Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

N

nickSD

New member
I've looked at so many different pickups, and I'm still undecided. I have an Ibanez RG guitar that has a basswood body, rosewood fretboard, and standard bridge. I'm wanting passive humbuckers. What I want in my sound is a big metal sound for palm muted chords and speed riffs, as well as screaming harmonics. But I also want to have a good clean tone, with almost no distortion. In other words, a very versatile combo. How can I do this???
 
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Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

I has the DiMarzios D Activator X's and they ares the brootals ya.

But they ares the chunkys in the lows.

Maybees youd's likes to tries the regular D Activators?

Or a Mayhems sets? (Distortion neck/Distortion bridge)

Or a Jazz/Distortion sets?
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

For Duncans, I would personally recommend looking into the SH-5 Custom for the bridge and either the SH-1 '59 or SH-2 Jazz for the neck.
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

9unslin9er said:
I has the DiMarzios D Activator X's and they ares the brootals ya.

But they ares the chunkys in the lows.

Maybees youd's likes to tries the regular D Activators?

Or a Mayhems sets? (Distortion neck/Distortion bridge)

Or a Jazz/Distortion sets?
Click to expand...

I never realized Southern Connecticut was in Scandinavia! LOL
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

I bet Duncan Distortion/Jazz set would be killer too. That's what Jackson tends to put in their USA Rhoads guitars. (RIP Randy! 30 years today!)
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

rumblebox said:
as usual, i'll recommend a full shred with a ceramic magnet swapped.
Click to expand...

that is a great tone you got with it! I loved that unique growl it had?
I was always under the impression that the FS was just a custom with hex poles but after hearuin the shred with a ceramic i am not so sure about that now?:scratchch doesnt really resemble the sh5 at all:approve:
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

i think it's my amp settings and drop B tuning that really makes it sound different from my custom. i can definitely hear a resemblance when you take away those 2 factors.
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

this has a basswood body. but it's a heavier cut of basswood.



 
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Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

At the mention of basswood, I want to reply with Parallel Axis TremBucker.

But really, I use a Distortion in my main guitar. At the mention of screaming harmonics, I want to say either JB or Dimebucker. I do know the Dimebucker cleans up nicely with a coil tap, but I use it in a mohogany body. I don't think it would balance as nicely in basswood. Maybe a Full Shred neck & bridge?
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

jrbowen81 said:
I bet Duncan Distortion/Jazz set would be killer too. That's what Jackson tends to put in their USA Rhoads guitars. (RIP Randy! 30 years today!)
Click to expand...

Jackson also does a lot with the JB model, too. I'm thinking Distortion neck, JB bridge. Get some good neck chords and tight rhythms, with a screaming bridge. I use that set in all of my guitars. I've also changed out the mag for a ceramic in the JB before. It sounds pretty good, with a lot more punch, but loses a little sustain.
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

Recently installed an Invader bridge-59 neck set on an LTD EX (Explorer type). On the same day another dude asked me to install a Khaler on the same LTD model with an EMG 81-60 pup set so I was able to compare the tones.
The Invader, carefully installed, had more punch and was way less noisy than the EMG 81 factory installed (the EMG had an annoying sssss sound when you tried to make silence). And doesn't require batteries.
The 59 required being slightly closer to the strings than normal (to balance out with the Invaders high output) but it had a gorgeous tone which knocked out the owner. And was perfectly balanced on output once it had been set a tad closer to the strings. Waaaay better than the EMG 60!
The LTDs were made of Mahogany, here is their site http://www.espguitars.com/guitars/esp-standard/ex.html
 
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Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

I always liked the Duncan Distortion/Dimarzio air Norton combo myself....

Jeff
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

Okay, the Distortion set sounds nice, but will it clean up? I think now I'm torn between the Distortion or Custom for the bridge, and for the neck, Jazz. What are the main differences in the Distortion and Custom? Is the Full Shred much different? I figured I wouldn't do the Dimebucker or Invader because they couldn't do cleans, and were probably too powerful for what I want.
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

nickSD said:
Okay, the Distortion set sounds nice, but will it clean up? I think now I'm torn between the Distortion or Custom for the bridge, and for the neck, Jazz. What are the main differences in the Distortion and Custom? Is the Full Shred much different? I figured I wouldn't do the Dimebucker or Invader because they couldn't do cleans, and were probably too powerful for what I want.
Click to expand...

Although I hardly play cleans, the cleans on the Duncan distortion are fantastic!
they have the typical ceramic-sterile clean tone, but the tone is way better than the tone you get from most high output ceramic pickups. Also, they sound very amazing coil-split! lots of twang! and they sound very crisp and clear with the volume knob turned halfway.
 
Re: Best Metal Pickup Combo to replace stocks?

Sodom616 said:
Although I hardly play cleans, the cleans on the Duncan distortion are fantastic!
they have the typical ceramic-sterile clean tone, but the tone is way better than the tone you get from most high output ceramic pickups. Also, they sound very amazing coil-split! lots of twang! and they sound very crisp and clear with the volume knob turned halfway.
Click to expand...

Did you have one in the neck as well?
 
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