Looking for a punchy pickup

[Rockstar216]

If I were looking for a pick up with a lot of punch but with out a really honky midrange what would be my options?

[ArtieToo]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

"Punch" and Cool Rails go together like Salt-n-Pepa.

Of course, you never mentioned what guitar and/or configuration.

Artie

[Bfeeney]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

^^or music style

[darthphineas]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

^^ or blood type

[Rockstar216]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

I'm just testing the waters but I have a strat (sss) a super strat (hsh) and a Dean (hh).

Lets say it's for the superstrat and that has a Alder body, Maple cap, Floyd rose with a Brass block. Style of music R&B, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Metal.
I usually use the neck and middle for cleans and use my bridge for distortion and usually have something a bit hotter and aggressive so when I switch to my bridge pup it acts like a boost some what.

[darthphineas]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

what have you tried so far? and what is that one not delivering?

[fwr1982]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

maybe a Custom Custom (alnico II magnet), a JB (Alnico V magnet), or maybe an Alternative 8 (Alnico 8 magnet) - I would stay away from ceramics if you intend to use the bridge pup for clean stuff, if your not gonna play clean stuff with it, I would also suggest considering an SH-5 Custom or a perhaps a Dimarzio Super Distortion, or a Duncan Distortion all of which are ceramic pups.

[Rockstar216]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

what have you tried so far? and what is that one not delivering?

Well the C8 in the bridge started out as a CC and the PG in the neck is the bridge model but with a UOA5 mag and the middle has a lil Screamin Demon.

At first I was just going to buy a PATB set for my guitar but then I got to thinking about having a hybrid set using the PATB.
For the neck I was thinking a PATB-1 and PATB-3 hybrid with a UOA5 mag and for the bridge a PATB-1/2 hybrid with either a A8,or big ceramic like in a regular distortion. For the middle I would just use the stock PATB Stk to keep the look matching.

Really what I'm trying to get is a middle pup that gives a good single coil sound but louder and not too mid heavy I still like the glassyness of singles. For the bridge I want something that is hot, punchy, aggressive, clear, good amount of harmonic content.

The neck is pretty much fine but could be a bit louder and a tad more clear.

[Rockstar216]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

maybe a Custom Custom (alnico II magnet), a JB (Alnico V magnet), or maybe an Alternative 8 (Alnico 8 magnet) - I would stay away from ceramics if you intend to use the bridge pup for clean stuff, if your not gonna play clean stuff with it, I would also suggest considering an SH-5 Custom or a perhaps a Dimarzio Super Distortion, or a Duncan Distortion all of which are ceramic pups.

I had a CC and liked it but it's not what I want in terms of tone and the mids sounded congested to me. A JB was a thought but I wanted something a bit hotter more aggressive with the same harmonic content of a JB but tighter and punchier. A JB 8 might be a good candidate.

[blueman335]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

I think of 'punchy' as having a lot of mids.

[Chickenwings]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

it might seem too obvious, and i know you said you dont like the midrange content, but in a superstrat, a humbuker that splits well and will give you a volume/lead boost vibe when you switch to full humbucking mode you can't beat a JB. How tight and punchy does it have to be? More is not always more. I think you might get a solution looking at the rest of your pickups.
If you go for true vintage strat style singles in your neck and middle, you'll get your real strat sound...and turn up/eq/crank the gain on your amp till you are happy with the tone for the singles. Then when you switch to the stock JB, you will get all the screaming hotness anyone could require. If you really hate the JB and its inherent sound, then the same setup will work with whatever variation on the custom floats your boat. However, I reckon a lot of people complain about the JB until they actually use it in a band setting.
I think its because you are already using thick sounding pickups in the middle and neck is why you feel you want more punch from the bridge. Try using tamer pups in those positions, eq the amp to taste and it will allow the bridge humbucker (whatever you choose) to do the extra punch you require.
if you want to use a humbucker in the neck, use something cool and follow the same concept of getting the amp to sound nice with that. Something like a jazz would be perfect rather than a bridge position pg thats been shoehorned into doing a job its not designed for.

[darthphineas]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

I think of 'punchy' as having a lot of mids.

agreed

[dvanburen]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

A JB was a thought but I wanted something a bit hotter more aggressive with the same harmonic content of a JB but tighter and punchier.

custom 8 definitely

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

Distortion, Alternative 8, Custom (or 8), Invader. Basically anything with weighty lower mids and tighter bass. Maybe even go active with the EMTY blackouts. Honestly alternative 8 sounds the closest. Imagine a JB buy no mid honk and a HUUUUUUUUGH tight punchy low end. Even moreso than the Distortion.

[dvanburen]

Re: Looking for a punchy pickup

If I were looking for a pick up with a lot of punch but with out a really honky midrange what would be my options?

definitely not a JB