Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 8 stores. Prices updated .

Sweetwater
5.0 (12)
$229.00
Guitar Center
5.0 (18)
$229.00
Amazon
4.8 (53)
Used
Reverb
4.0 (8)
$121.48 New
$139.00 Used
Musician's Friend
4.0 (64)
$229.00
zZounds
5.0 (7)
$229.00
Thomann
4.8 (65)
$242.00 $241.00 $1.00 · All time low
Gear4Music
£249.00

Average Price: $204

High-end/Boutique

$99

$200+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 5 merchants for "Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

Elevate your guitar's performance with the Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set, a pinnacle of innovation in the realm of active humbuckers. Designed for the modern musician, this pickup set combines brute force with an articulate touch, allowing your guitar's true voice to shine through a veil of distortion. Unlike traditional active pickups, the Blackouts Set offers a balanced input design, ensuring an unparalleled noise-free experience even in the most gain-heavy setups. This means more clarity, more sustain, and an all-around more robust sound that can handle anything from nuanced clean passages to aggressive metal riffs.

The Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set is not just about power; it's about control. With an extended frequency response, these pickups capture the full spectrum of your guitar's tone, delivering highs that sing and lows that growl. Whether you're recording in the studio, battling fluorescent lighting, or just jamming at home, the Blackouts Set ensures that your sound is always clean, always clear, and always ready to rock. Plus, installation is a breeze, with everything you need included right in the box. Get ready to unleash the full potential of your guitar with the Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set.

Key Features:

  • Active 9V-powered design for high-output, low-noise performance
  • Balanced inputs for noise-free clarity and dynamic range extension
  • Compatible with both humbucker and Trembucker string spacings
  • Includes all necessary mounting hardware: pots, jack, and a battery clip
  • Blade magnets enhance compatibility and tonal versatility
  • Ceramic and Alnico V magnets provide a perfect blend of aggression and dynamics
  • Up to 14 dB less noise than other active pickups on the market

Product specs

Type Set: Humbucker
Active/Passive Active
Configuration HH Set
Magnet Material Ceramic (bridge), Alnico V (neck)
Number of Conductors 2 wire plus battery
Connectivity Solderless
Number of Strings 6
Covering Covered

FAQs

Are Seymour Duncan Blackouts active or passive pickups?

The Seymour Duncan Blackouts are active pickups, designed to deliver high output and clarity, making them suitable for aggressive playing styles.

What kind of music genres are Seymour Duncan Blackouts best suited for?

Seymour Duncan Blackouts are ideal for metal and hard rock genres due to their high output and ability to maintain clarity under heavy distortion.

Can I install Seymour Duncan Blackouts without soldering?

Yes, the Seymour Duncan Blackouts set features solderless connectivity, allowing for easier installation without the need for soldering.

What materials are used in the magnets of the Seymour Duncan Blackouts?

The Seymour Duncan Blackouts use ceramic magnets in the bridge pickup and Alnico V magnets in the neck pickup, providing a balanced tonal response.

How many strings are the Seymour Duncan Blackouts designed for?

The Seymour Duncan Blackouts are designed for 6-string electric guitars, offering a versatile fit for most standard guitar setups.

Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson

Seymour Duncan AHB-1 Blackouts Pickup Set

Video thumbnail for Seymour Duncan AHB-1 Blackouts Pickup Set by Robert Jackson

Seymour Duncan AHB-1 Blackouts Pickup Set

Robert Jackson

Robert Jackson

Video thumbnail for Seymour Duncan Blackouts set Demo by Joong Mo Do

Seymour Duncan Blackouts set Demo

Joong Mo Do

Joong Mo Do

Reviews

PROS

  • Organic and lively sound, unlike the sterile tone of some actives

  • High output and clarity, great for metal and heavy rock

  • Excellent sustain and harmonic overtones

  • Powerful low-end without muddiness

  • Distinct tonal difference between neck and bridge pickups

  • Complete installation kit with heavy-duty components

  • No noise or hum, even at high gain settings

  • Versatile across various music genres, from metal to jazz

  • Warmer tone compared to other active pickups

  • Superior performance with valve amplifiers

CONS

  • Installation can be complex, requiring drilling and soldering

  • Overwhelming gain may compromise articulation in chords

  • Requires 9V batteries, adding maintenance complexity

  • May overload solid-state input stages without compression

  • Not suitable for all musical genres, particularly blues and jazz

  • Sensitive to player mistakes due to high dynamic range

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set.

Comparisons

  • Seymour Duncan Blackouts are often compared to EMG 81/85 for their fuller low end but are noted to sound warmer and more natural in handling distortion.

    Source
  • Blackouts are noted to be thinner and harsher compared to SD Full Shred, preferred for metalcore and thrash.

    Source
  • Owners prefer Blackouts over EMGs for retaining low-end clarity and preventing muddiness, especially in extended range guitars.

    Source
  • While Blackouts are versatile, some users suggest DiMarzio pickups, like Tosin Abasi's signature set, may be better suited for 8-string guitars.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • Blackouts are praised for their performance in lower tunings, providing a hot and compressed sound ideal for metal genres.

    Source
  • Blackouts are described as "brute force Thunderlizard pickups," optimized for heavy metal shredding without clean channel versatility.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Owners report that Blackouts excel at producing "bigger" chugs and riffs, enhancing warmth and natural tones in distortion-heavy music.

    Source
  • Blackouts maintain aggressive tone across neck and bridge pickups, useful for metal players who frequently switch during performances.

    Source
  • Blackouts can effectively handle genres like blues, jazz, and indie/folk rock, surprising users with their versatility in clean settings.

    Source

Mods and upgrades

  • A user swapped out Dino Cazares signature Retribution Blackouts for a 707 in the bridge, experiencing improved pick attack.

    Source
  • Users replace EMGs with Blackouts for higher output and different tonal characteristics in metal-oriented guitars.

    Source

User experience

  • It's noted that Blackouts may become muddy if not fine-tuned with an amp or modeler, necessitating careful setup to achieve optimal sound.

    Source
  • Users find Blackouts' high output more forgiving for pick attack, beneficial for heavy metal styles.

    Source
  • Users report being able to hear nuances in music that were previously missed with passive pickups after a year of using Blackouts.

    Source
Add

5.0 out of 5

Based on 2 Reviews and 8 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
facumustaine

[deleted]

jimmarchi1

6 r 7 of these? come on? if you have no review post nothing, a review is not required to add an item to your board

facumustaine

yes, it didn't let me add the pickups if i didn't write a review. These are for 6 strings and sounds awesome, they're active, sounds great for metal, fuck you

martin_boesvang

Good pickups

Sometimes the first models is the best ones. This is one of those times

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Ryan Sitkowski uses Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set

Ryan Sitkowski

Guitarist

Motionless In White

...
Verified via YouTube

Ryan states that he has a set of duncan blackouts in his guitars

See how Silenoz uses Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set

Silenoz

Guitarist

Dimmu Borgir

...
Verified via Seymour Duncan

Silenoz is listed as using the Blackout pickup set on Seymour Duncan's official website.

See how Cameron Liddell uses Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set

Cameron Liddell

Guitarist

Asking Alexandria

...
Verified via YouTube

seen at the 0:04 mark, Cameron's guitar (an Ibanez Darkstone 500) normally has passive pups.

See how Paul C. Wilson uses Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set

Paul C. Wilson

Guitarist

LANDMVRKS

...
Verified via YouTube

at 5:05 of this video Paul explains that he uses Seymour Duncan AHB-1 in the bridge of his guitar

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Seymour Duncan Blackouts Set, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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