lost in a world of pickups
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Posted on Dec 28, 2005 02:29 pm
fortymile
Member Since: Jan 18, 2003
i need to buy new pickups soon. today or tomorrow. i have some pickups questions.
1. a guitar that came with two pickups: a third can surely be added? this would involve changing only the switch, as far as i can imagine....
2. but assuming i keep the two only, which is what i plan for the moment: i could really use some recommendations from people who know what they are talking about. the salseperson i did not trust because he didnt talk--no evidence that he knew the relative merits. he mentioned EMGs, but did not attempt to launch into a talk about the differences between brands, etc. im browsing some products right now on MF but, you know, personal knowledge is best if anyone has any.
i told that salesperson that i play grunge and metal, which is a fair description of the kind of distorted tone that i use. anyway, im not sure what qualities i should look for in a pickup.
or EVEN what qualities there ARE. i see theres 'output,' 'sustain,' things like that to think about. but who knows what would be best for distortion. not i. distortion to me only has one obvious component: output. 'output' should be high, for sure. but 'sustain?' dont know. and as for tone differences between pickups, what curve is best for hard distortion? do you want something bright or not?
seymour duncan hotrails: anyone have anything to say about those? EMGs? seymour duncan invaders? so many options. if anyone has found a pickup they really love, please consider gushing about it on this thread.
most important question: how do i decide what the neck pickup should be? i need a high output humbucker for the bridge position, (if i've figured anything at all out here on my own.) but the neck. hmm. my current strat has 2 single coils above the bridge hummer, and i might be loathe to ditch the single coil in my new arrangement on my two-pickup guitar. the effect will be that i will miss out on a bassier tone option, right? and am i correct to assume that when both pickups are activated, a single coil in the neck would add that bassier sound to the humbucker-led sound? so with two hummers, are you not just one-dimensionalizing your sound? why would someone want two hummers at all?
has anyone here moved from single coil/humbucker combos to an all humbucker combo?
thanks for any info you might wanna provide
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TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Dec 28, 2005 04:45 pm I personally like the Seymour Duncan stuff. Have a look at their website - they have cool icons to tell you what to expect from them, and give artists who use their various pick-ups. You could then use that info to narrow down your search. Then get an idea of the frequency response, windings etc. and shop that information around with other brands. Their customer service is great too.
Also consider DiMarzio. The new Yngwie Malmsteen model is getting some good buzz.
Dec 28, 2005 04:46 pm Anything with the name Malmsteen sucks. :-D
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Dec 28, 2005 05:12 pm About all I can comment on is your concerns about the neck pickup choices.
I used to have a Charvel that had the stock (and pretty crappy) active single coils in the neck and middle positions, with a humbucker in the bridge position. Now I play a LP Classic with the standard (and stock) dual humbucker configuration. Now, I know that the stock Jackson pickups and the stock Gibson pickups are in totally different classes of sound quality, so take this with a grain of salt. That said, I greatly prefer the sound of a humbucker in the neck position. It has the same punch as a single coil, but its louder and more ballsy.
As a comparison, consider Trey Anastasio from Phish as the classic neck humbucker sound, and Stevie Ray Vaughn as the classic neck single-coil sound. The bucker is a bit warmer (less highs) and punchier (wider dynamic range). Of course, "Trey" and "wide dynamic range" don't really belong in the same paragraph...
Now, when you combine the 2 humbuckers, you get a kind of thinner, funk-type sound that's not unlike the sound of the middle pickup in a HSS configuration. It doesn't sound anything like either of the other pickups to me.
My two cents on your decision is that if you're going to be using this guitar in a high-gain setting, then clarity and articulation are very desirable qualities because its easy for a guitar to get really muddy with a lot of distortion.
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Dec 28, 2005 07:09 pm Yeah, it's surprising how clean some rock guitar player have their setups.
I was blown away at how clean Angus Young's guitar sound is live.
Dec 28, 2005 07:40 pm "My two cents on your decision is that if you're going to be using this guitar in a high-gain setting, then clarity and articulation are very desirable qualities because its easy for a guitar to get really muddy with a lot of distortion."
--yes exactly my thoughts. clarity is a problem for me, and pod is not a clean device. so, but i dont understand what this statement implies. what should i get if thats the concern i have? not talking brands here, but i cant see what youre implying i should get in terms of single or hummer on the neck.
(p.s. it sounds like youre saying trey just has the neck pickup switched on by itself? )
Dec 28, 2005 07:41 pm tallchap i will check out the site thanks for the recc
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 28, 2005 10:16 pm forty, youcan take this from a guy who tried out about 25 differant sets of pickups. And yes, I am a picky ba%*#rd!
The EMG's are on tone and one tone only, pure unadulterated crunch. Good if your in an 80's metal band and have a large Marshall stack. Duncan's I didnt care for because they were again, a pretty limited sound.
I ended up going through about 7 or 8 differant pickup combos from DiMarzio before I settled on my final set. Dont know if they still do this but I was able to exchange several sets untill I came up with the ones I wanted. Its worth a shot though.
Anyway, the config I ended up with is like this.
All DiMarzio, the Evolutions were designed specifically for Steve Via. My Ibanez has the same pickup layout as his Jem's do Hum, single, Hum.
Neck: Evolution DP158PK
Middle: Fast Track 2 DP182 (fits a single coil hole)
Bridge: Evolution DP159FPK
You can check em out here. www.dimarzio.com/
These are all wired for coil tap by the way. Only one volume knob and a 5 way strat type Ibanez switch. Each pickup has a dedicated DPDT switch and can be run as Humbucker, single coil, or Paralell. I use this route as I hate the effect a tone pot has on a pickup. Aside from that, I never use a tone knob anyway. That pickup config was chosen as it can get just about any tone I would ever need. Nice strat or tele tone, Gibson Paul, SG tone, smooth jazz sound. Thes seem to work well for getting from clean to crunch and anywhere inbetween. As well they seemed to work very well with the POD XT, and even the version 1 POD.
The Fast Track blows away the hot rails, I did try them and found them way to hot in the mid section. Not a good all around sound. The Evolutions as well worked for getting a good all around sound, even from an amp that wasnt the best when going to the clean sound.
My 2 cents of gushing for ya.
Dec 28, 2005 10:29 pm what do you think of the d-sonic by dimarzio?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 28, 2005 10:29 pm OH yes, and Trey does play mostly with only the neck pickup on. I like that sound on mine as well, very smooth with the patches that are meant to be smooth.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 28, 2005 10:39 pm It is a good pickup for that kind of chunking metal sound, very heavy on the botom end. Not quite as heavy as the Tone Zone, but almost. Good for Drop tunings and the like. It cant get as bright and clean as the Evolution, but then if you dont really need to get real clean then it wont matter. But if the chunking, chug bottom heavy tone is your thing that might be a better choice for you. Maybe do that for the bridge and an Evolution on the neck.
Again the D-Sonic is a 4 wire and can be wired similar to what I have for a little more tone control.
DiemusikString benderMember
Since: Unknown
Dec 28, 2005 11:17 pm I'm going to agree with Noize here and second the Evolutions. Great pickup for just about anything. I just have the stock Ibanez middle pickup right now so maybe I'll give that fast track 2 a try.
Dec 28, 2005 11:29 pm q-tuners, q-tuners, q-tuners...
DiemusikString benderMember
Since: Unknown
Dec 28, 2005 11:46 pm This really doesnt help but I have always wanted to try this guys pickup out www.opticalguitars.com/index.html
He is using photocells to capture the sound.
Dec 29, 2005 12:07 am my god im totally overwhelmed.
i do use distortion and it must be punchy and good and hot. but i play clean just as often, and so i need a pure clean that doesnt distort. i really like my neck position single coil sound on my current axe for clean, but im not dead set on having that. i just need some way to sort through all this.
you still think evolutions? i would get em if they are 80 or less each. thats about the range im lookin at. 90 at most. but i am only wiring two pickups in, so noize, what would you do if you had only two?
db i think q-tuners are like 10,000 dollars each if i remember your earlier post on that.
Dec 29, 2005 12:10 am $150, and while I have no technical knowledge of pickups, I can honestly say there is not one pickup I have ever heard I would take over the Q-tuners I have...best money I ever spent on my trusty ol' Washburn...Hell, I'll send you the EMG garbage I took out for free...
Dec 29, 2005 01:13 am For humbuckers, I dig the SH-11 custom custom from seymour duncan (bridge position). It has the high output of a humbucker, but has a bit more high end clarity (read "less muddy"). Also, when the coild is tapped, it has a great single coil sound, but with more output.
I had a Hot Rails in the neck position of my Jackson and absolutely loathed it. In the bridge position of my Uncle's strat, it rocked pretty hard, and with the coil tapped, had a fairly decent sound.
I love the sound of a hot single coil in the neck position. You can get a good amount of crunch from them, but when you roll off the volume knob a bit, it still retains that glassy single coil sound. My buddy's got a Lace Sensor in the neck position of his Jackson, and it sounds pretty damn great.
Seymour Duncan have some of the best aftermarket pickups. Download the tone chart from their website and read it. It explains in pretty simple terms what DC resistance and all that mumbo jumbo is, and how it affects the sound and output of pickups. You can damn near choose your pickup from the chart. At least, I did with the SH-11, and have not been happier.
Dec 29, 2005 01:47 am coil tap means you can turn a humbucker into a single coil with a button?
Dec 29, 2005 01:47 am db, which emgs did you have
Dec 29, 2005 07:20 am not sure, some stock, low end crap.
And yeah, a coil tap will just use one side of the humbucker.
Dec 29, 2005 07:27 am I concurr with Tadpui, I also have a Gibson LP Classic and LOVE the pickups...standard Gibson but you can get em on their own I believe...
Seymours are almost ALWAYS a good call - good brand and indeed, good sound. I have played both single coil (my Fender Strat), average humbuckers (my Epi - in fact, those were quite good) and kickass humbuckers (my new LP) and I personally prefer the ballsy LP humbs...
That said, its down to personal taste.
You can be assured a good set of humbuckers SHOULD sustain oot any other types nae worries.
Good luck
Coco.
BrunoThe Quiet MindedMember
Since: Jan 01, 2003
Dec 29, 2005 09:52 am well, I used to have a guitar with a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck Hamb. on the bridge. Incredible sound, much like Alice in Chains distorted guits on Dirt.
Dec 29, 2005 03:38 pm bruno: that would be ideal for me. i wonder if i can still find those. ill look into it. but what did you have on the neck position?
Dec 29, 2005 03:56 pm the SD tone wizard recommends lil screamin demons for me. jeff beck does not seem to be mentioned on the site.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Dec 29, 2005 04:37 pm I can say the Seymour Duncan bridge pickup my Son has on his LP really sounds great not sure which model it is though.
I've always just had the stock gibson pickups on my SG so I don't have any suggestions for what you should get but I think SD makes some great pickups from what I've heard on my Son's LP.
Dan
BrunoThe Quiet MindedMember
Since: Jan 01, 2003
Dec 29, 2005 05:03 pm I had a tone zone, from dimarzio, which was misplaced cause it was bridge model. Anyway I only used the JB on the bridge. But, again, it sounds terrific for grunge weight, and for sure you will find it very easily.
good luck
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 29, 2005 05:51 pm Forty, if your guitar has a single coil slot on the neck then I guess in the DiMarzio line I would opt for the D-Sonic on the bridge and the Fast Track 2 on the neck. Then fi you do the coil tap, and you dont have to do it imediately either. You will still get the single coil tone you like on the neck and as well get a merciless screaming humbucker tone as well.
The D-Sonic will do the low down nasty you are looking for. And if you need even more bottom end thump you can go with the Dual Sound. That thing is loud as hell on the bottom end.
As for the price, alittel looking should turn up somewhere that can do em for under $90.00 I am sure. I dont remember what I paid for my pink ones to be honest.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 29, 2005 05:56 pm forty, I just looked at a couple of the online dealers and youcan score even the colored ones for $60.00 for the Evolution, D-Sonic, or Dual Sound. The Fast TRack 2 is $69.00, black or in colors.
MF has them in stock.
Dec 30, 2005 03:36 am i did much reseach today, went to the sto', and learned some stuff and will have a few questions tomorrow if no one minds.
this stuff has helped me immensely. full (brief) report tomorrow and a few q's
Dec 30, 2005 07:26 am One more to consider,I had a Dimarzio on the bridge end of my strat but now its on the neck end,and its very good for gut twisting solo's.
Dec 30, 2005 03:27 pm so i went to the store and got to play a guitar that had a seymour JB (which i assume is that jeff beck thing bruno was talking about, and it did sound a lot like alice in chains) and a seymour '59 in the neck.
i liked the sound of the JB alone when distorted--it just sounded very mean, a lot like that sound on dirt. when clean, the JB was twangy, a sound i suppose i need seeing as how i use it a lot now. when clean, the NECK pickup (the '59) was round and glassy, a sound that i want as well--i love that sound. BUT when distorted, the neck pickup alone and the combination of neck and bridge did not seem to be very different from just playing through the JB (in the bridge position) alone.
the differences in distortion with the different switch positions was very subtle to me. im sure some of you guys might have noticed how it was different in different positions. i thought i could tell, but the difference was oh-so-slight, and therefore it seems that i would ultimately have just the JB on during distortion, which limits me to that one sound, IF i use the '59 on the neck, i mean, (which i dont plan to do--its not tappable.)
this guitar was not coil-tapped, so who knows, that '59 coulda contributed to the distortion sounds a bit more had it been, perhaps. whatever i get ultimately, i am coil tapping.
ok, the guy seemed enthusiastic about the seymour george lynch screamin' demon for the bridge. i told him i didnt know who george lynch was and he said it would be very crunchy and tons of 80's harmonics and such, but he seemed pretty excited about it. now, the only band i have ever liked who makes that crunchy 80's harmonic-laden guitar work in my book is danzig. but i do like crunch; i wouldnt have to play harmonics, of course. the guy was also really excited about the seymour invader. heres how the tone chart describes the two
screamin demon: great cabinet 'thunk' on the low end, screamin' harmonics on the high end
invader: interplanetary tonal invasion by hostile forces
confusion. all i know is that the JB sounded fine. i think i might go to every music store in town to see if i can play any other pickups they might have wired! i'd hate to miss something better!
one store here has the seymour 'jazz' which is decribed as clear and articulate, the consummate neck humbucker. i will try this one out perhaps today. does anyone think that would be a good idea? or a bad idea!
the store i was at yesterday carries evolutions but was OUT of them. the idea that has grabbed me most in this thread is the idea of putting an evolution on the neck and a JB on the bridge. i call it the noize-bruno compromise.
what do you guys think of that? if i cant find evolutions in town and really like the jazz neck pickup, can you think of anything that might be stupid about that?
hmm what else. oh yeah: whats a P.A.F? chart here talks about 'bit PAF sound for vibrato equipped guitars.' and i saw a PAF at the store. also does anyone here use active pickups?
ok sorry for length. comment on anything you care to.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Dec 30, 2005 03:37 pm PAF stands for Patent Applied For. I think it's just a model name for one of those manufacturers pickups. I remember PAF and PAF Pro models from either DiMarzio or Duncan, can't remember which.
I think that the Jazz sounds like a great neck pickup, but I have no first-hand experience so my advice is worth about squat here...
Oh, and what I meant above about "articulate" was more a characteristic of a particular pickup and not a "breed" of pickups. Like EMG gets a lot of talk from the metalheads that use a ton of distortion. It's articulate, but also pretty sterile and lifeless on its own. I guess that it buys you clarity in a high-gain setting, but lifelessness in a low-gain or clean setting.
Dec 30, 2005 04:22 pm well a problem i am having is this: i tend to play (or try to play) full barres in distorted settings. i dont know why i do this. i dont feel right when i reduce the chord form. and when i play these full distorted chords, there is no definition in the highs. its just a mush.
i often think back upon that stone temple pilots album, core, and how they were distorted but also clear. i know they were using tube amps, though, and probably a split amp configuration.
anyway, i either have to change my playing style, or find a pickup that will make it work.
im thinking maybe the jazz with the JB might clear things up, somehow. i will be trying the jazz out (and hopefully others, if they have others wired) in about an hour.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 30, 2005 06:24 pm forty, the jazz pickup on the neck would give you some more of the high end. That is what it is made for. Try it thought for sure as it could get brittle sounding at times.
As for the PAF, it is like an older style (50's) Gibson humbucker without the cover. A little more high end definition. The treble sings very nicely on a pickup like that one. DiMarzio's PAF Pro has a sound that is very mid range, like a wah set at half throtle and left there.
Dec 30, 2005 08:07 pm what does brittle sounding mean?
i tried the jazz today. such subtle differences, i couldnt tell. it sounded glassy but no more so than the 59. i didnt note any more highs, but then, i'm retarded when it comes to this.
so im back to sqaure one on the neck pickup. no place in town has evolutions in stock so i cant try those out. the girl today (she really knew her stuff--she had a guitar tattooed on her arm) steered me away from a neck evolution, saying that combined with the beck it might not offer enough difference/variety, since theyre both hot and powerful pickups.
oh, i did try EMGs on the bridge today. they were a lower output model, but i wasnt real impressed. they did seem clearer-sounding than the jeff becks, though, when distorted. the becks are very gritty. im not entirely sure its a sound i could commit to, but i might learn to.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Dec 30, 2005 10:14 pm Brittle would describe how the mid-highs and highs would sound at higher gain settings, almost distorted, crunchy. Not glassy and smooth. It is a sound most used for lead playing as it can cut through almost anything without being over bearing. Think of an old school fuzz box with the color turned all the way up. It is that breaking up kind of sound.
Dec 31, 2005 05:24 am I think that a medium strength pickup would be usefull or perhaps yours are ok.I like a nice simple stomp pedal.One I use is a Bluesbeaker but only on boost the distortion is down to what suits your music.Best thing is to take your guitar to a shop that has a booth and check out some FX.Even if you just say thanks you will learn smething about your guitar.
Dec 31, 2005 04:32 pm hahahah ive gone insane.
JB and neck jazz
JB and neck evolution
or, hell, all these dimarzios look pretty good. the d-sonic for example. and a salesman on the phone today made me feel like an idiot about the invader. i was talking about bridge pickups, mentioned i played heavy music and he's like 'dude, what about the invader?' with a kind of 'what are you thinking, its the obvious choice' kind of vibe. im like 'i heard that was total crunch all the time and might not be very versatile' and he just went on and on about the size of the poles and how its mindblowing, etc.
ive listened to all the pickups on the dimarzio page and the duncan page, but its just hard to tell. i think i might go with the JB by default, simply because i know that sound. and then probably the jazz neck, also by default. apparently this is the tool guitarist's setup, so whatever, it should do.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 01, 2006 04:35 pm As I stated above, I think that will give you a good all around set up. You will definately get a cool sond out of the jazz on the neck for sure. Youmight find yourself re-tweaking some of your patches but it will be worth it in the long run to get more control over the various tones you need.
Jan 01, 2006 04:42 pm yeah sorry if it seemed like i wasnt listening...i am. i even printed out this thread and took it to the store with me. there is/was just so much to consider i couldnt keep it all straight. but this is what im gonna do, i suppose. id love to try the evolutions--its hard to go with this knowing theyre out there and may be better--but if i cant try them first (no one has any wired into anything) i could be screwing myself. at least i know what this setup sounds like.
p.s. doug flutie converted a drop kick today, apparently, in the miami/new england game. first once since 1941. but for only an extra point. why!
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 01, 2006 07:52 pm Ya, pickups can be such a personal thing. That is why I went through so many of them trying to find the perfect set up for me, or at least the guitar.
I think in my case I wanted one guitar to be able to do it all. I feel as if I came really close to the perfect set up for that guitar, but others might not agree.
Jan 04, 2006 12:19 am hmm
nobody mentioned these:
www.lacemusic.com/store/p...22&catid=49
anyone ever hear of or use lace pickups? apaprently radiohead used red lace sensors on the bends and ok computer. supposed to be a really hot humbucker. i wonder if i should have gone with those? too late now. but ive never heard of these.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 04, 2006 11:17 pm As for using the Lace sensors, think of Eric Claptons sound for the most part, Jeff Beck as well used them for awhile. They are a more bluesy type tone, not much toward the metal side of things. But they are very punchy when not running extremely high gain. As well to get the most out of those pick ups you better being using about a $5000.00 boutique amp. OK, maybe not that pricy but you get the idea. I tried one from their custon shop in my middle pickup slot and didnt really get the all around tones I wanted so off it went.
As for the Radiohead use of them. I would be guessing but I imagine they were from the custom shop as well. I think mine was about $130.00 and that was over 5 or 6 years ago.
Jan 05, 2006 02:35 am radiohead used them through really wild amps, i hear. oh well.
it was weird. the guitar tech--really cool, big guy, seemed stoned--was really against coil tapping both of my pickups. he was like 'ill coil tap them both on one pot so you get the two single coil sound when you pull the knob' and i had to do some talking, for some odd reason, to get him to aquiesce to tapping both on seperate tone knobs.
what kinda service is that? i got the impression maybe he just didnt 'feel like it' lol
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 05, 2006 09:37 pm Ya, I know some of those guys are purest types that dont understand how someone would want more then just one tone from a pickup. In my case with Frankestien I didnt want it to just be full on humbucker all the time. Even though the DiMarzio's clean up real nice when you roll em off, I still wanted to have the options of non-humbucker as well as the single coil option.
You should have him check both your volum and tone pots to see if they are 500k or 250k ohm. Most guitars have the 500k ohm on them for both tone and volume. If its possible I would see if he can pop in 1 megohm pots for the tone controls, this will help keep the high end good as well as a little increase in power output.
Jan 16, 2006 05:20 pm I build and customize guitars for a living right now, and have quite a bit of experience with pickups.
First off, if you're going to add an extra pickup, some kind of routing will most definately will need to be done...this is not good work for the inexperienced. Maybe, you'll want a pro to do it for you. I personally enjoy (for metal) a Humbucker in the bridge, single-coil in the middle, and humbucker in the neck. If you're going to change a Single coil to a humbucker, you will most likely need to change the pots as well. With humbuckers you're generally going to want 500k pots and Singles 250k. Also the tone cap will probably need to be changed. Generally I go with a .022uf cap for humbuckers and a .047uf cap for singles (AC).
For metal, I would drop Seymour Duncan completely. Erase them from your mind. Not good for metal. DiMarzio makes some good pickups...Chuck Shuldiner used X2Ns...they're very good pickups and awesome for metal. Right now...with my Space Age/Metal guitar I have a FRED in the bridge (really good pickup) and an Air Norton in the neck. The Super 2 and Super Distortion are also really good. You'll probably want the SD in the bridge for that and the Super 2 in the neck. I also like the Tone Zone a lot as a bridge pickup (Petruccis PU). If you're not into DiMarzio, then you could try Bill Larence L-500s, which are really awesome pickups as well (and lower priced).
I don't like EMG active pickups because I find that they're stale and you can't really add your own flavor to them. If you're into them, I would suggest EMG 85s or maybe an EMG 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck.
Hopefully that was helpful!
Jan 17, 2006 09:06 pm Well I think everyone has explained plenty at this point but in a world of sub-par pickups, The Seymour Duncan invader is AWSOME. It is great for metal because it does not have a strict tonal range. It can get really down and dirty while remaining clear and audible, and then you can throw in some high chords or do some soloing and it still sounds great. I have an Invader 7 on my seven string and it is really the only pickup that seems to be meant for such low tones. The "Duncan designed" series of 7-string pickups on my other 7 string guitar are hot with alot of output but sound terribly muddy.
sooo, in my opinion I would go with the invader. Other than that, EMG really does live up to its praise for most applications.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Jan 17, 2006 11:20 pm Zack Wylde uses (or used) an EMG 85 and EMG 81 in his LP. I haven't listened to him in awhile, but I believe he's got a pretty good metal tone going.
Jan 18, 2006 12:11 am well i ended up with the seymour JB in the bridge and the seymour jazz in the neck. most of my distortion playing will be done with the bridge pickup.
i have to see that i found it hard to discriminate among the tones. i cant really put my finger on why the JB sounds different than some other pickups. i guess im just unskilled in that area.
but orion, im not sure how you can say seymours are useless for metal when tool, deftones, and alice in chains use them. my setup is identical to tool's and pretty close to deftones--the deftones use a different seymour model in the neck; thats the only difference.
i dont play 'chunky' metal. i mean, i do palm mute quite a bit, but the ultra-crisp kind of metal distortion doesnt suit my style.
Jan 18, 2006 01:49 am I'm sorry, none of those bands (except maybe tool) are metal though lol. And when I think of metal guitar, I definately don't think of tool. I'm glad you found something you like though. Have fun!
Jan 18, 2006 03:48 am youre using a strict definition of metal then. deftones and tool are to me metal because theyre heavy, high-gain bands. maybe thats wrong to think of that as metal, but the influence is there. deftones more so than tool in many ways.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 18, 2006 07:46 pm Not sure how Tool is not in the metal catagory. So then I am to assume that Slipknot is not a metal band either?? Deftones, well maybe a sub genre then. But still definately metal. It seems funny how all these bands and many similar bands make the covers of all the Metal magazines. I better write to all the editors and tell them they are liars for leading me to believe such things. :-O
If I were to count I would be willing to bet there are over 30 sub-genres that are in the metal catagory. Driven by high gain guitar sounds, and heavy driving drum as well as bass sounds. And powerfull and sometimes soft vocals. It is all metal or some corperate variation of the theme, called a sub-genre.
Sorry didnt mean to stir the pot. Oh hell, yes I did. But I think you get my point. If not, oh well .
Jan 18, 2006 08:14 pm Those metal magazines? What metal magazines? Slipknot is not metal...they're hardcore punk (or junk imo). Tool could be considered metal...deftones may be nu metal. I don't consider nu metal to actually be metal though. If slipknot is on the cover of a metal magazine, then no real metalheads actually look at that magazine lol. Tell that to the guys at the WMA (the #1 heavy metal organization in the world, in which I'm a long standing member and contributor). This, however, is not a metal forum though, so if you would like to continue to think they're metal that's fine.
Jan 18, 2006 08:17 pm Oh jeezuz, would everybody get a grip on the anal-rententive categorization of bands music already...who friggin cares into which bucket people get plopped...
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 19, 2006 10:37 pm Anyway. forty, glad ya got the pickups thing worked out. Cant wait to hear how they sound.
BavPolMember
Since: Sep 10, 2005
Jan 20, 2006 12:05 am I'm glad the guy got some pickups that he liked. IMO, a bigger factor than pickups is the amplifier or preamp or whatever active device you are using. When you turn the pickups down it's the amp that stops clipping(cause the level is lower), not the pickups. I think it's a big mistake to get these overwound, muddy sounding pickups to compensate for an amp that is not distorted enough. Many of the EMG active pickups I've heard have a very one dimensional sound and while not muddy, they are lifeless and sterile when used through a clean amp setting. What I'm trying to say is that with the right amp, set up correctly, stock gibson humbuckings, and many other brands, can sound pretty darn heavy. By the same token, take your bad *** "metal pickups" and play them through a roland jazz chorus and they will sound lame!
My two cents............
Gary
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 20, 2006 12:40 am Well said BavPol, well said.
Jan 20, 2006 12:54 am thanks to everyone who helped me out on this. i learned a lot indeed about pickups in my quest and think i made a decent choice.
TechmonkeyGrand master skankerMember
Since: Feb 22, 2006
Mar 06, 2006 05:01 pm I know this thread is sort of over, but I just thought I'd add incase anyone else is interested. Don't dismiss EMGs completely... I picked up a H4 used for like £20 (that's like $40 or something) and replaced the old Jackson bridge humbucker on my FrankenJackson. The tone is incredible! I'll use it on clean with chorus for an 80's sound with a lot more high end definition than I was thinking, and in overdriven with the gain on the amp down a bit lower to compensate for the high output on the pickups. Wow! what a tone - I rarely play the guitar myself, I just have it to noodle and to experiment with. But anyone who comes over to record will usually pick it over their own guitars after hearing it (for the heavier stuff - punk and metal).
I'll add though that these pickups are better suited for those who liked to play solos and lead riffs than those who like to play rhythm - the rhythm sound is better IMO from my Jackson neck pickup, the lower output gives it more umph to it.
Mar 06, 2006 11:55 pm I have used EMG 81's and 85's for about 5 years now...after a 10 year search through just about every other "hot" pickup out there. They have tons of sustain, consistant tone and are QUIET!!!
Some people have called them cold, but I think that tone is a very subjective thing. I find them vibrant and VERY responsive.
Anyway, the only passive pickup I still use on one of my guitars is a DiMarzio X2N.
Good luck.
Kerry
music.download.com/materiaprima
music.download.com/controlledchaos
