Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

  • Low/Mid output pickups, get your overdrive/distortion from the amp

    Votes: 21 65.6%

  • High output pickups that naturally overdrive/distorts the amp

    Votes: 12 37.5%
  • Total voters
    32
bryan the rocker

bryan the rocker

New member
What Pickup type do you prefer, that overdrives/distorts your amp




Low/Mid output pickups, get your distortion from the amp



or



High output pickups that naturally overdrives/distorts the amp



which overdrive/distortion do you prefer from the pickup ?


Which sounds best to you ?


thanks for thje replies,
 
Last edited:
Re: Guys. What type of overdrive/distortion do you prefer

Re: Guys. What type of overdrive/distortion do you prefer

I like my Fulltone OCD the best... I have not tried a ZEN, I would like to.
I also have a Fulldrive II, Keleey BD-2, Keleey DS-1, Fulltone 69' and others...

I like the OCD the best... I play clean non master volume Marshall amps that like to break up natural with enough drive.
.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

I voted Low/Mid output, but that's because I play a more modern styled head that can get raucous all on it's own. I've been loving on my Ibanez Super 70s, Greco Scream'ins, and 59s a lot since I bought it. Back when I played a 2203 JMP Mk2-X2N all the way. I don't like pedals.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

i use low-mid output humbuckers to get my dirt from the amp. Hot pickups just have stuffy tone when dirty because of all the extra output. low to mid output pickups keep the natural tone
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

i love my low output-wound a8 pickups(low-mid, right?!), but i don't get my distortion from the amp!(in fact, i haven't even been playing through it for the last week or two:scratchch) but i get my grind out of my pedals, either set by themselves for different flavors with high gain and level, or cascade them into eachother with low drive-high gain for a huge sound. i don't like high output pickups though, usually it's the EQ and the fact that they drive cleans, and i like my cleans on the bridge pickup!
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

high output pickups that naturally distort the amp don't sound as juicy and full as a lower output pickup that gets the overdrive from the amp, so I voted low/mid output.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

I'm a dyed-in-the-wool PAF guy so, for me, it's low/mid output pups.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

mrturtle_91 said:
high output pickups that naturally distort the amp don't sound as juicy and full as a lower output pickup that gets the overdrive from the amp, so I voted low/mid output.
Click to expand...

I have an evolution in the bridge of my Les Paul, and it runs through a Boss GT-8, so on paper, it sounds like my set-up is compressed and hi-fi, but in reality it's sounds really organic. I voted for option number 2, since I usually can't get enough gain. I think people are voting for option 1, just because it sounds like the right answer.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

projectx1106 said:
I have an evolution in the bridge of my Les Paul, and it runs through a Boss GT-8, so on paper, it sounds like my set-up is compressed and hi-fi, but in reality it's sounds really organic. I voted for option number 2, since I usually can't get enough gain. I think people are voting for option 1, just because it sounds like the right answer.
Click to expand...

no i'm pretty sure people are voting #1 because that's what they use and it sounds good to them:)
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

super rad ska said:
no i'm pretty sure people are voting #1 because that's what they use and it sounds good to them:)
Click to expand...

I've played thru both and can only tell you what I like...and I truly love gain-LOVE IT-but I've learned the difference between gain and compression. I like the natural and open resonance of a lower output pickup and having played EMG's and X2N's, really prefer getting my gain from somewhere else in the signal chain.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

I planned to have a combo... The PATB-STKn in the middle as a low out put with the high gain, and the PATB-2 for high output and high gain... I figure it would be a nice mix.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

High, cuz I like to rip things apart with my tone! Nah, high output's just seem to carry the punch and characteristics needed to set my tone apart, for me. Plus, what's the point of playing loud Rock n' Roll (okay, Heavy Metal;)) if your amplifier doesn't sound like it's screamin'???
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

I like it both ways, really. :naughty: Seriously, though, if I had to pick, I'd go with low/moderate pickups. They clean up nice and are more versatile.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

Most of the music I really play/enjoy doesn't use a whole ton of gain anyways.

Really, though, I like a vintage-y neck pickup and a higher output bridge. That way I can dial in some serious crunch if needed. Most of the time I'm straight into my 5W blackheart, so pickup choice reallly effects what the amp sounds like dimed. My custom custom pushes that sucker like crazy but that's not always the tone I want. The alnico ii pro has some great clarity that I can't pass up.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

And I disagree with the young whipper-snappers that say high output pickups don't sound good.

I love the wide dynamics you can get playing a high output pickup into a low gain amp. I'm not talking getting a Metallica distortion, I'm talking AC/DC to KISS to maybe early Def Leppard or early Judas Priest. A perfect example is my LP with a 500T into a DSL100 Clean channel, Boost off. It takes a bit of power to get that channel to distort. You really need to dig in. But if you lighten up on the strings, you can get a nice clean tone.

For playing through a high gain amp, I prefer lower output pickups.

What it boils down to, is that you can get a great distortion tone if you tune the entire rig from pickups to speakers. There isn't really a high or low output is better in my book.
 
Re: Guys. What pickup type do you prefer in overdrive/distortion

Sir Don, you are wise in the ways of tone.
 
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