Seymour Duncan SH-8B BK

This a is high output pickup, fitted for rock, hard rock, metal, i wouldn't use this for something else.

Having said that, this PUP is a BEAST, once is paired with a decent high output AMP ( boogie, ENGl, 5150...) it chunks and growls like a giant monster.

The great thing is that its still clear enough, the sound doesn't get lost in between the distortion.

It shines in the mid and low mids and lows. Great for baritone tuning .

Also the great thing about this beast is that it's character is not a sterile or mainstream as the EMG 81.

I installed an Invader in the bridge position of my Squier Mustang HH. It is without a doubt a heavy metal riff machine. The pickup not just sounds, but also looks the part with its high output and distinct aesthetics.

It can be wired for coil splitting or series/parallel switching and that adds some more tonal options. SD provide some wiring diagrams in the box as well as links to more diagrams and detailed instructions. Thanks to those resources, I had zero issues with the wiring and soldering, running a fairly complicated circuit.
According to SDs website, the coil split mode of the Invader is reminiscent of a P90. I cannot attest to that, as I don't own a guitar with a P90 in the bridge, but the neck pickup in my Mustang is a SD Phat Cat which is essentially a P90 in humbucker form factor. The single-coil mode of the Invader balances really well with the Phat Cat and gives me a usable middle position. In series humbucker, the Invader simply overpowers the single-coil Phat Cat. I suspect it will do the same with lower output humbuckers as well.

Word of advice is to make sure you have enough space in your guitar cavity to sit the Invader lower than your typical pickup - the pole pieces stick above the bobbin quite a bit (probably about 3mm or so). In my case, I couldn't use the stock screws due to space limitations and had to raise the string action otherwise the strings would hit the pole pieces during heavier downpicks. No big deal as the action is still low enough and playable.

Overall, I'm super happy with the way the Invader transformed my guitar. It packs a solid punch and sounds marginally better than the stock pickups (and they sounded pretty decent already).

I have used this pickup in two guitars. The first was a little unusual: the middle position on a custom hotrod. The sounds was... memorable! But the high output meant anything over half volume or tone was an overkill! So I have moved it to the bridge position of a kit built Strat style guitar. The effect is a very heavy sounding strat! It has a very high bass response and handles drop tuned riffs with ease. So much so that I daren't tune this to standard for fear of wasting it's capabilities. There is no bridge tone control (easier to not bother on an HSS Strat) so volume provides all variation in tone, and in this case it does that very well. Rolling off gives a warm "dirty blues" sound, if you can work out what I mean. Any further tone descriptions are a little pointless given the sound samples both on here and youtube.

Build quality? It's a Seymour Duncan, hand made in the USA, so it's well made.

I would strongly recommend the Invader for it's awesome looks and great sound. I only put 4 stars for sound based on my own opinion (could do with some more mids). I like to have a variety of sounds in my guitars and am very happy to have this in one. Just make sure you put it in the bridge!

This pickup is made for high gain sounds but also excels at clean settings. The output is really loud for a passive pickup and will get you a slightly hotter input signal into your amp.

The sound of it is great: It is aggressive yet clear and cuts through in the mix.
The strings are easily distinguishable even at high gain settings.

I have tried this pickup in two different guitars and recorded an example riff with both to see how it sounded in each of them. It seems the pickup definitely imparts its own character on the sound, as the guitars were almost indistinguishable from each other.

This is a pickup for bright guitars.
I installed it on an Ibanez RGT 1221 PB.
I currently have a Tone Zone near the neck.
I'll add to the review later.
It's less noisy than the Tone Zone)


Addendum:
I made many similar recordings with X2N, Invader, Tone Zone and compared.
(This guitar has the tone knob removed!)

Tone Zone is an interesting pickup for both clean and overdrive. On my guitar, it produces warm, singing solos. Good riffs, but I usually prefer more powerful pickups.

X2N - makes my guitar sound slightly pressed, lifeless. The thing is that its bass is located lower than SH8. The mids seem soft, the highs are hidden by a veil. And at the same time there is some kind of peak in the upper mids, which makes the guitar bright, but not prickly.
There is no shine on solos, riffs do not sound as assertive as SH8.

The clean sound seems fuller than sh8, but in comparison
sh8 is more beautiful.

SH8 - I really liked it because when overdriven it sounds collected, assertive, aggressive, legible, dense. With this guitar you get a hump in the lower middle, which goes into the bass, the brightness of the guitar wood gives it a prickly and shiny feel. When clean it sounds beautiful. Singing solos. Dense riffs. Cool pickup, I'll leave it in this guitar.
But on a guitar with a tone and made of mahogany, it sounds too dark and boomy.

It's all a matter of taste and the difference is sometimes not so obvious. But I think a pickup can improve or ruin a guitar.

Addition: instead of Tone Zone in the neck there is now Super 3. In the bridge Super 3 is also good, but it has less bass, gain and is brighter than SH8. Also X2N is brighter and more powerful than Invader.