Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

R

racc

New member
Hello everyone!

I am looking for advice for selecting a humbucker for the guitar I am building.
Like you probably can already guess, great versatility is not primary concern here. This guitar is made for playing heavy metal, rhythm and lead in rather traditional style (think about Saxon, Dio, King Diamond, Iron Maiden, Tokyo Blade, Stormwitch, etc.)

I rarely use neck pickups of my current guitars and a single pickup also could have some advantages like being easier to route to the body (this is the first guitar I am building -- less chance to screw up) and leaves more wood between the nut and bridge (good for tone/sustain?). In addition to that I assume less magnetic pull from pickups could also help sustain a bit.

However, I also need to have an acceptable clean tone. Generally I find bridge pickups (my experience is mostly from SH-4, EMG-81, DD103B) a bit too uptight and kind of thin sounding for pleasant cleans. Of course tone controls and a MIDI controlled programmable EQ can do a lot, but I don't want to rely solely on them.

Any ideas? I want pickup to be passive, have good sustain, rich harmonics, etc. normal heavy metal stuff. :) Likely something with Alnico V or ceramic bar magnet? Maybe a SH-14, SH-12 or SH-4...?

Some specs of the guitar:
-alder body, maple neck (neck-through construction), ebony or pao ferro fretboard
-double locking Floyd Rose Pro bridge (smaller spacing than OFR)
-25" scale
-a optional simple internal preamp (no an active eq though)
-usually tuned 1/2 step down to Eb, no lower tunings!

Thanks for reading. All suggestions are welcome!
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

Welcome to the forum.

Based on the most recent arrival in my pickup collection, I have to nominate the SH-AH-1b Allan Holdsworth model.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

My two favorite metal bridge pickups at the moment would be the Duncan Custom 8 and Dimarzio Crunch Lab. Both are pretty unique and have great clean tones, Crunch Lab especially. Custom 8 hot warm and pafish, Crunch Lab more modern than modern and cuts better than the EMG81 in my opinion.
 
Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

Custom 8, very versatile. Cleans are good and it's great for metal. If I had a single hum guitar it would be on there, no questions.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

marvelous_seven said:
Neck-thru? Try PATB series :approve:
Click to expand...

PATB-1 would be my recommendation for what you want. Hot enough to do what you want, but will still do some nice cleans. Sings under gain. The PATB-2 (Distortion) might be too hot for cleans and the PATB-3 (Blues) might be too PAFish for you.

The PATB-1 is such an underrated pickup. It really helps any superstrat or similar type guitar as it is made to beef up the sound of trem equipped guitars.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

Both the TB-5 Duncan Custom, and the PATB-1 Duncan Parallel Axis Trembucker are two models that emediately come up when you discribe your guitar and expectations of the pickup.

Good luck with it mate, and keep us informed on your final choice! ;-)
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

racc said:
Hello everyone!

I am looking for advice for selecting a humbucker for the guitar I am building.
Like you probably can already guess, great versatility is not primary concern here. This guitar is made for playing heavy metal, rhythm and lead in rather traditional style (think about Saxon, Dio, King Diamond, Iron Maiden, Tokyo Blade, Stormwitch, etc.)

I rarely use neck pickups of my current guitars and a single pickup also could have some advantages like being easier to route to the body (this is the first guitar I am building -- less chance to screw up) and leaves more wood between the nut and bridge (good for tone/sustain?). In addition to that I assume less magnetic pull from pickups could also help sustain a bit.

However, I also need to have an acceptable clean tone. Generally I find bridge pickups (my experience is mostly from SH-4, EMG-81, DD103B) a bit too uptight and kind of thin sounding for pleasant cleans. Of course tone controls and a MIDI controlled programmable EQ can do a lot, but I don't want to rely solely on them.

Any ideas? I want pickup to be passive, have good sustain, rich harmonics, etc. normal heavy metal stuff. :) Likely something with Alnico V or ceramic bar magnet? Maybe a SH-14, SH-12 or SH-4...?

Some specs of the guitar:
-alder body, maple neck (neck-through construction), ebony or pao ferro fretboard
-double locking Floyd Rose Pro bridge (smaller spacing than OFR)
-25" scale
-a optional simple internal preamp (no an active eq though)
-usually tuned 1/2 step down to Eb, no lower tunings!

Thanks for reading. All suggestions are welcome!
Click to expand...

Interesting topic because I have a single hum neck thru project and have been wondering the same thing. Are you opposed to splitting the pickup with a push pull pot? Will it have a tone control?


Good for me is that I picked up a PATB-1 recently for my project hoping it would be a good choice. Sounds like it will be. I've thought of the Custom and JB as well (split).

In another guitar I have a Full Shred, and it sounds very good split. This might be a good choice as well.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

I have a single hum alder strat. After 5 years swapping pickups around i am perfectly happy with a Custom8. A push pull volume pot gives me a parallel sound for cleans. Great. This push pull engages the tone pot too, in order to warm out the clean.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

Here's another recommendation for the PATB-1 (Parallel Axis Original). Great for singing leads, just enough bite when wanted, ridiculous range of tones from guitar knob twiddling. Most responsive pickup to guitar controls I've used.

Great crunch & growl for riffs, tightened up my basswood Ibanez RG-570 enough to remove my frustration playing thrash rhythms, but it can still do lower gain tones, and has good cleans.

The Parallel Axis design is known for reduced string pull, improved sustain, improved harmonic response, more even string balance, and does great things for a floating vibrato bridge. They're designed beef up a superstrat, thickening it and sound like a les paul.

If your main complaint is just the bright harshness of most ceramic pickups, check out the PATB-2 (Parallel Axis Distortion). It removes enough of the ceramic grit that it sounds much nicer for cleans, and can do terrific screaming leads without the ugly edge ceramics often have. But for harsher rhythms, turn up the presence a notch and the amp and it does better than any alnico pickup I've heard. Wilder and woollier than the conventional Distortion, it's awesome for monster metal riffs.

PATB-2's weak spots are lower gain (it sounds/feels a bit odd for AC/DCish stuff) and it's cleans are not PAF-like at all. It does a very cool cold clean, better than most hot ceramics, but that may not be what you are looking for.

The Custom 8 is a great option as well, a bit darker than the PATB-2, and a bit better for lower gain, yet it has a terrific sound for metal. Not everyone gets along with it's midrange, though. Really doesn't seem to be one pickup that satisfies everyone.
 
Re: Best pickup for single humbucker configuration

If you want good clean tones, don't use the Invader.

Sounds like you need a Custom, JB, or Distortion...........
 
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