no half measures, great cleans, mouthwatering tight high gain sounds, singing leads. These are just what I wanted and are a clear (haha.) winner for me so far. I'm gunna get some of my respectable friends to try them out for some corroboration and to make sure I'm not being mental, but I honestly can't fault these things at all. I've achieved some of my best tight high gain sounds, literally best, I've never gotten tones like this before, the 8th is so deep and powerful, leads sing, cleans are just amazing. People have told me they love BKP for the clarity but I didn't feel that from them, I think I know the effect people are referring to but by comparison the X-Bars eat them up for sheer definition. From cleans to high gain patches the detial and clarity and balance on every note is outstanding. Actually, not using a lot of compression and letting the front end low-pass the signal a little as many amps (and Axe FX 2 amp models :lol takes the edge off and produces, as I say, a very lively, really fresh, clear sound.Ĭlarity in fact is a really importanrt point. If I plug it straight into a really boosted sound then it does start to shine through a little bit but it doesn't sound shrill or at all like a single coil, it just adds a LOT of detail to your fretting and picking hands, you hear every move either hand makes. The low end is very clean and precise and not overbearing, the mids are very natural and present and again not spiky or overbearing, the high end is the unique thing about these pickups and much to my surprise it isn't really scratchy or single coil like as some have pointed out. They're much lower output that my DA8's and even notably quieter than the Ionizers. The X-Bars by comparison felt very fresh and very lively. I think a lot of pickup manufacturers try to put a lot of low end into 8 string pickups with some belief that lower range means you want more bass and that to me normally adds up to a slightly laboured pick attack and a wobbly low end that can be tightened up using boosts but always gives the sound a sort of *plonk* to the pick. The X-Bars are the first pickups I've put in an 8 string that have taken away that slightly heavy-handedness that 8 strings can have, and that slightly hollow sound a lot of the pickups produce. Having gone from the Aftermaths to the D-Activators and seeing the subtle changes there - a little more attack, a little more mid range - then from the D-Activator to the Ionizer, with a little less power and attack and a lot more low end body but a very similar overal sound in the mix, and a subtle change in feel. I have to say I was really blown away by them, almost instantly. I installed them not really knowing what to expect to be honest but was really looking forward to something a little different. People told me the X-Bar was similar but in humbucker form, everyone refers to them being very Hi-Fi and 'wet' sounding with a very high high end. They have a slightly out-of-the-ordinary feel and a very unique - though potentially very adaptable, usable - sound. I was really looking forward to trying these out because I have the Aluma-90's in another guitar and those are a little unusual, I can understand why some people don't have the patience for them despite me liking them a lot. So today I received the next installation of my big pickup test (which I haven't started yet), so just thought I'd post my first impressions and clear a few things up.
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