Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

[WTYD]

Hello.
I don't know what to choose for my guitar (B.C.Rich NJ, alder body, floyd, bolted maple/rosewood neck): Seymour Duncan Full Shred or Wilde (Bill Lawrence) L500xl. I like heavy/thrash metal (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Testament, Slayer, etc). I want to get "piercing" sound.

I heard the opinion, that these pickups are good for mahogany (especially Full Shred, because of his equalization - B/M/T 4/4/8). Also I heard, that Full Shred is not very good for rythm.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

The Full Shred not good for rhythm? For fast, staccato, thrashy stuff like Testament and Slayer it's perfect. Very articulate (so you better play tight) and also handles lower tunings with ease.
Doesn't have super hot output, so you'll have to get that from the amp.

Later Maiden and Megadeth is more in the territory of the JB. Earlier Priest and Maiden used DiMarzio Super Distortions (Les Pauls, V's and strats).

The 500XL is what Dimebag use to use in his mahogany Deans. Should get a piercing sound. Considered the Dimebucker?

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

Both are fine for what you're talking about.

when I picked up a L500XL, I could definitely see where Dime and Nuno get their tone. so listen to a few tunes by those guys and you'll know what you're going to get from that one.

the Full Shred is fine for rhythm. if it's the only pup you'll be using, you can always tweak some amp settings. if you have a few guitars, the FS is on the more focused side when it comes to lows... which is to say the lows are tight. it may or may not be the chugga-chugga you want, but that's up to your ears. I have some FSn in the neck position of a few alder guitars and I think they work good in that application... but that's me with my rig.

there might be other pickups that might do better for what you're looking for. check on you're favorite gutiarists for those bands and see what they are using. Adrian Smith uses the DiMarzio Super Distortion, Mustaine uses an active JB, Al Pitrelli (ex-Megadeth) has used a Full Shred, Kerry King uses EMGs and so on.

 

[metalmachine]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

u should consider the distortion also

 

[WTYD]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

Thank you for your answers.

I know, that Maiden used DiMarzio SuperDist and Mustaine used JB (and it seems to me SH-5).

But I want to choose from two variants: L500xl or Full Shred. I found them for good price.
On the one part, I want to try L500xl, because i like Pantera and heard a lot of good opinions about this pickup. On the other part, I was intrigued by Full Shred, because not many people are advised to use it (generally advised to use JB, SH-5/6 for metal), but opinions about this pickups are good too.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

Currently having both in alder guitars, I'd go with the Full Shred over the X500XL...but that's me.

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

L90

 

[Grindspine]

Re: Full Shred or Wilde L500xl?

u should consider the distortion also

I really second this notion for an alder body Warlock.

I have used both Bill Lawrence's Keystone L500 (now under the Wilde name) and the Dimebucker. I was not happy with the L500. At the time, Bill & Becky were using Alnico 5 mags instead of the ceramics in the early L500 blade pickups. I was never happy with the overall sound, especially the low end, of that pickup. I have been much much happier with the Dimebucker in the same guitar.

If your choice is ONLY the Full Shred or the Wilde L500, I would suggest going with the Full Shred. It is one of the few Alnico 5 based 'buckers that sounds good to my ears for the music you're suggesting. But, for an alder body, I would highly suggest the Duncan Distortion if you're willing to consider something other than those two.