bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

[Oudy]

reporting to see if iget bites this time

some basic specs of this guitar are as follows
26.2 scale
swamp ash body
wenge/maple/wenge/maple/wenge neck
ebony fretboard
EMG SPC (as per odie's reccomendation)
kahler 2300
h/s/h humbucker config

i need a really really nice thrash sound from this, heavy bridge sound, chunky, nice attack, great under heavy distortion, but still sounding good clean/split/
neck i like a nice creamy jazzy tone (think chris poland) under heavy distortion while still with a nice attack and a really nice sound to it th also as above stlll sounding good clean/split/paralell/
middle, i dont really know a lot about strat/sc pickups to be honest but i would like something that sounds stratty but still good under heavy distortion as above.

thanks in advance



also i would prefer to stay passive and duncan if possible too please.
but if the obvious best choice is active (not much of a fan of emgs) then ill just go for it

 

[Diocletian]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

I think a JB in the bridge would do. Dave Mustaine used one for long enough. Not sure about the neck, I'm listening to Chris Poland right now and the closest pup I personally have to that sound would be my Hot Rails neck/middle.
Anthrax also use Duncans, can't remember which, you'll find it on the Duncan artist pages.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

With that setup and the SPC, pretty much every moderately aggressive pickup will do.
Now the good cleans, that's another story...
However the Distortion and the Invader do come to mind first... Especially after I've heard raves of how good the Invader splits etc plus, I just tried it today and it was really good under heavy distortion, pretty sterile but that's a good thing for your application

For the neck, dunno, any specific preference in PAF-styled pickups? BTW, the 59 would be the obvious choice (the Jazz should be WAY too bright with those woods) but your mileage may differ.

Finally, for the middle, I dunno, I'd go with a Classic Stack Plus just because it's a good jack-of-all-trades pickup by the looks of it and it is hum-canceling...

BTW, I totally dig the Kahler but, why 26.2" scale?

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

With that setup and the SPC, pretty much every moderately aggressive pickup will do.
Now the good cleans, that's another story...
However the Distortion and the Invader do come to mind first... Especially after I've heard raves of how good the Invader splits etc plus, I just tried it today and it was really good under heavy distortion, pretty sterile but that's a good thing for your application

For the neck, dunno, any specific preference in PAF-styled pickups? BTW, the 59 would be the obvious choice (the Jazz should be WAY too bright with those woods) but your mileage may differ.

Finally, for the middle, I dunno, I'd go with a Classic Stack Plus just because it's a good jack-of-all-trades pickup by the looks of it and it is hum-canceling...

BTW, I totally dig the Kahler but, why 26.2" scale?

I was justgoing to try a Jazzb/Jazzneck since i've heard the stuff amir recorded (im sorry if iddnt spell your name right im too tired to spell correctly) recorded with his jazz bridge.

But as you said it may be too bright, i was looking at trying the Alnico 2 Pro however for a neck position. I will be honest in saying that I dont have any experience in pickups other than the invader/jazz neck (in my lp soon to be changed to a jazz bridge and one of the three "modern" PAF duncans (59, AN2P, and PG. and a mustaine set in my rich bich.

I wanted a 26.2 scale in case i started to use the guitar in C (2 steps down) which i compose some of my music in (ether Eb or C). That and I have large hands and the little bit of extra length will help quite a bit.

and to Diocletian, I was thinking about a JB but i hear people complaning about on here all of the time. Dave is my favourite guitarist ever though and just to get something close to his sound I was thinking a JB but i've never owned one (closest ive owned is the mustaine set, which in essence is like a jb/jazz)

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

The Mustaine bridge is a beefed up JB, just that. If you have that then you already know what to expect from the JB which I love BTW, flabby bass (which with your woods wouldn't/shouldn't be a problem) and everything... I would be a little concerned what the drop tunings would do to it but then again the longer scale should help some.

Yesterday I played a Cort guitar I didn't know that (obviously) had the Invader in the Bridge and some SD pickup at the neck. The Invader sounded as described, really clear, even under heavy distortion through an ENGL Screamer 50 with everything on 5 but, for the same purpose it also was quite sterile.
I didn't know what the body wood was or which was the neck pickup. The sales person looked up the specs and told me it was Basswood.
I've played Basswood guitars and I own a Basswood Cort so what I heard wasn't what I'd expect. The neck was really BRIGHT, Basswood body and Neck pickup can't be bright. So I made a wild guess and was right. It was the Jazz...

 

[El Dunco]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

You said you wanted to stay Duncan, but I was going to suggest the Bill Lawrence L-500 (and it's variants, especially the XL). I wouldn't suggest the Dimebucker, it's too scooped (when the BL actually has plenty of mid) and is a bit high-endy for that wood. I also suggest the Distortion. If you aren't a fan of ceramic, the JB is probably a good idea. For the neck are you looking for a vowel like lead tone? If so, something PAF voiced would do the trick.

I'm a huge thrash-metal fan, I also play in a thrash metal band and have a quite an extensive guitar collection (quite a few of them have duncans and none of them have the same model) so I have a good idea of what would work. If you want me to record some clips, I'd be happy to.

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

You said you wanted to stay Duncan, but I was going to suggest the Bill Lawrence L-500 (and it's variants, especially the XL). I wouldn't suggest the Dimebucker, it's too scooped (when the BL actually has plenty of mid) and is a bit high-endy for that wood. I also suggest the Distortion. If you aren't a fan of ceramic, the JB is probably a good idea. For the neck are you looking for a vowel like lead tone? If so, something PAF voiced would do the trick.

I'm a huge thrash-metal fan, I also play in a thrash metal band and have a quite an extensive guitar collection (quite a few of them have duncans and none of them have the same model) so I have a good idea of what would work. If you want me to record some clips, I'd be happy to.

sweet dude, the jb or disto wer esome of my first hcoices. im also KINDA considering trying out the new actives duncan has released but im not a great big fan of EMGS
(maybe something like a blackout 2, classic sc 2,classic 2 or something) but i dontknow how they sound sound since they're all new pickups and arn't out yet).

id also like to get my pickups in yellow (or a black or zebra yellow/black) so would that limit my options much?

 

[El Dunco]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

it shouldn't. I believe Duncan does the distortion and the JB in a zebra colour. If not you can buy bobbin toppers which make the pickups any colour you want. I have an EMG 85/89 set in my Warlock and it's extremely tight on the palm mutes. So if the Duncan Blackouts are an improvement on those pickups, they'd be perfect.

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

it shouldn't. I believe Duncan does the distortion and the JB in a zebra colour. If not you can buy bobbin toppers which make the pickups any colour you want. I have an EMG 85/89 set in my Warlock and it's extremely tight on the palm mutes. So if the Duncan Blackouts are an improvement on those pickups, they'd be perfect.

to my knowledges the blackouts are improvemnts of the 81/85 (which are in a jackson i gave to a friend) and the emgs just sounded so lifeless and boring like every other metal band out there. i want a more unique sound than wall of distortion.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

to my knowledges the blackouts are improvemnts of the 81/85 (which are in a jackson i gave to a friend) and the emgs just sounded so lifeless and boring like every other metal band out there. i want a more unique sound than wall of distortion.

I wouldn't say it sounds like a lifeless wall of distortion to be honest. There are other factors that make every other metal band out there sound that way. The EMG 81 has a bad rap for being a scooped, ceramic tone-sucker. I haven't used it. I use the 85 in the bridge which is an alnico magnet and more mids.

 

[Quicksilver689]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

How about PATB-1n/PATB-STK/PATB-2 (or Crazy 8)? I say this because you'll still get good clean and split tones in addition to great heavy ones. I highly recommend all the PATB's - that design just rocks!

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

HEY, now there's an idea!!!

The Crazy 8 just never seizes to amaze me on how thick and full it is while at the same time cutting through like knife through yogurt (yeah, just though of that one :9.

I think that trying out the PATB-2 Distortion would be a GREAT idea!!!

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

How about PATB-1n/PATB-STK/PATB-2 (or Crazy 8)? I say this because you'll still get good clean and split tones in addition to great heavy ones. I highly recommend all the PATB's - that design just rocks!

Great recommmendation. I was gonna recommend PATB-1n/PATB-STK/PATB-1. The PATB-1 bridge pickup would be awesome for a thrash metal tone. Power chords sustain and crunch for days. Palm muting sounds percussive and aggresive.

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

How about PATB-1n/PATB-STK/PATB-2 (or Crazy 8)? I say this because you'll still get good clean and split tones in addition to great heavy ones. I highly recommend all the PATB's - that design just rocks!

that's a pretty good idea and I like it a lot

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

also im just wondering can you order the PATs in like yellow or just black

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

I doubt it, unless I'm mistaken at the moment there are only black bobbins, but I guess you could order some bobbin toppers that you'd then have to modify some more for the parallel poles but now that this idea's on the table I think it just screams for attention

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

I doubt it, unless I'm mistaken at the moment there are only black bobbins, but I guess you could order some bobbin toppers that you'd then have to modify some more for the parallel poles but now that this idea's on the table I think it just screams for attention

yeah im pretty interested in trying this but might it be toobright? i have no idea how they would sound ina guitar like mine honestly

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

The very design of them is to add "umph" to tremolo equipped (read: bright) guitars so, I think this is one thing I wouldn't worry about...

 

[Oudy]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

i had an idea ages go that im sure was treash. it involved a jazz bridge/ charlie chrisian singecoil RI and a 59 neck but im not sure how thtt would work so patbs sound best atm

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: bros you choose some thrash pickups for me (repost)

Man, the Jazz (at lest the neck) is an awesome pickup but BRIGHT.
Generally I prefer less warm pickups for neck but I'm pretty sure this would be more than "less warm"...

59 sounds great but if I were you I'd be more curious to try the PATB-1n, after all 59 is the neck JB, way too easily available, 2nd hand on line and otherwise...