hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

80's_Metal · Mar 13, 2012

So I have this white and very beautiful Dean ML. (unlike my ugly bastards that I abuse regularly)
I have swapped all the chrome out for black hardware. It needed to look better than it did, and now it looks perfect(in my humble opinion of course).

It is a very lightweight guitar @ 7.4 lbs. (much like my ML AT 3000)
Its a Mahogany body and set mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard.
Ernie Ball Beefy Slinky 11-54 tuned drop C
I mainly use digitech metal master for all my gain, and a randall cab with 2 texas heat and 2 swamp thangs... perfect for dark doom and gloom and low end chugga chugga but I miss my old marshall high end sizzle at times....

I wanted that look to be perfect so I installed invaders in it... They sound great for chugga chugga, but not so hot for anything else... Tone is Deep and dark, but no high end sizzle. and with my current set-up I am LOW-end tone-RICH... I mean she sounds great... don't get me wrong, but I think it could sound even better...

My at 3000 is a similar construct and weight, and I popped a dimebucker in it to make it near perfect! but she stays std or half step down.

I have a dimebucker in my ML dime-o-flame and an SH-6 in my camo ML an SH-6 in my ML Warbird as well.... all my other ML's have been dimebuckers in the past. And they were all much heavier guitars as well... 9-10 lb range

I love the seering leads of the dimebucker, but the SH-6 is always my favorite.... If I could put those black hex heads into an sh-6 or even an alt-8 I think it would be perfect for this guitar...

I have personal experience with the patb, custom, custom custom, patb-2, invader, screamin demon, alt-8, emgs, even livewires.... as well as many other mid-gain type pups..... but in other applications, explorers and Les pauls mostly.

SO my question is.... what pup to replace my invaders??? .... in this specific application I thought I may pick your brains for your highly-educated nomination?? perhaps I am missing something? I am looking for shadows fall, disciple, lamb of God, chimaira type tone I guess.... gritty but balanced.

SH-6 (stay with what I know and love)
Dimebucker (thats what always goes in ML's duh...)
Alt-8 (its the perfect pickup right?)
something else???

Your thoughts???

CTN · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

I say distortion. Might sound cool with the giant hex bolts.

other option for adding more fatness to it is an A8 mag.

a DMZ Super Distortion also might fit the bill. Lots of output, but has a darker character to it. Actually come to think of it, it might actually sound somewhat similar to the DD8 (although I haven't tried a DD8 yet)

King IzzO))) · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

You can't put the Invader screws in a DD, won't fit. But you can take out the side spacer mags from the Invader and leave just the center mag. This is basically a DD with Invader screws, and really just a proper Duncan version of the Detonator.

I have an A8 in an Invader with no spacer mags and it's awesome too, maybe too loose and not sharp enough attack for those sounds though.

Masta' C · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

Agreed...if you want SH-6 tone with SH-8 looks, drop the side mags in the Invader and give it a whirl or try a Detonator: LINK

80's_Metal · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

Ive got detonators in my explorer... those babies kick some serious ass...

Guston7 · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

If it were me, I'd have it reversed. Dime in drop C, Invader in E/Eb.

rumblebox · Mar 13, 2012

Re: hEAvy mEtAl tOnE pIckUp gUrUs....

i'm a firm believer in a full shred with a ceramic mag swap after doing it a few days ago.

it's not as fizzy as the DD is either. responds to high gain better. i was a die-hard DD user before this.

rumblebox · Mar 13, 2012