Help choosing pickups

[CrazyPick]

I am new to the aftermarket pickup world, so please excuse my ignorance in this area.

I mainly play hard rock / metal (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Rammstein, GNR, Godsmack)
Which passive SD pickups should I be looking at?

Was thinking a Black Winter neck (coil splitable) with an Invader in the bridge. Are these completely wrong for this type of music?

I haven't been able to find a good example of a Black Winter bridge in E standard, which is why I am looking at the Invader. From what I can tell online the Invader is looser and has more low end.


They will be going in my new custom ESP M-II which will have a mahogany body, koa (or maple) top and ebony fret-board.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Welcome to the forum.

That sounds like a hard rocking set. I don't think it will be bad.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Just a tip, definitely test out the Invader before you pull the trigger on it. Most people either find it above average (I've never seen anyone call it phenomenal, but then again I don't hang around those types of musicians most days) or find it way too bass heavy. If you want something in that same musical vein, try a Duncan Distortion it's the same wind but with less bass. Or you can get an Invader and swap the Allen heads for hex screws to turn it into a Distortion.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Just a tip, definitely test out the Invader before you pull the trigger on it. Most people either find it above average (I've never seen anyone call it phenomenal, but then again I don't hang around those types of musicians most days) or find it way too bass heavy. If you want something in that same musical vein, try a Duncan Distortion it's the same wind but with less bass. Or you can get an Invader and swap the Allen heads for hex screws to turn it into a Distortion.

I'm not 100% sure that's correct, but they're at least pretty similar in terms of wind.

I've used an Invader, but it ended up being a bit too mushed out and bass heavy for what I was after. It'll definitely do the sounds you're after and there is the 21-day exchange policy if it ends up not being exactly what you want. If you're in the US and want mine I'll sell it to you; it'll cost less than new but no exchange policy obviously.

 

[PrawiraChrnsArdhana]

Re: Help choosing pickups

how about pegasus or 59/Custom Hybrid? it was medium output pickup, and nice for hard rock to metal
you can try pegasus, bcus they're specially built for drop tuning, you can play standard tuning or the lower tuning without problem

 

[Mincer]

Re: Help choosing pickups

You may want to choose a full Black Winter set (especially for the heavier music). If you want to play more classic stuff too, check out a Jazz and a Custom set.

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Help choosing pickups

You may want to choose a full Black Winter set (especially for the heavier music). If you want to play more classic stuff too, check out a Jazz and a Custom set.

This!

OP, I have a Black Winter set. I've had them in my Explorer, Epi LPC, bolt on Jackson King V (alder body, maple neck, rosewood board), and they're currently in my Ibanez RG421MH (mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood board). Those pickups will cover everything you want them to, everything from AC/DC to all the way to modern stuff. Just use your volume knob. They clean up really well too.

And I also have a Custom/Jazz combo in one of my Les Pauls. They're also very versatile and can cover just about anything. And I would say that they're a little more dynamic. And the Custom has a nice grunt in the mids.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Help choosing pickups

The Invader is definitely a very heavy, bass strong pup. Not sure it would go very well with the Black Winter in the neck, but to each his own. I'm not very impressed with the Invader and am considering changing all of the screws.

Dave's suggestion of Jazz neck and Custom bridge is good. I would suggest Custom 8, I think the highs are much more pleasant, less harsh and piercing.

 

[CrazyPick]

Re: Help choosing pickups

OP, I have a Black Winter set. I've had them in my Explorer, Epi LPC, bolt on Jackson King V (alder body, maple neck, rosewood board), and they're currently in my Ibanez RG421MH (mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood board). Those pickups will cover everything you want them to, everything from AC/DC to all the way to modern stuff. Just use your volume knob. They clean up really well too.

I would prefer to have the Black Winter set, but I was worried the bridge would be too harsh, and not sound warm enough. I can't find any good sound examples of them online in E standard.

 

[BleedingFingertips]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I would prefer to have the Black Winter set, but I was worried the bridge would be too harsh, and not sound warm enough. I can't find any good sound examples of them online in E standard.

Check this out. IMO, too much of a good thing. Way too trebly. You can get the same sound from Duncan JB for less buck (with Jazz in the neck). But this is only this one video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4SYh_ZN9as

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Help choosing pickups

What kind of amp and pedals are you using? None of the recommendations are worth much without that info.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Help choosing pickups

I am new to the aftermarket pickup world, so please excuse my ignorance in this area.

I mainly play hard rock / metal (Metallica, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Rammstein, GNR, Godsmack)
Which passive SD pickups should I be looking at?

Was thinking a Black Winter neck (coil splitable) with an Invader in the bridge. Are these completely wrong for this type of music?

I haven't been able to find a good example of a Black Winter bridge in E standard, which is why I am looking at the Invader. From what I can tell online the Invader is looser and has more low end.


They will be going in my new custom ESP M-II which will have a mahogany body, koa (or maple) top and ebony fret-board.

Hi CrazyPick, welcome to the forum.

You're having trouble finding samples of the Black Winter pickups in Standard E because the Black Winters were designed primarily for Scandanvian-style Black Metal and Death Metal - which is mostly in downtuned tunings. Here is a quote from Seymour Duncan's product page for the Black Winters: "Extreme as the Scandinavian Winter, the Black Winter Set was created for Black Metal, Death Metal, and any other underground style." They may do end up sounding ok for the standard tuning, classic metal bands you cited, but you'd have to chance it with the purchase first. Of course, if you buy them new from a authorized Seymour Duncan dealer, you should be covered by the Exhange policy if you are unhappy with them.

I'm actually surprised no one has recommended the Duncan Distortion in the bridge for the kind of music you cited. Another likely passive bridge-candidate would be the Dimarzio Distortion.

At least two of the bands you cited use active pickups. I also play music similar to the bands you mentioned, I use a mahogany body Led Paul / PRS type guitar, and I have found Seymour Duncan's active Blackout Pickups were the best that I had tried at creating the tones for those kind of bands. What are the reasons why active pickups aren't an option for you? [EDIT: I also happen to prefer the Blackout pups swapped in their relative positions - neck placed in the bridge, bridge pup in neck - similar to those that prefer the EMG 81/85 pups in swapped positions).

 

[CrazyPick]

Re: Help choosing pickups

GuitarDoc, Gone_Shootin
Good suggestions, I have listened to a few more samples, and now I am looking at the 59 neck, and JB bridge. They sound like a great combo, and the JB sounds like it can do metal really well.


JB_From_Hell
Currently a modelling amp! I will upgrade soon to either a pevy 6505 or mesa dual rectifier. Pedals I use currently for metal are Okko dominator and a Sentry noise gate.


kingswebe
I was initially going with EMG or Blackouts, but I haven't used active pickups before. I know what I am getting with passives.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Help choosing pickups

JB_From_Hell
Currently a modelling amp! I will upgrade soon to either a pevy 6505 or mesa dual rectifier. Pedals I use currently for metal are Okko dominator and a Sentry noise

Get the amp first. The majority of what you’re hearing is the amp, especially high gain stuff like you’re talking. Get the amp, then base your pickup choice on that.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Help choosing pickups

Get the amp first. The majority of what you’re hearing is the amp, especially high gain stuff like you’re talking. Get the amp, then base your pickup choice on that.

+1

I've run into more than a couple instances where a modeling amp appeared to "lie" as far as frequency response and attack of specific guitars. You may find that your guitar sounds quite different through a real Recto than it does even through a Recto model.