From active to passive

A

ancient_owl

New member
Hello guys!

About half a year ago I installed the AHB-1 set in my BC Rich IT Jr. V. and that was a HUGE improvement :cool: compared to original BC Rich pickups.

However, now I feel that my tone is too dark-toned, it seems to be true that active pickups contribute to guitar tone more than the wood, unlike passives. I realized that when I visited my local guitar shop and tried a guitar that is twice cheaper, but I suddenly found it to be really responsive to my picking technique.

From that moment I started thinking about a pair of decent passives. I've already tried Dimarzios and Artec (these are not that cool, but feel great for their price), so i decided to check Seymour Duncans :33:

I mostly play (at least I try to play ;) ) Metallica, Slayer i.e. thrash metal. Sometimes I'd like to play Satriani or Buckethead. And I want to have a good clean too - I love to play zero-gain passages on my neck pickup. BTW, I mostly play rhythm on the bridge and solos and clean stuff on the neck pickup.

After doing some research, I've decided that Duncan Custom is exactly what I want - good for heavy stuff and still is capable of moderate-gain settings. But will it be as chunky and umph-umph as AHB-1 bridge?
As for the neck - I'm stuck. I want pleasant and warm tone clean, but something that is capable of fast metal solos... Maybe Pearly Gates? But, as far as I know, AII aren't that suitable for much gain...

So, please, give a piece of advice for both neck and bridge.
My guitar is nato (cheap mahogany) body, maple neck, ebony freatboard. AMP - VOX Lil' Night Train.
 
Re: From active to passive

The SH5 is a great bridge pickup but it probably wont be as chunky as an Blackout is. It will do the styles you like easily. But that said blackouts are not your average active. The cheaper guitar being more responsive than yours might not be cause it has passive pickups. Blackouts are anything but unresponsive they are also very good at letting the guitars character come through.

What Dimarzios did you try and what did you not like about them?
 
Re: From active to passive

I've tried SuperDistortion and in the bridge and PAF Pro in the neck. But I used them with Epi SG G-400, which was a bit different from BC Rich...
As far as I remember, SuperDist was kinda mid-boosted, which I didn't like. And PAF Pro had more treble than I needed.
 
Re: From active to passive

ancient_owl said:
Hello guys!

About half a year ago I installed the AHB-1 set in my BC Rich IT Jr. V. and that was a HUGE improvement :cool: compared to original BC Rich pickups.

However, now I feel that my tone is too dark-toned, it seems to be true that active pickups contribute to guitar tone more than the wood, unlike passives. I realized that when I visited my local guitar shop and tried a guitar that is twice cheaper, but I suddenly found it to be really responsive to my picking technique.

From that moment I started thinking about a pair of decent passives. I've already tried Dimarzios and Artec (these are not that cool, but feel great for their price), so i decided to check Seymour Duncans :33:

I mostly play (at least I try to play ;) ) Metallica, Slayer i.e. thrash metal. Sometimes I'd like to play Satriani or Buckethead. And I want to have a good clean too - I love to play zero-gain passages on my neck pickup. BTW, I mostly play rhythm on the bridge and solos and clean stuff on the neck pickup.

After doing some research, I've decided that Duncan Custom is exactly what I want - good for heavy stuff and still is capable of moderate-gain settings. But will it be as chunky and umph-umph as AHB-1 bridge?
As for the neck - I'm stuck. I want pleasant and warm tone clean, but something that is capable of fast metal solos... Maybe Pearly Gates? But, as far as I know, AII aren't that suitable for much gain...

So, please, give a piece of advice for both neck and bridge.
My guitar is nato (cheap mahogany) body, maple neck, ebony freatboard. AMP - VOX Lil' Night Train.
Click to expand...

Hey mate, there is no better combo on an all mahogany guitar to play thrash metal rhythms and awsome neck cleans, ala metallica than the Sh6 Bridge amd '59 Neck. Period.
 
Re: From active to passive

I'd suggest Duncan Distortion, it's very tight for metal with tons of clarity, bright mids, and crushing low end. Very much active-like compared to most other passives.
 
Re: From active to passive

lazyfinger, Dark Order Lord, rumblebox, Edgecrusher,
Thanks for replies, guys! Much appreciated :)
I'll take a closer look at SH-6, although, it seems to have and extra treble, which is, I guess, not the best choice for maple+ebony neck...

BTW, Edgecrusher, any new thoughts after my Dimarzio post?
 
Re: From active to passive

IMO the distortion is the best place to start. Unless you guitar is naturally bright. Then I suggest the invader or even a detonator. However for versatility with great metal tones the custom is hard to beat
 
Re: From active to passive

metalmachine,
No, the guitar itself is pretty balanced, but lows are more pronounced. Eventually, I'll try a DD for bridge and, probably, Pearly Gates for the neck. There would be a huge tone difference, though...
 
Re: From active to passive

I would put a double thick magnet in a custom and use a PGb in the neck. That way the pickups don't clash with each other, and the guitar is more versatile.
 
Re: From active to passive

ancient_owl said:
lazyfinger, Dark Order Lord, rumblebox, Edgecrusher,
Thanks for replies, guys! Much appreciated :)
I'll take a closer look at SH-6, although, it seems to have and extra treble, which is, I guess, not the best choice for maple+ebony neck...

BTW, Edgecrusher, any new thoughts after my Dimarzio post?
Click to expand...

Well the dimarzios were in another guitar so harder to say from that. I would still go SH5 over SH6 but thats purely my opinon both are great. But if im reading the tonality of your guitar right and what your after the SH6 might be too much.

Before everyone gets too excited and shoves magnet swapping down your throat its very possible that a stock mag combo will give you exactly what you want. Try them first if they come up short then look to mags. For the neck I would be after something warm if you thought the PAF Pro was to bright. Something like the PGN.
 
Re: From active to passive

so, you have tried super distortion and paf pro and you said you tried DiMazios?... is like your exgirlfriend was blond so you've tried all bl
 
Re: From active to passive

I don't know how far your metal liking goes, but if you want Metallica (Hetfield's sound up through MOP), the definitely get an Invader. I get great thrash sounds out of a Distortion (my pup of choice), but I don't just play Tallica. An Invader is a pretty beefy pup, similar in range to an active pup, so you will be going to a similar gain level. Other than those two, though, IDK. One of my lead players get a great sound from a custom, so out of all of SD's pups, those are the three I'd definitely recommend.
 
Re: From active to passive

rumblebox, metalmachine, Edgecrusher, crguti, tonello
Thanks again :)
I've never tried magnet swap and I kinda feel it's not for me...

crguti
Well, I'm not a hardcore pickup changer :P I don't say they're bad just want to try SD passives.
tonello
I don't want way too much output - that's why I decided to swap my actives. But yep, Invader is what Hetfield used earlier.

Well, after doing some additional research on DD, I've decided to go for Custom in the bridge - a bit more classic sound. That's it, approved!
And for the neck - PGb or PGn. Do they differ much tonally?
 
Re: From active to passive

Go PGn The PGb would be way too bright and thin in the neck slot so would the PG+ which is another bridge oriented pickup.
 
Re: From active to passive

Edgecrusher said:
Go PGn The PGb would be way too bright and thin in the neck slot so would the PG+ which is another bridge oriented pickup.
Click to expand...

how do you figure? since bridge pickups are wound more than neck pickups. it would only be fatter. the PG+ has an A5 and may be too bright for your tastes, but i doubt it. keep in mind, the PG+ only comes in parchment. so you'll probably want to cover it.
 
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