Distortion or Custom or Jb or......?

[Kaleidoscope21]

Hi there people...I've been a long time lurker on this forum and would like some pickup advice. I'm getting a Hamer SATQE2 soon, it has a double cutaway Mahogany body reminiscent of a PRS shape with a Maple Top and Rosewood fretboard. It comes stock with the dreaded EMG H4 pickups, I'll give them a chance but if they're crappy, I'll replace them. I'll be running the guitar through a Laney Ironheart 1 12 combo or my laptop running Amplitube 3 and Peavey Revalver 4. The music i play is 80's Heavy metal like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Megadeth etc., melodeath like early In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium etc., modern hardcore rock and punk like Rise Against, Three Days Grace, Billy Talent etc. and some indie like Snow patrol, The killers and such. I've been planning on getting a Jb or Distortion bridge for lead and rhythm work and a Screamin' Demon in the neck for solos. Any advice would be appreciated about the difference between the two pickups. Music stores are pretty sh***y here where I live so I can only get Seymour Duncans, thanks in advance for any feedback :9:

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Distortion or Custom or Jb or......?

Get the guitar first then decide what it needs. All those pickups are possible but you want to evaluate what your guitar is lacking before you get too excited.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Distortion or Custom or Jb or......?

Get the guitar first then decide what it needs. All those pickups are possible but you want to evaluate what your guitar is lacking before you get too excited.

This is good advice. If you do indeed deem the pickups to be bad then you can say things like "too muddy" or " icepick tone" etc. Keep us posted once you get the guitar!

 

[Lucy Diamond]

Re: Distortion or Custom or Jb or......?

Hey man how are things.

I fully get the nature of this post.

Yes...you should wait until you have your axe in your hands, but you are running this whole thing in your mind over and over and you want it done.

\m/,

The thing with Distortions and JBs is that they are very clean pickups. (I know right!?)

The distortion will have a tighter attack and (for me) better handling on the lower strings.

The JB will be more open and lively. I find that when you lower the volume on the JB, it's like getting a new eq curve for what you need at that volume and because of this, I fall deeper and deeper in love with my JBs the more I've been using them.

You will be able to play anything you want with both pickups though. The JB will be the more controllable of the two in lower gain situations.

As far as the neck. I have no experience with the Demon. I highly recommend the Pearly Gates as a neck pickup for absolutely anything.

Enjoy in good health and I would suggest giving the stock guitar a solid two weeks of heavy playing before you make your decision.

Later,


~LD

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Distortion or Custom or Jb or......?

The Distortion has an awesome 90's metal GRIND to it. The JB is similar but a bit more held-back. The Distortion is more metal, but the JB can pull-off some grindy 90's metal sounds as well.

EMG HZ's are not too bad. I'd take a JB or a Distortion over an H-4, but they're not unuseable.