New pickups for Schecter Omen Extreme -- advice needed

[weepingminotaur]

I've currently got a Schecter Omen Extreme tuned to E flat, with Nazgul-Sentient pickups, that I find myself wanting to bring back up to standard E tuning. It's a slim mahogany body guitar with a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and string-through bridge. The guitar plays great and holds tune really well. I have zero problems with it from that standpoint.

However, I am growing a tad dissatisfied with the way both pickups sound in the guitar. The Naz has good snarl and bite for the metal this guitar plays, but it's a bit honky for my taste and lacks a bit of beef in the low end. The Sentient is almost too articulate in this guitar -- not enough warmth to my ears.

So my question is: what pickups would you swap in? This guitar, in E standard, will be playing a steady diet of '80s and early '90s metal: Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, and Testament for the most part, with a bit of Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest thrown in. So I don't need it to be versatile. I just need a good beefy metal tone. I'm playing into a Boss Katana 50 with a TS9 mixed with in-amp distortion for my dirt.

My initial thought is the stereotypical JB-Jazz or JB-59 combo. Do you think a JB would work in this guitar? If you had to choose between the Jazz and the 59 for the neck, which would you choose, and why?

[The Dark Wolf]

Hmm. A JB would work... but it tends to be a bit... wooly? Slow? in the bass. It's a lot more EVH-ish in character than say, something playing Megadeth. (Although it would probably be great for Andy Larocque stuff.)

I think the Custom would be awesome. In mahogany bodies, it's a beast. You ever watch this YouTube video where they compare different Duncans? (It's 7-strings. but close enough.) Just listen to the grind of that Custom.

[weepingminotaur]

Hmm. A JB would work... but it tends to be a bit... wooly? Slow? in the bass. It's a lot more EVH-ish in character than say, something playing Megadeth. (Although it would probably be great for Andy Larocque stuff.)

Yeah, I am a bit hesitant to go JB for those reasons. Having said that, all those classic Deth albums were recorded with a JB in Mustaine's guitar. My Schecter seems to be in need of some low end so maybe the JB will work in that context? I dunno.

I think the Custom would be awesome. In mahogany bodies, it's a beast. You ever watch this YouTube video where they compare different Duncans? (It's 7-strings. but close enough.) Just listen to the grind of that Custom.

I tried the Custom for a while in a mahogany body/neck LTD and somehow it didn't work for me. Ended up selling the Custom. I'm thinking maybe a Distortion as a JB alternative.

I find it difficult to put a lot of stock in these types of demo videos because the Youtube audio is so compressed and they're playing into specific amps. But I did enjoy the Merrow video where he plays the same riffs from Pillars of Creation to every Seymour Duncan metal pickup.

[Inflames626]

In those days as far as SD they pretty much used JBs, Distortions, Jazzes, or 59s.

I prefer a Jazz/Distortion combo. JB is mushy in the bottom. Never liked the 59. Always sounded bland to me while the Jazz sounded warm and full but with a bright sparkle on top. It's not an EMG 60, but it's as close to that as SD makes, IMO.

There are many newer SD designs that are superior to those pickups, I think. I prefer the Full Shred these days. It is articulate but lacks low end. The Screaming Demon might work but I think you'd find it a little underpowered. The Parallel Axis trembuckers are like the Distortion but cleaner and tighter I think. I think they are often overlooked because of the unconventional polepiece look. It is a shame. There's also always the Dimebucker or an Invader.

If you didn't like the Custom I'd recommend at least trying the Custom 5 if you can handle the (extremely) scooped mids.

[Mincer]

You might even try a Custom in the bridge for those metal tones in E standard. you can use a 59 in the neck. It would be more of a classic metal sound rather than modern.

[The Dark Wolf]

Yeah, I am a bit hesitant to go JB for those reasons. Having said that, all those classic Deth albums were recorded with a JB in Mustaine's guitar. My Schecter seems to be in need of some low end so maybe the JB will work in that context? I dunno.



I tried the Custom for a while in a mahogany body/neck LTD and somehow it didn't work for me. Ended up selling the Custom. I'm thinking maybe a Distortion as a JB alternative.

I find it difficult to put a lot of stock in these types of demo videos because the Youtube audio is so compressed and they're playing into specific amps. But I did enjoy the Merrow video where he plays the same riffs from Pillars of Creation to every Seymour Duncan metal pickup.

Did you consider the '59/Custom hybrid? I just made one for my 7-string, and it's (maybe?) the best passive pickup I've ever played. (My fav pickups of all time are the EMG 57/66 set. Just perfect. They don't sound like EMGs typically do.)

The '59/Custom has EVH tone if you want it (I do), but tight bass, super clarity and articulation, but isn't even remotely shrill... the bass is far, far better than my experience with a JB - which I to this day love, but I was playing more heavy styles back when I played with one. But it's not thin... AT ALL. It's FAT. It just tracks really, really well on the low strings. Maybe even better (slightly) than the damn-near perfect EMG 57.

The 59/C has a very non-loose bass, very fast. And it's super dynamic. If you roll down the volume, it cleans right up. Back up, play harder, WHAM. I can't recommend it enough, honestly. And I come from playing very heavy, technical metal back in the day.

A distortion is a lot like a JB (some say it is the same), just with a ceramic magnet. I even did the magnet swap with a JB once, but I still wasn't happy with the bass response for the type of music I was playing, even though I loved the JB in every other respect. One of my favorite pickups ever... just not for modern technical metal. I actually preferred the A5 magnet over the ceramic in the end. But once the EMG 57 came out, my pickup swapping days were over. And have been for like... 10+ years? Something like that.

[Rex_Rocker]

I've currently got a Schecter Omen Extreme tuned to E flat, with Nazgul-Sentient pickups, that I find myself wanting to bring back up to standard E tuning. It's a slim mahogany body guitar with a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and string-through bridge. The guitar plays great and holds tune really well. I have zero problems with it from that standpoint.

However, I am growing a tad dissatisfied with the way both pickups sound in the guitar. The Naz has good snarl and bite for the metal this guitar plays, but it's a bit honky for my taste and lacks a bit of beef in the low end. The Sentient is almost too articulate in this guitar -- not enough warmth to my ears.

So my question is: what pickups would you swap in? This guitar, in E standard, will be playing a steady diet of '80s and early '90s metal: Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, and Testament for the most part, with a bit of Mercyful Fate and Judas Priest thrown in. So I don't need it to be versatile. I just need a good beefy metal tone. I'm playing into a Boss Katana 50 with a TS9 mixed with in-amp distortion for my dirt.

My initial thought is the stereotypical JB-Jazz or JB-59 combo. Do you think a JB would work in this guitar? If you had to choose between the Jazz and the 59 for the neck, which would you choose, and why?

Yes, my first thought was the JB for Megadeth and Testament.

Or EMG's or EMG soundalikes for Metallica and Slayer.

[Sun King]

Can't help you with your choice of bridge, but have you considered a mag swap on your Sentient?

I've used JB/Jazz, and Custom/59 etc. combos many times in other guitars, including Schecter and LTD, but my favorite was/is a Black Winter/Sentient combo. (Currently my son has that guitar, so I need to consider some pickup swaps in one of my others!)

I thought as far as neck pickups that the Sentient kind of splits the difference between a Jazz and 59.
(Opinions may vary.) But I ended up using the Sentient with an A2 magnet, and I like it even better than the stock version. It sounds good split for cleans, too. Worth a shot anyway.

[weepingminotaur]

In those days as far as SD they pretty much used JBs, Distortions, Jazzes, or 59s.

I prefer a Jazz/Distortion combo. JB is mushy in the bottom. Never liked the 59. Always sounded bland to me while the Jazz sounded warm and full but with a bright sparkle on top. It's not an EMG 60, but it's as close to that as SD makes, IMO.

There are many newer SD designs that are superior to those pickups, I think. I prefer the Full Shred these days. It is articulate but lacks low end. The Screaming Demon might work but I think you'd find it a little underpowered. The Parallel Axis trembuckers are like the Distortion but cleaner and tighter I think. I think they are often overlooked because of the unconventional polepiece look. It is a shame. There's also always the Dimebucker or an Invader.

If you didn't like the Custom I'd recommend at least trying the Custom 5 if you can handle the (extremely) scooped mids.

Appreciate this advice. I definitely won't be using the Custom 5 as I also had that stock in another guitar and just couldn't vibe with it. You are making me want to go Jazz in the neck, though. I had a Jazz in another guitar and loved it so that's an easy sell.

[Inflames626]

Appreciate this advice. I definitely won't be using the Custom 5 as I also had that stock in another guitar and just couldn't vibe with it. You are making me want to go Jazz in the neck, though. I had a Jazz in another guitar and loved it so that's an easy sell.

If you have a really hot bridge pickup, a JB in the neck is great. Splits and parallels for beautiful clean tones, and in series it produces a warm, hot sound for neck solos that cut through.

[Rex_Rocker]

If you have a really hot bridge pickup, a JB in the neck is great. Splits and parallels for beautiful clean tones, and in series it produces a warm, hot sound for neck solos that cut through.

I never tried the parallel option. I should've tried it when I had the JB in the neck. In series, I didn't like it.

[Inflames626]

Here's a recording I did 8 years ago of the JB in the neck of a Jackson KV3. Very light, bolt on guitar.

I take it up every note on the 22 fret neck, play some intervals, and cleans. You'll be able to hear when I split it because of the excess noise.

This was before Triple Shots (or before I discovered them), so it was with a DPDT push pull switch.

Tone was Tube Screamered JCM800 in Pod Farm with a bit of digital delay to wet it.

Boring clip but you can hear the pickup fairly well.

https://soundcloud.com/devolve1980/jb-neck

[misterwhizzy]

This might be an instance that calls for the original Parallel Axis Trembucker (PATB-1). I find it to be everything a JB is close to being but with a little clearer low end and excellent clarity.

Really, I think you want a Custom and have convinced yourself you don't.

[weepingminotaur]

This might be an instance that calls for the original Parallel Axis Trembucker (PATB-1). I find it to be everything a JB is close to being but with a little clearer low end and excellent clarity.

Really, I think you want a Custom and have convinced yourself you don't.

As I said before, I had the Custom in another guitar for a good solid six months. It didn't work for me.

I'll probably go Distortion if I don't go JB, but I am intrigued by the 59/Custom.