New Syn Gates pickups VS Invaders?

Alex Haysom · Jan 4, 2018

Hey Guys! i currently own a 2007 Syn Gates Custom Schecter with Seymour Duncan invaders. Has anyone purchased the new Schecter custom shop syn pickups? i hear they have a smoother clearer tone compared to the invaders but id love to hear someones opinion who has owned both pickups and can somewhat compare them?
i don’t have a lot of money and as you can tell anything with the word “custom shop” is generally pricey these days. i don’t doubt the pickups id just love some insight before i plan to buy a set.

Parth Tusham · Jan 4, 2018

invaders are better

Alex Haysom · Jan 4, 2018

Parth Tusham
Fair call. have you owned or played both pick ups man?

Parth Tusham · Jan 4, 2018

tried them at guitar center

Alex Haysom · Jan 4, 2018

oh okay. why would you say invader are better? what was wrong with the custom ones?

Alex Haysom · Jan 4, 2018

anyone?

Nic Cullen · Jan 4, 2018

I own invaders. They’re really good pickups. The thing I don’t like about them is that they can get muddy. Front what I’ve heard with the new pups, they stay a little clearer than the invaders. I’m actually thinking about taking the invader out of my Guitar and putting the stock pup back in. My vote definitely goes to the Schecter pups.

Alex Haysom · Jan 4, 2018

Yeah they are fairly muddy. I just love the neck pickup though for the invader. I’m hoping the new Schecter pup sounds cleaner than the invader but not sound like a dumbed down invader. I’m
Hoping it has similar sized balls lol.

Nic Cullen · Jan 5, 2018

Go on YouTube and look up videos of the Schecter pup. Obviously, they don’t do as much justice as playing it yourself, but it still sounds as meaty as the invader. It’s funny, because as soon as he made pups with Schecter, Seymour Duncan stopped listing his custom invader.

Alex Haysom · Jan 5, 2018

Yeah I’ve seen a few videos on YouTube.
Being custom shop you’d think they’d make a real full detailed video about it so people can get a better idea about them. Oh well. Guess it’s kinda a stab in the dark for the most part haha. I live in Australia so finding a syn custom with his new pups is rare as hell haha.

Nic Cullen · Jan 5, 2018

There are several videos out there form people who bought the actual guitar, and others from people who have bought the actual pickups. I’d recommend looking for those.

Christos Poulos · Jan 5, 2018

I own both guitars. One with invaders and one with the syn humbucker. I must say, i love the invaders, but the syn humbucker gives a more full darker tone to me

Alex Haysom · Jan 5, 2018

Yeah I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube about them but they just don’t so much justice.
Thanks Christos! That’s what I’m wanting to hear! The bridge custom pickup sounds killer to me via YouTube vids but it’s the neck pickup that I’m more interested about. Would you say the custom shops are worth the money, Christos?

Christopher Lonski · Jan 5, 2018

The new Schecter Custom shop stuff is phenominal! Ive tried a few sets and they really are next level. I just recently got the new Synyster set and, as far as rock is concerned, they might be the best pickups Ive ever played. Its hard to tell through sound clips, but there is a feel and clarity to them that no other pickup that Ive tried can accomplish. Here is a recording I did using them. It sounds pretty great, I think, but they sound WAAAAAYYYY better in a live setting through an amp and cabinet. They just sound so tight and MASSIVE without getting overly saturated. Also a lot of ceramic pickups can come out sounding kind of brittle, and these definitely do not do that. They are so smooth, especially for leads and things like that. They sound pretty decent for cleans and mid gain stuff, they were also clearly voiced for rock and metal though. These pickups are no joke .
Scream Cover

Alex Haysom · Jan 5, 2018

Great cover dude!
Thanks for the input too! I think I might have to get them haha. I love the look of them too. I was happy with the invader neck sound but I think these custom shop pickups are the go hey?

Flynn Edwards · May 9, 2019

Guitar Factory in Sydney stock them if you are still interested in trying.

Grandroid828 · Aug 7, 2020

Old thread. Hope this is helpful to someone.
I have owned 2 of the "old" syn gates customs (one black and silver, one gold/white which i still own)

i also own one of the 2017 model black/silver custom-S models with the schecter sg signature pup in bridge, and of course sustainiac at the neck.

i love and play both regularly.There is a definite difference in these pickups though. I think i prefer the schecter pups to the invaders,
Overall.

Bridge- definitely prefer the schecter- invaders get far muddier. The schecter has all the punch and power but its so much more clear. To my ears.

Neck- the invader in the neck sounds better than the Sustainiac for sure. But thats not an entirely fair comparison. I dont know what the neck version of the schecter pup sounds like. But the invader is beyond good in the neck. So who knows.

Clean- not a fair comparison, my custom S doesnt have coil tapping, so the bridge schecter pup vs a coil tapped invader in the neck is obviously far crappier on a clean tone. I pick up the invader model when i want clean but again, unfair comparison.

I plan to soon purchase the gold pair of schecter pups to replace the invaders in the "old" white/gold model. Then ill have a much better idea. Very well may end up with invader at the neck and sg pup at the bridge. Who knows.

also- totally separate discussion- but there are other far far bigger differences between The older sg customs and the newer ones, as well, that could be affecting things. Personally i like the older models significantly better. Heavier, thicker neck, etc.

Cheers and take care!

Ed Seith · Aug 7, 2020

Great write up! Funny thing, the first time I tried a Syn custom was probably around 2010. I absolutely HATED it. WAY too heavy (and I had just bought a Les Paul!) and the neck was too thick and too glossy. I left the store SERIOUSLY disappointed. That was the first and only time I've tried a Syn guitar. I probably need to revisit the newer models, especially with the satin neck finish.

I do have a set of the new Syn pickups. I put them in a guitar (Ibanez RG Premium) that I knew needed serious neck work and possibly a refret, so I never really got to enjoy them, but they do sound fantastic. Very compressed and neat, with a ton of bite and solid mids to keep it thick. That guitar is in the shop getting a stainless refret AS WE SPEAK, so I expect when I get it back in the next few weeks it will be a BEAST.

Steven Huth · Aug 7, 2020

I have been getting a lot of noise from the Sustaniac pickup lately and am not really sure what to do about it. It's only noisy if the sustaniac is off...if I turn it on, the noise goes away. I am guessing it's a wire issue somewhere. Anyone had any similar issues?

Grandroid828 · Aug 8, 2020

Yes indeed Ed, the newer models are almost entirely different in every way. I may do a write up with comparisons in its own posts if people think thatd be helpful Or beneficial. The new one made me immediately think of ibanez prestige vibes, thge old - LP vibers. Again, love both, but threyre so very different. And i imagine that people that play a new model at a music store, and then order a used one online to save cash, could be severely disappointed if they get the different model type. Or at least surprised!

Steven, i get that sometimes too man. mine comes and goes though. I also have noticed when i put a new (hot) Battery in its worse.

When the sus is on, the neck pickup (as far as it being a true PICKUP is concerned) is essentially off. So your hum is coming from the neck pickup when its being used as an active pup.

Also, on this same subject, when i am experiencing this hum, if i turn my sus ON, in any mode, and put it on a clean channel, its mildly distorted in a really bad fuzzy way. Its almost as if a new battery makes the whole thing too "hot" so it hums. Im not sure really. Messing with the pickup height of the sustainiac doesnt seem to affect it much/ if any.

This problem is also worse when i use wireless systems. The hum is far more pervasive, again only while using the neck (or both) pickups.

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