duncans for metal

[sajuuk]

Hey all sorry if this has been done before or am in the wrong place am new here lol

I'm looking for a little advice I'm going to replace my guitars current pickups soon and I've been told duncans are good pick ups.

I was wondering what you think would be the best humbucker pair for me, I play heavy metal like bullet for my valantine, trivium and such like and have a strat style guitar made of agathis tone wood with a maple neck. Keep in mind I play both rythm and lead and am looking for a heavy agressive tone you generally expect from metal.

I was kinda looking at a pair of SH-6 pick ups,,,think thats good?

Thanks peoples

 

[Diego]

Re: duncans for metal

Custom bridge, Full Shred neck. Muscle machine right at your fingertips.

Both pickups will do for lead and rhythm. If you think you might drop the leads, you COULD consider an Invader instead of the Custom.

Tell us your complete setup, to help you better.

And sorry, forgot to say WELCOME! Enjoy your stay.

 

[Aceman]

Re: duncans for metal

Welcome to the forums! I don't really listen to those bands much so I can't say how well a Distortion will sound. I will say this - I haven't found anything they haven't sounded decent for yet! I play a lot of things: Kiss, Metallica (old and new), VH, MAiden, Priest, Ratt, Poison & more. The distortion is just a great high output pup. If you have a monster amp, you might think about something a little more mellow. It usually sounds better under high gain.

Best tip for getting good advice here: Identify your guitar, your amp, and what is missing from your current sound, or what you want to sound like.

But this is the place to be - someone will get you hooked up. Good luck!

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

sorry bout that I forgot bout tellin wot guitar it is. Its a yamaha ERG 121 and the amplifier is a Marshall MG30DFX, And as for whats missing, the current pick ups are cheap stock ones, they just dont have that kind of attack and aggresive tone that you expect from heavy metal but I've been warned away from actives because of the tone wood the guitars made of.
Like I said I was looking at a pair of SH-6's but wondering what you'd recommend for this guitar so that I can get an aggresive attack that could match up to bullet for my valantine and even metallica now you mention it (i like the old stuff to lol)

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: duncans for metal

I'd recommend the Distortion, JB, Invader, or Custom. If you can get ahold of one, the Duncan Designed (or Performer) Detonator is pretty sweet, too, and for the price ($29), it's a no-brainer.

As far as neck pickups go, the only one I'd really push you towards is the Distortion. The Full Shred is pretty cool, too, but the SH-6n is great. Proof that SD needs to not be afraid of high output neck pickups

 

[Diego]

Re: duncans for metal

Metallica is old stuff? *feels old*

Anyway, the SH-6 bridge is perfect for Metal, be it the new breed or the old school. I don't know if there's a SH-6 neck anyway... yes there is, just got it.

Consider upgrading your amp first, though. You could put a WMD on that guitar and still it won't give you that tone through that Marshall.

I wouldn't diss the active alternative so quickly. They might bury the tonewood a bit, but with all respect, agathis is nothing to write home about, and EMGs sound killer on almost any guitar you put them in.

Good luck!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: duncans for metal

I wouldn't diss the active alternative so quickly.

I still get a kick out of it whenever people say, "Hey, I want the Metallica/Zakk Wylder/other EMG user tone, but I don't want EMGs."

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

cant upgrade the marshall am afraid, I can only afford to upgrade the pick ups and cant afford much else for a loooooong time. still despite the amp the sound from my current pick ups is kinda,,,,crap, u know weak and bloody fuzzy, even on my friends tube amp (forgot the name but god that was a lovely amp lol) buut if the SH-6 is a good one then am there! lol,
am fairly certain new pick ups will at least improve the tone to sumin more metal like. Gotta be better than the current set

any more recommedations?,,,,And I was told agathis would ruin an EMG's sound

 

[Diego]

Re: duncans for metal

I'll be deep honest: I think you could put EMGs on a toilet seat and it would still sound very above decent. They dominate the tone a lot, but NOT completely.

I'll recommend the Custom instead of the Distortion, though. That Distortion might get too bright on that agathis guitar.

 

[Diego]

Re: duncans for metal

I still get a kick out of it whenever people say, "Hey, I want the Metallica/Zakk Wylder/other EMG user tone, but I don't want EMGs."

Haha yeah. You can get close, but not there without them...

I wanna snatch a decent cheap axe and put EMGs on it ASAP. :fingersx:

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

yea,,,,just so you know theres not a lot to getta kick from, I dont want the exact tone of metallica or bullet for my valentine ect mimicing sumone else in my opinion kind of undermines the point of being a guitarist if you want some one elses tone getta cd and listen to that, I just need something that would sound much better than my defaults for metal without going fuzzy or weak or woteva because of the guitar but with that in mind I still wanna be able to play those bands music, dont worry I do keep it short sometimes lol

 

[Jay 77]

Re: duncans for metal

I love the Custom in the bridge position, for sure. Even the JB does a good job of cutting through. But if you want to go balls-out all the time, I like the idea of the Distortion set.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: duncans for metal

I love the Custom in the bridge position, for sure. Even the JB does a good job of cutting through. But if you want to go balls-out all the time, I like the idea of the Distortion set.

Michael Amott uses the JB in his V and his tone is baaadaaasss, just remember that...it's more your amp than your pups...

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: duncans for metal

Agathis is kind of like mahogany but kind of 'tone-sucking' is what it's usually referred to as on the ESP forum...lol

 

[Aceman]

Re: duncans for metal

Based on what I'm hearing, I'm gona +1 the Duncan Detonators. They are pretty good (as is ALL Duncan Designed line!), and will give you #1- an idea of what a pup swap can/can't do and #2 are cheap. Start there.

And "EMG's would make a toilet seat sound good" Is that the same thing as "Make a 59 LP sound the same as a toilet seat" There is a message in there....

 

[Robert S.]

Re: duncans for metal

Welcome abpard Sajuuk.

I played a SH-6 set for a few years and they are awesome for metal.

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

You know I'd forgotten EMG have a passive line, how are they for metal do you think? I've been told there a bit weak, then again I was told this by peoples using the actives,,,,,sooo wot they like?

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

I just checked that myself 70 quid was the cheapest I could find one you may as well buy one of the actives instead!
so the're good but for that price it may as well be best to stick with a duncan set?

 

[Jeff Dunne]

Re: duncans for metal

Honestly, I wouldn't even bother with Duncans for metal - not voiced modern enough for me. It's the signature Duncan PAF on sterioids tone, it's just consistent through every humbucker they make.

 

[sajuuk]

Re: duncans for metal

Not modern enough? define that please lol