Good gainy pickup

[guitar_bat]

Hey guys I'm looking to change the stock bucker on my new Jackson SDX. I want a higher gain than a JB, but not an overly heavy pickup. Something that can Clem up well with the volume knob, but still rip a Van Halen or Iron Maiden tune. Suggestions??

 

[Archer250]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Hey guys I'm looking to change the stock bucker on my new Jackson SDX. I want a higher gain than a JB, but not an overly heavy pickup. Something that can Clem up well with the volume knob, but still rip a Van Halen or Iron Maiden tune. Suggestions??

A JB is more than enough for Van Halen and Iron Maiden.

 

[lucaspaço]

Re: Good gainy pickup

The Custom has a bit more gain I find than the JB and it's not overly heavy as you say... I can play Maiden pretty nice with it and all kinds of Thrash/Death Metal..

 

[Mr. B]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Maiden and Van Halen didn't play with pickups hotter than the JB. The Super Distortion and Custom Custom come to mind.

 

[lucaspaço]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Maiden and Van Halen didn't play with pickups hotter than the JB. The Super Distortion and Custom Custom come to mind.

That's true. Just from the beginning of the 2000's onwards Dave started using Hot Rails (SHR-1)

 

[dystrust]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Another vote for the Custom.

I remember being told on the old forum circa 2002 or so that "A lot of people love JBs because they've never tried a Custom", and in my case it was pretty much right-on. To my ear the Custom sounds like a fatter, fuller JB.

 

[RStabler]

Re: Good gainy pickup

I'd say the Custom will do the trick. How 'bout the Distortion? I always found it surprisingly versatile.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Good gainy pickup

I'm going to go with the Distortion. It does clean up with the volume knob, though you may have to use the dreaded tone knob too.

 

[Gibson 1964]

Re: Good gainy pickup

My thought is the Distortion. If you want a slightly more modern flavor, a BW could fit the bill too. (I know it sounds stupid that the designed for black metal pickup is a versatile pickup that cleans up well, but it is)

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Another vote for the Custom.

+ another

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Good gainy pickup

I don't mean to derail this thread, but surely I'm not the only one who thinks the JB is pretty damn gainy in itself? In my case I did not find it much lower output than the Distortion, if any, and in my experience, both the JB and Distortion hold up with EMG 81's as far as power goes quite well.

I mean, yeah, I'm sure the Distortion might be a bit hotter, but I personally don't feel like they're in a completely different league as far as power goes. JME.

I'd say if you want to leave those kind of output levels, you might want to look into a Dimebucker, some of the higher output DiMarzios, or maybe Blackouts?

 

[Archer250]

Re: Good gainy pickup

I don't mean to derail this thread, but surely I'm not the only one who thinks the JB is pretty damn gainy in itself? In my case I did not find it much lower output than the Distortion, if any, and in my experience, both the JB and Distortion hold up with EMG 81's as far as power goes quite well.

I mean, yeah, I'm sure the Distortion might be a bit hotter, but I personally don't feel like they're in a completely different league as far as power goes. JME.

I'd say if you want to leave those kind of output levels, you might want to look into a Dimebucker, some of the higher output DiMarzios, or maybe Blackouts?

Not off the rails at all. If you cant play Van Halen and Maiden because the JB isn't hot enough, then it's NOT the pickup's fault.

 

[guitar_bat]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Not off the rails at all. If you cant play Van Halen and Maiden because the JB isn't hot enough, then it's NOT the pickup's fault.

I CAN play Maiden and Van Halen with a JB....just looking for a "gainier" pickup. Maybe I picked the wrong examples.

 

[guitar_bat]

Re: Good gainy pickup

Probably going with a custom. The sound bites on the Duncan site sound like what I'm looking for. Although I know it'll sound somewhat different in my rig.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Good gainy pickup

I CAN play Maiden and Van Halen with a JB....just looking for a "gainier" pickup. Maybe I picked the wrong examples.

Then you could take a look at the Custom and the Distortion.

 

[Inflames626]

Re: Good gainy pickup

IMO, a JB is too hot for Maiden and Priest. They have closer to a 70s Plexi/overdrive sound with a lot of growling, nasally mids and not much bottom.

I recorded a Priest cover with a JB and while it filled out the mix it was too flabby in the bottom, a routine complaint I have with that pickup. An EMG HZ4(81) did the job admirably on the other side of the stereo mix.

I prefer something a bit tamer than a JB like a Full Shred, but I prefer using mid output pickups and then boosting the amp. You're going to need some articulation so those melodies stick out.

A Distortion is really bright and shrill--pretty much a death metal pickup. An Alt 8 is like the Distortion but with more bottom.

What a JB will do is get you a really hot Dave Murray style neck tone, and it cleans up beautifully when split. Try it in the neck.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Good gainy pickup

IMO, a JB is too hot for Maiden and Priest. They have closer to a 70s Plexi/overdrive sound with a lot of growling, nasally mids and not much bottom.

I recorded a Priest cover with a JB and while it filled out the mix it was too flabby in the bottom, a routine complaint I have with that pickup. An EMG HZ4(81) did the job admirably on the other side of the stereo mix.

I prefer something a bit tamer than a JB like a Full Shred, but I prefer using mid output pickups and then boosting the amp. You're going to need some articulation so those melodies stick out.

A Distortion is really bright and shrill--pretty much a death metal pickup. An Alt 8 is like the Distortion but with more bottom.

What a JB will do is get you a really hot Dave Murray style neck tone, and it cleans up beautifully when split. Try it in the neck.

Murray and Smith used Super Distortions. About as hot as a JB

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Good gainy pickup

This might sound counter intuitive, but for Van Halen type stuff, the Perpetual Burn might be more in your wheelhouse. It's a medium gain pickup (less gain than the JB) but was designed for Jason Becker who was known for being a shredder guy in the early 80's (played in a band with Marty Friedman) and played on David Lee Roth's third album.

If you are really looking for something a little hotter than the JB, I would say the Distortion or look at some of DiMarzio's offerings such as the John Petrucci sets.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Good gainy pickup

FWIW, I did find the DiMarzio Super Distortion noticeably hotter than the Duncan JB. Considering what you want to play, I'd say that one's worth a try.

 

[Grandturk]

Re: Good gainy pickup

My goto pickups these days are Duncan Custom and Distortion and Dimarzio Super Distortion. Add a sprinkling of Perpetual Burn, 59, Slash and Dimarzio PAF.

I don't like the JB - it is humped in the mids and sounds wooden and stiff. I play with a mid-rangey amp and these don't work for me. The Perpetual Burn has to my ears the same EQ curve. The Dimarzio Tone Zone as well.

The Custom and the Distortion have more sizzle in the highs a cut in the mids to my ears that works better for me. The super distortion is rounder overall but it never big and boomy. It stays fat and still cuts. It's tamer "distortion" pickup than the Duncan Distortion.

For Maiden the classic sound is plexi and Dimarzio Super Distortion.