Best pickup for distortion pedals

SGFanatic

SGFanatic

New member
Hey guys. I recently changed everything on my guitar rig. Now I use and JCM800 2203, KT88 power tubes, and use pedals for gain. Basically, I run the pre amp anywhere from 10 oclock to 1 oclock, and use the pedal for distortion. It's my goal with this rig to have a nasty, oversaturated drive. My question is; what is a good pickup choice for this set up? I've tried high output pickups, but it seems like a too much drive, kind of like the amp is throwing up, and the low output pickups don't have enough oomph, for lack of a better term. The JB I have doesn't have the lows I'm happy with. I'm leaning towards a hotter PAF style. I have a Custom 5, but it's a little too boomy, and I can't dial out the low end. What do you guys think about an overwound PAF style, like a Screamin Demon or even a brand other than Duncan? I want to be able to dig in when I play, and still have some punch. I've done the Lace thing, and my best so far is the Drop n Gain with the pickup height lowered down very far. It's tight, and has good low mids, but it's still a little too compressed sounding.
Edit-I haven't tried my 498t yet, which I feel might be recommended.
 
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Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Stick a Ceramic in that Custom 5. Tighter lows.

And drop the bass back on the amp too. Drive will tend to get flubby with the stacking effect
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Turn the pre amp down to 8 or 9. Get a good clean sound then hit it with a pedal.

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Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

It's vintage output, but the Pearly Gates bridge might fit the bill. It is certainly nasty and, in my opinion, oversaturates very well. I use it in a Drop C-tuned SG-type guitar for sludgy/swampy stuff, and it's great. Under high gain, it does a good job of letting the amp (like your distortion stack) do the work while retaining that PG high end spike. It doesn't really "chunk" (the abovementioned ceramic Custom would be better for that), but I'm not looking for chunk out of that guitar. The PG also responds well to digging in with the pick (see Billy Gibbons).

498T is similar to the JB in terms of intent. They share a high mid spike and lack of happening in the low end. The 498T is voiced much grittier, and the JB is smoother and rounder/fatter on top. 498T will certainly do nasty.

If you describe your guitar (woods, scale length, bolt-on/set neck, etc.) and examples of sounds you're trying to get, that can help generate more suggestions.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

AlexR said:
Stick a Ceramic in that Custom 5. Tighter lows.

And drop the bass back on the amp too. Drive will tend to get flubby with the stacking effect
Click to expand...

This was also my thinking (the ceramic) I've fiddled with the eq's enough. I'm basically down the the pickups.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

stratguy23 said:
It's vintage output, but the Pearly Gates bridge might fit the bill. It is certainly nasty and, in my opinion, oversaturates very well. I use it in a Drop C-tuned SG-type guitar for sludgy/swampy stuff, and it's great. Under high gain, it does a good job of letting the amp (like your distortion stack) do the work while retaining that PG high end spike. It doesn't really "chunk" (the abovementioned ceramic Custom would be better for that), but I'm not looking for chunk out of that guitar. The PG also responds well to digging in with the pick (see Billy Gibbons).

498T is similar to the JB in terms of intent. They share a high mid spike and lack of happening in the low end. The 498T is voiced much grittier, and the JB is smoother and rounder/fatter on top. 498T will certainly do nasty.

If you describe your guitar (woods, scale length, bolt-on/set neck, etc.) and examples of sounds you're trying to get, that can help generate more suggestions.
Click to expand...

This sounds like an idea, and kind of what I was thinking in the way of vintage voiced pickups. The guitars in question will be a Gibson SG standard and a Gibson Flying V. I really don't have examples. I'm going for almost a fuzz/muff sound, but I need punch. So it's a grainy distortion with mid presence and bite. What I have now is close, just looking for that extra little bite without the bottom falling apart.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

59/Custom.


I was gonna say "custom" but that's probably too much bottom. An A5 is probably to mushy/boomy. 59/Custom is probably the right mix

Or, consider the Screamin' Demon
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

...Which pedal?

I have some pedals that love being hit by as full of a signal as possible from a high gain humbucker, and others that flab apart with higher gain pickups and prefer mangling cleaner single coil tones. Really depends to me.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Silence Kid said:
...Which pedal?

I have some pedals that love being hit by as full of a signal as possible from a high gain humbucker, and others that flab apart with higher gain pickups and prefer mangling cleaner single coil tones. Really depends to me.
Click to expand...

It's 2 JCM800s, into two half stacks. One 1/2 stack runs the Lonewolf Audio Left Hand Wrath, and the other 1/2 stack runs a Proco Rat.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

get a Full Shred. it's a Custom 5 with hex poles which evens out its EQ. no boomy bass to be seen there.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Screamin Demon is a great choice but I would also highly recommend the Pearly Gates as well.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

You say you run the preamp between 10 and 1 o clock? I find with my 800's the best way to get a gnarly distorted tone is to have the preamp between 1-3 o clock and hit it with an OD, level up high, distortion down low.

the RAT rig should be no problem dialing back the boomy lows from the pedal itself.

Can you provide more what style you play, as well as tuning, just to get a better idea.

Also keep in mind 800's arn't really renowned for their huge low end and oversaturated tone. not to mention too much low end can muddy up a band mix, are you dialing this in alone or with the band?
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

I agree with Ace- the middle ground his the 59/Custom Hybrid, which doesn't compress or saturate like higher output pickups, and still has some vintage-y qualities.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Kamanda~SD said:
You say you run the preamp between 10 and 1 o clock? I find with my 800's the best way to get a gnarly distorted tone is to have the preamp between 1-3 o clock and hit it with an OD, level up high, distortion down low.

the RAT rig should be no problem dialing back the boomy lows from the pedal itself.

Can you provide more what style you play, as well as tuning, just to get a better idea.

Also keep in mind 800's arn't really renowned for their huge low end and oversaturated tone. not to mention too much low end can muddy up a band mix, are you dialing this in alone or with the band?
Click to expand...

Well, I guess I forget to mention that besides the kt88 mods, the preamps have been tweaked for a little extra gain, that's why I run them lower than half. We play grindcore, so it's fast and I needs to complement the bass player. We play in drop c, which isn't to low. What happens with the high output pickups is the low end mushed out, especially with the rat. I want more gain with the rat, but I can't turn the distortion on the pedal up without the mush. I don't know. I'm going to try the custom with the ceramic, then consider a full shred or the demon. I really like the idea of putting a pearly gates in there.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

Aceman said:
59/Custom.


I was gonna say "custom" but that's probably too much bottom. An A5 is probably to mushy/boomy. 59/Custom is probably the right mix

Or, consider the Screamin' Demon
Click to expand...

I just realized I have one. I'll check that out, soon! I don't know why I didn't consider it.
 
Re: Best pickup for distortion pedals

SGFanatic said:
Well, I guess I forget to mention that besides the kt88 mods, the preamps have been tweaked for a little extra gain, that's why I run them lower than half. We play grindcore, so it's fast and I needs to complement the bass player. We play in drop c, which isn't to low. What happens with the high output pickups is the low end mushed out, especially with the rat. I want more gain with the rat, but I can't turn the distortion on the pedal up without the mush. I don't know. I'm going to try the custom with the ceramic, then consider a full shred or the demon. I really like the idea of putting a pearly gates in there.
Click to expand...
Turn the pre gain down. Then it won't mush from the Rat.

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