Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

[cherryagent]

Hey,
I'm actually about to finish my explorer built. The last steps are a bit of sanding, fretting and oiling. Then I'm ready to put Hardware and Electronics in. So i started my resarch on the internet to find out which Pickups to go for. After weeks of browsing, thinking and rethinking I am not really any smarter, but i figured out 4 possible setups:

1. Dimarzio: Neck: PAF 36th Anniversary, Bridge: AT-1
2. Duncan: Neck: Alnico Pro II, Bridge: Alternative 8
3. BKP: Neck: Nailbomb A5, Bridge: Nailbomb Ceramic
4. BKP: Neck: Abraxas A5, Bridge: Warpig A5

I'm just interested in your opinions, thoughts and experiences with any one of those Humbuckers.

Guitarwise we are talking about a heavily chambered acacia Body with an acacia Top on it. Between top and body there are a couple of Layers of veneer, so a lot of (hard) glue. The neck is built out of Maple, with a rosewood fretboard and has got a 26.5 inch Scale length. I'm looking for a set that is able to do everything from sparkling cleans (splitting included), warm bluesy crunch up to fat Hard Rock and Metal riffing (Probably not to much Metal Core ). I own, play and love a 59/Custom Hybrid with a Alnico Pro II in another Guitar, but I'd like to go for something (maybe completly) different, just because of inspiration and interest.

Thanks for every Answer!!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

do you have any pickups around that you can use to test with?

in a new guitar, even when knowing the wood, that doesn't mean it will sound like another guitar made of the same materials. so... if you have some spare pickups to throw in the guitar, you can get a more specific idea of what's going on and what your needs will be.

 

[jtougas]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

We need to have a set of Forum 59s, that get sent to anybody trying out a new guitar, to establish a baseline for what needs to be different. Rule is, you have to pass them on to someone else...

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Thanks, Would be a great idea because i don't have got anything . I'm a student just starting out so i could either steal the bridge pu of my very beginner squier strat, or the ones of my other built. But this beeing my only real and working guitar that isn't really an option. Maybe I could try getting sth used on ebay e.g. a 59...

 

[EDX]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

i would go with a Dimebucker in the bridge and a Pearly Gates bridge in the neck, maybe even a PG+, i doubt you will need to split either of them to get sparkling cleans

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Dimebucker is probably to evil for my taste, but the pearly gates could actually be interesting... Thanks... I should probably just build a 12 fret guitar, that would keep more space for all the great pickups out there

 

[EDX]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

as funny and impossible as it sounds the dimebucker is probably the only humbucker you can get a tele-ish country sound out of, way far from a one trick pony

 

[vinnie1971]

Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

I played alt rock in a band with my 1970s El Maya with 1st dimarzio superdistortions. Very well suited.

Here's an instrumental played using clean, light and moderate gain (even moderate gain with gain set to 4 or 5 on my Marshall is quite saturated - 5 is the max on this sample:
https://soundcloud.com/vinnie-irvine/good-time-2-1

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vinnie1971]

Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

I played alt rock in a band with my 1970s El Maya with 1st dimarzio superdistortions. Very well suited.

Here's an instrumental played using clean, light and moderate gain (even moderate gain with gain set to 4 or 5 on my Marshall is quite saturated - 5 is the max on this sample:
https://soundcloud.com/vinnie-irvine/good-time-2-1

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's country tones from humbucker - an oil city brass knuckle in the bridge and a Fender - Dearmond pickup from an M series dearmond, in my HSH strat:

https://soundcloud.com/vinnie-irvine/rayside



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Both of them sound really nice... Anyone experiences with the warpig in not djient situations?

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

You could check out some Railhammer's? I think they're pretty close to what you're looking for in a bridge pup & a little less expensive than the B.K.'s....

View attachment 76226


Plus they're just FLIPPING AWESOME!!!!

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Well that actually seems to be an amazing tip!!! Just had a look on their webside and some sounds on yt and they seem have character without loosing flexebility. I'll probably go for a Alnico Grand or a Chisel in the Bridge... Maybe the Hyper Vintage could be an option for the neck as well... Which ones do you played and liked?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Hey,
I'm actually about to finish my explorer built. The last steps are a bit of sanding, fretting and oiling. Then I'm ready to put Hardware and Electronics in. So i started my resarch on the internet to find out which Pickups to go for. After weeks of browsing, thinking and rethinking I am not really any smarter, but i figured out 4 possible setups:

2. Duncan: Neck: Alnico Pro II, Bridge: Alternative 8

I like this one, or a Custom 8 (Custom with A8 magnet). Any choices would also sound good split, if you are looking for a thinner sound.

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Yeah i really like what i read and heard about the alternative 8. One stupid question: How/Where to get an Custom 8?. Because I've read a lot cool stuff about it in some other threads...

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

So after all the time gone by I'd like to thank you for you help. After all the input i decided myself to go with the Alnico Pro II and the Alternative 8 setup and i do not regret my choice. So Thanks

 

[EDX]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

i think a slight splash of color might suit that explorer

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Glad you like the Alt8. It's been on my radar for some time but seemed like might be a bit modern & powerful for my taste. Then again, one of my Explorers has BKP Rebel Yells and they're pretty strong.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Yeah i really like what i read and heard about the alternative 8. One stupid question: How/Where to get an Custom 8?. Because I've read a lot cool stuff about it in some other threads...

I know you already built it, but you have to buy one of the Custom variants (Custom, CC, C5) and switch out the magnet for an Alnico 8 to build a Custom 8. BTW, that is one cool, unique Explorer.

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

Thanks. Actually it's hard to get Alnico 8 Magnets in Germany (I still have to figure out how expensive shipping from mojotone.com to Germany is), but if can I'll to get one for a future build. Right Now I'm planing/building a PU Winder together with a professional Guitar Builder so i may use Alnico 8 in my own PU experiments instead. I really like the clarity without the nasty highs you sometimes get on ceramic ones in clean tones.

 

[cherryagent]

Re: Alternative Rock/Metal Humbucker for my Explorer

i think a slight splash of color might suit that explorer

I've got some of the wood left and I'd like to build an Gibson RD Body out of it and that one will defenitly get a wicked colour ;p