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Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

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  • Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

    Hi, I have the Bone Breakers and the 81 in another guitar; for obvious reasons they're both great for a Metallica tone but they both sound kind of similar to my ears, so I wanted to get a replacement for the 81.

    At this point I realize I may have to rewire the whole thing for passives, if that's the case there are so many options out there. I like all Metal stuff from Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth to Avenged Sevenfold, Dragon Force, EVH, Marty Friedman band, anything with great solos and great guitar playing. Not a fan of D'jent or death Metal but if there is a good lead guitar player I'll listen to that too. For the heavier stuff I already have EMGs, I was looking for something a little different.

    I like the Seymour Duncan's JB mostly because I love Marty and Dave solos in the "Rust in Peace" album, is there anything else out there I should take into consideration?

    Thanks!!!
    Last edited by Edward203; 01-21-2020, 11:07 AM.

  • #2
    Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

    Hey man this is right up my alley, because I'm also a huge fan of the Megadeth boys, specifically Dave and his rhythm playing/tone but I do love Marty as well.

    And well if that's the tone you want, I have to say just go ahead, switch to passives on that guitar, and get the JB. It does Marty, Dave, and so much more. I've spent 15+ years tone chasing , Dave has been my favorite guitarist and the one I look up to the most almost that entire time. and I still haven't found a pickup I like more than the JB (at this point, I'm done trying other ones. JB is my pickup). Beyond that, it will complement your other, EMG equipped guitar quite well.

    However there are a few other trees you can bark up if you want something similar , but a bit different. First one that comes to mind is the Full Shred. Little brighter and tighter, but not worlds different. Full shred was my first Duncan upgrade before I discovered the JB and it did the Megadeth thing quite well !

    Or, little further away.. maybe the Duncan Distortion is your thing - personally I'm not a huge fan but I could see someone liking it if they wanted sort of a "Megadeth Plus" sort of tone. It's perceivably hotter and punchier, but IMO a lot less dynamic and 'useful'. Worth checking out definitely.

    My final suggestion is an Invader. I had an old Jackson for a while with an 81 in it. I switched to an Invader at some point and loved the hell out of it for years. The lead tone is so thick and sustaining, and warm for a bridge pickup. Just thought since you mentioned lead tone ; the invader is a lovely pickup for heavy metal lead guitar.
    Then again I was in a much sludgier band at that point, playing slower riffs in D standard, so while it's worth looking at, if the Megadeth tone is what you're after I'm still going to put my strongest recommendation behind the JB. Can never go wrong with the JB , imo it is the finest sounding non-vintage output guitar pickup money can buy.

    Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
    Last edited by BeKindRewind; 01-21-2020, 10:43 AM.

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    • #3
      Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

      What kind of metal do you play..?

      Dave Mustaine's Thrash Factor set might suit you on one end of the scale.

      Then again, a tone I prefer is Erik Rutan's. SH-5 Custom in the bridge and a Bill Lawrence L500XL. I've used the SH-13 Dimebucker in the neck (as it's what I have available) and it's an absolute belter.
      Anything is possible, just not always advisable...

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      • #4
        Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

        I've heard guys recommend the Black Winter too.

        The Custom would be my first pick
        Epiphone Les Paul Tbte Plus (SD custom shop humbucker & SH2b neck)

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        • #5
          Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

          Haha, I just posted that about the Thrash factor, I like that one too. I like all Metal stuff from Slayer, Metallica to Avenged Sevenfold, Dragon Force, EVH, Marty Friedman band, anything with great solos and great guitar playing. Not a fan of D'jent or death Metal but if there is a good lead guitar player I'll listen to that too

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          • #6
            Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

            Originally posted by Edward203 View Post
            Haha, I just posted that about the Thrash factor, I like that one too. I like all Metal stuff from Slayer, Metallica to Avenged Sevenfold, Dragon Force, EVH, Marty Friedman band, anything with great solos and great guitar playing. Not a fan of D'jent or death Metal but if there is a good lead guitar player I'll listen to that too
            Erik Rutan is right up there - All Hope Destroyed playthrough video, just instrumental but, lets the tone come through.

            His setup for that is a JCM800 with a Maxon 808 for the solos, I believe.
            Anything is possible, just not always advisable...

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            • #7
              Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

              Originally posted by BeKindRewind View Post
              Hey man this is right up my alley, because I'm also a huge fan of the Megadeth boys, specifically Dave and his rhythm playing/tone but I do love Marty as well.

              And well if that's the tone you want, I have to say just go ahead, switch to passives on that guitar, and get the JB. It does Marty, Dave, and so much more. I've spent 15+ years tone chasing , Dave has been my favorite guitarist and the one I look up to the most almost that entire time. and I still haven't found a pickup I like more than the JB (at this point, I'm done trying other ones. JB is my pickup). Beyond that, it will complement your other, EMG equipped guitar quite well.

              However there are a few other trees you can bark up if you want something similar , but a bit different. First one that comes to mind is the Full Shred. Little brighter and tighter, but not worlds different. Full shred was my first Duncan upgrade before I discovered the JB and it did the Megadeth thing quite well !

              Or, little further away.. maybe the Duncan Distortion is your thing - personally I'm not a huge fan but I could see someone liking it if they wanted sort of a "Megadeth Plus" sort of tone. It's perceivably hotter and punchier, but IMO a lot less dynamic and 'useful'. Worth checking out definitely.

              My final suggestion is an Invader. I had an old Jackson for a while with an 81 in it. I switched to an Invader at some point and loved the hell out of it for years. The lead tone is so thick and sustaining, and warm for a bridge pickup. Just thought since you mentioned lead tone ; the invader is a lovely pickup for heavy metal lead guitar.
              Then again I was in a much sludgier band at that point, playing slower riffs in D standard, so while it's worth looking at, if the Megadeth tone is what you're after I'm still going to put my strongest recommendation behind the JB. Can never go wrong with the JB , imo it is the finest sounding non-vintage output guitar pickup money can buy.

              Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
              Thanks, I did consider the Full Shred too, it sounds a little thin compared to the JB. Have you tried the Thrash Factor? I like those too, I wonder if they'll do okay with a D standard tuning, I want to start playing some of the stuff from Dystopia too

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              • #8
                Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                Dystopia leads = DiMarzio D-Activators

                The A7X guys were fond of the the Invaders and JB.

                Have you thought about the "Het set" (James Hetfield signature) EMG's? A little thicker and more 3-dimensional sounding than the older EMGs, but still have plenty of cut for leads. The 57/66 set might be another nice option. Both sets are plug-n-play with your current wiring.

                P.S. - The Bone Breakers bridge is pretty much just an EMG 81 with a green logo, which is why you find they sound so similar. I confirmed this with EMG directly. If you have the set, try just swapping the BB neck (which is a 60A) into the bridge and see what you think

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                • #9
                  Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                  Originally posted by Edward203 View Post
                  Thanks, I did consider the Full Shred too, it sounds a little thin compared to the JB. Have you tried the Thrash Factor? I like those too, I wonder if they'll do okay with a D standard tuning, I want to start playing some of the stuff from Dystopia too
                  I haven't tried the thrash factor. When it was first announced I thought it was just a gimmick to charge more for a JB but lately I've been into the idea and really want to try one. I am pretty sure it would suit you just fine, it's just a JB with some slight differences to be a little more "Dave".

                  The JB does sound pretty good in D standard . Last October I got back into guitar after nearly a year of barely touching it. I didn't have any calluses , so I had to play in D standard for the first couple weeks to get my strength up. One of the songs I was practicing was Dance in the Rain , off the super collider album. And that sounded pretty good to me.


                  Also I would like to back up Rob's suggestion on the SH5 custom. Definitely worth a look, very versatile and cool sounding pickup. When I was really obsessed with Marty I had one in my Jackson KE2 and it was pretty great. One of my favorites in fact, I'm not sure why I didn't list it in my original post.

                  Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk
                  Last edited by BeKindRewind; 01-21-2020, 01:20 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                    Don't forget the perpetual burn, another JBish model in the family,

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                    • #11
                      Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                      The Black Winter kicks serious ass. Its like a well defined sledgehammer (=tigh AF bass) loaded with razors to cut through anything. And don't believe the haters, its not one dimensional AT ALL! I have it in a basswood Soloist. KHDK Dark blood to a H&K Edition 1 SS combo and it just slays. Also, the DiMArzio Imperium has a 6 string version which is said to be voiced exactly like the 7 string model. If that is true, it is definitely worth a whirl, it really grew on me. Despite not being super hot, I do not miss any output and ejoy the clarity and harmonics.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                        Huge Megadeth fan here too.

                        JB would be safe for you.

                        Love my custom, but for single noting, I prefer my Dreamcatcher. Different guitars (LP, RG) but I feel the custom is a bit stiffer on high notes. It definitely is crunchier though. Dreamcatcher has a bit of sponginess which smoothes it out a bit.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                          Like others have said, JB or Dm Thrash Factor if you want safe choices.

                          But I will second the Black Winter recommendation. Insanely good pickups that will do all eras of Deth with ease. I play a fair number of Countdown to Extinction tunes on a Winter-enabled Les Paul in E standard, and they all sound great. The bridge will give you a lead tone that is cutting without being harsh, matching Dave's solo style. The neck for when you want something creamier. Given all the guitarists who have played in Megadeth over the years, versatility IMO is what you should look for if you're thinking about soloing. And the Winters are some of the most versatile pickups I've ever played.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                            I say make it super simple with a Distortion set.
                            Administrator of the SDUGF

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                            • #15
                              Re: Best bridge pickup for Metal Leads?

                              Depending on what kind of metal you are talking about:
                              JB
                              Distortion
                              Alt8
                              59
                              Dimebucker
                              Lace Deathbucker
                              D-Activator
                              And...
                              Wait for it
                              Surprised no one's mentioned it yet
                              X2N

                              Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

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