Best Metal Pickups recomendation

[xCaptainx]

Every EMG I've tried has been arse. Which is strange as almost all my favourite metal dudes use EMGs..

hahah they must be a variable there somewhere...

EMG's are fine in my books. Coupled with a Gibson, 5150 and a maxon, you get a pretty consistant 'metal' tone. I've gone through shitloads of combinations and always came back to the emg/5150 combo for ease of use. I talked to Unearth and pinched their settings and tweaked them slightly. Anything that Unearth/Andy Sneap use for recording is all good in my books, haha.

Like Slah said, there must be a reason every metal band uses it. Probably cause it does the job really, really well?

[Rog]

Willow - I'm not much of a fan of distortion, so I'm not really qualified to give an answer on that question. The most uncleanliness I'm likely to use is my Boss Blues Driver, which is a fairly light distortion anyway.

However, I usually use the neck pup for most things and the bridge very rarely and only at high volume. I have noiseless pups of course and I find their tone quite creamy, sort of heading towards bucker sounds, while still being SC. The bridge pup at high volume, although not so much at low volume, is delightful and cuts through any mix I've played in. With previous Strats, I've liked the position between neck and mid most, but with these, I enjoy neck only a lot.

Of course, since I use D'Add chromes, my tone is already different to most players here. I'm not a fan at all of bright strings on either bass or guitar and I guess I've finally found the sounds I like with BLs and D'Add flats. On bass, I've gone back to std fender pups, (after 30 years on DiMarzio) although noiseless on my jazz and of course, flats there too - TIs and Roto flats.

[willow13]

Willow - I'm not much of a fan of distortion, so I'm not really qualified to give an answer on that question. The most uncleanliness I'm likely to use is my Boss Blues Driver, which is a fairly light distortion anyway.

However, I usually use the neck pup for most things and the bridge very rarely and only at high volume. I have noiseless pups of course and I find their tone quite creamy, sort of heading towards bucker sounds, while still being SC. The bridge pup at high volume, although not so much at low volume, is delightful and cuts through any mix I've played in. With previous Strats, I've liked the position between neck and mid most, but with these, I enjoy neck only a lot.

Of course, since I use D'Add chromes, my tone is already different to most players here. I'm not a fan at all of bright strings on either bass or guitar and I guess I've finally found the sounds I like with BLs and D'Add flats. On bass, I've gone back to std fender pups, (after 30 years on DiMarzio) although noiseless on my jazz and of course, flats there too - TIs and Roto flats.

cheers for that rog, might have to stay away from them cause that creamy almost humbucker sound is what I trying to get away from. My duncan cool rails has it as does my Hs3

[slash-ed]

I think what everyone has neglected to ask is - what type of metal tone? And what are the guitar woods? Being Jackson I'm assuming it's the standard maple / alder combo?

In general, from personal experience:

EMGs will give you the "EMG" tone. Saturated, fairly hi-fi sounding high gain.

Bill Lawrence L500XLs are much more unconventional, not everyone will like them. Not your standard warm or fat, but kinda clear and cutting. Fairly balanced voicing overall though, if slightly trebly in brighter woods. Tighter palm muting sound than 81/85, but not as much scooped low end goodness either.

And contrary to everyone else, I like Dimebuckers...

[hamo]

I've been toying with ideas for my Epi LP Studio. I was originally thinking Zakk Wylde set EMGs, now I'm not so sure. I like the Iommi Gibsons but they're damned expensive. How do the other Gibson pups stack up? Would an SD Pearly Gates/Screamin' Demon combo work well? And why is everyone so down on Dimebuckers? It's all a bit overwhelming...

[slash-ed]

What type of sound are you going for?

I wrote a review of the Dimebucker somewhere either in the Review or Pickups section, it might help explain it a bit.

[hamo]

What type of sound are you going for?

I wrote a review of the Dimebucker somewhere either in the Review or Pickups section, it might help explain it a bit.

Cool, I'll have a search. Basically aiming for something that'll give me good range from blues through hard rock through to metal, up to say, Lamb of God styles. I've got a real thing for doom/sludge type stuff at the mo and Black Label Society's a perennial fave. If it sounds good clean for jazz type stuff then all the better, and the odd Iron Maiden tune. All this through (for now) my old Marshall Valvestate 80 circa 1990, bedroom use only at the mo.

[ash]

Would an SD Pearly Gates/Screamin' Demon combo work well? And why is everyone so down on Dimebuckers? It's all a bit overwhelming...

Not a fan of the Screamin' Demon myself. Its a mojo free zone. Same with the Dimebucker. They're harsh and one-dimensional. Lots of cut but no body. Fine for a guitar with bottom and mids to burn in a live, high gain setting... but thats it.

[the_haunted]

Basically aiming for something that'll give me good range from blues through hard rock through to metal, up to say, Lamb of God styles. I've got a real thing for doom/sludge type stuff at the mo and Black Label Society's a perennial fave. If it sounds good clean for jazz type stuff then all the better, and the odd Iron Maiden tune. All this through (for now) my old Marshall Valvestate 80 circa 1990, bedroom use only at the mo.

OK, that changes things then. You DON'T want EMG81's. They're only good for high gain stuff. You'll never get a decent clean / crunch out of 'em. I'd suggest probably Seymour Duncan JB for a really good, midrange 'all round' high output pickup. thats whats in most of my guitars. If you want something a bit warmer, go for the SD '59 (lower gain though). This is what lamb of god use on their guitars, through mesa MK4's. If you dont want to spend alot of cash, try to find a set of 'duncan designed' pickups, I have a JB/jazz set in one of my Jacksons, and the difference from the real deal is barely audible. YMMV however.