Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

[frehleystjohn]

I'm an old school creature of habit and I've never used Duncan Pickups, but I'm ready to take the plunge. For the last 20 years I've mainly used a competitor's Super Distortion and various pickups from gibson.

Any recommendations you guys can give me for Duncan pickups for the bridge and neck will be greatly appreciated.

So here's the blue print for the guitar:

93 Jackson Kelly, 2 humbucker, Alder body,Thin neck (lightning fast),rosewood fingerboard, 1 volume knob setup, Floyd rose trem.

Guitar's role: Old school metal shred machine. Used primarily for ripping tunes in the vein of Ratt, Dokken, Rhoads-Jake E. Lee Ozzy, 80's era Kiss, Winger, Stryper, Dokken, Anthrax, The complete 80s' Mike Varney/Shrapnel classic metal shredder style.

Need:
Bridge: High Output- After many years of using the afformentioned Super Distortion pickup, I'd like to get the same type of output (or higher) with slightly more pronounced mids and slightly improved bottom. So banshee screaming but slightly fuller. Crazy, Crazy highs. Dive bombing insanity.

Neck: High-mid Out Put. This is where I also prefer a high amount of mids to come from. Obviously higher on the bottom end as well. We're looking for fat as hell. High Mids,High Bass, Loud enough to cut through the debris for solos.

Summary: This ain't the guitar for ballads, don't ever use it for clean anything. It's a shredder. It's loud. Banshee screaming octane for the bridge. Fat mid/bass heavy sound at the neck. Both pickups need to sound good in tandem as I do like to play toggled in the middle for most rythm parts.


Any expertise you guys have will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

Bolt-on Kelly or neckthru? Makes a large tonal difference that will need to be taken into account when choosing a pickup for those not using the Dimarzio line as a guide

I´m guessing a Bolt On KE-3?

 

[hagopick]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

i have kelly i play the same thing you do plus blues,im using custom/59 .they are great.i never think to change them with another pickups.

 

[Istanbul]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

EMG 81 bridge--------------EMG 60 Neck (it would give the tone that you described)

Duncan Custom bridge----------Duncan Pearly Gates neck
(would have a bigger sound in bridge)

Duncan Jb Bridge------------Duncan Jazz neck
(would give the tone you described passively)

Gibson 500T bridge-------------Gibson 496R Neck
would sound like Gibson Explorer

 

[frehleystjohn]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

It's a bolt on. KE-3 would be correct for the model zerberus.

 

[H8Red442]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

I agree with Istanbul on his reccomendations. You can't go wrong with any of those combos. I use a Duncan Custom (b) and Jazz in my Mockingbird and Bich and my KE2 had a JB (b) and Jazz . As for specific Duncas I like the Custom in the bridge better than the JB but that's me. The JB wasn't articulate enough for me. The Jazz is a great neck pick up. You might have better luck going with EMG 81 bridge and 85 or 60 neck to get the high output you want but if you're set on Duncans I'd go with either Custom (my reccomendation) or JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck.

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

I wouldn't shy away from the Distortion Trembucker PA-TB2 either, it's designed with a floyd in mind so it's got girthy mids to boot. For the neck I'd have to say perhaps a Full Shred may be what you're after, bright, punchy, and plenty of cut.

 

[tone4days]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

for me, the SD JB bridge defines the music you describe ... i bet a screamin demon neck would get it workin too

good luck
t4d

 

[italic zero]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

JB bridge and '59 neck sound like they would match your description perfectly.

 

[IcedEarth112]

Re: Help/Suggestions for a Kelly

from what ive heard from people on this site a dimebucker would work for your bridge, you kinda described it how the other people did