bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

[aind]

hello,
i have searched the forum looking for what i'm interested in but nothing too close to what i would like to know so i am taking the chance to ask more specific, so:

i have this jackson dk2s (with sustainiac on neck) which has SD JB TB-4 on bridge and a STK1 or STK-S1 on middle.

so far i cant play riffs to heavy on my current amp (Vox VT30) it seems to be a bright guitar (alder) with a bridge pickup not so heavy..

would a Custom TB-5 be a nice upgrade for me? i dont want to go with Invader, i won't use the guitar just for rhythm stuff.. some solo work too..

also what do you guys recomment for a better middle pickup? single or a single-size humbucker? something like a hot rails or a cool rails? or maybe a STK-S2 ?

thanks!

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

Hi mate, and welcome to the forum.

I have owned several Dinky's in the past, wonderful guitars, only reason I sold them was because the volume pot was too close to my picking hand in comparison with Ibanez RG's.

A Duncan Custom would surely be a nice upgrade for what you are after. Fatter and more muscular sounding then the JB you got in there now. From what you tell us, I think you would defenitely prefer it over the JB.

As a middle pickup I'd probably go for a rail type single coil (actualy humbucker in SC size) with a vintage voising, something like the Cool Rails you mentioned would be a fine choice in my opinion.

 

[Despair]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

hello,
i have searched the forum looking for what i'm interested in but nothing too close to what i would like to know so i am taking the chance to ask more specific, so:

i have this jackson dk2s (with sustainiac on neck) which has SD JB TB-4 on bridge and a STK1 or STK-S1 on middle.

so far i cant play riffs to heavy on my current amp (Vox VT30) it seems to be a bright guitar (alder) with a bridge pickup not so heavy..

would a Custom TB-5 be a nice upgrade for me? i dont want to go with Invader, i won't use the guitar just for rhythm stuff.. some solo work too..

also what do you guys recomment for a better middle pickup? single or a single-size humbucker? something like a hot rails or a cool rails? or maybe a STK-S2 ?

thanks!

For thickening up a bright guitar with a floating whammy, check out the PATB series. If you want an all out metal monster (OK, it can do rock, too, but it's weaker at low-gain or edge of distortion tones), go for the PATB-2. Great for lead, awesome for thrash rhythms and for monster riffing.

If you want an all-around hot pickup, check out the PATB-1, enormous range, leads as good as a JB but tend to sweetly sing rather than the JB's screaming. Plenty of bite, but much more controllable. Great crunch and growl, with a much tighter feel for rhythm.

If one of Seymour Duncan's Parallel Axis pickup is too expensive or difficult to obtain, the ceramic Custom is a great all-around pickup.

If you have problems with picking up noise or uneven string response caused by the Sustainiac with the middle pickup, you should probably look at a symmetrical dual rail pickup (not a Z-style like the Vintage Rails). If not, there are plenty of options, and it depends on what you want out of that position. What don't you like about your current pickup, or what do you want from that position?

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

For thickening up a bright guitar with a floating whammy, check out the PATB series. If you want an all out metal monster (OK, it can do rock, too, but it's weaker at low-gain or edge of distortion tones), go for the PATB-2. Great for lead, awesome for thrash rhythms and for monster riffing.

If you want an all-around hot pickup, check out the PATB-1, enormous range, leads as good as a JB but tend to sweetly sing rather than the JB's screaming. Plenty of bite, but much more controllable. Great crunch and growl, with a much tighter feel for rhythm.

If one of Seymour Duncan's Parallel Axis pickup is too expensive or difficult to obtain, the ceramic Custom is a great all-around pickup.

+1. Best pickup I have tried in a floyd equipped guitar. The PA stack is a great matchup if you need a single coil in the neck too.

 

[Despair]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

+1. Best pickup I have tried in a floyd equipped guitar. The PA stack is a great matchup if you need a single coil in the neck too.

I wouldn't replace the Sustainiac. The PA stack might be a good option for the middle, if he's not having issues with magnetic interaction with the Sustainiac. [If that's a problem: again, stick with the dual rails.]

 

[aind]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

I wouldn't replace the Sustainiac. The PA stack might be a good option for the middle, if he's not having issues with magnetic interaction with the Sustainiac. [If that's a problem: again, stick with the dual rails.]

hello, i won't replace the Sustainiac ofcourse, i really want to replace the bridge pick up and maybe the middle too (im not so eager to do that since i don't use middle.. so much..)

based on your advices guys, i could use a TB-5 and leave the middle as it is or use a Invader and a hot/cool rails for middle..

thanks again for all your insights..

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

Other than being designed for a tremmed guitar, what makes the PATB-2 different from an SH-6?

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

based on your advices guys, i could use a TB-5 and leave the middle as it is or use a Invader and a hot/cool rails for middle..

I would definately recommend the TB-5 Custom over the Invader, the Invader is just too much, too dark sounding overall in my opinion, too much of an extreme pickup, the TB-5 would be a much, much better choice if you ask me.

If you would decide on putting a different pickup in the middle too, I'go for a Cool Rail, in my opinion a much better choice then the Hotrails, and very well suited for your application.

Good luck with your tonequest! ;-)

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

I've got a Custom in the bridge of my DK-2, and it's a terrific pickup for that guitar.

I'd go for a HotRails in the middle; it's thick and meaty… would probably do well there. Coil-split options would give it more versatility, as single-coil and parallel-coil configurations can be reasonably Strat-like with that pickup.

 

[Despair]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

Other than being designed for a tremmed guitar, what makes the PATB-2 different from an SH-6?

Thicker lower mids & bass, without being uncontrollable. More articulate, hotter, just enough less harsh to do much less ugly solo tones. More sustain, less string pull, improved harmonic response and sweeter upper mids thanks to the polepiece design.

The conventional Distortion has a harsh presence, where the PATB-2 has a broader response. PATB-2 is much easier to sculpt, but can still get a similar biting rhythm tone by upping the presence at the amp. Standard Distortion has trouble getting that edge to go away.

 

[aind]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

thank you all, based on your advices and my expectations - i'm gonna go 95% with the Custom TB-5 and keep my current middle STK1 (or STK-S1, whatever its called) until i feel the need to change it..

one more q: since i have the jackson dk2s with a floyd rose licensed, i need to order TB-5 not SH-5, right? thanks everyone for your precious insights !

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: bridge and middle upgrade on a Jackson DK2s

TB for Floyd-style trems always.

You might like a JBJr or Lil59 in the middle as well.