7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

oneblackened

oneblackened

New member
I've got an ESP Horizon NT-7 in dire need of new pickups. The tricky thing is, I'm not sure what to get - I know mahogany much better than I do alder tonally. This guitar is on the brighter side of things (maple neck through alder body, ebony board), so I'm looking to not get something that's too bright to keep the guitar from becoming shrill. However, enough top end cut to have definition with riffs is important. The low end should be tight, dynamic fairly compressed for the bridge. The neck should be tight in the low end to keep lead runs from becoming muddled, with enough top cut to have some pick attack, but not so much that it isn't warm and fluid.

I play death metal along the lines of Behemoth/Revocation.

Pickups I'm considering:
- SD Full Shreds: The demo that Keith did the other day sounded fantastic in an ash/maple/ebony guitar tuned to the same tuning as I use, so I figure that's worth a shot.
- SD Distortion/Jazz: This is a go-to set of mine for mahogany, but I'm a little worried that the DD will end up being too bright in alder/maple.
- SD Black Winters: Again, I'm concerned they may be a bit bright for alder/maple, but definitely also something I'm considering.
If I can find the budget:
- BKP Black Hawks: I know I like these, but damn are they pricy.
- BKP Nailbomb/VHII: Again, a set I know I like, but they're really expensive.
I don't know much of anything about Dimarzios. Are the Illuminators worth looking into? I didn't like D-Activators in Mahogany, they seemed muddy. Would they be better in a brighter guitar?
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

Not a fan of the Nazgul. Got this clanky mid thing going on that I hate.

As far as the sentient, I don't know too much about it. But, seeing as they describe it as a cross between the 59 and the Jazz, I'm inclined to just get a Jazz instead.
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

The highs are mellower than a jazz but it sounds nothing like a 59 to me.

Have you played a nazgul or are you just going off demos of it?
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

The Pegasus isn't a bad pickup at all. I didn't like the Nazgul either, but I love the Pegasus. The Duncan Custom is also a pretty cool pickup. I think they make a seven string version, but I'm not sure.
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

My Jackson Custom Shop 7-string Warrior has an alder body and maple neck, and I'm really liking the JB-7 in it, even though I was never a fan of the 6-string JB in the bridge. Tried the Distortion and the Custom in the bridge, didn't like them as much as I do the 6-string versions.

But then I'm tuned to standard low B to E with 9s, so your results may be different.
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

Stock pups right now? Try switching the 707 to the bridge & 81-7 to the neck. It costs nothing and may pleasantly surprise you. Also try lowering them a bit if they happen to be really close to the strings. It has a similar effect to the 18v mod: more headroom, clearer sound.

Otherwise, +1 to full shreds.
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

Nah, no pickups right now.

Bought a set of Full Shreds, by the way. If I don't like the A5, I have an oversized ceramic lying around (assuming that the 6 and 7 string pickups use the same size magnet) that I can throw in for some more oomph.
 
Re: 7 String pickups, alder body/maple neck

IIRC the 7-strings use a longer magnet. I think I asked here a few years back and that was the answer.
 
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